Yoke Check

In Matthew 11 Jesus exhorts those who would be wearied by the yoke of the law to come to Him for discipleship in order to learn and find rest.  A yoke is a tool to allow for pulling or carrying a load and it represents labor.

“25 At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; 26 yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. 27 All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. 28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”” (Matthew 11:25–30, ESV)

Jesus says that we are using the wrong yoke.   

Human effort at getting right with God will not suffice and will make us weary.  If you love me you will keep my commandments (remember that John 14:15 is a promise to claim, not a litmus test to fear)!  We need to take the yoke of faith in Jesus, a yoke of trusting in His work in us, a yoke of finding Him lovely and worthy of our praise.  He speaks about the burden of seeking justification and right standing with God and how the little children who have their eyes opened should not labor under the example of the supposedly wise and understanding folks that are devoted to human effort at achieving justification by laborious efforts to comply with the law.  Rather, we should take on this yoke of faith and know that God's love, which was poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit (cf. Romans 5:5) will bring about in us a desire to walk in His ways and it will be a joy, not a burden (cf. 1 John 5:2-5)! 

“5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” (Romans 5:5, ESV)

“2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. 4 For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” (1 John 5:2–5, ESV)

Note that in 1 John 5:2 the greek word for "love" is the verb form of Agape and refers to our loving of God.  But the beauty of verse 3 is that the word "love" here is the noun form and is in reference to God as the subject of the action!  So this means, like we considered in yesterday's Heart Check, that it is God's love in us by His Holy Spirit that he causes us to keep His commandments as a promise and we do so not laboring under a load, but empowered by God Himself!  Strive not in our own strength, for his power is perfected in weakness (cf. 2 Corinthians 12:9)!

“9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” (2 Corinthians 12:9, ESV)

Let us therefore put down the yoke of self-righteous attempts to conform to the law to prove our love.  Let us rather find the victory in surrender to a love of our King.  Let us ask for God to pour His love into our hearts daily and that He would work and will in us what we cannot do for ourselves (Philippians 2:13).  Let us find joy in His ways rather than a task of obedience.

“13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:13, ESV)

“20 Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, 21 equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.” (Hebrews 13:20–21, ESV)

Soli Deo Gloria!

Heart Check

Read the verse below and then consider how you take it.  What is being said here?  What does it mean and how does it apply to my life?

“15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” (John 14:15, ESV)  

Think for a few more seconds and then consider this question...


Is this a LITMUS TEST to check myself as to whether I really love Jesus or not?

OR

Is this a PROMISE from the Son of God that if I will just love Him, I will- as a result- keep His commandments?


Do we think we should prove to ourselves or to Jesus that we love Him with obedience?

OR

Should we simply ask and seek and fight to look and see Him as He truly is- infinitely lovely and faithful and worthy of our praise- and just maybe in this beholding of the Lamb of God the Holy Spirit might move our affection toward Jesus and perhaps our mind will be renewed and our hearts transformed.  Perhaps we will be moved by the hand of God to trust His Son.


Do I need to look at myself and my behavior for validation when I face doubt?

OR

Do I need to look at Jesus and trust His promises?


Do I need to strive and achieve to "work out my own salvation"?

OR

Do I need to surrender and be amazed at what God is doing in my heart to "work out my own salvation"?


Study your bible and also think about these verses below as you ponder your heart and the way you read such a statement from Jesus...

“26 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.” (Ezekiel 36:26–27, ESV)  

“18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” (2 Corinthians 3:18, ESV)  

“6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:6, ESV)

“12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:12–13, ESV)

“9 And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, 10 so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.” (Philippians 1:9–11, ESV)

“9 And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 11 What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; 12 or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”” (Luke 11:9–13, ESV)

“27 for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.” (John 16:27, ESV)

Remember- Salvation is From God, Through God, and To God!

Soli Deo Gloria!

Lesson 3 (a) tonight @8pm!

Hello men-

Tonight we will look at the first objective from lesson three.  The objective is to display the manifold excellencies of Jesus Christ, our perfect Savior.

This will be the first of three evenings looking at lesson three- The Work of a Perfect Savior.  I have posted the complete lesson for tonight in the left hand column and I encourage you to download and maybe print it to bring with you.

See you tonight-

Soli Deo Gloria!

The Lion and the Lamb

A Prayer by John Piper-

Almighty and merciful God, we exult in the reflection of your might and mercy in your Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ. We rejoice in the strength of his lion-like power and in the tenderness of his lamb-like meekness. We take heart from his incomparable combination of excellencies. It reassures us that there is none like him, and that he is not a mere man like others. O grant us, in our brash indifference, to tremble before the Lion of Judah and to humble ourselves under his fierce holi- ness. And grant us, in our brokenness and fear, to gather courage from the lion-like Lamb. Oh, how we need the whole Christ! Open our eyes to see the full- ness of his excellence. Remove the lopsided and dis- torted images of your Son that weaken our worship and lame our obedience. May the power of the Lion and the love of the Lamb make our faith in Christ unshakable. So deliver us from small dreams and timid ventures and halting plans. Embolden us. Strengthen us. Make us love with fierce and humble love. Let us share the confidence of the Lion of Judah that gave him the will to die like a Lamb and rise in everlasting joy. And in it all, grant that all might see the glory of Christ and that you might be honored through him. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

Soli Deo Gloria!

The Excellencies of Christ

Men- this coming week we will look at the diverse excellencies of Jesus.  By this I mean we will look at the extremes of His character and work that reveal His glory.  Things like the way He is completely conquering and powerful and authoritative but yet He is humble, submissive, and obedient.

Consider reading one of the gospels this week if you have time because we will look at the life and ministry and death of Jesus as part of our study.  Post questions from your reading of the chapters or the gospels as a comment to this and I can come better prepared to the meeting...

Soli Deo Gloria!

Work of a Perfect Savior

Good morning good men-

This coming week we will study the perfect work of our king, the God-man Jesus Christ.  We have looked at how salvation is from, through, and to God so now we will consider that He freely chose to subject Himself to the limitations of humanity, in order that He could suffer and die for us.

Our great God was not satisfied in glorifying His name by destroying all of us for our treasonous hostility and decision to doubt His goodness and to deny Him in preference of self-exaltation.  However, it is critical that we understand and believe that this wrath against us would have been good and right and completely just for God to have exercised.

But to the praise of His glorious grace, He instead made a way that He could not only be our righteous God, but also our Savior.  This would be accomplished in the work of His only begotten Son, who would take on flesh for our sake.

“21 ...And there is no other god besides me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none besides me.” (Isaiah 45:21b, ESV)

“5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” (Philippians 2:5–8, ESV)

“5 he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.” (Ephesians 1:5–6, ESV)

The chapters we look at this week are below-

Chapter 2: To Please His Heavenly Father

Chapter 3: To Learn Obedience and Be Perfected

Chapter 4: To Achieve His Own Resurrection From the Dead

Chapter 43: To Unleash the Power of God in The Gospel

Prayer for one another-

Almighty God and redeemer of our souls,

Teach us this week of the excellencies of Jesus that are revealed in His work of obedience and righteousness.  Help us to be lifted up in our affections and to see His beauty.  Unleash your gospel power in us and though us that we can be lights and that we can be joyful and satisfied in you O Lord.  We ask this for the sake of your name, amen.

Soli Deo Gloria!

Meeting Tomorrow (5/2)!

Good morning men-

Tomorrow we will meet again at 8pm and I look forward to our lesson.  By tomorrow morning I will post the final lesson to the left column of the blog (click the link below if you are reading this in an email) and I am hoping that you will download the lesson to bring on your device or print it and bring it with.

Morning prayer
Heavenly Father- Please do a work in our minds and in our hearts so that by the power of your Holy Spirit we may understand the scriptures and that we might see your glory and that we might be caught up in your majesty and in your love.  Give us the strength to comprehend the love of your Son and open our eyes to His beauty.  Bring us together tomorrow for this purpose Lord and let us honor you in our discussion and in our meditation on your Word.  For the sake of your name I pray, amen.

Soli Deo Gloria!

Morning Prayer- 4/28/13

Good morning men,

Great God and king of our souls-
Help us this week to consider the truth of our own hearts that are bent on being your enemy and teach us the be in awe and wonder that you have brought us to reconciliation and you have removed the separation by canceling the sin.

Help us to consider the truth of the cross and how you have not wiped away your wrath, but you have diverted it to your Son.  Let us see His beauty and your amazing grace and let us be transformed and motivated.

Help us to see the truth of the access that we have to you in Jesus.  Teach us to trust only in Him as our means of access to you in prayer and may we come joyfully into your presence as the returned prodigal son whom you are eager to dress in a fine robe and to throw a party for.  For the sake of your name and the joy of our hearts I pray- Amen.

Soli Deo Gloria!
(If you are reading on email- click the link below to go to the blog for other content)

The Great Discovery

This Thursday we will be looking at salvation and particularly at the fact that, by birth, we are separated from God by our sin nature and that we need to be reconciled to God.  We will examine the Old Testament concept of atonement and relate it to what Christ accomplished for us in His life and death.

A Puritan Prayer for us as we ponder the great salvation that comes From God, is accomplished Through God, and is purposed primarily To the glory of God.

Glorious God, 

I bless thee and I know thee.
I once lived in the world, but was ignorant
of its Creator,
was a partaker of thy providences, but knew not
  the Provider,
was blind while enjoying the sunlight,
was deaf to all things spiritual, with voices
  all around me,
understood many things, but had no knowledge
  of thy ways,
saw the world, but did not see Jesus only.
O happy day, when in thy love's sovereignty
  thou didst look upon me, and call me by grace.
Then did the dead heart begin to beat,
  the darkened eye glimmer with light,
  the dull ear catch they echo,
  and I turned to thee and found thee,
  a God ready to hear, willing to save.
The did I find my heart at enmity to thee,
  vexing thy Spirit;
Then did I fall at thy feet and hear thee thunder,
  "The soul that sinneth, it must die!",
But when grace made me to know thee,
  and admire a God who hated sin,
  thy terrible justice held my will submissive.
My thoughts were then as knives cutting my head.
Then didst thou come to me in silken robes of love,
  and I saw thy Son dying that I might live,
  and in that death I found my all.
My soul doth sing at the remembrance of
  that peace;
The gospel cornet brought a sound unknown
  to me before that reached my heart - and I lived -
  never to lose my hold on Christ or his hold on me.
Grant that I may always weep to the praise of
  mercy found,
  and tell to others as long as I live,
  that thou art a sin-pardoning God,
  taking up the blasphemer and the ungodly,
  and washing them from their deepest stain.

"The Great Discovery"- Retyped From The Valley of Vision: Puritan Prayers and Devotions (p.112-113)

Soli Deo Gloria!

Draft Lessons

Men-

I will be putting draft lessons up on the left side where you can preview the summary, key quotes, and the objectives for the lesson as you read and consider the chapters.

I will then post the final lesson with the Doctrine and Use sections complete the evening before the meeting so you can print it and bring it with you (saves me lots of ink).

If you come up with thoughts or questions you can shoot a comment to one of these posts and we can have dialogue.  You can also post prayer requests at the Prayer Request tab on the top of the screen.

I have put up some blogs that I enjoy to the right...

Soli Deo Gloria

Off and Running!

Good morning men-

We had a great start on our study last night and I am excited about the next 13 weeks together.  As time goes on I may add some features to this blog that may be of use to you but the main point is an easy way for me to communicate with you and for us to drop comments in order to have discussion and reflect on what we are discussing in the meetings.

You should see to the left that the overview and the lesson are available to view or download in pdf.  Each week I will add the lesson there hopefully a day or so prior to the meeting.

On the right you will see other blog content and various links I will provide to excellent resources.

At the top you will see a bar with any different pages that I add- prayer requests are up there.

Morning Prayer:

Lord God in heaven- I thank you for loving us so much and for caring so deeply about the display of your glory that you stopped at nothing to catch us up in your wonderful story.  I pray that today you would guide our hearts and cause us to think on the love of Jesus and that you would change us.  Change our thinking that we might not be stuck on what we see and touch, but let us meditate on you and let us slow down to look at Jesus.  Show us how to do this today God and fill us with your Spirit.  For your glory and our joy I ask in the name of Jesus.  Amen.

Soli Deo Gloria!

First Meeting Tonight!

Howdy men.   

Tonight is the first in a 14-week series we are doing on John Piper's 50 Reasons Why Jesus Came To Die. 

This is just a test post and what we would expect to find here from now on would be thoughts or reflections or updates or messages from me for the group.

The lessons can be downloaded from the links on the right.

Prayer requests can be submitted for view by all.