Feb 13 – Leviticus 15-17; Matthew 27:1-31 – BARABBAS & SUBSTITUTION

Welcome to the “But first, Bible” daily devotional podcast with Dave Miers.

Our readings today are from Leviticus 15-17 and Matthew 27:1-31. If you haven’t had a chance to read the Bible yet, maybe pause this podcast to go hear from God’s word, and then come back for my brief reflection on Matthew 27.

Okay, welcome back.

Over today and tomorrow, we are reading about the death of Jesus on the cross in Matthew’s gospel.

I want to focus on theology and history. History describes what took place. Theology describes why – from God’s perspective – it took place.

Our keyword for this study is SUBSTITUTION.

First, we will look at substitution from a theological perspective.

The following is a quote from John Stott’s magnum opus – The Cross of Christ – in his chapter on ’The Self-Substitution of God’.

“The concept of substitution may be said to lie at the heart of both sin and salvation. For the essence of sin is man substituting himself for God, while the essence of salvation is God substituting himself for man. Man asserts himself against God and puts himself where only God deserves to be; God sacrifices himself for man and puts himself where only man deserves to be. Man claims prerogatives that belong to God alone; God accepts penalties that belong to man alone.” (John Stott, The Cross Of Christ)

Second, we will look at substitution from a historical perspective.

Continue reading “Feb 13 – Leviticus 15-17; Matthew 27:1-31 – BARABBAS & SUBSTITUTION”

Feb 2 – Exodus 29-30; Matthew 22:1-22 – WEEKEND EDITION

Welcome to the “But first, Bible” daily devotional podcast with Dave Miers.

Our Bible readings for today are Exodus 29-30 and Matthew 22:1-22.

It’s Saturday, and the weekend edition of this podcast is an opportunity for you to ask 4 questions about one of the passages.

  1. What do we learn about GOD?
  2. What do we learn about PEOPLE?
  3. What do we learn about God’s plan to save people through JESUS?
  4. What should be our RESPONSE?

GOD – PEOPLE – JESUS – RESPONSE.

Write them down in your journal or just think about them as you read the Bible today.

As a bonus, I’m going to conclude by praying a ‘Morning Trinitarian Prayer’ that the Late Pastor and Theologian John Stott used to pray every morning. Go to butfirstbible.com if you want a copy of the text.

Continue reading “Feb 2 – Exodus 29-30; Matthew 22:1-22 – WEEKEND EDITION”

// HE GAVE EVERYTHING

INSTAGRAM YO

“…we need to remember that the essence of loving is giving and that the degree of love is measured partly by the costliness of the gift to the giver and partly by the worthiness or unworthiness of the recipient. By these standards, God’s love in Christ is absolutely unique. For in sending his Son to die for sinners, he was giving everything, his very self, and giving himself for those who deserved nothing from him except judgment.” (#JohnStott)

#melbournetaxi #biblestott #melbournecbd #collinsstreet #swanstonstreet #quotes #inspiration #socality #melbournetodo #Jesus #cross #love #gift #instaquote #vsco #vscocam #remember #rememberthis #keepthegospelonrepeat #gospel #gospelonrepeat #melblyf #addictedtohashtags

See more Instagram pics.

// SIN + SALVATION

INSTAGRAM YO

“The essence of sin is man substituting himself for God, while the essence of salvation is God substituting himself for man.” (#JohnStott)

Great #hamburgers at #mielcontainer!!

#brisbaneeats #prayforbrisbane #CityonaHillBRIS #Brisbane #brisbaneanyday #visitbrisbane #quotes #Jesus #KnowJesus #MakeJesusKnown #vsco #vscocam #socality

See more Instagram pics.

// RAGS AND TATTERS

INSTAGRAM YO

#JohnStott on the church:

“On earth she is often in rags and tatters, stained and ugly, despised and persecuted. But one day she will be seen for what she is, nothing less than the bride of Christ, “free from spot, wrinkles or any other disfigurement,” holy and without blemish, beautiful and glorious. It is to this constructive end that Christ has been working and continuing to work. The bride does not make herself presentable; it is the bridegroom who labours to beautify her in order to present her to himself”

Really looking forward to preaching one of my favourite series #WeTheChurch this weekend at #CityonaHillGEEL church camp.

#FlindersStreetStation #melbourne #MELB #melblyf #geellyf #quotes #inspiration #church #doctrine #melbournetodo #melbournebuilding #Jesus #JesusBride #ThePeopleOfGod #BoughtByBlood #RealFellowship #CitizensOfHeaven

See more Instagram pics.

// JUSTICE + LOVE + WISDOM + POWER

INSTAGRAM YO

#JohnStott in The Cross of Christ:

“When we look at the cross we see the justice, love, wisdom and power of God. It is not easy to decide which is the most luminously revealed, whether the justice of God in judging sin, or the love of God in bearing the judgment in our place, or the wisdom of God in perfectly combining the two, or the power of God in saving those who believe. For the cross is equally an act, and therefore a demonstration, of God’s justice, love, wisdom and power. The cross assures us that this God is the reality within, behind and beyond the universe.”

#TheCrossOfChrist #JESUS #christianity #cross #goodfriday #bestfriday #easter #theology #justice #quotes #love #wisdom #power #VSCO #VSCOcam #MelbLyf #melbourne #MelbourneToDo #melbourneskyline #southbank

See more Instagram pics.

// LAYS ASIDE HIS GLORY

INSTAGRAM YO

#JohnStott: “Many people visualize a God who sits comfortably on a distant throne, remote, aloof, uninterested, and indifferent to the needs of mortals, until, it may be, they can badger him into taking action on their behalf. Such a view is wholly false. The Bible reveals a God who, long before it even occurs to man to turn to him, while man is still lost in darkness and sunk in sin, takes the initiative, rises from his throne, lays aside his glory, and stoops to seek until he finds him.”

#quotes #inspiration #christianity #MelbLyf #melb #melbourne #melbourneskyline #sky #building #cranes #clouds #eureka

See more Instagram pics.