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universal confession

Philippians 2:9-11 "9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." We have marvelled at Jesus Christ’s obedience, obedience unto death, even the death of the cross. And we often cannot be obedient even in small ways. Many of us struggle with “Attend worship regularly.” These verses from Philippians remind us that Jesus Christ is the supreme model of humility and selfless service for believers to emulate in their relationships with one another and with God. Yesterday we asked, “What are you called to do? Will you do it?” In today’s verses we read the answer: “Confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.” And we can look inside ourselves to answer whether we do it or not. God the Father responded to the Son’s obedience by h...
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obedience

Philippians 2:8 "And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." Obedient. Obedient unto death. Obedient unto the death of the cross. Do we understand this? No. We often cannot even be obedient in small ways. Many of us struggle with “Attend worship regularly.” We cannot keep the Ten Commandments, much less the 613 Mosaic laws. Still we try to do our best. God knows our hearts and minds. We read the Holy Bible to remember God’s character and plan. Attending worship will help us in our faith journey. We are reading Philippians to remember that Jesus Christ is the supreme model of humility and selfless service for believers to emulate in their relationships with one another and with God. Remember: •Believers are called to reject selfishness and pride, considering others more significant than themselves. •Jesus’ descent from the highest place in the universe to the lowest position of a servant was a deliberat...
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continuous whole

Philippians 2:5-7 "5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7 But made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:" We are studying “Attend worship regularly.” We began by reading from Psalm 122. These verses express the joyful anticipation of pilgrims traveling to Jerusalem for worship. Those same ideas and themes continue in church services around the world today: communal worship that is a shared experience and brings joy to those who love God. In these gatherings, the Holy Ghost helps people encounter God and transforms their lives. Jewish tradition was centered on the coming Messiah. Jesus is that Messiah. Christian tradition centers on the life, death, resurrection, and eventual return of our Lord and Savior. We are tempted to see these as distinct traditions. The more accurate perspective is that they form one conti...
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together

Psalm 122:3&4 "3 Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together: 4 Whither the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD, unto the testimony of Israel, to give thanks unto the name of the LORD." We are studying the acrostic GRACED. This week we are focusing on “Attend worship regularly.” We began by reading Psalm 122. These verses express the joyful anticipation of pilgrims traveling to Jerusalem for worship. Today’s verses describe Jerusalem as a city built compactly together, symbolizing unity, stability, and order. The Hebrew imagery suggests the city is like a seamless structure, or like the tabernacle curtains joined to form one whole, reflecting both the physical strength of Jerusalem and the spiritual unity of God’s people. Verse 4 explains that this unity serves a divine purpose: the tribes of the LORD (the twelve tribes of Israel) go up to Jerusalem to give thanks and praise to the name of the LORD, as commanded by statute. This pilgrimage was a central act o...
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the house of the LORD

Psalm 122:1&2 "1 I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD. 2 Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem." We are studying the acrostic GRACED : G o to God in prayer daily. R ead God’s Word daily. A ttend worship regularly. C onnect in a study group. E ngage in service. D edicate yourself to the tithe and beyond. Last week we focused on “Read God’s Word daily.” We dedicated ourselves to making the reading of God’s Word a daily habit. Binding it to your hands and your head can take the form of jewelry, a challenge coin, a T-shirt, or anything else that keeps the Lord at the forefront of your thinking. Keep a Bible on your phone. Use technology for good and read it anywhere. Display God’s Word in your home; hang verses and crosses on your walls. Let all who see it know how important it is to you. Sanctify your life with God’s Word. You will be glad you did. This week we study “Attend worship regularly.” We begin by reading from the Psal...
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God’s Word

Deuteronomy 11:23 "Then will the LORD drive out all these nations from before you, and ye shall possess greater nations and mightier than yourselves." Wrapping up our reading from Deuteronomy, today’s verse elaborates God’s conditional promise within the Mosaic covenant: if Israel obeys His commandments, He will drive out the nations inhabiting Canaan so that the Israelites may possess land occupied by peoples greater and mightier than themselves. Key elements of the verse Condition of obedience . The promise depends on the people carefully keeping the commandment to love the Lord, walk in His ways, and hold fast to Him (Deuteronomy 11:22). Divine intervention . Victory is not won by human strength but by God’s power to dispossess stronger enemies. Theological significance . Spoken as Israel stood on the brink of the Promised Land, the assurance was meant to encourage faith and trust in God’s ability to fulfill His word despite overwhelming odds. Christian interpretation . Ma...
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unwavering loyalty

Deuteronomy 11:22 "For if ye shall diligently keep all these commandments which I command you, to do them, to love the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, and to cleave unto him;" Today’s verse God presents diligent obedience as the condition for blessing. Keeping the commandments is summed up in three marks of devotion: love the LORD your God, walk in all His ways (live by His law), and cleave to Him (stay loyal and close). This is the prerequisite for the promise in verses 23–25: if Israel remains faithful, the LORD will drive out the nations then occupying Canaan and give His people victory over enemies greater and stronger than they are. Theologically, the verse teaches that true faithfulness is more than rule-keeping. It is a wholehearted relationship with God; intentional obedience joined to unwavering loyalty.
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