Don't Think, "Glory For Me." Think, "Glory To God."

Mark 10:32-52

Jesus was ‘going up to Jerusalem’ - to the Cross (32). He came to die, ‘to give His life as a ransom for many’ (45). The death of Christ lies at the very heart of the Gospel (1 Peter 1:10-12; 1 Corinthians 1:23 & 2 Corinthians 5:18-21; 1 John 1:7, 2:2; Hebrews 2:9). Don’t think, ‘Glory for me’ (37). Think, ‘Glory to God’ (43-44): ‘God forbid that I should glory save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ’ (Galatians 6:14). Bartimaeus cried out to the Lord for mercy (47). ‘How embarrassing’, some people thought - ‘how undignified’ (48). When God is at work, some people don't like it! They like everything to be dignified - dull and dead! When God is at work, people get converted. This may not please the 'critics', but it pleases God - and that’s what matters. Cry to God for mercy. Your prayer will be heard - and answered.

‘Christ Died For Sins Once For All, The Righteous For The Unrighteous, To Bring Us To God.’

Ezekiel 45:1-25
We read here of ‘the sin offerings, cereal offerings, burnt offerings, and peace offerings, to make atonement for the house of Israel’(17). All of this points forward to the single Sacrifice for sin made by our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ: ‘Christ died for sins once for all, the Righteous for the unrighteous, to bring us to God’(1 Peter 3:18). ‘We have been forgiven and made clean through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all’(Hebrews 10:10). This is what we must see here. We must learn to look beyond the many sacrifices to the one Sacrifice: ‘Christ has offered one Sacrifice for sins, an offering that is effective for ever’. Let us rejoice in our Saviour: ‘He is able for all time to save those who draw near to God through Him’(Hebrews 10:12; 7:25).
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Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com

Jesus - The Good Shepherd, the Great Shepherd, The Chief Shepherd

Ezekiel 34:1-31
God speaks to us in love. He says, ‘I Myself will be the Shepherd of My sheep’(15). We rejoice in His love. We say, ‘The Lord is my Shepherd’(Psalm 23:1). Jesus is our Shepherd. He is ‘the good Shepherd’. He laid down His life for us that we might receive the forgiveness of our sins. ‘Christ died for our sins’. He - ‘the Righteous’- died for us - ‘the unrighteous’- ‘to bring us to God’(John 10:11; 1 Corinthians 15:3; 1 Peter 3:18). He is ‘the great Shepherd’. He was ‘raised’ from the dead’. Through His resurrection, we receive eternal life. He says to us, ‘Because I live you will live also’(Hebrews 13:20-21; 1 Corinthians 15:4; John 14:19). He is ‘the chief Shepherd’. He will come again with ‘the unfading crown of glory’ for His ‘good and faithful servants’(1 Peter 5:4; Matthew 25:21).
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Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com

Reconciled To God Through The Death Of His Son

Deuteronomy 22:1-30
Care for ‘your brother’(1-4). Our caring is not to be selective - ‘If the brother does not live near you or if you do not know who he is’(2). When Jesus says, ‘Love your neighbour as yourself’(Luke 10:27), He means much more than loving the people who live near us, the people that we know. The ‘Samaritan’ didn’t know ‘the man who fell into the hands of robbers’(Luke 10:30,33). ‘Jews did not associate with Samaritans’(John 4:9). Jesus says, ‘Love your enemies (Matthew 5:44). Love your enemies with the love of the Lord - ‘when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son’(Romans 5:8,10). Don’t love the ways of those who ‘live as enemies of the Cross of Christ’(Philippians 3:18). ‘Purge the evil from the midst of you’(21-22,24).
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Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com

Be Resolute In Your Commitment To Living ‘As The Lord Our God Has Commanded.’

Deuteronomy 20:10-21:23
The offer of ‘peace’ is made (20:10; Romans 5:1). Some refuse to ‘make peace’. They choose to ‘make war’(20:12). When the enemies of Christ and the Gospel are raging, we must be resolute in our commitment to living ‘as the Lord our God has commanded’(20:16-18). We are to ‘do what is right in the sight of the Lord’. This will involve ‘going forth to war against our enemies’. It will involve ‘purging the evil from our midst’ (21:9-10,21; Ephesians 6:10-13; 2 Corinthians 10:3-5; Hebrews 12:1-2, 11). Our life of holiness is grounded in the death of Christ who, on the Cross, was ‘accursed by God’ so that we might be saved by God (21:23; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Galatians 3:13; 1 Peter 2:24). Through faith in Him, we have been declared holy (Romans 5:1,3-5,9-10).
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Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com