WHERE WE'RE GOING AND WHERE WE'VE BEEN.
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CORE TRAINING CONTINUES THIS SUNDAY EVENING
NO ATHLETIC SHOES REQUIRED, JUST YOUR BIBLE, A PEN, AND PAPER
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Last night I entered into a passage of great delight, the High priestly prayer of our Lord.
I'm grateful for Skip Muzzucco's work on the passage last week in my absence, and for those of you who have prayed for me, I can report that I did graduate from Dallas Seminary with my doctorate. God is Good. So then, let's dive in to the text and see what we found last evening.
What blows my mind is the careful exposition of John's thoughts when it comes to an understanding of the glory of God. That Glory is, I believe expressed as a two-fold blessing.
- There is the glory of the Lord that is ultimately expressed in the attributes that make God especially lovely to us: His love, perfections, holiness etc. This aspect of his glory continued through the incarnation and was delivered with the intent that his disciples and ultimately us would know exactly what God is like.
- And secondly, there is the Glory that was veiled in the incarnation, the glory that was expressed as pure light and majesty, that same glory that neither Moses, nor other men could look at lest they die. (Exodus 3; 2 Cor. 3. This I believe that Christ set aside as He entered his incarnate state.
Jesus said to his Father, "restore to me the glory that was once mine,"and with the consummation of the resurrection and assession, returns to a wholly glorified state. But it reminds us that without the filter that is Jesus Christ, we could not look at Christ, or fellowship with him, nor appreciate his benefits to us. (John 17:5)
Thanks to John 17:10,22, and verse 24, we also take encouragement that we too can share in the glory of the Lord.
Take that into your Friday,...
And so, we live, and learn and pray!
MJC
And that makes John's gospel worth reading....
Press on
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JOHN 17
PRAYER WORKS AND THAT'S WHY WE DO IT.
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FRIDAY MEN
Little: 141-44
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The Redemption of the human soul is probably the most significant of any transaction in the scope of God's dealing with man.
That continues to be a transformational statement. Now, I'll leave your reading of the discussion between Charles Simeon and John Wesley to your own time and pick up our discussion from pages 141-144. These areas of practical interest demand our attention:
- Our justificaton
- Our Sanctification
- Our glorification.
Little terms these and benefits; I would also them to be challlenges for us...
Little refers to
justification as do many others as, "Just as if I'd never..." But its even better than that, because we have sinned, and we were in an ugly, unredeemed state to be sure. We have sinned and God has nevertheless, declared us righteous on the basis of his Son's finished work. He has credited His son's righteousness to our account, and therefore God now sees us as holy and just in his sight. It is therefore, a legal term that changes our status from "doomed" to delightful. (Romans 3:20, 24)
The question remains...
Do we live in such a way that our justification is visible?
See you manana.
Books you should read
:
- Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus by Nabeel Qureshi
- More than a Carpener by Josh McDowell
- Know What you believe, by Paul Little
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READ THE BOOK AND GET READY FOR LIFE.
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So, I've been thinking about how much attention we give to Memorial Day but feel justified for backing out of our church services the day before.
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Why not this week deal a blow to the thinking that says holidays such as Memorial Day are best enjoyed in the absence of church attendance on Sunday.
In the old days, when I was newer to the ministry, I would get discouraged on those summer holidays, when because of a "Monday" celebration, the church would be vacated on Sunday. Don't you know Pastor Mark, everyone is camping... Nothing too selfish here... I just wanted it to be me too.
Now, here's a couple of thoughts. First a disclaimer; I served my country well and enjoy the freedoms that many died to achieve. I wore the uniform. I look forward to Memorial Day as much as the next person. But here's the thing: When we reflect on the magnitude of blessing received because of the obedience of One, it far outshines any other sacrifice, and I might add, gives more meaning to the memory of sacrifices made that ensure our freedom to worship.
In Short, My priority for worship on Sunday, better prepares me to reflect on the importance of a holiday on Monday.
Worship well..... I'll see you on Sunday... :-)
To your better week, I pray good things.
M
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THE NIGHT AFTER MEETS THE DAY BEFORE
is a weekly recap from
Pastor Mark Congrove and Bethel Baptist Church. It serves to provide a link between two valuable ministries and assist God's people in seeing the value of study and prayer in their Christian life.
Connect to Mark's site
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Consider highlighting products or services, sales or promotions, personal bios, and more. Use images that complement your message, and link your images to supporting resources.
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