"Pray often; for prayer is a shield to the soul, a sacrifice to God, and a scourge for Satan"

"The very highest worship of God is this, that we ascribe to him truthfulness, righteousness, and whatever else should be ascribed to one who is trusted."

"The gospel magnifies God and humbles man. And so to the world the gospel doesn’t look like power at all. It looks like weakness (asking people to be like children and depend on Jesus, instead of standing on their own two feet). But for those who believe it is the power of almighty God to save sinners."

"Much of our shame is not God-centered but self-centered."

the great and final exodus!

The great, ultimate, and final exodus is here being declared in song. Three reasons to define the lamb’s worthiness to open the scroll:

1) You were slain.

2) With your blood your purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. (That is the meaning of the event.)

3) (v10.) You have made them to be a kingdom of priests and to reign on the earth. (That is the consequence of the event.)

Revelation 5:9-10

(via: this T-Shirt @ Monergism.com, and Concepts from Art Azurdia and Dennis Johnson.)

definition: idolatry

idolatry: desiring something so much that you lose your contentment in God. Or: losing your contentment in God so that you start to seek it elsewhere. - John Piper

the covenantal relationship

What is actually in view here? It is the final exodus and the ultimate, eternal establishment of a covenantal relationship between God and His people. It is what we see at the end of the Revelation. “Now I will be their God and they will be my people…”

Revelation 5:9-10

(via: this T-Shirt @ Monergism.com, and Concepts from Art Azurdia and Dennis Johnson.)

God’s covenant to Abraham fulfilled

Here is the climax of God’s redemptive purpose, fulfilling God’s covenant to Abraham to bless the children of promise through his seed (Gen 12:2; Rom 9:6-13). This is why God has commanded the church to preach the gospel to the ends of the earth (Matt 28:18, 19) that He might gather those he has set apart for Himself in every city and town (Acts 18:10; John 17:9, 20) 

Revelation 5:9-10

(via: this T-Shirt @ Monergism.com, and Concepts from Art Azurdia and Dennis Johnson.)