with the game is on the line - who you gonna call?

Any questions?

Glory to God

The title of this post was the main topic of discussion this weekend at the singles retreat for Carmel Baptist Church. The group which represented a combination of three singles classes could not have been better in my opinion. They have been through some tough life experiences and were hungry to hear and grasp the word of God for their lives. I covered three topics and they were:
1. Knowing the glory of God
2. Knowing the self-sufficiency of God
3. Knowing the will of God
There were excellent questions and a time to process through the information in small groups at conclusion of the retreat. I was especially touched to see the love that this group has for Russ and they honored him with a gift of dinner for two and tickets to the Charlotte symphony.

A meeting with "Papa Russ"

This took place in 1999 on the fourth floor at Calvary Church. Russ was my boss and this was the starting point of a great friendship and brotherhood in Christ.

Retreat Weekend

Postings will be much lighter this week as I am preparing for a retreat with a singles group from Carmel Baptist Church here in Charlotte. The dates are Oct. 26-28 and the theme for the weekend is "Living the Gospel." I am looking forward to this time of study and fellowship.

Men's Bible study

I have been privileged to meet some other guys for a Bible study on Monday mornings at 6 AM.
Yes that's right 6 AM its called "early bird gets the Word." Here is a quick summary of our first five study sessions.

Study session #1 – The sovereignty of God
Definition of The sovereignty of God
God continually oversees and directs all things pertaining to the created order in such a
way that;
1) He preserves in existence and provides for the creation He has brought into being
(see Neh 9:6; Matt 6:25-34; Acts 2:25; Col 1:16-17; and Heb 1:2-3; Jas 1:17), and
2) He governs and reigns supremely over the entirety of the created order in order to
fulfill all of His intended purposes in it and through it (see Deut 32:39; Psa 135:5-7;
Prov 21:1; Isa 45:5-7; Dan 2:21; 4:34-37; Eph 1:11)

Study session #2 – The self-sufficiency of God
Definition of the sufficiency of God - God possesses within himself, intrinsically and eternally, every quality in infinite measure.
In other words - God has no need for anything outside of who God is, in and of
himself. God needs nothing apart from himself, for he possesses every quality within
himself.

Rom. 11:33 ¶ Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!
Rom. 11:34 For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, OR WHO BECAME HIS COUNSELOR?
Rom. 11:35 Or WHO HAS FIRST GIVEN TO HIM THAT IT MIGHT BE PAID BACK TO HIM AGAIN?
Rom. 11:36 For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.

Study session #3 – The glory of God
Definition of the glory of God – this means the visible splendor or moral beauty of God's manifold perfections. God's glory is the beauty of his manifold (not uni-fold) perfections (his infinite, eternal, and unchangeable being, and his wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth).
Vines defines the glory of God as the manifest perfection of His presence.

Is. 48:11 “For My own sake, for My own sake, I will act;
For how can My name be profaned?
And My glory I will not give to another.

Ex. 33:18 Then Moses said, “I pray You, show me Your glory!”
Ex. 33:19 And He said, “I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the LORD before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion on whom I will show compassion.”

Jonathan Edwards writes:
So God glorifies Himself toward the creatures also in two ways: 1. By appearing to . . . their understanding. 2. In communicating Himself to their hearts, and in their rejoicing and delighting in, and enjoying, the manifestations which He makes of Himself. . . God is glorified not only by His glory's being seen, but by its being rejoiced in. When those that see it delight in it, God is more glorified than if they only see it.

C. S. Lewis writes:
But the most obvious fact about praise-whether of God or any thing-strangely escaped me. I thought of it in terms of compliment, approval, or the giving of honor. I had never noticed that all enjoyment spontaneously overflows into praise unless (sometimes even if) shyness or the fear of boring others is deliberately brought in to check it. The world rings with praise-lovers praising their mistresses, readers their favorite poet, walkers praising the countryside, players praising their favorite game-praise of weather, wines, dishes, actors, motors, horses, colleges, countries, historical personages, children, flowers, mountains, rare stamps, rare beetles, even sometimes politicians or scholars.

I had not noticed either that just as men spontaneously praise whatever they value, so they spontaneously urge us to join them in praising it: "Isn't she lovely? Wasn't it glorious? Don't you think that magnificent?" The Psalmists in telling everyone to praise God are doing what all men do when they speak of what they care about. My whole, more general, difficulty about the praise of God depended on my absurdly denying to us, as regards the supremely Valuable, what we delight to do, what indeed we can't help doing, about everything else we value.

I think we delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise not merely expresses but completes the enjoyment; it is its appointed consummation.

Study session #4 – The two wills of God
The Bible uses the term will of God in more than one sense, there are two main ways.
1. Sovereign will, will of decree, secret will, or will of decree
2. Moral will, will of command, revealed will

Deuteronomy 29:29 - The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law

1 Thessalonians 4:3 - For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality; this is not His will of decree but rather His will of command

Study session #5 – The will of God in election
Definition of Election - Election is the loving and merciful decision by God the Father to bestow eternal life upon some, but not all, hell-deserving sinners. This decision was made before the foundation of the world and was based not upon any act of will or works of men and women, but solely upon God's sovereign good pleasure. One does not enter the ranks of the elect by meeting a condition be it faith or repentance. One enters the ranks of the elect by virtue of God's free and altogether gracious choice, as a result of which He enables us to repent and believe. Thus, election is both sovereign and unconditional.

Acts 13:48 When the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many as had been appointed (ordained) to eternal life believed.
Eph. 1:4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love
1Pet. 1:1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
To those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen
1Pet. 1:2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure.

Keep your eye on Mike Huckabee

This is an article that I am reprinting on Mike Huckabee from David Brooks who did an opinion piece on him in the New York Times. Huckabee is gaining momentum and he may just go from dark horse to show horse.

The first thing you notice about Mike Huckabee is that he has a Mayberry name and a Jim Nabors face. But it’s quickly clear that Huckabee is as good a campaigner as anybody running for president this year. And before too long it becomes easy to come up with reasons why he might have a realistic shot at winning the Republican nomination:

First, Republican voters here and in Iowa are restless. That means that there will be sharp movements during the last 30 days toward whoever seems fresh and hot.

Second, each of the top-tier candidates makes certain parts of the party uncomfortable. Huckabee is the one candidate acceptable to all factions.

Third, Huckabee is the most normal person running for president (a trait that might come in handy in a race against Hillary Clinton). He is funny and engaging — almost impossible not to like. He has no history of flip-flopping in order to be electable. He doesn’t seem to be visibly calculating every gesture. Far from being narcissistic, he is, if anything, too neighborly to seem presidential.

Fourth, he is part of the new generation of evangelical leaders. Huckabee was a Baptist minister. But unlike the first generation of politically engaged Christian conservatives, Huckabee is not at war with mainstream America. As a teenager, he loved Jimi Hendrix, and he’s now the bass player in a rock band that has opened for Willie Nelson and Grand Funk Railroad.

Fifth, though you wouldn’t know it from the past few years, the white working class is the backbone of the G.O.P. Huckabee is most in tune with these voters.

A satire on blogging

OK, heads up everyone we have now for your viewing pleasure and learning the master blogger teacher.

Who is this dude?

Willow Creek and the program driven church

Here is a recent copy of an article regarding a study that was done concerning Willow Creek Church. The basic format of the study was to determine if the program driven ministry had in fact helped Christians become spiritually mature. The results that were given caused Bill Hybels, the senior pastor, to come out with a statement in which he said they made a mistake. I am impressed with how humble and eager to take responsibility Bill Hybels was in regard to this study. It seems that the basics like getting back to the word of God, prayer and fellowship groups are the things that people long for in the church. Isn't that exactly what we read in Acts 2:42 "They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer."

Willow Creek Repents?

Why the most influential church in America now says "We made a mistake."

Few would disagree that Willow Creek Community Church has been one of the most influential churches in America over the last thirty years. Willow, through its association, has promoted a vision of church that is big, programmatic, and comprehensive. This vision has been heavily influenced by the methods of secular business. James Twitchell, in his new book Shopping for God, reports that outside Bill Hybels’ office hangs a poster that says: “What is our business? Who is our customer? What does the customer consider value?” Directly or indirectly, this philosophy of ministry—church should be a big box with programs for people at every level of spiritual maturity to consume and engage—has impacted every evangelical church in the country.

So what happens when leaders of Willow Creek stand up and say, “We made a mistake”?

Not long ago Willow released its findings from a multiple year qualitative study of its ministry. Basically, they wanted to know what programs and activities of the church were actually helping people mature spiritually and which were not. The results were published in a book, Reveal: Where Are You?, co-authored by Greg Hawkins, executive pastor of Willow Creek. Hybels called the findings “earth shaking,” “ground breaking,” and “mind blowing.”

If you’d like to get a synopsis of the research you can watch a video with Greg Hawkins here. And Bill Hybels’ reactions, recorded at last summer’s Leadership Summit, can be seen here. Both videos are worth watching in their entirety, but below are few highlights.

In the Hawkins’ video he says, “Participation is a big deal. We believe the more people participating in these sets of activities, with higher levels of frequency, it will produce disciples of Christ.” This has been Willow’s philosophy of ministry in a nutshell. The church creates programs/activities. People participate in these activities. The outcome is spiritual maturity. In a moment of stinging honesty Hawkins says, “I know it might sound crazy but that’s how we do it in churches. We measure levels of participation.”

Having put all of their eggs into the program-driven church basket you can understand their shock when the research revealed that “Increasing levels of participation in these sets of activities does NOT predict whether someone’s becoming more of a disciple of Christ. It does NOT predict whether they love God more or they love people more.”

Speaking at the Leadership Summit, Hybels summarized the findings this way:

Some of the stuff that we have put millions of dollars into thinking it would really help our people grow and develop spiritually, when the data actually came back it wasn’t helping people that much. Other things that we didn’t put that much money into and didn’t put much staff against is stuff our people are crying out for.

Having spent thirty years creating and promoting a multi-million dollar organization driven by programs and measuring participation, and convincing other church leaders to do the same, you can see why Hybels called this research “the wake up call” of his adult life.

Hybels confesses:

We made a mistake. What we should have done when people crossed the line of faith and become Christians, we should have started telling people and teaching people that they have to take responsibility to become ‘self feeders.’ We should have gotten people, taught people, how to read their bible between service, how to do the spiritual practices much more aggressively on their own.

In other words, spiritual growth doesn’t happen best by becoming dependent on elaborate church programs but through the age old spiritual practices of prayer, bible reading, and relationships. And, ironically, these basic disciplines do not require multi-million dollar facilities and hundreds of staff to manage.

Does this mark the end of Willow’s thirty years of influence over the American church? Not according to Hawkins:

Our dream is that we fundamentally change the way we do church. That we take out a clean sheet of paper and we rethink all of our old assumptions. Replace it with new insights. Insights that are informed by research and rooted in Scripture. Our dream is really to discover what God is doing and how he’s asking us to transform this planet.

If you want a fantastic seminary experience...

I have really enjoyed the last 18 months of attending C.I.U. The staff (people like James Wilson) and professors like Dr. Larry Dixon, Dr. John Harvey, Dr. Don Howell and Dr. Brad Mullin are all great and I feel especially blessed to be part of this fine university. The last four years of my life have been crazy busy, emotional, spiritually draining, challenging and some of the most fulfilling experiences of my life. One of those great experiences has been my time at Columbia International University. I spent some time today on the phone with my academic advisory Dr. John Harvey. We had a good discussion about a plan for me to take all my Greek classes over the next two years. I want to dedicate most of my time and energy to getting fluent in the use of my Greek New Testament. The only way is to dive in full force and that is what I am preparing to do. The following schedule is what Dr. Harvey recommended:

1. Use the time between now and mid-January to work back over the materials
for Greek 1 in order to get back up to speed.

2. Register for Greek 2 independent (DO) in Spring 2008: Jan 29 - Aug 16.

3. Register for Greek 3 independent (DO) in Fall 2008: Aug 19 - Feb 15.
You would need to finish by mid-January in order to be ready to register
for Greek 4 in Spring 2009.

4. Register for Greek 4 independent (DO) in Spring 2009: Jan 27 - Aug 14.

5. Resume other courses in Fall 2009.

I have already taken and passed Greek 1 but this language is such that
when you step away from it for a few months, you almost need a refresher.
Also have a good friend and fellow pastor Greg Smith that has taken time
to give me some great advice in this process.

Can I be your friend?

Hey, I am just checking in to see how you are doing? Do you need a friend?
The only problem with me as I can be a little nosy. Come back and visit when you get a chance, see ya later...

Know your Bible doctrine!

In pastoring a church for 4 years one of the biggest disappointments has been the overall lack in understanding basic Bible doctrine. As Christians today in the church there seem to be few that know the difference between the essentials and non-essentials that are taught in the Scriptures. Therefore it should not surprise us when the apostle Paul writes in 2Tim. 4:3 - For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires.

Joel Osteen is the pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston Texas which has approximately 30,000 members. He has written a best selling book called "Your best life now" that has sold millions of copies. But does Joel Osteen preach and teach sound Biblical doctrine? How sad when professing Christians don't understand basic Bible doctrines to know if what is being preached is right or wrong according to God's word.

I am posting this video in protest not only to Joel Osteen's message but to all that preach a gospel of health, wealth and prosperity. Also I have included a link from a blog of Michael Spencer who has done much research on Joel Osteen and his preaching for the last several years. Unfortunately I think that those who adopt the theology and methodology of Joel Osteen are becoming more and more popular in the American church. Hey we are American Christians who reside under the banner of "if it's to be then it's up to me." Therefore we carry the mindset of a consumer into the church which basically can be summed up in the following words - "It is all about me." As long as the message, music, ministry and method is focused on me and my needs then you can count on me to come and maybe even contribute. This is producing an apathetic and ignorant group of church goers that people in the world are not attracted to in the least. And why should they be? There is no real difference from this professing Christian and the normal everyday pagan except the Christian has to go to church on Sunday while the non-believing neighbor can go play golf.



Here is a part of Michael Spencer's review of Joel Osteen's message. In order to read the review in full you can go to this link.
"Any analysis of Joel Osteen’s theology is going to have a hard time saying he is proclaiming the Christian message. The most popular preacher in Christianity is proclaiming a theology that is neither Christian, nor Jewish, nor Muslim, but is pragmatically pagan. Pagan in the sense of finding ways to gain the favor of god so he will do good things for you. Manipulating the deity to give you blessings. This is the ultimate example of Luther’s “theology of glory” chosen over the “theology of the cross.” I would rather a non-Christian hear John Shelby Spong a hundred times than hear this. Spong denies it all- outright. Osteen is presented as a Christian, but his message isn’t going to bring you to Christ, the Kingdom or heaven. It’s spiritual cyanide disguised as candy. If there is a hell, Osteen’s message won’t stop you or the people you love from going there, because the savior in his messages is YOU and the salvation he offers is a NEW ATTITUDE, and some resulting real estate."

My advice is simple and straightforward to my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. READ the Bible!

Quiet time in Mark Chapter 8

Mark Chapter 8 begins with the feeding of the 4000. As you recall approximately 3 months earlier the Lord Jesus had fed the 5000 with 2 small fish and 5 loaves of bread. Since the number recorded was 5000 men some commentators have estimated a crowd of between 15-20,000 people. However in Mark 8 we have almost the same identical set up with the 4000 which means an estimated crowd of between 12-15,000 people. So how do the disciples respond? It's as if they don't even recall the feeding of the 5000 that Jesus had performed only months before. Here is my question. How could it be that the disciples seemed to totally forget about that spectacular miracle and the results? The answer to that question is found in Mark 8:16-21. Jesus knows that their learning and understanding is in direct proportion to the hardness of their hearts. Therefore they aren't able to remember the lessons they should have learned in the feeding of the 5000. And the reason I say this is because in these verses Jesus specifically asks them "don't you remember at all?" The disciples could see physically but not spiritually, the disciples could hear physically but not spiritually. Why not? Because the ability to hear and learn what Jesus says is tied directed to the condition of the heart that relies, depends, trusts and leans on Him totally.

If that was true for the disciples, that talked, walked and watched Jesus on a day to day basis for 3 plus years of ministry, could that be true for you and me? In other words is it possible that our spiritual memories have been short circuited due to the hardness of our hearts?
My prayer is that the Lord would soften my heart in such a way that my desires, affections and treasure would be for Him above anything else in my life.

A blast from the past

I received a call tonight from a former business client and great friend Cal Hays. The picture you see in this posting is Cal and his father who I refer to as Mr. Hays. Cal and I met and started doing business together in 1993. The first seminar I did which was two days, took place in a hotel suite in Atlanta Georgia with Cal and his brother Chris. I started with a big white easel board and permanent markers and as they say the rest is history. Often times deep friendship happens when people stand and work together through tough times. Cal and I both have encouraged one another through the past 14 years and am delighted to call him a brother in Christ.

Asking the right questions

Rick Gamache who is the senior pastor of Sovereign Grace Fellowship regularly asks his kids the following questions. Rick gave permission for these to be posted:

• How are your devotions?
• What is God teaching you?
• In your own words, what is the gospel?
• Is there a specific sin you’re aware of that you need my help defeating?
• Are you more aware of my encouragement or my criticism?
• What’s daddy most passionate about?
• Do I act the same at church as I do when I’m at home?
• Are you aware of my love for you?
• Is there any way I’ve sinned against you that I’ve not repented of?
• Do you have any observations for me?
• How am I doing as a dad?
• How have Sunday’s sermons impacted you?
• Does my relationship with mom make you excited to be married?
• (On top of these things, with my older kids, I’m always inquiring about their relationship with their friends and making sure God and his gospel are the center of those relationship. And I look for every opportunity to praise their mother and increase their appreciation and love for her.)

Copied from Between Two Worlds blog site

The storms in life

Read Mark 4:37-40:
And there *arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling up.
Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they *woke Him and *said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”
And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Hush, be still.” And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm.
And He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
Jesus doesn't promise to remove the storms in our life but He will always be there to get us through them.

Snickers and her music

Well I caught Snickers downloading music, putting it on her i pod and charging it to my i tunes account. Wouldn't you know it the first song was "Ain't nothing but a hound dog." The next thing you know she will be ordering from Netflix. You know the old saying "give a dog an inch and they will take a mile."

A book for theologians

A blessed view

Nancy and I have this view of the Atlantic Ocean from our bedroom. Do you know why we are so captivated by a gorgeous view of the ocean? Because it is an echo of the glory of God. In Psalm 19 verse 1 it says that the heavens are declaring the glory of God. Just look around and you will see the glory of the Father's manifestation everywhere. He is worthy to be praised!

Ruthie to emergency room

Yesterday Ruthie and I were playing Frisbee in the backyard. When we came in Nancy noticed that she had a rather large gash on her front left foot between the ankle and elbow. We immediately got on the phone to different vets and ended up taking her to Banfield Vet Care which is located at PetsMart. There were two options for her treatment the first option included putting her under sedation and sewing up the cut, the second option was to flush out and wrap up and let heal as an open air wound. The first option was take 10 days and the second about 3 weeks. We opted for option two and they send her home with antibiotics along with some pain medication for the first week. The doctors name was Harry Smith and the whole experience was very good in spite of the injury to our youngest 4 legged child.

A message for life

Thanks to many of those who have stopped by and commented on my blog site. As Americans we tend to stay busy with work, home, family and activities that keep us constantly on the go. If you are dropping by today or sometime in the near future may I encourage you to listen to this message. Just relax for a little while, grab a notebook and a cup of coffee, it just may change the life you are so busy living!

Make war on your sin!

John Owen wrote years ago "be killing your sin or it will be killing you." Listen to this message on WAR and then go to battle!

Feeling froggy...then leap!

Hey if you feeling froggy why not leap into the Bible. I read this morning in Mark Chapter 1 where Jesus preached "repent and believe." That brought to mind two questions:
1. Repent of what? and
2. Believe what?

In Romans 3:23 it says we all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Whenever God is not valued and treasured above other things then the Bible calls that sin. How many times in my life have I valued my reputation, my recreation, my career more than the Lord Jesus? The word repent in the Greek means to change one's mind. We need to change our minds about sin which means turn from and go the other way. But when we go the other way what are we going to? We need to run into the arms of the Lord Jesus to first take away our sin and then to carry, help, encourage and strengthen us for our tasks in every day life. The word believe in this sense means to trust, lean or to depend on Christ.

So if you are feeling froggy why not leap into the arms of the Lord Jesus for all who call on His name will be saved!

Observations from a pastor's wife

Nancy B. is a very gifted and wonderful woman. She over the years has developed a keen sense of observation in many areas of her life. After the close of our church back in late August she during a time of reflection wrote these notes in a journal.


Lessons Learned:
I learned people see the church like Harris Teeter - pick and choose.

I learned how little people understand what commitment to a chuch means. It should be like a marriage. You may not like everything about it but your committed to it.

I've never been so disappointed in or by who I thought were my friends.

I've learned how people are more willing to be part of the problem than the solution.

I've learned that some people come to church for what they want...not what God wants.

I've learned how little people are willing to give the benefit of the doubt or to believe the best about others.

I've learned how God never fails...people do.

I've learned how willing people are to cast blame rather than to take responsibility.

I've learned that some people don't even begin to understand the role of leadership in a church.

I've learned that a person's ego can keep them from seeing the truth.

I've learned that few people are willing to work through problems Biblically.

I've learned that at times the line between the twilight zone and God can be very faint.

I've learned that people can focus more on the holes not punched in the handout than on the content of the handout.

I've learned that parents will take something as serious as spiritual leadership and rely on a child's judgment to do the leading.

I've learned that when some people say that "God is leading" them it is often where they wanted to go anyway.

I've learned that members who break off from the body have no idea how the pain of that break impacts the body as it tries to recover and heal from the loss.

When animals attack

This seems bad but it isn't Ruthie is going for the toy that is in Georgia's mouth. I just happened to get a camera shot that looks like Ruthie is in attack mode.

And the winner is....

What is sin?

Sin is any failure to conform to the moral law of God in act, attitude or nature.
We all know that sin is harmful to our lives and that it brings pain and destructive consequences to others and us.
However, it much more serious than what it does to others because it is a direct contradiction, violation and rebellion to the very holiness of God.

1 John 3:4 - Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness.

James 4:17 - Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin

Romans 3:23 - For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God

Romans 14:23 - “…and whatever is not from faith is sin.

What does the Bible say about the sinful condition of mankind?
Genesis 6:5: "The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”

Jeremiah 13:23 (NIV): "Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard its spots? Neither can you do good who are accustomed to doing evil.”

Romans 3:10-11: "None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God.”

Romans 8:7-9: "For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him."

Ephesians 2:3b: "[We] were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind."


1 Corinthians 2:14: "The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned."

Genesis 8:21 - The LORD smelled the soothing aroma; and the LORD said to Himself, “I will never again curse the ground on account of man, for the intent of man’s heart is evil from his youth; and I will never again destroy every living thing, as I have done

1 Kings 8:46 - “When they sin against You (for there is no man who does not sin) and You are angry with them and deliver them to an enemy, so that they take them away captive to the land of the enemy, far off or near

Psalms 51:5 - Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me.

Jeremiah 17:9 - The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it?

Romans 7:18 - For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not

1 John 1:8- If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.

Summary Points:
Man is not basically good - Man is bad, evil, wicked and corrupt

Even though we learn in Genesis 1:27 we were created in His image something went terribly and tragically wrong in Genesis 3 when Adam sinned.

From that time until now - man is not a sinner because he sins, rather man sins because he is a sinner!

Get violent against your own sin!

In my devotion this morning I read Matthew 18:8-9 “If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; it is better for you to enter life crippled or lame, than to have two hands or two feet and be cast into the eternal fire.
“If your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it from you. It is better for you to enter life with one eye, than to have two eyes and be cast into the fiery hell.

Now go from these verses and read ROMANS 8:5-13:

There are three practical questions that will be able to be answered from our message today:
1. Are you a genuine Christian or just a professing Christian?
2. How are you supposed to daily live out the Christian life? Are you being what you say that you have become?
3. Why does it work this way Biblically?

General observations:
➢ Two options
o Set your mind on the things of the flesh
o Set your mind on the things of the Spirit
➢ Two results
o Death
o Life
➢ Two disciplines
o Eliminating sin
o Activating the Spirit

Specific observations about Romans 8:13
1. A condition – the word “if”
2. A person – the subject of the verb in this sentence is “you”
3. A cause or means – the Spirit
4. A duty – the verb “putting to death”
5. A result – life or death

QUESTION #1 - Are you a genuine Christian?
If you are living according to the flesh, constantly, habitually and as your normal way of life and not putting to death the deeds of the body by the Spirit then I would doubt if you are a genuine Christian. This kind of living ought to be the manifestation of one’s justification by faith that Paul covers in Romans Chapter 3-5. Also look at the words of the Lord Jesus again in Matthew 18:8-9. Are you daily making it a practice to kill the sin that is killing you?

QUESTION #2 - How are we supposed to live this kind of life?

Point #1 – “you” which is the subject of the verb are required to do something
You – are to put to death the deeds of the body

Turn to Matthew 18:8-9
Get violent against you sin! This is war and all traitors must be executed!

Point #2 – Do this putting to death “by the Spirit”
So in order to help us with “by the Spirit” go back to Romans 8:5-6
For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.
Rom. 8:6 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace,
And it points us to “things of the Spirit”

The only other place where this phrase appears is:
1 Corinthians 2:12-14
Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God,
which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.
But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.

Definition of “things of the Spirit” from reading this context:
Words of God
Spoken by the apostles
Taught by the Spirit

Condensed down into one phrase would be “the things of Spirit” would equate to the word of God

Combine the thinking of the word of God and killing or putting to death the deeds of the flesh. The reason I think this is a good interpretation is because in Ephesians 6:17 when we are told by the apostle Paul to put on the full armor of God there is only one offensive weapon in that armor. That weapon is a sword and that is used to kill and we learn that the sword of the Spirit is the word of God.

In summary so far:
1. You put to death the deeds of the body
2. But do so by the Spirit which involves setting you mind on the word of God

Question that needs to be answered:
How do you kill the deeds of the flesh in such a way that your doing it doesn’t preempt the Holy Spirit?

Turn to - 1 Corinthians 15:10 - But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me.

Turn to – Colossians 1:28-29 - We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ.
For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me.

Galatians 3:5 - So then, does He who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?
Two options:
Works of the law
Hearing with faith

Therefore if you want to find a way to triumph over sin so that it is the Spirit being victorious over it and not you then HEAR THE WORD OF GOD AND BELIEVE IT!

Turn to Galatians 2:20 – I have been crucified with Christ, it is no longer I who lives but Christ who lives in me, the life I live now I live by faith in the one who loved me and gave Himself for me.

Illustration
Plug your faith into the socket of the word of God
You do this by believing the promises of God and that activates the Spirit to kill the deeds of the flesh.
Recommendation: In your devotion time keep a journal of all the promises that you come across in Scripture and start to memorize them.

QUESTION # 3 - Why it works this way:
John 16 – the Holy Spirit is sent to glorify the Lord Jesus

Deeds of the body = anxiety
➢ Matthew 6:25, 27, 28, 31, 34
➢ The problem Matthew 6:30 – “you of little faith”

Practical application from message today
➢ You kill the sin that is presently in your life – You do it!
➢ And according to the word of God you are to kill it – “by the Spirit”
➢ You kill the sin(s) in your life in such a way that the Spirit is doing it and not you
➢ Hear the promises of God, memorize the promises of God and believe them!
➢ Isaiah 41:10 and Psalm 84:11 – put into practice
I am combining my devotion this morning with study notes that I have on dealing with sin. These notes have no footnotes attached but are what I have collected over the years of study.

Queen Anne's Revenge

We met Greg and Danielle Smith for dinner at Queen Anne's Revenge on Daniel Island. They are a super couple that minister at Pierpont Baptist a growing church in Charleston. Greg is a strong advocate of expositional preaching and have really enjoyed spending time with the folks at his church. We had a three hour plus dinner and conversation that consisted of sharing stories of family, church and life.
Let me encourage you to check out their website.

Getting back to normal

Here is a picture of our yellow lab whose name is Georgia. A few months ago she had a personality change that was very concerning to Nancy and me. She got very anxious and would not let either one of us get out of her sight without constantly following us everywhere. She got to the point where she would come over sit and paw us and even try to get in the same chair. Georgia has always been very independent and like Nancy says she would have made a good cat. We called the vet and he suggested that we start her on a new medication called "reconcile". This particular drug helps dogs with anxiety problems. Well after several weeks we are happy to report that Georgia seems to be on the way to acting like her normal self again. Check out her new bandanna that she got after her visit to the beauty shop!

The adventure begins

Here is the Outback Dog Wash truck with Snickers and Georgia inside first for bathes and manicures. Since Ruthie is still a little nervous about all this we let her go last. If you have never had this done for your dogs I suggest you give it a try. They take one dog and while washing the other dog is in a holding pin. Then after the one dog is washed the other dog goes in the dryer (but they don't spin around), and the other dog goes into the washing tub. Therefore he can always have two dogs going at once, one dog is in the wash mode and the other dog is in the dry mode. After they get done, and here is one of my favorite parts, they each get a bandanna that is color coordinated to the dog. Yes it is doggy fashion at its best and I think we may qualify for the Westminster Dog Show next year. Oh yeah can you see Ruthie being shown and of a sudden go in to her famous "butt skoot." That is an inside joke for those that have witnessed this event in the life of Ruthie.

Rain, Rain, Rain...

Nancy and I have been in Charleston this week and so far all we have seen is rain. Hey, no complaints here it has been so dry all across the southeast that this is a welcome relief.

Today we have a special treat for our poochen neeners (Anna's name for our three dogs when speaking of them collectively). The folks from Outback Dog Wash are coming over this morning to give them a bath and pedicure. The girls really like to go to the beauty shop and when the Outback truck pulls up in the driveway the adventure begins.

Later on today Nancy and I are looking forward to time at supper with Greg and Danielle Smith. The plan is to meet them at Queen Anne's Revenge which is located on Daniel Island. Greg is the pastor of Pier Pont Baptist in Charleston and a fellow student with me at Columbia International University.

Between the dog washing and dinner I hope to prepare for our men's Bible study that is titled "Knowing Him and making Him known." In this particular study session we have Kelly Bartlett, Phil Clark, Harry Watkins, Donn Truax, Steve Brown and Bill Easton.

The purpose of Scripture is "the glory of God"

If the purpose of Scripture is the glory of God then shouldn't we align our lives in everything that we do to be consistent with this purpose?

Here is an extensive list of Scriptures that hopefully will prove that God is first and foremost about His name and His glory!

As one theologian writes:
Definition of terms
Glory of God – in the Bible this generally refers to the visible splendor or moral beauty of God’s manifold perfections.
The “name” of God is not merely His label, but a reference to His character.
The term glory simply make more explicit that the character of God is indeed magnificent and excellent. This is implicit in the term name when it refers to God.

Old Testament

CREATION
Genesis 1:26-27 - Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

The aim of God therefore was that man would so act that he would mirror forth God, who has ultimate dominion. Man was to think and behave in a way that would reflect the very image of His Creator so that when others saw him they would see God.
Isaiah 43:7 – the Lord refers to His people as “…whom I created for My glory.”
Then in Numbers 14:21 – “…as I live, all the earth will be filled with the glory of the LORD.

THE TOWER OF BABEL
Genesis 11:1-4 - Now the whole earth used the same language and the same words.
It came about as they journeyed east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there.
They said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks and burn them thoroughly.” And they used brick for stone, and they used tar for mortar.
They said, “Come, let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into heaven, and let us make for ourselves a name, otherwise we will be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.”

The evidence of fallen man is that he seeks fulfillment not by trusting God and exalting His name buy by employing his own genius and thereby making a name for himself.

THE CALL OF ABRAM
Genesis 12:1-2 - Now the LORD said to Abram,
“Go forth from your country,
And from your relatives
And from your father’s house,
To the land which I will show you;
And I will make you a great nation,
And I will bless you,
And make your name great;
And so you shall be a blessing;

Biblical insight: There is a clear contrast between what God says here and what happened at the Tower of Babel.
God says He will make Abram’s name great, in vast contrast to Genesis 11:4 where man wanted to make his own name great.

The key difference is this: When man undertakes to make his own name great he take credit for his own accomplishments and does not give glory to God. But when God undertakes to make a person great, the only proper response is trust and gratitude on the part of man, which gives all glory back to God where it belongs.

THE EXODUS OF ISRAEL
After the period of the patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac and Jacob) which is recorded in the resto of the book of Genesis, the people of Israel spent over 400 years in Egypt where they cried to God for mercy. God responded by delivering them through the hand of Moses, and bringing them through the wilderness to the promised land of Canaan. God’s purpose in their deliverance is recorded several places besides in Exodus – for example:

Ezekiel 20:5-9 - and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD, “On the day when I chose Israel and swore to the descendants of the house of Jacob and made Myself known to them in the land of Egypt, when I swore to them, saying, I am the LORD your God,
Ezek. 20:6 on that day I swore to them, to bring them out from the land of Egypt into a land that I had selected for them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands.
Ezek. 20:7 “I said to them, ‘Cast away, each of you, the detestable things of his eyes, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt; I am the LORD your God.’
Ezek. 20:8 “But they rebelled against Me and were not willing to listen to Me; they did not cast away the detestable things of their eyes, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt.
Then I resolved to pour out My wrath on them, to accomplish My anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt.
Ezek. 20:9 “But I acted for the sake of My name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations among whom they lived, in whose sight I made Myself known to them by bringing them out of the land of Egypt.

Psalm 106:6-8 - We have sinned like our fathers,
We have committed iniquity, we have behaved wickedly.
Psa. 106:7 Our fathers in Egypt did not understand Your wonders;
They did not remember Your abundant kindnesses,
But rebelled by the sea, at the Red Sea.
Psa. 106:8 Nevertheless He saved them for the sake of His name,
That He might make His power known.

God’s purpose is to act in a way that causes other people to own up to His glory and confess that He is the only Lord of the universe.

GIVING OF THE LAW
Exodus 20:3-5 - You shall have no other gods before Me.
Ex. 20:4 “You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth.
Ex. 20:5 “You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me,

God’s first aim in giving us the law is for us to accord Him the honor that He alone deserves. Since He has just shown Himself glorious and powerful in the Exodus; now He simply requires a law that demands an appropriate response from the people, which is to love Him and keep His commandments.
To love God does not mean for us to try and meet His needs but rather to take delight and be captivated by Him above all other things on this earth.

THE WILDERNESS WANDERING
Ezekiel 20:21-22
“But the children rebelled against Me; they did not walk in My statutes, nor were they careful to observe My ordinances, by which, if a man observes them, he will live; they profaned My sabbaths. So I resolved to pour out My wrath on them, to accomplish My anger against them in the wilderness.
Ezek. 20:22 “But I withdrew My hand and acted for the sake of My name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out.

THE CONQUEST OF CANAAN
Joshua 24:12-14 - Then I sent the hornet before you and it drove out the two kings of the Amorites from before you, but not by your sword or your bow.
Josh. 24:13 ‘I gave you a land on which you had not labored, and cities which you had not built, and you have lived in them; you are eating of vineyards and olive groves which you did not plant.’
Josh. 24:14 ¶ “Now, therefore, fear the LORD and serve Him in sincerity and truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD.

Biblical insight – the logic shows that God’s purpose in giving them the land of Canaan is so they would fear and honor Him alone.
In other words by giving Israel the land of Canaan, God aimed to create a people that would recognize His glory and delight in Him above all things.

Look how this purpose is confirmed in David’s prayer:
2 Samuel 7:23 - And what one nation on the earth is like Your people Israel, whom God went to redeem for Himself as a people and to make a name for Himself, and to do a great thing for You and awesome things for Your land, before Your people whom You have redeemed for Yourself from Egypt, from nations and their gods?

THE BEGINNINGS OF MONARCHY
After a period of the Judges the nation of Israel asked for a king. Even though there motive was evil (wanting to be like the other nations) God didn’t destroy His people and His motive in His gracious act of mercy is given in:
1 Samuel 12:19-23
Then all the people said to Samuel, “Pray for your servants to the LORD your God, so that we may not die, for we have added to all our sins this evil by asking for ourselves a king.”
1Sam. 12:20 Samuel said to the people, “Do not fear. You have committed all this evil, yet do not turn aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart.
1Sam. 12:21 “You must not turn aside, for then you would go after futile things which can not profit or deliver, because they are futile.
1Sam. 12:22 “For the LORD will not abandon His people on account of His great name, because the LORD has been pleased to make you a people for Himself.
1Sam. 12:23 “Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you; but I will instruct you in the good and right way.

THE TEMPLE OF GOD
The books of 1 and 2 Kings tell the story of Israel’s history from Solomon, who built God’s temple until the Babylonian captivity.
This was a period that lasted for approximately 400 years and ended in 586 B.C.

And we read the dedication prayer of Solomon after building the temple:
1 Kings 8:41-45 - Also concerning the foreigner who is not of Your people Israel, when he comes from a far country for Your name’s sake
1Kings 8:42 (for they will hear of Your great name and Your mighty hand, and of Your outstretched arm); when he comes and prays toward this house,
1Kings 8:43 hear in heaven Your dwelling place, and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to You, in order that all the peoples of the earth may know Your name, to fear You, as do Your people Israel, and that they may know that this house which I have built is called by Your name.
1Kings 8:44 ¶ “When Your people go out to battle against their enemy, by whatever way You shall send them, and they pray to the LORD toward the city which You have chosen and the house which I have built for Your name,
1Kings 8:45 then hear in heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause.

DELIVERANCE IN THE TIME OF THE KINGS
God intervened when Hezekiah was the king of Judah in the late 700’s B.C.
The Assyrians who are led by King Sennacherib were coming against the people of Judah. So Hezekiah prays to the Lord and the answer comes to him from Isaiah the prophet:
2 Kings 19:34 - For I will defend this city to save it for My own sake and for My servant David’s sake
2 Kings 20:6 - “… I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for My own sake and for My servant David’s sake.”

EXILE AND PROMISED RESTORATION
Finally in around 586 B.C. Jerusalem falls to the invading Babylonian (the northern kingdom had gone into exile at the hands of the Assyrians in 722 B.C.)
The people of Judah are deported to Babylon and it looks like God may be through with His people but what about His holy name which He had protected and proclaimed over the centuries?

Again we see through the prophet Isaiah that God’s purposes as always remain the same:
Isaiah 48:9-11 - “For the sake of My name I delay My wrath,
And for My praise I restrain it for you,
In order not to cut you off.
Is. 48:10 “Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver;
I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.
Is. 48:11 “For My own sake, for My own sake, I will act;
For how can My name be profaned?
And My glory I will not give to another.
Ezekiel who prophecies during the Babylonian exile tells of God’s merciful restoration and why He will perform it:
Ezekiel 36:22-23 - Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD, “It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for My holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you went.
Ezek. 36:23 “I will vindicate the holiness of My great name which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst. Then the nations will know that I am the LORD,” declares the Lord GOD, “when I prove Myself holy among you in their sight.

POST EXILE PROPHETS
Zechariah, Haggai and Malachi all prophesied after Israel’s return from exile. Each reflects that God’s goal after the exile is still His own glory.

Zechariah 2:5 - For I,’ declares the LORD, ‘will be a wall of fire around her, and I will be the glory in her midst

Haggai 1:8 - Go up to the mountains, bring wood and rebuild the temple, that I may be pleased with it and be glorified,” says the LORD.

Malachi 2:2 - If you do not listen, and if you do not take it to heart to give honor to My name,” says the LORD of hosts, “then I will send the curse upon you and I will curse your blessings; and indeed, I have cursed them already, because you are not taking it to heart

NEW TESTAMENT

JESUS LIFE AND MINISTRY
Jesus prayed at the end of His life:
John 17:4 - I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do.

JESUS’ DEATH
John 12:27-28 - Now My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour.
John 12:28 “Father, glorify Your name.” Then a voice came out of heaven: “I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.”


THE CHRISTIAN LIFE

1 Corinthians 10:31 - Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

2 Corinthians 4:6 - For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

1 Peter 4:11 - Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Matthew 5:16 - Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

THE SECOND COMING AND CONSUMMATION

2 Thessalonians 1:9-10
These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power,
2Th. 1:10 when He comes to be glorified in His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed—for our testimony to you was believed.

GOD'S PASSION FOR HIS GLORY

God chose his people for his glory.
Ephesians 1:4-6, cf. vv. 12, 14 - He chose us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and blameless before him. He destined us in love to be his sons through Jesus Christ according to the purpose of his will unto the praise of the glory of his grace.

God created us for his glory.
Isaiah 43:6-7 - Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth, every one who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory.

God called Israel for his glory.
Jeremiah 13:11 - You are my servant Israel in whom I will be glorified

Isaiah 49:3 - I made the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah cling to me, says the Lord, that they might be for me a people, a name, a praise, and a glory.

God rescued Israel from Egypt for his glory.
Psalm 106:7-8 - Our fathers when they were in Egypt did not consider thy wonderful works . . . but rebelled against the Most High at the Red Sea. Yet he saved them for his name's sake that he might make known his mighty power.

God raised Pharaoh up to show his power and glorify his name.
Romans 9:17 - For the scripture says to Pharaoh, "I have raised you up for this very purpose of showing my power in you, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth."

God defeated Pharaoh at the Red Sea to show his glory.
Exodus 14:4; cf. vv. 17, 18 - And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and he will pursue them and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host; and the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord . . . And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gotten glory over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.

God spared Israel in the wilderness for the glory of his name.
Ezekiel 20:14 - I acted for the sake of my name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out.

God gave Israel victory in Canaan for the glory of his name.
2 Samuel 7:23 - What other nation on earth is like Thy people Israel, whom God went to redeem to be His people, making Himself a name, and doing for them great and terrible things, by driving out before His people a nation and its gods?

God did not cast away his people for the glory of his name.
1 Samuel 12:20-22 - Fear not, you have done all this evil, yet do not turn aside from following the Lord . . . For the Lord will not cast away his people for his great name's sake.

God saved Jerusalem from attack for the glory of his name.
2 Kings 19:34; cf. 20:6 - For I will defend this city to save it, for my own sake and for the sake of my servant David.

God restored Israel from exile for the glory of his name.
Isaiah 48:9-11 - Thus says the Lord God, It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name . . . And I will vindicate the holiness of my great name . . . and the nations will know that I am the Lord

Ezekiel 36:22-23, 32 - For the sake of My name I delay My wrath, and for My praise I restrain it for you, in order not to cut you off. Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction. For My own sake, for My own sake, I will act; for how can My name be profaned? And My glory I will not give to another.

God sent Jesus so that the nations might glorify God for his mercy.
Romans 15:8-9 - For I say that Christ has become a servant to the circumcision on behalf of the truth of God to confirm the promises given to the fathers, and for the Gentiles to glorify God for His mercy.

Jesus sought the glory of his father in all He did.
John 7:18 - He who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory; but he who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood.

Jesus told us to do good works so that God gets glory.
Matthew 5:16; cf. 1 Peter 2:12 - Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Jesus warned that not seeking God's glory makes faith impossible.
John 5:44 - How can you believe who seek glory from one another and do not see the glory that comes from the only God?

Jesus said that he answers prayer that God would be glorified.
John 14:13 - Whatever you ask in My name, I will do it that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

Jesus endured his final hours of suffering for God's glory.
John 12:27, 28 - Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? "Father, save me from this hour?" No, for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify Thy name. Then a voice came from heaven, "I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again."
John 17:1; cf. 13:31-32

Father, the hour has come; glorify thy Son that the Son may glorify Thee.
God gave his Son to vindicate the glory of his righteousness.
Romans 3:25-26 - God put Christ forward as a propitiation by his blood . . . to demonstrate God's righteousness . . . It was to prove at the present time that he himself is righteous.

God forgives our sins for his own sake.
Isaiah 43:25 - I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.

Psalm 25:11 - For thy name's sake, O Lord, pardon my guilt, for it is great.

Jesus receives us into his fellowship for the glory of God.
Romans 15:7 - Welcome one another, therefore, as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.

The ministry of the Holy Spirit is to glorify the Son of God.
John 16:14 - He will glorify me, for He will take what is Mine and declare it to you.

God instructs us to do everything for his glory.
1 Corinthinans 10:31; cf. 6:20
So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

God tells us to serve in a way that will glorify him.
1 Peter 4:11 - Whoever renders service [let him do it] as one who renders it by the strength which God supplies; in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To Him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Jesus will fill us with fruits of righteousness for God's glory.
Philippians 1:11 - It is my prayer . . . that you be filled with the fruits of righteousness which come through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God.

All are under judgment for dishonoring God's glory.
Romans 1:23
They became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images.

Romans 3:23
For all have fallen short of the glory of God.

Herod is struck dead because he did not give glory to God.
Acts 12:23
Immediately an angel of the Lord smote him because he did not give glory to God.

Jesus is coming again for the glory of God.
2 Thessalonians 1:9-10 - Those who do not obey the gospel will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction and exclusion from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints and to be marveled at in all who have believed.

Jesus' ultimate aim for us is that we see and enjoy his glory.
John 17:24 - Father, I desire that they also, whom thou hast given me, may be with me where I am, to behold my glory, which thou hast given me in Thy love for me before the foundation of the world.

Even in wrath God's aim is to make known the wealth of his glory.
Romans 9:22-23 - Desiring to show his wrath and make known his power, he endured with much patience the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for the vessels of mercy which he prepared beforehand for glory.

God plan is to fill the earth with the knowledge of his glory.
Habakkuk 2:14 - For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.

Everything that happens will redound to God's glory.
Romans 11:36 - From Him, to Him and through Him are all things. To Him be glory for ever. Amen.

In the New Jerusalem the glory of God replaces the sun.
Revelation 21:23 - And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine upon it, for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the lamb.

Jonathan Edwards' conclusion from all these texts
"The great end of God's works, which is so variously expressed in Scripture, is indeed but one; and this one end is most properly and comprehensively called the Glory of God." (Dissertation Concerning the End for Which God Created the World, Works, Vol. 1, [Edinburgh: Banner of Truth Trust, 1974], p. 119).

This passion of God for his own glory in all he does is a joyful passion.
Jeremiah 9:24 - "Let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things," declares the LORD.

Special thanks and credit to "Let the Nations be Glad" by Dr. John Piper for many of these verses.

God's sovereignty in election

Here are some verses for us to meditate on as it relates to the subject of election. Try not to bring any prior belief systems or theological grids to bear but instead read these verses fresh and without any preconceived notions about God as best you can.

Matthew 11:25-27
Matt. 11:25 ¶ At that time Jesus said, "I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants.
Matt. 11:26 "Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight.
Matt. 11:27 "All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.


Matthew 13:10-17 also (Mark 4:10-13)
Matt. 13:10 ¶ And the disciples came and said to Him, "Why do You speak to them in parables?"
Matt. 13:11 Jesus answered them, "To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted.
Matt. 13:12 "For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him.
Matt. 13:13 "Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.
Matt. 13:14 "In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says,
'YOU WILL KEEP ON HEARING, BUT WILL NOT UNDERSTAND;
YOU WILL KEEP ON SEEING, BUT WILL NOT PERCEIVE;
Matt. 13:15 FOR THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE HAS BECOME DULL,
WITH THEIR EARS THEY SCARCELY HEAR,
AND THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES,
OTHERWISE THEY WOULD SEE WITH THEIR EYES,
HEAR WITH THEIR EARS,
AND UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART AND RETURN,
AND I WOULD HEAL THEM.'
Matt. 13:16 "But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear.
Matt. 13:17 "For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear

John 6:37-40, 44, 65
John 6:37 "All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.
John 6:38 "For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.
John 6:39 "This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day.
John 6:40 "For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day."
John 6:44 "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day.
John 6:65 And He was saying, "For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father."

John 15:16
"You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.

John 5:20-21
"For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing; and the Father will show Him greater works than these, so that you will marvel.
John 5:21 "For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life (eternal life) to whom He wishes.

John 17:1-2, 6, 9, 24
John 17:1 ¶ Jesus spoke these things; and lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said, "Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You,
John 17:2 even as You gave Him authority over all flesh, that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life.
John 17:6 ¶ "I have manifested Your name to the men whom You gave Me out of the world; they were Yours and You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word.
John 17:9 "I ask on their behalf; I do not ask on behalf of the world, but of those whom You have given Me; for they are Yours;
John 17:24 "Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.


John 10:14-16, 24-30
John 10:14 "I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me,
John 10:15 even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.
John 10:16 "I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd.
John 10:24 The Jews then gathered around Him, and were saying to Him, "How long will You keep us in suspense? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly."
John 10:25 Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in My Father's name, these testify of Me.
John 10:26 "But you do not believe because you are not of My sheep.
John 10:27 "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;
John 10:28 and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.
John 10:29 "My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand.
John 10:30 "I and the Father are one."

Something to consider:
Does one believe in order to be a sheep or does these verses seem very clear that one has to be a sheep first in order to believe?

Acts 13:44-48
Acts 13:44 ¶ The next Sabbath nearly the whole city assembled to hear the word of the Lord.
Acts 13:45 But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began contradicting the things spoken by Paul, and were blaspheming.
Acts 13:46 Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, "It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first; since you repudiate it and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles.
Acts 13:47 "For so the Lord has commanded us,
'I HAVE PLACED YOU AS A LIGHT FOR THE GENTILES,
THAT YOU MAY BRING SALVATION TO THE END OF THE EARTH.'"
Acts 13:48 ¶ When the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many as had been appointed (ordained) to eternal life believed.

Something to consider:
Look carefully at the Greek rendering in this sentence. They were first appointed to eternal life (when did that happen?) and then they believed. Which comes first and which comes second?

Acts 18:9-11
Acts 18:9 And the Lord said to Paul in the night by a vision, "Do not be afraid any longer, but go on speaking and do not be silent;
Acts 18:10 for I am with you, and no man will attack you in order to harm you, for I have many people in this city."
Acts 18:11 And he settled there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.


Romans 8:29-30
Rom. 8:29 For those whom He foreknew (see notes below), He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;
Rom. 8:30 and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.

Something to consider:
Read my earlier blog post on the definition of the word foreknowledge.

Ephesians 1:3-6
Eph. 1:3 ¶ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,
Eph. 1:4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love
Eph. 1:5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will,
Eph. 1:6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.

Something to consider:
When were we chosen? Who is the Chooser and who is the chosee? For what purpose did He choose us? HInt: it is the purpose of God in all of Scripture


1 Peter 1:1-2
Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen
according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure.


1 Timothy 2:9 - who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity,


Revelation 13:8 - All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain.


Revelation 17:8 - "The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss and go to destruction. And those who dwell on the earth, whose name has not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, will wonder when they see the beast, that he was and is not and will come.

studying with you