Category: LGG Study

Posted in Bible study, Christ is All I Need, Devotion, From the Insideout, God is good, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time

Joyfully Giving Thanks

Posted on by MaryEllen

Today’s Road Map: Colossians 1:1-14 (SOAP: 12-14)

So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. 10 Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.

11  We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy,

  12  always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light.  13  For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son,  14  who purchased our freedom  and forgave our sins.

Colossians 1:9-14. NET

I marvel at these opening words (1-14) of Paul in his letter to the Colossian believers. He wasn’t just happy to hear about their salvation and their faithfulness. He wasn’t merely offering an obligatory pledge to pray for them; he was blessing them with the utmost encouragement that prayers were continually being lifted up on their behalf. As we looked at in the earlier parts of our journey, Paul even listed out the reasons and focus of their prayers – which centered on the work of the Father, their faith in the good news of the Gospel, God’s grace, and the love the Holy Spirit had given them for others. We noted how the entire Trinity ~ the Father, Son, and Spirit is part of Paul and Timothy’s prayer and the faith of the Colossians. Don’t miss that the focus of their prayers was that the people would “live worthily of the Lord and please Him in all respects…”

From the beginning, Paul’s words bring conviction to my heart, but twelve verses into this opening portion of the letter, my toes are still being stepped on. For Paul now encourages the Colossian believers to be filled with joy and give thanks to God, and proceeds to instruct them or prompt them with all (or many of the things) that they have to be thankful for. His list is appropriate for us today and one that I am persuaded to use in my own prayers of thanksgiving.

Always thanking the Father that …

  • God has made it possible for me to share in the <strongift and promises of salvation</stron
  • He has promised me an inheritance (in the light1) that belongs to His people (Galatians 3:6-14)
    • Christ is the Light of the world… John wrote that He is the Word of God… The Word is often referred to as light – such as in Psalm 119:105
  • He has promised deliverance from the power of darkness to the Kingdom of Christ
  • and finally, here in Colossians, we are reminded that we are promised the redemption, which is the forgiveness of sins through the blood and mediation of Christ Jesus our Lord – the only begotten and beloved Son of God

Friends, we have many reasons to give thanks to God on any given day; however, these that Paul mentions for the “Church/believers in Colossae” should flow from our lips often – for other believers/Churches as Paul and Timothy are doing here and for ourselves – as we realize with a fresh awareness that God chose to deliver us, not only from our sins but from the power of darkness over our lives — as Paul wrote. May we never forget or take lightly the gift of redemption (the forgiveness of sins) that we have received through the blood of Jesus Christ and the grace of our loving God.

Reflection and Application

  • What sins has Jesus saved you from?
  • Who can you begin praying for to be free from the chains of sin by the grace of Jesus Christ?

The More We Know

Key Bible Passages for Sharing in the inheritance of Abraham, through faith in Christ

  • Galatians 3:29: “And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” [1]
  • Galatians 3:7: “Realize, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham.” [1]
  • Romans 4:13: “It was not through the law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith.” [1]
  • Ephesians 3:6: “This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.” [1, 2, 3]

In verse 12, Paul also makes mention of light, “which is an important part of Hebrew thinking. According to the Jewish people, all knowledge and goodness was symbolized by ‘light’ while sin and ignorance were characterized by ‘ darkness.’ This is a theme of the apostle John, as well, frequently used in both his letters and the Gospel of John.”

  1. https://www.bibleref.com/Colossians/1/Colossians-1-12.html ↩︎
Posted in Bible study, Christ is All I Need, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time

Sharing in the Inheritance

Posted on by MaryEllen

We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy, 12 always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light.

Colossians 1:11-12

Remember, our journey yesterday revealed that Paul’s reason for praying for the church was so that they might please God – not just in the big things but in “every good deed [or work]. In today’s passage, Paul continues to share his prayer for the church – both to encourage them in their walk of faith and to remind them that God has enabled them to share in the “inheritance that belongs to His people, who live in the light.” This is not simply an inheritance of property or land or money, but the far more valuable gift of God, which is eternal life and that of the Holy Spirit.

The Role of the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit plays a crucial role in the assurance and realization of the saints’ inheritance. Ephesians 1:13-14 states, “In Him, you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in Him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession, to the praise of His glory.” The Holy Spirit is both a seal and a guarantee, affirming the believer’s status as an heir and providing a foretaste of the future inheritance.

Peter describes the inheritance as imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven (1 Peter 1:4). It is an inheritance not earned or deserved, but acquired by faith and secured through the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. By God’s grace, believers are described as co-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17), sharing in His glory and the fullness of God’s promises.

Click here for more on the inheritance that is ours through Christ.1

I really appreciate the following commentary2 from David Guzik concerning the prayer of Paul and Timothy for the Colossian believers:

c. Being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. This is how we can be fully pleasing to God and how we can have a worthy walk.

i. This is an echo of Jesus’ thought in John 15:7-8: If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.

ii. “‘Fruitful in every good work.’ Here is room and range enough – in ‘every good work.’ Have you the ability to preach the gospel? Preach it! Does a little child need comforting? Comfort it! Can you stand up and vindicate a glorious truth before thousands? Do it! Does a poor saint need a bit of dinner from your table? Send it to her. Let works of obedience, testimony, zeal, charity, piety, and philanthropy all be found in your life. Do not select big things as your special line, but glorify the Lord also in the littles – ‘fruitful in every good work.’” (Spurgeon)

d. Strengthened with all might: As we walk worthy of the Lord, His strength is there to help us meet all of life’s challenges, and to endure and overcome problems with circumstances (patience) and people (longsuffering) with joy.

Giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.

a. Giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us: In the divine administration, the Father is mentioned in connection with the broad sweep of His plan of redemption. He is the Person of the Trinity who initiates the plan of the ages.

b. To be partakers of the inheritance of the saints: It is the Father who qualifies us, not our own works. We gain this as an inheritance, instead of earning it as a wage.

Reflection and Application

Friends, let us not overlook Paul’s words of specific thanks to the Father. Instead, let us be faithful to include such thanksgiving in our own prayers. For it is good to give thanks to God, to praise Him for what He has done and for His good, good gifts – of love, mercy, and grace and of His presence with us through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Let us also be quick and faithful to not just tell someone we will pray for them but truly and specifically pray for them and make them aware of our prayers that they might be encouraged and strengthened “with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need.”

  1. https://biblehub.com/topical/t/the_saints’_inheritance.htm ↩︎
  2. Guzik, Enduring Word ↩︎
Mountain valley covered in morning mist with sun rising over distant peaks
Posted in Bible study, Christ is All I Need, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time

Confident Hope

Posted on by MaryEllen

 We always pray for you, and we give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 4 For we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all of God’s people, 5 which come from your confident hope of what God has reserved for you in heaven. You have had this expectation ever since you first heard the truth of the Good News.

Colossians 1:3-5 (SOAP verse 5)

Friends, I am borrowing from the LGG Study Journal again today – partly because I am having computer problems and having to use my iPad to post this, but also because I was out later than expected tonight helping Abi with her classroom.

Today’s focal point is verse five, and it is one of the key verses of the entire book. A reminder for us that it’s not just important to have faith – we must be confident in our faith – the belief in the truth that God has promised us a home in heaven with Him … not because our parents believed, or because “we worked for it or earned it, or ever could,” but solely because of God’s amazing grace.

Consider these words from the LGG team:

Do you often think of the hope lad up for you in heaven? The hope that one day, you will be totally healed and perfected, forever filled with indescribable joy? That all your tears will be wiped away, and nobody will ever cause you grief again? That you will finally see the loving face of Jesus?

Note how this hope came to us: Through the gospel. We didn’t work for it, and we don’t deserve it. But God gave us hope simply because we heard the message of truth and believed it. The gospel is the message that Jesus died and rose again three days later to forgive us of all our sins. It is a gift of grace through faith. God has subsequently prepared a place in heaven for those who trust in His Son.

Our hope as Christians is based only on God’s grace. Because it’s not based on our performance, it is firm. It is not a case of “I hope I’ll make it to heaven somehow.” Instead, we can proclaim, “I know I’ll make it to heaven because of what Jesus has done for me.”

Have you ever heard the phrase that some people are so heavenly minded that they are of no earthly good? Clearly this is not the teaching of the Bible. Right here, Paul is saying that the hope of heaven actually gives rise to love and encourages us to live faithfully and missionally here on earth. Real heavenly mindedness will make us more loving, less self-centered, less fearful, and less greedy.

Jesus Himself promised that whatever it may cost us now to serve and love others, our reward in heaven makes these sacrifices more than worthwhile.

Lord Jesus, please open the eyes of my heart so that I can see more clearly the glorious future that awaits me. – Amen.

Reflection and Application:

What about you? Is your faith confident or shakable? Is it based on the truth of the Gospel that you have heard or is it in the church…the people…your family…your good works??? Take some time and consider these questions and examine your faith.

Posted in Bible study, Christ is All I Need, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time, Uncategorized

The Thanks Belong to God

Posted on by MaryEllen

Today’s Scripture: Colossians 1:3-8; James 1:17 (SOAP: Colossians 1:3-4)

We always give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, Since we heard about your faith in Christ Jesus and the love that you have for all the saints.

Colossians 1:3-4

Today’s post is shared from p 40 of the Love God Greatly Journal, Christ is All I Need

Through the report of others, Paul heard about the faith and love of the Colossian believers. They trusted in Jesus, and they loved other Christians. Interestingly, he doesn’t praise them for it. Instead, he gives thanks to God for these virtues. Why? He knows that they didn’t produce their own faith or love, but these were gifts of grace from God.

Can the same be said of us? Are we marked by love for God and others? Let’s never forget to thank God for anything good we see in us, since He is the One who has produced it, and let’s acknowledge that every “perfect gift is from above” (James 1:17).

There is no room for pride or jealousy. How do we feel when we see other Christians displaying Christ-like characteristics? Do we honestly rejoice with them, giving thanks to God for the good He has worked in them, or do we maybe feel a little jealous? The attitude God wants us to have is one of gratitude. Just like Paul, we should thank God for everything positive we see in our fellow Christians.

Let’s remember that everything good, whether material or spiritual, is given to us by God. May we be made into women who overflow with thankfulness for the good we ourselves have received and that has been given to others.

Just imagine what an encouraging place the church would be if we not only saw God’s good work in others, but, like Paul, we were truly thankful for it rather than jealous. Imagine how much joy could be spread if we genuinely rejoiced with others for what God has done in their lives.

Lord, I confess that so often I become proud of what I have, or I am jealous of what others have. Please forgive me and make me into a thankful person. Amen.

Today’s Reflection and Application:

Can you think of spiritual fruit in your own life which you are thankful for? How about any spiritual fruit in one of your Christian friends? How could you encourage them about it?

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time, She, Volume 4

Sarah~[Sarai], part 1

Posted on by MaryEllen

adapted from the study She, delighting in the examples of the women of the Bible, volume 4/pp63-64

Today’s Scripture Reading: Genesis 11:27-32, Genesis 12, and Genesis 18:14

This is the account of Terah’s family. Terah was the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran was the father of Lot. 28 But Haran died in Ur of the Chaldeans, the land of his birth, while his father, Terah, was still living. 29 Meanwhile, Abram and Nahor both married. The name of Abram’s wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor’s wife was Milcah. (Milcah and her sister Iscah were daughters of Nahor’s brother Haran.) 30 But Sarai was unable to become pregnant and had no children.

31 One day Terah took his son Abram, his daughter-in-law Sarai (his son Abram’s wife), and his grandson Lot (his son Haran’s child) and moved away from Ur of the Chaldeans. He was headed for the land of Canaan, but they stopped at Haran and settled there. 32 Terah lived for 205 years and died while still in Haran.

Genesis 11:27-32 (NLT)

God was repositioning Abraham and Sarah according to His perfect plan and they followed where He led.

Me~ from the InsideOut🦋

When we first read of Abraham and Sarah, they are living with Abraham’s family in Ur of the Chaldeans, but they moved away from there, intending to move to the land of Canaan. However, Terah, Abraham’s father, settled the family in Haran. Abraham and Sarah stayed with his family until God spoke to Abraham, telling him to move out of the country, away from his father’s family. While this move requried blind faith (for God simply said, move to a land that I will show you), it came with an amazing promise of blessing, which included him being made into a great nation, fame, God’s protection, and becoming a blessing to others. God was repositioning Abraham and Sarah according to His perfect plan and they followed where He led. Keep in mind that Abraham was at 75 years old when God called him out of Haran. Yet, Scripture doesn’t tell us that Abraham struggled with this call on his life. He and Sarah had made a home in Haran for at least 50 years. It was where their family was, but we read of no debate or conversation between Abraham and Sarah about whether to go or stay – only that Abraham (still called Abram at the time) departed as the Lord had instructed.

4 So Abram departed as the Lord had instructed, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran. 5 He took his wife, Sarai, his nephew Lot, and all his wealth—his livestock and all the people he had taken into his household at Haran—and headed for the land of Canaan. When they arrived in Canaan, 6 Abram traveled through the land as far as Shechem. There he set up camp beside the oak of Moreh. At that time, the area was inhabited by Canaanites. (Gen 12:4-6)

It was in Shechem, where the Lord appeared again to Abraham, saying:

“I will give this land to your descendants.[a]” After which, “Abram built an altar there and dedicated it to the Lord, who had appeared to him. 8 After that, Abram traveled south and set up camp in the hill country, with Bethel to the west and Ai to the east. There he built another altar and dedicated it to the Lord, and he worshiped the Lord. 9 Then Abram continued traveling south by stages toward the Negev. (Gen 12:7-9)

If you’re reading this account of Abraham and Sarah for the first time, or if you’ve read it more than a dozen times yet find yourself amazed yet again at God’s timing in the things He discloses before they even happen, you may be wondering how the promise of making Abraham into a great nation and giving land to his “descendants” could ever happen, especially since Sarah was barren, (Genesis 11:30) … but rest assured friends, it happens just as God said it would. Join me tomorrow and in the week ahead as we explore Sarah’s story, which includes her handmaid named Hagar, Sarah’s plan to have a baby despite being barren. and God asking Abraham the questions: “Why did Sarah laugh? Why did she say, ‘Can an old woman like me have a baby?’ 14 ‘Is anything too hard for the Lord?’ I will return about this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”

Is anything too hard for the Lord?

Genesis 18:14a

A Prayer of Response

O Sovereign Lord, may we never doubt what You have said, but instead always stand amazed at the reality we see time and time again in Your Word, that nothing is too difficult for You.You gave sight to the blind, You made the lame walk, and You raised Your only begotten Son from the grave that we might have everlasting life! Absolutely nothing is too difficult for You. 💜

Reflection and Application:

  1. What is God positioning you for? Are you ready to follow where He leads/calls you to go?
  2. Is there something that seems impossible to you right now?
    • Health situations?
    • Finances?
    • An unsaved loved one?
    • The return of a prodigal child?

~ Ask the Lord to help you have faith in Him today, remind yourself often throughout the day(s) ahead that “NOTHING, absolutely nothing is too difficult for our God.”

The More We Know

Sarai began her life in the pagan world of Ur, in the land of the Chaldees, which was located in the area now known as Iraq. She was the half-sister, as well as the wife, of Abram, who would be called Abraham. Sarai and Abram had the same father but different mothers, according to Genesis 20:12. In those days, genetics were purer than they are today, and intermarriage was not detrimental to the offspring of unions between relatives. Also, since people tended to spend their lives clustered together in family units, it was the natural course to choose mates from within their own tribes and families.

When Abram encountered the living God for the first time, he believed Him (Genesis 12:1–4; 15:6) and followed after Him, obeying His command to leave his home to go to a place he had never heard about, much less seen. Sarai went with him.

Their journey brought them to the area called Harran (Genesis 11:31). Abram’s father, Terah, passed away in this city, and Abram, Sarai, and their nephew Lot and their retinue continued their journey, allowing God to lead and guide them. With no housing and no modern conveniences, the journey must have been very difficult for all, especially for the women. During their journey, there was a famine in the land, prompting Abram and Sarai to go to Egypt (Genesis 12:10). When they did, Abram feared that the Egyptians would kill him because Sarai was beautiful and they would want her as a wife. So he asked Sarai to tell everyone that she was Abram’s sister—which was technically true but also meant to deceive. Sarai was taken into Pharaoh’s house, and Abram was treated well because of her. But God afflicted Pharaoh’s house, and the couple’s lie was revealed. Pharaoh returned Sarai to Abram and sent them on their way (Genesis 12). Sarai and Abram came back to the land now known as Israel. They had acquired many possessions and a great deal of wealth in their travels, so Lot and Abram agreed to split up in order that the massive herds of cattle would have adequate ground for grazing (Genesis 13:9).

Gotquestions.org

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, God is good, Journey Through The Word, Know These Truths, LGG Study, Love, prayer, Quiet Time, She, Volume 3

Tabitha

Posted on by MaryEllen

adapted from the She study, delighting in the women of the Bible, volume 3, pp 68-69

Today’s Scripture Reading: Acts 9:32-43 and Proverbs 31:10

“Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.”

Proverbs 31:10

Tabitha, also known as Dorcas, is another woman of the Bible who is seldom taught and little known by most. Actually, if you had asked me three weeks ago (before I began looking through this study book) who Tabitha was, I would have told you she was a character from the Bewitched Show.1 It wasn’t until I began reading today’s passage of Scripture that I remembered her story. This Tabitha was not an adorable child who could twitch her nose and make things move or disappear. Instead, she was a New Testament believer known for her good works and kind deeds. These deeds/works are not really elaborated on, but what we do know is that she was specifically known for her good works and acts of love for the poor/needy, particularly the widows (Acts 9:36 & 39).

While Tabitha’s story is told in a mere seven verses, it is one of inspiration and a miraculous restoration of life that led to many more believers in the city of Joppa. It is safe to say that her testimony is far more valuable than rubies. This is made evident when Peter not only responds quickly to the message he received about her passing, but then raises her from the dead.

SHE WAS ALIVE AGAIN, A LIVING TESTIMONY OF THE MIRACULOUS GRACE OF GOD.2

Friends, like Tabitha, our testimonies matter. How we live for God, not only on Sundays or when people are watching, matters. From our words, to our facial expressions, to the things we do for God and for others matter. How we live will either lead people toward God or away from Him. As my pastor preached yesterday,3 “others will know when we have spent time with Jesus”(Acts 4:13).

Every time a person is raised from the dead, it is a stupendous miracle, showing that the God who is Himself the Source of Life has the ability to give life to whom He will—even after death.4

Tabitha serves as an example that faithfulness can lead to great miracles and much fruit, which in this case was other believers5 (Acts 9:42).

Reflections and Application

When others see us, will they see that we have spent time with Jesus? Will they be able to tell that we are faithful followers of Jesus? When they hear or see that we are sick, will they call others in the body of Christ to pray for us? Will the watching world see what Jesus is doing in us and choose to follow him as well?

Faithfulness is a rare quality. How can you/we be more faithful?

The More We Know

How many people were raised from the dead in the Bible?

  1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bewitched ↩︎
  2. She, delighting in the women of the Bible, volume 3, p 69 ↩︎
  3. Sermon, The Cost of Following, by Pastor David Lemming ↩︎
  4. https://www.gotquestions.org/raised-from-the-dead.html ↩︎
  5. She, delighting in the women of the Bible, volume 3, p 69 ↩︎

https://lmbc.org/media/v5r87c4/the-cost-of-following-part-3

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Beginning to Forever, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, Know These Truths, LGG Study, Quiet Time

A Beautiful Forever

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Based on the LGG Journal, From the Beginning to Foreverw6/d5

Read: Revelation 1:4-8; 20:7-10 and 21:1-6/SOAP: Revelation 21:3-4
Greeting the Seven Churches

4 John, to the seven churches which are in Asia:

Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth.

To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, 6 and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

7 Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.

8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

Revelation 1:4-8 (NKJV)

Satanic Rebellion Crushed

7 Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea. 9 They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. 10 The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

Revelation 20:7-10 NKJV

All Things Made New

21 Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. 2 Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. 4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

5 Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.”

6 And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts.

Revelation 21:1-6 (NKJV)

Friends, as today’s LGG Journal entry points out, “This is the future reality the Bible paints for us.”1

We can only imagine what that day will be like… The sights and sounds, the reality of God wiping away every tear, death, sorrow, crying, and pain no longer being a part of life…The inexplicable joy of coming into the presence of God, the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End…the One who will “freely give us, for all eternity, spiritual blessings to enjoy…resources from God that will be at our disposal for the enjoyment of the new heaven and earth.”2

Perhaps, like me, you are longing for that day…a day when God will dwell with His people as He did in the garden…a day when pain and sorrow and all of the harsh realities of this life will be over…the day when we will live in the New Jerusalem. “Oh, what a glorious day that will be!”3 If you do not have the certainty of that hope, but would like to learn how to share in it, I invite you to continue reading this post and then visit the link “Know These Truths.”

Revelation is unquestionably a complex book, especially for those of us who like things spelled out more than we appreciate descriptions or depictions that are a challenge to fully grasp and leave us shaking our heads, saying, “What?”. Honestly, while I dive into nearly every other book of the Bible without hesitation, I have tended to steer clear of the book of Revelation, not out of fear of what’s to come, but out of frustration and concern that I will be confused by or misunderstand the complexity of John’s words. However, as I find myself praying more and more, “Come, Lord Jesus, come,” I have become increasingly drawn to the book. I have a hunger to know more than the clear and certain truths of the end times that I have professed for years: Jesus is coming again…He will defeat not only Satan but all of His enemies…and He will rule forever as King. While traveling through “From the Beginning to Forever,” I have been reminded of the need to live with the full reality of eternity in mind – not just that I am going to live with Him forever in the New Jerusalem, but that those who have not believed in the Lord Jesus Christ will spend their eternity in hell. If I lose sight of this, I give the enemy a foothold to hold me back from sharing the message of the Gospel, which is the good news that Jesus saves, and that salvation is not only the promise of forgiveness and eternal life, but that it is the free gift of God to all who believe.4

Friends, knowing what our “forever” is, is a blessing above all blessings, for we know that, “We will day be glorified and spend eternity with the Savior.”5 However, may we never lose sight of the truth that those who have never believed face a real and certain eternity in anguish in the flame.6

The More We Know

How can I evangelize my friends and family without pushing them away?

The Gospel Message (message me if you would like a card or bookmark of this plan, I’ll mail them to you for free)

Today’s LGG Blog Post: Faith To Be Made Sight

https://atomic-temporary-62140760.wpcomstaging.com/2023/03/14/know-these-truths/

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Beginning to Forever, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, Know These Truths, LGG Study

The Road that Leads to Grace

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There is such beauty and hope in the book of Romans. It is the hope of our salvation. It is the glory of the Father and the reality of the Son. It is the forgiveness of sin, the promise of Heaven, and the gift of eternal life. It is the message we have been commissioned to carry to the ‘farthest ends of the earth, so that all might hear and believe and share in the hope of our salvation.

When we come to Christ as broken sinners, He exchanges our sin for His righteousness.

Gotquestions.org

Today’s journey is a collection of passages known as the Romans Road, which leads us straight to God’s gift of eternal life—by grace, through faith in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2:8-9). This road through Romans is the main thoroughfare of our faith. It presents the problem, which is sin (Rom 3:23), and then the answer/provision, which is God’s deep, deep love for us, even while we were sinners (Romans 5:8). The next stop on the journey (Romans 6:23) reminds us that our sin demands a payoff, and that payoff is death. But thanks be to God, Jesus paid our debt! So that now, when we confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in our heart that God raised Him from the dead, we will be saved (Romans 10:9-10). ~ As today’s journal entry puts it: “It is at this moment that we are saved and cross over from death to life. God no longer views us by our sin but by Christ’s righteousness.”

“For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”

2 Corinthians 5:21.

Friends, while God’s gift of eternal life is good news for us who have believed and been saved, for those who have not yet believed in the message of the Gospel, there is bound to be a fair amount of discouragement and misery on this Romans Road. For without faith in Jesus and the eternal life that is available to all who believe, there is no hope. This, my friends, is why we must not neglect our calling to shine the light of Jesus wherever we go in this dark, foreboding world.

Father, may we align our hearts with Your desire for all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the Truth1 – and may we live and pray to that end. ~ In the name of Jesus and for Your eternal glory, I pray ~Amen.

If you have not put your faith in Jesus Christ, if you do not know the hope of eternal life, I invite you to visit the link ‘Know These Truths’ and let me introduce you to the One who gave His life so that you might live. If you have questions or are ready to take the next step, please message me at m.black@lmbc.org ~

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Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Beginning to Forever, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, Know These Truths, LGG Study

How Then Should We Live?

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based on the LGG Study, From the Beginning to Forever/w6d3

Read: Phil 4:4-9; Galatians 5:16-26; and soap: 1 Peter 2:9-10

In light of all we’ve seen from the beginning of creation … in response to God’s work on our behalf through Jesus Christ … and now, in response to the great commission … how then should we live?

Today’s journey offers us several passages to answer this all-important question. Paul encourages us to live joyful and gentle lives, not only because we find our joy and hope in God, but because we know that the Lord’s return is near. He also teaches us to rest in God and His truths instead of allowing anxiety to control us. He wrote to his readers that they should live by the power of the Spirit rather than walking by the desires of the flesh, and he stressed the importance, throughout most of his letters, that we should get rid of not only sexual immorality but also of anger, envy, bitterness, harsh words, and all types of evil behavior. He urged believers to love others more than themselves.

The main focus of today’s journey is Peter’s description of God’s chosen people. The description can be both exciting and confusing, because, as Bibleref.com points out, “the language Peter uses has been used to describe God’s special relationship with Israel.” (Exodus 19:6) However, as the commentary goes on to explain, “As Israel was, we~believers, the church — are also a chosen race…though not in the sense of our family, ethnicity, skin color, or country of origin.” Instead, “We are a spiritual race, in the sense that, in Christ, we share a single spiritual Father. In that same meaning, we are a ‘holy nation,’ a specific group of people called out and set apart from all other nations.” Friends, I don’t know about you, but that gets me all kinds of excited, thankful, and proud to be called a child of God!

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of His own, so that you may proclaim the virtues of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. You once were not a people, but now you are God’s people. You were shown no mercy, but now you have received mercy. 1 Peter 2:9-10

I think my favorite description of all is this one phrase: “a people of His own.” He formed us as this nation, race, and priesthood, as bibleref.com goes on to say, “to take possession of us. We are His people in a very real way. It’s not just that we pledge our allegiance to Him; it’s that He has taken ownership of us. We belong to Him.” Friends, no matter how wonderful your earthly family is, there is no greater gift than that of belonging to the family of God. Called out of the darkness and into the “marvelous light,” as Peter wrote, we can and must live as the Holy people God has made us to be, for the purpose of reflecting Him in all we do and say.

In Paul’s letter to the Philippians, we find a beautiful and helpful picture/example of exactly what it should look like for us to reflect Him well. The picture includes the church working together with one mind and purpose, having the same attitude of Christ … and following the instructions found in God’s Word. When we live like this, our lives become evidence to the watching world of how God has saved us by His grace through faith.

Have the Attitude of Christ

2 Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? 2 Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose.

3 Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.

5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.

6 Though he was God,
    he did not think of equality with God
    as something to cling to.
7 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;
    he took the humble position of a slave
    and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form,
8     he humbled himself in obedience to God
    and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

9 Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor
    and gave him the name above all other names,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord,
    to the glory of God the Father.

Shine Brightly for Christ

12 Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. 13 For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.

14 Do everything without complaining and arguing, 15 so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. 16 Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ’s return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless. 17 But I will rejoice even if I lose my life, pouring it out like a liquid offering to God,[e] just like your faithful service is an offering to God. And I want all of you to share that joy. 18 Yes, you should rejoice, and I will share your joy.

Philippians 2:1-18

Praise God! The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, who has rescued us from the darkness into glorious light! You won’t want to miss this song of praise and thanksgiving – you’ll be singing it the rest of the day…

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Beginning to Forever, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study

Devotion To…

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Based on the LGG Study, From the Beginning to Forever/w6d2

Read Acts 2:38-47; SOAP: Acts 2:42

(for further reading: Acts 9:1-19; Acts 16:16-34)

 They were devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

Acts 2:42

From the start of our journey, we have listened and watched as God’s plan of rescue was set forward and carried out. We have witnessed His death on the cross and stood with Mary and the others looking into the empty tomb. Now we cling to the hope and promise of the forever yet to come. We wait and we watch, perhaps even more so as the day draws closer but as the two men clothed in white told the early disciples, we must not stand gazing up into the sky watching for His return. Instead, we are to be about the mission He gave to all who follow Him. “Go and make disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Spirit.”

As people heard and believed, they began forming local churches where they devoted themselves around the preaching of God’s Word, prayer, and fellowship.

From the Beginning to Forever, p177

As we see in today’s passage of the journey, the early disciples did this, and thousands were accepting the message, repenting (turning away from their old way of life) and being baptized. The church was growing, the message was spreading just as Jesus intended; and now, the people were devoting themselves to the teaching of the Word, to fellowship with other believers, and prayer (a.k.a: a relationship with God). Oh the beauty and inspiration of seeing God’s plan in motion. It is inspiration, or perhaps conviction, and raises the question: “What am I devoting myself to?” Because we will be devoted to something ~ won’t we? We see two examples in the extra passages of today’s journey. Acts 9:1-19 reveals Paul, before His conversion, as one who was devoted to seeking the destruction of those who followed Jesus; but then in Acts 16:16-34, he is revealed not only as a devoted follower and messenger of the Gospel, but also as one who found himself in danger because of his devotion to the message of Christ.

Friends, there are many things in this world that we will devote ourselves to, but may God help us to be steadfastly devoted to Him and to the mission He has given us above everything and everyone else, May we remember that there is still work to be done, whether it is carrying the Gospel to the farthest parts of the earth or sharing it with our neighbors and co-workers or family. May God work in us and through us as He did in the apostles of Jesus’ day, to spread the good news and continue adding to the building up of the Church.

The Church’s one foundation
  Is Jesus Christ her Lord;
She is His new creation
  By water and the Word:
From heav’n He came and sought her
  To be His holy Bride;
With His own blood He bought her,
  And for her life He died.

Elect from every nation,
  Yet one o’er all the earth,
Her charter of salvation,
  One Lord, one faith, one birth;
One holy Name she blesses,
  Partakes one holy food,
And to one hope she presses,
  With every grace endued.

’Mid toil and tribulation,
  And tumult of her war,
She waits the consummation
  Of peace for evermore;
Till, with the vision glorious,
  Her longing eyes are blest,
And the great Church victorious
  Shall be the Church at rest.

The Church’s One Foundation,
Samuel John Stone (1839-1900)