2 Peter 3:10-11

The day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives.
–2 Peter 3:10-11
New International Version

THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY’S VERSE…
Holiness is that forgotten character virtue that is the Christian’s reflection of God, his or her holy and righteous Father. In a day of cheap grace, when anything goes just as long as we want to be buddies with Jesus, Peter’s words should shock us into reverence – the commitment in life to set our lives apart from the evil and sludge that defiles our hearts and to offer our bodies, hearts, and minds to do his will and reflect his character.

MY PRAYER…
Holy and Righteous Father, teach me to do your will and reflect your character while offering your grace. May the movements of my heart, the thoughts of my mind, and the actions of my life be pleasing to you and reflect your holiness and grace. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Hebrews 12:28

Since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe.
–Hebrews 12:28
New International Version

THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY’S VERSE…
We are receiving the triumphant and glorious victory of God in his Kingdom. We will join with the angels and the saints of old and live with the Father forever in victorious and never-ending joy. But this Kingdom doesn’t begin just when Jesus returns. This Kingdom has started now in his Church, his people, those in whom God’s will is cherished and obeyed. So our worship should be filled with awe that the holy God of Israel is also the lowly God in Jesus who has redeemed us and made us to be a holy people unto himself. What else can we do but worship with heartfelt thanksgiving and wonder-struck awe?

MY PRAYER…
Holy and Righteous Father, all things are yours. Thank you for sharing your blessings, your promises, your hope, and your victory with us in Jesus. Please help me to live a more thankful, victorious life before my unbelieving friends and as an example to my children so they may come to share your glorious Kingdom and ultimate victory. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Colossians 3:17

Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
–Colossians 3:17 (NIV)

THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY’S VERSE…
Everything! All! No matter what we say, no matter what we do, it is to be offered as a gift of thanks to God with Jesus’ name, power, and honor attached! This makes all of life our worship and thanksgiving to God. There’s no such thing as going to worship; if we live, if we talk, if we act it’s worship. So how has your worship been lately?

MY PRAYER…
Almighty and Most Holy God, I want all of my life to be lived out to your glory, a living testament of thanks to you for the grace you have given me in Jesus. While I do not always do this as well as I would like, I lovingly offer you my words, my actions, my heart and my mind to bring you glory by doing your will. Please, use your Spirit to remove the areas of self-deception from my life so that weakness and hypocrisy will not rob my discipleship of its intended worship of your majesty. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy

Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy

A good link to check out!

Sunday, November 20, 2005

Read Romans 4 — 7

In Today’s Reading:

Salvation, righteousness through Jesus Christ; sin through Adam; Christians under grace, not Law; baptism explained

The more we understand the intense suffering and death of Jesus and the glory and power of His resurrection, the more we will desire to walk in newness of life, daily manifesting the life of Christ. Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of His death, we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin (Romans 6:4-6).

To commit ourselves only to the likeness of His death, to bearing the cross, and to self-denial, would produce a very dismal view of following Christ. It is the glorious indwelling power of His physical resurrection that not only frees us from sin’s control but also daily encourages and strengthens us to walk in newness of life. Followers of Christ accept the fact that sin is no longer to be our master and that we are dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof (6:11-12). This does not mean that we no longer sin but that God enables us to overcome sin!

Let not sin therefore reign in (control) your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts (evil desires) thereof. . . . but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead (6:12-13). Our old natural man is still capable of yielding to the sinful desires of the flesh. But, Christ has made it possible for us to experience the reality of being more than conquerors through Him (8:37).

Jesus’ life in us makes the difference. Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? (6:16). But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life (Romans 6:22).

Word Studies:

4:8 will not impute sin = no longer regards as a sinner; 7:8 concupiscence = evil desires of lust; covetousness.

Cross References:

For Romans 4:3: See Genesis 15:6. Romans 4:7-8: See Psalm 32:1-2. Romans 4:17: See Genesis 17:5. Romans 4:18: See Genesis 15:5. Romans 7:7: See Exodus 20:17; Deuteronomy 5:21.

Prayer Needs:

Pray for Government Officials: Sen. Joseph Biden, Jr. (DE), Gov. Matt Blunt (MO), Sen. Robert Byrd (WV), and Rep. James McGovern (MA) * Country: Vatican City (900) in Rome, Italy * Major languages: Italian and Latin * Religious freedom * Approximately 100% Roman Catholic * Prayer Suggestion: Declare the wondrous works of God with thanksgiving (Psalm 26:6-7).

Memory Verse for the Week: James 2:17

Psalm 1:1-2

Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.
–Psalm 1:1-2 (NIV)

THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY’S VERSE…
I get to choose which sources of information I feed my mind. But this privilege and freedom is also a responsibility. God longs to bless me, but that blessing remains dormant until my heart delights in knowing and doing his will.

MY PRAYER…
Wondrous Creator, just as you fashioned such a beautiful world and put me together in my mother’s womb, I also ask that you create in me a desire to know your truth and an insight into how to live that truth. I know your Holy Spirit is in me to help me in this journey, but I want so much to please you and bless you because of all the ways you have blessed me. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. –John 17:17 New International Version

THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY’S VERSE… God’s promises, God’s Scripture, and God’s clearest message of all, his Son, are truth. But only the last of these is truth, grace, deliverer, friend, Lord, Savior, brother, Redeemer… MY PRAYER… O God, give me a holy passion to know your truth and live it in both word and deed. Make my life a reflection of your Word, who both proclaimed and lived your truth. In him I pray. Amen.