To be continued

Don't you hate when those words appear at the end of an episode of your favorite show? Well, I have to apologize. It has been a week since I last published a page from my journal. I have been very busy this week and very tired too. I have started a life group with several of my brothers from church. We are meeting at and ministering to men who live in a sobering living facility. I also have been battling fatigue and stress. I haven't slept well and tension is building next door between my daughter and her husband and I am very concerned about that. I gave this entry the title of to be continued because I don't answer the question I posed in my last blog. In fact, I end with another question. However, I left a clue to the answer to this one and I believe if you follow the clue it will help give an answer to my previous question which was:

     Is God some self-serving fatuous being or is His desire to glorify and honor
     Himself the highest thing He could do for His people?

Ironically, as I look back at these entries, I see that I put it off for one more day after this entry and answer the question in the following two entries after that. 

October 6, 2015

Worship: Down At the Cross by E.A. Hoffman (1878)

Down At The Cross

Down at the cross where my Savior died,
Down where for cleansing from sin I cried,
There to my heart was the blood applied;
Glory to His Name!

Refrain

Glory to His Name, glory to His Name:
There to my heart was the blood applied;
Glory to His Name!

I am so wondrously saved from sin,
Jesus so sweetly abides within;
There at the cross where He took me in;
Glory to His Name!

Refrain

Oh, precious fountain that saves from sin,
I am so glad I have entered in;
There Jesus saves me and keeps me clean;
Glory to His Name!

Refrain

Come to this fountain so rich and sweet,
Cast thy poor soul at the Savior’s feet;
Plunge in today, and be made complete;
Glory to His Name!

Refrain

Lyrics:http://www.elyrics.net/read/b/bart-millard-lyrics/down-at-the-cross-lyrics.html

Video:  https://youtu.be/FHRB4pHvvWg

Witness:

What an interesting day, full of spiritual warfare, answer to prayer, and glorious conversations with a daughter, saying things I would never have thought she ever would be saying. To borrow, out of context, a phrase from the song I just sang to, “Glory to His Name!”

Specifically (though not in detail), my daughter and I and our friend David (a good warrior name) were involved in a spiritual battle  with demonic forces that sought to discourage my son-in-law and drag him back into the hell hole from which he came. I believe we have pushed back the enemy for now but are ready with prayer and the WORD when they return. “Glory to His Name!”

My friend Glen received a 1-year contract with a company he had made a proposal to last week. We had been praying every day since then. Today God answered. “Glory to His Name!”

My daughter came over tonight, oh the wisdom that came from her mouth. In the past, bitter words. Cuss words. Words of doubt and unbelief. Now words of grace and wisdom. “Glory to His Name!”

WORD:

2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.  4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

2He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, 3he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. 4Even though I walk through the darkest valley,a I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

Because of this great conversation I had with my daughter tonight, I don’t have time to delve into the questions I left for you to ponder. That gives you another day to think about them. Let me add one more question to ponder. Who is the subject of the Bible?

I am not going to leave you totally empty handed. I have included a link to a John Piper study on Isaiah 48:9-11 from his excellent and growing series called “Look at the Book”. Please watch it. It is not very long and I believe it will help you as you ponder these questions I have asked. You will see the relevance to our passage we are studying when you watch it.  https://youtu.be/IWcHLyY_XOQ

GORY TO HIS NAME

1 Tim 1:17

Now to the King eternal,

immortal, invisible,

the only God,

be honor and glory

 for ever and ever.

Amen.

NIV