Dear God,
Help these that stand before you to teach with wisdom, for they work with you to shape minds. Let them ask the hard questions and work through the answers, and then frame provocative questions to stimulate the thinking of their learners. Let them analyze their subject matter into parts and see the relationships and discover the unity of the whole. Help them to know the problems their learners experience with the subject matter, and let them encourage them to get over the humps of discouragement. Equip these teachers to teach with truth as they work with You to shape their learners conscience. Encourage these teachers, before You, to teach with vision for they help to shape their student’s future. A good teacher foresees objections and thinks them through so they can answer their pupils intelligently. Help them to put themselves in the place of a variety of learners, and therefore explain hard things in terms we as learners can understand. Help our teachers to be concrete not abstract, specific not general, precise not vague, vulnerable and not evasive. Empower them to teach with love for they help to shape the world. Finally, dear Father, let their goal as good teachers be to transform life and thought into a Christ-honoring unity. Amen.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Learning to Endure – A Better Way
To keep your faith strong, focus your life on Christ.
Heb.12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Because Christ is superior to all, worship Christ as superior to all creation.
Heb.1:1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
Our Lord Jesus knows how we feel, He helps when we hurt, so count on Christ’s sympathy in suffering.
Heb.2:9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.
Our Lord has been faithful, so we should remain faithful since Christ is faithful.
Heb.3:14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end; 15 While it is said, Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.
God provides His special blessings of eternal rest, so enter God’s rest through faith.
Heb.4:11 Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief . 12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Jesus Christ is the perfect priest for believers, so grow in spiritual maturity through His mediation.
13 For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. 14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age , even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
Christians need to move forward in hope, not slip back into doubt, so lay hold of the hope that is in Christ.
Heb.6:11 And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end: 12 That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
Christ’s priesthood gives confidence and stability to His people, so rejoice in Christ, the Great High Priest.
Heb.7:25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
In Christ, God has provided a new covenant that fulfills what the old covenant could only picture, so find joy and hope in Christ’s priesthood.
Heb.9:14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
Believers must be in practice what they already are in Christ, so be encouraged in the face of pressure.
Heb.10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
Faith is essential in living a godly life, so exercise faith in God no matter what.
Heb. 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
The godly person endures in hope, so face challenges with eternal certainties.
Heb.12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
A godly life will demonstrate practical love, so demonstrate practical love without hypocrisy.
Heb.13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
Heb.12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Because Christ is superior to all, worship Christ as superior to all creation.
Heb.1:1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
Our Lord Jesus knows how we feel, He helps when we hurt, so count on Christ’s sympathy in suffering.
Heb.2:9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.
Our Lord has been faithful, so we should remain faithful since Christ is faithful.
Heb.3:14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end; 15 While it is said, Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.
God provides His special blessings of eternal rest, so enter God’s rest through faith.
Heb.4:11 Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief . 12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Jesus Christ is the perfect priest for believers, so grow in spiritual maturity through His mediation.
13 For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. 14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age , even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
Christians need to move forward in hope, not slip back into doubt, so lay hold of the hope that is in Christ.
Heb.6:11 And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end: 12 That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
Christ’s priesthood gives confidence and stability to His people, so rejoice in Christ, the Great High Priest.
Heb.7:25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
In Christ, God has provided a new covenant that fulfills what the old covenant could only picture, so find joy and hope in Christ’s priesthood.
Heb.9:14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
Believers must be in practice what they already are in Christ, so be encouraged in the face of pressure.
Heb.10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
Faith is essential in living a godly life, so exercise faith in God no matter what.
Heb. 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
The godly person endures in hope, so face challenges with eternal certainties.
Heb.12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
A godly life will demonstrate practical love, so demonstrate practical love without hypocrisy.
Heb.13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
God Is My Strength and Portion Forever
73 A Psalm of Asaph.
1 Truly God is good to Israel,
to those who are pure in heart.
2 But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled,
my steps had nearly slipped.
3 For I was envious of the arrogant
when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
4 For they have no pangs until death;
their bodies are fat and sleek.
5 They are not in trouble as others are;
they are not stricken like the rest of mankind.
6 Therefore pride is their necklace;
violence covers them as a garment.
7 Their eyes swell out through fatness;
their hearts overflow with follies.
8 They scoff and peak with malice;
loftily they threaten oppression.
9 They set their mouths against the heavens,
and their tongue struts through the earth.
10 Therefore his people turn back to them,
and find no fault in them.
11 And they say, “How can God know?
Is there knowledge in the Most High?”
12 Behold, these are the wicked;
always at ease, they increase in riches.
13 All in vain have I kept my heart clean
and washed my hands in innocence.
14 For all the day long I have been stricken
and rebuked every morning.
15 If I had said, “I will speak thus,”
I would have betrayed the generation of your children.
16 But when I thought how to understand this,
it seemed to me a wearisome task,
17 until I went into he sanctuary of God;
then I discerned their end.
18 Truly you set them in slippery places;
you make them fall to ruin.
19 How they are destroyed in a moment,
swept away utterly by terrors!
20 Like a dream when one awakes,
O Lord, when you rouse yourself, you despise them as phantoms.
21 When my soul was embittered,
when I was pricked in heart,
22 I was brutish and ignorant;
I was like a beast toward you.
23 Nevertheless, I am continually with you;
you hold my right hand.
24 You guide me with your counsel,
and afterward you will receive me to glory.
25 Whom have I in heaven but you?
And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.
26 My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
27 For behold, those who are far from you shall perish;
you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you.
28 But for me it is good to be near God;
I have made the Lord God my refuge,
that I may tell of all your works.
III. Book III (Pss. 73-89)
Eleven of the 17 psalms in this section are attributed to Asaph (Pss. 73-83), one to David (Ps. 86), three to the sons of Korah (Pss. 84-85; 87), one to Heman (Ps. 88), and another to Ethan (Ps. 89). Asaph, Heman, and Ethan were Levite musicians in David’s day (1 Chron. 15:17, 19).
Psalm 73
This psalm strikes the same theme as Psalm 49, and thus may be classified as a wisdom psalm or at least may be studied for its wisdom motifs. In it “Asaph” told of the doubts which nearly overwhelmed him when he compared the life of a worldly man with his own. But then he confessed the sinfulness of his thoughts and explained that the contrast in their destinies enabled him to keep a proper perspective.
A. Prosperity of the wicked (73:1-14)
73:1-3. Asaph began this psalm by affirming that though God is good to those in Israel who trust Him and are pure in heart (cf. v. 13), he himself nearly slipped (cf. 94:18) in his confidence in the Lord. The psalmist emphasized his own situation by beginning four verses with the Hebrew expression translated But as for me (73:2, 22-23, 28). His offense was that he was envious of the prosperity of the wicked. Why should the people who oppose God be better off than those who trust Him? This problem was so overwhelming he almost lost faith in God’s goodness.
73:4-12. Asaph explained the prosperity that troubled him. He observed that the wicked do not seem to suffer trouble as other people do (vv. 4-5). They cover themselves with pride and violence (v. 6). Their evil devices are unbounded (v. 7). Their speech is scornful, malicious, and arrogant, as if they owned the earth (vv. 8-9). Many people are carried away by their evil (they turn to them, v. 10) and presumptuous self-confidence, thinking God does not know of their sin (v. 11; cf. 94:7). With no cares in the world (cf. 73:4-5, 12) wicked, arrogant people continue to prosper.
73:13-14. Asaph said he was confused over the value of his salvation. He felt that he had cleansed himself in vain (cf. pure in v. 1) because since trusting the Lord he had been plagued and chastened. Like many saints before and after him, Asaph was puzzled that God seemed to prosper the wicked and punish the righteous.
B. Destiny of the wicked and the righteous (73:15-28)
73:15-20. Asaph overcame his doubts by considering the destiny of the wicked. First, he acknowledged the impiety of his former conclusion in view of this consideration. His words are like a confession, for he knew the treachery his words could have been to the congregation (v. 15). The entire conflict was painful (oppressive) to him, till in the sanctuary he understood what will happen to the wicked. God will set them in dangerous (slippery; cf. “slipped” in v. 2) places where they will stumble and fall, be cast . . . down in ruin, and suddenly be destroyed.
When God finally sets things right, the wicked will be like fantasies (a dream), counterfeits of reality. This was the negative aspect of the solution to Asaph’s problem.
73:21-26. The positive aspect of the solution was Asaph’s conviction of his own glorious destiny. He confessed that his perspective had been dulled by brutish ignorance. If he had not been so ignorant, he admitted, his heart would not have been so bitter (vv. 21-22). (Grieved is lit., “grew sour”; embittered is lit., “felt stinging pains.”) His true position was in stark contrast with the wicked, for he knew God was always with him (v. 23) and would guide him wisely (with His counsel) and receive him into glory (v. 24). “Into glory” could also be translated “with glory,” meaning that God would guide him through his troubles so that he would enjoy honor (and not shame; cf. 4:2) in this life. Since “glory” for individuals in the Old Testament seldom meant heavenly glory the psalmist was probably looking for deliverance in his lifetime. This would demonstrate that he was in God’s favor. Of course believers today know from the New Testament that God’s punishment of the wicked and blessing of the righteous extend beyond death.
In addition, Asaph affirmed that God was his only possession in heaven or on the earth. Though Asaph was overwhelmed, God was his Strength (cf. 18:1) and His Portion (cf. 16:5; 119:57; 142:5). Some wicked people prosper materially but only the spiritual “possessions” of the righteous will last.
73:27-28. Asaph concluded that those who are far from God and are unfaithful will be destroyed, but that those who are near God find joy and safety. Though he had nearly slipped in his confidence in God (cf. v. 2) he now was reassured that God was keeping him secure. God was his Refuge (maḥseh, “shelter from danger”; cf. 14:6; 46:1; 61:3; 62:7-8; 71:7; 91:2, 9). Nearness to God always helps believers maintain a balanced perspective on material things and on the wicked.
cf. confer, compare
v. verse
vv. verses
lit. literal, literally
1 Truly God is good to Israel,
to those who are pure in heart.
2 But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled,
my steps had nearly slipped.
3 For I was envious of the arrogant
when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
4 For they have no pangs until death;
their bodies are fat and sleek.
5 They are not in trouble as others are;
they are not stricken like the rest of mankind.
6 Therefore pride is their necklace;
violence covers them as a garment.
7 Their eyes swell out through fatness;
their hearts overflow with follies.
8 They scoff and peak with malice;
loftily they threaten oppression.
9 They set their mouths against the heavens,
and their tongue struts through the earth.
10 Therefore his people turn back to them,
and find no fault in them.
11 And they say, “How can God know?
Is there knowledge in the Most High?”
12 Behold, these are the wicked;
always at ease, they increase in riches.
13 All in vain have I kept my heart clean
and washed my hands in innocence.
14 For all the day long I have been stricken
and rebuked every morning.
15 If I had said, “I will speak thus,”
I would have betrayed the generation of your children.
16 But when I thought how to understand this,
it seemed to me a wearisome task,
17 until I went into he sanctuary of God;
then I discerned their end.
18 Truly you set them in slippery places;
you make them fall to ruin.
19 How they are destroyed in a moment,
swept away utterly by terrors!
20 Like a dream when one awakes,
O Lord, when you rouse yourself, you despise them as phantoms.
21 When my soul was embittered,
when I was pricked in heart,
22 I was brutish and ignorant;
I was like a beast toward you.
23 Nevertheless, I am continually with you;
you hold my right hand.
24 You guide me with your counsel,
and afterward you will receive me to glory.
25 Whom have I in heaven but you?
And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.
26 My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
27 For behold, those who are far from you shall perish;
you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you.
28 But for me it is good to be near God;
I have made the Lord God my refuge,
that I may tell of all your works.
III. Book III (Pss. 73-89)
Eleven of the 17 psalms in this section are attributed to Asaph (Pss. 73-83), one to David (Ps. 86), three to the sons of Korah (Pss. 84-85; 87), one to Heman (Ps. 88), and another to Ethan (Ps. 89). Asaph, Heman, and Ethan were Levite musicians in David’s day (1 Chron. 15:17, 19).
Psalm 73
This psalm strikes the same theme as Psalm 49, and thus may be classified as a wisdom psalm or at least may be studied for its wisdom motifs. In it “Asaph” told of the doubts which nearly overwhelmed him when he compared the life of a worldly man with his own. But then he confessed the sinfulness of his thoughts and explained that the contrast in their destinies enabled him to keep a proper perspective.
A. Prosperity of the wicked (73:1-14)
73:1-3. Asaph began this psalm by affirming that though God is good to those in Israel who trust Him and are pure in heart (cf. v. 13), he himself nearly slipped (cf. 94:18) in his confidence in the Lord. The psalmist emphasized his own situation by beginning four verses with the Hebrew expression translated But as for me (73:2, 22-23, 28). His offense was that he was envious of the prosperity of the wicked. Why should the people who oppose God be better off than those who trust Him? This problem was so overwhelming he almost lost faith in God’s goodness.
73:4-12. Asaph explained the prosperity that troubled him. He observed that the wicked do not seem to suffer trouble as other people do (vv. 4-5). They cover themselves with pride and violence (v. 6). Their evil devices are unbounded (v. 7). Their speech is scornful, malicious, and arrogant, as if they owned the earth (vv. 8-9). Many people are carried away by their evil (they turn to them, v. 10) and presumptuous self-confidence, thinking God does not know of their sin (v. 11; cf. 94:7). With no cares in the world (cf. 73:4-5, 12) wicked, arrogant people continue to prosper.
73:13-14. Asaph said he was confused over the value of his salvation. He felt that he had cleansed himself in vain (cf. pure in v. 1) because since trusting the Lord he had been plagued and chastened. Like many saints before and after him, Asaph was puzzled that God seemed to prosper the wicked and punish the righteous.
B. Destiny of the wicked and the righteous (73:15-28)
73:15-20. Asaph overcame his doubts by considering the destiny of the wicked. First, he acknowledged the impiety of his former conclusion in view of this consideration. His words are like a confession, for he knew the treachery his words could have been to the congregation (v. 15). The entire conflict was painful (oppressive) to him, till in the sanctuary he understood what will happen to the wicked. God will set them in dangerous (slippery; cf. “slipped” in v. 2) places where they will stumble and fall, be cast . . . down in ruin, and suddenly be destroyed.
When God finally sets things right, the wicked will be like fantasies (a dream), counterfeits of reality. This was the negative aspect of the solution to Asaph’s problem.
73:21-26. The positive aspect of the solution was Asaph’s conviction of his own glorious destiny. He confessed that his perspective had been dulled by brutish ignorance. If he had not been so ignorant, he admitted, his heart would not have been so bitter (vv. 21-22). (Grieved is lit., “grew sour”; embittered is lit., “felt stinging pains.”) His true position was in stark contrast with the wicked, for he knew God was always with him (v. 23) and would guide him wisely (with His counsel) and receive him into glory (v. 24). “Into glory” could also be translated “with glory,” meaning that God would guide him through his troubles so that he would enjoy honor (and not shame; cf. 4:2) in this life. Since “glory” for individuals in the Old Testament seldom meant heavenly glory the psalmist was probably looking for deliverance in his lifetime. This would demonstrate that he was in God’s favor. Of course believers today know from the New Testament that God’s punishment of the wicked and blessing of the righteous extend beyond death.
In addition, Asaph affirmed that God was his only possession in heaven or on the earth. Though Asaph was overwhelmed, God was his Strength (cf. 18:1) and His Portion (cf. 16:5; 119:57; 142:5). Some wicked people prosper materially but only the spiritual “possessions” of the righteous will last.
73:27-28. Asaph concluded that those who are far from God and are unfaithful will be destroyed, but that those who are near God find joy and safety. Though he had nearly slipped in his confidence in God (cf. v. 2) he now was reassured that God was keeping him secure. God was his Refuge (maḥseh, “shelter from danger”; cf. 14:6; 46:1; 61:3; 62:7-8; 71:7; 91:2, 9). Nearness to God always helps believers maintain a balanced perspective on material things and on the wicked.
cf. confer, compare
v. verse
vv. verses
lit. literal, literally
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Doxologies of the Bible
Ps.41:13 Blessed be the LORD God of Israel from everlasting, and to everlasting. Amen, and Amen.
Ps.72:18 Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things. 19 And blessed be his glorious name for ever: and let the whole earth be filled with his glory; Amen, and Amen.
Ps.89:52 Blessed be the LORD for evermore. Amen, and Amen.
Ps.106:48 Blessed be the LORD God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting: and let all the people say, Amen. Praise ye the LORD.
Ps.150:1 Praise ye the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power. 2 Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness. 3 Praise him with the sound of the trumpet : praise him with the psaltery and harp. 4 Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs. 5 Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals. 6 Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.
Eph.3:20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, 21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.
Jude 24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, 25 To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever.† Amen.
† A Greek word occurs that is not directly translated in the King James Version. Greek Strongs: 165
Ps.72:18 Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things. 19 And blessed be his glorious name for ever: and let the whole earth be filled with his glory; Amen, and Amen.
Ps.89:52 Blessed be the LORD for evermore. Amen, and Amen.
Ps.106:48 Blessed be the LORD God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting: and let all the people say, Amen. Praise ye the LORD.
Ps.150:1 Praise ye the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power. 2 Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness. 3 Praise him with the sound of the trumpet : praise him with the psaltery and harp. 4 Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs. 5 Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals. 6 Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.
Eph.3:20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, 21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.
Jude 24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, 25 To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever.† Amen.
† A Greek word occurs that is not directly translated in the King James Version. Greek Strongs: 165
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Words spoken @ Betty’s (my Mom's) grave site
The death of a Saint is always precious in the sight of God:
Ps.116:15 Precious in the sight of the Lord
is the death of his saints.
It is full of
a. Faith. Heb 11:13. These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.
b. Peace. Isa 57:2. …taken away from calamity; he enters into peace; they rest…
c. Hope. Pr 14:32. …the righteous finds refuge in his death.
Sometimes for a saint death is desirable: Simeon, spoke these words revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.
Luke 2:29 “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace,
according to your word;
30 for my eyes have seen your salvation
31 that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.”
It leads to
a. Rest. Job 3:17; 2Th 1:7. …there the weary are at rest. …to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us
b. Comfort. Lu 16:25. …now he is comforted here,
c. Christ’s presence. 2Co 5:8; Php 1:23. …we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.
d. A crown of life. 2Ti 4:8; Re 2:10. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.
e. A joyful resurrection. Isa 26:19; Da 12:2. Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise. You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy! For your dew is a dew of light, and the earth will give birth to the dead…. those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake,
Sometimes it is waited for:
Job14:14 If a man dies, shall he live again?
All the days of my service I would wait,
till my relief should come.
Consolation & Encouragement for survivors is always appropriate:
1Thes. 4:13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.
Ps.116:15 Precious in the sight of the Lord
is the death of his saints.
It is full of
a. Faith. Heb 11:13. These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.
b. Peace. Isa 57:2. …taken away from calamity; he enters into peace; they rest…
c. Hope. Pr 14:32. …the righteous finds refuge in his death.
Sometimes for a saint death is desirable: Simeon, spoke these words revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.
Luke 2:29 “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace,
according to your word;
30 for my eyes have seen your salvation
31 that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.”
It leads to
a. Rest. Job 3:17; 2Th 1:7. …there the weary are at rest. …to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us
b. Comfort. Lu 16:25. …now he is comforted here,
c. Christ’s presence. 2Co 5:8; Php 1:23. …we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.
d. A crown of life. 2Ti 4:8; Re 2:10. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.
e. A joyful resurrection. Isa 26:19; Da 12:2. Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise. You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy! For your dew is a dew of light, and the earth will give birth to the dead…. those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake,
Sometimes it is waited for:
Job14:14 If a man dies, shall he live again?
All the days of my service I would wait,
till my relief should come.
Consolation & Encouragement for survivors is always appropriate:
1Thes. 4:13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.
Friday, August 21, 2009
Let It Be So!
Father, at times the way of Christ is complex to our “sin–stained” and finite minds. Forgive us for the times we have justified our vanity in the name of a good reputation. O, Lord, grant us, in this brief life, the wisdom and courage to please others, or not to please others, for the sake of Christ alone, and not our own praise. In Jesus’ name, let it be so.
Father in heaven, have mercy on the misery of this world. Forgive us for our part in causing the pain of others. Waken us as never before to the preciousness of your mercy bought by the blood of Christ. Fix our hopes so fully on the joy of heaven, that we become freest of all people on earth. May our everlasting memories of your grace make us glad of all you changed and all you forgave. In Jesus’ name, let it be so.
Gracious Father of light, give us eyes to see Your worth. Heal our blindness. Save us from the deadly disease of seeing the world as worth more than its Maker. Restore the capacity of our hearts to cherish infinite beauty and savor infinite sweetness. Deliver us from the deadening effects of thinking this short life is the main thing. In Jesus’ name, let it be so.
Omnipotent, all-governing Father, not a bird falls to the ground apart from You, and not a hair of our heads turns gray apart from You. Grant that we may know these great truths about You, and that we may speak them with winsome joy. Forgive us for the arrogance of denying them, and for the pride of vaunted self-sufficiency. Make us like children in our daily reliance on You, we pray. In Jesus’ name, let it be so.
Father, deliver us from the self-deception that makes us believe anxiety is mere precaution, and that unfaithful precaution is anything other than cloaked anxiety. O, how devious is the self-protecting soul! Have mercy on us, and make us bold. Free us from fear and from prudential avoidances of love. Make us more eager for the joy of giving than for the security of keeping. In Jesus’ name, let it be so.
Father, I love Your patience towards me. I love it when You describe Yourself as slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. Oh, to be more like You! Have mercy on my easily angered heart! Forgive my many peeves and murmurings. Grant that I would be saturated with grace, and let me show it to others, as I desperately need it for myself. Because of Jesus, let it be so.
Lord, I pray that you would fill us with hope and joy and expectation that You have the power to put Your hand on us, and grant us the will to do what You command. You have made it plain:
We are responsible to do what you tell us to do. But we know that in ourselves we do not have the will to do it. And so we cry with Augustine, “Lord, command what You will, and give what You command.” Leave us not to ourselves. Have mercy. In Jesus’ name, let it be so.
Gracious Father, grant me a lowly spirit of gratitude. Make me feel the preciousness of past grace. Give me an honest memory of mercy. Forgive me for the pride of unremembered gifts of callous thanklessness. Waken faith in my wavering soul and give me strong confidence in your solid promises. Where past and future meet, make me humble and bold. In Jesus’ name, let it be so.
Dear Father, I confess with shame that I am wired to love the praise of man. I know this is sin, and deeply offensive to Your infinite worth and beauty. Forgive me, I pray, and make the truth of Your election and Your faith-awakening gift kill all vanity in me. Set me, O Lord, not to brooding silence, but to boasting in Your glorious name. Through Christ I pray, let it be so.
O Lord, forbid that I would be so foolish as to be a lover of wages more than a lover of undeserved rewards. Make me feel the sweetness of being shown mercy. Work childlikeness deeply into my soul, and make me find my joy and my rest in Your free gift of grace. In Jesus’ name, let it be so.
Yes, Lord, yes! This is our heart’s desire. Forgive us for adrenaline spurts of righteousness. Forgive us for little sprints of holiness. Forgive us for short flashes of noble-minded sacrifice. Build into the fiber of our faith a rugged, resilient, never-say-die perseverance in the cause of truth and love! Make us coronary Christians! In Jesus’ name, let it be so.
Dear God and Creator and Father, I praise You for Your infinitely wise imagination! I bow with wonder at Your power to put in place the universe so full of marvels for our joy. I pray for the grace of imagination, lest I fail to render Your glory for what it really is, most beautiful of all beauties. Through Christ, I pray, let it be so.
Thank You, Lord, for the lives of flawed and faith-filled saints! Thank You for grace, amazing grace that saves and uses sinners! Lord, don’t let us limit Your power by what we see in the mirror. Help us to trust You. Help us, as William Carey said, to expect great things from God and attempt great things for God. We are not great. But You are great. Your power is made perfect in our weakness. We surrender all worldly claims on our lives. Come. Make us useful for the glory of Christ. In Jesus’ name, let it be so.
O Lord, Your ways are not our ways, and Your thoughts are not our thoughts. Yours are unsearchable and often baffling to our finite minds. You have chosen to give Satan freedom to do great damage, when it would be no injustice to him to destroy him now. We bow before Your wisdom. We embrace with Jesus the cross that saves our souls and sends us into battle with faith in the superior beauty and worth of Christ. Go with us. Help us. In His great name, let it be so.
O God, You are all wise and sovereign. Therefore we thank You for keeping in Your hands, not ours, the final determination of which paths are influential for Christ in our lives. We confess our sin and our fallibility. We do not want to run the world. We want You to run it. We rejoice that our best efforts may yield modest fruit. And our most foolish choices may be made the means of great fruit. In Jesus’ name, let it be so.
O Lord of hope, give us the eyes of John Newton and George Herbert. Give us eyes to see the utter unlikeliness of being loved by Christ. Take away the feeling that we deserve happiness. Cause us to be amazed at the wonder of grace. May grumbling and murmuring depart from our lips, O Lord, and make us tender toward sinners. Thank You, Father, for mercy. We cherish Your kindness and long to give to others the way You have given to us. In Jesus’ name, let it be so.
O Lord, this is our heart’s desire: Make us meek, and make us mighty. Give us confidence in the finished work of Christ, and give us humility because we are so far from perfection. Open our eyes to the wonder of what You have already done. And forbid that we would claim more now than is true. We are weak, we are sinful, and we need Your help. Thank You for our permanent acceptance in Christ. Thank You for our daily help from Christ. Thank You for laying hold on us. Now complete the work You have begun. In Jesus’ name, let it be so.
Open the eyes of our hearts, Father, to see precious and limited role of Your Law in bearing the fruit of love in our lives. Lead us into deep and personal union with Jesus. Let this relationship with the living Christ transform our minds and wills so that we want what He wants and hate what He hates. Make us, by this union, radically loving people. In Jesus’ name, we pray, let it be so.
Gracious, all-knowing Father, we praise You for Your infinite wisdom, and for Your wise and holy purposes that govern all You do, and all You permit to be done. We rejoice and take heart from the precious truth that nothing befalls us but by Your loving will toward us Your children. We pray that You will protect Your church from harmful error, and lead Your flock in the path of truth. Expose our idols, O God. And grant us to treasure Christ above all things. In His name we pray, let it be so.
Father, we confess that we are the children, and You are the Father. We are the learners, and You are the Teacher. We are sinful and fallible, You are holy and all-wise. Teach us to measure our thoughts by Yours and not the other way around. Humble us under Your mighty hand. Forbid that we would get angry with You, or criticize You, or be disappointed with You. Make us tremble at such insults. Oh, how deep are Your riches and Your wisdom! How unsearchable Your judgments! How inscrutable Your ways! We praise You! In Jesus’ name, let it be so.
Lord, have mercy on us in our frail and fallible condition. You are very powerful, and grass but we. We flourish and are gone. Grant us grace to trust that You are good in all Your works and all Your ways. May we never doubt Your sovereignty, even in the most painful times? Let the bones, which You have broken rejoice. Though You cause grief, have compassion on us according to Your steadfast love. In Jesus’ name, let it be so.
Yes, Lord, we do take heart from Your New Covenant promises. They are the sweetest ones of all. And from this side of the cross we see that they are all blood bought and secure. Thank You, Father, for sending Jesus Christ to be for us, by His blood, the yes and the AMEN to all Your promises. He is now the great ground of our hope and joy. Don’t let us despair in the battle of this brief life. In Jesus’ name, let it be so.
AMEN, Lord! Grant that we will love Christ above all things. And may we spend our pilgrim life learning to love this world less and heaven more. Put us out of taste with the delicacies of the devil, and give us a liking for the solid joys of Christ. Guard us from the allurements of the lodgings of this journey, and fix our eyes on the end. And so, Father, make us useful to this world, loving, helping, serving here, while leading people up to God. In Jesus’ name, let it be so.
Merciful Father, help us be ready to die well, Teach us how to help each other die! You have shown us that it will not be easy. But, Oh, how many promises You have given to help us say, “To die is gain.” Deliver us from fear. Give us unshakeable hope. Remind us that suffering may last for the night, but joy comes in the morning. Make us feel that this slight momentary affliction, this vapor, is working for us an eternal weight of glory. In Jesus’ name, let it be so.
Father in heaven, we pray that You will work in us the will to fight the suicidal sin that our will desires. We confess that there is a war within us. We grieve over the remnants of our corruption. Help us to set our faces like flint against the desire for anything above Christ. And grant that we would treasure Him above all. In His name we pray, let it be so.
So, Father, open our minds, enlarge our minds, fill our minds, transform our minds, so that we think Your thoughts after You. Incline our hearts to Your word, and not getting gain. Have mercy on us in our foolish additions to things that dull us to the delights of knowing You in Your Word. You have multiplied, O Lord our God, Your wondrous thoughts toward us. Your thoughts are very deep! All praise and honor to You! In Jesus’ name, let it be so.
Father, indeed we do pray for gainsayers, but not for them only, but for ourselves also. We have not seen and savored You as we ought. We have not worshiped You with the white-hot affections that You deserve. We have been lukewarm and half-hearted. Forgive us, O Lord, our merciful God. And lead us now into lasting joy. Enthrall us with Yourself. And break the power of all lesser pleasures. In Jesus’ name, let it be so.
And so, Father, take the swagger out of our indignation. Take self-pity out of our hearts, and presumption from our lips. Make us feel that mercy is our life. Teach us deeply that freely we have received, and freely we must give. Make us brokenhearted, happy, useful sojourners. In His name we pray, let it be so.
Lord, let us never cease to marvel at Your mercy and Your might! These are the twin wonders along with Your wisdom that give us hope when all around our soul gives way. Your mercy, Your might, Your wisdom! You are very great, and we praise You. Strengthen us the way You did Paul by word and, if necessary, by affliction. May Satan’s devices in our lives ever be turned against his evil designs and made to serve Your righteous ones. Grant us always to believe that Your invisible hand rules the world and is ruled by a heart of holy love and perfect wisdom. In Jesus’ name, let it be so.
Come quickly, Lord Jesus! And while You tarry, keep us free from the sin of this world. Oh, make our little lives count for the glory of Your name and for the fame of You Father. Rivet our attention on Your cross, and fuse our affections to Yourself. Waken our compassion for all who suffer, especially those who are rushing toward everlasting misery because of unbelief. So open our mouths and open our hands and open our wallets while we have breath, and make us the most radically loving people on earth, for the joy of all peoples and renown of Your name, AMEN.
Father in heaven, have mercy on the misery of this world. Forgive us for our part in causing the pain of others. Waken us as never before to the preciousness of your mercy bought by the blood of Christ. Fix our hopes so fully on the joy of heaven, that we become freest of all people on earth. May our everlasting memories of your grace make us glad of all you changed and all you forgave. In Jesus’ name, let it be so.
Gracious Father of light, give us eyes to see Your worth. Heal our blindness. Save us from the deadly disease of seeing the world as worth more than its Maker. Restore the capacity of our hearts to cherish infinite beauty and savor infinite sweetness. Deliver us from the deadening effects of thinking this short life is the main thing. In Jesus’ name, let it be so.
Omnipotent, all-governing Father, not a bird falls to the ground apart from You, and not a hair of our heads turns gray apart from You. Grant that we may know these great truths about You, and that we may speak them with winsome joy. Forgive us for the arrogance of denying them, and for the pride of vaunted self-sufficiency. Make us like children in our daily reliance on You, we pray. In Jesus’ name, let it be so.
Father, deliver us from the self-deception that makes us believe anxiety is mere precaution, and that unfaithful precaution is anything other than cloaked anxiety. O, how devious is the self-protecting soul! Have mercy on us, and make us bold. Free us from fear and from prudential avoidances of love. Make us more eager for the joy of giving than for the security of keeping. In Jesus’ name, let it be so.
Father, I love Your patience towards me. I love it when You describe Yourself as slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. Oh, to be more like You! Have mercy on my easily angered heart! Forgive my many peeves and murmurings. Grant that I would be saturated with grace, and let me show it to others, as I desperately need it for myself. Because of Jesus, let it be so.
Lord, I pray that you would fill us with hope and joy and expectation that You have the power to put Your hand on us, and grant us the will to do what You command. You have made it plain:
We are responsible to do what you tell us to do. But we know that in ourselves we do not have the will to do it. And so we cry with Augustine, “Lord, command what You will, and give what You command.” Leave us not to ourselves. Have mercy. In Jesus’ name, let it be so.
Gracious Father, grant me a lowly spirit of gratitude. Make me feel the preciousness of past grace. Give me an honest memory of mercy. Forgive me for the pride of unremembered gifts of callous thanklessness. Waken faith in my wavering soul and give me strong confidence in your solid promises. Where past and future meet, make me humble and bold. In Jesus’ name, let it be so.
Dear Father, I confess with shame that I am wired to love the praise of man. I know this is sin, and deeply offensive to Your infinite worth and beauty. Forgive me, I pray, and make the truth of Your election and Your faith-awakening gift kill all vanity in me. Set me, O Lord, not to brooding silence, but to boasting in Your glorious name. Through Christ I pray, let it be so.
O Lord, forbid that I would be so foolish as to be a lover of wages more than a lover of undeserved rewards. Make me feel the sweetness of being shown mercy. Work childlikeness deeply into my soul, and make me find my joy and my rest in Your free gift of grace. In Jesus’ name, let it be so.
Yes, Lord, yes! This is our heart’s desire. Forgive us for adrenaline spurts of righteousness. Forgive us for little sprints of holiness. Forgive us for short flashes of noble-minded sacrifice. Build into the fiber of our faith a rugged, resilient, never-say-die perseverance in the cause of truth and love! Make us coronary Christians! In Jesus’ name, let it be so.
Dear God and Creator and Father, I praise You for Your infinitely wise imagination! I bow with wonder at Your power to put in place the universe so full of marvels for our joy. I pray for the grace of imagination, lest I fail to render Your glory for what it really is, most beautiful of all beauties. Through Christ, I pray, let it be so.
Thank You, Lord, for the lives of flawed and faith-filled saints! Thank You for grace, amazing grace that saves and uses sinners! Lord, don’t let us limit Your power by what we see in the mirror. Help us to trust You. Help us, as William Carey said, to expect great things from God and attempt great things for God. We are not great. But You are great. Your power is made perfect in our weakness. We surrender all worldly claims on our lives. Come. Make us useful for the glory of Christ. In Jesus’ name, let it be so.
O Lord, Your ways are not our ways, and Your thoughts are not our thoughts. Yours are unsearchable and often baffling to our finite minds. You have chosen to give Satan freedom to do great damage, when it would be no injustice to him to destroy him now. We bow before Your wisdom. We embrace with Jesus the cross that saves our souls and sends us into battle with faith in the superior beauty and worth of Christ. Go with us. Help us. In His great name, let it be so.
O God, You are all wise and sovereign. Therefore we thank You for keeping in Your hands, not ours, the final determination of which paths are influential for Christ in our lives. We confess our sin and our fallibility. We do not want to run the world. We want You to run it. We rejoice that our best efforts may yield modest fruit. And our most foolish choices may be made the means of great fruit. In Jesus’ name, let it be so.
O Lord of hope, give us the eyes of John Newton and George Herbert. Give us eyes to see the utter unlikeliness of being loved by Christ. Take away the feeling that we deserve happiness. Cause us to be amazed at the wonder of grace. May grumbling and murmuring depart from our lips, O Lord, and make us tender toward sinners. Thank You, Father, for mercy. We cherish Your kindness and long to give to others the way You have given to us. In Jesus’ name, let it be so.
O Lord, this is our heart’s desire: Make us meek, and make us mighty. Give us confidence in the finished work of Christ, and give us humility because we are so far from perfection. Open our eyes to the wonder of what You have already done. And forbid that we would claim more now than is true. We are weak, we are sinful, and we need Your help. Thank You for our permanent acceptance in Christ. Thank You for our daily help from Christ. Thank You for laying hold on us. Now complete the work You have begun. In Jesus’ name, let it be so.
Open the eyes of our hearts, Father, to see precious and limited role of Your Law in bearing the fruit of love in our lives. Lead us into deep and personal union with Jesus. Let this relationship with the living Christ transform our minds and wills so that we want what He wants and hate what He hates. Make us, by this union, radically loving people. In Jesus’ name, we pray, let it be so.
Gracious, all-knowing Father, we praise You for Your infinite wisdom, and for Your wise and holy purposes that govern all You do, and all You permit to be done. We rejoice and take heart from the precious truth that nothing befalls us but by Your loving will toward us Your children. We pray that You will protect Your church from harmful error, and lead Your flock in the path of truth. Expose our idols, O God. And grant us to treasure Christ above all things. In His name we pray, let it be so.
Father, we confess that we are the children, and You are the Father. We are the learners, and You are the Teacher. We are sinful and fallible, You are holy and all-wise. Teach us to measure our thoughts by Yours and not the other way around. Humble us under Your mighty hand. Forbid that we would get angry with You, or criticize You, or be disappointed with You. Make us tremble at such insults. Oh, how deep are Your riches and Your wisdom! How unsearchable Your judgments! How inscrutable Your ways! We praise You! In Jesus’ name, let it be so.
Lord, have mercy on us in our frail and fallible condition. You are very powerful, and grass but we. We flourish and are gone. Grant us grace to trust that You are good in all Your works and all Your ways. May we never doubt Your sovereignty, even in the most painful times? Let the bones, which You have broken rejoice. Though You cause grief, have compassion on us according to Your steadfast love. In Jesus’ name, let it be so.
Yes, Lord, we do take heart from Your New Covenant promises. They are the sweetest ones of all. And from this side of the cross we see that they are all blood bought and secure. Thank You, Father, for sending Jesus Christ to be for us, by His blood, the yes and the AMEN to all Your promises. He is now the great ground of our hope and joy. Don’t let us despair in the battle of this brief life. In Jesus’ name, let it be so.
AMEN, Lord! Grant that we will love Christ above all things. And may we spend our pilgrim life learning to love this world less and heaven more. Put us out of taste with the delicacies of the devil, and give us a liking for the solid joys of Christ. Guard us from the allurements of the lodgings of this journey, and fix our eyes on the end. And so, Father, make us useful to this world, loving, helping, serving here, while leading people up to God. In Jesus’ name, let it be so.
Merciful Father, help us be ready to die well, Teach us how to help each other die! You have shown us that it will not be easy. But, Oh, how many promises You have given to help us say, “To die is gain.” Deliver us from fear. Give us unshakeable hope. Remind us that suffering may last for the night, but joy comes in the morning. Make us feel that this slight momentary affliction, this vapor, is working for us an eternal weight of glory. In Jesus’ name, let it be so.
Father in heaven, we pray that You will work in us the will to fight the suicidal sin that our will desires. We confess that there is a war within us. We grieve over the remnants of our corruption. Help us to set our faces like flint against the desire for anything above Christ. And grant that we would treasure Him above all. In His name we pray, let it be so.
So, Father, open our minds, enlarge our minds, fill our minds, transform our minds, so that we think Your thoughts after You. Incline our hearts to Your word, and not getting gain. Have mercy on us in our foolish additions to things that dull us to the delights of knowing You in Your Word. You have multiplied, O Lord our God, Your wondrous thoughts toward us. Your thoughts are very deep! All praise and honor to You! In Jesus’ name, let it be so.
Father, indeed we do pray for gainsayers, but not for them only, but for ourselves also. We have not seen and savored You as we ought. We have not worshiped You with the white-hot affections that You deserve. We have been lukewarm and half-hearted. Forgive us, O Lord, our merciful God. And lead us now into lasting joy. Enthrall us with Yourself. And break the power of all lesser pleasures. In Jesus’ name, let it be so.
And so, Father, take the swagger out of our indignation. Take self-pity out of our hearts, and presumption from our lips. Make us feel that mercy is our life. Teach us deeply that freely we have received, and freely we must give. Make us brokenhearted, happy, useful sojourners. In His name we pray, let it be so.
Lord, let us never cease to marvel at Your mercy and Your might! These are the twin wonders along with Your wisdom that give us hope when all around our soul gives way. Your mercy, Your might, Your wisdom! You are very great, and we praise You. Strengthen us the way You did Paul by word and, if necessary, by affliction. May Satan’s devices in our lives ever be turned against his evil designs and made to serve Your righteous ones. Grant us always to believe that Your invisible hand rules the world and is ruled by a heart of holy love and perfect wisdom. In Jesus’ name, let it be so.
Come quickly, Lord Jesus! And while You tarry, keep us free from the sin of this world. Oh, make our little lives count for the glory of Your name and for the fame of You Father. Rivet our attention on Your cross, and fuse our affections to Yourself. Waken our compassion for all who suffer, especially those who are rushing toward everlasting misery because of unbelief. So open our mouths and open our hands and open our wallets while we have breath, and make us the most radically loving people on earth, for the joy of all peoples and renown of Your name, AMEN.
Four Faithful Sayings
1Tim.1:12And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry; 13Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. 14And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. 15This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. 16Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting. 17Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
1Tim. 4:6If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained. 7But refuse profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness. 8For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. 9This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation. 10For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe. 11These things command and teach. 12Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity. 13Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. 14Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery. 15Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all. 16Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.
2 Tim.2:8Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel: 9Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil doer, even unto bonds; but the word of God is not bound. 10Therefore I endure all things for the elect’s sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. 11It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: 12If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: 13If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.
Titus 3:1Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work, 2To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men. 3For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. 4But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, 5Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; 6Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; 7That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. 8This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.
“It is a faithful saying.”
— 2 Timothy 2:11
Paul has four of these “faithful sayings.” The first occurs in 1 Timothy 1:15, “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” The next is in 1 Timothy 4:6, “Godliness is profitable unto all things, having the promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation.” The third is in 2 Timothy 2:12, “It is a faithful saying—If we suffer with him we shall also reign with him”; and the fourth is in Titus 3:8, “This is a faithful saying, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works.” We may trace a connection between these faithful sayings. The first one lays the foundation of our eternal salvation in the free grace of God, as shown to us in the mission of the great Redeemer. The next affirms the double blessedness, which we obtain through this salvation—the blessings of the upper and nether springs—of time and of eternity. The third shows one of the duties to which the chosen people are called; we are ordained to suffer for Christ with the promise that “if we suffer, we shall also reign with him.” The last sets forth the active form of Christian service, bidding us diligently to maintain good works. Thus we have the root of salvation in free grace; next, the privileges of that salvation in the life which now is, and in that which is to come; and we have also the two great branches of suffering with Christ and serving with Christ, loaded with the fruits of the Spirit. Treasure up these faithful sayings. Let them be the guides of our life, our comfort, and our instruction. The apostle of the Gentiles proved them to be faithful, they are faithful still, not one word shall fall to the ground; they are worthy of all acceptation, let us accept them now, and prove their faithfulness. Let these four faithful sayings be written on the four corners of my house.
1Tim. 4:6If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained. 7But refuse profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness. 8For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. 9This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation. 10For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe. 11These things command and teach. 12Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity. 13Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. 14Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery. 15Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all. 16Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.
2 Tim.2:8Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel: 9Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil doer, even unto bonds; but the word of God is not bound. 10Therefore I endure all things for the elect’s sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. 11It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: 12If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: 13If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.
Titus 3:1Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work, 2To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men. 3For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. 4But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, 5Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; 6Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; 7That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. 8This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.
“It is a faithful saying.”
— 2 Timothy 2:11
Paul has four of these “faithful sayings.” The first occurs in 1 Timothy 1:15, “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” The next is in 1 Timothy 4:6, “Godliness is profitable unto all things, having the promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation.” The third is in 2 Timothy 2:12, “It is a faithful saying—If we suffer with him we shall also reign with him”; and the fourth is in Titus 3:8, “This is a faithful saying, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works.” We may trace a connection between these faithful sayings. The first one lays the foundation of our eternal salvation in the free grace of God, as shown to us in the mission of the great Redeemer. The next affirms the double blessedness, which we obtain through this salvation—the blessings of the upper and nether springs—of time and of eternity. The third shows one of the duties to which the chosen people are called; we are ordained to suffer for Christ with the promise that “if we suffer, we shall also reign with him.” The last sets forth the active form of Christian service, bidding us diligently to maintain good works. Thus we have the root of salvation in free grace; next, the privileges of that salvation in the life which now is, and in that which is to come; and we have also the two great branches of suffering with Christ and serving with Christ, loaded with the fruits of the Spirit. Treasure up these faithful sayings. Let them be the guides of our life, our comfort, and our instruction. The apostle of the Gentiles proved them to be faithful, they are faithful still, not one word shall fall to the ground; they are worthy of all acceptation, let us accept them now, and prove their faithfulness. Let these four faithful sayings be written on the four corners of my house.
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