Worship for Today: God is transcendent and sovereign!

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him in Acts 25:1-3,

“Three days after arriving in the province, Festus went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem, where the chief priests and Jewish leaders appeared before him and presented the charges against Paul. They urgently requested Festus, as a favor to them, to have Paul transferred to Jerusalem, for they were preparing an ambush to kill him along the way.”

Here we see the Jews plotting and scheming to do away with Paul. Paul is God’s man and God has his own agenda and here we have man busy about the task of attempting to thwart God’s intentions and desires. To be sure, many of the Jews, undoubtedly, thought they were even doing God’s will as they set themselves against the purposes and plans of God. How far removed from knowing the God that created them, the God that loved them, the God that sent his only Son as a sacrifice of atonement for their own sins!

Our God is transcendent and sovereign, far above anyone’s ability to thwart his agenda! In Psalm 115:3 we read, “Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him.” Proverbs 21:30 tells us, “There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the Lord.” Indeed, as we read of these plotting Jews I am reminded of Proverbs 16:9 and 19:21, “In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.” “Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails.”

Woe to the man who finds himself at odds with the plans and purposes of God!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share your theme of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We’d love to hear from you!

Trevor V. Fisk

(314) 814-8486

trevorf@gracehill.org

 

 

---

This electronic transmission and any documents accompanying this electronic transmission contain confidential information belonging to the sender. This information may contain confidential health information that is legally privileged. The information is intended only for the use of the individual or entity named above. The authorized recipient of this transmission is prohibited from disclosing this information to any other party unless required to do so by law or regulation and is required to delete or destroy the information after its stated need has been fulfilled. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, distribution or takinf of any action in reliance on or regarding the contents of this electronicallytransmitted information is strictly prohibited. If you have received this E-mail in error please notify the sender and delete this message immediately

Worship for Today: God has so much more for us than what people look for!

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him in Acts 24:24-26,

“Several days later Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was a Jewess. He sent for Paul and listened to him as he spoke about faith in Christ Jesus. As Paul discoursed on righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and said, ‘That's enough for now! You may leave. When I find it convenient, I will send for you.’ At the same time he was hoping that Paul would offer him a bribe, so he sent for him frequently and talked with him.”

How fascinating that Felix often sent for Paul, to speak with him, hoping Paul would offer him a bribe! Undoubtedly Felix had heard that Paul came to Jerusalem with a sizable gift from the Gentile church for the strapped brothers in Jerusalem and so probably thought Paul was a man with “deep pockets”.

What Felix unsuccessfully sought from Paul paled in comparison to what Paul was trying to give him. Felix wanted money; Paul offered him all of the riches that are ours in the Kingdom of Heaven! Felix sought what money could by; Paul offered him eternal pleasures at the right hand of God! Felix sought a life of ease for the short term; Paul offered him eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord! Felix sought what money could buy him; Paul offered him an opportunity to become a child of God!

Had Governor Felix only reached out and grasped what Paul offered him, what an incredible inheritance Felix would have had. Instead, he only looked for a simple bribe! It is staggering to think of what folks will pass up in order to obtain so little…

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share your theme of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We’d love to hear from you!

Trevor V. Fisk

(314) 814-8486

trevorf@gracehill.org

 

 

---

This electronic transmission and any documents accompanying this electronic transmission contain confidential information belonging to the sender. This information may contain confidential health information that is legally privileged. The information is intended only for the use of the individual or entity named above. The authorized recipient of this transmission is prohibited from disclosing this information to any other party unless required to do so by law or regulation and is required to delete or destroy the information after its stated need has been fulfilled. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, distribution or takinf of any action in reliance on or regarding the contents of this electronicallytransmitted information is strictly prohibited. If you have received this E-mail in error please notify the sender and delete this message immediately

Worship for Today and Note

Note: I’m asking each of you to reply to me to insure I am only sending this out to folks who want to continue to receive this. Just click on “Reply” and say “keep me on the list”. If I don’t hear from you by the end of this week I will drop you off my distribution list. If I don’t hear from you and drop you from the list, if at any time you want back on just shoot me an email and let me know. Thank you.

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him in Acts 23:11,

“The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, ‘Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.’”

Here the Lord brings encouragement to Paul. Paul had been warned repeatedly that hardships would face him when he got to Jerusalem. He had told the Ephesian elders on his way to Jerusalem, “And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me.” Acts 20:22-23. After arriving in Jerusalem and being falsely accused, “the whole city was aroused” and they tried to kill him. He was arrested, eventually brought before the Sanhedrin where a violent dispute broke out over him and the Roman commander had to have Paul brought into the barracks for fear he would be “torn to pieces by them”. The following day the Jews formed a conspiracy to kill Paul and took an oath not to eat or drink anything until they carried out their plans.

And it is just here I want to make a small observation that says so much about the heart of our wonderful Lord. Paul is a seasoned man and used to abuse, hardship and maltreatment for the cause of the gospel. In the midst of what Paul is experiencing at this time, here comes our Lord to Paul’s side, and in a comforting way tells him to take courage. Our Lord still has some things for Paul to do and he encourages him in the midst of all he is facing.

To me, this expresses in a wonderful way how our Lord extends his kindness, love and compassion for us. He comes to us in our greatest times of need. Sometimes it may be a set of circumstances that come together that have his fingerprints all over them, or it may be a brother or sister he brings alongside of us to encourage us. In this instance it is the Lord himself who comes alongside Paul to encourage, and I’m sure, bring comfort to Paul.

Our Lord truly has a wonderful heart!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share your theme of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We’d love to hear from you!

Trevor V. Fisk

(314) 814-8486

trevorf@gracehill.org

 

 

---

This electronic transmission and any documents accompanying this electronic transmission contain confidential information belonging to the sender. This information may contain confidential health information that is legally privileged. The information is intended only for the use of the individual or entity named above. The authorized recipient of this transmission is prohibited from disclosing this information to any other party unless required to do so by law or regulation and is required to delete or destroy the information after its stated need has been fulfilled. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, distribution or takinf of any action in reliance on or regarding the contents of this electronicallytransmitted information is strictly prohibited. If you have received this E-mail in error please notify the sender and delete this message immediately

Worship for Today and Note

Note: I’m asking each of you to reply to me to insure I am only sending this out to folks who want to continue to receive this. Just click on “Reply” and say “keep me on the list”. If I don’t hear from you by the end of this week I will drop you off my distribution list. If I don’t hear from you and drop you from the list, if at any time you want back on just shoot me an email and let me know. Thank you.

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him in Acts 22:14-15,

“The God of our fathers has chosen you [Paul] to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth. You will be his witness to all men of what you have seen and heard.”

These are the words the Lord gave Ananias to speak to Paul when the Lord sent him to Paul. Before Paul’s conversion while he was persecuting the members of the early church, Paul had been confronted by the Lord on the road to Damascus and it turns out the Lord had some things for Paul to do. Ananias told Paul that God chose him to know his will, to see Jesus Christ and to hear words from his mouth. Paul was to testify to all of what he had seen and heard.

We are told that the Son of God is the creative agent within the godhead. “Through him [the Word] all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.” John 1:3. To think that our Creator God would speak to us is just an amazing thought to me. The Creator of the galaxies, the entire universe! The one who created all living things, including mankind, all plant life! He who created the fireball we call our sun and set all of the planets spinning in their appointed courses. This is the one speaking to Paul! This is the one who speaks to us through Paul!

Paul wrote half of the New Testament books in thirteen letters. Jesus Christ has much to say to us in them, as well as the remaining fourteen books and the Old Testament. How astonishing we have a sacred library from God in the pages of the very Bibles that sit on our coffee tables!

It makes you want to just pick it up and see what it has to say, doesn’t it?!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share your theme of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We’d love to hear from you!

Trevor V. Fisk

(314) 814-8486

trevorf@gracehill.org

 

 

---

This electronic transmission and any documents accompanying this electronic transmission contain confidential information belonging to the sender. This information may contain confidential health information that is legally privileged. The information is intended only for the use of the individual or entity named above. The authorized recipient of this transmission is prohibited from disclosing this information to any other party unless required to do so by law or regulation and is required to delete or destroy the information after its stated need has been fulfilled. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, distribution or takinf of any action in reliance on or regarding the contents of this electronicallytransmitted information is strictly prohibited. If you have received this E-mail in error please notify the sender and delete this message immediately

Worship for Today and Note

Note: I’m asking each of you to reply to me to insure I am only sending this out to folks who want to continue to receive this. Just click on “Reply” and say “keep me on the list”. If I don’t hear from you by the end of this week I will drop you off my distribution list. If I don’t hear from you and drop you from the list, if at any time you want back on just shoot me an email and let me know. Thank you.

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him in Acts 21:20-24,

“You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed, and all of them are zealous for the law. They have been informed that you teach all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn away from Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or live according to our customs. What shall we do? They will certainly hear that you have come, so do what we tell you. There are four men with us who have made a vow. Take these men, join in their purification rites and pay their expenses, so that they can have their heads shaved. Then everybody will know there is no truth in these reports about you, but that you yourself are living in obedience to the law.”

Following his missionary efforts, when Paul got to Jerusalem he met with James and the elders of the church and gave them a detailed account of his successful ministry among the Gentiles. After they praised God on the accounts Paul provided they made this statement to Paul. As we read the rest of the story we see that Paul complied the very next day. Paul apparently continued to live out his Jewish heritage when and where possible.

Paul wrote to the Galatian believers, “All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: ‘Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.’ Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, ‘The righteous will live by faith.’ The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, ‘The man who does these things will live by them.’ Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: ‘Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.’ He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.” Galatians 3:10-14.

Keep the law or not keep the law? Clearly Paul taught that righteousness is not obtained by keeping the law. The mission to the Jews was very active and highly successful as “many thousands” of Jews had believed in Jesus Christ. Jewish identity and culture was built around the law and the leaders of the early church wisely observed that the issue in coming to Christ for potential converts needed to be Jesus Christ himself, not in challenging cultural distinctives, including those of the Jews themselves.

The message of Jesus Christ is too important to be squandered over peripheral issues. How wonderful it would be today if we observed the wisdom of the early church!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share your theme of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We’d love to hear from you!

Trevor V. Fisk

(314) 814-8486

trevorf@gracehill.org

 

 

---

This electronic transmission and any documents accompanying this electronic transmission contain confidential information belonging to the sender. This information may contain confidential health information that is legally privileged. The information is intended only for the use of the individual or entity named above. The authorized recipient of this transmission is prohibited from disclosing this information to any other party unless required to do so by law or regulation and is required to delete or destroy the information after its stated need has been fulfilled. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, distribution or takinf of any action in reliance on or regarding the contents of this electronicallytransmitted information is strictly prohibited. If you have received this E-mail in error please notify the sender and delete this message immediately

Worship for Today and Note

Note: I’m asking each of you to reply to me to insure I am only sending this out to folks who want to continue to receive this. Just click on “Reply” and say “keep me on the list”. If I don’t hear from you by the end of this week I will drop you off my distribution list. If I don’t hear from you and drop you from the list, if at any time you want back on just shoot me an email and let me know. Thank you.

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him in Acts 25:18-19,

“When his [Paul’s] accusers got up to speak, they did not charge him with any of the crimes I [Governor Festus] had expected. Instead, they had some points of dispute with him about their own religion and about a dead man named Jesus who Paul claimed was alive.”

When King Agrippa and Bernice came to call on the newly appointed governor, Festus, to pay their respects, Festus told Agrippa about Paul’s case. In his summary of it he observed that the nature of it was a dispute among the Jews of their religion and “about a dead man named Jesus who Paul claimed was alive.” The dead man Jesus who is alive!

The world wants nothing to do with a dead man who is alive! If Jesus foretold his death and resurrection and if he did actually die and rise to life as he said he would, then all he taught is authenticated. It would mean that God’s coming judgment for sin is certain! For those who prefer to stay in the darkness because of their evil deeds, the resurrection of Jesus portends the certainty of a horrific future.

On the other hand, for those of us who have embraced Jesus Christ in faith, his resurrection provides us every certainty of our own resurrection to a new life spent with God in an eternity devoid of sin, sorrow, suffering and pain. Beyond the absence of these things is the promise of eternal pleasures, “You will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” Psalm 16:11b. This is certainly an exciting hope we have!

But for the unbelieving Jews, the knowledge of the resurrection of Jesus Christ was something that had to be eradicated from the nation. Paul explains why in 2 Corinthians 2:15-16a, “For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life.” No wonder they wanted Paul put to death!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share your theme of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We’d love to hear from you!

Trevor V. Fisk

(314) 814-8486

trevorf@gracehill.org

 

 

---

This electronic transmission and any documents accompanying this electronic transmission contain confidential information belonging to the sender. This information may contain confidential health information that is legally privileged. The information is intended only for the use of the individual or entity named above. The authorized recipient of this transmission is prohibited from disclosing this information to any other party unless required to do so by law or regulation and is required to delete or destroy the information after its stated need has been fulfilled. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, distribution or takinf of any action in reliance on or regarding the contents of this electronicallytransmitted information is strictly prohibited. If you have received this E-mail in error please notify the sender and delete this message immediately

Worship for Today and Note

Note: I’m asking each of you to reply to me to insure I am only sending this out to folks who want to continue to receive this. Just click on “Reply” and say “keep me on the list”. If I don’t hear from you by the end of this week I will drop you off my distribution list. If I don’t hear from you and drop you from the list, if at any time you want back on just shoot me an email and let me know. Thank you.

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him in Acts 24:24-25,

“Several days later Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was a Jewess. He sent for Paul and listened to him as he spoke about faith in Christ Jesus. As Paul discoursed on righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and said, ‘That's enough for now! You may leave. When I find it convenient, I will send for you.’”

After Paul was imprisoned in Jerusalem, taken to Caesarea and had his trial before Governor Felix, Felix brought his wife, Drusilla and came to listen to Paul. Luke tells us that “Paul discoursed on righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come.” We read that Felix become afraid as he listened to Paul.

Just what was it that Paul told the governor that caused this fear within him? What was it that Paul had to say about righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come? The text doesn’t tell us but this is what I suspect Paul had to say given what he has said elsewhere. Paul talked about a holy and righteous God, the Creator of all things, to whom we must give an account of all we have thought, done or said. I think Paul told Felix that this Creator God is the judge of all mankind and will visit the fury of his wrath on all who have sinned. I think Paul spoke of the law and how it shows us just how sinful we are and subject to that wrath of God. As the Jews attempted to establish their own righteousness by keeping the law, they found in a very experiential way they are sinners who are incapable of living a godly life through their own self-control: they couldn’t keep the law! The domination of the sinful nature over someone who attempts to keep God’s law demonstrates they are hopeless and helpless before the wrath of God… except for one possibility… Jesus Christ! I’m sure Paul told Felix that God sent his own Son out of his love for man and visited his wrath on Jesus, taking our punishment and that if anyone embraces him in faith he can have Jesus’ payment for sin credited to his account with God.

For anyone committed to what this world has to offer, this is a terrifying message. It is bad news followed with good news – certain judgment, but there is a way, only one way, Jesus Christ. For Felix to escape the certainty of God’s wrath he would have to do what Paul had done, give up life as he knew it and embrace Jesus Christ!

What a message! No wonder Felix was fearful! All should be fearful as they consider facing the wrath of God Almighty! But what good news it is that Jesus Christ has paid for all our sins and that we can escape the wrath of God through him!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share your theme of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We’d love to hear from you!

Trevor V. Fisk

(314) 814-8486

trevorf@gracehill.org

 

 

---

This electronic transmission and any documents accompanying this electronic transmission contain confidential information belonging to the sender. This information may contain confidential health information that is legally privileged. The information is intended only for the use of the individual or entity named above. The authorized recipient of this transmission is prohibited from disclosing this information to any other party unless required to do so by law or regulation and is required to delete or destroy the information after its stated need has been fulfilled. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, distribution or takinf of any action in reliance on or regarding the contents of this electronicallytransmitted information is strictly prohibited. If you have received this E-mail in error please notify the sender and delete this message immediately

Worship for Today: The gospel message is about a person, not a theology!

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him in Acts 23:6-8,

“Then Paul, knowing that some of them were Sadducees and the others Pharisees, called out in the Sanhedrin, ‘My brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee. I stand on trial because of my hope in the resurrection of the dead.’ When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. (The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, and that there are neither angels nor spirits, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.)

Leave it up to theologians to get into a scrap amongst themselves when they all came together to railroad Paul with false accusations. Theologians seem to be able to find differences, distinctions, and nuances that allow them to gravitate to their own camps to sling it at the many other camps about them. Paul knew this and, as the crafty apostle he was, he manipulated the greatest minds of the day in Israel into a bickering squabble for his own purposes.

While there was a legitimate point to be made by the Pharisees, who were correct in their view on resurrection, etc., Paul had his own agenda. He (and the Lord) used the squabble and his imprisonment to propel himself in front of the leaders of the day, both the Jewish leaders and the local representatives of the Roman domination of Palestine, eventually those in Rome and, hopefully, the emperor himself.

Paul did not have a school of theology to present to people but a person: the Lord Jesus Christ. He made it his ambition to take the message of Jesus Christ to all he could and particularly to people and places of influence to persuade them. King Agrippa tells Paul, “Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?” For Paul, the resurrection was all about knowing Jesus Christ, “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.” Philippians 3:10-11.

Good theology is, of course, important. But when the debate appears to loose focus on the Lord himself somehow, recapturing him and placing him in the center of our attention always becomes the top priority!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share your theme of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We’d love to hear from you!

Trevor V. Fisk

(314) 814-8486

trevorf@gracehill.org

 

 

---

This electronic transmission and any documents accompanying this electronic transmission contain confidential information belonging to the sender. This information may contain confidential health information that is legally privileged. The information is intended only for the use of the individual or entity named above. The authorized recipient of this transmission is prohibited from disclosing this information to any other party unless required to do so by law or regulation and is required to delete or destroy the information after its stated need has been fulfilled. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, distribution or takinf of any action in reliance on or regarding the contents of this electronicallytransmitted information is strictly prohibited. If you have received this E-mail in error please notify the sender and delete this message immediately

Worship for Today: God can use anyone - even you and me!

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him in Acts 22:3-5,

“I [Paul] am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city. Under Gamaliel I was thoroughly trained in the law of our fathers and was just as zealous for God as any of you are today. I persecuted the followers of this Way to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison, as also the high priest and all the Council can testify. I even obtained letters from them to their brothers in Damascus, and went there to bring these people as prisoners to Jerusalem to be punished.”

Paul was a fulfillment of the words of Jesus, “They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God. They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me.” John 16:2-3. Paul was a blasphemer and a violent man as he confesses in 1 Timothy 1:12-14, but he was shown mercy and appointed to serve the Lord.

Our Lord is able to use anyone. What I find fascinating about Paul’s life is that the Lord utilized Paul’s education and zeal for the law as an effective tool in Paul’s work as an apostle. Inspired by the Holy Spirit to draft a letter such as Romans that has served the church so effectively for millennia, Paul’s great training in the Scriptures under Gamaliel was invaluable.

Certainly, while under the tutelage of Gamaliel, Paul had no idea that one day this training would provide for him a resource the Holy Spirit would use in his life as he reasoned and persuaded from the Scriptures from synagogue to synagogue throughout the Diaspora that Jesus was the Christ.

I am sure much of just this kind of thing goes on today: the Lord prepares us all for the things he wants to do through us in ways we would never imagine!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share your theme of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We’d love to hear from you!

Trevor V. Fisk

(314) 814-8486

trevorf@gracehill.org

 

 

---

This electronic transmission and any documents accompanying this electronic transmission contain confidential information belonging to the sender. This information may contain confidential health information that is legally privileged. The information is intended only for the use of the individual or entity named above. The authorized recipient of this transmission is prohibited from disclosing this information to any other party unless required to do so by law or regulation and is required to delete or destroy the information after its stated need has been fulfilled. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, distribution or takinf of any action in reliance on or regarding the contents of this electronicallytransmitted information is strictly prohibited. If you have received this E-mail in error please notify the sender and delete this message immediately