248. Dedicated to God: Apart from the Lord there is no God.

3 February 2022
“You will become pregnant and have a son whose head is never to be touched by a razor because the boy is to be a Nazirite, dedicated to God from the womb. He will take the lead in delivering Israel from the hands of the Philistines.” Judges 13:5

I am the Lord, and there is no other;
    apart from me there is no God.
I will strengthen you,
    though you have not acknowledged me. Isaiah 45:5

Dedicated to God.

Romans 12 ESV
1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy (dedicated to God - GOD'S WORD Translation) and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

From Desiring God by John Piper.


Before we give ourselves away in mercy to man, we give ourselves away in worship to God.

Therefore, it is absolutely essential that Paul put worship before mercy and that he define the Christian life as worshipful before he defines it as merciful. Or to put it more carefully, Paul defines the Christian life as worship so that it can be merciful. If we are not worshiping in our behavior — that is, if we are not making much of God’s mercy in Christ in and alongside our behavior — we are not giving people what they need most. And that is not merciful. A merciful lifestyle depends on a worshipful lifestyle. So before Paul defines Christian living as merciful, he defines it as worshipful."


But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life.
17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
1 Timothy 1:16-17

Apostle Paul worshipped Christ Jesus, he was dedicated to God.

In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you 
to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 
which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 
who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen. 1 Timothy 6:13-16

Worship begets mercy.

Romans 12
6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith;
8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

If your gift is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

Apostle Paul, as Saul the Pharisee that he was, did not acknowledge Christ Jesus as he acted in ignorance and unbelief (1 Timothy 1:13), yet as he became messenger of the gospel, the Lord strengthened him when he was hard pressed and persecuted (2 Corinthians 4:8-10).

Apostle Paul dedicated his life to the only God (1 Timothy 1:17 above).

To be dedicated to God is to follow Jesus.

Two blind men shouted to Jesus for mercy.

Matthew 20
29 As Jesus and his disciples were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed him. 
30 Two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was going by, they shouted, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”
31 The crowd rebuked them and told them to be quiet, but they shouted all the louder, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”
32 Jesus stopped and called them. “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked.
33 “Lord,” they answered, “we want our sight.”
34 Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him.

Jesus had mercy on the two blind men and they followed Him.

I am a sinner, saved through the mercy of God, by faith in Jesus Christ (John 3:16).


""There is no one holy like the Lord,
Indeed, there is no one besides You,
Nor is there any rock like our God.
So that people may know from the rising to the setting of the sun
That there is no one besides Me.
I am the Lord, and there is no one else,
The One forming light and creating darkness,
Causing well-being and creating disaster;
I am the Lord who does all these things.
Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth;
For I am God, and there is no other" (1 Samuel 2:2; Isaiah 45:6-7, 22 NASB). Lord, Holy God, besides You there is no God, in Jesus' name. Amen.

19 March 2018"

May you be blessed with God's Word.

Maraming salamat.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

102. Wala ka sa Lolo ko. The Lord has given him a crown.

Image
25 January 2021 1 Timothy 5 4 But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God. Let me share my reflection 7 October 2017 which I have updated. "Grandchildren. Children’s children are a crown to the aged. (Proverbs 17:6) 1 Timothy 5 9 No widow may be put on the list of widows unless she is over sixty, has been faithful to her husband,  10 and is well known for her good deeds, such as bringing up children, showing hospitality, washing the feet of the Lord’s people, helping those in trouble and devoting herself to all kinds of good deeds. Let me make the connection between grandchildren and a widow. Marlou and I recently spent a weekend in Lipa to visit my mother-in-law. We went to Lipa New Hope Church for the Sunday worship service. From the back, I can see the petite figure of "Nanay" (...
Read more

119. Wala ka sa Lolo ko. For him, there is no righteousness apart from God in Jesus Christ.

Image
28 February 2021 Photo by Shaun F from Pexels Your righteousness, God, reaches to the heavens, you who have done great things. Who is like you, God? (Psalm 71:19) 2 Peter 1 1 Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours: 2 Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. The Apostle Peter. "Do you think that we are too tough on Peter for denying Christ? Note that after the Resurrection, Jesus told the women: "Go tell my disciples and Peter." Why "and Peter"? I see myself in Peter. I also see my neighbors and friends in him. Perhaps you see yourself in Peter as well. There's something of this man in us all, and the way God used him with his faults and failures gives me hope, for the God who changed his life is still in the business of changing people. As I think of Mr. Peter, I think o...
Read more

226. We will be blessed: The Lord washed our feet, we should wash one another's feet.

Image
6 December 2021 You will be blessed. Deuteronomy 28 3 You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country. 2 All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God. John 13 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. Maundy Thursday. " Maundy (from Old French mandé, from Latin mandatum meaning "command"), or the Washing of the Feet, or Pedelavium, is a religious rite observed by various Christian denominations. This is also seen as referring to the commandment of Christ that believers should emulate his loving humility in the washing of the feet (John 13:14–17). The term mandatum (mandé, maundy), therefore, was applied to the rite of foot-washing on the Thursday preceding Easter Sunday, called Maundy Thursday. " From Wikipedia " As Jesus was t...
Read more