God Works Today

You may not think that a sin laden lad from Germany would work the works of God around the world. George Muller's life is a testimony to the powerful, saving work of God. By God's grace through Jesus Christ, God's children walk closely with Him in fellowship as they live by faith according to His Word. The God of the Bible is the same yesterday, today, and forever and He is faithful to those who faithfully live out His Word. Last night as a family we watched this Christian documentary on George Muller: http://youtu.be/Plr9NNF1wn0. It was a great encouragement. I highly recommend you see it. You will be convicted and encouraged. By God's grace may His church needs wake up and fully live for their risen Saviour, Jesus Christ. He is coming again (Eph. 5, 1 Thess. 5 etc.)!

Saving Sovreignty

What is Jesus' view of evangelism?

We must remember that salvation is a mighty work of God. It always has been this is all throughout the the OT and continues on in the NT through the Person and the work of Christ. John chapter 6 tells us of Jesus' interactions with false and real disciples; the elect and the non-elect. He graciously offers the gift of salvation (see John 6). The unbelieving crowd only want to satisfy their earthly hunger not their eternal. How does Jesus respond to their rejection of Him? He said, "'It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. 64 But there are some of you who do not believe.' For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who it was that would betray Him. 65 And He was saying, 'For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father.'”

Please read John 6. Like Christ, we are instruments of God offering the message of salvation, but He is the One Who predestines and saves (Rom. 8:28-30). May we rely on Him in obedience and leave the results in His hand.

John MacArthur's sermon series on John 6 on this topic is excellent: http://www.gtycanada.org/resources/sermons/scripture/john

New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). (Jn 6:63–65). LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation. (Ex. 15, Isaiah)Is. This may seem like an odd question, but 

What Are We Talking About?

Our God is holy and awesome (Ps. 111)! He is the blessed Creator (Rom. 1:25) Who has given us every spiritual gift in heavenly places (Eph. 1) and every good given and every perfect gift (Jas. 1)!

Do we often speak of His glories with one another? Or are our conversations more earthly than heavenly. We are part of Jesus' kingdom. Let us live as slaves of Him, bringing glory to Him in our speech. Perhaps instead of complaining or making small talk about things that are fleeting, let us consider our words wisely, making the best use of our time. Let us build one another up and glorify our God!

Revealing Christ - Jn. 1:6-8

John 1:6-14

The Deity of Jesus Christ

    1      In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

    2      He was in the beginning with God.

    3      All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.

    4      In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.

    5      The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

The Witness John

    6      There came a man sent from God, whose name was John.

    7      He came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him.

    8      He was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light.

    9      There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man.

  10      He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.

  11      He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him.

  12      But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name,

  13      who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

The Word Made Flesh

  14      And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Last time we learned about Christ in vv 1-5. Now we'll take a closer look at the one who testified to Him in vv 6-13 (specifically vv 6-8).

Verse 6: "There came a man": the Greek word for "came" is "ginomai," which means, "be, become, take place." This could be translated, "came into being." John the Baptist didn't walk onto the scene,  he, man, came into being through Christ (v 3) and was foreordained in God's plan. Starting in verse 6, there's a switch from talking about Christ, God in human flesh (v 14), to man.

"Sent from God, whose name was John": How did God send him? Let's look at some OT passages where we'll pick up on two things: 1. God had promised Jesus, the Messiah or Anointed One in the OT 2. Before He came, God would send a messenger. These things are mentioned by the prophets Isaiah and Malachi. 

Isaiah 40:1-5 says,

1 “Comfort, O comfort My people,” says your God.

    2            “Speak kindly to Jerusalem;

And call out to her, that her warfare has ended,

That her iniquity has been removed,

That she has received of the Lord’s hand

Double for all her sins.”

    3            A voice is calling,

“Clear the way for the Lord in the wilderness;

Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God.

    4            “Let every valley be lifted up,

And every mountain and hill be made low;

And let the rough ground become a plain,

And the rugged terrain a broad valley;

    5            Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed,

And all flesh will see it together;

For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

Malachi 4:5-6:

"5 Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord. 6 He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land with a curse.” Malachi is the last book in the OT. He is the last prophet to speak of Messiah before the years of silence. The one who'd come in the spirit and power of Elijah is the next prophet to speak, the messenger who came before Messiah. Scripture reopened. He came in a special way. His parents couldn't have any children. One day, as Zecharias was performing his priestly service in the temple, "...an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense. 12 Zacharias was troubled when he saw the angel, and fear gripped him. 13 But the angel said to him, 'Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your petition has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will give him the name John. 14 You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. 15 For he will be great in the sight of the Lord; and he will drink no wine or liquor, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit while yet in his mother’s womb. 16 And he will turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God. 17 It is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers back to the children, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” (Lk. 1:11-17). This is John the Baptist. His ministry was baptizing. People got baptized to signify repentance of sin and the need for cleansing. John did this to prepare way for Jesus, who cleanses sin. John means, "Yahweh is gracious." God is so gracious in sending His Son!

Verse 7:

"He came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him. He was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light." "Testify" in the Greek is, "martyreo": to be a witness; to give evidence, like in a courtroom. John testified about the Light, Jesus, "so that all might believe through him."

It is my prayer that your faith in Christ will increase through seeing Him revealed in this book.

All verses from The New American Standard Bible.

Rejoice!

      "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!" - Phil. 4:4

What does it mean to rejoice in the Lord? As it says, "Rejoice in the Lord." Who or what are we putting our joy in? The God of the Bible. Just take a quick trip in your mind from Genesis to Revelation and think. "who has God revealed Himself to be"? Then remember, we rejoice in Him! In any and every circumstance we can find peace and joy in Him Who is for us and not against us (Rom. 8)!

New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). (Ex 34:6–7). LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

God's Faithfulness In All

It may seem that the tasks and events of everyday life are to no greater purpose. Another few grains of sand slipping through the hourglass of life. Far be it!

God calls His children to abundant lives in His Son (Jn. 10:10). Lives full of the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5). What may seem like a random patchwork quilt, is the hand of the Potter shaping the clay into what He has purposed for it (Rom. 8:28-29; 9-11, & Eph. 2:1-10 to name a few). From dishes, to leading people to Christ, may you rejoice in our Lord and the life that He has given you to live!

The Glories Of Christ

From before time began, our God had a plan, to display His glory to all,
Created beings, both angels and humans, all things in Creation would fall.

He works all things, the one sovereign King, His mind beyond comprehension
Through His Son, the victory won, through cross, pow'rless grave, and ascension.

Subjected in hope, through redemption God broke, all curse. He is blessed forever!
Now to those who believe, new life He's achieved, for eternity with Him together!

What a glorious God, Yahweh is His name! Let all Creation resound His fame!
We praise you oh LORD, the only one, Who creates and reigns, and sustains in His Son!
For all of eternity this will ne'er cease, "holy, holy, holy, to the LORD God Almighty."
















Jordan Henderson , Copyright © 2014 In Judgement or lhould be fine.  as youère d time to arrivessed time fellowshipping in   with vocals.ouver!

God is Faithful

Our great God and Saviour is always faithful (Ex. 34:5-7; 2 Tim. 2:10-13)! He has saved us and will keep us (Jn. 10).

Subtle to our conscience perhaps, is the sin of unbelief. Maybe we think that sin is when we break one of the Ten Commandments. Although that's true, Jesus Christ (who is God) teaches us in the gospel to repent and believe (Lk 18:9-14; Jn 6). We then live by faith in Christ and His Spirit produces fruit in our lives (see the epistle to the Galatians). Every moment, by God's glory, may you believe in Christ (Eph. 3:14-21), living His righteousness out by faith (Rom. 1:16-17 and the rest of the book)! May you ever trust in Him!

Praise our great God!

Lives of Worship

Quite often we go about our day preoccupied with many things. I think of Luke 10:38-42:

³⁸ Now as they were traveling along, He entered a village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. ³⁹ She had a sister called Mary, who was seated at the Lord’s feet, listening to His word. ⁴⁰ But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me.” ⁴¹ But the Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; ⁴² but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”

Jesus has not just come to our home, but he lives inside of us! He has given us eternal life (Jn. 6, 17:1-3). May you not be "...distracted with all your preparations;" but rather chose the only one thing that is necessary: to soak up the word, living a life of worship at the at our Lord and Saviour's feet! This will never be taken away from you.

New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). (Ro 12:1–2). LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

God is God

The Bible proclaims who God is. Take a quick trip in your mind from Genesis to Revelation (as much as you know). Remember His manifestation of Himself to you in Jesus Christ. He is truly awesome! 

All of Scripture reveals God and His Christ. This is God's purpose for us, to conform us to the image of His Son (Rom. 8) and thus glorify Himself. This is His doing! Our Young Adult Bible Study (YABS), which I attend has been studying the book of Romans for the past few months. We just started chapter 9. It is amazing to see our awesome God at work herein! We must never to try in own strength to do what only God can do e.g. save and save to uttermost. We must, by His grace, look ever to Him and worship! We must never be discouraged in our struggles against all kinds of evil here on earth. As the title of this post states, God is God. Let us worship Him here on earth until one day in His presence forever!

Revealing Christ - Jn. 1:1-5

This past week, I had the blessing of teaching our 7-10 year old's Friday night group. As I was praying about what to speak on, the importance of the centrality of Christ came to mind. We must always remember Him supremely, not only in our teaching, but in all things! I was so blessed being able to study, meditate and teach on the glories of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Thus, since He is so worthy of our worship, I thought I would briefly share my findings from John 1:1-5:

The Deity of Jesus Christ

  "1       In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

   2       He was in the beginning with God.

   3       All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.

   4       In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.

   5       The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.[1]"

The book of John is about revealing Christ. John 20:30-31 gives us the purpose statement: 

          "30       Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book;
          31       but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name."

Praise the LORD! Are not His purposes and works so "...splendid and majestic..." (Ps. 111)?

Back to John 1:1-5. Let's look at this text briefly by defining the terms therein:

- "Beginning": what beginning? Cf. Gen. 1:1: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."

- "was": Jesus was already there in the beginning. He is eternal.

- "Word":

a. In the OT the Hebrew word for "word" is "dabar." "communication which comes from God to men in the form of commandment, prophecy, warning or encouragement... Yahweh’s word is an extension of the divine personality, invested with divine authority, and is to be heeded by angels and men.^[2]"

b. In the NT the Greek word for "word" here is "Logos", which in short means "meaningful utterance.[2]" Jesus is God's Word, the Word incarnate (1:14). When the book of John was written, the Greeks believed that "Logos" held the world together; essentially, nature was God. God counters this in John 1:1-5.

- "was God": Jesus was not only with God but was God. Here we see two separate Persons of the Trinity coexisting in eternity.

- For John 1:3 cf. to Hebrews 1:1-2:

   "1       God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways,

   2       in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.^[1]"

- John 1:4:

o       "life:" the Greek word here is "Zoe." This word is used elsewhere in Scripture to describe the life that God gives, and that life is eternal. It is a spiritual life. This life is in Jesus from before the beginning.

o      "Light": as you may see from v 4, this "...life was the Light of men." The Light is life manifested.

- John 1:5: "Darkness": what is darkness? It's the absence of light. This is important. Darkness is that which is not Christ's given life. Against the darkness of this world, the Light of life shines! This leads to the next word...

- "Comprehend": the Greek word here is: "Katalambano." It is, "...the most vivid way to explain that would be 'to pounce on and overpower, pounce on and overtake, overcome.'...the one who is life has come into the world and is the Light of the world, and the darkness cannot overpower it, it cannot overwhelm it. You know that, darkness cannot overcome light. Light always overcomes darkness." (John MacArthur: http://www.gty.org/resources/sermons/43-2/jesus-the-divine-word).

What a wonderful passage on Jesus Christ! May you believe in Jesus Christ and He will grant you His life, and nothing can overpower it! John 6:35 says, "Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.^[1] 

Come to Him!

^[1] New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). (Heb 1:1–2). LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
^[2] Taylor, J. B. (1996). Word. In (D. R. W. Wood, I. H. Marshall, A. R. Millard, J. I. Packer, & D. J. Wiseman, Eds.)New Bible dictionary. Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

Identity in Christ

Ephesians 1:1-14:

   "Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,

    To the saints who are at Ephesus and who are faithful in Christ Jesus:

          2       Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

          3       Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,

          4       just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love

          5       He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will,

          6       to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.

          7       In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace

          8       which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight

          9       He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him

          10       with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him

          11       also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will,

          12       to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory.

          13       In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise,

          14       who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory."

"3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,.." This chapter of Ephesians and beyond describe the blessedness/praiseworthiness of God. This specifically displayed in His Son through His bride, the church. We are in Christ! How awesome is our God! May the prayers in Ephesians be realized in our lives (ch. 1 - 3). By God's grace and glory, may we walk solely by faith in God. He is our life. In Him our identity is found. 

New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). (Eph 1:1–14). LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

Proclaim!

We are often hesitant to verbalize God's wondrous works toward us. Many times throughout Scripture, the people of God worship (i.e. respond to Him) with songs, shouts, and thanksgivings. (See Ex. 15, Jud. 5, 2 Sam. 22, etc.). King David talks of this many times throughout his life (1 Chr. 16, Ps. 22, Ps. 40, Ps. 116 etc.).

We are Christ's bride, redeemed with His holy blood. May we, as representatives of His victory, proclaim His great works, worshiping Him together! Though we struggle with the fear of man, let us walk in the Spirit, in the grace of God, and pray for opportunities to proclaim the greatness of God more and more.

Ephesians 5 says:

          "15       Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise,

          16       making the most of your time, because the days are evil.

          17       So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

          18       And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit,

          19       speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord;

          20       always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father;

          21       and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ."

This Psalm has been on my heart and mind all week:

Ps. 111:

               "1       Praise the LORD!

         I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart,

         In the company of the upright and in the assembly.

               2       Great are the works of the LORD;

         They are studied by all who delight in them.

               3       Splendid and majestic is His work,

         And His righteousness endures forever.

               4       He has made His wonders to be remembered;

         The LORD is gracious and compassionate.

               5       He has given food to those who fear Him;

         He will remember His covenant forever.

               6       He has made known to His people the power of His works,

         In giving them the heritage of the nations.

               7       The works of His hands are truth and justice;

         All His precepts are sure.

               8       They are upheld forever and ever;

         They are performed in truth and uprightness.

               9       He has sent redemption to His people;

         He has ordained His covenant forever;

         Holy and awesome is His name.

               10       The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom;

         A good understanding have all those who do His commandments;

         His praise endures forever."

New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). (Heb 2:11–12). LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

Slaves of Christ

A slave is one who obeys his master in all things. So many of us get caught up in the daily goings on of life, that we often forget about our Master, Christ Jesus, who bought us with His blood (Eph. 1:7). May we never forget the wondrous work of God, who bought back His creation from the fall unto the work He created in the beginning; a perfect world in relationship with Him for His glory. May you obey the Master, our Lord Jesus Christ, who has been given all authority in heaven and on earth (Matt. 28:20).

Psalm 92

Praise for the LORD’S Goodness.

      A Psalm, a Song for the Sabbath day.

               1       It is good to give thanks to the LORD

         And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;

               2       To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning

         And Your faithfulness by night,

               3       With the ten-stringed lute and with the harp,

         With resounding music upon the lyre.

               4       For You, O LORD, have made me glad by what You have done,

         I will sing for joy at the works of Your hands.

               5       How great are Your works, O LORD!

         Your thoughts are very deep.

               6       A senseless man has no knowledge,

         Nor does a stupid man understand this:

               7       That when the wicked sprouted up like grass

         And all who did iniquity flourished,

         It was only that they might be destroyed forevermore.

               8       But You, O LORD, are on high forever.

               9       For, behold, Your enemies, O LORD,

         For, behold, Your enemies will perish;

         All who do iniquity will be scattered.

               10       But You have exalted my horn like that of the wild ox;

         I have been anointed with fresh oil.

               11       And my eye has looked exultantly upon my foes,

         My ears hear of the evildoers who rise up against me.

               12       The righteous man will flourish like the palm tree,

         He will grow like a cedar in Lebanon.

               13       Planted in the house of the LORD,

         They will flourish in the courts of our God.

               14       They will still yield fruit in old age;

         They shall be full of sap and very green,

               15       To declare that the LORD is upright;

         He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.

This morning I awoke and was reminded of verse 2, "To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning, and Your faithfulness by night."

When you awake and retire, may you be worshiping our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ!


All Scripture is quoted from the New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

The Purpose of Scripture

What is the purpose of Scripture? 

God is proclaiming His story for His glory. 

I used to read the Bible for what I could get out of it and to learn how I could serve God better. While these things are gleaned from Scripture, they are mere brush strokes of a much bigger picture - God's glory.

What is God's glory? In Exodus 33 - 34, Moses asks God to show him His glory. God does this in chapter 34. We see that His glory is who He is. We see from Genesis to Revelation the story of God. Scripture is given ultimately to proclaim who God is.

This message by Dr. Abner Chou at The Master's College and Seminary is a very encouraging and concise overview of redemptive history: https://www2.masters.edu/pulpit/files/2012/Truth-and-Life-'12/TLC12-Seminar-Chou-mp3. Try and find some time to listen to it. The truths proclaimed therein about God and His work have helped me in many ways each day.

Next time you go to spend time with the LORD in His Word, remember, He is revealing who He is, and we live in light of that!

In our most precious Christ and for His sake

Striving Or Submitted?

Our Saviour is so gracious, sovereign, and wise.

Sometimes my mind tends to wander. I fret about the future, worry about the past, and am concerned about the present. In those times of weakness, fighting with my flesh, the Lord Jesus kindly brings to mind His ever abounding grace and love as revealed in His Word. His person, purposes, and work as described therein are true!

Yesterday's sermon was on Psalm 131:

PSALM 131

Childlike Trust in the LORD.

      A Song of Ascents, of David.

               1       O LORD, my heart is not proud, nor my eyes haughty;
         Nor do I involve myself in great matters,
         Or in things too difficult for me.
               2       Surely I have composed and quieted my soul;
         Like a weaned child rests against his mother,
         My soul is like a weaned child within me.
               3       O Israel, hope in the LORD
         From this time forth and forever.

I was so blessed to be reminded of the truth of resting in our Father.

The Lord allows trials in our lives. Perhaps the uncertainties about the future, hardships that loved ones are going through, or the daily struggles against evil afflict us. In these times, we can trust and rejoice that our Father mercifully orchestrates all things, and we must rest in Him through these times. Ask yourself today, "am I striving against God's plans, or am I submitted to the One who gave His Son to redeem me for His purposes and glory?" It is my prayer that Christ's church would rest humbly in His care, for He cares for us (Matt. 6, 1 Pet. 5). How wonderful to trust in Him throughout the day, singing in our hearts, "Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good,..." (Ps. 136).


All Scripture is quoted from the New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.