Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.”

John 18

Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” John 18:37

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 21 of Advent, and today John Piper reminds us that on Christmas we don't celebrate the birth of Jesus, but the incarnation of Jesus as He existed since the beginning of time (Alpha and Omega - see Revelation 22:13).  As John 18:37 says, Jesus "[came] into the world" - this is incarnation.  John Piper shares how incarnation was God's plan from the beginning (ancient days) - that Jesus came to save sinners, He came into the world to die - so that others would be saved.  We are referred to Micah 5:2 and Mark 10:45. Read and listen to the voice of Jesus (the Bible) and rejoice over His incarnation this Christmas!

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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 came into the world to die for me so that I could have life now in abundance and for eternity in Heaven with You.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such blessings.  My sin is great and it continues.  Please forgive me Jesus.  Help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.

1 John 3

Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. 1 John 3:8

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 20 of Advent, and today John Piper uses the analogy of an assembly line to represent how sin persists in the world and how Satan is behind all of this persistent sin as those who live in darkness continue in their sin either because they have not been exposed to the light of Jesus Christ or because they have been exposed to the Light and have either rejected it or not yet been drawn to the Light enough to the point where they now live in the Light.  Of course this Light is Jesus Christ and God offers us the Light so that we can be free from the slavery of sin.  Piper wants non-believers to go on strike at the assembly line of sin; he encourages us that God has defeated sin already and anyone who follows Jesus has the freedom Christ offers - freedom from the slavery of sin, and from the sting of sin and death.

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are Light and Truth and You give me freedom - freedom from the slavery of sin and freedom from the sting of sin and death - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such blessings. 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.

Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.

Hebrews 2

Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. Hebrews 2:14-15

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 19 of Advent, and today John Piper explores freedom from fear and anxiety.  Of course, all of humanity at one point or another struggles with fear or anxiety over one thing or another.  Nearly all of us have some level of fear over death.  Piper's opening salvo in today's devotion says "Jesus became man because what was needed was the death of a man who was more than man. The incarnation was God’s locking himself into death row. Christ did not risk death. He chose death. He embraced it. That is precisely why he came" (to serve and not to be served - Mark 10:45).  Although Satan tried to turn Jesus from the cross, Satan failed.  Piper describes how Jesus "stripped Satan of [his] power."  Now that Satan has no power - believers can no longer be condemned (Romans 8:1).  Piper wraps today's devotion by sharing how freedom from condemnation gives believers freedom from anxiety over anything from the smallest details of our lives to death itself.  Rejoice in the freedom that Christ gives us!

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of compassion and grace for me.  You give me freedom from anxiety and from fear of death.  Thank You Jesus!  What an awesome God You are.  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.

As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.

John 17

As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. John 17:18

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 18 of Advent, and today John Piper focuses on how Christmas is a model for missions. The Great Commission in Matthew 28 calls believers to go out and make disciples of all nations.  Regardless of whether we as believers are personally engaged in the global mission field, we are called to support - through prayer, financial assistance, etc. - missions.  Missionaries often place themselves in harm's way by venturing deep into places where sharing the gospel is a known danger based on previous persecution of Christians. For those facing this danger, Piper quotes mid-16th century missionary Francis Xavier (1506–1552) and encourages missionaries to avoid "distrust[ing] the mercy of God."  Piper then goes on to share that if this "danger is avoided, then all other dangers lose their sting. In the end God makes every dagger a scepter in our hand. As J.W. Alexander says, 'Each instant of present labor is to be graciously repaid with a million ages of glory.'"  This serves as an encouragement for all believers to live fearlessly as whatever fear of man we may have, pales in comparison to the danger many missionaries face every day. Be bold!

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of compassion and grace for me.  You are my refuge and so much more....thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of how You protect and provide refuge.  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.

“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah[...]"

Philippians 2

 “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah[...]" Jeremiah 31:31

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 17 of Advent, and today John Piper shares how during Christmas we should appreciate how Jesus provides "the greatest salvation imaginable."  Piper uses Jeremiah's prophecy (500 years before Christ) where God promises a "new covenant."  The Old Testament covenant relied on works and one's own strength and will for obedience.  The new covenant promised by God through Jeremiah "replace[s] shadows with the Reality of the Messiah."  As Piper puts it, "[God] would powerfully move into our lives and write his will on our hearts so that we are not constrained from outside, but are willing from inside, to love him and trust him and follow him. That would be the greatest salvation imaginable — if God should offer us the greatest Reality in the universe to enjoy and then move in us to know that Reality in such a way that we could enjoy it with the greatest freedom and the greatest pleasure possible. That would be a Christmas gift worth singing about."  Piper highlights that salvation however, while available to all, is not given to all as sin separates all of humanity from God and the salvation available to us through Jesus is only given in response to acknowledgement of sin, belief and faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.  Once a believer does this, Piper describes this "greatest salvation imaginable:"God is now free, in his justice, to lavish us with all the unspeakably great new covenant promises. He gives us Christ, the greatest Reality in the universe, for our enjoyment. And he writes his own will — his own heart — on our hearts so that we can love Christ and trust Christ and follow Christ from the inside out, with freedom and joy."  Without a doubt the greatest gift of all time - believers rejoice!

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are a great God who offers the greatest gift of all time - salvation!  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such a gift - not by a long shot.  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, 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.

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

John 10

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. John 10:10

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 15 of Advent, and today John Piper explores how the Christmas season finds many grieving over loss, and this season, our family is grieving over the loss the Marit, our dear niece who within days of turning 15 died of brain cancer.  During these seasons of loss, John Piper encourages us to not be bitter, or to mask our feelings of loss, as he correctly shares that it is when we allow ourselves to feel loss and submit to circumstances orchestrated by God, this is when we will experience God's love and see Him at work. Piper writes: "[w]hat is love for, if not to intensify our affections — both in life and death?"  This is life in abundance now.  We are also encouraged to look forward to Heaven where we are not only reunited with our loved ones who believed.  Rejoice in abundance now and forever!

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are a good, good father - who is with us during difficult seasons and good seasons...and You save a placed in Heaven for us.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of how You provide such abundant life.  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.