Proverbs 11:9 - Wash your mouth

Proverbs 11:9

With [his] mouth the godless man destroys his neighbor,

but through knowledge the righteous will be delivered. 

Message: Wash your mouth

Time: Proverbs records multiple individuals as its author with Solomon as the principal author. Solomon died in 931 BC though most think the book was likely in its final form sometime before the end of Hezekiah’s reign in 686 BC. It is a book that instructs people on the path of wisdom. It speaks to all of life and living our lives under the authority and direction of God.

What the Lord is Saying: This is the relational piece of our lives in Christ. God makes a covenant with us, with His people. He chooses us like He chose Abraham, Moses, David - the Jewish people and then later makes sure the Gentiles are grafted in through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, but he makes this covenant with people. It is a sort of one-time commitment that probably took much time leading up to this. 

And then life is lived. There is the quest for obedience. But it is not robotic. It is relational. It is teased out. It is a struggle. And this verses in Proverbs present this - the contrast between being righteous and wicked. 

Today, the focus as it is many times is on how we speak - our words. "With [his] mouth the godless man destroys his neighbor." "The tongue is a fire" (James 3:6). I need to remember the power in my mouth, in my words. I can easily destroy my neighbor with my wife - destroy my kids, wife, boss. I get so angry at times, that I start lashing out. 

This is contrasted with knowledge. My guess is this knowledge comes about through listening. Listen first, talk later. James 1:19, "Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak." 

The knowledge is also the word of God. It is listening to it, reading it and through this knowledge we are drawn into the behavior we need to practice to glorify God - Yes! - but also to make our lives better. The world is caught up only in making their lives better but we must give God the glory for he enables us to do good and live goodly lives. It is only through the Holy Spirit's influence we can be obedient and glorify God. For the non-Christian, good only proceeds from God - no matter if they acknowledge it or not. That's my belief. 

Prayer: God, you are holy and good. Your ways are right and are always what I need - the best for me always - what I need. Train me to live in a Godly manner, to glorify You throughout my days - living a life of obedience - choosing the right way - choosing life. Help me always in this Lord. Give me the right way and help me to choose it. Forgive me for the past, the failures I have committed to everyone - chiefly my family. 

Note: If you are interested in other studies/devotions, check out my index of Bible Study's.

Proverbs 10:11 - A fountain of life

Proverbs 10:11
The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.

Message: A fountain of life

Time: Proverbs records multiple individuals as its author with Solomon as the principal author. Solomon died in 931 BC though most think the book was likely in its final form sometime before the end of Hezekiah’s reign in 686 BC. It is a book that instructs people on the path of wisdom. It speaks to all of life and living our lives under the authority and direction of God. 

What the Lord is Saying: Contrasts. Vice and virtue. The contrast here is specifically the two kinds of people in our world - righteous and wicked. We live in a world of differences. I am God’s righteous. At least I think I am. My life should look like a righteous person as I read these Proverbs.

Previously in verse 3, verse 6 and verse 7 the righteous and the wicked is contrasted. I recognize once again that there are righteous and wicked people in our world today and this is a contrast that appears and is also a way of life. I think there are clearly instances in our Bible that God calls people wicked. Prior to the Flood God mentioned that everyone was wicked on the earth. Wickedness has corrupted everyone. Thus, each person has the potential to be wicked. This is clear. 

But what I've been noticing lately is the wicked person is the one that is far from God. There are non-chosen people in the Bible. There are people that are not part of God's people. And thus I wonder if this is a person Solomon in these verses is highlighting. If God chose Israel, then that would seem to be mean other people groups are not chosen. 

Now in addition, the mouth of a person is highlighted in verse 6 ("the mouth"), verse 8 and verse 10 (both state "babbling fool").  This verse 11 is the first time the positive outcome is presented of the mouth of the righteous. With that in mind, it seems that our mouth has quite the potential of getting us into trouble or representing wickedness. And yet I don't know if I would say it is bad to talk. In the previous verse I spoke of the effect even non-verbal words have on us, both good and bad. But here the write does want to mention the importance of speaking well. 

I know I tend to at times speak less than more in surroundings. That my word are more thoughtful. And yet when I am angry or disappointed, I notice my words are not thoughtful and can be rash as I speak out words of anger. I have people in my life that speak a lot. They are simply that way. Sometimes my patience for this is not great, but more often when I am working. But it is often present when I want to hear other people speak rather than only one person. Again, these are simply things I notice in my life about words. 

But just as words can hurt, words can also help and this is mentioned now here - words can be a fountain of life to those that hear them. A fountain is water that is bubbling over. It is springing up and then falling over on its side. I've noticed many times the marvel of water. Psalm 23 speaks of being led beside still waters. Water is often mentioned it would seem in the Bible as something that is pleasing and this is no exception. In John 4:10 Jesus is mentioned as living water.  Right at this moment, I am out of town, in the mountains, staying at a townhome in which a stream or river is running outside my window. Water runs. It is relaxing. The sound of nature is present. It is a comfort. It is a sound produced by nature, much like wind or rain produces that sound. It is life. And our words can at times speak of this comfort and refreshment it provides to our life. It is a mouth speaking words that are good and beneficial, refreshing and useful. 

One of the people in my life is my friend's wife and she often is speaking words of affirmation of people. If something good happens, they are the reason for the good. She highlights their good. She does not focus on her own doing, but rather always has a good word to say about others. I notice in me I like this at times, but at other times I struggle with placing the focus on me and I desire it to be on her. She is also a happy and joyful person. I have known her for 40+ years and she has always been this sort of delightful person. In her speaking of these words, I do see it helping others but it also produces in herself positive energy. Thus, the positive words we express help others but also bring a comfort and expression of life to ourselves. So the benefits are far reaching. 

My mom was this sort of person. My wife is this sort of person. Maybe the words are not as plentiful, but they are positive to me and others and they were encouraging. And people want this and come back to this. 

But the wicked man once again is the opposite of all of this. I have mentioned this already in other verses. And for now I will simply end with that. 

Prayer: Thank you God for the great people in my life that you have in my life to show my the positive words and the positive well-being of words. It is a great reminder to me of the importance of my words and what comes out of my mouth. May you guide me to be positive to others and speak well of others always. Help me to be this type of person. 

Note: If you are interested in other studies/devotions, check out my index of Bible Study's.
 

John 17:17-19 - God's Means of Sanctification

John 17:17-19

17 Sanctify them in the truth; Thy word is truth. 18 As Thou didst send Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. 19 And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth. 

Message: God's Mean's of Sanctification

Time: John most likely wrote between A.D. 85 and 90. John's purpose in writing was, "that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name (John 20:31)."  

What the Lord is Saying: Here is another request by Jesus in this prayer that he is offering for the disciples. He says, "Sanctify them in the truth." This idea of sanctification I feel like was already mentioned by Jesus in verse 11 when He prayed, "Holy Father, keep them in Thy name." The idea of keeping them and now also here in verse 17 to "Sanctify them in the truth" seem very similar. 

The difference between these two prayers is one is the idea of being kept in Thy name and the other to be kept or sanctified in the truth. To be sanctified is to be kept holy. I Thessalonians 4:3 links moral purity or freedom from lust and abstaining from sexual immorality. But here more particularly sanctification means we are set aside for a special use. But it goes further than moral purity.

Jesus explains further the meaning in verse 18, "I also have sent them into the world." So our sanctification is teased out and experienced further as we are sent out into the world to preach the gospel. But i still see a similarity in 'keeping' and 'sanctifying' as we go out and experience life, and work in spreading truth to our world. 

I know from previous verses that Jesus has mentioned the world is not fond of us. We are not people of the world (v. 14). The world hates us (v. 14). Yet, we are to be in the world (v. 18). What a sort of depressing array of tension this represents in life. It seems to be our relationship with the world right now is complaining about it more and talking about how bad it is, rather than going into it and being a voice to it. [Maybe this is what I share in class as well and find a way to look into the outreach idea of getting us involved more in our community. Iron sharpens iron sort of thinking.] 

I have been thinking of these words as I have been reading, but also wondering how they work together as I dive into my life. It is true that so much of my life is spent with people that are saved. That I spend free time with those friends that I have so much in common. I appreciate the online conversations for they help me continue to talk to others about spiritual matters, but I don't feel like I'm doing this much at work. For some, I have, and they are not very responsive. I've tried, but I've also stopped trying it would seem. 

Our prayer here is for those of us who are saved. But even in these words of prayers is a challenge to stay engaged with the world. 

One additional thought Jesus gives is in verse 19 when He says He will sanctify Himself. He says, "for their sakes I sanctify Myself." Who is "for their" - the disciples or possibly the world. Jesus is preparing to offer the ultimate sacrifice. And as Jesus does what He is going to do, He does it so "that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth." We are to be the benefactors of his sanctification. It is like the disciples purpose is to make other disciples. But we just fight against this so much because we desire so much to make our own lives better. 

For the disciple, sanctification was moving oneself further from a life of sin and closer to a life of living as Jesus lived. For Jesus, sanctification was offering his life for sin so that He could make us living our life for others. Yet, both in our sanctification and Jesus' - we are both in service to God, but the results are different. He sanctifies me so that I can be of service to Him and be of service to the Kingdom of God, which is the gathering of the saints for eternal life. 

And Jesus continues to have the goal of the life of the disciple. All of what He has been speaking in this book has been abut us - our eternal life - and our well being. But in our well being is also a work to benefit others. 

Summary: Jesus will offer himself for people, in obedience to God, so that we will be sanctified in truth to be set apart for Him and offer this truth to those in the world. 

Promise: From Tabletalk, we are equipped to go into the world as Jesus did, proclaiming the truth without compromise and calling people to repentance and faith. 

Prayer: Lord, what I notice more and more is my life in this world is training me a certain way. There is joy in this world, in living it and getting to know it and the joy of going places and experiencing other places, but Lord, I need to be careful to not simply be about this world and living according to its ways and forget the people in this world and how you came for them just as you came for me. Awaken me to this daily Lord. Retrain me. Thank you for praying for me - to be kept in Your word, to be sanctified, and to have joy. 

Note: If you are interested in other studies/devotions, check out my index of Bible Study's.

John 17:6 - The Father's Gift to Christ

John 17:6

I have manifested Your name to the men whom You gave Me out of the world; they were Yours and You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word.

Message: The Father's Gift to Christ

Time: John most likely wrote between A.D. 85 and 90. John's purpose in writing was, "that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name (John 20:31)."  

What the Lord is Saying: The Highly Priestly Prayer which is spoken by Jesus and encompasses Chapter 17 begins in the way we should begin all prayers by praising the Father and glorifying the Son. Jesus, like us, shows us the proper way to begin our Prayers. Like the Lord's Prayer which begins with, "Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name." Here in verses 1-5 Jesus makes mentions that the Father is to be glorified. 

In this prayer we see 3 divisions as mentioned in My Open Bible:

1. Christ Prays for Himself (v. 1-5)
2. Christ Prays for His Disciples (v. 6-19)
3. Christ Prays for All Believers (v. 20-26)

I often like to go to the Greek and see the sequence of the words and how they read directly from the Greek. For this passage it reads, "I revealed Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. Yours they were, and to Me them You gave, and the word of You they have kept." Jesus here before the Father mentions or speaks to the Father and makes known to the Father that He has revealed the Father to the men the Father gifted to Him and these Me were given to Him out of the world. 

Not of this world: The world here I believe refers to the fallen system of mankind. We are to be conformed to Christ as Paul speaks about in Romans 12:2, "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of Your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is." We are to be a transformed people. We are "strangers and exiles on the earth. (Heb. 11:13)." We are not of this world. Our calling is to be with Christ and walk with Him. The disciples were not super Christians and they even had problems. Even one of them will betray Jesus. But, we are not being elevated but rather God is elevated, God is praised. 

Giving Gifts: The title of this lesson today is "The Father's Gift to Christ." That gift is the men, the disciples. They were a gift to Jesus. I don't think we think of this. God's gift to people is Christ. "For God so loved the world that He gave His Son." God loves us and gives us His Son. Well, God the Father has also gifted to Jesus His followers, His people. We are a gift as well. I really like this encouragement, this idea that we are a gift to Jesus from God. The disciples will eventually be the spokespeople for the gospel, the message of God to love the world and grant them eternal life. We are His ambassadors. 

You know, this idea that God doesn't need us that I have heard voiced so much, that God can do His work without us. I am not sure I buy this at times. Yes, God is perfect, but He wants to use us and He wants to work though us. I think He does need us. We are to be a voice to the people. We are not be bumps on the logs. We are God's gift to Jesus. 

Guarding God's Word: The end of the verse says, "they have kept Your word" or in the Greek, "the word of You they have kept." "They have kept" takes on the idea of guarding or watching over. This is not necessarily obedience, but this is guarding God's words and keeping watch over them. His people are the protectors of His words. 

Interesting, as I read this more and more I think about the recent conversation I have been having with a guy named Darius who seems to hate religion and think it is all garbage and all about mind control, but the more I read these scriptures and think about my faith, the more I see the value in it and what it means to me. 

Summary: Jesus prays thanking God for the disciples called out of this world, as gifts to Him, guardians of the Word. 

Promise: We are humbled by God's great love for us, wanting us. 

Prayer: God, thank you for wanting me, for valuing me, for gifting me to Jesus. Your love is truly amazing and I do thank you. Help me to be a person that guards your truth and is proud to speak of it. Let me always be a voice for You and give You praise. 

Note: If you are interested in other studies/devotions, check out my index of Bible Study's.

John 10:31-42 - Charges of Blasphemy Refuted

John 10:31-42

31 The Jews picked up stones again to stone Him. 32 Jesus answered them, “I showed you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you stoning Me?” 33 The Jews answered Him, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy; and because You, being a man, make Yourself out to be God.” 34 Jesus answered them, “Has it not been written in your Law, ‘I said, you are gods’? 35 If he called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), 36 do you say of Him, whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? 37 If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; 38 but if I do them, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father.” 39 Therefore they were seeking again to seize Him, and He eluded their grasp.

40 And He went away again beyond the Jordan to the place where John was first baptizing, and He was staying there. 41 Many came to Him and were saying, “While John performed no sign, yet everything John said about this man was true.” 42 Many believed in Him there.

Message: Charges of Blasphemy Refuted

Time: John most likely wrote between A.D. 85 and 90. John's purpose in writing was, "that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name (John 20:31)." 

What the Lord is Saying: After Jesus says in 10:30, "I and the Father are one" these Jews immediately pick up stones to stone Him for they recognize that the words of Jesus are that He is making Himself equal to God and they believe this to be blasphemy. Jesus then responds to them speaking further about himself being the Son of God. The Jews do not respond favorably and want to seize him, but he eludes their grasp. Chapter 10 then concludes that Jesus has left to go beyond the Jordan to the place where John had first been baptizing. And many believed in Him there. 

Deuteronomy 13:1-5 is a tough passage for it says that false prophets shall be put to death or executed. It speaks of people coming and asking you to serve other gods that you do not know. I think this could also mean people who ascribe to God ways about Him that are not true, thus they fashion God into their own image rather than accepting Him for Who He is. Perhaps at this time, this is what the Jews were doing, though they were simply at that moment trying to seize Him but they thought Jesus was making Him out to be equal with God. 

Jesus states that He is the Son of God and that the works that He is doing support the idea that the Father is in Him and He in the Father. I was speaking to a Muslim man a couple of weeks ago that said no where does it say that Jesus states He is God and yet these words mention that He and the Father are one and then the Jews of the day go to stone Him and He comes back that they need to look at the work that He does and they will see that the Father is in Him and He is in the Father. I wish I would have responded with these words at the time. 

Believers can state that they are in God and God in them. John 3:21, "But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.” Romans 8:9 - "However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him." These words are different though from Jesus saying in response to him and the father being One that He is basically of the same essence of God. Jesus is still responding to the question of who He is? For the other writings are speaking of practicing our faith and that as we practice we can be in Christ as doing the work of Christ. This is different from what Jesus said when he was stating that His works will testify that the Father is in Him and He is in the Father. 

Tabletalk says, "If Scripture can call men gods who are in reality not divine, how much more is it right to refer to the One who is God as the Lord and Creator of all?" This is to explain how Jesus responds initially to being confronted about blasphemy. Jesus responds by first saying that in scripture, going back to Psalm 82:6 where it says, "I said, “You are gods, and all of you are sons of the Most High."  

Hmm. I don't understand that word from Ligonier at the moment and the referencew to Psalm 82 seems still to be confusing. So in trying to understand Psalm 82 a little more, My Open Bible says Psalm 82 is "Rebuke of Israel's Unjust Judges." I notice in the NIV and KJV the reading is a little different as verse 1 of Psalm 82 says, "God presides in the great assembly; he renders judgment among the “gods”." So NIV and KJV says among the "gods" instead of NASB saying "in the midst of the rulers." So rulers in this passage are gods. Verse 1 - God takes a stand and judges even the rulers, even the gods. Both are elohim, but the particles are different. One means God the most high and the other a man, probably what rulers were sometimes called in that day. So these judges, while all ordained by God, are not doing what they are supposed to be doing as judges. Verse 2 - they judge unjustly. Verse 2 - they show partiality to the wicked. And yet they in verse 3, vindicate or act harshly toward the weak and fatherless. Verse 4 God says they need to "Rescue the week and needy; deliver them out of the hand of the wicked." So these rulers which are also called gods are not acting correctly. As such, these rulers or gods are actually instruments of God. The Word of the Lord comes to these judges, thus they are called sons of Elyon. As such, for Jesus to call Himself the Son of God is not blasphemy. 

Summary: The Jews sought to stone Jesus for speaking a statement of blasphemy but Jesus states God can name him the Son of God, even men from Psalm 82 held this distinction, but Jesus is God incarnate. 

Promise: Christ possesses divine authority inherently according to His divine nature. 

Prayer: Lord, it is a joy to read and study your word, though it takes me time sometimes to understand it. Continue to provide me understanding of Your word here. Thank you for the clarity of Your word in showing that you a mission that many don't understand, but we stand by You and trust in You. 

Note: If you are interested in other studies/devotions, check out my index of Bible Study's. 

John 5:37-47 - The Witness of Moses and the Scriptures

John 5:37-47

37 And the Father who sent Me, He has borne witness of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form. 38 And you do not have His word abiding in you, for you do not believe Him whom He sent. 39 You search the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is these that bear witness of Me. 40 and you are unwilling to come to Me, that you may have life. 41 I do not receive glory from men. 42 but I know you, that you do not have the love of God in yourselves. 43 I have come in My Father's name, and you do not receive Me; if another shall come in his own name, you will receive him. 44 How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another, and you do not seek the glory that is from the one and only God? 45 Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father; the one who accuses you is Moses, in whom you have set your hope. 46 For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote of Me. 47 But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?

Message: The Witness of Moses and the Scriptures

Time: John most likely wrote between A.D. 85 and 90. John's purpose in writing was, "that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name (John 20:31)."

What the Lord is Saying: From the previous lesson - John testified of Jesus prior to His coming and Jesus is sent by the Father and in the miracles He performed this also testified of Him. In these passages, Jesus is replying to the Jews still that are coming to him, questioning his claims of calling God His own Father. In verse 33 Jesus says, "You have sent to John" and the words of Chapter 1:19 can be recalled which said, "And this is the witness of John, when the Jews sent to him priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?" - So 'You' that Jesus mentions repeatedly in these passages are the priests and Levites the Jews sent to find out about Jesus and probably more on the accusatory level of "Who do you think You are?" And yet in that confrontation Jesus is telling us who He is, who sent Him and the authority in which He works. And in the process we get this testimony now in the words of Scripture. 

The words of verse 37, "The Father who sent Me, He has borne witness of Me" are such powerful words that I often just read and yet in pondering them. That Jesus is in fact testifying of his equality with God. He isn't referring to God as God, but His own Father (v. 18). And Jesus is rather sharp in his words toward the these scribes and in a way, assaulting them by saying that they have not heard the voice of the Father (v. 37) nor "have His word abiding in you." Because they don't believe in Jesus. To believe in Jesus is to believe in the Father. And you can't have the Father unless you also believe in Jesus. 

See this is the kind of phrase that really kind of makes me stop myself in my tracks. In thinking of the Trinity, even if we don't define it as "Trinity" how can we reconcile these words with the idea that Jesus is simply a man. To say that the Father does not abide in someone unless they believe in Jesus are very strong words. How can a religion even only call Jesus a great prophet. This isn't a momentary, one-time hearing of the voice of the Father by Jesus. And again, this is all in response to Jesus being accused of equality with God and calling God His own Father (v. 18). No wonder Islam totally rejects the book of John as scripture.   

Jesus has witnesses to His claims: the Father, John the Baptist, and Jesus' own miracles. And the testimony of Jesus bears more witnesses. Jesus points out that the scriptures bears witness as well (v. 39). And yet the mere study of scriptures does not merit eternal life. People miss the revelation of God all of the time. Jesus points out that in the Old Testament words of Jesus by Moses writings (Genesis-Deuteronomy) we have a testimony or witness of Christ as well. Jesus remarked that Moses wrote of Him ("For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote of Me.")

This is an interesting passage as it shows us that people refuse to believe. People make the choice to not believe in Jesus. They want the answer to come in another way. They don't want to believe in Jesus. Even when Christ is presented to them, they won't believe. It is a hard realization but a true one. 

Summary: The witness of Jesus continues with the words of Moses and the writings of Scripture, which testify of Jesus Christ and His glory. 

Promise: All of our study of Scripture should lead us to glorify Christ and praise Him for His great salvation. 

Prayer: Lord, it is hard to deal with this issue of people rejecting You despite hearing Your truth and Your Gospel. But in reality it is true, people want to find truth and meaning in other ways. Direct me to those that You want to save and help me to help them and give understanding to them. Thank you for the testimony of You and for the clarity of it and for giving it to us from so many sources: the Father, miracles, scripture, Moses. Thank You for speaking to me with such clarity. 

Note: If you are interested in other studies/devotions, check out my index of Bible Study's. 

John 1:1-3 - The Uncreated Word

John 1:1-3

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.

Message: The Uncreated Word

Time: Jesus' disciple John, the brother of James, the son of Zebedee was one of the inner circle of Jesus' most trusted companions. It's most likely that John wrote his gospel while he was in Ephesus, and that he wrote it for an audience that lived outside Palestine, perhaps in Asia Minor. John appears to have had in mind members of a Jewish community who had come to believe that Jesus was the Messiah, but who had continued to worship in the synagogue. John most likely wrote between A.D. 85 and 90. John's purpose in writing was, "that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name (John 20:31)."

What the Lord is Saying: Matthew's gospel begins with, "The record of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah... (1:1)." Mark begins with, "The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ... (1:1)" and Luke begins in a similar way to Mark, though is more definitive of his time investigating the details of Jesus' life. John begins in a similar manner introducing John in verse 6, however in his introduction He does something the other writers did not do in that he speaks of The Word, states the Word was the pronoun He and then speaks of this special connection He had with God, the Light.  John goes beyond the message of the Gospel to link the Word, mentioned as the pronoun He to flesh that came with the same glory of God, "glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth."

And so as we follow what is being stated about this one that came, the Word, we see a connection with the Word, with Glory of God and only begotten from the Father.  

The Word was "in the beginning." Genesis 1:1 records, "In the beginning God..." and now John records the same sort of phrase to connect beginning with Word/Him/Jesus and God "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." 

Yet, why the Word? If John is speaking of Jesus and it seems clear in following the rest of the text, then why did He start this discourse with the Word and Him and not state Jesus till verse 17? The name God is mentioned several times. And yet there is clearly a clever word choice that John uses to introduce Jesus. 

When I think of Jesus, I think of someone that came onto the scene but as I walked this earth, he was begin discovered by men for who He was, His purpose and His reason for being here. There was therefore some sort of mystery in Him or discovery ("the world did not know Him (1:10)"). And yet this Gospel writer wants to remove that mystery. And yet in removing it He uses language of discovery. 

God enters our world through words and connects us to Him through the words, "Let there be light (Genesis 1:3)." And these words are creation. And so John bridges Jesus to God with words of creation, with the Word of creation. 

Word is the Greek word Logos. It is the Greek translation of the Hebrew word dabar. Dabar refers to God's creative as when He utters words He is creating. And there is a thought or principle with dabar that holds all things together and explains reality. And John states that this principle is Him, the Word, the Light. 

Thus, it may appear to be shrouded in mystery, but after reading there is no mystery and all is clear. 

There is a reason this text is rejected by Islam as scripture and a reason it gets changed by Jehovah's Witnesses - because it clearly states Jesus is God and created. For other paradigms, these words must be changed because it is clear what is being stated. He's the creator. 

Summary: Jesus, the Word, is at creation, with God and was God and was therefore uncreated. 

Promise: Jesus is not merely a good teacher or moral example. He is the very God of the universe who is owed all of our worship and praise.  

Prayer: O Father, thank you for revealing the truth of Jesus in these words and thank for John and the way He expresses Jesus to us. You are not mystery, but clear. Bring people to a recognition of this. Help people to see You as You are, creator, the Light, with God and God. Keep giving me understanding of You. 

Colossians 3:16-17 - Lay Duties: Teaching, Admonishment, and Thanks

Colossians 3:16-17 - 16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 Whatever you do in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

Message: Lay Duties: Teaching, Admonishment, and Thanks

Time: Paul penned this letter to the Colossian church in AD 60-61 during his first imprisonment in Rome after the church was under attack and denigrating the deity of Christ. He penned it before visiting the church. Christ was and is the visible image of the invisible God, containing within Himself the fullness of Deity. 

What the Lord is Saying: As I was finishing up my senior year at Baylor University in 1989 and 1990, I honestly wondered if there was a call for me to go into full-time ministry. I really enjoyed the Bible teaching of Tommy Nelson from Denton Bible Church and I even made a personal visit to the seminary he attended in Dallas - Dallas Theological Seminary. I seriously wondered if this would be my vocation. But as I prayed about it, I sensed the Lord was leading me not into full time ministry, but instead to be an active lay person, working and yet active in ministry. To this day, I still wonder if anyone should be in full-time ministry as a vocation or whether everyone should be working in some capacity. Over the years, I see a tendency among non-paid church staff to watch the paid staff do most of the work of the church. But, my guess is that even if this happened, there would still be a tendency to watch a small number do the work of the church. And yet, I can't help but think that the model found in the Old Testament of priests set aside is not the model of the New Testament and beyond. 

But the reality is the church body is made up of people with different responsibilities. I have studied in the previous two lessons the responsibilities of elders and also deacons. And so this lesson provides words that can be applied to those in the Body. Chapters 3 and 4 of Colossians are laid out as verses that respond to the sufficiency of Christ in all things and thereby the practice of the believer and in these verses how the believer is to put on the new man. 

Colossians 3 says to "seek the things above" (v. 1), "set your mind on things above" (v. 2), "your earthly body is dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed" (v. 5), "put aside anger, wrath, malice, slander, abusive speech" (v. 8), "do not lie to one another" (v. 9), "put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience" (v. 12), "bear with one another, forgive one another" (v. 13), "love" (v.14), "let peace of Christ rule in you" (v. 15), "let the Word of Christ richly dwell within you - teach, admonish, sing, with thankfulness" (v. 16), "do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Jesus to God the Father" (v. 17). And then what follows is specific direction to wives, husbands, and children. 

Here in these verses we see a responsibility we have to shed the old life and the sins that entangled us. But also to put on the new life and all that comes with it. And then more specifically, what this passage of Scripture is emphasizing today is: 

(1) let the Word of Christ dwell within you. As I am doing right now, we need to do as we gather and that is to dwell on the Word of Christ. Each of us can through our lives and our words teach one another. Teaching is not reserved to only some. I notice this in our Sunday school class as the teacher leads us and often asks questions of us. In the answers from the class, we can receive encouragement and teaching from one another. 

(2) It also says to admonish which means to warn or reprimand. We need to watch out for one another. A friend and I have been doing this lately, encouraging one another in our lives and some of the dangers of life that often occur. There are temptations all around us to get off the path of truth and onto the path of sin. We must stay clear. And we can do this through our singing with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. Let the word of God not only speak but sing. Scripture can be sung to one another. 

(3) sing with thankfulness. I am continually reminded of the need to be thankful. I was with a friend yesterday and we were sitting and thinking. Each of us are in our mid-50s. We have raised kids and all the kids are out of the house. And the reality is we have a lot to be thankful for. It is good to stop always and lift up our voices to thank God for his provision and how He has carried us through so much in this life. We are not done, but God has done so much. 

Summary: Each person in the church puts on the new person in Christ to learn God's word, teaching, admonishing and giving thanks. 

Promise: Let us seek to give thanks to God in all things, remembering that He works all things for our good and His glory (Romans 8:28). 

Prayer: O God, you are good. You are true. You are right. I thank you for making me new. And for showing me continually what needs to be old about me - what needs to be in my past - namely sins that should not be known by me. Help me continually to do good. I want to put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. I want to bear with one another and come alongside one another to forgive one another. Help me to love, really love people the way you love. I pray Christ for your peace to rule in me. I ask that your Word Lord would richly dwell in me. Help me to teach others and to be taught. I want to sing your songs lifting high those words of hymns and Psalms. Be glorified in everything I do and in everything I say. 

Acts 17:16-34 - Novelty in Preaching

Acts 17:16-34 - Now while Paul was waiting for them in Athens, his spirit was being provoked within him...he was reasoning in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles...he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection. Paul stood...and said..."God...does not dwell in temples made with hands....He made from one, every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times, and the boundaries of their habitation, that they should seek God,...for in Him we live and move and exist...God is now declaring to men that all everywhere should repent." Some men joined him and believed. 

Message: Novelty in Preaching

Time: Clearly written by Luke, this book follows the lives of Peter and then Paul after Jesus' ascension into heaven. The book was completed about 62 AD as Paul sat in prison. It provides an account of the growth of the Church and spread from Jerusalem, from a small group of frightened believers in Jerusalem transformed into an empire-wide movement of people who had committed their lives to Jesus Christ, and it should help us to be bold and have zeal in our walks with God.

What the Lord is Saying: We often have a thirst for new and improved. There is nothing wrong with improving a product but sometimes it begs to question what was wrong with the past. Yet it is true that our culture prizes novelty and the present. Our marketplace thrives on this, with new releases of phones, technology continues to improve and we must have the latest. 

I've always enjoyed pastors and teachers that simply take the Word of God and read through it verse by verse and preach it. This way, you get the whole package of truth instead of wading through it and packaging it a certain way. Granted, those types of messages can be appealing at times. It is great to hear the Bible presented clearly. I'm all for that, but we also need to be a people that looks at every part. 

Lately, I've been reading through the Bible, one chapter at a time each day and taking notes. Thinking about this God that doesn't change. And yet reading chapters like Ezekiel that speak of his wrath on kingdoms that do their own thing and elevate themselves over him. Hard subjects at times, but I am reading them nevertheless, trying to understand what they mean and how they fit into the larger picture. 

Jeremiah 6:16, "The Lord says, "Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is, and walk in it."" We can look to the past to help plan out our present days. 

It is good to discover truths in the Bible that perhaps we have not seen before. It is also good to find truths that remind us of falsehood or falling away from our faith. On this sense it is good. But we need to be careful that we are not constantly on a hunt to find new ways of saying the same things that have been said before. 

Summary: There is novelty in preaching to encounter God's word and discover truths that we have not seen before. 

Promise: So often we think it takes courage to say something new, in our day, however, the truly courageous stand for what is true, regardless of its age. May we have the courage to proclaim the old truths of God's word as the only answer to the problems of this new era. 

Prayer: O God, your ways are perfect and true. You God know what we need and Your word is alive. Only today in reading from Ezekiel I discover truths of righteousness and sin and justice that I have never discovered before. Thank you for this discovery and the joy that reading your Word brings. Keep us alive to this preaching. But guard us into the feeling that we must invent new ways constantly. Help us to not do anything that distances the application of Your word and understanding of it. It is true we can find your truth in our world and what it values but it is also not hard to find clarity in your truth. We do not have to search for it by what the world offers. Give us wisdom. 

Acts 6:4 - Preaching and the Preacher's Task

Acts 6:4 - But we will devote ourselves to prayer, and to the ministry of the word. 

Message: Preaching and the Preacher's Task

Time: Clearly written by Luke, this book follows the lives of Peter and then Paul after Jesus' ascension into heaven. The book was completed about 62 AD as Paul sat in prison. It provides an account of the growth of the Church and spread from Jerusalem, from a small group of frightened believers in Jerusalem transformed into an empire-wide movement of people who had committed their lives to Jesus Christ, and it should help us to be bold and have zeal in our walks with God.

What the Lord is Saying: I have previously in these lessons, for these 10th month of lessons that celebrate the 500th year of the Reformation back in 2017, been looking at the focus for this month of the sacraments. While others hold to many varied sacraments, the reformers believe that two sacraments reign supreme - the Lord's Supper and Baptism. I have taken my time in studying each of these. What is clear in the study of these is these sacraments need the Word of God to come alongside them. They need clear explanation and scripture to be spoken as they are performed to provide context and meaning to them, otherwise it is taking another meal or taking another washing of some sort. 

Reformers such as Martin Luther and John Calvin became popular as they spoke, but the focused their hearers not on themselves but rather the Word of God. They labored in their study of the word of God to speak many sermons and teach the Word of God to their congregations. As I have studied them and even looked at later teachers like Charles Spurgeon and then into the 20th century like Charles Swindoll and John MacArthur, it is clear that all of these teachers have an incredible zeal to preach the Word of God in multiple times and multiple ways, going over and over the teaching of God's word. In other words, it is clear that their most important task is to preach and teach. As today's verse mentions in Acts 6:4, "They were devoted....to the ministry of the word." 

And as they did this preaching their lives and ministries, more importantly, have been blessed. People in churches often want their pastors to assume a lot of different roles, but we should only really expect our pastors to preach and teach God's word to us. 

Summary: Sacraments must carry with them the study and preaching of God's Word. 

Promise: God's word tells us that the primary task of pastors is preaching and teaching, so that is what we should expect above all from our preachers. 

Prayer: O God, you are glorious and God and your ways are right and true. I am thankful for the good teachers of the Word that you have placed in my life. I am amazed at their many lessons and teachings of the Word of God. For me, I am most thankful for Norm Boshoff as you drew me into fellowship and then later Tom Nelson who amazed me of this love and devotion of Your Words and then his great communication of those words. Thank you God for using these men to bring further excitement and joy to me in reading Your Word. And thank you for my mom and her great devotion to You and that daily excitement she set before me to also have that joy and desire to study and read Your word and walk with you every day in every way. You have placed great people in My life and I am so thankful for this. 

I Corinthians 11:23-25 - Word and Sacrament Together

I Corinthians 11:23-25 - 23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 25 In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”

Message: Word and Sacrament Together

Time: Not the first, but 2nd letter to Corinthians, but the first to survive and to be considered authoritative. Written in AD 55, it was penned after Paul had reports of quarreling in this church he had previously visited. Paul covers a number of subjects, but all focus on the Christian's life in the church.

What the Lord is Saying: In the last lesson, I expanded on the idea of sacraments, these rites or acts we do and how they point to an act of God in a person's life. They reveal truth and reveal something in a person's life. They have a special relation or union between the sign and the thing signified. In this lesson, I will continue to study and connect these dots. 

Towards the end of my time what I saw was a way for us to see salvation in others through these sacraments and have a visible way to confirm faith. And so baptism and the Lord's Supper give breath to our visual world in helping us understand and believe spiritual truths. 

As we take these sacraments and administer them they are not simply done in silence but we spend time as they occur explaining the union of practice and grace. In the Lord's Supper we share scripture about it -- like today's passage. In baptism we talk prior to the act about salvation and what we see in baptism - death (a person under water) and resurrection (a person coming up out of water). In this practice we also observe what Christ did as well as he was baptized and he instituted the Lord's Supper. So we know that these events in our lives are important but they are joined with words and not simply acts alone. Even in other acts such as a marriage union it is important to speak of what God is joining together and it is of His doing. 

Faith is heard. Romans 10:17 - "Faith comes from hearing and hearing the word of Christ." So this speaking of the Word of God is paramount in the practice of the sacraments. No one can simply say they did it without the Word of God coming together with the Sacrament. 

In today's passage we witness this coming together and connection. Again, by themselves bread is simply a part of our meal for eating and nourishing and wine or drinking the cup is the same. But in this practice we make mention that the bread and cup have a connection to God giving up Himself for the salvation or giving of His life for sinners -- “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” And lately I have been marveled at the usage of the language of cups in the Bible. Wondering if this cup of the Lord's Supper also can speak of God's wrath and His conquering of it in my life (Jeremiah 25:15).  In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” The sacrifice occurs in the Body and the Blood takes the place of my sin or the need for judgment/wrath. 

Summary: These acts or rites we observe are empty without the words of God bringing these acts into significance with what Christ has done on our behalf. 

Promise:  It is the preaching of God's Word and the administration of the sacraments that must go together. Let us not let eagerness to meet Christ in His sacraments cause us to neglect meeting Him in His Word.

Prayer: O God, thank you for the gift you give us in these Sacraments and how we can come to know you better as we practice this ordinances of Your Grace in our lives. Help me to always stay grounded in Your Word as we witness or practice these sacraments. I pray the Word of God would remain paramount in our lives and unite us in these practices. Bring churches together and help us to not focus so much on our differences but our similarities so that we have more Unity within the Body of Christ. 

I Timothy 4:13 - Exhortation and Teaching in Worship

I Timothy 4:13 - Until I come, give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching. 

Message: Exhortation and Teaching in Worship

Time: Paul is writing to a young pastor in Timothy. He is writing to Timothy in about AD 63, who is serving the church in Ephesus. He is writing about church leadership and organizing the church. Paul gives practical and pastoral advice. 

What the Lord is Saying: This passage gives attention to three items -- reading, exhortation and teaching. The time of this writing is 66-67 AD and one wonders what scriptures were read. It is thought that perhaps the Gospel of John was already a part of scripture at this time. The main thought is readings were from the Law and Prophets. For the Jews, it had been the practice previously to read from the Law and Prophets. 

Exhortation implies feeling or the personal application of what is read. There is time to think and discuss how the words are then put into practice. 

And finally teaching. There is some sort of teaching of what the Word of God meant. Thus, understanding the context but also understanding present day application. 

As I think about this words, I think about the public reading - for me this takes place when the pastor gives his message on Sunday. At our current church, there isn't a separate time of reading scripture, but only when the pastor does the lesson, but he always does take the time to read the scripture text and not just launch into his message. And then he teaches, telling us what these words meant and as he does this he helps us to understand the context for that day and the application for the day. But, I have never been in a worship service in which discussion occurred. After this I go to Sunday School and it is still a larger group gathering and once again I think because of the area, it allows for a little more back and forth between teacher and those in the class, but it is mostly gaining the teacher's perspective from the lesson. 

Currently, I spend time during the week doing these lessons, but my frequency in doing them is not real consistent because my wake up times and sometimes my morning activities are not consistent. Right now, I am not spending much other time meeting with people. My weekly men's time is occasional, both with my long standing group but then also with a man I had met with to keep accountable. And I still to this day barrage myself with multiple lessons throughout the week, multiple points of emphasis. This has always affected me and made me wonder. How much is enough. 

Something else i notice from this passage are the word, Until I come. So does this mean that we are to practice this until Christ comes a 2nd time? And does this also mean or can we then infer that this means that once he comes we will no longer need to be in a setting of public reading, exhortation and teaching? 

Summary: Until Christ comes again, I need to be in a setting in which there is public reading of scripture, it is taught through and explained for application to my life. 

Promise: I play in part in this in supporting this time of leadership. 

Prayer: O God, thank you for placing me in good environments in which the Word of God is spoken and taught in an expository manner. Thank you for Tommy Nelson and his encouragement throughout these many years, but I also thank you for John Torrison, Norm Boshoff, Wayne Barber, Eric Christensen, Joshua Swanson, Chad Francis and now Lamar Morin and many others like Charles Swindoll and John MacArthur who have continued to help me understand your truths. Protect these people and continue to raise up new leaders like them to speak your truths. Help me to know when I need to be vocal. 

I Timothy 4:13 - Reading Scripture in Worship

I Timothy 4:13 - Until I come, give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching. 

Message: Reading Scripture in Worship

Time: Paul is writing to a young pastor in Timothy. He is writing to Timothy in about AD 63, who is serving the church in Ephesus. He is writing about church leadership and organizing the church. Paul gives practical and pastoral advice. 

What the Lord is Saying: I think one of the things that is hard for me to reconcile sometimes is this idea that there is freedom in Christ and yet does that permit us to do anything that we believe to be glorifying to God or do we still have rules about how we are to worship. Galatians 5:1 says, "It was for freedom that Christ set us free therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a joke of slavery." And yet that freedom is contrasted from slavery and the freedom is from the law. This is the context and yet I think we often take the word freedom and apply different definitions to it. As I think about worship services and even what we do in our churches, I wonder if we take time to seriously consider the words of Scripture. It is possible that we do. This text today mentions reading of Scripture. In some churches I've been to, there has been a separate reading time of Scripture from the preaching time, but the Pastor also is able to do this, as ours does currently when he gives his message. 

These words from I Timothy about reading scripture at the time would have meant the reading of Old Testament scripture since the New Testament had not yet been completed. And yet it is possible that early versions of the Gospel writings might have been read. This was a custom that was brought forth from the Jewish Synagogue (Deuteronomy 31:10-13; 2 Chronicles 17:9). In the few times I attended a Jewish Synagogue as a kid, I remember this occurring. 

It seems that reading from Scripture is important because it highlights to the congregants the emphasis on the Bible and it helps the congregation get more acquainted with the Word of God. It also seems clear that the Word of God is meant to be read aloud. It seems that for about the first 1500 to 1600 years of the church this was the only means someone had of hearing scripture. The printing press was not around yet or was just being developed so most people heard the word rather than read it themselves. That to me is an amazing idea given that today we take it for granted that the Scriptures are so readily available. I'll never forget talking to a couple in the mall who had the Bible in their home but never read from it for they believed that was the job of the priest in the church. It was amazing to me that even after 500 years of the printing press that people were still subscribing to this type of thinking. But it is also a good reminder that scripture is meant to be read in Public. 

As a note, I've also learned that pious Jews even in Old Testament times might have had a copy of the scripture to read in their homes. 

Summary: From the earliest history of God's people, we have gathered to hear God's word read aloud. 

Promise: God works through the reading of His Word. Let us take advantage of any opportunity we have to hear God's word read to us. 

Prayer: Lord, thank you for helping me understand the importance of reading your Word aloud, as we gather together with others. I appreciate that this has been something I have seen practiced throughout my life. Scripture was read to me even before I knew how to read and it has continued in public gatherings to help emphasize to me the importance of this book. Thank you for giving me this high view of Scripture. 

Romans 1:18-23 - Guidance In Worship

Romans 1:18-23 - For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks; but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. 

Message: Guidance in Worship

Time: Paul wrote to Rome, the city he never visited, from the Greek city of Corinth in AD 57. He writes to a church that he believes needed to hear basic Gospel doctrine. The city was a hotbed of sexual immorality and idolatry.

What the Lord is Saying:

It is interesting but most of the arguments in the church are over how God is worshipped. Even going back to the 4th century controversy that Arius of Alexandria brought up that the essence of the Son, namely Jesus Christ, was different from the essence of the Father - this controversy had its basis in worship and whether Jesus would be worshipped like the Father. Later in the reformation, there was the question of whether Mary could be worshipped. 

The argument by Paul in Romans 1 is that worship is a part of every human. He says that in each person God is manifest or revealed and if a person does not honor God, the person will honor something else. This moves into the argument of idolatry which is extreme admiration, love, or reverence for something or someone. I John 5:21 says, "Little children, guard yourselves from idols." The 2nd commandment, Exodus 20:4, "You shall not make yourself an idol." In Jesus' sermon on the mount he says in Matthew 6:24, "No one can serve two masters." There is this recurring idea in Scripture that our ultimate worship belongs to God and God alone. I think the difficult part is always trying to figure out that love and admirations are okay, but we must be careful of the intensity of those loves - making sure they don't rise to a level that our love for them not only conflicts with God but what God is asking us to do in His Word. 

The Westminster Confession of Faith makes this known in 21.1. 

But the acceptable way of worshipping the true God is instituted by himself, and so limited to his own revealed will, that he may not be worshipped according to the imaginations and devices of men, or the suggestions of Satan, under any visible representations or any other way not prescribed in the Holy Scripture.

The basic premise of our message today is to look to God's word for guidance on how we are to worship. We do not need to imagine or devise other methods ourselves, but we are to look to scripture and apply the standards from Scripture. 

Deuteronomy 12:32 - Whatever I command you, you shall be careful to do; you shall not add to nor take away from it. 

Summary: It is simple and yet remains hard in determining worship today. Start with scripture and let scripture define our ways in worship. 

Promise: We must follow God's prescriptions for worship. We risk offering false worship to God when we do not follow His inspired directions for how to praise Him. 

Prayer: Lord, in my life, I have seen so many different types of worship music and even differences in worship services take place. It is hard to understand for me if I am to be guided by my own personal desires and choices or if there is something wrong in some of these practices. Help me now in this study to think from Your word and to be guided by Your Spirit in worship and how I am to engage in worship of You. I want to be a true worshipper. 

Matthew 28:18-20 - Preaching Christ and His Commandments

Matthew 28:18-20 - Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, ... teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

Message: Preaching Christ and His Commandments

Time: Matthew, one of the 12 apostles, is credited with this book, despite the fact that he did not sign it. Dating it's writing is difficult, but most agree it to be AD 60-65 since it does not mention the destruction of the temple in AD 70. A Jew, he includes 50 direct citations and many other indirect citations from the Old Testament. 

What the Lord is Saying: 

In our previous lessons, we have been speaking of how the church is larger than our local body and is made up of all believers throughout history from all nations and tribes. The church continues to grow and we continue to reach the unreached. As I think about this idea that we have a core understanding of what is in scripture, it is important to now further clarify or define what that core understanding is exactly. The key is that churches are Apostolic. We have already determined this. How do we test whether a church is Apostolic? Here is a start on that subject of what churches should do and believe in order to conform to what our Lord teaches. 

It starts with the preaching of the biblical gospel and the teaching of the whole counsel of God. A church needs to be committed to faithfully preaching the Word of God. The Word of God is our only infallible authority and makes preaching of it a priority. As the text today and the words of Jesus states, churches are teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. Thus, the entire word of God needs to be preached. All the texts, not just certain texts, but all of it has riches we need to hear. 

Summary: The Church needs to be committed to preaching the Word of God, all of it. 

Promise: The primary criterion we should have if we need to find a church is faithfulness to the Word of God, otherwise a person is joining a social club. 

Prayer: Thank you God for giving me a love for your Word. I know you gave me a wonderful mother that instilled this love in me and then you brought pastors into my life like Tom Nelson who examined it thoroughly in all its facets. Thank you for giving me this thirst to understand it and hear it preached. Keep me grounded in this and keep drawing people and churches and pastors to the faithful examination of it, so that it is preached and nothing else. 

Note: I follow the readings from the Tabletalk Magazine devotional, though I am now working through 2017 devotionals. 2017 is a study of key biblical doctrines celebrating the 500th year of the Reformation. The month of August is about the Body of the Lord - the Church recovered in the Reformation; July was the right use of God's Law; June was justification by faith alone; May about solus Christus - Christ Alone; April, salvation by grace alone; March, the sovereign providence of God; February, the doctrine of revelation, Scripture that sola Scriptura seeks to preserve; January, the doctrine of God. 

Christ's Body

The Body of Christ - The Church is the Body of Christ and Christ loves the church. We are to imitate Christ and see that the Church is how Christ carries out His purposes in the world. The Head of the Church - Christ is Head of the church and he only has final authority and gives life to the church. Life is found only in Jesus Christ our Lord. - The Church We Can See - Belonging to a church is not optional, for anyone. We are meant to live in a community with other believers, to hear the Word of God preached, and to grow. The Church We Cannot See - What we see is the Visible church, the invisible church only God knows because He is omniscient and that is the Church we cannot see. 

Truths about the Church from the Apostles Creed

Church Unity - The church is bigger than our local assembly; there are core beliefs among the invisible church. One People Throughout History - God has only one people; throughout the world there are people that share doctrines and truths despite their being differences in where we attend or belong. God's Holy People - By being in Christ, though we still have a fallen nature, God has set us apart as holy, as his saints. True Catholocity - God's people includes men and women from every tribe and every tongue that hold to the biblical gospel. The Apostilic Church - we are fellow citizens with all people from all tribes and tongues throughout history, united by being built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets teaching, thus apostolic, with Christ Jesus being our cornerstone.

Psalm 119:97-104 - Finding Guidance in the Law

Psalm 119:97-104

O How I love your law
It is my meditation all the day.
Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies,
For they are ever mine.
I have more insight than all my teachers,
For Your testimonies are my meditation.
I understand more than the aged,
Because I have observed Your precepts.
I have restrained my feet from every evil way,
That I may keep Your word.
I have not turned aside from Your ordinances,
For You Yourself have taught me.
How sweet are Your words to my taste!
Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth!
From Your precepts I get understanding;
Therefore I hate every false way.

Message: Finding Guidance in the Law

Time: Psalms, a collection of lyrical poems, with multiple authors. David wrote 73 Psalms, though for 50 or so the author is unknown. Psalms means songs of praise. The writings span 1,000 years. They encourage us to praise God, illuminate the greatness of God, affirm His faithfulness in times of trouble, and remind us of the absolute centrality of His word. 

What the Lord is Saying:

October 5

Tabletalk records that "God's law is a place to find guidance for what pleases the Lord." The 10 commandments were used to help believers understand what kind of life God expects of His people. 

I have previously learned in this study that the Law primarily is a tool God uses to bring me to Christ, showing me what God expects and in turn bring me to Christ who is the only one that fulfills the Law. The temptation is the idea that obedience to God's word brings about salvation. We get too focused often on acts of obedience and can miss the grace of God; we think instead that obedience either completely or at a high level is what God seeks. So once we understand that salvation is not a measure of obedience, we can still see that the Law guides us into what pleases God. Obedience is really about praising God and seeking to please Him, than it being something that will benefit me. Granted, it will benefit me but my motivation should be towards praising God. 

Romans 7:12 - The Law is Holy. The commandment is Holy and Righteous and Good. 

When we love God we love His statutes and commands He has given us.

Psalm 119:97 O how I love Your law!
It is my meditation all the day.

I have been encouraged since a young age to memorize scripture. I remember my mom telling me my dad loved Psalm 1 so I memorized that (and remember lying down, looking at the stars in the backyard with my mom and reciting it). And then put other verses to memory that I still know today - 40  years later. In this practice, I've learned to love God's word as I repeat it again and again.

Psalm 119:98 Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies,
For they are ever mine.

Wisdom comes about through learning and knowing God's word. It anchors me and makes me wise. It 
gives me God's perspective on life. Another reason I should run to it.

October 7

Psalm 119:99 I have more insight than all my teachers,
For Your testimonies are my meditation.

There is a temptation in the Christian's life to possess pride and feel like we are better than others because in the study of God's word it is as if we have found a hidden treasure. But we must resist this and acknowledge God's spirit in us giving us this insight.

Psalm 119:100 I understand more than the aged,
Because I have observed Your precepts.

As I study God's word, I start to see it in action in my daily life -- I observe it. And in this process my understanding of all things of life increases.

Psalm 119:101 I have restrained my feet from every evil way,
That I may keep Your word.

My goal is to keep God's word. To have it hidden in my heart as I do this and rid evil from my life it opens me up to the good practice of keeping Thy word, following it.

Psalm 119:102 I have not turned aside from Your ordinances,
For You Yourself have taught me.

I am taught scripture by doing scripture by doing scripture. I can't do it if I don't know it. I sit under God's teaching when I make this his ordinances part of my life.

Psalm 119:103 How sweet are Your words to my taste!
Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

Like candy, which makes my mouth feel good, God's word is my sweetness. Candy provides often a feeling of a reward and more than I deserve and this is what happens when I get God's word.

October 10

Psalm 119:104 From Your precepts I get understanding;
Therefore I hate every false way.

As I understand God's word, in turn, I see what is important to God and what glorifies Him and it helps me to hate falsehood. 

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Thus, his Law needs to be one with my very being. This gives me knowledge of what pleases and displeases Him. Matthew 5:17-20 reminds me that the Law of God remains important; Jesus came to fulfill it. He is the only one that could. The law is meant to be kept.

October 11 

I'm thankful for the Word. I remain not perfect. This manifested itself in me last night when I pursued something not honoring to me, God, or my marriage. I'm taken back to God's word, His law and reminded one that I am week, in capable of meeting His perfect plan, but also in moments of weakness He needs to be my refuge. 

Promise: Love God. Love His Word. Keep His Word. Hate Falsehood. 

Prayer: Lord, your Word is a lamp to my life. Oh How I love your Law as it accompanies me throughout my day, pointing me in the direction I need to go. As I read Your word, it makes me wise and wiser than my enemies. I gain insight and understanding. And then as I observe your words and make them a part of my life my way or the path I walk is not on the path of evil. Your words are sweet to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth. From these words I get understanding. O God, remind me of this when I am struggling. I want to hate falsehood more. 

Note: I follow the readings from the Tabletalk Magazine devotional, though I am a little behind and working through 2017 devotionals. 2017 is a study of key biblical doctrines celebrating the 500th year of the Reformation. The month of July is about the right use of God's Law; June was justification by faith alone; May about solus Christus - Christ Alone; April, salvation by grace alone; March, the sovereign providence of God; February, the doctrine of revelation and the various aspects of the doctrine of Scripture that sola Scriptura seeks to preserve; January, the doctrine of God.

Bringing me to Christ

The Restraint of the Law - the law is given for lawless, unholy, disobedient people, to restrain us from acting on our sinful thoughts. Restraint and Guilt - the law is meant to restrain Christians and non-Christians alike; so that others may see Christ. The Law's Revelation of Sin - The Law reveals sin, at times making it more desirable, and show the sin which people commit and the complete standard it expects. The Law and Our Powerlessness - We are powerless over the Law and Sin revealed. It is in Christ that we receive forgiveness and the power to resist sin. The Law our Guardian - The law is not a tool of justifying me, but rather it is an instrument to bring me to Christ and show me my need for Him. 

Guiding our Lives

The Guidance of the Law - The Law is a guide in our lives for what pleases God and what it looks like to walk in holiness. The Antinomian Error - We were slaves to sin, but now we are slaves to obedience and righteousness. Judaizing Legalism - The error of Judaizing Legalism is the idea that obedience brings about God's acceptance of us for salvation. The Deadliest Form of Legalism - This legalism is that one would get too focused on external practices instead of focusing on the heart.

The Law is our Guide

The Centrality of Love - Love and the law go hand in hand. We do not belong to God unless we love our neighbor, and we cannot love our neighbor without knowing and doing God‘s law and loving him.

Romans 13:8-10 - The Centrality of Love

Romans 13:8-10 

8 Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. 9 For this, "YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, YOU SHALL NOT MURDER, YOU SHALL NOT STEAL, YOU SHALL NOT COVET," and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, “YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGBOR AS YOURSELF." 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

Message: The Centrality of Love

Time: Paul route to Rome, the city has never visited, from the Greek city of Corinth in AD 57. The rights to a church that he believes needed to hear basic Gospel doctrine. The city was a hotbed of sexual immorality and idolatry. 

What the Lord is Saying:

September 7 

Love is the central focus of the believer in Christ. Jesus when asked as to the greatest commandment stated to love God and love your neighbor. It was not to love self but God and others. (Matthew 22:34-40). This is a somewhat simple practice or simple thing to do in our life each day. 

As in everything in our life — our definitions must come from God. Unfortunately, even love can be miss guided in our world today. A Muslim thinks to love God is to blow oneself up. Love often is sleeping with whoever you want or living together without making a covenant of marriage. People think there is love in preserving the happiness and well-being of the mother and yet killing an unwanted child (abortion). There is also the thought that love is ending life because of suffering or unwelcome situations (assisted suicide). 

But love must start and end with God and like everything in life God and his word must define our life. As we trust in God our Savior and commit our way to him, love manifests itself in us. 

Promise: Love and the law go hand in hand. We do not belong to God unless we love our neighbor, and we cannot love our neighbor without knowing and doing God‘s law and loving him.

Prayer: O God -let me always remember love and how I am to practices each day in the relationships that you provide to my life. And help me always to have a practice in me to love you and thank you for the gift of life that you’ve given me. Thank you for the love of God that reminds me how much I need you and how I am in capable of loving you and loving others apart from you. Without you I can do nothing. Keep teaching me love. Forgive me for my selfish ways. Make my motives pure.

Note: I follow the readings from the Tabletalk Magazine devotional, though I am a little behind and working through 2017 devotionals. 2017 is a study of key biblical doctrines celebrating the 500th year of the Reformation. The month of July is about the right use of God's Law; June was justification by faith alone; May about solus Christus - Christ Alone; April, salvation by grace alone; March, the sovereign providence of God; February, the doctrine of revelation and the various aspects of the doctrine of Scripture that sola Scriptura seeks to preserve; January, the doctrine of God.

Bringing me to Christ

The Restraint of the Law - the law is given for lawless, unholy, disobedient people, to restrain us from acting on our sinful thoughts. Restraint and Guilt - the law is meant to restrain Christians and non-Christians alike; so that others may see Christ. The Law's Revelation of Sin - The Law reveals sin, at times making it more desirable, and show the sin which people commit and the complete standard it expects. The Law and Our Powerlessness - We are powerless over the Law and Sin revealed. It is in Christ that we receive forgiveness and the power to resist sin. The Law our Guardian - The law is not a tool of justifying me, but rather it is an instrument to bring me to Christ and show me my need for Him. 

Guiding our Lives

The Guidance of the Law - The Law is a guide in our lives for what pleases God and what it looks like to walk in holiness. The Antinomian Error - We were slaves to sin, but now we are slaves to obedience and righteousness. Judaizing Legalism - The error of Judaizing Legalism is the idea that obedience brings about God's acceptance of us for salvation. The Deadliest Form of Legalism - This legalism is that one would get too focused on external practices instead of focusing on the heart.

Psalm 119:9-11 - The Guidance of the Law

Psalm 119:9-11

9 How can a young man keep his way pure?
By keeping it according to Your word.
With all my heart I have sought You;
Do not let me wander from Your commandments.
Your word I have treasured in my heart,
That I may not sin against You.

Message: The Guidance of the Law

Time: The psalms were written by many different people across a period of a thousand years in Israel's history. They are thought to have been compiled and put together in their present form by some unknown editor shortly after the captivity ended about 537 B.C.

What the Lord is Saying:

The Law acts as a restraining tool. I think of the time of Noah when the Law was not yet present and God would wipe out the earth because everyone did evil continually. And then the Law came on the scene to aid man, restraining from doing evil all of the time. So it is a tool of restraint for every person - whether they recognize it or not in their lives. But this is meant to point people to Christ. Recognizing our sin is meant to show people their need for deliverance. We are powerless to this sin and need Christ to be forgiven and the power to resist sin. Christ is the answer to all of life's problems of sin. Thus, the law is a tool to bring me to Christ and help me see my need for Him. 

But in addition to being a restraining tool and pointing us to Christ, it also acts as a guide in our lives for what pleases God and what it looks like to walk in holiness. As today's verse starts in Psalm 119, verse 9 - How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Your Word. This Law, is our guide.  We are to treasure or store God's word in our heart. This is something I always so my mom doing, writing out verses on notecards and reading them often. God's word was ever present in her life. I know she struggled with doubts and her marriage and things still, but God's word was close. She always wanted to do the right thing. 

I've gotten away from memorizing God's word for it is a struggle it seems for me. But, I need to keep reading it and studying. 

Promise: God's word is our always present help in life. It is God's good gift to equip us for pleasing Him in all that we think, do, say, love and believe.

Prayer: Thank you God for your Word and thank You Spirit of God for continuing to instruct me in how I am to live. Keep me close to it. And give me discernment in the reading of it. Help me to know how to talk to people about it. 

Note: I follow the readings from the Tabletalk Magazine devotional, though I am a little behind and working through 2017 devotionals. 2017 is a study of key biblical doctrines celebrating the 500th year of the Reformation. The month of July is about the right use of God's Law; June was justification by faith alone; May about solus Christus - Christ Alone; April, salvation by grace alone; March, the sovereign providence of God; February, the doctrine of revelation and the various aspects of the doctrine of Scripture that sola Scriptura seeks to preserve; January, the doctrine of God.

The Restraint of the Law - the law is given for lawless, unholy, disobedient people, to restrain us from acting on our sinful thoughts. Restraint and Guilt - the law is meant to restrain Christians and non-Christians alike; so that others may see Christ. The Law's Revelation of Sin - The Law reveals sin, at times making it more desirable, and show the sin which people commit and the complete standard it expects. The Law and Our Powerlessness - We are powerless over the Law and Sin revealed. It is in Christ that we receive forgiveness and the power to resist sin. The Law our Guardian - The law is not a tool of justifying me, but rather it is an instrument to bring me to Christ and show me my need for Him.

My Utmost for His Highest - June 28th - Apprehended By God

Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. - Philippians 3:12

    Never choose to be a worker; but when once God has put His call on you, woe be to you if you turn to the right hand or to the left (Deuteronomy 5:32). We are not here to work for God because we have chosen to do so, but because God has apprehended us. There is never any thought of — “Oh, well, I am not fitted for this.” What you are to preach is determined by God, not by your own natural inclinations. Keep your soul steadfastly related to God, and remember that you are called not to bear testimony only, but to preach the gospel. Every Christian must testify, but when it comes to the call to preach, there must be the agonizing grip of God’s hand on you, your life is in the grip of God for that one thing. How many of us are held like that?

    Never water down the word of God, preach it in its undiluted sternness; there must be unflinching loyalty to the word of God; but when you come to personal dealing with your fellow men, remember who you are — not a special being made up in heaven, but a sinner saved by grace.

    “I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do.… (Philippians 3:13-14)”

 - From Oswald Chambers, "My Utmost for His Highest" - Classic Edition

Highlights and Underlines are courtesy of Mom from her print edition