[T]hrough many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.

Acts 14

[T]hrough many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. Acts 14:22

This morning, until I start a new Bible study, I continue using devotionals from John Piper.  Today, the post focuses on how God often denies a prayer for grace yet responds with another form of grace that we are unable to perhaps see in the moment but able to see later in hindsight.  We should understand that from the Fall (Genesis 3), human existence moved from the perfection of the Garden of Eden, to a world full of sin and hardship. Jesus tells us in the gospel of John (John 16:33) how we are to expect hardship but that we will overcome (ultimately) anything hardship we experience. In today's post, Piper emphasizes how we are to see grace in the form of denied prayer - we don't know God's ways or thoughts (Isaiah 55:8) - but we do know that for those who love God, He works all things work together for good (Romans 8:28). Piper refers us to 2 Corinthians 12:9 where Paul shares how God denied his request to remove a "thorn":

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 2 Corinthians 12:9

Let us pray that we can mindful of how God works in and through our weakness to accomplish great things. 

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God who loves me and who has poured out an indescribable amount of grace on my life - of course when I am undeserving and also when I cannot even recognize it in the face of suffering.  Thank You Jesus!  I AM not deserving.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

...[L]et us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

Hebrews 10

...[L]et us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Hebrews 10:22

This morning, until I start a new Bible study, I continue using devotionals from John Piper.  Today, the post focuses on Piper's (and God's) call for all believers to draw near to God.  Piper refers us to Psalm 16:11 where we see a great promise that results from our nearness to God:

You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. Psalm 16:11

There are many promises in scripture that discuss the blessings of nearness to God - examples include:

The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. Psalm 145:18

 

Those who are far from you will perish; you destroy all who are unfaithful to you. But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds. Psalm 73:27-28

 

Piper wraps the devotion for today by stating: "[God] does not need us. If we stay away, he is not impoverished. He does not need us in order to be happy in the fellowship of the Trinity. But he magnifies his mercy by giving us free access through his Son, in spite of our sin, to the one Reality that can satisfy our souls completely and forever, namely, himself."

 

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My Prayer: Jesus, You are an amazing God who loves me and who blesses me as I draw near to You.  You and Your Word are a lamp to my feet - I am lost without You and I am blessed by Your direction.  Thank You Jesus for entering my heart and life.  I am not deserving of Your love, blessing, and salvation.  My sin of worry persists, as does other sin.  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 you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.

Colossians 2

And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him. Colossians 2:13-15

This morning, until I start a new Bible study, I continue using devotionals from John Piper.  Today, the post focuses on how, although Jesus death on the cross "did not remove Satan from the world, but [it] disarmed him to the extent that the weapon of damnation was stripped from his hand." Piper goes on to say that "[Satan] cannot accuse believers of unforgiven sin. Which is the only accusation that can destroy us. And therefore, he cannot bring us to utter ruin. He can hurt us physically and emotionally — even kill us. He can tempt us and incite others against us. But he cannot destroy us."

Piper then refers us to Hebrews 2:14-15 and 1 Corinthians 15:55 for additional scripture references that support this post. 

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an incredible and amazing God who is full of grace and compassion for me, and I know You love me, forgive me and sanctify me.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of these blessings and the many indescribable ways You bless me.  My sin of worry continues. Please forgive me and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  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 by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.

Hebrews 10

For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. Hebrews 10:14

This morning, until I start a new Bible study, I continue using devotionals from John Piper.  Today, the post focuses on encouraging everyone to acknowledge their imperfections, and on how Jesus sanctifies those who surrender to Him and "work out their faith" (Philippians 2:12) in Him. We are all imperfect but  God not only forgives those who place their faith in Him, but He also sanctifies them.  Those who truly believe in Jesus hate sin, just as God does, but faith in Jesus and a desire to seek Him for forgiveness and sanctification put us on a path towards victory over sin. I need both forgiveness and sanctification. Great encouragement indeed! 

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an incredible God who loves me, who forgives me, and who sanctifies me - thank You Jesus!  I am blessed!  Yet I am not deserving because my sin of many kinds continues...please forgive me 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.

So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.

Romans 9

So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.  Romans 9:16

This morning, until I start a new Bible study, I continue using devotionals from John Piper.  Today, the post focuses on how, regardless of the maturity of our faith, all believers are never "above the status of beneficiaries of [God's] mercy. We are always utterly dependent on what we do not deserve." Piper highlights that Jesus came into the world because of His mercy for us:

• Romans 15:9
  
• 1 Peter 1:3  
  
• Hebrews 4:16  
  
• Jude 1:21 
  
• 1 Corinthians 7:25

Piper also refers us to Luke 17 both 5-6 and 7-10: 

The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” And the Lord said, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.

“Will any one of you who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and recline at table’? Will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, and dress properly, and serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink’? Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’”

It is our faith that matters, not our obedience, because it is out of our faith that obedience is brought about (Romans 16:26)...and regardless of our obedience we are all beneficiaries of God's mercy.

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

And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.

Hebrews 9

And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him. Hebrews 9:27-28

This morning, until I start a new Bible study, I continue using devotionals from John Piper.  Today, the post focuses on how Jesus' death on the cross means that our own death is not punitive.  Because Christ died for our sins, believers avoid eternal damnation and instead have eternal life in Heaven with Jesus Christ and other believers.  What a glorious salvation indeed!

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God who willingly went to the cross for me - not because I deserved it - but because You loved me despite my sin and in light of my sin - so that I could have freedom from the punishment of sin, now and for eternity!  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such a God.  My sin of worry continues as do other sins.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.

1 Corinthians 15

But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. 1 Corinthians 15:10

This evening, until I start a new Bible study, I continue using devotionals from John Piper.  Today, the post focuses on the start of a new year, and the topic grace - both past grace and future grace. Paul acknowledges (and Piper highlights) that "[g]race is not only God’s disposition to do good for us when we don’t deserve it. It is an actual power from God that acts and makes good things happen in us and for us."  Paul (and Piper) also refers us to Philippians 2:13 for scripture that illustrates how God works in and for us. In hindsight, I see the fruits of His grace in my life and I am thankful.  I also know that God is faithful for all the promises He makes and I can be confident of future grace. 

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My Prayer: Lord, Your grace is amazing and it is sufficient for all of my needs - amazing indeed!  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such grace.  I sin...daily...primarily 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 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.