Dan Lee
John 17:1-2, Salvation for the Glory of God

Jesus’ prayer in John 17 begins with a focus on the glory of God. Jesus prays that His impending death will ultimately glorify the Father and that this would come about through the granting (gifting) of eternal life to His elect. What Jesus’ crucifixion puts on display is the glory of God’s grace in salvation.

Dan Lee
Deuteronomy 27-34, Two Ways to Live

As Moses closes his final message to the children of Israel, he focuses on the consequences of obedience and disobedience. He does so by setting down before them two pathways: the pathway to life, good, and the blessing, and the other pathway to death, evil, and the curse. Along with these options for their future, he reveals to them their future in apostasy, judgment, and even a restoration afterwards. The Pentateuch closes with an allusion to the prophet like Moses to come, the Lord Jesus, who speaks from the LORD and all the people ought to hear. The call to choose life echoes throughout the ages, calling all to be reconciled and restored to God and to enter into His blessing through the Savior and Lord Jesus Christ.

Dan Lee
Deuteronomy 12-26, The Place and The Prophet

In this final legal section of the Pentateuch, Moses touches on a wide range of laws. Among these, two stand out as the most prominent in the main message of Moses regarding the Messiah: the place of worship and the future prophet like Moses. These two ideas propel us to build up God’s church, hope in Christ’s return, and listen to Christ.

Dan Lee
Deuteronomy 1-11, Remember and Obey

Moses speaks his final message to the children of Israel before heading up Mount Nebo and see the land of Canaan and die there. His aim is to expound the law but he is gripped by the urgency of the spiritual needs of his people and thus he earnestly exhorts them with a long introduction (nearly all of 11 chapters) to remember and obey. In this three part study of Deuteronomy, we examine the practical relevance of this exhortation and consider the ultimate Israelite who lived up to all that this exhortation required.

Dan Lee
Numbers 22-24, The Messianic Prophecies of ...

The very perplexing figure of Balaam shows that God can use even a wicked pagan priest to speak forth His truth. Unbeknownst to this man, the LORD intended to use him to reinforce His immutable commitment to bless Israel and send the Messiah for our salvation. Balaam’s prophecies show that Jesus is the coming king who will reign supremely over all the nations, crushing all His enemies. They also show that Jesus is the promised seed of the woman, the seed of Abraham, who grants the blessing of salvation to all the elect of God.

Jeremiah 9:23-24, One Worthy Boast: the God of Justice

The LORD is the God of justice. This is an attribute of God that people often have a hard time swallowing, let alone boasting in. Yet, the people of God are called to boast in the God of justice. What are we missing? Why do we not see the justice of God and His judgments are qualities we gladly speak of with those around us? In this study, we consider the truths of God’s hatred for sin and His strenght to punish sin as realities we embrace only because God dispenses justice in His world through judgment.

Jeremiah 9:23-24, One Worthy Boast: the God of Faithfulness

The LORD is the God of faithfulness. Faithfulness/loyalty is the meaning of the word behind the English word “lovingkindess.” The LORD is faithful to His people. This is seen His fulfillment of His covenant promises, especially, in His fulfillment of these promises through the incarnation of the Son of God. May we celebrate and boast in the LORD who is unchanging in His faithfulness to us.

Jeremiah 9:23-24, One Worthy Boast

Where should we place our confidence? What should we seek to be proud of as we look back at the last year and as we look ahead to the next? This passage of Scripture gives us a sobering perspective on what we should value and seek as our one worthy boast in life. Jeremiah’s words were spoken against the background of predictions of divine judgment, namely, the Babylonian invasion. His generation did not heed his message, but a people/remnant was expected who would have changed hearts to heed his message. It was ultimately written for a people in the future. This message is for us today even as it was for the people of Jesus’ own day, many years after Jeremiah’s words were written. May we need the wisdom of Scripture to forsake the worthless boasts of this world and seek the one worthy boast in knowing and belonging to the LORD.

Luke 1:46-56, The Excellencies of our God

As Mary considered the meaning of the coming of Christ, she exploded with a joyful psalm of praise, even a prophetic anticipation of the future blessing for the people of God. Her focus in this song was the magnificence of the Lord. She saw in the coming of Christ the power of God, the mercy of God, and the faithfulness of God. Though she had only heard of the promises and had seen no evidence of her supernatural pregnancy, she believed. And because she believed, she, therefore, also rejoiced. We rejoice this day because we, too, believe. May the Lord fill our hearts with wonder and joy as we by faith meditate on His glorious attributes which shine with unparalleled brilliance in the coming of Jesus His incarnate Son.

Isaiah 55:1-9, Seek the LORD

While many today do not wish to seek the LORD, it is indeed man’s supreme priority and chief end in life. We are creatures created by the Creator for His own good pleasure and will, and our greatest ambition in this life is to know the LORD who made us who has redeemed us through His beloved Son, the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. May the Holy Spirit wise us up to seek Him earnestly, listen to Him, repent from sin and toward the LORD, and delight our souls abundantly in Him and in His blessings toward us in Christ.

John 14:16-20, Who Is the Holy Spirit?

In this passage, Jesus’ first substantial teaching on the Holy Spirit, He shows us the Holy Spirit as His presence, the truth, the guardian, the life-giver, and the revealer. May the Lord make us into a church that proclaims and upholds His truth so that we may be a Spirit-filled people, always heeding the voice of our Shepherd and living in the fullness of His Holy Spirit.