From envy and bitterness to clarity of purpose (Psalm 73:24)

I was captivated by this short video. Joni Eareckson Tada explains how unexpected influence became a responsibility to serve. After her autobiography and film generated thousands of letters from people with disabilities struggling with depression, healing, loneliness, and isolation, she sought God’s guidance. That discernment led her to establish Joni and Friends, turning individual responses into a scalable ministry providing spiritual hope and practical assistance. The central message: influence should be intentionally stewarded for the benefit of people who need it most.

Then I realized that my heart was bitter,

    and I was all torn up inside.

I was so foolish and ignorant—

    I must have seemed like a senseless animal to you.

Yet I still belong to you;

    you hold my right hand.

You guide me with your counsel,

    leading me to a glorious destiny.

Whom have I in heaven but you?

    I desire you more than anything on earth.

My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak,

    but God remains the strength of my heart;

    he is mine forever.

Those who desert him will perish,

    for you destroy those who abandon you.

But as for me, how good it is to be near God!

    I have made the Sovereign Lord my shelter,

    and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do.

Influence becomes meaningful when it is converted from visibility into a repeatable system that serves a clearly defined community.

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Stillness is the discipline underneath all others (Psalm 46:10)

"Be still and know that I am God" Psalm 46:10 

This week we finished BSF Exile and Return. I was enjoying the year in a word "Freedom." A big part of that is God, make my heart Yours again: obedience, integrity, and character. The Leader’s Inner Life

• Leaders lose their way when they lose their private life with God.
• Daily intimacy is the antidote to fear, comparison, pride, and exhaustion.
• Spiritual disciplines protect the soul and align the heart to Christ.

Here are targeted references for each point, with enough variety to choose from:

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Leaders lose their way when they lose their private life with God.

• 1 Samuel 13:8–14 — Saul acts without waiting on God; Samuel declares the kingdom will not continue. Loss of private obedience precedes public collapse.
• 2 Chronicles 26:16 — Uzziah's heart was "lifted up to his destruction" after his strength grew. Success without private humility breeds the fall.
• Psalm 51:10–12 — David's prayer after collapse: restore the inner joy of salvation. The crisis was first interior before it was public.
• John 15:4–5 — "Abide in me... apart from me you can do nothing." Fruitful leadership is contingent on hidden connection.

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Daily intimacy is the antidote to fear, comparison, pride, and exhaustion.

• Isaiah 40:31 — Those who wait on the Lord renew their strength. Exhaustion is answered by intimacy, not strategy.
• Psalm 27:1, 4 — "The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear?" One thing David seeks: to dwell in God's presence. Intimacy displaces fear.
• Galatians 1:10 — "Am I seeking the approval of man or of God?" The cure for comparison is having an audience of One.
• Proverbs 4:23 — "Guard your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life." Daily vigilance over the inner life is leadership's first work.
• Matthew 11:28–30 — Jesus invites the weary to come to him. Rest is relational, not recreational.

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Spiritual disciplines protect the soul and align the heart to Christ.

• Luke 5:16 — Jesus himself "withdrew to desolate places and prayed." Disciplines were Jesus's own pattern, not just a prescription for others.
• Psalm 119:9, 11 — "How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word... I have stored up your word in my heart." The Word as protective discipline.
• 1 Timothy 4:7–8 — "Train yourself for godliness... godliness is of value in every way." Paul frames spiritual disciplines as training (askeo), a deliberate, repeated practice.
• Romans 12:2 — "Be transformed by the renewal of your mind." Alignment to Christ is a disciplined, ongoing renovation of the inner person.
• Hebrews 12:11 — "No discipline seems pleasant at the time... it produces a harvest of righteousness." The fruit of disciplines is a protected, aligned soul.

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Smashing bronze snakes: When God's gifts become idols

Jim shared this the other day and I really needed to let go of my past trophies and live in today's challenges. 

The Backstory

In Numbers 21, God told Moses to make a bronze serpent and lift it on a pole. Anyone bitten by snakes who looked at it would live (Numbers 21:8-9). It was an instrument of healing and a call to faith, nothing more.

Hundreds of years later, the object remained. But its purpose had curdled. By Hezekiah's time, the people were burning incense to it, had given it a name ("Nehushtan," meaning simply "a piece of bronze"), and were treating it as an object of worship (2 Kings 18:4). What God designed to point toward Him had become a substitute for Him.

Hezekiah destroyed it. No hesitation, no nostalgia. His reasoning was clear: the symbol had replaced the Savior. The created thing had eclipsed the Creator (Romans 1:25). It had to go, even though it once carried a holy purpose.

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The Lesson

Even gifts from God can become idols when we cling to them wrongly. Traditions, symbols, spiritual experiences, past blessings — any of these can quietly take the throne that belongs to God alone. Israel did it with the bronze serpent. We do it with subtler things.

The warning echoes across Scripture. The prophet Isaiah records God saying, "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing" (Isaiah 43:18-19). Jesus warned that no one pours new wine into old wineskins (Luke 5:37-38). Paul pressed forward, refusing to be held by what was behind (Philippians 3:13-14). Reverence for what God did must never become a chain that keeps us from what God is doing.

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The Beautiful Twist

Jesus Himself references this moment in John 3:14-15: "Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him."

The bronze serpent was never the destination. It was always a signpost pointing forward to Christ. Hezekiah was not rejecting God's past work. He was protecting God's present glory by refusing to let a shadow replace the substance (Colossians 2:17, Hebrews 10:1).

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Reflection for the Week

What bronze serpent do you need to smash?

It might be social media, a phone habit, an unhealthy website. But it can be subtler than that.

For me, pride in past achievements became an idol. I found myself protecting a former version of myself rather than remaining open to God's corrective input today. It is a kind of PTSD in reverse: worshipping a past experience, guarding an old award, rehearsing a former identity. The very thing God once used became a wall between me and what He wants to do now.

The Psalmist prays, "Search me, God, and know my heart... see if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting" (Psalm 139:23-24). That is the prayer for this week.

Lord, help me look forward to Your presence and the promises You are fulfilling in me now and in the days ahead. Loosen my grip on what was. Give me eyes for what is. Amen.

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The problem with us and the Solution (James 4:1-10, Prov 3:1-8, 2 Peter 1:3-11))

Enjoying Being humble enough to agree with God and how this relates with drawing near to God, humbly summitting ourselves to Him (James 4:6-8). Either we resist the devil or find ourselves opposed to God. Reading James 4, there's a pattern of resisting the flesh, the world and devil I haven't noticed before. 

Fights and quarrels come from the desires that battle within (flesh). These are covetousness or self focused motives. When we desire things for our own pleasure, we aren't asking God but complaining to him (James 4:1-3). James describes this as friendship with the world as being adulterous, arousing God's jealous longing for us. (James 4:4-5). Yet God gives us more grace (Prov 3:34) when we store his commands in our heart, holding on to loyalty and kindness as a leash around your neck and a heart deep commitment to God and people (Prov 3:1-4).

Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding, seek his will in all you do and he will show you which path to take (Romans 12:1-3). Prov 3:5-6

Not impressed with your selfish wisdom, instead fear the LORD, turn away from evil. Then healing comes to your body and strength for your bones (Prov 3:7-8)

Honor the LORD with your wealth, the BEST of everything you produce, then he will provide abundantly more than we can ask or imagine (Eph 3:20) Prov 3:9-10

Don't reject or be upset by the LORD's discipline and correction, see his loving face from an elevation that gives perspective on the past and future (Heb 11-12) Prov 3:11-12

What are hearts truly hunger for is the freedom in Christ, the fruit of the Spirit, that delights our neighbor in love (Galatians 5). Joyful is the person who finds wisdom and then gains understanding (Pilgrim's Progress). This is the win-win of long life and riches and honor, personified as a guide we can embrace tightly. Prov 3:13-18

By wisdom the LORD founded the earth and by understanding created the heavens, his knowledge is rushing stream of living water and gentle dew beneath the night sky. Prov 3:19-20

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Being humble enough to agree with God

Enjoying the thought of God's fertilizing work during this final season of grace. Specifically being humble to take a lower position and waiting for the call (Luke 14:7–11)

Direct Teachings on Humility

• Philippians 2:3-8 - "Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves... Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who... humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death"
• James 4:6, 10 - "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble... Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you"
• 1 Peter 5:5-6 - "Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another... Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you"
• Micah 6:8 - "He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?"
• Proverbs 11:2 - "When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom"
• Matthew 18:3-4 - "Unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest"

Examples of Humble Actions

• John 13:3-5, 14-15 - Jesus washing disciples' feet: "If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet"
• 2 Chronicles 7:14 - "If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven"
• Luke 18:9-14 - Tax collector vs. Pharisee: "God, be merciful to me, a sinner!"
• Numbers 12:3 - "Now the man Moses was very meek, more than all people who were on the face of the earth"
• Acts 20:19 - Paul: "serving the Lord with all humility and with tears"

God's Response to Humility

• Isaiah 57:15 - "For thus says the One who is high and lifted up... 'I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit'"
• Isaiah 66:2 - "But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word"
• Psalm 25:9 - "He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way"
• Proverbs 3:34 - "Toward the scorners he is scornful, but to the humble he gives favor

Warnings Against Pride

• Proverbs 16:18 - "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall"
• Proverbs 29:23 - "One's pride will bring him low, but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor"
• Daniel 4:37 - Nebuchadnezzar: "Those who walk in pride he is able to humble"
• Luke 1:51-52 (Mary's Magnificat) - "He has scattered the proud... he has exalted those of humble estate"

These passages connect well with Luke 14:11, the pattern of divine reversal where God lifts the humble and brings low the proud appears throughout Scripture.

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Cain Builds His Name; Seth Brings Repentance to God's Name

 AIM: Our sin nature leads to broken relationships. God alone can repair them.

Opening Reflection

• As we worship with our whole lives today, we praise the One who gave us life, ability, desire, and forgiveness. He gave us new life. That truth makes any sacrifice pleasing to Him.
• Lord, let our spirits leap for joy in praise for what you have done and continue to do. May everything we say and do point to you, so that many will come to saving knowledge of your work through the life, death, resurrection, and return of Jesus Christ. Amen.

A) The Blessing of Family Turns to Murder, Grief, and Banishment (vv. 1–16)
vv. 1–2. Adam and Eve bear two sons: Cain who works the soil and Abel who tends flocks.
vv. 3–5. Both bring offerings. God rejects Cain's offering. God accepts Abel's firstborn and its fat portions. Cain becomes angry.

• Their offerings reveal the heart. Cain said, “Look what I did.” Abel said, “Look what you did, Lord.” Jesus calls us to worship in spirit and truth. Paul urges us to offer our bodies as living sacrifices that please God. Romans and Titus clarify that no one is righteous apart from God. Cain’s heart displays that truth.

vv. 6–7. The Lord warns Cain. “If you do what is right, you will be accepted. If you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at the door. It desires you, but you must rule over it.”

Principle: Doing what is right protects us. Sin behaves like a predator that waits to control us.

vv. 8–9. Cain kills Abel. When God asks where Abel is, Cain deflects.
vv. 10–12. God says, “Your brother’s blood cries out.” The ground will no longer produce for Cain. He will be a wanderer.

• Jesus, the one who mediates the new covenant between God and people, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks of forgiveness instead of crying out for vengeance like the blood of Abel…Be careful that you do not refuse to listen to the One who is speaking... Heb 12:10-29

vv. 13–14. Cain protests that his punishment is too much.
vv. 15–16. God places a sign on Cain to protect him. Cain leaves for Nod, east of Eden.

Application: What sin in my life needs to leave my home?

B) Cain's Line Builds Success; Lamech Builds a Bigger Name (vv. 17–24)
vv. 17–18. Cain’s wife bears Enoch. Cain builds a city and names it after him. The line continues to Lamech.
vv. 19–22. Lamech takes two wives.
Adah bears Jabal and Jubal, the fathers of herding and music.
Zillah bears Tubal-Cain, who forges tools of bronze and iron, and Naamah.

vv. 23–24. Lamech commits murder and boasts about it. He twists God’s protection of Cain and claims a greater right to revenge.

Vengeance vs. Forgiveness. Cain’s line magnifies revenge. Jesus reverses it. “Forgive seventy-seven times.” The Old Testament already taught this ethic.

• One of the greatest barriers to Christian maturity is knowing what to do with forgiveness. Jesus' use of exaggeration makes the point that one forgives and forgives. There is no limit. How long does it take until you have worked through forgiveness? Until you can want the well-being of the other who has trespassed against you. The import of Jesus' teaching here is that our lack of willingness to forgive our neighbor acts as a barrier to accepting God's forgiveness of our own sin.

Sidebar: Forgiveness and Unresolved Conflict

• Reading C. S. Lewis this week reminded me how unresolved childhood wounds damage adult relationships. Scripture warned us early. “Do not hate your brother in your heart.” The New Testament does not invent forgiveness. It clarifies and perfects it.
• Lewis notes the continuity between the Testaments. Jesus repeats and fulfills Old Testament ethics.
• Help your enemy. Do not celebrate his downfall. Feed him when he is hungry.
• Scripture shows seven as a number of grace. God uses it throughout the story for cleansing and restoration.
• Lewis also warns that religious zeal without repentance produces great harm. A high calling can fuel humility or self-righteousness. There is no neutral ground.

C) Seth Is Born. People Begin to Call on God’s Name (vv. 25–26)
vv. 25–26. Adam and Eve bear Seth. Eve says, “God has granted me another child in place of Abel.” Seth fathers Enosh. At this moment people begin to call on the name of the Lord.

Principle: Our testimony shapes others. Eve’s words of faith over Seth set in motion a renewed movement of worship.

Questions for reflection

• What fruit has forgiveness produced in your life?
• How can we teach our children and ourselves to live in the light of forgiveness instead of the shadow of unresolved conflict?

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Heart Attitudes and Actions That Please the Lord Isaiah 59-66

 We're studying Zechariah in BSF and got to read a familiar passage, 

 "The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion - to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor. - Isaiah 61:1-3

This got me reading Isaiah 59-66, I asked Claude to consolidate a list of heart attitudes and actions faithful believers can take that please the Lord:

Heart Attitudes

Humility and Contrition

• Being humble and contrite in spirit (66:2)
• Acknowledging we are the clay and God is the potter (64:8)
• Recognizing God as our Father and Redeemer (63:16; 64:8)

Reverence and Fear of God

• Trembling at God's word (66:2, 5)
• Revering His ways and remembering them (64:5)

Repentance and Acknowledgment of Sin

• Repenting of sins (59:20; turning from rebellion, treachery, lies)
• Acknowledging our iniquities and offenses (59:12-13)
• Recognizing our uncleanness and need for cleansing (64:6)

Delight and Joy in God

• Delighting greatly in the Lord (61:10)
• Soul rejoicing in God (61:10)
• Rejoicing and being glad in what God creates (65:18)
• Heart rejoicing when seeing God's work (66:14)

Trust and Waiting

• Waiting for Him (64:4)
• Looking to the Lord and seeking Him (65:10)

Actions and Practices

Prayer and Intercession

• Calling on the Lord's name (64:7; 62:6)
• Giving ourselves no rest in prayer (62:6)
• Giving God no rest until He establishes Jerusalem (62:7)
• Striving to lay hold of God (64:7)

Worship and Praise

• Telling of the Lord's kindnesses and praiseworthy deeds (63:7)
• Bringing acceptable offerings to God's altar (60:7)
• Proclaiming the praise of the Lord (60:6)

Righteousness and Justice

• Gladly doing right (64:5)
• Being clothed with garments of salvation and robed in righteousness (61:10)
• Not calling for injustice or relying on empty arguments (contrast to 59:4)

Response to God's Light

• Arising and shining when God's light comes (60:1)
• Looking and being radiant (60:5)

Solidarity with God's People

• Rejoicing with Jerusalem and being glad for her (66:10)
• Mourning over Jerusalem (66:10)
• Not keeping silent for Zion's sake (62:1)

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God's fertilizing work during this final season of grace

Wonderful SALT Praise and Encouragement this morning. Karo talked how good SALT is for the manure pile, reminding me about the barren fig tree parable and Not outward reformation but inward transformation

The Barren Fig Tree Context (Luke 13:6-9)

• Israel/humanity has been given time to bear fruit but hasn't
• The gardener (Jesus as intercessor) pleads for "one more chance" Among the weeds of my heart with the Master Gardener
• He promises to "give it special attention and plenty of fertilizer"
• This represents the season of grace before judgment

The Salt Teaching (Luke 14:34-35)

• "Salt is good for seasoning" Tasteful, sunny disposition brings glory to God (Psalm 34:8, Matthew 5:13-16)
• "But if it loses its flavor, how do you make it salty again?"
• "Flavorless salt is good neither for the soil nor for the manure pile"

The gardener needs fertilizer (manure) to enrich the soil so the fig tree can produce fruit. But what makes fertilizer effective? Salt! Good salt enriches the soil and makes fertilizer potent.

So believers who maintain their "saltiness" (authenticity, holiness, witness, repentance) become part of the enriching environment that helps others bear fruit during this season of grace. We're the salt mixed into the fertilizer that the Master Gardener uses to cultivate fruit in barren lives.

But if we lose our saltiness through:

• Hypocrisy (the yeast of Pharisees - Luke 12:1)
• Greed and materialism (the rich fool - Luke 12:16-21)
• Unrepentant hearts (Luke 13:3, 5)
• Self-exaltation instead of humility (Luke 14:7-11)

Then we become "good neither for the soil nor for the manure pile" - useless for the very mission of helping others bear fruit before time runs out.

This ties the warning passages together: Be genuine salt, not tasteless pretenders, because you're meant to be part of God's fertilizing work during this final season of grace.

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Theme of God removing sin from His people (Zechariah 5:5-11)

Zechariah’s ephah vision aligns with a consistent biblical storyline. God does not tolerate wickedness among His people. He actively removes, judges, and ultimately destroys sin so His people can live in His presence.

Babylon becomes the symbolic destination where human rebellion is gathered for final judgment.

Zechariah: 5:1-4 (God's judgement of sinners), thieves who swear falsely by my name. 

Salvation in Christ: Romans 3:10-12; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Galatians 3:13

Zechariah 5:5–11 communicates God’s removal of sin

The vision shows an ephah (a measuring basket) containing a woman who symbolizes Wickedness. A lead cover seals her inside. Two winged women lift the ephah and carry it to Shinar—the historic center of organized rebellion against God.

The message is direct. God does not just forgive His people. He removes the presence and influence of sin from among them. Wickedness is quarantined, transported away, and “set on a pedestal” in the land that represents human arrogance, idolatry, and self-exaltation.

This matches the broader biblical pattern: God restores His people by removing, judging, and banishing sin to preserve holiness.

Genesis 10:9–10 — Nimrod and Shinar’s foundation

Nimrod is described as a “mighty warrior before the Lord,” a phrase implying defiance. His kingdom includes Babel in Shinar, the birthplace of organized human rebellion. This passage connects Shinar with a culture that elevates human power over God’s authority.

Genesis 11:1–9 Tower of Babel

Humanity gathers in Shinar to build a tower “to make a name for ourselves.” God disrupts their rebellion by scattering them. The episode defines Shinar as the symbol of collective pride and self-salvation. Zechariah’s vision sends wickedness back to where it belongs.

2 Chronicles 36:15–21 Judah’s sin leads to exile in Babylon

Judah repeatedly rejects God’s warnings. God finally brings judgment by sending Babylon to destroy Jerusalem and carry the people into exile for seventy years. Babylon/Shinar represents the moral rot that comes from persistent disobedience. Zechariah’s audience knew this history. Wickedness must be removed or it corrupts the whole community.

Revelation 17–18 The fall of “Babylon the Great”

Babylon is the final, climactic symbol of human arrogance, false religion, exploitation, and sin. God judges and destroys it to purify the world before the final kingdom arrives. This completes the arc that began in Genesis. Sin is quarantined, judged, and eliminated.

God removes sin completely from His people. Psalm 103:10–12 “removes our transgressions from us as far as the east is from the west.”

God purifies the unclean so they can stand in His presence. Isaiah 6:5–7 coal from the altar, removing guilt before commissioning him

God calls His people to separate from what defiles. Isaiah 52:11“Depart… touch no unclean thing.”

God removes obstacles and restores the contrite. Isaiah 57:14–15 "God says, “Rebuild the road! Clear away the rocks and stones so my people can return from captivity. The high and lofty one who lives in eternity, the Holy One, says this: I live in the high and holy place with those whose spirits are contrite and humble. I restore the crushed spirit of the humble and revive the courage of those with repentant hearts."

God cleanses His people and gives them a new heart. Ezekiel 36:25–27

God removes iniquity and clothes His servant in purity. Zechariah 3:1–5: Rags to Riches, how the Holy Spirit changes us everyday

God refines His people and burns away impurity. Malachi 3:2–3

Jesus removes the sin of the world. John 1:29 Jesus is the Lamb “who takes away the sin of the world,” not merely forgives it.

Believers are freed from the dominion of sin. Romans 6:6–7

Sin no longer rules those led by the Spirit. Romans 8:1–4

God transfers His people from darkness to Christ's kingdom. Colossians 1:13–14

Christ cancels the record of sin and disarms spiritual powers. Colossians 2:13–15

Nothing impure will enter the new creation. Revelation 21:27

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Soli Deo Gloria! To God alone be the glory - Johann Sebastian Bach

Enjoying Johann Sebastian Bach: The Fifth Evangelist | Music Documentary (Bachfest Leipzig 2013)

Bach read the Bible daily, taught it to his children, and treated composition as a theological vocation. On many manuscripts he wrote Soli Deo Gloria and Jesu Juva. That was not pious decoration. It was intent. Music was an offering. Craft was obedience.

“To God alone be the glory” This phrase comes directly from Scripture’s logic, especially Romans 11:36 and Psalm 115:1. It declares that the final purpose of the work is not the composer, the performer, or the audience, but God.

For Bach, SDG meant:

• Excellence was an act of worship, not self-expression.
• Beauty was not self-justifying. It pointed beyond itself.
• Success did not belong to the artist. It was returned.

That is why his music can be technically astonishing without sounding vain. The glory is offered upward, not claimed inward.

“Jesus, help” or “Jesus, assist” This was typically written at the beginning of a manuscript. It is a prayer before the first note exists.

For Bach, JJ meant:

• Dependence before confidence.
• Invocation before execution.
• Grace before effort.

He did not assume inspiration. He asked for help.

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Together: A theology of work

Jesu Juva at the beginning.
Soli Deo Gloria at the end.

That sequence matters.

It says:

• I cannot do this without You.
• If anything good comes from it, it is Yours.

This is why Bach’s music feels grounded rather than performative. The work begins in humility and ends in surrender. Everything in between is faithful craftsmanship.

The Bible shaped his imagination, not just his texts.
Even when there are no sung words, Bach thinks biblically. His music moves like Scripture moves. Creation to order. Order to tension. Tension to suffering. Suffering to resolution. Not shallow happiness, but earned joy. That arc is everywhere.

Why loss sounds like BWV 106.
Acts 2 and Ecclesiastes sit behind it. “God’s time is the best time.” Death is real. Grief is not rushed. Yet eternity presses in quietly. That is biblical lament. Honest sorrow held inside trust.

Why joy sounds like BWV 1006.
Think Psalm 98. Skill offered with gladness. Joy that is structured, not chaotic. Discipline does not crush delight. It gives it shape. That is a deeply biblical idea.

Why his music feels human.
The Bible never denies pain to reach truth. Neither does Bach. Sin, mortality, longing, hope, love, fear. They are all allowed to speak. Then they are gathered into something ordered and meaningful. That is why his music does not sentimentalize emotion. It redeems it.

Why your life fits inside his music.
Because Scripture fits inside real life. Weddings. Loss. Memory. Growth. Love across generations. Bach gives sound to what the Bible gives language to. That is why his music can carry a father, a son, a marriage, and grief without breaking.

1. BWV 546

Title: Präludium und Fuge in c-Moll
English: Prelude and Fugue in C minor
Instrumentation: Organ
Date: c. 1723–1730
Notes: Monumental in scale and architecture. Often associated with gravity, resolve, and moral weight.

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2. BWV 846

Title: Präludium und Fuge Nr. 1 in C-Dur
English: Prelude and Fugue No. 1 in C major
Collection: Das Wohltemperierte Klavier, Teil I
English: The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I
Instrumentation: Keyboard
Date: 1722
Notes: Foundational work in Western music. Frequently used in weddings due to its clarity and ordered joy.

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3. BWV 54

Title: Widerstehe doch der Sünde
English: “Stand firm against sin”
Type: Church Cantata for solo alto
Instrumentation: Alto voice, strings, continuo
Liturgical Use: Oculi Sunday (Lent)
Date: c. 1714
Biblical Basis: Romans 6
Notes: Introspective, morally weighty, and deeply personal. Often experienced as inward struggle made musical.

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4. BWV 1043

Title: Konzert für zwei Violinen in d-Moll
English: Concerto for Two Violins in D minor
Instrumentation: Two violins, strings, continuo
Date: c. 1717–1723
Movement Referenced: Second movement (Largo ma non tanto)
Notes: One of Bach’s most intimate slow movements. Often chosen for its sense of dialogue, unity, and tenderness.

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5. BWV 106

Title: Gottes Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit
English: “God’s time is the very best time”
Nickname: Actus Tragicus
Type: Early funeral cantata
Instrumentation: Voices, recorders, violas da gamba, continuo
Date: c. 1707
Biblical Sources: Acts 2, Isaiah 38, Psalms, Luke 23
Notes: One of Bach’s most direct musical meditations on death, time, and eternity.

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6. BWV 1006

Title: Partita Nr. 3 in E-Dur für Violine solo
English: Partita No. 3 in E major for Solo Violin
Movement Referenced: Prelude
Date: c. 1720
Notes: Radiant, athletic, and expansive. Often described as pure musical joy shaped by discipline.

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Closing insight

Taken together, these works span organ, keyboard, violin, concerto, and sacred vocal music, as well as joy, grief, discipline, and love. That range is not accidental. It mirrors a biblical view of life as ordered, honest, and redeemable.

You really can tell a life story through Bach because Bach believed life itself belonged to God and therefore deserved to be told truthfully and beautifully.

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Don’t Pray More, Pray Better: How to Pray Effectively

Don’t Pray More, Pray Better: How to Pray Effectively - Bill Johnson

 Prayer is not about saying more words. It is about aligning with God’s heart and partnering with Him to release His will on earth.

Matthew 6:7–10, John 15:7

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1. Prayer Is Partnership, Not Performance

Effective prayer invites believers to co labor with God in what He already desires to do. God chooses to work through human agreement and obedience.
Genesis 1:26–28, Matthew 18:18–20, 2 Corinthians 6:1

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2. Pray from Discernment, Not Assumption

Powerful prayer flows from listening to the Holy Spirit. Like Simeon and Anna, discernment grows through devotion, waiting, and sensitivity to God’s presence.
Luke 2:25–38, Romans 8:26–27, John 16:13

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3. Agreement Sustains the Miracle

Words spoken after prayer matter. Doubt and negativity can undermine faith, while agreement with God protects what has been prayed into motion.
Mark 11:22–24, Proverbs 18:21, Hebrews 10:23

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4. Jesus Secured the Victory

Sin and sickness were dealt with at the cross. Prayer is not convincing God to act but enforcing what Christ has already accomplished.
Isaiah 53:4–5, Colossians 2:13–15, John 19:30

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5. Prayer Releases God’s Glory

Answered prayer advances the gospel and shifts spiritual atmospheres. Persistent, focused prayer has global impact, even across generations.
Habakkuk 2:14, Acts 4:29–31, Matthew 24:14

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6. Pray Specifically and Expect Testimony

Targeted prayers invite targeted breakthroughs. Testimonies strengthen faith and multiply impact.
Philippians 4:6, Revelation 12:11, Psalm 66:16

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Bottom Line
Do not pray longer. Pray aligned. Listen first. Agree fully. Speak life. Expect fruit.

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Watch your life and doctrine closely and persevere in them (1 Tim 4:16)

 Enjoying Rob Harbison, Proverbs and reminded of this:

Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers...The sins of some are obvious, reaching the place of judgment ahead of them; the sins of others trail behind them. In the same way, good deeds are obvious, and even those that are not obvious cannot remain hidden forever. (1 tim 4:16, 5:24-25)

Mature believers should lead in the church, because new believers (recent converts) are prone to pride. 1 Tim 3:6 says "he may become conceited/puffed-up or he might become proud and fall under the same judgment/condemnation as/of the devil.

Amplified puts it this way and He must not be a new convert, so that he will not [behave stupidly and] become conceited [by appointment to this high office] and fall into the [same] condemnation incurred by the devil [for his arrogance and pride].

• Pride comes before a fall. Proverbs 16:18 says, Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.
• Your heart grew proud of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor; so I cast you to the earth; I made you a spectacle before kings. Ezekiel 28:17
• How you have fallen from heaven, O day star, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the ground, O destroyer of nations. / You said in your heart: “I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God. I will sit on the mount of assembly, in the far reaches of the north. / I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.” Isaiah 14:12-15
• In the same way, Cain builds his name, Seth brings repentance to God's name (Gen 4). Jesus said, not my will but your will be done (Luke 22:42, Matthew 26:39) on earth as it is in heaven.

Fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment. (Prov 9:10)

Fear and knowledge of God is the result of God's grace. Being a recipient of the God's grace humbles us and humility is the cure for pride. Peter tells us in the first letter, "Young men, in the same way, submit yourselves to your elders. And all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. (1 Peter 5:5) and then the second letter Peter gives us a progression. First, our faith is righteousness, grace and peace - increasingly seeing God's power in our lives (2 Peter 1:1-4). Then, knowledge of God with obedience leads to increasing effective faith (2 Peter 1:3-11).  Peter shows how born again faith grows up into quality faith (2 Peter 1:1-11)

Praying for my brother Joe who has moved into TCLI after a wonderful year in recovery at TC. Praying for Rolando as well.

When pride comes, disgrace follows, but with humility comes wisdom. Proverbs 11:2

Before his downfall a man’s heart is proud, but humility comes before honor. Proverbs 18:12

• So the one who thinks he is standing firm should be careful not to fall. 1 Corinthians 10:12
• For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. Matthew 23:12
• For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” Luke 14:11
• I tell you, this man, rather than the Pharisee, went home justified. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” Luke 18:14

For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but think of yourself with sober judgment, according to the measure of faith God has given you. Romans 12:3

And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us. For at just the right time, while we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. (Romans 5:5-6)

I will boast in my weakness (2 Cor 12:9), I was nothing when the Lord lifted me up. 

Now since the children have flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity, so that by His death He might destroy him who holds the power of death, that is, the devil, / and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death Heb 2:14-15

If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. Galatians 6:3

...Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. 1 Corinthians 8:1

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Love is the tool that unveils our hearts, crucifies our flesh, and welcomes God into our lives (Gal 2:20,5:22-25,Rom 6:6-14)

Enjoying a time of fasting with the Lord, listening, receiving, praying and walking with Him. This holy week I'm contemplating God's love held Jesus to the Cross, not the nails. Love is the tool we use to unveil (circumcise) our hearts, to crucify our flesh, and come into God's light. Love removes the spec from our eye, so we can see clearly. Love lifts the shame and guilt from our spirit. Love fills us with living water. Love plows the hard ground of our heart and removes the weeds so that new life can flourish and be fruitful. 

• Matthew 28:5: Then the angel spoke to the women. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified.
• Acts 4:10: Let me clearly state to all of you and to all the people of Israel that he was healed by the powerful name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, the man you crucified but whom God raised from the dead.
• Galatians 2:20: My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him. We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him. When he died, he died once to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God. So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus.

Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace. - Romans 6:6-14

Gal 2:20,5:22-25,Rom 6:6-14 NLT, MSG

Tuesday we enjoyed the Session 4: Holy Saturday: Where? "Where is God when heaven is silent". So many guys left before hearing the big finish about Psalm 22 which Jesus was remembering on the Cross. The creation of all that popular music, revealed at the end. 

Yesterday I was reviewing 40Days, revisiting day 2. Then on my way to work A.J. shared the Story of Jonah during SALT and Light, it was amazing!

• Sign of Jonah - Listen and repent for salvation and receive true Light (Luke 11:29-36)
• Discovering the Light of listening and being Salt (Luke 8-14)
• Light of listening and bearing the cross (Luke 8:1-9:45). 

It's so obvious that we hide, in secret shame for no reason. We need more than a reading of these truths we need to come into the presence of God. 

Veil of our fleshly fallen nature living on, unjudged within us, uncrucified and unrepudiated

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Spirit of heaviness and other "spiritual ailments"

Listening to How Demons Can Cause Negative Thinking - Derek Prince and looking at, What Does the Bible Say About Spirit Of Heaviness?

I can see how modern preachers recycle the classics and make them their own. Robert Morris (Free Indeed) appears to have been influenced heavily by Derek Prince (Pulling Down Strongholds) and John Bevere (Bate of Satan) by Warren Wiersbe (Strategy of Satan). 

Derek Prince highlights that we can be given over to torment by lack of forgives. Matthew 18:33-35, "…Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had on you?’ In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should repay all that he owed. That is how My heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.”

Notes from how demons can cause Negative Thinking: 

• Compelling to bite nails. Cutting self, self harm. 
• Enslave.  People can sin and stop sinning. Enslaved can’t stop
• Compel + enslave = addiction
• Addition can be respectable. 90% demons.
• Defile, dirty unclean, evil impure images and thoughts in our minds.
• Anything to keep you from worshiping God is demonic
• Deception: deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons.
• Week, sick, tired or killed. You spirit of tiredness come out of her… they make us go to sleep, spirit of slumber…

Remedy is found in God's promise delivered in Jesus Christ

Isaiah 61:1-3 ESV 

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; to grant to those who mourn in Zion— to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.

Luke 4:14-21 Jesus returned to Galilee, filled with the Holy Spirit’s power...taught regularly in their synagogues and was praised by everyone...he stood up to read...the prophet Isaiah...“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor...Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” 

Grateful to share these truths with my brother yesterday as we watched Tim Mackie - What Many Christians Misunderstand About The Bible. We talked about what it means to be a child of God who wanders away from God, rejects God. Is it right to kidnap them and force them into heaven or allow a door for them to walk through? I was able to accept Jesus into my life after rejecting him in my foolish youth because I learned the principles of healthy spiritual and mental functioning. From insecurity to peace of mind (Serenity Principle)

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Salvation in Christ protects and preserves God’s people

We can see the difference between people who come to Christ for life improvement vs those who come for salvation from God's wrath. When we come for life improvement we are focused on ourselves, when we come for salvation the focus is on God. Someone looking for life improvement is described by a worldly or fleshly disposition but the one being saved is described as taking the word of God to heart, producing the "fruit that accompanies salvation." Salvation comes when we see that we are guilty of sin and are ashamed of what we've done against God and his people. It's humility to agree with God as he's revealed himself in nature, ourselves, and ultimately in Jesus Christ.  I love this walk through scripture that brings us to know if we've come to Christ for salvation vs coming to Christ for life improvement: Key Christian Doctrines about God and our relationship to Him

Salvation in Christ protects God’s people from Satan’s destruction and sin’s penalty, even though life on earth brings difficulty. The Bible’s central message concerns the salvation of humanity from sin’s present and eternal corruption and damage. In BSF this week we look at Salvation in light of God's wrath.

God's wrath is justified when we look at what sin has done to people, and the earth. But what is the scope of God's wrath and who will experience God's wrath? 

First of all the eternal fire was prepared for the devil and his angels, not for people who are made in the image of God. Matthew 25:41) Then He will say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

Matthew 13:41-42) The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will weed out of His kingdom every cause of sin and all who practice lawlessness. And they will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

We have the Holy Spirit now who reveals sin, righteousness, and judgement (John 16:8-11). The Apostle Paul says it like this: "in blazing fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will suffer the penalty of eternal destruction, separated from the presence of the Lord and the glory of His might, (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9)"

John 16:8-11 describes how the Holy Spirit will convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. This passage suggests that the Holy Spirit's role is to reveal the truth and expose error. 

• Sin: The Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin because people do not believe in Jesus. Sin is primarily unbelief in Jesus, which is the root of all other sins. This conviction is necessary for repentance and salvation.
• Righteousness: The Holy Spirit convicts the world of righteousness by demonstrating the perfect life and sacrificial death of Jesus. Righteousness refers to the standard of holiness required by God.
• Judgment: Because the prince of the world stands condemned. See antichrist, anyone who doesn't know god and doesn't obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 

Rev 14:12) "This calls for patient endurance on the part of the people of God who keep his commands and remain faithful to Jesus. 

• But the one who perseveres to the end will be saved. - Matthew 24:13
• Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him. - James 1:12
• You need to persevere, so that after you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised. - Hebrews 10:36
• Not only that, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; / perseverance, character; and character, hope. Romans 5:3-4
• For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome, 1 John 5:3
• Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 1 Corinthians 13:7
• Let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Galatians 6:9
• That is why we boast among God’s churches about your perseverance and faith in the face of all the persecution and affliction you are enduring. 2 Thessalonians 1:4
• Then you will not be sluggish, but will imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised. Hebrews 6:12
• so that the proven character of your faith—more precious than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 1:7
• and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 2 Peter 1:6
• By your patient endurance you will gain your souls. Luke 21:19
• But if we hope for what we do not yet see, we wait for it patiently. Romans 8:25
• being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so that you may have full endurance and patience, and joyfully Colossians 1:11
• Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made the good confession before many witnesses. 1 Timothy 6:12

Rev 14:13) Then I heard a voice from heaven say, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.”

Deut 30:6-10) God will change your heart so you will love him and live – then you’ll obey and be successful in all you do

He washed their feet and opened their minds

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God intends fear and sorrow to bring repentance that leads to salvation, not regret (2 Cor 7:9-10)

"yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death." 2 Cor 7:9-10

Sometimes we see a social post from a friend and it stews in our minds like a crockpot. Then we may call that person and it builds a more troubling story. I wish there was something I could do or say but the other persons life is out of my control. I can't fix this person, I need to be still and know (Psalm 46:10)... to come to Jesus with my weariness and learn from his humility (Matthew 11:28-30) to cast my cares upon Him because He cares for me (1 Peter 5:7, Psalm 55:22), to lean not on my own understanding but in complete trust submit my will to the Lord (Proverbs 3:5-6). 

Unfortunately "crockpot sorrow" can take two avenues of confession:

1. Superficial, fatalism. Express regret and sorrow but knowing that this is going to happen again, probably this week. Hypocrisy
2. Express guilt and sorrow, but have a hatred for the sin - you have every intention to make war against it. You are going to rob it of its power. Romans 7:16-19

 Genesis 44:33-34;Romans 2:4; 2 Corinthians 7:9-10; 2 Peter 3:9

• Fear when God uncovers your guilt (Genesis 44:33-34)
• God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance (Rom 2:4)
• ...your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended...Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret (2 Cor 7:9-10)
• The Lord...is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9)

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Fasting and Prayer from believing God, undisciplined from unbelief (1 John 5:14, John 9:31, Jonah 3:5-10, Jer 14:10-12)

“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us” 1 John 5:14, "We know that God doesn’t listen to sinners, but he is ready to hear those who worship him and do his will."  John 9:31

"(They) believed God’s message...pray(ed) earnestly to God... turn(ed) from their evil ways and stop(ped) all their violence...When God saw what they had done (believed) and how (turned) they had put a stop to their evil ways, he changed his mind and did not carry out the destruction he had threatened. Jonah 3:5-10

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places (Ephesians 6:10-12).

“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. Eph 1:3

I'm excited to get back to Teen Challenge Portland house this Tuesday. Guys and anyone on their guest list comes with their own dinner at 5. We start the video at 5:15, we have 30 minutes to discuss and dismiss at 6:15. This year we're doing the 9 week Prayer Course, Followed by 5 weeks for the Unanswered Prayer Course. 

We pray for the guys by name on Thursdays (over Google Meet), ask them to join while in line for food. We add treats and gifts to incentivize them like Sliced Apple and Carmel for dessert with cookies and giving gifts to anyone who comes two weeks in a row, with an additional bonus gift for 3rd week. These gifts are books on prayer. Keys to Powerful Prayer, How to Pray: The Best of John Wesley on Prayer, Prayers to Start Your Day, Winning Your Spiritual Battles, 199 Promises of God. 

This week in BSF our doctrine is prayer:

Prayers of the repentant: Jonah 3:5-10,Acts 3:19,1 John 1:9, shows they "believed God’s message" and committed to "(fast and) pray earnestly to God", turn from their evil ways, stop their violence with hope that God would spare their lives. 

• When we believe God, it's always followed by repentance. "Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away." Acts 3:19
• "if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness." 1 John 1:9

Prayers of non-believers are not answered by God: Proverbs 1:24-28,Isaiah 59:3,Jeremiah 14:10-12,John 9:31 because He calls but non-believers refuse to answer, He reached out but non-believers ignore His advice and reject the correction God offered. So when non-believers "cry for help, I will not answer. Though they anxiously search for me, they will not find me." Proverbs 1:28

• Non-believers are undisciplined who are God's people: Isaiah 59:3 says look at your hands, they are the hands of murderers and our fingers are filthy with sin, your lips are full of lies and your mouth spews corruption. Jeremiah 14:10, LORD says to his people: You love to wander far from me and do not restrain yourselves. Therefore, I will no longer accept you as my people. now I will remember all your wickedness and will punish you for your sins."

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"I Asked God" shows us how to listen to God

Poems are great when you understand the person who wrote them. "I Asked God" by Claudia Minden Weisz is often shared on social media and has a stoic voice around what God gives and the desired response. He gives us a desire to pray for and wisdom to see how it's accomplished. This is akin to the still small voice of God. The phrase "still small voice" is a biblical reference that appears in 1 Kings 19:12: In the story of Elijah, God speaks to him in a still small voice after sending a wind, earthquake, and fire. The phrase is used to illustrate that God's work doesn't always need to be accompanied by dramatic manifestations.

• To give up prideful habits, rather God taking it away. (Romans 12:1-4)
• To see the spiritual reality in people, rather than the physical (2 Corinthians 4:16)
• To have patience is to go through tribulation with God (Psalm 46:10, Psalm 1:1-6)
• To have joyful happiness is receiving blessings of God (James 1:17)
• To separate from the world is painful but joy is in relationship with God (Hebrews 11)
• To grow spiritually we must receive nourishment, light, and pruning (John 15)
• To know God's love is to know and follow Jesus (Hebrews 12)
• To love others is God's desire for us (John 12:23-13:20)

We're starting the Prayer Course at MNTC next week. Christian prayer is a way for Christians to communicate with God and develop a personal relationship with him. It can be a form of worship, praise, or conversation. Christians pray for many reasons, including: 

• Expressing gratitude: Thanking God for blessings
• Asking for help: Requesting guidance, healing, or clarity
• Confessing sins: Asking for forgiveness
• Praying for others: Interceding on behalf of others
• Expressing thoughts and feelings: Sharing love, fears, and desires with God

Prayer is a central part of the Christian life, and Christians are encouraged to pray "continually". Some ways that Christians pray include: 

• Vocal prayer: Following the example of Christ, who taught the Our Father to his disciples 
• Meditation: A prayerful practice that involves thought, emotion, imagination, and desire 
• Contemplative prayer: A practice that involves the Holy Spirit and is compared to a kiss from God 
• Formal prayers: Pre-written prayers like The Lord's Prayer, which are often used in special ceremonies 
• Informal prayers: "Chatty" prayers that Christians often use 
• Arrow prayers: Quick prayers for specific situations 

"I Asked God" by Claudia Minden Weisz

I asked God to take away my pride (habit), And God said, “No.”

He said it was not for Him to take it away, But for me to give it up.

I asked God to make my handicapped child whole, And God said, “No.”

He said her spirit already is, While her body is only temporary.

I asked God to grant me patience, And God said, “No.”

He said patience is a by-product of tribulation; It isn’t granted, it is earned.

I asked God to give me happiness, And God said, “No.”

He said “I give blessings; Happiness is up to you.”

I asked God to spare me pain, And God said, “No.”

He said, “Suffering draws you apart from Worldly cares and brings you closer to Me.”

I asked God to make my spirit grow, And God said, “No.”

He said I must grow on my own, But He will prune me to make me fruitful.

I asked God if He loved me, And God said, “Yes.”

He gave me His only Son, who died for me. And I will be in heaven someday.

I asked God to help me love others As much as He loves me,

And God said, “Ah, finally, you have the idea.”

• Lord help me give up Pride: (Psalm 10:4 (NLT) — The wicked are too proud to seek God. Psalm 75:4-7 (NLT) — 4 I warned the proud, 'Stop your boasting! Proverbs 11:2 (NLT) — Pride leads to disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom. Proverbs 13:10 (NLT) — Pride leads to conflict; those who take advice are wise.

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Baptism is uniting in Christ death and resurrection (Romans 6-8)

Being a Christian involves an honest encounter with God. We listen to instruction and obey, leading to righteousness, purity and abundance - or we go our own way and fail. A Friend once said a discontented heart is the result of the ideal values you hold not matching the real values you live. When feeling discontented it's important to review who you aspire to be and make a commitment to live from those values today. 

• Good input leads to good output (TrustEdge on Character)
• Lord help me to move from values to virtues
  

Today is my last day of being in my forties and yesterday I watched "Alice Through The Looking Glass" on the airplane (It was the only film not watched after traveling to and from AZ all year). It's a story about time travel, wanting to go back and change what's happened. The moral of the story is that we can't change the past but we can learn from it. 

• The Mad Hatter lives in his head and the Queen of Hearts lives in her heart. 
• The Hatter was dying because Alice didn't "believe him" and is stuck in a minute before tea time. 
• The Queen had, locked people up in her hate filled heart. She shrunk down a whole family and treated them like ants. 
• Time stops for the Queen of Hearts when she goes back to the moment when she felt betrayed by her sister. Alice puts time back in its place of power, where time heals all wounds. 
• Back in the the real world, Alice "gives up the ship" to have a positive relationship with her family and in return her family believes in her. Her heart and mind, in sync - no longer needing to go through the looking glass. 

We had a wonderful walk around the Veterans Oasis Park then we watched "It's a Wonderful Life" with John. When we get caught up in ourselves we lose sight of the big picture. But when we open ourselves up to what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, praiseworthy... When we think about these things and put them into practice we enter into God's peace, wholeness and feeling together. I had these scriptures read at my Baptism in 2005 (Phil 4:4-19). I'm grateful for our "Relationships Matter" group in BSF and all the lives. We watch Christmas Eve at Cornerstone Chandler and Pastor Lyn gave a good message about not opening the greatest Christmas gift of all time. "A Savior." The Savior is the only one who can connect the Ideal to the real. Everything else comes up empty. 

This morning I'm reminded of Romans 7:14-15,18,19,21,23. Sin is still at work in my body and mind. Romans 7:25, "Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God's law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin."

• Dying to Self, being made alive for God (Luke 9; Gal 2:20,5:24; Romans 6, 12; 1 Peter 4)
• Sets us free to live righteously in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1-6), no longer hostile to God (Romans 8:7-8), He lives in us (1 Cor 12:8-10, Romans 8:9-11), Holy Spirit's trans-formative power in the world and in the individual (Romans 8:14-17), God transforms all things with his glory (Romans 8:28-30)
• Suffering in Christ, with Holy Spirit brings unfathomable hope (Romans 8:17-30)
  

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Freedom, liberty in communion with God

Sometimes we need a fresh start, we've been a failure and need to get back in step with the Lord. Sometimes a quick prayer doesn't feel like enough. Hebrews reminds us that God made a special day called "today" - today WHEN you hear his voice don't harden your heart, today is the day of salvation. Warn each other every day, while it is still "today", so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God. (Heb 3:13) 

• Before work talk to God and give your ideas to him: “O Lord, God of my master, Abraham,” he prayed. “Please give me success today, and show unfailing love to my master, Abraham. (Gen 24:12-14)
• Then Pay attention:  Before he had finished praying... (he witnessed the answer)... “Praise the Lord, the God of my master, Abraham,” he said. “The Lord has shown unfailing love and faithfulness to my master, for he has led me straight to my master’s relatives.” (Gen 24:15-27)
• Acknowledge the Lord to others: “So today when I came to the spring, I prayed this prayer: ‘O Lord, God of my master, Abraham, please give me success on this mission. (Gen 24:42)

Sometimes our prayers are interrupted by thoughts, obsessions, or desires that want to carry us away from the LORD. We need to "be still" and turn the lights on inside our heart, have a moment of reflection, let the word of Christ dwell within ourselves and take Holy Communion. In our hearts we can hold up the shield of faith that extinguish the enemy arrows from the outside, but on the inside of faith is peace. 

• Psalms 11:5 says that “the LORD tests the righteous,” and in Job 23:10, Job says of God, “When he has tried me, I shall come out as gold.” Similarly, God told Jeremiah, “I the LORD search the heart and test the mind” (Jeremiah 17:10), and Proverbs 17:3 declares that “the LORD tests hearts.”

 Communion: The Meal of Absolute Victory - Bill Johnson (Sermon Clip) | Bethel Church

• "This is my body" - "broken for you"
• "By His stripes you WERE healed" - today I get to experience the liberty and forgiveness 
• Put someone on your lips and declare healing for them, in Jesus name. 
• As for me and my house we will serve the LORD. 

Communion, the body and blood and the weekend (Psalm 23, John 13-21, Exodus 12)

Psalm 19

Don't hold on theology of problems, hold onto theology of our solution. Take time with the LORD. 

Psalm 19:13: Who can discern his own errors? Cleanse me from my hidden faults. Keep me safe (from arrogant people/things), also, from willful (presumptuous, flagrant, conspicuously offensive, obviously inconsistent with what is right) sins; don't let them rule (control, dominion) over me. Then I shall be perfect (blameless, without spot) and free (acquitted, declared innocent, cleansed) from the evil of sin (transgression, greatest sin). May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

• But each one is tempted when by his own evil desires he is lured away and enticed. / Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. James 1:14-15
• If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. / If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. / If we say we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar, and His word is not in us. 1 John 1:8-10
• Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its desires. / Do not present the parts of your body to sin as instruments of wickedness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and present the parts of your body to Him as instruments of righteousness. / For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace. Romans 6:12-14
• So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. / For the flesh craves what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are opposed to each other, so that you do not do what you want. Galatians 5:16-17
• No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide an escape, so that you can stand up under it. 1 Corinthians 10:13
• And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’ Matthew 6:13
• Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off every encumbrance and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with endurance the race set out for us. Hebrews 12:1
• or because of these surpassingly great revelations. So to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. / Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. / But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest on me. 2 Corinthians 12:7-9

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