Author: Brian

Follower of Jesus, Husband, Dad, Grandpa, and Pastor

Revelation Quote

On By BrianIn Revelation Quotes

RevQuotes

One of the main goals of the book, therefore, is to exhort believers to remain faithful to Christ in spite of present sufferings and in spite of the temptations to engage in idolatry represented by compromise with the world-system, because this faithfulness will eventually be rewarded in the heavenly kingdom.

– G.K. Beale in Revelation

Reflections on Psalms 130-135

On By BrianIn OT Reflections

Which psalm or verse especially reflects your heart today?  Use those words to talk to the Lord.

  • Hope in the Lord – The Psalmist cries out to God for forgiveness, and then waits and hopes in the Lord (Psalm 130). He humbles and quiets himself as he hopes in the Lord (Psalm 131).  Have you humbled yourself before the Lord?  For what do you need forgiveness?  Describe your hope in the Lord.
  • Bless the Lord – Psalms 134-135 call us to bless and praise the Lord. He is a great God who does great things.  What great things has he done for you recently?  Bless and praise the Lord.

Psalms 130-140: Approaching Our God

On By BrianIn OT Studies

(139) What do you learn about our great God in each of these passages, and what does that mean for our lives?

V1-6 –

V7-12 –

V13-18 (138:8) –

In response to God, how does David view God’s enemies?  How should we view God’s enemies?

What does he recognize about himself (v23-24)?  Do you pray these words?

(136) This psalm celebrates God’s love in his creation (v4-9), his redemption (v10-16), and his preservation (v17-25).  How do we see God’s love in each of these actions?

How should we respond to his great love (v1-3, 26)?  What keeps us from responding more in this way?

(130-134) These psalms are the final songs of ascents, sung as the people went to Jerusalem to appear before God.  From these psalms, how should we approach our great loving God?  Why?

130 –

131 (138:6) –

132 –

133 –

134 (135:1-3) –

(130-140) Which verse(s) or psalm especially speaks to you, and why?

Passion Points

On By BrianIn PASSION Points

Here are some good posts for your weekend reading:

Why Believing That God Is Sovereign Makes All the Difference – Erik Raymond (Crossway)

Finding Peace When the Whole World Is Going To Pieces – Stephen Altrogge

10 Things You Should Know about Your Smartphone – Tony Reinke (Crossway)

2 Ways To Look at the People in Your Church – Tim Challies

Hope you have a great Lord’s Day with your local church!

 

Reflections on Psalms 127-129

On By BrianIn OT Reflections1 Comment

Which psalm or verse especially reflects your heart today?  Use those words to talk to the Lord.

  • Work – Psalm 127 reminds us that our work is futile unless God blesses it. Instead of anxious constant toil, we should do our work and then rest, trusting God to bless it.  Which of those two ways better describes you?
  • Children – Psalm 127 tells us that children are a blessing from God. How does that compare to our culture’s view of children?  Who do children ultimately belong to?  How should that affect the way parents raise them?

Declaring The Glory

On By BrianIn Declaring the Glory1 Comment

Fam2013 126

Sky over Lake Superior in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula

The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
– Psalm 19:1

For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature,
have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world,
in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
– Romans 1:20