Tune and Prepare!

devotional - Ligonier.com We are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things?” 2Cor 2:15-16 Paul likens his Apostolic ministry to the victory parades of Roman generals. After a triumph, these generals would take their captured prisoners of war through a city in a procession celebrating the win, and the prisoners scattered incense to draw attention to the victory. Similarly, Christ parades throughout the world Paul and the other Apostles, who spread the fragrance—the gospel—that announces Jesus’ victory over the devil (2 Cor. 2:14). Adding another layer to this image, Paul in today’s passage says that he is the fragrance or “aroma of Christ to God” (v. 15). The picture is from sacrifices of the old covenant. When those sacrifices were offered rightly and burned, the scent of animal flesh on the a...

“The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil” Eccl. 12:13–14 ... the Bible in many ways presents the glory of God as the chief end or purpose of human beings. He made us in His image to reflect His glory and to enter His glorious presence through Christ (Gen. 1:26–28; Heb. 12:18–29). Moreover, the Lord redeems us so that we will finally see Him face-to-face (1 John 3:3). In light of God’s purpose for us in creation, redemption, and worship, then, we should have as our ultimate aim to live our lives to the glory of God. If we want to bring ourselves in line with our Creator’s loving purpose for us, then seeking His glory is the way to do it. Consequently we must ask this question: Since the meaning of life is the glory of God and living in such a way that we aim to know and make known that glory, how do...

... A nurse came to me in great physical need. Her faith had sunk to almost zero. Then I received a very short message. "Tell the child that I am still alive!" What else could I have added to that? What a pity that the Lord himself did not speak more often in this way. He certainly has something to say to us! But his goodness is so great that he sometimes descends (personally) to his children to convince them directly. Praise be to his holy name! Did you have any contact with priests? Sometimes priests came to me to ask for advice on personal matters; often the advice was to pray. One priest occasionally asked me to lay my hands on his wife, who was suffering from severe depression. When he saw me, he always said: "They lay their hands on the sick, and they are healed." May I ask how you felt about the church in this country? During my career as an officer {in the Salvation Army} I didn't have much time to attend church services....

Ever since I realized that I am nothing on my own and know nothing before God , and after I came before the Savior with this nothingness, namely, that He should be my life and my everything, I had every reason to be joyful. I could bring all my own and others' troubles before Him, Who did everything to help us. God's word and His wonderful promises brought me more and more joy every day, and I discovered more and more truths and promises that gave me reason to praise and thank Him. Emil Nigg

The zeal of the Lord is God’s divine jealousy with which He operates to protect and restore His people: “For out of Jerusalem will come a remnant, and out of Mount Zion a band of survivors. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this” Isaiah 37:32 (see also 2 Kings 19:31; Zechariah 1:14; 8:2). This zeal is the foundation for God’s demand for exclusive loyalty, as expressed in the Ten Commandments. God prohibits His worshippers from bowing down to any other gods (Exodus 20:3–5; see also Exodus 34:14; Deuteronomy 5:9). He alone is our God. In His jealous zeal for us, God cannot conceive of His beloved children offering their affection or allegiance to any other: “For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God” Deuteronomy 4:24 (see also Joshua 24:19). The zeal of the Lord seeks a response of faithfulness and obedience from His people. It does not accept disloyalty. When Israel turned from Yahweh to serve foreign gods, the Lord became jealous for His ...

Daily devotion from David Guzik – enduringword.com Today let's talk about God's highway of holiness. I'm going to read you from Isaiah chapter 35 verse 8 where we read. A highway shall be there and a road and it shall be called the highway of holiness. The unclean shall not pass over it, but it shall be for others, whoever walks the road although a fool shall not go (astray). Most of us today take good roads for granted. We may have to live with the frustrations of endless road construction, detours and delays, but it's all for the purpose of giving us good, safe roads. We travel today over distances and at speeds that were absolutely unthinkable for people in the ancient world and we rarely think that it's something special. But in the ancient world it was different. A good road was a remarkable technological achievement. A good road meant trade, progress and security. A good road cost a lot of money to make and to maintain and most people traveled ...

{Rebuilding the respect and authority of the Holy Spirit in your life} (a rude, shaking calling, because sometimes we need that) Dear Reader! Honoring the Holy Spirit does not necessarily mean that we missed the focus of Christ! We do not praise or worship anyone but the Father and Christ. We don't rejoice or worship anyone else or anything else in our blessed new status in Christ! But He, the Lord himself gave the Mighty Spirit for us. Has our relationship with God changed throughout history? Yes. We, humans had tribes, we had nation builder heroes, we had covenants. Then He the Mighty visited Abraham. Then He has built a chosen nation. Then He sent the Promised Son. Has our relationship in Christ changed throughout history? Not. He didn’t withdraw his mercy and gift. He didn't change our intimate relationship in the family. He did not renounce his power as Lord of the universe, nor the supreme authority above us and the visible authority throu...

Being able to help people in such an extraordinary way has given you a certain satisfaction, I suppose. I was very, very happy to see that some people were cured. But I never forgot who the Helper was. Whenever a letter like that came to me about healing, I would kneel down with those words: 'Look, My Saviour, this is for You, the thanks are for You,... but I can rejoice in this too, can't I? Were you also a pastor of the sick? I suppose praying over the sick and caring for the sick go hand in hand. If I was called to see a patient, that was the first question before prayer: "Is everything okay between you and the Savior?" In many cases, confession followed, clearing the way for a prayer of faith. James did not write in vain: "...even if he has sinned, he will be forgiven" (James 5:14-17) ... I am thinking here of the story of the healing of the man with a stroke (Matthew 9:2), who was first freed from his sins and then healed ...

by David Guzik - Enduring Word Who is able to stand before this holy Lord God? 1Sam 6:19-20 the whole story: 1Sam 6:1-21 You see, in their disrespect for God, the men of Beth Shemesh offended the holiness of the Lord. They knew that the Lord was holy, but it didn't make them want to be closer to God. It made them want to distance themselves from God. The basic idea behind holiness is not moral purity, although it includes moral purity, but the basic idea behind holiness is the idea of apartness, that God is separate. He's apart different from His creation, both in His essential nature that's who He is and in the perfection of His attributes, His character and what He does. When men encounter the holiness of God, they are not necessarily attracted to it. When Peter saw the holy power of Jesus, he said, depart from me for I am a sinful man, O Lord. (That's in Luke chapter 5, verse 8.) When the disciples on another occasion saw the holy Jesus shini...

by David Guzik - Enduring Word Today, I want to talk to you about walking forward with God and to do so by looking Inward. Teaching from the Apostle Jude I'm going to read you from Jude, chapter 1, and thoroughly is one chapter in this book of Jude... This is Jude, chapter 1, verses 20 and 21, where we read: But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. (previously) Jude explained in his letter warnings about certain men who were a danger to the church. And in response, Jude did not tell us to go out and crush those certain men who were a danger to the church, instead, he told us to focus on our walk with the Lord, to help others who were affected by those certain dangerous men, and for us to put our focus on God. ... We are simply to pay such dangerous men no attention except what is necessary for our warnin...

and the teetering vessel of the Lord Study 2. The conflict described in 2 Samuel 6 is really a conflict between David and the Lord. Although it is an incident with dire consequences, despite its dramatic beginning, it is an extremely powerful departure for David, a cleansing and righting of his personal identity and his worship. The spiritual foundation of his kingdom was here solidified for the next period of history. The reasons for the Uzza conflict, in brief The kings of Israel were informed about the order of the Holy things, including the use and transport of the tabernacle and ark. The community of the ark is not only the community of the priesthood but also the community of the king. .... When David entered the new, triumphant era of his life as king of his nation, he was subject to the ordinances as were all Levitical priests and leaders. So he had to be informed about the transport of the ark. Well. He was not informed. Two things, two perspec...

Tim Maton – Everyday Church, Wimbledon (Thoughts on 1Cor 5 - Some of the details ) If I had a title for my sermon, it would be “Holiness is a whole church responsibility”. What comes across in Paul’s letters, including this one, is his passion: his passion for Jesus, the Gospel, for people and the Church. It’s because of these passions that Paul desires a holy Church; one that honours Jesus, that proclaims the Gospel, and sees many people saved and transformed by it. Today I want to highlight three ways in which we can take collective responsibility for the holiness of God’s Church. Recognise the destructiveness of unchecked sin Don’t you know that a little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough? Get rid of your old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch - as you really are. (verse 6b-7) Yeast is a type of fungus that’s been commonly used for millennia to make bread rise and alcohol ferment. Despite its amazing properties, the many mentions of yeas...

and the teetering vessel of the Lord Study David again brought together all the able young men of Israel—thirty thousand. He and all his men went to Baalah 1 in Judah to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the Name, the name of the Lord Almighty, who is enthroned between the cherubim on the ark. They set the ark of God on a new cart and brought it from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, sons of Abinadab, were guiding the new cart with the ark of God on it, and Ahio was walking in front of it. David and all Israel were celebrating with all their might before the Lord, with castanets, 2 harps, lyres, timbrels, sistrums and cymbals. When they came to the threshing floor of Nakon, Uzzah reached out and took hold of the ark of God, because the oxen stumbled. The Lord’s anger burned against Uzzah because of his irreverent act; therefore God struck him down, and he died there beside the ark of God. Then David was...

Take away the dross from the silver, and the smith has material for a vessel. Pro 25:4

..and the cure for restoration This article is part of the "Vitalize" pack • pre • 0. Our base is.. • 1. Priesthood • 2. Pastoral work • 3. Preaching with Teaching • + sharing By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible. {that the visible came out of the invisible} Heb 12:3 ..as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. 2Cor 4:18 Pre Protestantism have seen many changes, variations, (and ramifications) since Martin Luther. Even in the early days, Calvin himself modified (theologically developed) Luther's original prophetic vision. Meanwhile, the ever-ubiquitous Catholic culture continues to "keep pace with the world" and with its needs in various human activities. I think We, faithful folks are not...

Ligonier Editorial ©Ligonier.org What Is Syncretism? Syncretism is the process by which aspects of one religion are assimilated into, or blended with, another religion. This leads to fundamental changes in both religions. Old Testament In the Old Testament, God was deeply concerned with the pressure and temptation toward syncretism. As the people of God moved into the Promised Land they were confronted with pagan religions. The Canaanite gods, Baal and Asherah, became objects of Israelite devotion. Later, God’s people worshiped the national gods of Assyria and Babylon. The law of God clearly warned Israel not only against abandoning Yahweh for other gods, but against worshiping other gods in addition to the true God. The prophets warned of coming judgments as the people modified their faith to accommodate foreign doctrines and practices. New Testament The New Testament period was one of widespread syncretism. As the Greek Empire expanded, her gods mingled wi...