Tag: Love God Greatly

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 ~

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, LGG Study

A Helper for Our Mission

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Based on the Love God Greatly Study, From the Beginning to Forever/w6d1

Read: Acts 1:6-11, SOAP: v8; Acts 2:1-12

I don’t know about you, but I do not like to know that something is going to happen, but not know when it will happen. Well, this is exactly where we find the disciples in our journey today. For three years, Jesus has been telling them about a coming kingdom, and now, after being raised from the dead, He has spent forty days giving them more information on the “Kingdom of God” (Acts 1:3). It is only natural that we find them wondering if His resurrection means that the kingdom is coming to Israel. ~His answer, “You are not permitted to know…” must have been so frustrating, and I’m guessing a bit confusing to them. However, Jesus immediately refocuses their attention to what is really important in the here and now, telling them: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the farthest parts of the earth.1”

The next thing we are told is that: “After saying this, he was taken up into a cloud while they were watching, and they could no longer see him.”2 As one can only imagine that scene, it stands to reason that the disciples would have been stunned and trying to figure out what just happened. It doesn’t surprise me that they stood staring into the sky, after all, He had already risen from the grave – surely they considered he might also return from the sky. In essence, this is what they were told by the “two men in white clothing,” He’s coming back in the same way you just saw him leave, but you don’t need to stand here watching. – In other words, sometimes we don’t get to the ‘what’ but not the ‘when,’ and in the meantime, we don’t let the unknown hinder the work Jesus called us to, but we carry out the mission3 He gave to His disciples.

Friends, as followers of Christ, it is vital for us to remember that we have been called to be His witnesses wherever we are. It is equally important and helpful to keep in mind that the Holy Spirit has been given to equip us for the job4. Likewise, He will be the one to convict unbelievers of their sin and open their minds to understand the Scriptures, that they might be saved. Just as a person cannot come to Christ without the Father drawing them, one cannot understand the Scriptures and do the work of the Master without the presence and help of the Holy Spirit. This is why, before Jesus left them, He told the disciples to stay in Jerusalem until they had received His power. It is why Jesus said that it was better for them that He go away so that they could receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (John 16:8).

How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written:

“How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace,
Who bring glad tidings of good things!”

Romans 10:14-15 NKJV

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Beginning to Forever, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study
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Based on the LGG Study, From the Beginning to Forever/w5d4

Read: Mark 15:16-39/SOAP: verse 39

A purple cloak…a crown of thorns…mocked with the salute…”Hail, king of the Jews!”…struck on the head with a staff…spit on…bowed down to (mockery of course)…and led away to a cross of shame, where more mockery followed as He hung on the cross …there was mocking accusations hurled against Him, some taunting: “You who can destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself and come down from the cross!” Even the chief priests jabbed at Him with insults, saying: “He saved others, but he cannot save himself! Let the Christ, the king of Israel, come down from the cross now, that we may see and believe!” The scene is painfully familiar and always difficult to read, especially when we recall that not long before He breathed His last breath, He had prayed in the garden, that this “cup might pass from Him.” Yet, seemingly in the same breath of time, He relinquished His desire for the will of the Father and died on a cross meant for sinners like you and me. He took our place so that we might live – and I find myself standing transfixed alongside the centurion at the foot of the cross, saying: “Truly this man was God’s Son!” And moved at His sacrifice, I hear myself cry out ~ Come, let us bow down and worship this One who left the splendor of Heaven for us. Let us praise the God who sent Him and raised Him up from the grave! Let us give thanks to them both for the gift of eternal life and for the gift of the Spirit in us, who empowers us to live until our work on earth is done.

…I have come so that they may have life, and may have it abundantly.

JOHN 10:10

Friends, this is not a fable or a what-if imagination I have put to words. Nor is it a mistake. Jesus, the Christ, wasn’t in the wrong place at the wrong time. Neither was He forgotten by God, but rather, He carried out the mission of God, laying down His life for ours. There is no greater love than this.

No one has greater love than this–that one lays down his life for his friends.

John 15:13
The More We Know

For further reading, take a moment to read: Mark 14:32-50;15:-6-15 and 40-47

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

Faith Is The Victory

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based on the Love God Greatly Study, From the Beginning to Forever/w5d3

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live even if he dies, and the one who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

John 11:25-26 NET or NKJV

Today’s journey is best understood with a little bit of backstory for the context of Jesus’ statement. He didn’t just walk up to her and declare that He was the resurrection and the life; rather, He replied to her statement in the conversation they were having.

17 When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had been in the tomb four days already. 18 (Now Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, 19 so many of the Jewish people of the region had come to Martha and Mary to console them over the loss of their brother.) 20 So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary was sitting in the house. 21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will grant you.”

23 Jesus replied, “Your brother will come back to life again.” 24 Martha said, “I know that he will come back to life again in the resurrection at the last day.”

John 11:17-24

Friends, even though Lazarus was physically dead and buried for four days, Jesus was able to call Him out of the grave. When I read this, I can not help but remember, similarly, we were spiritually dead in our trespasses and sins, but God sent His Son to seek and save the lost, proclaiming the message: “I am the way, the truth, and the life” … and inviting the lost to believe in Him and be saved. Consider the sweetness of these truths. Whether our need is a physical one or a spiritual one, Jesus alone is ready and able to meet the need. As we see with Martha and Mary, faith is the key to victory. He calls us out of our sentence of death to a new life – not by works, or looks, or position in life – but by faith alone in Christ alone.

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” 

– Galatians 2:20

As I read the words of Jesus to Martha and heard Him call Lazarus out of the grave, I couldn’t help but think of Paul’s words in Galatians 2:20. They are some of my favorite in all of Scripture, and through the years they have become my own declaration: “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” There is powerful beauty in these words, and they bring me peace and strength. That same power and beauty echo in the words Jesus spoke to Martha, when He declared,” I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live even if he dies” (Jn 11:25-26), and to Lazarus when He called him to come out of that grave. Friends, may we never forget that we were condemned sinners, we needed to be rescued, and God sent us a Savior, who not only rescued us from our deserved fate, but gave us new life and a relationship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

As today’s journal entry reminds us, whether it was a miracle of healing the sick, bringing sight to the blind, feeding thousands with food meant for one, or raising the dead to life – it is through these miracles that we are able to see that Jesus truly is the Son of God.1

You may be walking through a season where you feel forgotten or that God is not able to do the impossible. Whether it’s an illness, healing broken relationships, or providing means, never forget that God is more than able to help. Nothing is impossible for Him.2 ~Do you believe this?

  1. From the Beginning to Forever, p155 ↩︎
  2. From the Beginning to Forever, p155 ↩︎
Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Beginning to Forever, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study

Teachable Moments

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Based on the Love God Greatly Study, From the Beginning to Forever/w5d2

Read: Luke 9:12-27/SOAP; Luke 9:23-24

Then he said to them all, “If anyone wants to become my follower, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me will save it.

Luke 9:23-24 NET or NKJV

(For further reading: Matt. 5:1-20; Luke 9:10-11)

When my daughters went on mission trips with their youth group, their leader would gather the group together at the end of every day and ask them to share their highs and lows of the day. It was a good practice meant to teach them to look for and recount both the ways they had seen God in the day and the challenges that they had encountered. It became something we often emulated as a family, whether at school pick-up, the dinner table, or the end of the day. For me personally, it became something I tried to incorporate into my prayer time and/or journaling. I did it with my girls (and for myself) to try to capture the teachable moments of the day.

As I was reading today’s passage of our journey, From the Beginning to Forever, the notes I made in the columns of the journal became a fresh reminder of the high-low practice. On one side of the passage, I had listed out the challenges the disciples faced, such as:

  • They believed they couldn’t or didn’t have the means to care for the crowd that remained when the day of teaching began to draw to a close.
  • They based things on what they saw with their eyes and understood with their mind.

In contrast, on the other side of the passage, I had written the ways I saw Jesus respond/work, like:

  • In response to the disciples wanting to send the crowd away, even after hearing their reasoning, and undoubtedly being tired Himself, He said: “Feed them.”
  • I don’t know about you, but when I see Him at work, in the little things or the big, it is inspiration and hope and peace and strength to press on. So, it was also a high to see that He acted on what He knew was possible, for He knew the power of the Father and the power within Himself.
  • However, perhaps the biggest high of the passage for me was Jesus seizing this teachable moment, not turning away from the crowd’s need for food or from the disciples’ need to learn from Him. He knew that they would benefit from knowing and seeing His love and power in action, and obviously wanted them to understand/know that:
    • All things are possible with Him.
    • They should/could trust in the Father and ask Him for His help and provision.

Friends, the example Jesus set and the things He taught were “characterized by love, service, and humility.1” So even though the world we live in has made life about our own wants and preferences, Jesus presented a clear message to the crowd: if they truly wanted to follow Him, they would have to turn from the world’s way of living and their own desires. As true disciples and followers of Christ, our lives should not be a reflection of the world, but instead, a reflection of God and His ways. In other words, we should live and love like Jesus. In other words, we must live counter-culturally to the world. As today’s journal entry points out, this won’t be easy, but it will be worth it

As the author of Hebrews wrote, let’s encourage one another daily to this end, so that none of us may become hardened by sin and turn away from God~(Hebrews 3:13).

The More We Know

There were two big takeaways from this for me…

  1. Jesus didn’t desire “groupies.” He wanted those who were truly/fully sold out to the cause of His mission—to seek and save the lost by spreading the Gospel message in word and deed.
  2. Jesus had slipped away for quiet solitude, but the crowd found Him ~ and He welcomed them, and taught them about the kingdom of God and healed the sick. (Meaning, I need to be ready to serve and respond with a good attitude even when my “time” is interrupted by the needs of others.)
  1. From the Beginning to Forever,151 ↩︎
Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Beginning to Forever, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study

The Rescuer – in the Flesh

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Based on the Love God Greatly Study, From the Beginning to Forever/w5d1

Read: Luke 1:1-21 and John 1:1-4, & 14/SOAP: John 1:14

In the beginning the Word already existed.
    The Word was with God,
    and the Word was God.
2 He existed in the beginning with God.
3 God created everything through him,
    and nothing was created except through him.
4 The Word gave life to everything that was created,
    and his life brought light to everyone.

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

John 1:1-4, &14

In today’s journey, we see the long-awaited promise of God to send a Savior, a rescuer for His people, has come! The One who became flesh and made His home among us…The One who will crush the head of the serpent, as God proclaimed in the Garden…the One who will do for us what God did for Noah in the days of the flood…The One who God proclaimed would come from the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob…The One who will be the sacrificial lamb, whose blood will cover our sins so that through faith we can be forgiven and have a new life…The One who will fulfill the law for us so we will know God’s mercy and grace and not His condemnation…The One who will endure our punishment on the cross…The One who will be our King…The One Who will sit on the throne of David forever and ever…The One who will give us hope and a right relationship with God…The One who will lead us out of captivity into His glorious light…

My mother always told me, “Be careful what you wish (ask) for, MaryEllen.” Today’s passage of our journey seems a wonderful reminder of why she said/repeated that to me through the years. Sometimes we think we know what is best or what would be better for us … yet, when and if we get “it”, we discover it was not what we thought it would be. Instead, we often find that “it” actually made things worse. As today’s journal entry points out, such was true with the people of God in the Old Testament: “After the exiles returned to the land of Israel, there was much hope that things would be different. Unfortunately, the people didn’t want to listen to God, so He gave them what they wanted. God didn’t speak to His people for 400 years, but He was still at work.” The truth that He was still at work throughout the 400 years is made evident in the opening words of the New Testament, where we learn that the “Rescuer,” the seed of Abraham, had come in the flesh. The promised Redeemer had come. Yet, He did not come as the people expected. He came not as a ruling, reigning King who would overthrow the world; instead, He came as an infant to an obscure town – to a virgin Mary, who wrapped Him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger.

“This is a record1 of the ancestors of Jesus the Messiah, a descendant of David and of Abraham. …Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Mary gave birth to Jesus, who is called the Messiah.”

Matthew 1:1 and 17

While Matthew records the genealogy of Jesus and Luke gives the story of His birth, John captivates me with his description that “Jesus…the Word became flesh and took up residence among us-the glory of the one and only, full of grace and truth, who came from the Father.” The Word, who was with God in the beginning,2 the One who Scripture declares to be from the “line of David,”3 from the family of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, had come in the flesh, from the Father4, just as God had promised.

The More We Know

For more insight into today’s journey, read today’s LGG blog post

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

A Rescuer

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Based on the Love God Greatly Study, From the Beginning to Forever/w4d4

Read: 1 Kings 12:16-20 and Isaiah 53:1-9/ SOAP Isaiah 53:5

But he was pierced for our transgressions,
    he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
    and by his wounds we are healed.

Isaiah 53:5

As we continue our journey from The Beginning to the End, this one statement bears repeating: from the beginning of time, God’s plans included a “Rescuer”. He is described in Genesis 3:15 as the One who will crush the head of Satan. Satan, of course, is the enemy (the serpent) who approached Eve in the garden, tempting her to disobey (sin) God’s command not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Eve knew the commandment, she repeated the commandment to the serpent, but she saw that the fruit was attractive and desirable for making one wise ~ and she ate it. From that time forward, ‘man’ has needed someone to rescue them…to save them from eternal separation from God. Because as Isaiah wrote, “Our sins have separated us from God.”1

“And I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strikeb your head, and you will strike his heel.”

Genesis 3:15

If you are a human being, you needed rescuing. Jesus came to save you. He saves us from sin by forgiving our sins (Luke 19:10; Acts 10:42–43; 1 Timothy 1:15). He saves us from God’s righteous punishment by justifying us with His blood (Romans 5:9). He saves us from death by giving us eternal life. He saves us from the degradation of the world by separating, empowering, and sanctifying us (Titus 3:3–8). He saves us from the devil, who deceives the world (1 John 3:8). For all these reasons and more, Jesus is rightfully worshiped as the Savior of the world (John 4:42; 1 John 4:14).

gotquestions.org/What does it mean that Jesus is the Savior?

Salvation is more than just a one-and-done ‘religious experience’ you check off a list and move on. Friends, true salvation is the beginning of a life-giving/eternity-long relationship with the one true, Triune God (Father, Spirit, and Son). The Father gave the Son, the Son gave His life to rescue/save us, and the Spirit fills us with life and power to participate in the Divine Nature.

In most superhero movies, the hero must intervene in a dangerous situation to rescue a powerless victim. At the end, the victim might exclaim, with all the force of a well-worn cliché, “You’re my hero!” In this moment, the grateful person is acknowledging that the hero has, potentially with great sacrifice, rescued him or her from mortal danger. Christians mean much the same thing when they refer to Jesus as the Savior, but on a much grander scale. In the Bible, the word Savior simply means “someone who saves someone else.” In the Old Testament, God is frequently referred to as the Savior, rescuing His people from all kinds of danger (Deuteronomy 32:15; 1 Chronicles 16:35; Psalm 18:46; 38:22). What does Jesus rescue us from? And what does He rescue us for?

To understand Jesus’ role as Savior, we must understand our own desperate situation. Humans have sinned against God, rebelling, and voluntarily separating themselves from the God of life (Romans 3:23; 5:12). Sin produces death, and so everything in our world is now dying (Romans 6:23; James 1:15). Because God is holy, He will punish sin, leading to eternal separation from Him (Matthew 10:28). Without Jesus, humans are helplessly enslaved by sin and cannot ever achieve holiness on their own (Romans 3:9–20). We were born on a one-way track to hell, rightly condemned for our sin (Ephesians 2:1–3).

Read the full answer here: https://www.gotquestions.org/Jesus-is-the-Savior.html

I love this analogy, Jesus is my ‘super-hero’! For He has saved me from my sins and the death they deserved! He has rescued me from so many pits, wrong turns, the power of hell, the deception of the enemy, the desires of the sinful nature… the list is long, but the evidence is sure and certain and liberating, for I have been set free from the chains of sin and death and from the condemnation that sin brings.

He’s My Rescuer is one of my favorite songs by Rend Collective, and I couldn’t help but think of it as I was writing out my thoughts on today’s journey.

[Verse 1]
There is good news for the captive, good news for the shamed
There is good news for the one who walked away
There is good news for the doubter, the one religion failed
For the Good Lord has come to seek and save

[Chorus]
He’s our rescuer (Hey!)
He’s our rescuer (Hey!)
We are free from sin forevermore
Oh how sweet the sound (Hey!)
Oh how grace abounds (Hey!)
We will praise the Lord our rescuer

[Verse 2]
He is beauty for the blind man, riches for the poor
He is friendship for the one the world ignores
He is pasture for the weary, rest for those who strive
For the Good Lord is the way, the truth, the life
Yes the Good Lord is the way, the truth, the life

The More We Know

  1. Isaiah 59:2 ↩︎

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Beginning to Forever, From the Insideout, LGG Study

So Much More Than A House

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Based on the Love God Greatly Study, From the Beginning to Forever, w4d2

Read: 2 Samuel 7:1-17 and SOAP verse 16; (For Further Reading: 2 Samuel 7:18-29)

The Lord’s Covenant Promise to David

7 When King David was settled in his palace and the Lord had given him rest from all the surrounding enemies, 2 the king summoned Nathan the prophet. “Look,” David said, “I am living in a beautiful cedar palace, but the Ark of God is out there in a tent!”

3 Nathan replied to the king, “Go ahead and do whatever you have in mind, for the Lord is with you.”

4 But that same night the Lord said to Nathan,

5 “Go and tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord has declared: Are you the one to build a house for me to live in? 6 I have never lived in a house, from the day I brought the Israelites out of Egypt until this very day. I have always moved from one place to another with a tent and a Tabernacle as my dwelling. 7 Yet no matter where I have gone with the Israelites, I have never once complained to Israel’s tribal leaders, the shepherds of my people Israel. I have never asked them, “Why haven’t you built me a beautiful cedar house?”’

8 “Now go and say to my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has declared: I took you from tending sheep in the pasture and selected you to be the leader of my people Israel. 9 I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have destroyed all your enemies before your eyes. Now I will make your name as famous as anyone who has ever lived on the earth! 10 And I will provide a homeland for my people Israel, planting them in a secure place where they will never be disturbed. Evil nations won’t oppress them as they’ve done in the past, 11 starting from the time I appointed judges to rule my people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies.

“‘Furthermore, the Lord declares that he will make a house for you—a dynasty of kings! 12 For when you die and are buried with your ancestors, I will raise up one of your descendants, your own offspring, and I will make his kingdom strong. 13 He is the one who will build a house—a temple—for my name. And I will secure his royal throne forever. 14 I will be his father, and he will be my son. If he sins, I will correct and discipline him with the rod, like any father would do. 15 But my favor will not be taken from him as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from your sight. 16 Your house and your kingdom will continue before me[b] for all time, and your throne will be secure forever.’”

17 So Nathan went back to David and told him everything the Lord had said in this vision.

David’s Prayer of Thanks

18 Then King David went in and sat before the Lord and prayed,

“Who am I, O Sovereign Lord, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far?

2 Samuel 7:1-17

When we “first” read this passage, we may be surprised, wonder why, or even be appalled that God would refuse David this gesture of love and devotion. However, these words of explanation by Charles Spurgeon and others are helpful – even to those well acquainted with the Scriptures.

  • “Though the Lord refused to grant David the realization of his wish, he did it in a most gracious manner. He did not put the idea away from him in anger or disdain, as though David had cherished an unworthy desire; but he honored his servant even in the non-acceptance of his offer.” (Spurgeon)
  • God said “No” to David’s offer because David was a man of war, and God wanted a man of peace to build His temple. 1 Chronicles 22:8-10 explains this: But the word of the LORD came to me, saying, ‘You have shed much blood and have made great wars; you shall not build a house for My name, because you have shed much blood on the earth in My sight…. a son shall be born to you, who shall be a man of rest…. He shall build a house for My name.
    • The explanation to David recorded in 1 Chronicles 22:8 came years afterward. We can surmise that for many years, David did not know the exact reason why God didn’t want him to build the temple. “It would have wounded David needlessly to have been told this at the time…. Meanwhile, David possessed his soul in patience, and said to himself, ‘God has a reason; I cannot understand it, but it is well.’” (Meyer). https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/2-Samuel-7/

The bottom line is that while David’s desire and reasoning were beautiful proof of David’s heart for God, God declares that it will be the other way around; God would build a house for David, one that would ultimately be the throne of Jesus, the Eternal King. As one commentator points out, “This was a greater promise than David’s offer to God because David’s ‘house’ (dynasty) would last longer and be more glorious than the temple David wanted to build.” (David Guzik)

A Branch from David’s Line

 Out of the stump of David’s family will grow a shoot—
    yes, a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root.
2 And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—
    the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and might,
    the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. Isaiah 11:1-2

This promise from God to David is known as the “Davidic Covenant”, and it is so much bigger than God building David a ‘house’. It’s more than David’s son building God a house. Friends, this is about the promise of an eternal kingdom, one that would know no end! The ‘house’ God is promising David will include the Messiah, Jesus, God’s own Son. As we have seen thus far in our journey, from Genesis to Exodus to Samuel … and, as seen in the following passages, eventually to the New Testament God was sending a Rescuer. “The Rescuer would be a descendant of Abraham, an Israelite from the line of Judah (Genesis 49:10), and now from David’s family line. God’s rescue mission was still at work, and God was continuing to reveal more and more of who the Savior would be.”1

Jesse had at least eight sons (II Samuel 16:10-11), the youngest of which was David. God chose the line of this young shepherd boy to reign over Israel and ultimately to produce the King of kings: “‘Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, ‘that I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; a King shall reign and prosper, and execute judgment and righteousness in the earth'” (Jeremiah 23:5; see Isaiah 9:6-7).

Both of Jesus‘ human parents were of the line of David (Matthew 1:1, 6; Luke 3:31), and it was well known during His ministry that Jesus was a “son of David” (Matthew 9:27; 15:22; 21:9; etc.). Before His conception, Gabriel tells Mary, “The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David” (Luke 1:32). Paul reminds Timothy of what this means to Christians: “Jesus, the seed of David, was raised from the dead. . . . This is a faithful saying: ‘For if we died with Him, we shall also live with Him. If we endure, we shall also reign with Him'” (II Timothy 2:8, 11-12).

“Though David was far from perfect (2 Samuel 11-12; Psalm 51), one would come who would be perfect in every way. He would be the King of Kings and lord of Lords, and He will one day rule forever as the eternal King.”2

The More We Know

David learned that God didn’t want him to build the temple, but David didn’t respond by doing nothing. According to 1 Chronicles 29:2-9, David gathered all the materials for building the temple so that Solomon could build a glorious house for God.

i. “If you cannot have what you hoped, do not sit down in despair and allow the energies of your life to run to waste; but arise, and gird yourself to help others to achieve. If you may not build, you may gather materials for him that shall. If you may not go down the mine, you can hold the ropes.” (Meyer)

https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/2-Samuel-7/

What is the Davidic covenant?

  1. From the Beginning to Forever, p125 ↩︎
  2. From the Beginning to Forever, p125 ↩︎
Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Beginning to Forever, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study

A Surrendered Heart

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based on the Love God Greatly Study, From the Beginning to Forever/w4d1

Read: 1 Samuel 16:1-13 and Soap verse 7; For Further Reading: 1 Samuel 8:4-9

Do you have a “Saul” who or that you are mourning? What I mean is, is there a person, place, or thing – or perhaps a dream or hope that hasn’t happened or was taken away- holding you captive or back from moving on? Scripture reveals to us that Samuel did. Verse 35 of 1 Samuel 15 tells the story of Saul’s disobedience to God, and how, “Until the day he died, Samuel did not see Saul again. Samuel did, however, mourn for Saul, but the Lord regretted that he had made Saul king over Israel.”

Until the day he died, Samuel did not see Saul again. Samuel did, however, mourn for Saul, but the Lord regretted that he had made Saul king over Israel.

1 Samuel 15:35

If you’ve never watched or prayed and waited with parents mourning their child’s decision to turn away from God, it is hard to understand the devastation and personal responsibility they feel and the sorrow it induces. It is an awful thing that either drives them to despair and/or to their knees. Much as a parent mourns their child wandering away from God’s path, Samuel mourned for Saul’s persistent disobedience and ultimately God’s rejection of him as king. On top of that, Samuel had devoted time and service to Saul and the calling on his life, so understandably, Saul’s failure and the Lord’s rejection of him were likely a personal disappointment and defeat for Samuel as well, possibly believing that he had failed Saul. Thus, the Lord’s question and command to Samuel that we find in our journey today:

The Lord said to Samuel, “How long do you intend to mourn for Saul? I have rejected him as king over Israel. Fill your horn with olive oil and go. I am sending you to Jesse in Bethlehem, for I have selected a king for myself from among his sons.”

1 Samuel 16:1 NET (KJV Version)

Having had time to mourn, God was now calling Samuel to stop mourning and “go” to the one He had selected as king in Saul’s place. Fear was Samuel’s next obstacle, as he was concerned that if he did as the Lord asked, Saul would hear about it and kill him. The Lord answered his concern, and Samuel did as the Lord told him. God’s assurance moved Samuel past his mourning and fear to obedience to God’s calling. From that obedience, Samuel meets Jesse and his sons, including David, who would one day be the successor of Saul, and the ‘root’ from which Jesus, our Rescuer, would come. Samuel assessed the brothers, beginning with Eliab, the oldest, and continuing through to the youngest. Ultimately, he chose David, the shepherd boy, the one whom God had told him to anoint, rather than the oldest, who looked more like a king. Why? Because Samuel had listened to God, who looks at the heart rather than appearance

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

1 Samuel 16:7

As today’s journal entry by LGG reminds us, Saul looked the part on the outside, but outward appearances don’t always match what’s on the inside. Saul was more concerned with what people thought of him than with pleasing God, so God chose a different king, a young shepherd boy named David. David was anything but kingly according to his outward appearance. But he had something that Saul did not, a heart that wanted to live for God. So God raised David to be the greatest earthly King of Israel, not because David was perfect, but because he was surrendered to God.1

Friends, if you are stuck in a place of mourning or regret, fear or disobedience, disappointment, or waiting… let me ask you – “How long do you continue to stay there?” Samuel was led to David, the true and future King of Israel when he left his mourning behind and followed where God led him. Let’s ask God to search our hearts, know our thoughts, and reveal anything holding us back from His mission/desire for us. Let’s humbly and faithfully surrender to Him daily, choosing His way over our own. 💜 🙌

The More We Know

Do you know the One who looks at the heart? If not, I invite you to check out the “Know These Truths” link below:

https://atomic-temporary-62140760.wpcomstaging.com/2023/03/14/know-these-truths/
  1. From the Beginning to Forever, Love God Greatly Journal, p 121 ↩︎