Tag: GLory

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

Living Beyond Earthly Desires: A Call to Seek Heavenly Things

Posted on by MaryEllen

Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. 2 Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. 3 For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.

Colossians 3:1-4 (soap verses 3-4)

On our last day’s journey, we looked at the first two verses of this passage, where we were reminded that because we have been raised with Christ, we are to keep seeking and thinking about things of God, not the things of earth. Today’s passage picks up with an explanation from Paul telling us why: which is namely, because we no longer belong to the ruler of this world, but we belong to God, who has placed us in Christ. You see, Christ is more than the giver and sustainer of life – He is our life.

Christ is more than the giver and sustainer of life – He is our life.

Bibleref.com, Colossians 3:4

Consider these words from today’s LGG, Christ Is All I Need, journal

Why do we need to keep seeking the things above? Paul stresses that it’s because we are united to Jesus by faith. When Jesus died, we died with Him. He rose to life, raising us with Him. He now lives inside every believer. He is our Life.

Remember that you have been united to a Savior who lived His whole life on earth denying Himself. He expects you to do the same. Don’t live for the glory of this world. Don’t strive to “be somebody” now.

The real you is not visible on earth yet, and it’s not meant to be. It’s not what you see in the mirror. This earth is not your place of rest. One day, when Jesus returns, you will be revealed with Him in glory, shining like the sun in sinless perfection and being finally and truly at home.

Friends, I don’t know about you, but these words (particularly the last paragraph) left me shouting HALLELUJAH ~ COME JESUS COME! They also started me singing My Jesus, I love Thee. When I looked up the lyrics (so I could copy and paste), I learned they were originally a poem written by William Ralph Featherston following his salvation. Featherston was just a teenage boy at the time, somewhere between the ages of 12 and 16. His raw emotion and expression of thankfulness and love struck a chord in millions of hearts. Writing with the passion of a teenager, yet with the wisdom of someone years beyond his age, Featherston captures the beautiful, intimate relationship we have with our Saviour, and the glorious future that awaits us in eternity.1

Response of Worship

My Response of Prayer

Father, thank You for the beautiful truth that Paul writes about – the truth that we are dead in our trespasses and sins, but by Your grace and mercy and our faith in Christ Jesus, You have raised us to new life and placed us safely in Him. Thank you for loving us first. Jesus, thank You for dying, for wearing the crown of thorns, so that all who come to You by faith can be saved and walk in an intimate relationship with You, while we wait for Your return. Thank You that one day we will live with You in glory and endless delight, where we will adore You forever – even more than we do now. ~ In Jesus’ glorious name ~ Amen and Amen!

Reflection and Application

Do you find it difficult to set/keep your mind on things above (things of God and Jesus)? If your answer is yes, as I imagine everyone’s is, today’s journal entry suggests this as one of the reasons:

It is hard for us to set our minds on things above is that we can’t yet experience those blessings with our physical senses. Wouldn’t it be awesome if we could already see, hear, feel, or touch the blessings that are stored up for us in heaven? We can’t because God wants us to live by faith, not yet by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7).2

In the world we live in, it is common to work for and/or even expect the glory, recognition, and honor of the people around us, which is why we must remember our lives are not our own to do with as we wish. For as Paul writes, we died to this life, and our real life is hidden with Christ in God. Today’s journal entry explains this best: “This world is not the place for us to strive for glory, recognition, or honor. In fact, Jesus taught that following Him means daily taking up our cross and denying ourselves. (Matthew 16:24)”3

  1. The story behind My Jesus I Love Thee ↩︎
  2. Christ Is All I Need, p142, paragraph 1 ↩︎
  3. Christ Is All I Need, p142, paragraph 2 ↩︎
Posted in Bible study, Christ is All I Need, Devotion, From the Insideout, God is good, Journey Through The Word, Know These Truths, LGG Study, Quiet Time

Christ In You

Posted on by MaryEllen

Today’s Road Map for the Journey

Colossians 1:27-29 (SOAP 1:27); Ephesians 3:1-7

“The secret is simply this: Christ in you! Yes, Christ in you, bringing with him the hope of all glorious things to come.”

JB Philips

Friends, whether it is a blinding light, as Paul experienced on the road to Damascus1, or a letter from the Apostle Paul himself, God will let us know what He wants us to know in the course of His perfect timing. Here in our Scripture for today’s journey, we read that God wanted to make known to them (Jews & Gentiles) the “glorious riches” that had been given to them. These riches are summed up as the hope of glory, which includes our resurrection (Romans 8:11), the guarantee of His Spirit in us (Ephesians 4:30; Ephesians 1:14), who guarantees our Heavenly inheritance (1 Peter 1:3–4), which is, even now, being kept in Heaven for us.

Christ’s presence in us is the hope of glory, and this truth is full of “glorious riches.” Our once dead, darkened spirits are made alive. Christ is in our hearts, and we know that there is life beyond this earthly existence—a life that will be glorious beyond all imagination. Gotquestions.org

Until now, the glorious riches have been a mystery to the Gentiles. Paul explains “the mystery” as being “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” This explanation was meant to encourage the believers then, and it should encourage us today. For if Christ lives in us now, we can know with certainty that we will one day be with Him in Heaven ~ for the same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead is living in us and will also give life to our mortal bodies ~ and hal-le-lu-jah! ~ He will secure for us a heavenly inheritance that will never perish, spoil, or fade! Friends, it is a future full of glorious riches that we can’t begin to truly picture. Make no mistake, though ~ the Spirit and the promise of the hope of glory and its glorious riches are available only to those who believe. If you are reading this today but do not know Jesus as your Savior, I encourage you to follow the Know These Truths link below, where you will learn all about my Jesus and how these promises can be yours today.

The hope of glory includes our resurrection: “If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you” (Romans 8:11). It includes a heavenly inheritance: “In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you” (1 Peter 1:3–4). The Spirit of Christ within us is the “deposit guaranteeing our inheritance” (Ephesians 1:14).
Christ’s presence in us is the hope of glory, and this truth is full of “glorious riches.” Our once dead, darkened spirits are made alive. Christ is in our hearts, and we know that there is life beyond this earthly existence—a life that will be glorious beyond all imagination.

Gotquestions.org

Reflection and Application

In what ways are we “gloriously rich” if we have Jesus? Try making a list of all the “riches” we have in Christ? (search for them in Ephesians 1:7-14)

Response of Prayer

Father, thank you for the glorious hope and riches that we have to look forward to in Christ. Thank You for making known the mystery of the Gospel, for Christ in us, and the seal of Your Spirit, who guarantees not only our resurrection but our inheritance that is being being kept in Heaven for us. Thank you that we can know with certainty that we will one day be with You in Heaven. ~To You be all the glory, Amen

The More We Know

What does it mean that Christ is the hope of glory?

What does Colossians 1:26 mean?

Know These Truths
  1. Saul’s/Paul’s Story in a Nutshell,
    The Journey: Saul went to catch and hurt followers of Jesus.
    The Flash: A bright light brighter than the noon sun shone all around him.
    The Fall: Saul fell down on the ground.
    The Voice: A voice said, “Saul, Saul, why do you hurt me?”
    The Answer: The voice was Jesus.

    What Happened Next
    The Blindness: Saul could not see after the light. His friends had to lead him by hand into the city of Damascus.
    The Three Days: Saul sat in the dark for three days without food or water.
    The Healing: A helper named Ananias prayed for Saul, and things like fish scales fell from his eyes. He could see again.
    The Change: Saul became Paul, a main teacher and writer of the New Testament. ↩︎

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, Quiet Time, She, Volume 3

Mary, Mother of Jesus, Part 5

Posted on by MaryEllen

Adapted from the She Study, delighting in the examples of the women of the Bible, Volume 3/pp 37-38

Today’s Scripture: Luke 2:7-20; John 1:14; and 1 Samuel 12:24

Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart; for consider how great things he hath done for you.

1 Samuel 12:24

 “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!” Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus.

Friends, I hope you have found as much joy as I have in walking through Mary’s story. From the angel’s announcement that she had been chosen to carry and bear the Son of God into the world, we have seen her tender, receptive heart not only to the unexpected (and humanly impossible) announcement, but also to a possible threat to her engagement and relationship with Joseph, not to mention what the changes might do to her (and her familiy’s) reputation in the community. We have heard her willingness to accept and believe the message and surrender to the will of God, and we have watched as God not only kept Joseph from walking away but also gave her a much-needed embrace and words of encouragement from her cousin, Elizabeth.

“I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” Luke 1:38

Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And in time, everything the angel had told her came to pass. She gave birth to the only begotten Son of God, and He was named Jesus (Matthew 1:25). Jesus, God with us, as John 1:14 emphasizes, and as Isaiah had prophesied (Isaiah 7:14), A virgin would conceive and give birth to a son. People will call him “Immanuel,” which means “God with Us.” ~”Viewed in this light,” as gotquestions.org explains, “Isaiah’s prophecy is clear that Jesus is God, sent to earth to be with us, and to save mankind from our sins.” A savior born, the begotten Son of God, born in a stable, wrapped in swaddling clothes,1 and laid in a manger; a perfect reminder that, as today’s study journal points out, “Regardless of whether or not there is room made for Him, the Lord will carry out His purpose.”

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

After Mary had given birth, swaddled her newborn son, and laid Him in the manger, she was visited by shepherds, who had been visited by an angel in the fields. The angel told them about the Savior, Christ the Lord, who had been born in Bethlehem, the city of David. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”  …When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.” (Luke 2:10-12, 15-19)

But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 

MARY, THE MOTHER OF JESUS, ALSO SERVES AS AN EXAMPLE OF THE GREAT THINGS THAT ARE POSSIBLE THROUGH US IF WE WILL SIMPLY YIELD OURSELVES TO THE LORD.

REFLECTION AND APPLICATION

  • Why would Mary ponder these things?
  • Take time today to ponder what He has done for you.

The More We Know

  1. There are some interesting theories about Luke’s detail of Jesus’ swaddling clothes. Some have postulated that the swaddling clothes were a foreshadowing—a prophetic reference—of Jesus’ burial cloths. The Greek word sparganoo is the root word used in the phrase “swaddling clothes,” and it means “to clothe in strips of cloth.” But this word sparganoo is never used in the New Testament to refer to burial cloth. In the descriptions in the Gospels of Jesus’ burial, we see variations on the phrase “wrapped in linen cloth,” and different Greek words are used for the binding. The swaddling clothes could prefigure Jesus’ burial (the Magis’ gift of myrrh in Matthew 2:11 is a clearer bit of foreshadowing), but the link can’t be proved linguistically. Gotquestions.org ↩︎
Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, God is good, Journey Through The Word, Know These Truths, LGG Study, Living Faithful in a Faithless Land, Quiet Time

The Reputation of God

Posted on by

based on the Love God Greatly Study, Living Faithful in a Faithless Land / w6d2

Scripture: God’s Road Map For Our Journey / Ezekiel 36:16-28 (26-27)

I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit within you. I will remove the heart of stone from your body and give you a heart of flesh.27 I will put my Spirit within you; I will take the initiative, and you will obey my statutes and carefully observe my regulations. Ezekiel 36:26-27

Observations and Applications

Sometimes, God’s Word leaves us wondering why certain things happen, or – as we have seen in the book of Daniel – there are visions recorded that we can’t quite understand because some things are meant to stay hidden from us. As we see in the journal page below, this is not the case with today’s passage and the unfolding events in the life of Israel, the people of God. Clearly, God was very open with what was going to happen and why –

– God was very open with what was going to happen and why –

Through Ezekiel, God makes it crystal clear to the people that His anger had been poured out on them because they had defiled their land with their “evil way of living.” It was detestable to Him, and because of this, God scattered them to many lands to punish them for the evil way they chose to live. One would think this would have awakened them and caused them to change their lifestyles, yet, from there, it seems to have escalated, as even in the faithless lands where they were exiled, they brought shame to God’s name – to the point that He was concerned about His reputation.

God uses Israel to reveal Himself to the nations – and the same is true of believers in Christ today. God not only uses us but He has called us to be His light to the world. 🦋

The people had failed God, falling short of His glory despite the teachings they were to remember and obey, as well as the warnings God sent them along the way. So, “for the sake of His holy reputation,” God moved to magnify His great name by restoring Israel and making the nations know that He was the LORD. However, we must not miss this vital truth: God did not restore Israel for their sake but for His own. He uses Israel to reveal Himself to the nations – and the same is true of believers in Christ today. God not only uses us to make Him known but He has called us to be His light to the world.

“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.”

Matthew 5:14-16

The Bible makes it abundantly clear that God created man and that He created him for His glory. Therefore, the ultimate purpose of man, according to the Bible, is simply to glorify God. – Gotquestions.org

One of the ways we glorify God is by walking faithfully in a relationship with Him. Apart from God, it is impossible to glorify His name. As we saw with the Israelites, sin separates us from God (Isa 29:2), not only hindering His glory through us but jeopardizing His reputation. Be encouraged by these words from gotquestions.org: while “sin separates us from God and makes it impossible to glorify Him on our own. – through Jesus Christ’s sacrifice, our relationship with God is reconciled—our sin is forgiven and no longer creates a barrier between God and us (Romans 3:23–24).”

Since God created man in His image (Genesis 1:26–27), man’s purpose cannot be fulfilled apart from Him. King Solomon tried living for his own pleasure, yet at the end of his life he concluded that the only worthwhile life is one of honor and obedience to God (Ecclesiastes 12:13–14).

Gotquestions.org
Prayer Response to the Journey

Father, thank You for the reminder that this life You have given us and all that You do in and through us, and the callings You have placed on our lives are not about us – but are meant to be all for Your glory. Help us never to bring shame to Your reputation but to live as lights in this dark world— Let us heed the words of Jesus and not let our light be hidden. Help us to walk with You and talk with You and to live and speak in such a way that radiates Your love and grace to the world around us so that everyone will give You the praise and the honor due Your holy name. – In the name of Jesus – Amen.

The More We Know

Why did our journey lead us to Ezekiel? (borrowed and shared from got questions.org)

Ezekiel ministered to his generation who were both exceedingly sinful and thoroughly hopeless. By means of his prophetic ministry he attempted to bring them to immediate repentance and to confidence in the distant future. He taught that: (1) God works through human messengers; (2) Even in defeat and despair God’s people need to affirm God’s sovereignty; (3) God’s Word never fails; (4) God is present and can be worshiped anywhere; (5) People must obey God if they expect to receive blessings; and (6) God’s Kingdom will come.

Key Verses:

Ezekiel 2:3-6, “He said: ‘son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against me; they and their fathers have been in revolt against me to this very day. The people to whom I am sending you are obstinate and stubborn. Say to them, “This is what the Sovereign LORD says.” And whether they listen or fail to listen—for they are a rebellious house—they will know that a prophet has been among them.'”

Further Reading: Romans 5:6-11

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

No Excuses

Posted on by

based on the Love God Greatly Study, Triumph over Trials / w5d1

THE JOURNEY (SCRIPTURE AND OBSERVATION)

Scripture: 2 Peter 1:1-4 and SOAP: verse 3

I can pray this because his divine power has bestowed on us everything necessary for life and godliness through the rich knowledge of the one who called us by his own glory and excellence. 

2 Peter 1:3

How many times and different ways can I say it? This is one of my top ten encouraging verses and it has made such a difference in my walk with God. Why? Because He used it to stop my excuses. You know, the ones like “peace is not my virtue” as an excuse for losing your temper or not wanting to make an effort to live at peace with someone difficult to deal with. Or there’s the excuse of gluttony that sounds something like – “I just have no self-control when it comes to pizza (chocolate or a myriad of other vices). We’ve all got weaknesses when it comes to living a godly life – and for every weakness, there is almost always an excuse just waiting to be offered up. The thing is the excuses don’t hold any credibility in the light of Peter’s teaching and God’s gift. For, If God has called us to ‘it’ then He has equipped us for ‘it’ – whatever ‘it’ may be.

I love the following explanation by bibleref.com. Check it out and ask God to help you use the spiritual tools He has supplied through His divine power, which He gives to all of us who are in Christ.

We are fully equipped. But we have a choice about whether or not we’ll really use those spiritual tools. This requires effort on our part.

How are we equipped? It didn’t happen naturally. We weren’t born with it. We didn’t earn it through hard work or good behavior. For those in Christ, God’s divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness. Like salvation, all of this was ours when we came to know God (through faith in Christ). As Peter will make clear, knowing God, the source of all life, is the only path to being fully equipped to live as God calls us to do.

And how does He call us? By His own glory and goodness, meaning “moral excellence.” Jesus sets the standard for what is good and glorious, calls for us to follow, and fully equips us to make the journey. 1

LIVING THE JOURNEY (APPLICATION)

Live a godly life, a life of “moral excellence.” Let this verse be your mantra when tempted or weary of battling sin.

  • We must choose to apply the power, whether it is to do something or abstain from something.
    • i.e., do you struggle with listening to gossip or spreading it? Either way, God’s Word makes it clear that it does not align with His will/pleasure, (Romans 1:29b-32).
    • So we must be intentional about putting off the old (gossip) and putting on the new (encouragement, truth, love, …)—(Proverbs 21:23). Those who guard their tongues keep themselves from calamity. So we must guard our tongues and refrain from the sinful act of gossip. If we surrender our natural desires to the Lord, He will help us to remain righteous. May we all follow the Bible’s teaching on gossip by keeping our mouths shut unless it is necessary and appropriate to speak.2
  • We must rely on God’s divine power, given to us through the knowledge of the one who called us by his own glory and excellence.
  • Let the promise be an anchor of hope and strength. God has given us everything we need, including the power we need for a godly life. This power enables us to overcome temptations or deal with any weaknesses we may have.
Question FOR THE JOURNEY

Where are you on your journey of spiritual growth? In what area do you need to take ground: surrender, knowing God’s Word, trusting in God’s timing, etc.?

PRAYER FOR THE JOURNEY

Father, Spirit, and Son, we are weak without You. We are dependent, as always, on You, and we are encouraged to know that, in Your goodness, You have given us everything we need to live a godly life. Help us when we are weak to remember You are strong and able to keep us from all wrong. You have promised to show us a way of escape when we are tempted and have filled us with Your Spirit, equipping us to live lives of moral excellence! We pray and thank You in Jesus’ name – Amen –

THE MORE WE KNOW

For more insight visit be sure and visit https://lovegodgreatly.com/lgg-blog/

Posted in Bible study, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Living In Community, Not Made to Be Alone, Quiet Time

The Impact of God’s People

Posted on by

based on: Not Made to Be Alone, an Love God Greatly Study / w4d2

Today’s Reading: Matthew 5:13-16 / SOAP: 14-16

You are the light of the world. A city located on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 People do not light a lamp and put it under a basket but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before people, so that they can see your good deeds and give honor to your Father in heaven.

Matthew 5:14-16
Be the light

God’s people are important to His process of calling others to Himself. Consider the words of Paul to the Romans, in chapter 10:13-14 – where he writes, “How are they to call on one they have not believed in? And how are they to believe in one they have not heard of? And how are they to hear without someone preaching to them?” And don’t forget the “great commission” of the [church] to be His hands and feet and the mouth pieces though whom He speaks.

Like a light in a dark room we are meant to help others see their way out of the darkness to God. So what we say and do is meant to draw attention, not to us, but to our deeds and words – which should reflect God in us and in return reflect honor and glory back to Him.

Response to God’s Word

Father let the words of our mouths and the actions we take or the countenances and responses we have reflect Your love in us and our love for You – so that in all things You receive the glory – Forever Amen+

Posted in Bible study, From the Insideout, He Sees He Knows He Cares, He Sees He Knows He Cares, LGG Study, Quiet Time

It’s All About Him

Posted on by

Today’s Scripture: Luke 1:57-80; SOAP – Luke 1:68-71

“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
because he has come to help and has redeemed his people.
69 For he has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David,
70 as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from long ago,
71 that we should be saved from our enemies,
and from the hand of all who hate us.

Luke 1:68-71 NET

The Rest of the Story …

I was never a big radio listener but on occasion I would find myself caught up in a program by Paul Harvey, called “The Rest of the Story“. The stories would catch my attention but even if I wasn’t interested in the particular story of the day I would continue listening to the end just to hear him say, the now renown statement, “And now you know…the rest of the story.”

This statement and the sound of his voice came flooding back to my mind today as I was reading the rest of Zechariah’s story. If you remember on day one of our study we read how the angel appeared to Zechariah in the Temple and announced that Elizabeth, Zechariah’s wife, would become pregnant and give birth to a son. We also read that Zechariah had been struck mute because he didn’t believe what the angel had told him. Day two brought the news that, just as the angel had said, Elizabeth did become pregnant; and today’s passage reveals that the child was indeed a son. When the people came to circumcise the child, in obedience to the angelic instructions Elizabeth gave him the name John, instead of the customary name of his father. When the people questioned this, Zechariah, still unable to speak, confirmed the name that Elizabeth had spoken, by writing the name John for all to see. Miraculously, upon writing the name his speech returned – and all the people were amazed and “wondered what this child will be.” Scripture says, “Then, Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied.”

He Turned All of His Words Into Praise

Zechariah could have used his words to describe what had happened in the Temple that day with the angel, he could have described what it was like to have not been able to talk, he could have done some new-dad baby-bragging, which no doubt he did at some point. However, in this moment, with this blessing he turned all of His words into praise of the Lord God of Israel and prophesying about the Messiah – “The Horn of Salvation”, whom His child, John, would make known to the world. Zechariah used his voice to make it known that God had done this to show mercy to their people and to remember His holy covenant made to Abraham. He reminded the people that because God was rescuing them from their enemies they could now and forever more serve God without fear, in holiness and righteousness. Even when He turned tenderhearted attention to his infant child before him, his blessing continued to focus on God and Jesus, the Most High – the Lord who was coming to save His people from their sins, saying:

And you [John], will be called the prophet of the Most High For you will go before the Lord to prepare His ways, to give His people knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins. Because of our God’s tender mercy the dawn will break upon us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. And [John] kept growing and becoming strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day [Jesus] was revealed to Israel.

Luke 1:76-80

“And now you know…the rest of the story.“

Paul Harvey
My Response to God’s Word

Father, thank You for the story of John, who made Jesus known to the world, as God called him to do. But I also thank you for Zechariah and Elizabeth, who You used to fulfill the prophecy from Isaiah 40:3 of “one who cries out, In the wilderness clear a way for the Lord” -. From the barren womb of Elizabeth, who was in her old age, you brought forth the messenger of our Lord. You silenced the tongue of Zechariah and then loosened it to make known the great things You were doing. You taught Zechariah, who doubted, to trust You in all things by showing him – and all of us through him – that “nothing is impossible with You”. Help me, like Zechariah, Elizabeth, and Mary – to use my words to praise You – to make known Your greatness. Help me to trust and not doubt, and to obey – even when i don’t understand what You are doing. Help me to live and talk in such a way that others see and hear what You have done so that others will experience and/or see Your mercy and rejoice with me- and may “the rest of my story” be a beautiful legacy of faith – to the glory of Your good and gracious name! Amen, In Jesus’ Name!

Posted in Bible study, LGG Study, Quiet Time, The Importance of Prayer

Looking Back and then Ahead

Posted on by
Week 4 Preview of Love God Greatly’s, The Importance of Prayer
Looking Back

Last year we looked at these same verses around this same time of year and here’s what I wrote that day in response:

My daughter gave birth to her first child this weekend, my first grandchild. What a wonderful gift from God that has filled our family with rejoicing! As my mother said, “He’s the beginning of a new generation.” My father, who recently passed away, would have certainly been rejoicing over this little guy. He would have been rejoicing in the hope of him knowing the Lord and the hope of God using him for great things would have been at the top of his list.💜 It strikes me how fitting this is with today’s lesson about “rejoicing in hope”, specifically in the “Hope of God’s glory”. God’s glory, as defined by Bibleref.com, “is Himself and all that is His”. As God’s children, we have the great privilege of HOPE – not a hope that something may happen but of the expectation that it will happen. An expectation that comes from believing in Christ without seeing – and trusting in the promises associated with our faith. The hope of eternity, the hope of peace and grace and mercy, the hope of forgiveness! We rejoice in the HOPE of His love come down every Christmas, and in His death, burial and resurrection with baptisms and every communion we partake of. As God’s children we have HOPE and when we truly understand the foundation of our HOPE we will be moved to rejoice in the goodness of our God and all that is His – and this my friends – should have a great effect on how we pray.

Looking Ahead

Sweet to look back on memories like this – sweeter still is the HOPE that is renewed by what God has done in the past that has demonstrated His love and faithfulness to His children.

Week 4 promises to be interesting, as we will journey through both the Old and New Testaments, covering some passages that reveal “How God Answers Prayers”. On Friday we will look at one of my favorite Ephesian passages, which proclaims that God is able to do more than we ask or even imagine – Talk about HOPE!

Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.

Ephesians 3:20 NLT

I invite you to join me daily and pray that you will find the journey to be a source of delight and an encouragement to your soul. Jeremiah said it like this – “[God], Your Words were found and I ate them and Your words became to me a source of joy and the delight of my heart -” Jeremiah 15:16.

Want to join me on facebook for a bit more interactive study – join me here https://www.facebook.com/groups/2825151424418487/

Posted in Bible study, From the Insideout, LGG Study, The Importance of Prayer

Pray Rejoicing In Hope

Posted on by
Inspired by the – The Importance of Prayer, A LGG Bible Study- w3d1
Today’s Scripture: Romans 5:1-5; SOAP: 1-2

Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have also obtained access into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in the hope of God’s glory. 3 Not only this, but we also rejoice in sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance, character, and character, hope. 5 And hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. Romans 5:1-5 NET

3 For what does the scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”

Romans 4:3

But the statement it was credited to him was not written only for Abraham’s sake, 24 but also for our sake, to whom it will be credited, those who believe in the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. 25 He was given over because of our transgressions and was raised for the sake of our justification.

Romans 4:23-25

Is there anything more exciting than knowing we have been declared righteous by our faith? To truly understand the implication and the beauty of it, the unbelievable love behind it, and the truest meaning of God’s grace – it helps to read chapters 1-4 of Romans but specifically Romans 4:3, 23-25. I especially love verses 23-24, “But the statement it was credited to him was not written only for Abraham’s sake, but also for our sake, to whom it will be credited, those who believe in the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.” But in context with our study on prayer, what does it all mean? How does it affect the way we pray? And, how does it produce a HOPE in which we can rejoice?

Why Can We Pray Rejoicing in HOPE?

Because, to name a few reasons …

  • Christ was given over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.(4:25)
  • We are DECLARED Righteous through faith in Christ. (3:24-25)
    • This declaration happens by grace through faith, not by works. (Romans 5:1-2, Ephesians 2:8-9)
  • We have peace with God, through the sinless blood of Christ. (5:1-2)
  • Which means we have access, or A WAY, [Jesus Christ, John 14:6] …
    • to enter into the presence of God
    • to stand in His Grace
    • to rejoice in the HOPE of God and all that is His

Faith is the victory! It is the key to the righteousness we must obtain through Christ to be made right with God and experience the hope of rejoicing in His glory! – The hope that does not disappoint, as we come to know the love of God that has been poured out into our hearts through His Holy Spirit, who He has given to us! It [faith] is the key to praying with HOPE and to rejoicing in our sufferings, and standing in His Grace!

Father, Than You for the HOPE that comes from knowing and believing in Your Son, Jesus! Thank for the RIGHTEOUSNESS that is ours through our Faith in Him, in His death and resurrection, for the victory that is ours through this FAITH, and for making a way where there was truly no other way. Thank You for Your GRACE that allows us to stand in Your presence and to REJOICE in the HOPE of Your GLORY but also in our sufferings because of the love You have poured into our hearts through Your Spirit! – Thank You in Jesus’ name, Amen –

Want More

Be sure and check out today’s LGG blog post for even more insight

Posted in Bible study, LGG Study

Bridge to Everlasting Covenant Week 2, Friday

Posted on by

Question of the Day: According to verse 17, the law was given through Moses, but what was given through Jesus Christ?

Today’s Scripture: John 1:14-18 (S.O.A.P. John 1:14)

So the Word became human[a] and made His home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness.[b] And we have seen His glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.

15 John testified about Him when he shouted to the crowds, “This is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘Someone is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for He existed long before me.’”

16 From His abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another.[c] 17 For the law was given through Moses, but God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is Himself God,[d] is near to the Father’s heart. He has revealed God to us.

The Prayer God Loves to answer
Don’t Let Me Miss the Glory