October 3, 2012
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"There will be 10,000 things for which you glorify Jesus ... "
"There will be 10,000 things for which you glorify Jesus,
and you won't ever say anything higher than 'You were slain!'"
(John Piper, in his sermon "Why Did God Create the World?")Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, and hath redeemed us to God by his
blood, to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour,
and glory, and blessing. Blessing and honour, glory and power, be unto
Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb, for ever and ever.
Amen!
(See Revelation 5:9-14)I Peter 2:9
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession,
that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.Psalm 96
1 Oh sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all the earth!
2 Sing to the LORD, bless his name;
tell of his salvation from day to day.
3 Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous works among all the peoples!
4 For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised;
he is to be feared above all gods.
5 For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols,
but the LORD made the heavens.
6 Splendor and majesty are before him;
strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.
7 Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples,
ascribe to the LORD glory and strength!
8 Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;
bring an offering, and come into his courts!
9 Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness;
tremble before him, all the earth!
10 Say among the nations, “The LORD reigns!
Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved;
he will judge the peoples with equity.”
11 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;
let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
12 let the field exult, and everything in it!
Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy
13 before the LORD, for he comes,
for he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness,
and the peoples in his faithfulness.How can you proclaim those excellencies to the LORD and to the nations
if you don't study them (study Him)?Perhaps you don't study His excellencies because you don't delight in them (in Him)?
Psalm 111
1 Praise the LORD!
I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart,
in the company of the upright, in the congregation.
2 Great are the works of the LORD,
studied by all who delight in them.
3 Full of splendor and majesty is his work,
and his righteousness endures forever.
4 He has caused his wondrous works to be remembered;
the LORD is gracious and merciful.
5 He provides food for those who fear him;
he remembers his covenant forever.
6 He has shown his people the power of his works,
in giving them the inheritance of the nations.
7 The works of his hands are faithful and just;
all his precepts are trustworthy;
8 they are established forever and ever,
to be performed with faithfulness and uprightness.
9 He sent redemption to his people;
he has commanded his covenant forever.
Holy and awesome is his name!
10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom;
all those who practice it have a good understanding.
His praise endures forever!And, if you aren't studying His excellencies (studying Him),
can you truly praise and give thanks to the LORD with your whole heart?Isaiah 5
8 Woe to those who join house to house,
who add field to field,
until there is no more room,
and you are made to dwell alone
in the midst of the land.
9 The LORD of hosts has sworn in my hearing:
“Surely many houses shall be desolate,
large and beautiful houses, without inhabitant.
10 For ten acres of vineyard shall yield but one bath,
and a homer of seed shall yield but an ephah.”
11 Woe to those who rise early in the morning,
that they may run after strong drink,
who tarry late into the evening
as wine inflames them!
12 They have lyre and harp,
tambourine and flute and wine at their feasts,
but they do not regard the deeds of the LORD,
or see the work of his hands.
13 Therefore my people go into exile
for lack of knowledge;
their honored men go hungry,
and their multitude is parched with thirst.
14 Therefore Sheol has enlarged its appetite
and opened its mouth beyond measure,
and the nobility of Jerusalem and her multitude will go down,
her revelers and he who exults in her.
15 Man is humbled, and each one is brought low,
and the eyes of the haughty are brought low.
16 But the LORD of hosts is exalted in justice,
and the Holy God shows himself holy in righteousness.
17 Then shall the lambs graze as in their pasture,
and nomads shall eat among the ruins of the rich.
18 Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of falsehood,
who draw sin as with cart ropes,
19 who say: “Let him be quick,
let him speed his work
that we may see it;
let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw near,
and let it come, that we may know it!”Related:Moderation in pursuing God? An answer from Jonathan Edwards
Moderation in pursuing God? An answer from George Whitefield
How's your spiritual appetite? (Jonathan Edwards)
Linger, linger, linger – so you might know God's love
Considering Jesus: (1) Making time to consider Jesus
Considering Jesus: (2) Why do we do quiet time anyhow?
take to heart ALL the words (more on quiet time)
Get gnawing, put your nose down in the Book to feed the white-hot flame of God's gift
"Garbage In" (Are you truly His disciple?)
Are you a foolish or a wise pilgrim? (What have you done with your roll?)
As a deer pants ... Is your soul panting for God? (Psalms 42 & 43)
"Saving faith is wanting Jesus" ~ Are you loving His appearing or this present world?Scripture quotations marked ESV are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Work found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Johnpiper3.jpg by American Eagle - PD
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Comments (4)
really like the John Piper quote. Delighting in Abba--YES!! I definitely need to do that more.
@stephensmustang - I LOVED that quote! I've gone back and watched/listened to it several times. (The context of the quote begins at ~ 35 minutes into the sermon.) We all need to learn to delight in God more and more; that's our current battle in this present world, and that's what we'll be doing throughout eternity – where we'll be free from the presence of sin so we might everlastingly increasingly delight in Him!
Hi Karen,I guess that is true. It is the most dramatic thing that He did, but I always think of Colossians 2. There in about 15 verses it tells what He did on the cross for us. It is incredible. His victory is so complete in every detail that it leaves nothing for us to do but believe, and of course, respond in a fitting way to His love. I feel the best that I will ever do, will be peanuts compared to what He did. Have a very nice Lord's day,frank
@ANVRSADDAY - If there weren't the cross, if Christ weren't slain, there'd be nothing else: e.g. - no forgiveness, no cleansing, no justification, no reconciliation, no eternal life, no resurrection life at work in us, no new heart with new desires, no sanctification, and of course, no glorification... We'd remain dead in our sins, bound up under the power of darkness, under God's wrath, and eternally separated from God forever.As we seek to receive and enjoy a greater sense of what God did for us (and continues to do for us), that will propel us to "respond in a fitting way to His love." That's what Paul was writing about in II Cor. 5, that the love of Christ compelled/constrained/controlled him.In some ways, it's true that whatever we do is peanuts compared to what Christ did, particularly since there was no way we could ever atone for our own sins or create in ourselves new hearts. Yet, in light of God's mercies to us in Christ, we are called to offer ourselves to God as living sacrifices; Paul refers to that as our spiritual worship or reasonable service (Romans 12:1-2). God has good works He has ordained for each one of us to do through the Holy Spirit. To consider that the power of God is at work in saved sinners like us to will and to do of God's good pleasure - that's an astounding thing, though, of course, all the glory goes to God, for all we have and all we are able to do is of Him and through Him and to Him alone, because as Jesus said, without Him, we can do nothing!