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.

Chapter 25: Pages 350-361

 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 8:38-39

This afternoon, I continued John Piper's book Providence (purchased from Amazon Kindle Store) and started Part 3 "The Nature and Extent of Providence", moving to Section 5 "Providence Over Life and Death" - moving to chapter twenty-five "We Are Immortal till Our Work Is Done".

Here, Piper explores the difficult question of how believers can see God's goodness and mercy in death. Piper challenges us to ponder whether we would rather be in the hands of Satan or God upon death or martyrdom. Of course the answer is easy for believers.  Piper wants us to see that "[f]or those who belong to him, the timing and outcome of...death is mercy, not wrath."

Piper uses stories of how several missionaries endured tragic loss of loved ones but still found comfort and joy in the grace of Jesus. One such missionary expresses this feeling of comfort by saying "For [unbelievers] the pain is fundamental and the joy is superficial because it won't last.  For [believers], the pain is superficial and the joy is fundamental."

Comment and discuss this post here.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God and I know that You will be with me until the end of the age and that nothing can separate me from Your love - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such love.  I worry and I have 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 accept 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 life of every creature and the breath of all people are in God’s hand.

Chapter 24: Pages 333-347

The life of every creature and the breath of all people are in God’s hand. Job 12:10

This afternoon, I continued John Piper's book Providence (purchased from Amazon Kindle Store) and started Part 3 "The Nature and Extent of Providence", moving to Section 5 "Providence Over Life and Death" - moving to chapter twenty-four "The Lord Has Taken Away; Blessed Be the Name of the Lord".

In the previous chapter, Piper explore primarily God's providence over birth and in this chapter, he explores God's providence over all life and death, stating right away that although "physical and satanic causes of death are real.  But they are not ultimate or decisive [God is however]."  

Using the Declaration of Independence as an example, Piper makes a distinction between rights to life in relation to other people and those in relation to God.  Piper writes that, Biblically, we don't an "unalienable" right to life.  We do have one in relation to other humans who are not allowed to take our life (as directed by God by the way in Exodus 20:13).  But we DON'T have such a right in relation to God as "God has absolute rights over our lives.  He gives and takes life according to the principle Jesus laid down in Matthew 20:15[.]" See also Job 41:11, Psalm 24:1, Acts 17:25, Ecclesiastes 12:7, Isaiah 57:16, Zechariah 12:1, and Job 12:10, 33:4.  Piper sums it up: "[t]herefore, since life belongs to God, and we have it only as a stewardship to be used while he pleases for his glory, God may take it at any time and in any way he pleases, as he acts in the fullness of his wisdom and goodness and justice."

Since the Fall (Genesis 2-3), when death entered the world, according to Piper, "every human being is under the condemnation of death." Piper uses several significant judgements, including the Great Flood (Genesis 6), the firstborn taken in the Passover (Exodus 11-12), Israel's defeat of the Canaanite nations (including 185,000 Assyrians in a single blow), and not alarmingly given the depth of Israel's sin - Israelites themselves, to show death is the result of God's judgement and His purposes.  We are reminded that even the sinful actions of Pilate and Herod (Acts 4:27:28) are an example of how God uses the sinful actions of humans to accomplish His good purposes.   

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God and I know You both created my life and hold it in Your hands - I am deserving of death due to my sins, yet You are full of mercy and compassion that knows no bounds.  Thank You Jesus!  Yet I know I am undeserving.  I focus on my self and neglect Your praise and glory!  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Now you will see that I am the one God! There is no god but me. I send life and death; I can hurt, and I can heal. No one can escape from me.

Chapter 23: Pages 318-331

Now you will see that I am the one God! There is no god but me. I send life and death; I can hurt, and I can heal. No one can escape from me. Deuteronomy 32:39

This morning, I continued John Piper's book Providence (purchased from Amazon Kindle Store) and started Part 3 "The Nature and Extent of Providence", moving to Section 5 "Providence Over Life and Death" - moving to chapter twenty-three "A Bath of Truth and the Gift of Birth". 

The key takeaway from this chapter, pounded home by example after example in scripture, is how God both gives and takes life - only Him. 

• Genesis 25:21, 26:2,4, 28:14-15, 29:31, 30:22 
  
• Deuteronomy 32:39
  
• 2 Kings 5:7
  
• Ruth 4:13
  
• 1 Samuel 2:5-6
  
• Job 34:14-15
  
• Psalm 95:6, 100:3, 119:73, 139:13-14
  
• Isaiah 42:5-6, 65:9
  
• John 5:26, 17:2
• Luke 1:13, 24-25, 58

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You both created and sustain my life, and You do the same for all life, including those in my family, friends and my brothers and sisters in Christ - thank You Jesus for the richness of life. I am not deserving.  I know the wages of sin are death....and I continue to sin, including worry and harsh words for others.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

The Lord says, “I will make you wise and show you where to go. I will guide you and watch over you. So don’t be like a horse or donkey, that doesn’t understand.

Chapter 22: Pages 296-316, Daniel 4:28:-37

The Lord says, “I will make you wise and show you where to go. I will guide you and watch over you. So don’t be like a horse or donkey, that doesn’t understand. Psalm 32:8-9

This morning, I continued John Piper's book Providence (purchased from Amazon Kindle Store) and started Part 3 "The Nature and Extent of Providence", moving to Section 4 "Providence Over Kings and Nations" - moving to chapter twenty-two "To Know and Rejoice That the Most High Rules". 

Here, Piper continues from chapter twenty-one with the nine aspects of providence over kings and nations - focusing on the remaining five:

1. The most high gives the kingdom to whom he will, even to the lowest (Daniel 4:17)
2. Those who walk in pride he is able to humble (Daniel 4:37)
3. All his works are right, and his ways are just (Daniel 4:37)
4. God aims that the world know and rejoice that he rules in all these ways (Daniel 4:17)
5. God aims for us to know that when we fail to submit to and rejoice in Gods kingship, we are acting like animals, not humans (Daniel 4:32-33, 5:21)  

Nebuchadnezzar's humiliation and restoration (Daniel 4:28-37) are core to Piper in this chapter as he points out that "the point of [Nebuchadnezzar's] humiliation is to help us not follow the same course. God is warning us not to become beast-like in failing to use our distinctively human powers to know God-particularly, in this case, to know the true meaning of the providence of God.  This story is not just about providence and pride but also about providence and dehumanization." 

Earlier in the chapter, Piper states that "pride is the height of treason and the end of human happiness.  It is opposition to the ultimate purpose of providence."  He points to a "suicidal irony" where "God aims to expose, namely, that self-exaltation is, in fact, dehumanization....The irony is that human autonomy feels like we have gained significance, when in fact we have lost sanity.  Freedom from God feels exhilarating. But it's the exhilaration of skydiving without a parachute.  Apart from the Holy Spirit, all humans fall for this lie....In the end beastly men do not treat other humans well.  I do not claim that those who have right ideas about providence always treat others the way they should.  But I do claim that those who are not humbled by the providence of God, and who do not embrace their true God-exalting humanity, will never be able to pursue anyone's eternal good-their greatest good."

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God and I see Your providence and I know my purpose is to praise the glory of it all - and it is amazing.  I am not deserving of how You reign and how You are so full of compassion and mercy to save me and love me as You do.  Thank You Jesus.  But again I am not deserving - I worry and I have 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.

And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, “Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, who through the mouth of our father David, your servant, said by the Holy Spirit,“‘Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers were gathered together, against the Lord and against his Anointed’-for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place.

Chapter 21: Pages 279-295, Acts 4

And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, “Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, who through the mouth of our father David, your servant, said by the Holy Spirit,“‘Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers were gathered together, against the Lord and against his Anointed’-for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. Acts 4:24-28 (ESV)

This morning, I continued John Piper's book Providence (purchased from Amazon Kindle Store) and started Part 3 "The Nature and Extent of Providence", moving to Section 4 "Providence Over Kings and Nations" - moving to chapter twenty-one "Human Kingship and the King of Kings". 

Here, Piper builds on Chapter 20 and his use of Daniel 4-5 to provide a wealth of scriptural examples that demonstrate God's providence through human kingship. He details four truths how this occurs:

1. The Most High Rules the Kingdom of Men (Daniel 4:17, 25, 32)
2. All Earth's Inhabitants Are Accounted as Nothing (Daniel 4:35)
3. He Does According to His Will in Heaven and On Earth, and None Can Stay His Hand (Daniel 4:35)
4. The Breath and Ways of the King Are in the the Hand of God (Daniel 5:23)

The greatest takeaway of course is that "[w]ithout God's providence over wicked authorities, there would be no gospel. The murder of the Son of God is pivotal in providing our salvation.  Christ did not die randomly.  It was planned. His death was a God-orchestrated travesty of justice that his enemies hoped would get rid of his influence."

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who sent His Son to die IN MY PLACE!  The greatest gift of all time.  Thank You!  Yet, I am completely undeserving of such love and such a sacrifice. I worry and I have 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 the community.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.  

Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes.

Chapter 20: Pages 271-279, Daniel 4-5

Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes. Daniel 4:25

This morning, I continued John Piper's book Providence (purchased from Amazon Kindle Store) and started Part 3 "The Nature and Extent of Providence", moving to Section 4 "Providence Over Kings and Nations" - moving to chapter twenty "Israel's Divine King is King of the Nations". 

Here, Piper introduces the topic of God's providence in kingships and nations.  He describes the Old Testament as using Abraham and Israel to demonstrate providence through a single man and nation - Israel - yet God's intent even then was for Abraham to be "father of many nations (Romans 4:13-17)" implying that eventually, through the line of Abraham, all nations (Jews and Gentiles) would compose the church and this church would no longer focus on a single ethnic, political, or geographic nation. Therefore we are to see God's providence as connecting the Old and New Testaments. 

Comment and discuss this post here.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is so full of love, compassion, mercy for me - I am undeserving.  Thank You Jesus.  Yet my sin, worry, etc. 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.

Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 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 about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

Chapter 19: Pages 262-270, 2 Corinthians 12

Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 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 about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 2 Corinthians 12:7-9

This morning, I continued John Piper's book Providence (purchased from Amazon Kindle Store) and started Part 3 "The Nature and Extent of Providence", moving to Section 3 "Providence Over Satan and Demons" - moving to chapter nineteen "The Ongoing Existence of Demons". 

Here, Piper intends to explain how, even though God is sovereign over Satan and evil and ultimately defeats Satan, there must be some reason why Satan continues to exist - essentially we must answer the question "why God permits Satan to go on living?" Piper believes that although he does not see an answer to this question directly in scripture, he does see "pointers".  He shares that God is working to defeat Satan "not with one initial blow" but through four processes: (1) showing, (2) suffering, (3) using Satan himself against himself, (4) savoring. 

Among these processes, for me this morning, (3) and (4) are key and Piper's use of Paul's "thorn in the flesh" demonstrate how Satan tormented him, but how this was used by God to keep Paul humble.  Piper writes: "[i]n ways that exceed our full comprehension, God is able to harness Satan's hatred of Paul and make it serve God's own purposes of Paul's humility and joy."

Piper then goes on to demonstrate for me the knockout blow to Satan in how "savoring" is used to defeat Satan.  Piper writes that "God allows Satan to exist and bring short term harm on God's people.  It becomes an occasion not only to show the greater glory of Christ's wisdom and power and worth, but also to show the superior satisfaction that this glory gives his people compared to what Satan can give....God intends for Satan to be defeated in this age not merely by showing him to be weaker than Christ, but also by showing him to be less savory than Christ - less desirable, less satisfying."

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, Your design and Your ways are incredible and I am renewed each day with Your love, compassion, and mercy for me - thank You.  I am not deserving of such love and mercy.  I worry to much and I am harsh with my words and actions.  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.