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

The Rescuer – in the Flesh

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.
He existed in the beginning with God.
God created everything through him,
    and nothing was created except through him.
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

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 19:10Acts 10:42–431 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 4:421 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 32:151 Chronicles 16:35Psalm 18:4638:22). 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 3:235:12). Sin produces death, and so everything in our world is now dying (Romans 6:23James 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.

The More We Know

  1. Isaiah 59:2 ↩︎

Posted in Bible study, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Our God Who Pursues, Quiet Time

Choosing The Jesus Way

Based on the LGG Study, Our God Who Pursues,/w3d2

Read: MICAH 3:9-12; 4:1-5 and 4:10-12
Bad morals corrupt good character

Today’s journey through Micah reveals an unflattering picture of God’s people and disturbing news of what was to come. Israel’s leaders had forgotten the God whom they were committed to serve. Micah writes that they hated justice and perverted all that was right. They were building Zion through bloody crimes and Jerusalem through unjust violence. Legal cases were decided on bribes that the leaders received, even the priests proclaimed rulings for profit, and the prophets read omens for pay. As if this corruption was not bad enough, despite the fact that devastation and destruction were already wreaking havoc within the nation, the leaders continued to claim to trust the LORD and were telling the people, “The LORD is among us. Disaster will not overtake us!”

What About You?

We, too, face a similar choice. In a world that says that serving self and doing what seems right to you is the most important, we must, as Joshua told the people in his day, decide whom we will serve. Will we serve self or God? Take a moment to think about your own heart. Are you willing to set aside your wants and desires to follow what God may be calling you to? Are you willing to put others first over getting something you want? Is your heart’s desire to make the name of Jesus known over building your platform or building your own renown? It’s a choice we all must make.

Our God Who Pursues/LGG Journal p99
The hope of Future Days

In the last days, the mountain of the Lord’s house will be the highest of all— the most important place on earth. It will be raised above the other hills, and people from all over the world will stream there to worship. 2 People from many nations will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of Jacob’s God. There he will teach us his ways, and we will walk in his paths.” For the Lord’s teaching will go out from Zion; his word will go out from Jerusalem. The Lord will mediate between peoples and will settle disputes between strong nations far away. They will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will no longer fight against nation, nor train for war anymoreEveryone will live in peace and prosperity, enjoying their own grapevines and fig trees, for there will be nothing to fear. The Lord of Heaven’s Armies has made this promise! Though the nations around us follow their idols, we will follow the Lord our God forever and ever.

Micah 4:1 -5

The Temple Mount/Mountain of the LORD’S House written about by Micah: A hill in the Old City of Jerusalem that has been venerated as a holy site for thousands of years, including in Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

The Jesus Way

Admittedly, serving oneself or garnering the applause or approval of others can be pretty enticing. Goodness knows I have succumbed to those choices more than I care to admit, but I can tell you it generally led to disappointment or heartache. Choosing the Jesus Way isn’t always the easiest, most desirable, or most comfortable way, but it is most certainly the best way, for it leads to immeasurable blessings and joys.

As I wrote that last sentence, A group of women I used to lead on Sunday mornings came to mind. The name of our group was JOY, which stood for Jesus … Others … You. Seems like a great acronym for our focus today. Jesus first, then others, and then yourself. Whether it is in serving or living out our day-to-day lives, or even in our prayer lives, pay our eyes to stay on Jesus, the One we chose to follow.

23 Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me. 24 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.

Luke 9:23-24

But I say love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.

Matthew 5:44

Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. 30 And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ 31 The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”

Mark 12:29-31
Prayer of Response

Father, do not let us be like the leaders of Israel, who forgot their commitment to serve You and Your call on their lives to serve the people. Help me to remember Jesus’ similar call to let go of my life and follow Him. It isn’t always easy, but You knew that, and You sent the Spirit to empower us to do all that You have called us to do. Holy Spirit, keep my focus Heavenward, guard me from the distractions of this world and the enticements of the flesh. May I be known for living a J.O.Y.-focused life: Keeping Jesus first in all things and serving and loving others before myself. In the name of Jesus – I pray and believe – Amen!

The More We Know

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

No One Righteous

based on the LGG Study, Firm Foundation/w2d3

Scripture and Observation

Read: Romans 3:9-23 / SOAP: 10-12

As the Scriptures say,

“No one is righteous—
    not even one.
11 No one is truly wise;
    no one is seeking God.
12 All have turned away;
    all have become useless.
No one does good,
    not a single one.”

Romans 3:10-12

In order to understand the question that is asked in verse nine and subsequently answered by Paul in the rest of the chapter, it is helpful to look back to the preceding verses, in this case, to chapter two of Romans. It is here that Paul points out that in and of itself, being a Jew was not a get-out-of-jail-free card. There were certainly benefits that came with being a Jew,1 but like all other people on the earth, they had inherited the sinfulness of the first man/Adam – and would, like all others, answer to God’s judgment for their sins.

The Jews, while chosen by God, were not to believe they were better than the Gentiles, and the Gentiles were not to think they were lesser than the Jews – for as Paul points out, none of them – “not even one” was righteous. The depravity of man stretches across every race on the earth, and as Paul writes in verses 20 and 22: “No one is declared righteous before him by the works of the law.” Instead, Paul makes it clear that “… the righteousness of God comes only through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ to those who believe.”

Living it out (Application from the Journey)

Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved2 – is the most significant takeaway from this passage. However, second to it – in my estimation and understanding both personally and from Scripture. – is that all of us, Jew or Gentile … barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free are sinners in need of a savior and utterly dependent on the mercy and grace of God for salvation.3

In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us (who have believed).

Colossians 3:11 NLT/emphasis mine
Prayer of Response to the Journey

Father, as sinners, condemned unclean, we are all utterly dependent on Your mercy and grace. I rejoice in knowing that You are a gracious and merciful God. I praise You for the Savior, Your Son whom You sent, to make a way where there was no way – opening the door of salvation not only to Your chosen people of Israel but to the Gentiles and all who by faith believe in Jesus Christ! In Him, I am made new, a new creation – the old has gone, the new is here, and in Him, I am free from the law of sin and death – no longer condemned but declared righteous before You in Him – by His blood! Indeed, we have all sinned and fallen short of Your glory, but by faith – we take hold of eternal life, a free gift You have offered to all who believe! Hallelujah and amen!

The More We Know

Posted in Advent, Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time, Rejoice

OUR RESCUER

based on the LGG Advent Study, Rejoice / w1d3

Today’s Scripture: Luke 1: 68-75 (74); Zechariah 3:1-4; Hebrews 2:14-18

We have been rescued from our enemies
    so we can serve God without fear,

Luke 1:74

This is the third day of our study and the second day of reading Zachariah’s song of praise in Luke 1:68-75. Today’s focus is on verse seventy-four, but I was drawn once again to verses sixty-eight and sixty-nine, where we read the prophecy of Zechariah that God had come to help and redeem His people. As bibleref.com writes: “His song of praise emphasizes how God’s promises, as given through His prophets, have always come true. That the world has seen the fulfillment of prophecy and will soon see more is reason to worship. That also comes with joy, as the role of this Messiah will be that of Savior.”

Helped…Redeemed…Saved…Rescued

We needed God’s help, we needed someone to redeem us, someone who could save us from our sins – so in love, God sent His Son Jesus to rescue us from sin and death. We were once covered with filthy rags but now we have been freely forgiven, cleansed of our sins and clothed in the righteousness of Christ. As the writer of Hebrews points out, only Jesus could destroy the devil, and set free those who were held in slavery all their lives by the fear of death. Only He could serve as our great high priest and make the proper and lasting atonement for our sins.

God’s people needed to be rescued, so He sent them a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

Through God’s tender mercies, He opened the doorway for the adoption of many sons and daughters who were not born of the seed of Abraham to be called His own. In love, God positions them as joint heirs with His only begotten Son, Jesus. – I love the closing paragraph of today’s journal entry in the LGG Rejoice Journal – may it be an encouragement for us – as children of God to walk in the freedom Christ died to give us – and live the righteous lives God has called us to.

“As Zechariah sings, Jesus has come to redeem us so that we can serve God in holiness.”

Rejoice Journal/p51

Rejoice in this song about our Rescuer – who has set us free from sin forevermore.

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

Not Shrinking Back

based on the Love God Greatly Study, Lent – A Season of Drawing Close to God / w6d1

THE JOURNEY (SCRIPTURE AND OBSERVATION)

Scripture: Luke 19:28-44 / SOAP: Luke 19:38 

Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”

Luke 19:38 NET

Jesus has been preparing His disciples for this moment and all that will follow – (death, resurrection, His ascension, and the great commission) throughout His ministry, and even though He has now reached the road leading up to the Mount of Olives Jesus does not shrink back. He presses on and engages the disciples in what’s next, namely securing the colt on which He would make His triumphal entry.

While we call it a triumphal entry it is worth noting that Jesus does not enter as a conquering hero who has come to save the day but rather as the humble Savior and Son of God that He knew He was. He did not make arrangements for a great or impressive horse but rather a donkey, a colt that had never been ridden.

Our focus verse (38) is one of the most well known verses from this passage and the start of what would be a celebration by a great crowd of Jesus’ disciples. For the sake of his audience, Luke keeps his account of the event short but Matthew reveals the fuller picture and, I dare say, the version most of us are familiar with: “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” (Matthew 21:9). Mark and John share a quote similar to Matthew’s version, but as Bibleref.com points out, “Likely, different people are shouting different things, including praising God for the miracles they have seen Jesus perform,” as Luke indicates in chapter nineteen, verse thirty-seven, “but,” continues bibleref.com, “the gist is the same: Yahweh’s chosen king, in the line of David, is coming to take His rightful throne in Jerusalem.”

LIVING THE JOURNEY (APPLICATION)

Remember we are disciples of Christ and we are called to engage in the ‘great commission.”

Draw people’s attention to the Son of David – with a loud Hosanna or an invitation to church for Easter Sunday.

Press on through this week with eyes and thoughts on the cross and on the One who willingly lay down His life for His sheep.

PRAYER FOR THE JOURNEY

Father, as we, the disciples of Christ, enter this week leading up to Easter, a week referred to by many as holy, may we prepare not only our own hearts but may we make known the “Son of David”, whether with loud shouts of “Hosanna!” or simple invitations to our Easter services. May we not hesitate to engage ourselves with the work of the cross for the sake of the lost. May we remember that those who do not know our Savior will face a horrible eternity after death and may this inspire us to follow the example of Jesus and not shrink back or be silent in moving forward to the scene of the cross, the mourning of His death, and the rejoicing in His resurrection and ascension – without which there is no hope. – Father, this Easter may many hear and believe and along with us shout Hosanna to the Son of David!- Amen and Amen in Jesus’ Holy Name – Blessing and honor and glory be Yours both now and evermore 💜🦋

THE MORE WE KNOW

The Importance of the Pharisees Response (vs 39)

For more insight – please be sure and check out today’s LGG Blog Post

Posted in Bible study, Christmas, From the Insideout, God is good, Know These Truths, Quiet Time

The 12th Day of Christmas … 

Originally posted January 2019

When the day is over, just before I crawl into bed, I write in my prayer journal. I write in it of the mornings as well, but the day’s end is reserved for Thank you prayers … Prayers that flow from reflection on the good and bad and mundane things of the day … Reflections that bring realization of God’s presence, protection, correction, provision and most often an awareness of His LOVE. It’s easy to thank God for all the good things He’s done or ways that I’ve witnessed His goodness; the challenge comes in seeing His goodness in the bad and mundane things of the day – but even then – when my focus is on Him thanksgiving flows free and pure. 

Occasionally, however, these bedtime prayers are not from the reflections of the day but reflections of a passage of Scripture or a lesson learned … Tonight’s prayer was an overflow of the 12th day of Christmas. On this final day the symbol we focus on is the CROSS and the name of Jesus is SAVIOR. 

Father, Thank You for LOVE even when I fail You. In love you sent YOUR ONLY Begotten Son to be my Savior – the Savior of all who believe and confess that Jesus is YOUR SON. Your’s is a love that hung on a cross that I might KNOW forgiveness and freedom. It is a love that sent YOUR SPIRIT to abide in me that I might abide in/with You. It is a love that redeems and pardons — and shows mercy and grace — a LOVE that never leaves. It is  a LOVE that comforts and heals and encourages and hears my prayers even when they are whispered from my bed or spoken in a car or thought in my mind and not journaled here on these pages. Thank you for Your LOVE Father — I LOVE YOU TOO! ❤️

MefromtheNsideout

*Christ, no longer on the cross –
yet, dare I never picture Him there
I may forget the cost
of this most treasured gift of God –
my Savior, Christ The Lord!

Me – from the Inside-Out 🦋

The Bible says, “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9-10) If you do not know Jesus as your Savior I would love to introduce you to Him. Check out the following link and/or message me – we aren’t promised tomorrow, so why not today?

Posted in Bible study, Christmas, From the Insideout, Know These Truths, Quiet Time

The 10th-Day of Christmas

Originally posted January 4, 2020

Scripture – 1 Timothy 6:15; Name of Jesus – King of kings and Lord of lords; Ornament – Crown

Jesus may have come as a baby in a manger, but make no mistake – God gave us a King! The King of kings and Lord of lords best describes His power and majesty. He not only has the power to save but to rule over all the earth. God placed all nations and kingdoms under Him! So on this 10th Day of Christmas, I worship Him as my Savior but also my Lord and King. I praise the Father for sending us a gift that saved us from the Kingdom of Darkness and its evil ruler! Satan has been crushed under the heel of my King and Savior, Jesus! Satan no longer has dominion over me for Jesus is my KING!

Posted in Bible study, Christmas, From the Insideout, God is good, Know These Truths, Quiet Time

On The Ninth Day of Christmas

Originally posted January 3, 2023

When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

Matthew 9:36

I love this picture that Scripture paints of our Savior. He saw me among the multitudes – and felt compassion for me – because I was distressed and downcast like a sheep without a shepherd. God in His goodness gave me Jesus, a shepherd to care for me and who willingly laid His life down for His sheep. I am so thankful for His rod and staff, they truly do comfort me. By them, I have known His protection and when I have strayed He has pulled me back to His path of righteousness. – Father, I am forever totally dependent on You and ever grateful for Your Gift of the Savior, my Good Shepherd.

Me – from the Insideout

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep.

John 10:11
Posted in From the Insideout, God is good, Prayer Starters, Quiet Time

I Bless Your Name

Today’s Prayer Prompt: Psalm 103:1-5

Father, You are Good! You forgive all my iniquities. You bring healing to my mind, my body, and my soul. You have redeemed my life from the pit. Father – You crown me with Your faithful love and compassion. You satisfy me with good things and I am renewed like the eagle who soars on the wind. My soul blesses You LORD – All that is within me blesses Your Holy Name!

I bless You LORD – my Father and my God – my Creator, Healer, and Sustainer of life and I do not – no, I will not forget ALL these benefits. They are unmerited favors – gifts from Your grace, poured out from Jesus, Your Son and my Savior+. Yes, oh yes! You are good and all that is within me blesses Your Holy Name!

Me-From the Inside Out🦋