Samson went down to Timnah and saw there a young Philistine woman. When he returned, he said to his father and mother, "I have seen a Philistine woman in Timnah; now get her for me as my wife."
His father and mother replied, "Isn't there an acceptable woman among your relatives or among all our people? Must you go to the uncircumcised Philistines to get a wife?"
But Samson said to his father, "Get her for me. She's the right one for me." (His parents did not know that this was from the LORD, who was seeking an occasion to confront the Philistines; for at that time they were ruling over Israel.)
- Judges 14:1-4 (NIV)
Was Samson's marriage from the LORD? Was Samson's marriage part of God's will? In one sense, Samson's marriage was not part of God's will. In another sense, Samson's marriage was part of God's will.
Samson's marriage was not part of God's will of command. (God commanded the Israelites not to marry non-Israelites.) At the same time, Samson's marriage was part of God's will of decree. (God used Samson's marriage as an occasion to confront the Philistines.) Indeed, everything is part of God's will of decree.
God did not predestine Samson to marry a Philistine woman, as though Samson could not have done otherwise. (It makes no sense to say that God commanded the Israelites not to marry non-Israelites, and yet predestined Samson to marry a Philistine woman.) Rather, God predestined that Samson would freely marry a Philistine woman, even though Samson could have done otherwise.
God did not predestine (cause) Samson to marry a Philistine woman. Rather, God predestined (decreed) that Samson would freely marry a Philistine woman.
"It is up to God whether we find ourselves in a world in which we are predestined, but it is up to us whether we are predestined in the world in which we find ourselves." - William Lane Craig, Divine Foreknowledge and Human Freedom: The Coherence of Theism: Omniscience
It was up to Samson to choose whether he would marry a Philistine woman, but it was up to God whether Samson was able to choose whether he would marry a Philistine woman.
Knowing that Samson would freely marry a Philistine woman under certain circumstances, God decreed/ordained/predestined that these circumstances (under which Samson would freely marry a Philistine woman) would come to pass - in His sovereignty and for His glory.
Again,
1. God gives us the opportunity to enter into relationships - and enter into relationships freely!
2. God knows whether (and under what circumstances) we would enter into relationships - and who we would enter into relationships with!
3. Knowing all of the above, God works all things according to His will.
"This is a profound mystery - but I am talking about Christ and the church." - Ephesians 5:32 (NIV)
God knows what we will do and how things will work out, but it is still up to us to arrange our own life. Only after all of the arrangements have been made can we say confidently that this is what God had originally ordained.
- Maurice Lamm, The Jewish Way in Love and Marriage
Links: A Molinist View of (the UK General) Election (7 May 10), A Molinist View of Relationships (19 May 10), The First and Ultimate Matchmaker (4 Jun 10)
Wednesday 30 June 2010
Tuesday 29 June 2010
Grace and Growth
"What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe - as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow." - 1 Corinthians 3:5-7 (NIV)
"Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this." - 2 Timothy 2:7 (NIV)
"Keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life." - Jude 21 (NIV)
Links: By Grace Alone (23 Apr 10), Grace-Driven Effort (11 Jun 10)
"Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this." - 2 Timothy 2:7 (NIV)
"Keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life." - Jude 21 (NIV)
Links: By Grace Alone (23 Apr 10), Grace-Driven Effort (11 Jun 10)
Monday 28 June 2010
Discovering God's Will in Waiting
At the end of the day, we will have to decide what the will of God is! We get very readily confused here about false ideas of the nature of God's guidance. We look for supernatural revelations, when God means us to live by his word. We want to abandon our normal thought processes, when God wants us to bear the burden of thinking through his purposes for our lives. We want to know immediately and intuitively what we are to do, when he wants to prepare us for the task by the slow, and sometimes painful process of waiting.
Time and time again people who have read the 'standard' books and booklets on guidance complain that they did not really find them helpful. What they often mean is that they did not discover their personal calling by reading a booklet on guidance! As if God would deposit his personal, eternally purposed will for the life of every Christian in a booklet! No, his will cannot be known apart from the process of discovering it as time unfolds.
The biographies of God's people in Scripture should make this principle clear to us. Take Abraham. Did he not go out not knowing where he was going, not really sure of what God had planned? (See Hebrews 11:8.) But he acted on the clear revelation of the will of God. Or, take Joseph. God had given him some intimation of his destiny in the dream he foolishly and insensitively blurted out to his family (Genesis 37:2-11). He could never have imagined the manner in which that dream would reach its fulfillment! He could never have worked that out himself! It was a long, slow, sometimes painful unwinding of the cords of grace which eventually led him to the final purposes of God.
The reason for this, of course, is that God is not only concerned that we know his will. His relationship with us is not merely intellectual. That is the great mistake many young people with the benefit of a college or university education are likely to make. In later life we will look back on it with a sense of what buffoons we were to think that God was simply a great Mind with whom we had come in contact. God is, instead, concerned with our personal, spiritual, emotional development. That is why he so often takes his time with us, in order to fit us for the work he has planned.
God is not in a hurry. That is what you must learn. That is what you can learn from the exhortations in the Psalms to wait for the Lord. He has long ago prepared the good works in which he wants you to walk (Ephesians 2:10). There is no need to panic or to be anxious. He is not only your Life Planner. He is a Father; he knows what we need before we ask him; he has numbered the hairs on our heads! We, who lack the patience for such an enterprise, should learn to trust the all-knowing wisdom of God...
All impatience can be traced back to a disbelief in God's ultimate goodness. That is why, if we are to appreciate the wisdom of God's guidance, it is important for us to understand not only the nature of his guidance, but the character of the Guide himself. Trust him for his goodness, and we will trust him for his guidance!
Do you doubt the goodness of God? Is there, lurking within your whole approach to him, a suspicion that he is other than he revealed himself to be in the Lord Jesus Christ? Hold to Paul's words:
"He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all - how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?" - Romans 8:32 (NIV)
- Sinclair B. Ferguson, Discovering God's Will
Links: Wait! Wait on! He is worth waiting for! (27 Dec 09), Wait for the LORD (19 Jun 10)
Time and time again people who have read the 'standard' books and booklets on guidance complain that they did not really find them helpful. What they often mean is that they did not discover their personal calling by reading a booklet on guidance! As if God would deposit his personal, eternally purposed will for the life of every Christian in a booklet! No, his will cannot be known apart from the process of discovering it as time unfolds.
The biographies of God's people in Scripture should make this principle clear to us. Take Abraham. Did he not go out not knowing where he was going, not really sure of what God had planned? (See Hebrews 11:8.) But he acted on the clear revelation of the will of God. Or, take Joseph. God had given him some intimation of his destiny in the dream he foolishly and insensitively blurted out to his family (Genesis 37:2-11). He could never have imagined the manner in which that dream would reach its fulfillment! He could never have worked that out himself! It was a long, slow, sometimes painful unwinding of the cords of grace which eventually led him to the final purposes of God.
The reason for this, of course, is that God is not only concerned that we know his will. His relationship with us is not merely intellectual. That is the great mistake many young people with the benefit of a college or university education are likely to make. In later life we will look back on it with a sense of what buffoons we were to think that God was simply a great Mind with whom we had come in contact. God is, instead, concerned with our personal, spiritual, emotional development. That is why he so often takes his time with us, in order to fit us for the work he has planned.
God is not in a hurry. That is what you must learn. That is what you can learn from the exhortations in the Psalms to wait for the Lord. He has long ago prepared the good works in which he wants you to walk (Ephesians 2:10). There is no need to panic or to be anxious. He is not only your Life Planner. He is a Father; he knows what we need before we ask him; he has numbered the hairs on our heads! We, who lack the patience for such an enterprise, should learn to trust the all-knowing wisdom of God...
All impatience can be traced back to a disbelief in God's ultimate goodness. That is why, if we are to appreciate the wisdom of God's guidance, it is important for us to understand not only the nature of his guidance, but the character of the Guide himself. Trust him for his goodness, and we will trust him for his guidance!
Do you doubt the goodness of God? Is there, lurking within your whole approach to him, a suspicion that he is other than he revealed himself to be in the Lord Jesus Christ? Hold to Paul's words:
"He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all - how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?" - Romans 8:32 (NIV)
- Sinclair B. Ferguson, Discovering God's Will
Links: Wait! Wait on! He is worth waiting for! (27 Dec 09), Wait for the LORD (19 Jun 10)
Sunday 27 June 2010
God Answers Prayer
"In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will." - Romans 8:26-27 (NIV)
Today, God reminded me of a prayer which I prayed 2 years ago. What's more, He also showed me how He has answered this prayer according to His good, pleasing and perfect will.
"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." - Ephesians 3:20-21 (NIV)
Today, God reminded me of a prayer which I prayed 2 years ago. What's more, He also showed me how He has answered this prayer according to His good, pleasing and perfect will.
"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." - Ephesians 3:20-21 (NIV)
Tuesday 22 June 2010
Jun 15 to 21
Jun 15: "David said to Gad, "I am in deep distress. Let us fall into the hands of the LORD, for his mercy is great; but do not let me fall into the hands of men."" - 2 Samuel 24:14 (NIV)
Jun 16: "Then Peter began to speak: "I now realise how true it is that God does not show favouritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right."" - Acts 10:34-35 (NIV)
Jun 17: "Now, O LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?" - 1 Kings 3:7-9 (NIV)
Jun 18: "God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore." - 1 Kings 4:29 (NIV)
Jun 19: "Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Through him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses." - Acts 13:38-39 (NIV)
Jun 20: "And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit." - Acts 13:52 (NIV)
Jun 21: "Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in front of the whole assembly of Israel, spread out his hands towards heaven and said: "O LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below - you who keep your covenant of love with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in your way. You have kept your promise to your servant David my father; with your mouth you have promised and with your hand you have fulfilled it - as it is today."" - 1 Kings 8:22-24 (NIV)
Jun 16: "Then Peter began to speak: "I now realise how true it is that God does not show favouritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right."" - Acts 10:34-35 (NIV)
Jun 17: "Now, O LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?" - 1 Kings 3:7-9 (NIV)
Jun 18: "God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore." - 1 Kings 4:29 (NIV)
Jun 19: "Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Through him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses." - Acts 13:38-39 (NIV)
Jun 20: "And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit." - Acts 13:52 (NIV)
Jun 21: "Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in front of the whole assembly of Israel, spread out his hands towards heaven and said: "O LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below - you who keep your covenant of love with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in your way. You have kept your promise to your servant David my father; with your mouth you have promised and with your hand you have fulfilled it - as it is today."" - 1 Kings 8:22-24 (NIV)
Monday 21 June 2010
The Fatherhood of God
"So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." - Matthew 6:31-34 (NIV)
"For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs - heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory." - Romans 8:15-17 (NIV)
"Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live!
"Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." - Hebrews 12:7-11 (NIV)
"Do not punish me by granting that which I wish or ask if it offends against Your love." - St. Teresa of Avila
Teach us, Lord, full obedience
Holy reverence, true humility
Test our thoughts and our attitudes
In the radiance of Your purity
Cause our faith to rise, cause our eyes to see
Your majestic love and authority
Words of power that can never fail
Let their truth prevail over unbelief
Link: The Family of God (2 Sep 10)
"For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs - heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory." - Romans 8:15-17 (NIV)
"Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live!
"Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." - Hebrews 12:7-11 (NIV)
"Do not punish me by granting that which I wish or ask if it offends against Your love." - St. Teresa of Avila
Teach us, Lord, full obedience
Holy reverence, true humility
Test our thoughts and our attitudes
In the radiance of Your purity
Cause our faith to rise, cause our eyes to see
Your majestic love and authority
Words of power that can never fail
Let their truth prevail over unbelief
Link: The Family of God (2 Sep 10)
Sunday 20 June 2010
Cling to the LORD
"Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs." - Jonah 2:8 (NIV)
An idol is something more than a grotesque statue with big lips and a ruby in its navel. It's a God-substitute. It's something - anything - that we value higher than God. In order to cling to such an idol, we make a trade...
Those who turn from God to embrace a God-substitute suffer terrible loss. Why? Because they were made to find joy in God, not the substitute. They swap God's present and future blessing for something they can immediately see, taste, or feel. But that something never satisfies.
- Randy Alcorn, The Purity Principle
Idols aren't just stone statues. No, idols are the thoughts, desires, longings, and expectations that we worship in the place of the true God. Idols cause us to ignore the true God in search of what we think we need...
Of course having godly relationships is a blessing and a source of happiness, and there is nothing sinful in desiring them; but if they are the source of our joy... if they take top priority in our lives, then they are our gods. That's why Jesus said, "Seek first [God's] kingdom" (Matthew 6:33). If God is the top priority in our lives, everything else will fall into place. It's then that these beloved blessings will fade in importance and God will take His rightful place in our hearts.
- Elyse Fitzpatrick, Idols of the Heart: Learning to Long for God Alone
What worthless idols are we clinging to?
"Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. Do not be idolaters..." - 1 Corinthians 10:6-7 (NIV)
"No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry." - 1 Corinthians 10:13-14 (NIV)
"Dear children, keep yourselves from idols." - 1 John 5:21 (NIV)
My soul thirsts for the living God
My soul thirsts for You alone
My soul thirsts for the living God alone
Praise, praise
I lift my voice and raise, praise
I sing of Your amazing grace
To the living God
To You my living God
An idol is something more than a grotesque statue with big lips and a ruby in its navel. It's a God-substitute. It's something - anything - that we value higher than God. In order to cling to such an idol, we make a trade...
Those who turn from God to embrace a God-substitute suffer terrible loss. Why? Because they were made to find joy in God, not the substitute. They swap God's present and future blessing for something they can immediately see, taste, or feel. But that something never satisfies.
- Randy Alcorn, The Purity Principle
Idols aren't just stone statues. No, idols are the thoughts, desires, longings, and expectations that we worship in the place of the true God. Idols cause us to ignore the true God in search of what we think we need...
Of course having godly relationships is a blessing and a source of happiness, and there is nothing sinful in desiring them; but if they are the source of our joy... if they take top priority in our lives, then they are our gods. That's why Jesus said, "Seek first [God's] kingdom" (Matthew 6:33). If God is the top priority in our lives, everything else will fall into place. It's then that these beloved blessings will fade in importance and God will take His rightful place in our hearts.
- Elyse Fitzpatrick, Idols of the Heart: Learning to Long for God Alone
What worthless idols are we clinging to?
"Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. Do not be idolaters..." - 1 Corinthians 10:6-7 (NIV)
"No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry." - 1 Corinthians 10:13-14 (NIV)
"Dear children, keep yourselves from idols." - 1 John 5:21 (NIV)
My soul thirsts for the living God
My soul thirsts for You alone
My soul thirsts for the living God alone
Praise, praise
I lift my voice and raise, praise
I sing of Your amazing grace
To the living God
To You my living God
Saturday 19 June 2010
Wait for the LORD
I'm reading the Bible in one year and the Old Testament reading for Jul 3 is 2 Kings 6:24-8:15.
"While he was still talking to them, the messenger came down to him. And the king said, "This disaster is from the LORD. Why should I wait for the LORD any longer?"" - 2 Kings 6:33 (NIV)
This is exactly how NOT to approach God. God is sovereign and works all things according to His will. His ways are higher than our ways, His thoughts than our thoughts, His timing than our timing.
This reminds me of another passage in 1 Samuel.
The Philistines assembled to fight Israel, with three thousand chariots, six thousand charioteers, and soldiers as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They went up and camped at Micmash, east of Beth Aven. When the men of Israel saw that their situation was critical and that their army was hard pressed, they hid in caves and thickets, among the rocks, and in pits and cisterns. Some Hebrews even crossed the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead.
Saul remained at Gilgal, and all the troops with him were quaking with fear. He waited seven days, the time set by Samuel; but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and Saul's men began to scatter. So he said, "Bring me the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings." And Saul offered up the burnt offering. Just as he finished making the offering, Samuel arrived, and Saul went out to greet him.
"What have you done?" asked Samuel.
Saul replied, "When I saw that the men were scattering, and that you did not come at the set time, and that the Philistines were assembling at Micmash, I thought, 'Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the LORD's favour.' So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering."
"You acted foolishly," Samuel said. "You have not kept the command the LORD your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. But now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of his people, because you have not kept the LORD's command."
- 1 Samuel 13:5-14 (NIV)
Wait! Wait on! He is worth waiting for! As William P. Risk puts it, 'by obeying God, we enter into a rest that results from being utterly dependent on Him, relying on His activity and agenda rather than our own.'
"Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." - Isaiah 40:28-31 (NIV)
Links: Wait! Wait on! He is worth waiting for! (27 Dec 09), Discovering God's Will in Waiting (28 Jun 10)
"While he was still talking to them, the messenger came down to him. And the king said, "This disaster is from the LORD. Why should I wait for the LORD any longer?"" - 2 Kings 6:33 (NIV)
This is exactly how NOT to approach God. God is sovereign and works all things according to His will. His ways are higher than our ways, His thoughts than our thoughts, His timing than our timing.
This reminds me of another passage in 1 Samuel.
The Philistines assembled to fight Israel, with three thousand chariots, six thousand charioteers, and soldiers as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They went up and camped at Micmash, east of Beth Aven. When the men of Israel saw that their situation was critical and that their army was hard pressed, they hid in caves and thickets, among the rocks, and in pits and cisterns. Some Hebrews even crossed the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead.
Saul remained at Gilgal, and all the troops with him were quaking with fear. He waited seven days, the time set by Samuel; but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and Saul's men began to scatter. So he said, "Bring me the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings." And Saul offered up the burnt offering. Just as he finished making the offering, Samuel arrived, and Saul went out to greet him.
"What have you done?" asked Samuel.
Saul replied, "When I saw that the men were scattering, and that you did not come at the set time, and that the Philistines were assembling at Micmash, I thought, 'Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the LORD's favour.' So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering."
"You acted foolishly," Samuel said. "You have not kept the command the LORD your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. But now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of his people, because you have not kept the LORD's command."
- 1 Samuel 13:5-14 (NIV)
Wait! Wait on! He is worth waiting for! As William P. Risk puts it, 'by obeying God, we enter into a rest that results from being utterly dependent on Him, relying on His activity and agenda rather than our own.'
"Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." - Isaiah 40:28-31 (NIV)
Links: Wait! Wait on! He is worth waiting for! (27 Dec 09), Discovering God's Will in Waiting (28 Jun 10)
Friday 18 June 2010
UYCU Leavers' Retreat: Great is Thy Faithfulness
For some reason, several people whom I know personally have been facing severe trials, temptations and tests of faith recently. Perhaps God is calling me to spend more time praying and interceding for them.
Grace which saves
"Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.
"For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathise with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet was without sin.
"Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."
- Hebrews 4:14-16 (NIV)
Grace which sanctifies
"No temptation has seized you except what is common to man.
"And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.
"But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."
- 1 Corinthians 10:13 (NIV)
Grace which is sufficient
"To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.
"Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.
"But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."
"Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.
"That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."
- 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 (NIV)
UYCU Leavers' Retreat
In the midst of all this, God graciously gave me the opportunity to spend 3 amazing days (Tue to Thu) in the Yorkshire Dales with my fellow York CU leavers/final years.
As we were sharing about our experiences at university over the past 3 years, I was reminded time and again that God is faithful and He will provide.
Great is Thy Faithfulness
"I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope:
"Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him."
"The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD."
- Lamentations 3:19-26 (NIV)
Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father
There is no shadow of turning with Thee
Thou changest not; Thy compassions, they fail not
As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be
Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning, new mercies I see
All I have needed, Thy hand hath provided
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!
Milestone Verses
Sam: "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" - Philippians 4:4 (NIV)
SJ: "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me... The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise." - Psalm 51:10-12, 17 (NIV)
Ellie: "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." - Matthew 6:33 (NIV)
Katie: "The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." - Deuteronomy 31:8 (NIV)
Dave: "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." - Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)
Thus far has the LORD helped us
This leavers' retreat was my 8th and last week(end) away with York CU. With this, my time at university is coming to an end. But God willing, a new chapter of my life is just beginning. As Susie put it, 'God knows what He's doing and where He's taking us'.
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.
"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
"Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."
- Hebrews 12:1-3 (NIV)
Grace which saves
"Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.
"For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathise with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet was without sin.
"Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."
- Hebrews 4:14-16 (NIV)
Grace which sanctifies
"No temptation has seized you except what is common to man.
"And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.
"But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."
- 1 Corinthians 10:13 (NIV)
Grace which is sufficient
"To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.
"Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.
"But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."
"Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.
"That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."
- 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 (NIV)
UYCU Leavers' Retreat
In the midst of all this, God graciously gave me the opportunity to spend 3 amazing days (Tue to Thu) in the Yorkshire Dales with my fellow York CU leavers/final years.
As we were sharing about our experiences at university over the past 3 years, I was reminded time and again that God is faithful and He will provide.
Great is Thy Faithfulness
"I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope:
"Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him."
"The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD."
- Lamentations 3:19-26 (NIV)
Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father
There is no shadow of turning with Thee
Thou changest not; Thy compassions, they fail not
As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be
Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning, new mercies I see
All I have needed, Thy hand hath provided
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!
Milestone Verses
Sam: "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" - Philippians 4:4 (NIV)
SJ: "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me... The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise." - Psalm 51:10-12, 17 (NIV)
Ellie: "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." - Matthew 6:33 (NIV)
Katie: "The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." - Deuteronomy 31:8 (NIV)
Dave: "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." - Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)
Thus far has the LORD helped us
This leavers' retreat was my 8th and last week(end) away with York CU. With this, my time at university is coming to an end. But God willing, a new chapter of my life is just beginning. As Susie put it, 'God knows what He's doing and where He's taking us'.
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.
"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
"Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."
- Hebrews 12:1-3 (NIV)
Thursday 17 June 2010
Patience is a virtue
Patience is one of the places where faith, hope, and love meet up. Those who believe in God the creator and in the eventual triumph of his good purposes for the world will not be in a hurry to grasp at quick-fix solutions in their own life or in their vocation and mission - though they will not be slow to take God-given opportunities when those arise. In particular, they will not be in a hurry to force ideas and solutions on other people. Not for nothing is patience the first thing that Paul says about love (1 Corinthians 13:4).
- Tom Wright, Virtue Reborn
Link: Love is a virtue (16 Jun 10)
- Tom Wright, Virtue Reborn
Link: Love is a virtue (16 Jun 10)
Wednesday 16 June 2010
Love is a virtue
1 Corinthians 13 is one of the best-known passages in all of Paul - partly, I suspect, because many couples still choose to have it read in public at their wedding, though if they reflected on it line by line they might find it quite a daunting challenge:
Love is great-hearted; love is kind,
knows no jealousy, makes no fuss,
is not puffed up, has no shameless ways,
doesn't force its rightful claim;
doesn't rage, or bear a grudge,
doesn't cheer at others' harm,
rejoices, rather, in the truth.
Love bears all things, believes all things;
love hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never fails...
The love of which Paul speaks is clearly a virtue.
It is not a "rule" of the sort that is so out of fashion nowadays, imposed in an arbitrary fashion and to be obeyed out of a sense of duty. (We shall discuss the more serious question of proper rules and their relation to virtue later on.)
It is not a "principle", a generalised rule which a person either obeys or disobeys.
It is not a "prudential maxim based on calculated effects"; though it has to be said that if even a few more people lived in the way Paul describes, a lot more people would be a lot more happy.
Nor, especially, is it the result of people "doing what comes naturally". At every single point in Paul's catalogue of what love does, and what love doesn't do, we want to say, "Yes, I see what you mean. However, left to my own inclinations, I would be small-minded, unkind, jealous, fussy, puffed up, shameless, and so on. In particular, left to myself, there are some things I wouldn't bear, many things I wouldn't believe, several things I wouldn't be able to hope for, and a whole multitude that I wouldn't endure. Left to myself, doing what comes naturally, I would fail." But the point of love is that it doesn't [fail].
That is why love is a virtue. It is a language to be learned, a musical instrument to be practiced, a mountain to be climbed via some steep and tricky cliff paths but with the most amazing view from the top. It is one of the things that will last; one of the traits of character which provides a genuine anticipation of that complete humanness we are promised at the end. And it is one of the things, therefore, which can be anticipated in the present on the basis of the future goal, the telos, which is already given in Jesus Christ. It is part of the future which can be drawn down into the present.
- Tom Wright, Virtue Reborn
Link: Patience is a virtue (17 Jun 10)
Love is great-hearted; love is kind,
knows no jealousy, makes no fuss,
is not puffed up, has no shameless ways,
doesn't force its rightful claim;
doesn't rage, or bear a grudge,
doesn't cheer at others' harm,
rejoices, rather, in the truth.
Love bears all things, believes all things;
love hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never fails...
The love of which Paul speaks is clearly a virtue.
It is not a "rule" of the sort that is so out of fashion nowadays, imposed in an arbitrary fashion and to be obeyed out of a sense of duty. (We shall discuss the more serious question of proper rules and their relation to virtue later on.)
It is not a "principle", a generalised rule which a person either obeys or disobeys.
It is not a "prudential maxim based on calculated effects"; though it has to be said that if even a few more people lived in the way Paul describes, a lot more people would be a lot more happy.
Nor, especially, is it the result of people "doing what comes naturally". At every single point in Paul's catalogue of what love does, and what love doesn't do, we want to say, "Yes, I see what you mean. However, left to my own inclinations, I would be small-minded, unkind, jealous, fussy, puffed up, shameless, and so on. In particular, left to myself, there are some things I wouldn't bear, many things I wouldn't believe, several things I wouldn't be able to hope for, and a whole multitude that I wouldn't endure. Left to myself, doing what comes naturally, I would fail." But the point of love is that it doesn't [fail].
That is why love is a virtue. It is a language to be learned, a musical instrument to be practiced, a mountain to be climbed via some steep and tricky cliff paths but with the most amazing view from the top. It is one of the things that will last; one of the traits of character which provides a genuine anticipation of that complete humanness we are promised at the end. And it is one of the things, therefore, which can be anticipated in the present on the basis of the future goal, the telos, which is already given in Jesus Christ. It is part of the future which can be drawn down into the present.
- Tom Wright, Virtue Reborn
Link: Patience is a virtue (17 Jun 10)
Tuesday 15 June 2010
Jun 8 to 14
Jun 8: "Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen." - Acts 4:27-28 (NIV)
Jun 9: "Like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be recovered, so we must die. But God does not take away life; instead, he devises ways so that a banished person may not remain estranged from him." - 2 Samuel 14:14 (NIV)
Jun 10: "Because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph, they sold him as a slave into Egypt. But God was with him and rescued him from all his troubles. He gave Joseph wisdom and enabled him to gain the goodwill of Pharaoh king of Egypt; so he made him ruler over Egypt and all his palace." - Acts 7:9-10 (NIV)
Jun 11: "Praise be to the LORD God, the God of Israel, who alone does marvellous deeds. Praise be to his glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen and Amen." - Psalm 72:18-19 (NIV)
Jun 12: "Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart." - Psalm 73:1 (NIV)
Jun 13: "A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones." - Proverbs 14:30 (NIV)
Jun 14: "Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." - Psalm 73:25-26 (NIV)
Jun 9: "Like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be recovered, so we must die. But God does not take away life; instead, he devises ways so that a banished person may not remain estranged from him." - 2 Samuel 14:14 (NIV)
Jun 10: "Because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph, they sold him as a slave into Egypt. But God was with him and rescued him from all his troubles. He gave Joseph wisdom and enabled him to gain the goodwill of Pharaoh king of Egypt; so he made him ruler over Egypt and all his palace." - Acts 7:9-10 (NIV)
Jun 11: "Praise be to the LORD God, the God of Israel, who alone does marvellous deeds. Praise be to his glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen and Amen." - Psalm 72:18-19 (NIV)
Jun 12: "Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart." - Psalm 73:1 (NIV)
Jun 13: "A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones." - Proverbs 14:30 (NIV)
Jun 14: "Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." - Psalm 73:25-26 (NIV)
Monday 14 June 2010
By Prayer and Petition
"A man is what he is on his knees before God, and nothing more." - Robert Murray M'Cheyne
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV)
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV)
Believing God for His Best
I'm reading the Bible in one year and the Wisdom reading for Jun 14 is Psalm 73:15-28.
"Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." - Psalm 73:25-26 (NIV)
He knows, He loves, He cares
Nothing this truth can dim
He gives the very best to those
Who leave the choice to Him
- Author Unknown
Link: Still Believing God for His Best (5 Oct 10)
"Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." - Psalm 73:25-26 (NIV)
He knows, He loves, He cares
Nothing this truth can dim
He gives the very best to those
Who leave the choice to Him
- Author Unknown
Link: Still Believing God for His Best (5 Oct 10)
Sunday 13 June 2010
Jesus as the true and only sacrifice of God
*This is the outline of my talk at Fri's international cafe.*
"A righteous man may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all; he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken." - Psalm 34:19-20 (NIV)
"Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jews did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down. The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other. But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus' side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water. The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe. These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: "Not one of his bones will be broken," and, as another scripture says, "They will look on the one they have pierced."" - John 19:31-37 (NIV)
1. The Passover Lamb is without blemish or defect.
"It must be eaten inside one house; take none of the meat outside the house. Do not break any of the bones." - Exodus 12:46 (NIV)
"They must not leave any of it till morning or break any of its bones. When they celebrate the Passover, they must follow all the regulations." - Numbers 9:12 (NIV)
2. Jesus is our Passover Lamb, a lamb without blemish or defect.
"Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast - as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed." - 1 Corinthians 5:7 (NIV)
"Since you call on a Father who judges each man's work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear. For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect." - 1 Peter 1:17-19 (NIV)
3. God will provide.
In Genesis 22, God commands Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac as a burnt offering (to test Abraham), but later commands Abraham to stop and provides a ram to be used instead.
"Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, "Father?" "Yes, my son?" Abraham replied. "The fire and wood are here," Isaac said, "but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?" Abraham answered, "God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." And the two of them went on together." - Genesis 22:6-8 (NIV)
In Genesis 22, God provides a ram to be sacrificed as a substitute for Abraham's son Isaac. In the fullness of time, God provides His own Son, Jesus Christ, to be sacrificed as a substitute for all of us.
4. Jesus is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
"The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!"" - John 1:29 (NIV)
5. Jesus can take away the sin of the world because He is a righteous man, a lamb without blemish or defect.
"A righteous man may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all; he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken." - Psalm 34:19-20 (NIV)
6. Jesus takes away the sin of the world by dying for our sins.
"Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth." - Isaiah 53:4-7 (NIV)
""He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth." When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls." - 1 Peter 2:22-25 (NIV)
"For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God." - 1 Peter 3:18 (NIV)
7. Jesus' righteousness covers all who enter into a relationship with Him.
"But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished - he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus." - Romans 3:21-26 (NIV)
羊 - Lamb
我 - Me
義(义) - Lamb covers me = Righteousness
*****
1. The Passover Lamb is without blemish or defect.
2. Jesus is our Passover Lamb, a lamb without blemish or defect.
3. God will provide.
4. Jesus is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
5. Jesus can take away the sin of the world because He is a righteous man, a lamb without blemish or defect.
6. Jesus takes away the sin of the world by dying for our sins.
7. Jesus' righteousness covers all who enter into a relationship with Him.
"A righteous man may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all; he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken." - Psalm 34:19-20 (NIV)
"Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jews did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down. The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other. But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus' side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water. The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe. These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: "Not one of his bones will be broken," and, as another scripture says, "They will look on the one they have pierced."" - John 19:31-37 (NIV)
1. The Passover Lamb is without blemish or defect.
"It must be eaten inside one house; take none of the meat outside the house. Do not break any of the bones." - Exodus 12:46 (NIV)
"They must not leave any of it till morning or break any of its bones. When they celebrate the Passover, they must follow all the regulations." - Numbers 9:12 (NIV)
2. Jesus is our Passover Lamb, a lamb without blemish or defect.
"Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast - as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed." - 1 Corinthians 5:7 (NIV)
"Since you call on a Father who judges each man's work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear. For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect." - 1 Peter 1:17-19 (NIV)
3. God will provide.
In Genesis 22, God commands Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac as a burnt offering (to test Abraham), but later commands Abraham to stop and provides a ram to be used instead.
"Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, "Father?" "Yes, my son?" Abraham replied. "The fire and wood are here," Isaac said, "but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?" Abraham answered, "God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." And the two of them went on together." - Genesis 22:6-8 (NIV)
In Genesis 22, God provides a ram to be sacrificed as a substitute for Abraham's son Isaac. In the fullness of time, God provides His own Son, Jesus Christ, to be sacrificed as a substitute for all of us.
4. Jesus is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
"The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!"" - John 1:29 (NIV)
5. Jesus can take away the sin of the world because He is a righteous man, a lamb without blemish or defect.
"A righteous man may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all; he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken." - Psalm 34:19-20 (NIV)
6. Jesus takes away the sin of the world by dying for our sins.
"Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth." - Isaiah 53:4-7 (NIV)
""He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth." When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls." - 1 Peter 2:22-25 (NIV)
"For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God." - 1 Peter 3:18 (NIV)
7. Jesus' righteousness covers all who enter into a relationship with Him.
"But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished - he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus." - Romans 3:21-26 (NIV)
羊 - Lamb
我 - Me
義(义) - Lamb covers me = Righteousness
*****
1. The Passover Lamb is without blemish or defect.
2. Jesus is our Passover Lamb, a lamb without blemish or defect.
3. God will provide.
4. Jesus is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
5. Jesus can take away the sin of the world because He is a righteous man, a lamb without blemish or defect.
6. Jesus takes away the sin of the world by dying for our sins.
7. Jesus' righteousness covers all who enter into a relationship with Him.
Saturday 12 June 2010
Approaches to Scripture
In matters that are obscure and far beyond our vision, even in such as we may find treated in Holy Scripture, different interpretations are sometimes possible without prejudice to the faith we have received.
In such a case, we should not rush in headlong and so firmly take our stand on one side that, if further progress in the search for truth justly undermines this position, we too fall with it.
That would be to battle not for the teaching of Holy Scripture but for our own, wishing its teaching to conform to ours, whereas we ought to wish ours to conform to that of Sacred Scripture.
- St. Augustine, The Literal Meaning of Genesis
In such a case, we should not rush in headlong and so firmly take our stand on one side that, if further progress in the search for truth justly undermines this position, we too fall with it.
That would be to battle not for the teaching of Holy Scripture but for our own, wishing its teaching to conform to ours, whereas we ought to wish ours to conform to that of Sacred Scripture.
- St. Augustine, The Literal Meaning of Genesis
Friday 11 June 2010
Grace-Driven Effort
Salvation is by grace alone (according to Scripture alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone and to the glory of God alone). At the same time, God calls us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling - not because His grace is not sufficient, but precisely because His grace is sufficient for us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling (for it is Him who works in us to will and to act according to His good purpose)!
Total Depravity
One of the most striking evidences of sinful human nature lies in the universal propensity for downward drift. In other words, it takes thought, resolve, energy, and effort to bring about reform. In the grace of God, sometimes human beings display such virtues. But where such virtues are absent, the drift is invariably toward compromise, comfort, indiscipline, sliding disobedience, and decay that advances, sometimes at a crawl and sometimes at a gallop, across generations.
People do not drift toward holiness. Apart from grace-driven effort, people do not gravitate toward godliness, prayer, obedience to Scripture, faith, and delight in the Lord. We drift toward compromise and call it tolerance; we drift toward disobedience and call it freedom; we drift toward superstition and call it faith. We cherish the indiscipline of lost self-control and call it relaxation; we slouch toward prayerlessness and delude ourselves into thinking we have escaped legalism; we slide toward godlessness and convince ourselves we have been liberated.
- D. A. Carson, For the Love of God (Volume Two)
Depravity is total. But grace abounds!
"For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them - yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. Whether, then, it was I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed." - 1 Corinthians 15:9-10 (NIV)
"Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed - not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence - continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose." - Philippians 2:12-13 (NIV)
"We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. To this end I labour, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me." - Colossians 1:28-29 (NIV)
Links: By Grace Alone (23 Apr 10), Grace and Growth (29 Jun 10)
Total Depravity
One of the most striking evidences of sinful human nature lies in the universal propensity for downward drift. In other words, it takes thought, resolve, energy, and effort to bring about reform. In the grace of God, sometimes human beings display such virtues. But where such virtues are absent, the drift is invariably toward compromise, comfort, indiscipline, sliding disobedience, and decay that advances, sometimes at a crawl and sometimes at a gallop, across generations.
People do not drift toward holiness. Apart from grace-driven effort, people do not gravitate toward godliness, prayer, obedience to Scripture, faith, and delight in the Lord. We drift toward compromise and call it tolerance; we drift toward disobedience and call it freedom; we drift toward superstition and call it faith. We cherish the indiscipline of lost self-control and call it relaxation; we slouch toward prayerlessness and delude ourselves into thinking we have escaped legalism; we slide toward godlessness and convince ourselves we have been liberated.
- D. A. Carson, For the Love of God (Volume Two)
Depravity is total. But grace abounds!
"For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them - yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. Whether, then, it was I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed." - 1 Corinthians 15:9-10 (NIV)
"Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed - not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence - continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose." - Philippians 2:12-13 (NIV)
"We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. To this end I labour, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me." - Colossians 1:28-29 (NIV)
Links: By Grace Alone (23 Apr 10), Grace and Growth (29 Jun 10)
Thursday 10 June 2010
Give them all to Jesus
Are you tired of chasing pretty rainbows?
Are you tired of spinning round and round?
Wrap up all the shattered dreams of your life
At the feet of Jesus lay them down
Give them all, give them all, give them all to Jesus
Shattered dreams, wounded hearts, broken toys
Give them all, give them all, give them all to Jesus
And He will turn your sorrow into joy
He never said you'd only see sunshine
He never said there'd be no rain
He only promised a heart full of singing
At the very things that once brought pain
Give them all, give them all, give them all to Jesus
Shattered dreams, wounded hearts, broken toys
Give them all, give them all, give them all to Jesus
And He will turn your sorrow into joy
Give them all, give them all, give them all to Jesus
Shattered dreams, wounded hearts, broken toys
Give them all, give them all, give them all to Jesus
And He will turn your sorrow into joy
Trust His heart and leave it to Him to work things out. If God created the world ex nihilo (out of nothing), how much more will He be able to create something out of something!
Link: Trust in the LORD (23 Sep 10)
Are you tired of spinning round and round?
Wrap up all the shattered dreams of your life
At the feet of Jesus lay them down
Give them all, give them all, give them all to Jesus
Shattered dreams, wounded hearts, broken toys
Give them all, give them all, give them all to Jesus
And He will turn your sorrow into joy
He never said you'd only see sunshine
He never said there'd be no rain
He only promised a heart full of singing
At the very things that once brought pain
Give them all, give them all, give them all to Jesus
Shattered dreams, wounded hearts, broken toys
Give them all, give them all, give them all to Jesus
And He will turn your sorrow into joy
Give them all, give them all, give them all to Jesus
Shattered dreams, wounded hearts, broken toys
Give them all, give them all, give them all to Jesus
And He will turn your sorrow into joy
Trust His heart and leave it to Him to work things out. If God created the world ex nihilo (out of nothing), how much more will He be able to create something out of something!
Link: Trust in the LORD (23 Sep 10)
Wednesday 9 June 2010
Prone to Wander
I'm reading the Bible in one year and the Old Testament readings for Jun 18 and 22 are 1 Kings 3:16-5:18 and 9:10-11:13 respectively.
"God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore." - 1 Kings 4:29 (NIV)
"As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father had been." - 1 Kings 11:4 (NIV)
If Solomon's wisdom did not keep him from turning his heart after other gods, how much more are our hearts prone to wander - but for the grace of God!
O to grace, how great a debtor
Daily I'm constrained to be
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter
Bind my wandering heart to Thee
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it
Prone to leave the God I love
Here's my heart, O take and seal it
Seal it for Thy courts above
"God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore." - 1 Kings 4:29 (NIV)
"As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father had been." - 1 Kings 11:4 (NIV)
If Solomon's wisdom did not keep him from turning his heart after other gods, how much more are our hearts prone to wander - but for the grace of God!
O to grace, how great a debtor
Daily I'm constrained to be
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter
Bind my wandering heart to Thee
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it
Prone to leave the God I love
Here's my heart, O take and seal it
Seal it for Thy courts above
Tuesday 8 June 2010
Jun 1 to 7
Jun 1: "Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."" - John 20:29 (NIV)
Jun 2: "You know my folly, O God; my guilt is not hidden from you." - Psalm 69:5 (NIV)
Jun 3: "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." - Acts 1:8 (NIV)
Jun 4: "And David knew that the LORD had established him as king over Israel and had exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel." - 2 Samuel 5:12 (NIV)
Jun 5: "O Sovereign LORD, you are God! Your words are trustworthy, and you have promised these good things to your servant." - 2 Samuel 7:28 (NIV)
Jun 6: "Then Peter said, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk."" - Acts 3:6 (NIV)
Jun 7: "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." - Acts 4:12 (NIV)
Jun 2: "You know my folly, O God; my guilt is not hidden from you." - Psalm 69:5 (NIV)
Jun 3: "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." - Acts 1:8 (NIV)
Jun 4: "And David knew that the LORD had established him as king over Israel and had exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel." - 2 Samuel 5:12 (NIV)
Jun 5: "O Sovereign LORD, you are God! Your words are trustworthy, and you have promised these good things to your servant." - 2 Samuel 7:28 (NIV)
Jun 6: "Then Peter said, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk."" - Acts 3:6 (NIV)
Jun 7: "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." - Acts 4:12 (NIV)
Monday 7 June 2010
Psalm 107:1
I opened two separate emails today and both of them began with the same verse.
"Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever." - Psalm 107:1 (NIV)
Amen!
"Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever." - Psalm 107:1 (NIV)
Amen!
Sunday 6 June 2010
Proverbs and Providence
*This is the outline of my talk at the James CU Weekend Away.*
Two *Extreme and Inaccurate* Views of God's Will
1. God's will is something which we might miss if we are not careful.
- God's Will of Command vs God's Will of Decree
- We can be outside God's will of command.
- However, we can never be outside God's will of decree.
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." - Romans 8:28 (NIV)
2. God's will is uncertain and unknown, even to God Himself.
BUT
"In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps." - Proverbs 16:9 (NIV)
"The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD." - Proverbs 16:33 (NIV)
"Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails." - Proverbs 19:21 (NIV)
A Third View of God's Will
3. God's will is exactly what we would desire if we knew all the facts.
- God takes our choices and works them for His glory and our good (Romans 8:28).
- God is in control (Proverbs 16:9, 16:33, 19:21).
- God intends all things - even evil - for good.
"You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives." - Genesis 50:20 (NIV)
"Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross." - Acts 2:22-23 (NIV)
"Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen." - Acts 4:27-28 (NIV)
A Way Forward
"A man's steps are directed by the LORD. How then can anyone understand his own way?" - Proverbs 20:24 (NIV)
"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." - Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)
"Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed." - Proverbs 16:3 (NIV)
Conclusion
What is God's will for my life?
"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." - 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV)
How can I know it?
"Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will." - Romans 12:1-2 (NIV)
Two *Extreme and Inaccurate* Views of God's Will
1. God's will is something which we might miss if we are not careful.
- God's Will of Command vs God's Will of Decree
- We can be outside God's will of command.
- However, we can never be outside God's will of decree.
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." - Romans 8:28 (NIV)
2. God's will is uncertain and unknown, even to God Himself.
BUT
"In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps." - Proverbs 16:9 (NIV)
"The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD." - Proverbs 16:33 (NIV)
"Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails." - Proverbs 19:21 (NIV)
A Third View of God's Will
3. God's will is exactly what we would desire if we knew all the facts.
- God takes our choices and works them for His glory and our good (Romans 8:28).
- God is in control (Proverbs 16:9, 16:33, 19:21).
- God intends all things - even evil - for good.
"You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives." - Genesis 50:20 (NIV)
"Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross." - Acts 2:22-23 (NIV)
"Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen." - Acts 4:27-28 (NIV)
A Way Forward
"A man's steps are directed by the LORD. How then can anyone understand his own way?" - Proverbs 20:24 (NIV)
"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." - Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)
"Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed." - Proverbs 16:3 (NIV)
Conclusion
What is God's will for my life?
"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." - 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV)
How can I know it?
"Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will." - Romans 12:1-2 (NIV)
Saturday 5 June 2010
Eshet Chayil
The Midrash sums it all up. "Says Rabbi Acha: Whoever marries a proper wife, it is accounted him as though he fulfilled the whole Torah from beginning to end. That is why it is all included in the Eshet Chayil, the last chapter of Proverbs, whose first verse begins with aleph, the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet, and whose last verse begins with tav, the last letter of the alphabet."
- Maurice Lamm, The Jewish Way in Love and Marriage
Link: In Context (12 Nov 09)
- Maurice Lamm, The Jewish Way in Love and Marriage
Link: In Context (12 Nov 09)
Friday 4 June 2010
The First and Ultimate Matchmaker
There is no doubt, the talmudic Sages conclude, that God Himself had to be the first and ultimate shadkhan (matchmaker). Who else could blend two disparate personalities so that they cleave together "as one flesh"? Did he not arrange the union of Adam and Eve? The conclusion was irresistible, and it was written no fewer than five times in midrashic literature: "Marriages are made in Heaven."
This is not a romantic American cliche, but a serious statement of predestination. God determines which people will unite successfully and serve as vehicles for human survival. Does not the Talmud say: "Forty days before the birth of a child, a heavenly voice proclaims: 'The daughter of so-and-so will be married to so-and-so?'" The Talmud even illustrates how this idea induced a spirit of quietism in some people, with the tale of a young woman who refused to wear pretty clothes, jewelry, or cosmetics to attract a husband, because she believed that - regardless of what she might do - her suitor would be brought to her by God.
This raises a thorny question: If the selection of a mate is preordained, why is it necessary to go through the elaborate charade of selecting a suitable mate? And why do so many marriages fail?
Rabbi Akiva responds to a similar question of predestination by saying, "Everything is known to God, yet free will is given to man." God knows what we will do and how things will work out, but it is still up to us to arrange our own life. Only after all of the arrangements have been made can we say confidently that this is what God had originally ordained.
- Maurice Lamm, The Jewish Way in Love and Marriage
Links: A Molinist View of (the UK General) Election (7 May 10), A Molinist View of Relationships (19 May 10), A Molinist View of Samson's Marriage (30 Jun 10)
This is not a romantic American cliche, but a serious statement of predestination. God determines which people will unite successfully and serve as vehicles for human survival. Does not the Talmud say: "Forty days before the birth of a child, a heavenly voice proclaims: 'The daughter of so-and-so will be married to so-and-so?'" The Talmud even illustrates how this idea induced a spirit of quietism in some people, with the tale of a young woman who refused to wear pretty clothes, jewelry, or cosmetics to attract a husband, because she believed that - regardless of what she might do - her suitor would be brought to her by God.
This raises a thorny question: If the selection of a mate is preordained, why is it necessary to go through the elaborate charade of selecting a suitable mate? And why do so many marriages fail?
Rabbi Akiva responds to a similar question of predestination by saying, "Everything is known to God, yet free will is given to man." God knows what we will do and how things will work out, but it is still up to us to arrange our own life. Only after all of the arrangements have been made can we say confidently that this is what God had originally ordained.
- Maurice Lamm, The Jewish Way in Love and Marriage
Links: A Molinist View of (the UK General) Election (7 May 10), A Molinist View of Relationships (19 May 10), A Molinist View of Samson's Marriage (30 Jun 10)
Thursday 3 June 2010
Genesis 24
It seems strange that the longest chapter in Genesis tells the story of how a man got his wife. While that is an important topic, and this is certainly a beautiful story, does it deserve that much space? Only thirty-one verses are devoted to the Creation account in Genesis 1; sixty-seven verses are allowed to relate how Rebekah became Isaac's wife...
Today, while we do not use the same manner as Abraham's servant, the principles still apply: We must want God's will, we must pray and seek His guidance, we must be willing to obey, and we must be alert to what God is doing.
- Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Obedient
Links: The Obedience of the Will (26 May 10), Trust and Obey (30 May 10)
Today, while we do not use the same manner as Abraham's servant, the principles still apply: We must want God's will, we must pray and seek His guidance, we must be willing to obey, and we must be alert to what God is doing.
- Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Obedient
Links: The Obedience of the Will (26 May 10), Trust and Obey (30 May 10)
Wednesday 2 June 2010
Here I raise my Ebenezer
The founder of the China Inland Mission (now the Overseas Missionary Fellowship), J. Hudson Taylor, used to hang in his home a plaque with two Hebrew words on it: "Ebenezer" and "Jehovah-Jireh". They mean: "Hitherto hath the Lord helped us" (1 Samuel 7:12) and "The Lord will see to it." Whether he looked back or ahead, Hudson Taylor knew the Lord was at work, and he had nothing to fear.
- Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Obedient
Links: Thus far has the LORD helped us (1 May 10), Wait (29 May 10), Hither by Thy help I've come (9 Aug 10)
- Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Obedient
Links: Thus far has the LORD helped us (1 May 10), Wait (29 May 10), Hither by Thy help I've come (9 Aug 10)
Tuesday 1 June 2010
May 22 to 31
May 22: "Do not turn away after useless idols. They can do you no good, nor can they rescue you, because they are useless." - 1 Samuel 12:21 (NIV)
May 23: "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." - John 13:34-35 (NIV)
May 24: "But Samuel replied: "Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams."" - 1 Samuel 15:22 (NIV)
May 25: "But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."" - 1 Samuel 16:7 (NIV)
May 26: "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." - John 16:33 (NIV)
May 27: "Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth." - John 17:17 (NIV)
May 28: "Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life." - Proverbs 13:12 (NIV)
May 29: "Praise be to the Lord, to God our Saviour, who daily bears our burdens." - Psalm 68:19 (NIV)
May 30: "The LORD rewards every man for his righteousness and faithfulness. The LORD gave you into my hands today, but I would not lay a hand on the LORD's anointed. As surely as I valued your life today, so may the LORD value my life and deliver me from all trouble." - 1 Samuel 26:23-24 (NIV)
May 31: "Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, "I am thirsty." A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus' lips. When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit." - John 19:28-30 (NIV)
May 23: "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." - John 13:34-35 (NIV)
May 24: "But Samuel replied: "Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams."" - 1 Samuel 15:22 (NIV)
May 25: "But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."" - 1 Samuel 16:7 (NIV)
May 26: "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." - John 16:33 (NIV)
May 27: "Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth." - John 17:17 (NIV)
May 28: "Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life." - Proverbs 13:12 (NIV)
May 29: "Praise be to the Lord, to God our Saviour, who daily bears our burdens." - Psalm 68:19 (NIV)
May 30: "The LORD rewards every man for his righteousness and faithfulness. The LORD gave you into my hands today, but I would not lay a hand on the LORD's anointed. As surely as I valued your life today, so may the LORD value my life and deliver me from all trouble." - 1 Samuel 26:23-24 (NIV)
May 31: "Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, "I am thirsty." A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus' lips. When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit." - John 19:28-30 (NIV)
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