2 Peter 1

I believe the power and expect the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. One reason I believe is because there are eyewitnesses to his Majesty.  Peter, James and John were there on the mount of Transfiguration to see and to hear Jesus receive honor and glory from you, God, my heavenly father. They heard your majestic voice say, “this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased”.

Beyond that occurrence, I have even a more sure word to which I pay attention to as a light in the darkness. I have your word, Lord; come to me through the apostles as a light in a dark place until the day of the Lord dawns and the morning star appears.  No word of scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation, nor was the word produced by the will of these prophets and apostles, instead these men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

Matt. 6, John 8&11, Eph. 5, John 1&3

My eye is the lamp of my body. If my eye is healthy, my whole body is full of light. Father, help me keep my eyes on your light.  Guard me and guide me, holy spirit, that I keep my eyes on Jesus, my shepherd. Jesus is the light of the world, and I follow him and walk in the light of life.  I do not stumble because I see the issues of life in the light of the Lord Jesus.  Once I was in darkness, but now I am in the light of the Lord. I walk as a child of light.

For you, father, so loved me that you sent your only begotten son, and gave me the faith to believe in him as the Messiah and to receive him as my savior. You sent him, Jesus Christ, into the world in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned.  Jesus, your light, father, has come into the world. I love the light and come in to the light because you, heavenly father, have carried out your work in me.

2 Thess. 2

In your time, father, I see that you will remove your restraining spirit and the lawless one will be revealed whom Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming.  The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refuse to love the truth and so be saved.

But, father, by your grace, I believe the truth and have pleasure in your righteousness. I thank you that you, father, have chosen me to be saved through sanctification by the spirit and belief in the truth.  You called me through your gospel so that I could obtain the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus, himself, and you, heavenly father, love me and give me eternal comfort and good hope through your grace.  You comfort my heart and you establish me in every good work and word.

Heb.10 &4

Good morning, father, today I draw near to you with a true heart in full assurance of faith. My heart is sprinkled clean from an evil conscience (thank you, Lord Jesus), and my body is washed with pure water.  I hold fast the confession of my hope without wavering, for you have promised, and you, father, are perfectly faithful.

Jesus, the Christ, offered for all times a single sacrifice for sins, and now, he is seated at your right hand, Father, where he daily makes intercession for me.  Therefore, I have confidence to enter the holy places with you, father, to receive mercy and find grace for each day and for each moment.  I enter by the new and living way that Jesus opened to me through the curtain on the flesh; first, literally through his flesh, and now, spiritually, through my flesh.  By his single offering he perfected me as your child, father, for all time.

Jere.9, 1 Peter5, Galatians 6

I do not boast in wisdom; I do not boast in might; I do not boast in riches; I boast in the Lord. By god’s grace and Jesus’ mediation, God knows me and understands me. He is God who practices steadfast love, justice and righteousness in the earth. These are the things my God delights in. I know him and he knows me!  The Lord is the true God. He is the living God and the everlasting king. At his wrath the earth quakes, and the nations cannot endure his indignation.  “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble”.

I humble myself under your mighty hand, father, son, and Holy Spirit. I know you care for me, therefore, I cast my anxieties on you. You are the God of all grace and you have called me to your eternal glory in Christ. I know that at the perfect times you, yourself, restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish me. To you be dominion forever. I do not boast in anything except the cross of my Lord Jesus, the Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me and I have been crucified to the world.

Heb.10

Lord Jesus, I see that you have entered not into holy places made of hands, but into heaven itself to appear in the presence of God on my behalf. You have appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of yourself.  Thank you! And just as it is appointed for man to die once and then the judgment, so, lord Jesus, you have been offered once to bear the sins of many and you will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for you.

The law was but a shadow of the good things that have come with you, Lord Jesus. It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sin. Consequently, Jesus the Christ, came into the world. You said, “behold, I have come to do your will, oh God”. At that time you, Lord Jesus, did away with the first covenant to establish the second covenant.  And by your will, I have been sanctified by your offering your body, Lord Jesus, once for all.

Heb.7,8&9

The word of the new covenant from God, my heavenly father, appoints Jesus, the Christ, as high priest forever. Jesus’ ministry is more excellent because the covenant he mediates is better since it is enacted on better promises.  In speaking of a new covenant, father, you make the old one obsolete. It is obsolete and growing old and vanishing away. In the old covenant sacrifices could not perfect the conscience of the worshiper, but dealt only with regulations for the body imposed until the time of the reformation.

But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, he entered once for all into the holy places not by the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.  Thank you, Father, that the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to You, purifies my conscience from dead works to serve you, the living God. Hallelujah!

Heb.7&8

Jesus is a high priest because he was appointed thereto by God, the father. He is a high priest by virtue of his indestructible life. As such, Jesus is a high priest forever, and he is a guarantor of a better covenant. Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. He has no need to offer sacrifices daily, since he offered up himself once – a perfect sacrifice.

Jesus, you are my high priest.  You are seated at the right hand of the throne of the majesty in heaven. You are a minister in the holy places, in the true tent, the one the Lord set up, not man.  Jesus, my Lord, you have a ministry that is much more excellent than the old priesthood, as the covenant you mediate is better since it is enacted on better promises. In this covenant, you are my God and I know you! You are merciful to me and remember my sins no more.

Hebrews5&7

Jesus did not exalt himself to be made high priest. He was appointed by God, the father, who said, “you are my son, today I have begotten you “, and, “you are a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek”.  Thus in the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence.  Although he was a son he learned obedience through what he suffered. And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him.

God, the father, made Jesus the high priest forever. He became high priest, not on the basis of a legal requirement of bodily decent, but by the power of an indestructible life. This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant. He holds the priesthood permanently!

Philippians 4 and I Thess. 5 ; and some comment from John Piper and me

Rejoice in the Lord. God is glorified by our joy in him.

God is glorified by his glory being rejoiced in. Joy is not a mere option to worship, it is an essential component.

Praise means, the consummate pleasure and the highest end of man is to drink deeply of the pleasure of God.

God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him.

Rocking in the loving arms of Jesus.