New Braunfels OPC

Don't let the burden of betrayal or other sins threaten or take away your peace. Rather, cast your fears and cares on Christ, being thankful that He will sustain you and lift you up in the midst of your trials and hardships. Take much comfort for His mercy to you and judgment against the wicked, and then continue to trust Him as you walk with Him.

As you think about this path, does it intimidate you? Are you fearful of, or don't do well with confrontation? It's so easy to try to take matters into your own hands, or not deal with sin at all. I pray that you see the importance of these steps of reconciliation that Jesus calls you to follow, coupled with the peace it brings. If love can't cover the sin, like the shepherd goes after the one sheep, you must go to your brother or sister. As Jesus has shown by love fueled call and example, never forget that there are no pains too much to take for the recovering of a sinner to repentance. I hope you can see the blessings of following the path, along with the great consequences of not doing so.

What are the outward means whereby Christ communicates to us the benefits of his mediation? How is the word made effectual to salvation?

Pastor Miller continues his Biblical Hebrew for Beginners class. Today: Review Hebrew Dialogue 1. Introduce Dialogue 2. Lecture on beginning of Lesson 16 covering the uses of the Imperfect in the remaining verb stems, as well as the Vav Consecutive. Brief translation and exegetical discussion on Psalm 55:16.

Israel Assured of God's Help, The Futility of Idols

What is required in the tenth commandment?

Anger can be a volatile emotion in many people, especially after an offense. It can explode quickly like a firecracker, or a short-fused bomb. The blast radius can have deadly focus or it can be tragically broad. Once it's unleashed, the damage can be great and the path to healing and restoration even greater. Unleashed, sinful anger can often thrive in pride. It can also quickly lead the angry person down the path of regret. For these reasons and many others, sinful anger needs to be promptly and thoroughly dealt with and put to death in both heart and life.

It's important that you learn from and remember the burden of betrayal. Like David, in your grief and prayer to the Lord it's good and right to be mindful of what used to be and now is no more. All the while, like David, may you be refreshed in the nature and effects of sin, the pain that it brings, the offense that it is against the holy God, the beauty of the Gospel, and desire His justice and will be done.

As the disciples needed to, considering their dispute, prayerfully check your hearts this morning- Do you despise anyone in the flock? This is a critical question, whether you're an under shepherd looking at sheep, whether you're an older believer looking at and interacting with the young, whether you're in your youth interacting with peers- Do you look down at them? Do you scoff at their weakness in faith or any other area that you think you have superior knowledge, ability, or wisdom in? Remember that doing so is sinful. It hardens pride in you and can lead those who are weak or new astray, or cause them to wander in faith, doctrine, and obedience to God. Rather, value and respect them in the ways that Christ, who died for them, does. Then seek to lift them up and not tear them, or your relationship with them down.

What doth every sin deserve at the hands of God? What doth God require of us, that we may escape his wrath and curse due to us by reason of the transgression of the law?

Pastor Miller continues his Biblical Hebrew for Beginners class. Today: Review Hebrew Dialogue 1. Review of Lesson 15 homework covering the uses of the Qal Imperfect, the Jussive, and Cohortative. Walkthrough translation work on Psalm 55:9.

In today's edition, Pastor Miller speaks more to the matter of betrayal, its pain, and the path of godly resolution as he speaks to good lessons David teaches you in Psalm 51 as he reflected on his own experience in betraying others and fled in prayer to his Lord.

As we examine Jesus' exposition of the Law in His Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5, we consider the great need to mortify our flesh, to kill sin within us, as we seek to be obedient to Christ's commands for us to walk in holiness and purity before Him and with one another. One of the sins that we need to be serious about putting to death is the sin of pride. It's one of the seven sins Solomon lists in Proverbs 6:17. We know well that God hates sin. Solomon teaches us that pride is an abomination to our Lord. With the prevalent, pervasive, and multi-layered presence that pride often has within us, it's all too true that killing it in our own hearts is very difficult. Why is this true? Click and listen...

God Comforts His People

Which is the tenth commandment?

Meditate on this beginning of Psalm 55, and the betrayal that under girds it, this week, and may it encourage and strengthen you to walk more closely with Christ. For in the midst of being surrounded, scrutinized, and oppressed by men on the outside, while at the same time feeling squeezed, heavy hearted, even tempted to have the fear of man, not to mention the fear of death, when you feel crushed with no way out, never forget the lesson Jesus teaches here you through David.

The glorious truths and reality that should comfort and calm your hearts this morning are the great promises, the great hope, for the life to come for all those who believe in the crucified and risen Christ.

What are those aggravations that make some sins more heinous than others?

The pain of betrayal is real and runs deep. It often hits hard as the breach of trust and confidence you had in a person, or with people, can shake you as you realized they've damaged or broken their relationship with you, or sometimes broken their covenant vows, as they've turned on you to harm you. Have you experienced betrayal in your life?

Take this picture of betrayal, its causes, and consequences with you tonight. Be especially mindful in your meditation and study of the Word regarding betrayal when it hits home. The trouble and hardship from any kind of betrayal is hard enough when it comes from those you would call friends, or those outside of your family. And yet, it's much worse when you're betrayed by your own kin. Praise God for the Lord Jesus Christ who is your Helper, who also sent you another helper, the Holy Spirit!

Do you see the glorious progression in what Jesus is teaching you thus far in Matthew 18? The rise of pride that battles for power and position was countered by Spirit wrought humility, seen in a heart of service and reception of even the least of these. As Jesus has welcomed them, so must you with open arms! As you grasp more of the value and importance of true, godly humility in your service to Christ and His people, may this lesson of the practical effect of such humility being manifest in your loving those that Jesus loves, and hating what Jesus hates, in your loving the little lambs, and your hating sin.

Is any man able perfectly to keep the commandments of God? Are all transgressions of the law of God equally heinous in themselves, and in the sight of God?

Pastor Miller continues his Biblical Hebrew for Beginners class. Today: Review of Lesson 14 homework. Begin Lesson 15 on Qal Imperfect of strong verbs.

As much as there is a great and growing need for godly wisdom to bud and flourish in the hearts and minds of boys, girls, young men, young women, young families, and middle aged saints in Christ's church, there is also great need for the older saints in the body to stand and walk in the wisdom God has granted them, to model and teach young men and women how to carry out their duties with better skill, how to grow in godliness in the home and vocation, thereby carrying out the valuable service of passing the torch to the next generations, strengthening the people of God around them.

Hezekiah's Life Extended

What is required in the ninth commandment?

May this psalm make you ever more mindful of the doctrine of sin and depravity of sinners! May it also deepen your understanding of your need for Christ and thankfulness for His Gospel! As you grow in this, don't fear fools! Don't fear atheists, their arguments, or engaging in evangelistic conversations with them. Rather, may the fear of the Lord be in your heart, may the fruit of it be evident in your life, and may this psalm equip you to face fools with the truth of the Word of the living God.

Jesus wouldn't declare Peter to be His favorite. Nor would He seat James and John on either side of Him. Rather, Jesus says to all of His people that the humblest Christians are the best Christians. For in humility you show yourself to be like Christ. Being recipients of His grace and blessing, you show yourself to be fit to serve God here and now, as well as enjoy Him in the world to come.

What are the sins forbidden in the tenth commandment?

Pastor Miller continues his Biblical Hebrew for Beginners class. Today: Review of the first lecture, and finishing the remaining lecture on Lesson 14 on remaining verb stems beyond Qal perfect. This includes learning to translate verbs in those remaining stems considering any attached prefixes and suffixes.

Pastor Miller gives this edition as the final part of his Godly Men & Women series. Among all of the passages of Scripture that teach you wonderful doctrine about motherhood, the Spirit's words through Solomon in Proverbs provide a rich theology in wisdom that lays out many good characteristics of a godly mother.

Isaiah Assures Deliverance, Sennacherib's Threat and Hezekiah's Prayer, the Word of the Lord Concerning Sennacherib, Sennacherib's Defeat and Death

Learn to hate wickedness like God does. As this corruption was clear in the persecution of David, it's even more so in the sufferings of Christ. Like David, make God your strength! Stand upon the rock that is Christ, trusting God's mercy to you in Him. Look upon and learn more of His judgment, and may that move you to worship Him even more today!

Take this lesson of the temple tax that reveals more marvelous facets, and gives you more glorious views and confirmation that Jesus truly is the omniscient and omnipotent Son of God with you today. May this passage fuel your love and worship of Him!

What are the duties required in the tenth commandment?

The presence or absence of thankfulness in your heart in your daily cross bearing, in your daily battle for Christ is something that you need to take time and examine. As I say this, you may wonder- "Wait, Pastor. Are you saying I should be thankful for the battles and suffering in my life?" Yes, but there's more...

Sennacherib Boasts Against the Lord

What is forbidden in the eighth commandment?

Take the great redemptive work of Christ, and all of His benefits, with you tonight as you consider your awesome God and Heavenly Father who sent His Son to reconcile you, as dirty, guilty, stained, and defiant rebels to Himself. Psalm 51 presses this prayer to be your own as you consider your sin, sorrow, repentance, reconciliation, and worship.

As you've been blessed to see the glory of Christ, praise Jesus even more today as you are blessed by this clear view of His compassion and patience with the suffering and weakness of men, as His displays His sovereign power and authority over all things, including the spiritual forces of darkness, and builds your faith.

Which is the tenth commandment?

Pastor Miller continues his Biblical Hebrew for Beginners class. Today: Review of Lesson 13 translation homework, first lecture on Lesson 14 on remaining verb stems beyond Qal.

The Future Glory of Zion

Faithful pastors are men who are diligent to carry out the work Christ has called them to in feeding and tending to His beloved flock. Watch and share this final devotion in a series Pastor Miller has entitled, "The Pastor and His Work".

Pastor Miller continues his Biblical Hebrew for Beginners class. Today: Review of Lesson 13 translation homework, lecture on numerals, including patterns for numerals 11-4000.

What is required in the eighth commandment?

May this model prayer once again teach and comfort your sin sick soul! For like David, considering your sin, you ought to have a Spirit wrought desire to be clean, to be made well, to be reconciled, to be pardoned, and have a heart of joy in your salvation restored- Go to your covenant Lord with those desires, praising Him that Christ has done all of this for you!

Do you see the beauty and wonder of the unveiled glory of Jesus here? Though you're not an eyewitness like Peter, James, and John were, by faith you too can bear witness of the glory of Christ revealed to you here and proclaim Him to be the Son of God, the crucified, risen, and ascended Savior, who will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and take you home.