And he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple. And when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.

Mark 11:1-11

And he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple. And when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve. Mark 11:11

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 11:1-11.  Excerpts from the commentary's fifth (of five) division (v11):

• The title of the fifth division per the commentary is "Worship the One Who Always Acts Justly."   
• "This day ends rather uneventfully. Tomorrow will be a different day (11:12-25). Jesus enters Jerusalem, goes to the temple, looks things over carefully, sees that it is “late” (late for the temple?), and leaves with the disciples for Bethany."  
• It appears that Jesus is no longer impressed with the temple as He might have been when He first saw the temple at 12 years old (see Luke 2:41-52).  "No, He makes a commanding survey of the situation and goes away to return the next day. Then He will curse something—the temple—that should have been bringing the nations to God (Mark 11:17) but in reality was driving them away."  
• "It would seem that this would have been the moment for Him to claim and receive His Messianic throne and kingdom. Amazingly, not one thing happens. The enthusiastic crowds have mysteriously vanished. Was He only “King for a day”? Jesus, with no fanfare whatsoever, leaves with the Twelve."  
• Mark 1 is linked to prophecy from Malachi 3:1-2 as the commentary shares from Malachi how "[t]he refining fire has arrived to purify that which is putrid. The cleansing lye has arrived to cleanse that which is filthy. He will start His work with the temple. He will finish His work on the cross. He acts justly when He judges. He is so worthy of our worship!"   
• The commentary shares a table below comparing the first coming of Jesus to the second.  

 

• "Few bowed before the great King the first time He came. However, every knee will bow when He comes again (Philippians 2:9-11)."

Indeed the portrait of Jesus' entrance into Jerusalem humbly on a donkey compared to how He will arrive at the second coming is quite a contrast.  Jesus as the servant King is not something that humanity can understand without supernatural intervention - that of the Holy Spirit who intervenes to incline ears and soften hearts to hear, understand, and see the majesty of Jesus and what He did for us.  While still an enemy and hostile to Him (see Romans 5:10), Jesus willingly laid down His life, enduring unimaginable suffering and pain, so that we could be freed from slavery to sin now and for eternity.  Thank You Jesus!

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God that reigns.  I KNOW what You did for me and I eagerly await when You come again to reign in the New Jerusalem.  You give me salvation to be in attendance for this reign and You free from the bondage of sin now...giving the Holy Spirit also.  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. 

I am gentle and lowly in heart[.]

Matthew 11:29

I am gentle and lowly in heart[.] Matthew 11:29b

I continue my study of The Character of Jesus.  For this morning, I focus on chapter 20: The Humility of Jesus where I highlighted in my Kindle version the following excerpts:

• "[Matthew 11:29] is unique in the Gospel.  There is nothing else at all like it....here for the first time [Jesus] calls attention to one of his characteristics....[and he uses this moment] to teach [his followers] humility."
•  "Possibly no other virtue in the catalogue of Christian virtues is so misunderstood as this one. No other one has been so often erroneously defined, no other grace has been so persistently counterfeited and caricatured. What do we mean by humility?...We know that Jesus was humble, we know also that he demands humility of us, we know that he took the ancient word and cleansed it and made it a lovely word, and yet when asked to define the meaning of it, how difficult it is to do."
• "Jesus gave his disciples three great lessons on the subject of humility" [from] Matthew 18:1-5, Matthew 20:25-28, and John 13:4-17.
• In Matthew 18:1-5, Jesus exhorts the disciples to become like little children.  "It is teachableness, docility, willingness to learn. A child is eager for knowledge, he is everlastingly asking questions, he is always bent on investigation, he pries into everything. He wants to go to the roots of everything....Not only is he free from self-sufficiency, but he is free from vanity. A little child is not vain of the belongings of its parents. It cares nothing for diamonds or silks, brown stone, or carriages. It plays with perfect contentment with a child in the street whose parents have [nothing]."
• "It was because the Pharisees did not have it that he criticized them and condemned them. They were not teachable, they knew everything. Nobody could tell them anything. They were vain, they blew trumpets and called attention to their decorations. They loved salutations. They were ambitious, they were always pushing themselves forward, taking the chief places at the feasts."
• "We get just a glimpse of him at the age of twelve, so hungry for knowledge that he will not go home, but lingers behind to ask the big teachers in the Temple just one more question. Always was he teachable. There is no trace of arrogance in him, no spirit of assumption. He is constantly talking to God, asking him questions, praying for new light. He cannot live without prayer. Prayer is the language of humility. Only the docile in heart ever pray. When we say that Jesus was a man of prayer, we say he was meek and lowly in heart."
• In Matthew 20:25-28, Jesus shares with His disciples that "humility is...a willingness to serve.  A humble man is a man who is ready to make himself useful....He did not underestimate his powers, or make himself small, or feel himself to be unworthy; he simply came down to where men were in order to do them good. That is Christian humility."
• In John 13:4-17 Jesus washes His disciples feet. "Knowing their dullness of understanding he goes on to explain the meaning of his action, telling them, just as he has been willing to do the work of a slave in order to serve them, so they also must be willing to serve one another. Here, again, we see what humility really is. It is laying aside one's dignity, it is making one's self of no reputation, it is a willingness to come down, it is a delight in rendering service...[I]t was because [Jesus] knew his divine origin and his divine destiny, and was conscious of his lofty position that he was willing to take the basin and the towel and do the work of a slave. This is the secret of humility everywhere and always."
• "It is because we do not know that we have come from God, and forget that we are going back to Him that we make such an ado about our dignity, and prize so highly our reputation, and are so lordly and so lofty minded, and take such delight in putting on airs. Only he who is sure of God possesses the secret of humility."
• "The humility which Jesus wants, and which he exemplified in his life, is a form of strength. Only the strong man can be really humble. It is willingness to lay aside one's rights, it is a refusal to use one's power, it is a readiness to come down and to make one's self of no reputation. Jesus was always giving up his rights, he was always refusing to use his power. Repeatedly he had the opportunity to wreak vengeance on his enemies, but he would not do it because he was so humble."
• "Notwithstanding his exalted position, Paul reminds his Philippian converts that Jesus "made himself of no reputation and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. And therefore hath 'God highly exalted him and given him a name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess that he is Lord indeed.'"

Great words from Charles Jefferson indeed.  The author's words and the Holy Spirit this morning remind me of words from John 3:30 where John the Baptist shares that he must decrease and Jesus must increase.  It is humanity's nature to find worth, value, and significance from the world - of course this hinders an expression of humility defined in scripture.  Yet believers must recognize that our identity, worth, value and significance comes from Jesus - who sees us as worthy of salvation and justified (free from the charge of condemnation as a result of our sin).  Once we recognize our identity as a new creation in Christ, where we see our worth, value, and significance in Jesus, it becomes increasingly clear that we exist not to bring glory to ourselves but instead to glorify God.  It is from our strong conviction of who we are and to whom we belong where we become humble in God's eyes. 

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God that sees me as worthy of salvation and I am justified in Your eyes.  And You continue to pour out mercies that are new every morning that never cease.  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 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. 

I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the wicked, for there is a time for every matter and for every work.

Ecclesiastes 3

I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the wicked, for there is a time for every matter and for every work. Ecclesiastes 3:17

I continue my study today of Ecclesiastes using the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for this book.  Today, my focus is a commentary-assisted review of Ecclesiastes 3:16-17, which is the first division of the commentary chapter titled Politics and Justice Are Meaningless without Jesus (covering Ecclesiastes 3:16-4:3, and 5:8-9).  The commentary first posits that in our fallen world, all paths to promote justice, whether it be through the government and the political process, or through social change/justice that might leverage non-governmental organizations (NGOs) or non-profits/charities, ultimately fall short of perfect (most far short) justice because we are all sinful and imperfect. Humanity's collective sin and imperfect motives and actions mar our efforts.  V17 offers encouragement for those seeking perfect justice as God alone is judge and He will judge everyone according to their deeds - every knee will bow and tongue will confess Jesus as Lord and Savior (see also Philippians 2:9-11). The commentary shares: "God has a carefully timed plan, but we cannot know when it will be executed. Even Jesus, when He laid aside His glory in the incarnation, admitted that the Son of Man did not know the time and hour (Matthew 24:36). Of course, He knows now in His exalted and glorified state! But even though he does not know the timing, Solomon trusts that God will set things right and that injustice will finally be reversed. The wicked will not ultimately get away with it (Greidanus, Preaching Christ, 99)." Seek God as a means to gain peace knowing that God has a plan (and it's perfect) for justice in this world, on judgement day, and in the world to come (Heaven).  

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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 peace knowing that Your justice is perfect.  Thank You Jesus for this peace and for how it is a peace that surpasses all understanding as it is a blessing well beyond justice. I am not deserving for this peace or any other blessing or gift that comes from above - including my salvation.  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.

I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the wicked, for there is a time for every matter and for every work.

Ecclesiastes 3

I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the wicked, for there is a time for every matter and for every work. Ecclesiastes 3:17

I continue my study today of Ecclesiastes using the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for this book.  Today, my focus is an unassisted review of Ecclesiastes 3:16-17, which is the first division of the commentary chapter titled Politics and Justice Are Meaningless without Jesus (covering Ecclesiastes 3:16-4:3, and 5:8-9). In v16, Solomon shares a frustration over how pervasive wickedness is in the world around us - believers and non-believers alike share a desire for justice but often you cannot see justice....this is the root cause for the frustration many will feel.  Yet believers should know that God alone is the Judge and everyone (either upon death or upon Jesus' second coming) will be held accountable for their deeds, and if not saved, will be subject to eternal damnation.  Indeed, that we live in a fallen world rife with sin and wickedness should drive us into the arms of Jesus who helps us see how ever knee will ultimately bow (see John Piper post here).  Believers gain peace knowing that God's justice is perfect - bow to Jesus now and feel the peace that surpasses all understanding!

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of grace and compassion with me, and You give me peace knowing that Your justice is perfect because You are perfect.  Thank You Jesus for this peace and for the many blessings You pour out for me...every day.  I am not deserving of these blessings, nor my salvation.  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, mind and strength 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 God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Philippians 2

Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:9-11

I maintain a pause of my study of 1 Corinthians as I continue using DesiringGod.com's Advent devotions where I pick up on Day 16.  Here, John Piper uses Philippians 2:9-11 to describe God's Most Successful Setback. He starts by stating that "Christmas marked the beginning of God’s most successful setback. He has always delighted to show his power through apparent defeat. He makes tactical retreats in order to win strategic victories."  Piper uses Joseph as the example for the devotion in how Joseph first became a slave then a prisoner.  However, God meant it for good - Genesis 50:20.  We don't understand how God works (Isaiah 55:8), but He is always at work on behalf of those who love God (Romans 8:28). Piper of course uses Jesus in the devotion as he writes: "[Jesus] emptied himself and took the form of a slave. Worse than a slave — a prisoner — and was executed. But like Joseph, he kept his integrity."  This is where Philippians 2:9-11 comes into the devotion as Piper shares that Jesus' way "is God’s way for us too. We are promised glory — if we will suffer with him as it says in Romans 8:17. The way up is down. The way forward is backward. The way to success is through divinely appointed setbacks. They will always look and feel like failure."  Instead of despair in the face of struggle and setback, we should look to Jesus' work on the cross and other examples such as Joseph for how God means it for good for those who love God. 

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves and who has never left or forsaken me and You have seen me through difficult periods - many times.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of how You 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.

Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Philippians 2

Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:9-11

This morning, my focus is DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotion, where John Piper seeks for believers to prepare our hearts for Christmas.  Today's Solid Joys daily devotion marks day 16 of Advent, and today John Piper shares how God orchestrates and uses setbacks to reveal and unfurl His glory and fulfill His plan.  We can't see all of what God is doing or thinking (Isaiah 55:8) as God's thoughts and ways are not our ways. Yet believers see God's hand in the Bible and in our own lives as He uses adversity and setbacks as part of His plan.  In the Bible, of course Jesus came as a baby, lived a sinless and perfect live, but suffered and died on the cross as the final sacrifice for all of humanity's sins for all times.  The Bible is full of such winding roads and setbacks to His glory.  Piper uses the story of Joseph in the book of Genesis as one of many examples.  Joseph became a slave, then a prisoner, before his dreams/vision became a reality.  We are urged to see how God exalts those who pick up their cross and follow Jesus - by suffering as Jesus did. Piper wraps up today's devotion by stating:"[a]nd this is God’s way for us too. We are promised glory — if we will suffer with him as it says in Romans 8:17. The way up is down. The way forward is backward. The way to success is through divinely appointed setbacks. They will always look and feel like failure. But if Joseph and Jesus teach us anything this Christmas it is this: What Satan and sinful men meant for evil, “God meant it for good!” (Genesis 50:20)." 

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, Your ways and thoughts are not my own, but I can trust that You are good, faithful, and You work all things for good. Thank You Jesus. I am not deserving of how You are good to me.  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.

Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth[.]

Philippians 2

 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth[.] Philippians 2:9-10

This morning, I continued with my listening/reading of a Christmas/Advent devotional from John Piper. Today's entry focuses on how God works through what Piper calls "divinely appointed setbacks."  He uses the story of Joseph to show how although he was "promised glory and power in his dream (Genesis 37:5-11)," Joseph first had to become a slave and a prisoner.  Jesus also had to be beaten, mocked, spit upon, and then crucified before He rose from the grave three days later. Piper explains that both received glory because they kept their integrity. He then wraps today's devotion by stating that: "[a]nd this is God’s way for us too. We are promised glory — if we will suffer with him as it says in Romans 8:17. The way up is down. The way forward is backward. The way to success is through divinely appointed setbacks. They will always look and feel like failure. But if Joseph and Jesus teach us anything this Christmas it is this: What Satan and sinful men meant for evil, 'God meant it for good!' (Genesis 50:20)."

We are also pointed to a hymn "God Moves in a Mysterious Way", written by William Cowper in 1774.

Comment and discuss this post here.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an incredible God and I have seen Your hand in both good and bad times - through suffering and times of great joy - in and through it all I see Your glory.  Your ways are both good and perfect - yet often mysterious.  Thank You for pouring out Your many blessings for me and for never leaving or forsaking me.  I am not deserving of how You do all of this.  My sin continues - harshness with others, 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.

By myself I have sworn, my mouth has uttered in all integrity a word that will not be revoked: Before me every knee will bow; by me every tongue will swear.

Matthew 26

By myself I have sworn, my mouth has uttered in all integrity a word that will not be revoked: Before me every knee will bow; by me every tongue will swear. Isaiah 45:23

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

*Title of lesson seven from the Max Lucado study.

The commentary* of day five starts with Max Lucado highlighting how it was not just Judas who betrayed Jesus on the night Jesus was arrested but all the disciples, including Matthew, and even all believers. Lucado wants us to recognize that all of us at one point or another in our lives have betrayed Jesus.  We are all guilty.  Yet Jesus restored the believers and He restores us.  He rose again, provides us with the Holy Spirit and promises never to leave or forsake us.  What an incredible promise - all this for a broken and sinful group of people who often fall down in trust of God. We should recognize God's grace in light of how we betray Jesus.  He loves us, in spite of our sin.  God loves us in ways that no other can.  We also need to recognize WHO IS IT THAT LOVES US - the God of the Universe.  The Lord of Lords...this should cause all to fall to their knees in worship. 

By myself I have sworn, my mouth has uttered in all integrity a word that will not be revoked: Before me every knee will bow; by me every tongue will swear. Isaiah 45:23

It is written: “‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God.’” Romans 14:23

 

...that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth[.] Philippians 2:10

Comment and discuss this post here.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and You are the God of the Universe who knows everything about me, including my sin and betrayal of You.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such love.  My sin continues, including 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.

For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.

Habakkuk 2

For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. v14

As the Lord responds to Habakkuk's plea for justice - see post yesterday - God promises punishment for the wicked.  In v9-19, God promises woe for those who disobey God and seek gain and glory for themselves above God.  We are to love God first and foremost and then others as God loves us.

Ten Commandments
Greatest Commandment(s)
"Love one another" as Jesus loves you

One way or another every knee will bow and every tongue will acknowledge the Lord of Lords - Jesus Christ.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God who loves me and who has helped me grow in my faith - thank You Jesus!  I am not worth such love.  I daily miss the mark.  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.

Then I will return to my lair until they have borne their guilt and seek my face—in their misery they will earnestly seek me.

Hosea 5

Then I will return to my lair until they have borne their guilt and seek my face—in their misery they will earnestly seek me. v15

Too often, we seek God during times of trouble only.  Yet we should seek God during all times - daily.  It is during the good times when we take the time to develop a relationship with Jesus that God will do a work within us to prepare us for when times are bad.  Yet God is a mystery, and we don't how He works or what He has in store for us.  We can better understand God's will for our lives only when we strive to know Him better and His message for us - He can transform our hearts and minds to be more like Him and in that process we can be better aligned with His will.

However, there will always be those - just like during the days of Israel (Ephraim) and Judah as written in Hosea - who will ignore God's invitation to draw near to Him.  God will either allow or cause something to happen to get people's attention - this is assured either in this life, at our Judgement Day, or when Jesus returns - and you don't want to wait for either of the two latter moments to pass before You submit to Him as Your Lord and Savior.

Every knee will bow.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who bore a painful death - just so I could have live free from the sting of sin and death.  And You went willingly to the cross!  Thank You Jesus for the greatest gift of all time!  I am not worth such a gift.  I worry.  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 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 I will teach them—this time I will teach them my power and might. Then they will know that my name is the Lord.

Jeremiah 16

“Therefore I will teach them—this time I will teach them my power and might. Then they will know that my name is the Lord. v21

Jeremiah passes on a difficult message to the Israelites that God will punish them.  However, once again God keeps His promises that a savior will rise from among Judah. All of us, whether at our day of judgement or at the end of times, will know Jesus as the King of Kings.

[T]that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:10-11

Yet we must also recognize of course that not all will recognize Jesus as their Lord and Savior and many will come to Jesus at different times in their life - God knows all of this.   Just as Jesus demonstrates grace to Israelites time and time again, I must demonstrate grace.

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Ephesians 4:32

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is SO forgiving of me.  Thank You Jesus.  I am not worth such love as I fail to be who You intend for me as I SO often miss the mark.  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 do.  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 is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him.

Habakkuk 2

The Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him. v20

Many flaunt their sinfulness and place things, activities, people, themselves, etc. before God.  Sequentially speaking, NOTHING comes before God because HE is the Alpha - the beginning.  He is also the End (Revelation 22:13) with the implication being that God existed before time began, that He will exist after time ends, and that His kingdom will last forever.  You can also place other gods before Jesus in terms of priorities - yet this will end in peril as "no one comes to the Father except through [Jesus]" (John 14:6) and "[e]very tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire" (Matthew 7:18). 

God must possess the rightful place in our lives - He must be the number one priority.

You shall have no other gods before me. Exodus 20:3

We must respect and fear God for who He is.

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
    and gave him the name that is above every name,

that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
    to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:9-11

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are King of Kings and the Name Above All Names.  You are also the Lord of My Life and worthy of my praise and worship.  I know You love me and I know that You suffered and died for me..even though You lived a sinful life and did not deserve death but willingly surrendered Your life so that I could have life.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not worth such love and sacrifice.  I continue to rage in my sloth and selfishness.  Please forgive me and help me overcome my sin and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength and please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo. Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Help me serve You, my family, the church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.

Psalm 150

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. v6

Over the past week or so, many of the posts have focused on how we exist to glorify God.  Today, the message I hear from God is that God is worthy of a praise that comes from all lips and with all of our energies.  He is a great God and there is no equal - the one and only true God.  

As surely as I live,’ says the Lord,
‘every knee will bow before me;
    every tongue will acknowledge God.’ Romans 14:11 (Isaiah 45:23)

In Romans the context is that we should live to glorify God now because "we will all stand before God’s judgment seat." Romans 14:10

We should praise God because:

1. That is why we exist
2. He is worthy of our praise
3. He commands us to (Exodus 20, Matthew 22:37-40)

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You ARE worthy of my praise and the praise of all people in all times.  You created all things, are before and in all things, and hold all things together.  You are full of compassion, love, patience, mercy, etc. even though I am not deserving.  Thank You Jesus!  Please forgive me for my worry, my selfishness, etc.  Help me overcome and turn from my sin and turn towards You. Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength.  Please heal and cure her of her cancer and the side effects from chemo. Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach, and Dustin...and serve You.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.