the components of brotherly love

​Let brotherly love continue. Hebrews 13:1

I believe this first exhortation of Hebrews 13 is built out in the next nineteen verses to show us what love among the brothers (that is in the church) really looks like. Here are the components of brotherly love:

1. Be hospitable (Hebrews 13:2). There should be no strangers in church. We open our hearts and our homes to all in need. There are no cliques or insider relationships.

2. Remember the suffering (Hebrews 13:3). Specifically in the culture of the original audience this was tested by helping those persecuted in prison. We join in suffering willingly through love when we help those that society rejects, hates, and persecutes. And Christian faith is always under fire, but now particularly so.

3. Honor Christian marriage (Hebrews 13:4). Christians marriages counter the defiled sexuality of our culture, and this defiance of God’s design is a full blown war these days. Creation is mocked with fluid sexuality, same-sex marriage, and self-driven autonomy. Respect for Christian marriage however creates true family and a new culture of care for one another as Christ cares for the church that speaks the truth about sexuality. The culture needs to be lovingly but firmly shown the gospel in Christian marriage to turn the confused to Jesus!

4. Foster contentment financially (Hebrews 13:5-6). We don’t live for careers, achievements, salaries, or material gain. We trust God to provide. We give of ALL we have to get the gospel into the lives of our neighbors and the nations.

5. Remember the teaching of the sound doctrine and practice of God’s Word from church leaders (Hebrews 13:7-15). This is the largest section for a reason. Sound doctrine leads to lives that are solid with sound practices. This shows up in the church with a culture of love based on the love of God in Christ. It changes marriages, families, and worship communities. This is transformation! Leaders have a God-given mandate to foster that culture by the clear teaching of the Word of God, refusing to add to it or subtract from it.

6. Do good and share (Hebrews 13:16). Love for brothers meets physical and material need. It’s a simple concept. It is a profound experience.

7. Submit to godly leadership in brotherly love (Hebrews 13:17-19). This involves obedience to God’s Word, submission to godly authority, and prayer for all who serve one another within the Body of Christ. It starts with all of us submitted to the Lordship of Jesus Christ over His Church. Good leaders only point to Jesus’ authority.

a soul that yearns, seeks, learns, and rejoices

My soul yearns for you in the night;

my spirit within me earnestly seeks you.

For when your judgments are in the earth,

the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.  Isaiah 26:9

You, O Lord

Encourage my soul

Advancing Your grace

Relieving my fear in the

Night

Shadows.

Salvation

Enters into

Every broken struggle

Knowing You will bring

Security to my troubled heart.

Leaning back into

Everlasting arms I

Anticipate that You will

Reward faithful trust and meet the 

Need of Your people who

Seek Your face.

Ready to follow You

Every need abundantly supplied

Jesus is all I ever want.

Only You are my King!

I will worship You.

Christ is in control.

Every trouble fades as I

Sing of Your salvation.

warned

​See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven.  Hebrews 12:25

Angels spoke to us.

The Savior would come.

A child would be born.

A Son given.

His name is Jesus

and He will save His people.

Angels announced His arrival.

To shepherds, in worship, they proclaimed:

To you

is born this day

in David’s town, Bethlehem,

a Savior

Who is the Messiah…

a Savior

Who is God.

The Father spoke His favor

when coming out of baptism’s water

the Holy Spirit lighted on Him:

This is my beloved Son

in Him I am well pleased.

And again

upon the mountain

with Moses and Elijah:

This is my Son!

Listen to Him!

Voices from heaven tell us

that our Savior is Jesus.

We have been told to 

see in Him God’s blessing.

We have been told

with attention to listen:

Jesus is God.

Jesus is Savor.

Jesus is Lord.

Jesus is our Judge.

Listen and follow Him!

He is the Lamb of God.

He is the Lion of Judah.

He is not safe, yet He is very good!

We have been lovingly warned.

faith’s gateway

And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. Hebrews 11:6

Sandwiched between the brief “faith biographies” of Enoch and Noah is this important observation on the nature and importance of faith. It stands as a call to faith for all people everywhere and is where trust in God and belief in the gospel embark on a journey of revealed truth and increased trust in it. I believe this definition, though broad, is essential to saving faith… although by itself is is not saving faith.

The faith described here is the gateway to the gospel. The place to start is with God. We must believe that God exists and that He wants people to draw near to Him. He is approachable… and personal. Faith first seeks God for the salvation the soul desperately needs. We must be theistic in orientation in order to come to know the fullness of salvation that God has provided in Christ.

Some quick observations:

1. It is impossible to please a God that you deny. Atheism is in substance a clear path to the displeasure of God. It is not possible to find grace by rejecting the premise of God, therefore those who reject God outright forfeit concepts like grace, mercy, and divine acceptance. In order to be accepted by God, we must accept Him.

2. It is possible to draw near to God by starting with theistic belief. In fact, that is the only logical first step toward really knowing Him. Denying God, daring Him to show Himself, but expecting to find Him in your denial, is not promised to be a rewarding experience. Those who choose to walk toward Him, believing that He is somehow there, will find God, and be found by Him.

3. Faith is essential, not optional. We “must believe that He exists” in order to have knowledge of God. Faith is the ecosystem where spiritual trust thrives in the fact of God’s being. And the final promise in this verse is that God Himself personally rewards all those who believe that He exists. He makes faith real for them!

All this must precede hearing the gospel and receiving Christ as Lord and Savior. Once that gate opens however, the path of eternal life stands gloriously before us!

Once… for all!

​

And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Hebrews 10:10

The doctrine of the substitutionary atonement of Jesus Christ has fallen on hard times of late. There are a lot of churches that used to be biblically faithful that avoid the gospel in favor of “feel good” messages of social activism and human effort. But to deny this doctrine is to deny the gospel and clear biblical teaching. Jesus is the final sacrifice to atone for all sin, for all time, for all people… everywhere. It doesn’t get any more direct than this verse here in Hebrews 10:10! God willed that we would be made holy by Jesus offering His body as a once for all final sacrifice for sin. This is our salvation! There is no other way. There is no more important truth.

Critics sinfully accuse God the Father of being an indifferent “child-abuser” by putting His Son to death on that cross. But what is forgotten with that bold lie is two-fold: 1) the “wrath of God” is not capricious or violent like human anger often is. God’s wrath is an eternal displeasure against what is unholy. And it must deal with sin because He is absolutely righteous and just. Jesus became the sacrifice of love for the world, given by God the Father, so that faith in Him and His complete sacrifice would save those who come by faith. Love was the motivation, not some kind of divine fit of rage! 2) Jesus gave Himself freely to the cost. He told His disciples in advance. He was not “abused” by God, but by the people He came to save. And He gave Himself humbly to the indignity, to the rejection, to the scourges, and to the nails so that we might enter His family and find full relief from sin, death, and hell!

An old hymn speaks this doctrine better than many made impotent by social and politically correct idolatry:

Now we are free, there’s no condemnation

Jesus provides our perfect salvation

Come unto me, O hear His sweet call

Come, and He saves us, once for all.

Once for all, oh sinner, receive it;

Once for all, oh child, believe it;

Cling to the cross, the burden will fall;

Christ has redeemed us, once for all!

my forgiveness

​Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.

Hebrews 9:22

My forgiveness

came at great cost

the life Jesus lost

was given for me

so I could be free

Without His shed blood

I’d be unforgiven

My forgiveness

cost Jesus everything

so that in anything

I’m seen as forgiven

destined for heaven

Without His shed blood

I’d be hell bound

My forgiveness

is a mercy given

A gift from heaven

atonement full and free

covering all of me

In Jesus’ shed blood

all is forgiven

sing praise

Sing praises to the LORD, for he has done gloriously;

let this be made known in all the earth.​

Isaiah 12:5

Sing praises to the LORD. Singing His praise isn’t just a Sunday morning experience in a congregation. There is a daily call to worship in song. God’s people have always sung His praises. It is a mark of worship. It is a call to celebration. It engages our spirits with Him in a meaningful and emotionally satisfying way. Singing is how the soul expresses artful emotion. We sing because God is worthy of our praise and our souls grow closer to Him in the song!

God has done gloriously. There are always reasons for praising God in song. He is our Creator. We were made for His worship. If even the rocks would cry out, why shouldn’t we as well? He is our Savior. Through Jesus we are saved from sin and death’s cruel eternal separation from God. We are redeemed to new life and to eternal life. That’s quite a reason to sing! Jesus motivates us to music! He is our Lord. He leads us. He provides for us. He cares for us. He sovereignly controls the universe and each event in our lives for our good and His glory. Sing to the God Who has done gloriously!

Let this be known to all the earth. The world must hear our song. Worship is a worldwide phenomenon. We are all called to sing. We are all called to praise. And in a choir of all the nations, Jesus is praised… every day… and forevermore!

Amen!

Let’s sing!

A manger, a cross, and a crown

Of the increase of his government and of peace

there will be no end,

on the throne of David and over his kingdom,

to establish it and to uphold it

with justice and with righteousness

from this time forth and forevermore.

The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.​

Isaiah 9:7

As familiar as I am with Isaiah 9:6 (For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.) reflecting upon it at Advent time is a yearly meditation, the truth that follows it in verse 7 is equally comforting. Yes… a child is born. Thank God, a Son is given. The government is on His shoulder right now as head of His body the Church. Jesus is the Wonderful Counselor. He is Mighty God over all. The Everlasting Father now saves those who believe in the gospel of His Son. And in Jesus is the comfort and stability that comes from the Prince of Peace.

His kingdom keeps growing as His people obey His command to preach the gospel to all the world. There is now a peace that rules hearts and His kingdom will one day be never ending when He returns to bring peace and usher in a new heavens and a new earth. The future is real!

Jesus is both judgment and righteousness. He will put an end to the curse of sin. His throne, now ready to be established in His imminent return, will bring about all that God has willed. In zeal, the God of heaven’s armies will rule forever and life will be what it always meant to be. Sin and evil will meet a violent end at His return. This is a certain future as real as yesterday was. It will be brought by the One born of a virgin… the child born… the Son given… the Lamb slain… the Savior risen… the King Who rules!

#cutoff

Put no trust in a neighbor;

have no confidence in a friend;

guard the doors of your mouth

from her who lies in your arms;

for the son treats the father with contempt,

the daughter rises up against her mother,

the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;

a man's enemies are the men of his own house.​

Micah 7:5-6

There was a cultural phenomenon that occurred as ancient Israel fell into hard times and the disarray of exile. With enemies arrayed against them, the Jews of the Northern Kingdom began to experience a societal collapse. People could not trust neighbors, friends, spouses, or even their own children. There was social, and most sadly, generational chaos across the board. It was painful for those caught in the chaos.

There is a very similar kind of thing going on today. People are leery of trusting others. They are told that self is the measure of what is right or wrong, good or bad. And if my self does not trust your self, I am told I am free and right to keep myself protected by dictating the terms of any relationship. This pain is being acutely felt in families right now.

The same kind of cultural phenomenon that Israel felt with the Assyrian threat is now eerily similar to what Boomers and Gen-X’ers now find happening in their families. A recent trend generationally across social media is the #cutoff or #nocontact movement. Adult children are ending all ties to family members. Using therapeutic and self-agenda language fed to them by a selfish, psychologized worldview, they are cutting off all ties with family, with siblings, with parents, and with past friendships. The societal pain is vast. Over 20% of families now report at least one estrangement as part of their household. The stress this creates is high. And the number is growing.

Only the gospel can mend this need for reconciliation. Only God can be the hope of those now living cutoff with no contact with people they love. Micah 7:7 provides perspective and help: But as for me, I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.

earnest to endure

​

And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end… Hebrews 6:11

Lord keep me earnest:

always pressing on

keeping the faith

resting upon

salvation by grace

Lord keep me faithful:

to You my Lord

to Jesus my Savior

to Your Holy Word

consistent in behavior

Lord keep me true:

trusting Your supply

obeying Your promise

I will not deny

the sufficiency of Jesus

Lord give me assurance:

that in You I am safe

that this world is temporary

that You reward feeble faith

that hope is extraordinary

Lord I hold onto hope:

confident in You

I fear nothing

believing what is true

I have everything.

schemes and scams

Woe to those who devise wickedness

and work evil on their beds!

When the morning dawns, they perform it,

because it is in the power of their hand.

Micah 2:1

Just because something is possible to do does mean it is something that is the right thing to do. “Means to gain” does not make good motivation or lead to a right thing in the end. God will judge what we think to do, what we plan with selfish hearts, and He knows the motives of the heart. We live in a world where people cannot be trusted. Sinners are out for personal gain all the time. And even seemingly harmless actions can be rotten by selfish motivations.

There literally are professional schemers who cannot stop thinking of ways to take advantage of others. Be they con men, financial planners gone amuck, entrepreneurs who worship the buck, or “business-minded” professionals who only view the bottom line, they are out for one thing: themselves. The incessant stream of scam calls that hit my phone daily show how such wickedness is always being devised. It is even easier today than the picture Micah paints of a con man devising his next takedown from his bed. With a computer and some robo-calling software, the schemer can now sleep while his wickedness is devised and perpetuated.

We live in an age of “me-first” driven social behaviors. It drives all relationships… economically, emotionally, and even hurts families. Relationships tend to be shallow and tenuous. Once a need is met, it is on to the next request. There is no recognition of authority or relationship value. And if a person feels like a need cannot be met, well… the world tells them to move on… cut off the old… seek out something new. This is justified for a host of selfish reasons, not the least of these is “emotional stability”. But the result is a kind of emotional terrorism, demands are made, threats are issued, and if the benefit is not given, the hurt is justified. This too is evil scheming!

Micah the prophet was confronting rampant selfish greed that stripped the poor from the land where they could eke out a meager living for their families. Wealthy land barons who schemed to amass more wealth by crushing the impoverished and seizing their property would soon themselves be crushed by an invasion from an army that would consume Israel. God would end the scheming with His judgment. Justice would come for the mistreated.

Just because there is an advantage to take against someone, does not mean that it should be taken. Righteous thinking is the opposite of such evil scheming. It plans ways to help, to trust God, not money, and to seek His provision and deliverance as the only outcome.

desperate prayer

Do not hide your face from me

in the day of my distress!

Incline your ear to me;

answer me speedily in the day when I call!​

Psalm 102:2

There are times when prayer is urgent… pressing into God with pain, emotion, and purpose… powerless to meet need. The title to Psalm 102 is a rare glimpse into the emotion that is driving every word of the psalm: “A prayer of one afflicted, when he is faint and pours out his complaint before the LORD.” These are words pouring from difficulty. These are words dripping with weakness, raw, unfiltered emotion, and insecurity. These are words of intensity. These are words of unhappiness. These are words dumped out in desperation as a soul empties before the only hope: the LORD Who hears and answers.

This is prayer that begs to be heard. It will no longer stay silent. All the feelings… all the frustrations… all the fears… come rolling out to the God of heaven, begging for an answer as distress drives for a quick reply. The tone is desperate. Days feel like they are burning away, going up in wisps of smoke. Bodies are tired and sore. Grief and depressive symptoms accompany the request for God to take notice… NOW! Look at the language:

• my heart is struck down (102:4a)
  
• my bones burn (102:3)
  
• I forget to eat (102:4b)
  
• I groan (102:5a)
  
• I lie awake (102:7a)
  
• I am lonely (102:7b)
  

But desperate prayers are indeed heard! God, Who is enthroned forever, remembers, arises, has pity on us, and favors His people (102:12-17). God does not despise His desperate people (102:17b)!

Lord,

May we be confident in our desperation to trust in You, waiting as You hear, answer, deliver, and display Your glory. May our messy feelings and our pain punctuate our petitions! May Your people bravely let real trouble bring out real need to a real God Who really saves!

Amen

gladly serving

Serve the LORD with gladness!

Come into his presence with singing!

Psalm 100:2

Gladly serving God today

seeking Him with what I do and say

there is no greater joy found

in His will, service-bound

I sing with glad joy to my God

Joyful singing of His praise

with His people, voices raised

the joys of our salvation

proclaimed in every nation

we worship the saving love of Christ

Come enter His courts with me

Come serve the Lord gladly

We His people, Christ our Savior

Live with joy in His favor

Loving our gracious, good God.

Worship does my heart good

as I center on my perfect Lord

He sang over me first in love

by sending Jesus from above

God clothed in flesh, my Redeemer

Serving is the best part of living

there is no loss in such giving

His steadfast love endures forever

nothing from Him can sever

our hearts are safe in the hands of the Father

never beyond restoration

​

I will heal their apostasy;

I will love them freely,

for my anger has turned from them.  Hosea 14:4

Although there are stern pronouncements of judgement against Israel throughout the fourteen chapters of Hosea, the book ends with repentance, mercy, and restorative forgiveness. Our God is a God of grace! The book of Hosea is both a short story of human betrayal and tragedy, and a call to consider the great offense of our own sins against God. It shows us that even in our worst choices, stupid decisions, and most hurtful rebellions, God will still take us back in love when we humbly and confessionally return to Him.

The first three chapters of Hosea are a strange and very candid story. Hosea is commanded by God to marry Gomer, an unfaithful whore, as a real life symbol of Israel’s unfaithfulness to the Lord. As you can imagine, the marriage is full of unhappy consequences. In so doing, Hosea would be compelled to feel what God feels. That makes his prophetic announcements particularly poignant. 

Three children are born to this union and the kids are given names that are in themselves prophetic messages:

Jezreel — coming judgment on the kingly line of Jehu in Northern Israel.

Lo-Rohamah — (“not loved”) — God would end His mercy on the Northern Kingdom because of their unfaithfulness to the covenant.

Lo-Ammi — (“not my people”) — this name signifies Israel’s broken covenant with God.

Later, in chapter three, Gomer sells herself into prostitution. Hosea is commanded to buy her back from her pimp, binding her back in a kind of re-marriage, forgiving her unfaithfulness, thus illustrating God’s love for His repentant people. God makes all the effort. Again… the prophet feels as God feels. It is powerful stuff.

I have these takeaways from my time in this prophet:

1. God’s mercy and grace are always bound to true experiences. They are not just hypothetical. They are real. They reach our deepest pains and redeem our worst screw-ups. Spiritually, I am as slutty as Gomer when I disregard God for what I want to do. The gospel does call us to be like Hosea. God’s Word gets in the grittiest of our realities as the gospel isn’t afraid to get the messenger dirty in order to cleanse souls. We are commanded by the friend of sinners to get the gospel into the darkest places. It is messiness that Jesus redeems! No one cleans house first.

2. God’s anger and judgment are very real and very conclusive. Assyria would indeed annihilate the house of Jehu. Broken covenant commitments by Israel brought upon them justice and the curses of the Law. And God is clearly in charge when that happens.

3. God’s mercy heals even the worst ways in which sin rebels against Him. God will receive back the most hurtful of betrayers if there is indeed true repentance. God’s grace always wins over our failures.

perseverance vs disobedience

Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.​ Hebrews 4:11

This verse contrasts the goal of perseverance with the threat of disobedience. Real faith will persevere. Unbelief will disobey God. That is the point of this exhortation. It calls the Jewish believers in its audience to remember the history of the Old Covenant. God delivered His people Israel out of Egypt only to have them turn away from Him, grumble, complain, disbelieve, and disobey Him. The result was that an entire generation fell dead in the wilderness. They would never find rest in the Promised Land.

The possibility exists for those in the Hebrews original readership to similarly fail with a false profession of faith. In a climate for the original audience of dual persecution (Rome actively attacked Christians, Jewish authorities and families rejected Christians) the original audience might choose to reject Jesus even as they found the gospel initially attractive. Doing so would be a rejection of the rest (eternal life) offered only in Christ. It would show itself in the disobedience of turning from the gospel and returning to ineffective works-based efforts that Jesus fulfilled and ended with His perfect high-priestly sacrifice of Himself.

Jesus,

You call us to persevere in Your perfect work for us. We believe. You empower us to love You and live for You. This is in spite of all that may lure us away from faith. How can we turn away? In this Advent season we celebrate You, Lord Jesus, the gift of God for our salvation. We sing of You as “King and God and sacrifice”.

I long for Your rest, my Lord! I am closer to the end of my days than I am to the prime of my days. And as I keep seeing my mortal decay, feeling it in my body, accepting it in my soul, I also witness the world spinning into the chaos of evil. I feel the brokenness evident even in what I love most in life. I feel loss after loss as the result of all this brokenness, and I long for Your rest to make the pain end and pour the eternal beauty and joy of You to fill my weary soul. I hold to the promise of Your rest… there by Your side with loved ones already home there. I will soon know what I now believe! Faith will be sight as I persevere to the end. Until I am in such glory, I say now… Amen.

strength of my heart

My flesh and my heart may fail,

but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

Psalm 73:26

The older I get, the clearer this description becomes. With each passing year of my life there is further mortal decay. It focuses my attention on where my real hope truly lies. I have surgeries to fix inflexible fingers. I get thicker lenses in my glasses. I get medications to keep things running smoothly internally. I work harder to hear conversations in a crowded room. Thank God for subtitles on TV! Large print editions? Sign me up! Hokas save my feet from aching and my knees and ankles from swelling. Still, changes in weather are felt in all my joints. Yes, I am quite aware that my flesh and my heart are becoming more and more in need of care as they start to falter. But they carry a soul filled with hope.

God is still the same! The gospel is even stronger! Hope is healthy, strong, and vibrant in my soul even as this aging body (which qualifies by government standards for Senior status) feels diminished from what it used to be able to do. How my soul has grown to be the dominant part of how I see myself.

And God is my strength. He is forever with me. He holds me as my body sometimes falters. He strengthens me when I hurt, suffer loss, and long for the portion that is mine forever. My life has changed dramatically as I have eased into this last act of my play. The world is a little rougher. But love and life are still VERY GOOD! My body will grow weaker. Jesus, however, just gets better, stronger, safer, and satisfying! Thank You, Lord for being my strength and my portion forever! Amen

No rule

For now they will say:

“We have no king,

for we do not fear the LORD;

and a king—what could he do for us?”  Hosea 10:3

The judgment for rejectors

destiny of a fool

is to be without protector

and live with no rule

Ten tribes worshiped Baal

rejected God’s prophets and His Word

when wartime came they would fail

would have no king or Lord

God’s justice came upon them

it was a fearful thing

as Assyria destroyed them

they had no God nor king

Boldly they defied and turned the ear

publicly they all failed

there was no worship nor godly fear

as enemies assailed

Altars were now broken

pillars all torn down

God did as He had spoken

judgment’s poisonous weeds now grown

Mourning from the nation

no gods to which to pray

a desolate habitation

judgment came that day

No king, no army fighting

would deliver them or win

no answered prayer righting

the evil done to them

The judgment for the guilt

of false hearts in idolatry

meant guilty blood was spilt

no hope to set them free

Samaria would then tremble

Ephraim put to shame

the palaces would tumble

before God’s holy name

The king in Israel would perish

high places would fall

as the idols they had cherished

would soon fail them all

Crying to the hills

“Fall now upon us!”

Praying to mountains still

“Please cover us!”

There would be no hiding

from the judgment of the Lord

in justice ruling and abiding

God would fulfill His Word

At dawn in smoke of fire

the king was finally cut off

battle had judged wicked desire

the Lord has had quite enough!

faithful servant/faithful Son

​Now Moses was faithful in all God's house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, but Christ is faithful over God's house as a son. And we are his house, if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope.  Hebrews 3:5-6

There is a household that Jesus rules pictured for us in these two verses. The gospel being preached to the Hebrews rightly explains the role that Moses had. Moses had a job in serving the house. But Jesus is the Son Who rules the house. In these extended metaphors there are three important parts: 1) Moses - the servant faithful to God’s house. 2) Jesus - the Son faithful over God’s house. 3) Believers in the gospel. - we are now the house God is building.

Moses the faithful servant. It was Moses who was the first great prophet/leader in the Bible. He was used by God to proclaim deliverance from bondage in Egypt. He led Israel to the promise of new life in a better place under God. He led God’s people to know God, fear God, and receive God’s Law. He was faithful to testify to what God said, but even all his work pointed to what was greater and yet to come. Moses faithfully served the people that God had made His own as God delivered them, protected them, spoke to them, fed them, cared for them, and covenanted with His “house” in the wilderness. Moses was still only a servant. God was over Israel.

Jesus the faithful Son. Christ is greater than Moses. Moses delivered God’s Word. Jesus is the Living Word. Moses spoke of what was to come. Jesus is the fulfillment of those words. Moses led Israel at God’s command, following the pillar of cloud and fire. Jesus leads us directly, indwelling us with the fiery Spirit of God within us. Moses could only serve the authority that commanded him. Jesus is the Son of God with all authority in heaven and earth Who now commands us.

We are His house. The work, the house, over which the Son of God, Jesus Christ rules is His Church. That is the worldwide body of believers in the gospel. We are His house. We have turned from sin to a Savior. We are confident that Jesus Christ is Lord. We have surrendered to the rule of the Son over His house. We rejoice in and praise the hope that only the Son brings. We respect that God was faithful through Moses to bring His Word, to model deliverance, leadership, trust, and judgment over unbelief. We admire the example of Moses. But we firmly and in in faith trust the faithful Son Who has delivered us from sin, leads us as our Lord, is worthy of all trust, and to Whom we answer as His delivered followers and friends.

removal, renewal, remodel, results, and revival

Come, let us return to the LORD;

for he has torn us, that he may heal us;

he has struck us down, and he will bind us up.

After two days he will revive us;

on the third day he will raise us up,

that we may live before him.

Hosea 6:1-2

The prophet Hosea envisioned God “remodeling” the people of Israel. Before there would be a revival there had to be a removal. Before there could be a renewal of love, there had to be a renovation of the heart. God would accept their return to Him, but there had to be real change along with it. They could not just come back and do the same kinds of disobedience all over again. Things had to change and God had to change them. The text is laid out in terms of this divine renovation: God did removal… then God did renewal.

REMOVAL:

“He has torn us…”

“He has struck us down…”

RENEWAL:

“He may heal us…”

“He will bind us up…”

RESULT:

“He will revive us…”

“He will raise us up…”

“We may live before Him…”

Of course all of this was playing out under the unique covenant of the Law with Israel. The REMOVAL elements were judgment due to Israel’s unfaithfulness to God, idolatry, and rejection of obeying the demands of the Law. God had warned them the curses of the Law would be the outcome of such choices. They had it coming! Yet God in mercy kept granting chances at repentance even as they wavered back and forth… a dance you can witness in the ministry of the Old Testament Prophets. When this judgment finally fell, the removal of their sinful actions would be accomplished. They would stop. They would be torn. They would be struck down.

In the appeal to return to the Lord, the RENEWAL of the covenant relationship would find a restoration of the nation. God would do that work in them as they re-connected with obedience to His Law. God would heal what He had torn. God would bind up what He had struck down. After a time of grief and loss (the three day period in verse 2 is a beautiful hint at the resurrection of Jesus Who Himself was torn and struck down for our disobedience), God would revive and raise up His people from judgment to life again in covenant relationship with Him.

This God Who removes and renews does so now in the saving work of Christ in the message of the gospel. Jesus removes our sins from us, taking them all upon Himself at the cross. Jesus renews us when we return through the power of His resurrecting life. We are revived and raised up by the Spirit of God indwelling us. Let us live in the healing, reviving, renewing work of Christ!

perfect propitiation

Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.​  Hebrews 2:17

Jesus had to be one of us in order to represent us before God. He has to be human in every respect (yet without sin). He knows our feelings, our needs, our joys, our wants, our desires, our troubles, our pains, and our temptations. In that human identity He is our “brother”.

And in that identity He could become the final “high priest” able to intercede before God as both human and divine in the perfect way. He did this according to this verse in three important ways.

First, Jesus is a merciful High Priest. Mercy treats us better than our sins deserve. It does not bring judgment on us, though we have clearly sinned against God. Mercy, in love, pours judgment on Jesus for the sake of restoring relationship with us. It sees relationship as more important than our personal punishment. Jesus has mercy on us in His high priestly sacrificial service for us. His mercy took God’s wrath for us.

Secondly, Jesus is a faithful High Priest. His mercy and sacrifice never fail. They are always effective, always available, and always accomplish our cleansing and our salvation. A faithful High Priest is always there for us. Not once does He refuse to forgive. Not once does He withhold mercy for those who repent and believe the gospel. Not once does He refuse to forgive those who come to Him for their hope and salvation.

Thirdly, the sacrifice of Jesus covers and pays our sin-debt in full. That is what it means that He makes “propitiation for the sins of the people”. He mercifully and faithfully before God covers all my sin… all the sin of all those who come to Him for mercy, forgiveness, grace, and life!

O Jesus,

Great High Priest we come to You alone for atonement of our sins. You wash us clean in the blood of Your sacrifice. You offered Yourself once-for-all as both a merciful, faithful high priest and the perfect sacrifice for sins. You are our peace before God the Father. You cover my sin even now, and even as I fail, You are perfect. Jesus, I trust in You and Your perfect propitiation!

Amen

merciful God

​

And I will have mercy on No Mercy,

and I will say to Not My People, ‘You are my people’;

and he shall say, ‘You are my God.’

Hosea 2:23b

God is merciful to repentant sinners, giving His grace and renewing relationship with those who come to Him. For His covenant people Israel whom He exiled, God sent enemies to burn their cities, destroy their homes, and take their families captive to foreign lands. Yet God would again promise restoration. Although He would judge without mercy, He would also forgive and restore after their real repentance. To those who had rejected Him and become “not His people”, God would, in mercy, return them to His favor. God is a God of mercy and also a God of justice.

This is true in Christ absolutely. Although my sin makes me by nature one who is born an enemy of God, Jesus took my exile and my curse and returned me in mercy. And now I am a child of God, adopted into the King’s family and brought truly to my home in Christ. I deserved no mercy. I deserved eternal separation and punishment. But Christ has mercy for sinners who repent and believe the gospel!

And when I gather with fellow Christians, those who are now the people of God, we worship the blessing of His mercy and grace upon us. Praises are sung to a merciful God. The truth of His mercy and possession of us is proclaimed. Lives patterned after that mercy are on display to call more sinners to trust and receive mercy in Christ. God has mercy. We are His people. He is our God.

Superior

…having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs. Hebrews 1:4

Superior Son

conquering one

salvation done

pleased with the Son

placed upon

a victory throne

battles won

judgment gone

freed by this Son

saints’ new song

praise to the One

the superior Son

Superior Son

angels stunned

by resurrection’s song

Name of the Son

Jesus has overcome

before the throne

they sing this song

in mighty throng

angels worshiping long

the superior Son

welcome to usefulness

(Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and to me.)​ Philemon 11

Backstories are messy things… full of bad decisions, hurt relationships, sinful actions and attitudes, and wicked behaviors. Philemon and Onesimus had such a backstory. This required some intercessory thinking and Paul encourages Philemon to consider that grace looks not at a past, but at a forgiveness that changes the present and transforms a future. Thank God that His mercy and grace turn our useless pasts into useful, profitable lives right now… today!

Philemon had a trusted household slave named Onesimus. One day Onesimus acted on a long-planned conspiracy, stole funds from Philemon, and went on the run. He made it all the way to Rome but God sovereignly put him in contact with the apostle Paul. There the gospel confronted the useless actions and heart plans of a man who was more a slave to sin than he may have known. In repentance, he came to Christ. And Paul discipled, counseled, and equipped Onesimus to return home to Philemon. He forgave his master and sought his master’s forgiveness. He carried with him a short letter from Paul appealing for Philemon to show the same forgiving grace to a now useful brother in Christ that Jesus shows all of us since all of us have messy and bad backstories before Christ transforms us!

A backstory of uselessness no longer defined Onesimus. A future of useful Christian living now marked his life. Grace applied to the situation helped everybody involved see this. So it is today. Anyone who knows gospel hospitality can appreciate this wonderful truth. The church is full of messy backstories! It always should be. 

Anyone who has struggled with a painful past: addictions, selfish choices, judgment, broken family relationships, abuse, judgment from others, and outsider status should in Christ be seen as equal, useful, and needed! Paul’s letter to Philemon calls us to turn away from judgmental attitudes that only lets “good people” into our lives. We don’t assign guilt that Christ has forgiven! God’s grace welcomes all. That lets me in. I’m so glad.

throne song

And one called to another and said:

“Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts;

the whole earth is full of his glory!”​

Isaiah 6:3

What angels cry out in antiphonal expression around God’s throne gives me chills this morning as I contemplate the LORD of hosts. He is thrice holy… a holy Father Who sent His Son to die to appease the wrath that our sins deserve. He is the holy Son of God — King of Kings and Lord of Lords before Whom every knee will one day bow, and every tongue confess He is Lord to the glory of God the Father. He is the Holy Spirit Who hovered over the face of the waters at creation, Who hovered like a dove descending on Jesus in the waters of His baptism, Who hovered over the apostles as a tongue of fire at Pentecost, and Who now indwells my redeemed heart — ever present with me in a way that is deeper than I deserve!

This is the Lord of angel armes Who commands the universe and Who rules over my every thought and movement. This is the sovereign and wise God Who controls everything in the universe, from minute atoms to massive galaxies. The entire earth is His. And His glory fills the cosmos and beyond. No wonder angels will never cease to praise Him around His glorious throne. May their amazed worship light my soul’s fire afresh today as well!

Mercy, peace, and love

​

May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you.

Jude 2

I needed mercy. My constant, many sins leave me broken and confused. Even now, without the mercy of the cross extended to me I could not know forgiveness. I would be an object of deserved wrath. This wretched heart was loved by mercy and that mercy gave me peace with God. In this, my joy is regular repentance and rejoicing in His forgiveness!

I needed the peace that mercy brings. There is a war against God waged by a hateful, rebel world. Humans are at odds with God. And so was I. And even now my sinful old man wants to fight against the truth and the Spirit’s changes in me. I need God to make peace for me, with me, in me, so that even though I never deserved it, I may rest in the love of Christ. He will keep me in perfect peace, at one with Him and the Father by a love that died to make that peace permanently… forever!

I need Christ’s love. Now shed abroad in my heart, in Christ’s loving of me, I can know not just the love of God, but how to truly love others. I must know and show a love only God can give, for God is love. And in sending His Son, the Father loves me. In dying for my sin and now reigning as the Bridegroom-King, Jesus loves me! In calling me to love His Word and His people, the Spirit of God loves me.

May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to me today!

return and rest

​

Return, O my soul, to your rest; for the LORD has dealt bountifully with you. Psalm 116:7

Return and rest

O my soul

I love the Lord

Who has heard

and kept His promises

in His Word

Return and rest

O my soul

God heard my cries

and earnest prayer

He answered me

in my despair

Return and rest

O my soul

Even death’s cold hand

upon my heart

could not keep Your grace

bringing love’s restart

Return and rest

O my soul

You delivered my eyes

from tears

My feet from stumbling

in my fears

Return and rest

O my soul

In the land of the living

I now walk

of Your great salvation

I’ll always talk

blessed by the Creator

May you be blessed by the LORD, who made heaven and earth! Psalm 115:15

God, the Creator of all things, is the source of all blessing, most often by the creation He has made to sustain us through His plentiful common grace. The morning sun sends its first rays of light to awaken us to sing His praises. The clouds bring rain to water and refresh the earth. Mountains rise to tell of the wonder of the Almighty to Whom we lift our helpless hands. Rivers rush through rocks, valleys, and canyons, singing of His glory that fills this world. The sea rolls in with the steady pulse of the tide in the regular flow of the heartbeat of His care. Creation sings of the blessings that God provides. So do we!

Let all things their Creator bless,

And worship Him in humbleness.

O praise Him! Alleluia!

Praise, Praise the Father, Praise the Son,

And Praise the Spirit, Three in One.

O praise Him, O praise Him!

Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

ignorant experts

Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and shrewd in their own sight! Isaiah 5:21

We live in an age where self is the end and the source of all knowledge. This is logically inconsistent. We can research any topic in seconds by artificial intelligence (key word artificial, ie fake) that fuels all internet searches. We can watch people who are self-proclaimed experts on Facebook, Instagram, and Tik Tok, spouting their opinions as facts, twisting the truth to their own agendas, conspiring with eloquent and profane conviction, and selling foolishness as the wisdom of the day. This has always been the case… it is how Satan first got our grandparents to eat the fruit of disobedience… self-conferred expertise combined with persuasive, personality-driven false facts… we just have that experience instantly in our hands now in gross over-abundance.

What these people actually possess is ignorance, foolishness, perversity, and rebellion against the truth. I make that determination on the highest of standards… the Words of Almighty God! The result is that one must not trust the words and images that proliferate in social media. I assume all of it to be weighed down with egocentric lies. PERIOD.

Ironic that this is being read on a social media platform. I must be a hypocrite then.

What then can I trust? I know that I can trust the Word of God and those who carefully build their life’s work and their worldview around a gospel center. I can trust what scripture teaches and I must lay that truth like a perfect template over every other message in this world. If something is less than God’s truth, it is foolishness. If something is more than God’s Word, it is shrewd perverseness.

This is called “discernment”. Few people talk about it today because it is well… intolerant of what is false. And we all know that calling something “wrong” is the ultimate in stupid evil intent today. Unless you are calling a traditional value wrong… then you are wise and shrewd. Christians must be trained in discernment. Sadly, most are not, and it shows. Scroll on… it won’t take long to see a lack of discernment. Or, close down your social media apps, open Your Bible, and open your eyes!

what we were once

For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. Titus 3:3

This is a lengthy and difficult list of the kind of rotten character that the gospel redeems. This is what Jesus saves in us. This is what He saves us from so that the character of Titus 3:1-2 and the excellent and profitable good works of Titus 3:8 might be the signature of salvation that is the result of Titus 3:4-7.

So what is it exactly that we once were? Notice that Paul includes himself in this list with the emphatic “we ourselves”:

1. foolish - literally unintelligent with an emphasis on sensuality. We were dumb degenerates.
2. disobedient - we could not do what God says to do.
3. led astray - wanderers from the truth following whatever false and wicked ideologies that grabbed us.
4. slaves - again this is in reference to sensuality. We were body focused and soul ignorant.
5. malice and envy - devising sinful actions and wanting what was not ours to want.
6. hated and hating - consumed with a life of hate toward God and others as we were driven by self and a culture of hate at the exclusion of God’s Word and His Spirit.

Thank God for the “but when” of Titus 3:4. Jesus was sent to save us by the goodness and grace of God. We were incapable of the works of righteousness given that we were controlled by the lifestyle list of Titus 3:3. Praise God for the regeneration and renewal of Titus 3:4-7 so that now the excellent and profitable good works of Titus 3:8 are what our lives are all about today!

finally brought low

For the LORD of hosts has a day against all that is proud and lofty, against all that is lifted up—and it shall be brought low… Isaiah 2:12

SInce indeed the Lord will bring low all that is proud and lofty, we should expect that on that day all human boasting will completely collapse into silence. Skyscraping towers will be reduced to dust and cinders. Human science will be unmasked as speculation and stumbling stupidity. Political systems of EVERY kind (left or right) will implode and nations will collapse in the ruins of the rubble of a war no human could even begin to resist. All celebrities will be uncovered as the ugly, begging fools that they are. Riches will be worthless and wealthy people exposed as weak and impoverished. Academic “genius” will show itself to be simpering idiocy. The strength, wisdom, holiness, and rule of God will destroy even man made religious institutions as powerless purveyors of evil. Christ will clearly rule over all. Everything that is proud and lofty WILL BE BROUGHT LOW.

There is a day that God will do this. I imagine all human activity will grind to a complete halt. No more working, no more fighting, not more speech-making, no more wealth disparity and greed, no more oppression and hate, no more grandiose railing against God about human progress and human rights — it is all flushed into the septic system of human pride, never to rise again!

The gospel points us to the rule of Jesus, the King of Kings, in a new creation. From this end of the world and the scouring of all creation comes the final remaking of everything good forever. All that is broken, sinful, and sad is undone. The lofty pride of man is obliterated so that the glorious worship of Christ our God rules the cosmos. Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!

adorn the doctrine

… so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior. Titus 2:10b

Set in order

what you believe

put in place

what scriptures teach

Beautify

in word and deed

what the gospel

has now freed

Make it clear

Who Jesus is

Magnify

the truth He gives

Tell the story

elegantly

teach sound doctrine

reverently

Honor the Lord

give your best

always uphold

His faithfulness

Adorn the doctrine

of Jesus Christ

by the attractive way

you live your life

In everything

that happens today

dress up your faith

in what you do and say

God answers and saves.

O LORD, save the king!

May he answer us when we call.

Psalm 20:9

The last phrase of this last verse of the twentieth psalm echoes the first phrase of the first verse: “May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble!” This psalm is a call and than also a call back to the God Who saves His people. The answer to the beginning and end call is sandwiched right in the middle of the psalm with God’s salvation in verse 6: “…he will answer him from his holy heaven with the saving might of his right hand.” So we have a prayer for God to answer our need and a confidence that His salvation will be the answer to that prayer. The rest of the psalm then tells how God answers and saves.

The structure looks like this:

I.  May God answer in trouble! (Psalm 20:1a)

     A.  His name protects. (Psalm 20:1b)

     B.  He sends help. (Psalm 20:2a)

     C.  He gives support. (Psalm 20:2b)

     D.  He remembers offerings. (Psalm 20:3a)

     E.  He regards sacrifices with favor. (Psalm 20:3b)

     F.  He grants desires. (Psalm 20:4a)

     G. He fulfills plans. (Psalm 20:4b)

II.  God’s salvations brings joy. (Psalm 20:5a)

     A. He answers our petitions. (Psalm 20:5b)

     B. He saves His anointed. (Psalm 20:6a)

     C. He answers with saving power. (Psalm 20:6b)

     D.  His people trust not in physical deliverance but in His power and reputation. (Psalm 20:7-8)

III. CONCLUSION: God answers and saves! (Psalm 20:9)

O Lord Jesus,

You answer me when I call out to You, my Savior. You see me. You know me. You answer me in all my trouble! You are my protection, help, and support. I offer all that I have and all that I am to You. You grant my desires and fulfill my plans. You are my joy. I trust not in the things of this world, but in You because You provide for me, protect me, and save me!

Amen 

Who is this?

And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.”

Matthew 21:11-12

Who is this man

who dared to enter this town

riding on a donkey

like David’s kingly son?

He is Jesus…

a prophet who speaks

with an authority

we have never seen.

Who is this man

who touches the outcast

heals the sick and afflicted

and lifts up the downcast?

He is Jesus…

a healer for everyone

who needs His great power.

Look at what He has done!

Who is this man

who says He will die

crucified by our leaders

yet in three days rise?

He is Jesus…

a suffering Savior Who gives

His life for our sins

so with Him we will live!

Who is this man?

He is Jesus!

hard work / generous reward

So the last will be first, and the first last.

Matthew 20:16

My worth and significance are measured by what I give in service to my Lord. Did He call me to labor in His vineyard? Then, yes, I simply serve my King with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. It matters not how or when others may join me in that work. What matters most is that I give my best to the King. I will also rejoice that others may do the same.

I should never compare my level of commitment to others. There are many with greater gifts who have served longer than I have. There are many generations before me who still teach me. There are some who serve in other ways and may not have my margin or my responsibilities. I do not live to compare. Instead, I should rejoice that the Lord of the harvest knows how to utilize the unique contributions of every one of His disciples who labor in His vineyard. My focus should be gratitude. Gratitude for the grace that saved me to live for Him and serve His kingdom. Gratitude that His grace is equally marvelous for all He has called to serve Him. All of us in His harvest serve and sacrifice.

God exhibits an abundant generosity to all who serve in His vineyard… no matter the different individual investments of their time or talents. It is that generous love that reminds me to serve joyfully alongside my brothers and sisters. A generous reward will come for each of us. All of us get more than our sins deserve! Where I am now is a gift of God’s generous grace. So is where I have been, even in the hard parts of the vineyard that seemed unfruitful for a season. All of us will find amazing, generous, eternal reward in Christ and from Christ. Praise to the One Who calls us for His glory to His labor for His harvest in His kingdom!

Kiss the Son

Kiss the Son,

lest he be angry, and you perish in the way,

for his wrath is quickly kindled.

Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

Psalm 2:12

The second psalm is thoroughly Messianic, looking to a future kingship by a deliverer on the throne of David. This is, of course, Jesus. And this Messiah rules the world. His reign is characterized by:

• Useless opposition from all the kings of the earth (Psalm 2:1-3)
• Derisive amusement at the impotent unbelief of a world trying to reject His control (Psalm 2:4).
• Absolute rule from Zion that easily speaks the defeat of all opposition (Psalm 2:5-6),
• The King is the Son, given the ends of the earth as His heritage (Psalm 2:7-9).
• The worship and service of the nations as people turn to Him for refuge and rule (Psalm 2:10-12).

Lord Jesus,

I come to the King in grateful recognition that Your power… Your love… Your death and resurrection are the means of Your inescapable rule. Even now though nations rage against You, they cannot win. I choose, in faith, submission, and obedient love to kiss the Son, submit to Your rule and find delightful and enjoyable refuge in You as together we laugh at the feeble fools who dare to rage uselessly against the Son… the God of all power and authority in this world!

Amen

with man… but with God

But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Matthew 19:26

Wrongs abound among us:

injustice,

suffering,

abuse,

destruction,

hate.

With man change is impossible.

Attempts to fix us fail:

education.

politics,

incarceration,

psychology,

science.

All achieve no real transformation.

Gospel hope lives with us:

Divine justice in

Christ’s suffering,

taking our punishment

for our correction

in His love.

With God all things are possible.

And Jesus will change us:

Learn from Him

our Lord.

Bind yourself to Him

soul and

body.

He brings us to God in actual transformation.

A story of mercy and grace

For their sake he remembered his covenant,

and relented according to the abundance of his steadfast love.

Psalm 106:45

God of mercy and grace,

You have a history of mercy. You made a covenant with Your people Israel. And even though they disobeyed You so much You were still merciful even in judgment. You always kept Your covenant with them. Even now as I read through this history song this morning, I too know my own fickle heart. You made a new covenant through the blood of Jesus. And I entered in by faith to find mercy and forgiveness. Yet how like Israel I too have disobeyed! At times I long for Egypt. I too look at idols. I serve what is false. And I too displease You, defiling a new covenant. Yet, in Your mercy You discipline me and bring me back.

You have a history of steadfast love. Your grace pours in and compels this repentant heart in praise of the healing, forgiving gospel! You give me what a sinner never deserves. You clothe me in the righteousness of Your Son. You shower me with blessing. You adopt me as Your child. You place me in Your service. You call me to praise, honor, and the proclamation of the good news of Your Kingdom. Your grace overflows my dirty, broken cup of a life!

God of mercy and grace, I worship You with grateful praise. My history too, though full of my sinful wanderings is redeemed by mercy and by grace. Now this story is for Your glory!

Amen

agreeing with God for the sake of another

Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.

Matthew 18:19

Who are the “two of you” in this statement by Jesus? In context, they are disciples, followers of Jesus. Understanding the discourse in which this statement is made is very important. It is not a blanket statement about generic prayer. Jesus has given His followers authority to discipline, encourage, and rebuke sin amongst each other in order to resolve conflicts and settle disagreements. It is a weighty matter, but the goal is always to achieve unity among the body of believers and to win back an errant brother or sister in restoration of relationship (Matthew 18:15). In that process it might become necessary for two or three concerned believers to lovingly confont, filled with clarity and conviction, the person who sins. In context these two are in mind when it comes to this statement about prayer.

What do the “two” agree upon? Again, the context keeps theirs agreement on a matter of a sin-split relationship. The two agree on either an offense that is being ignored after caring conversation, or they agree that repentance and restoration have taken place. That agreement leads them to ask of God in prayer for the situation.

What does God promise to do? He promises to answer the prayer, either to draw an offending brother or sister to peace, to punish a calloused rejection, or to bless a repentant child of His with unity, love, and restorative grace. It appears that follow-up prayer like this is a necessary step in what is often called “church discipline”. The occasion to go to someone in this way is meant to draw believers together as they seek God’s will, restore a broken relationship, and plead for the gospel to do good work. All of this rests on the forgiveness found only in the gospel. And in answering prayers of such agreement, God gets the glory. Not only then do we agree with each other, but most importantly, we agree with God when we turn it all to Him.