June 6, 2021 -- Psalm 15 -- This Sunday, what are you longing for?

O Lord, who shall sojourn in your tent?
    Who shall dwell on your holy hill?

2 He who walks blamelessly and does what is right
    and speaks truth in his heart;
3 who does not slander with his tongue
    and does no evil to his neighbor,
    nor takes up a reproach against his friend;
4 in whose eyes a vile person is despised,
    but who honors those who fear the Lord;
who swears to his own hurt and does not change;
5 who does not put out his money at interest
    and does not take a bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things shall never be moved.

Psalm 15 English Standard Version

What a wonderful Psalm for this Sunday. The first verse sets up two questions and the next four verses give ten answers. Do not miss the significance of the questions. Do you want to be in the presence of the LORD? Do you want to linger there? If you are struggling to answer yes to those questions, then pray. Ask for the Spirit of God to renew your enthusiasm and yearning for the presence of God.

There is truth and blessedness in His presence. In His presence community is formed and grows closer in fellowship to one another as Christ is lifted high and praised. As people worship, deepening their devotion to the Father, the accomplished work of Jesus continues to be exalted and received with awe and the Spirit of God moves us forward in all things holy and good.

Look at the verses two through five. Find the ten things spelled out, the ethical qualifications, for entering into the presence of God. Give thanks to God for the areas where you see strength and pray for the Spirit’s power to aid you in the areas where you see ethical weakness and failing in your life. Worship magnifies the Triune God; praise highlights His excellencies and creates in us a longing to despise anything which would hinder our relationship with Him.

Mighty God of revelation and love, increase in us a desire to know You and worship You. Spirit of God, there can be hundreds of distractions and thousands of reasons which suddenly spring to mind why going to church or listening to a worship service is not necessary. Spirit of Power let the loveliness of Christ and His costly sacrifice given for our reconciliation with God the Father move us to fight past all distractions and snares so that we will worship God in spirit and truth. Amen.

https://youtu.be/EUthcuoDrVg

June 5, 2021 -- Matthew 28:31-32 & Luke 12:4-6 -- When tears run out

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.

Matthew 25:31-32 ESV

“I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. 5 But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him! 6 Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God.

Luke 12:4-6 ESV

It has taken me more than a few days to write about the gruesome discovery of 215 bodies of children, found in an unmarked grave. The buried children were connected to what used to be the Kamloops Residential School. How many more graves are there across our land? How many more stories have not been told? It is almost too overwhelming. May God give grace and strength to those who continue to document the stories so that these children will not be forgotten and our land will repent.

This story has galvanized so many people and raised so many questions. How can justice ever be done? The answer is found in Christ alone. He was punished for the sins of the world. Those who believe on Him have had their sins punished fully, infinitely, to the measure of the evil weighed out against them all this has been poured on Jesus. He then rose to new life by the glory of the Father. Grace wins. It comes at a tremendous cost.

When Jesus returns, and all His holy angels with Him, there will be a judgment upon all the the living and all those who had died. At this great resurrection, punishment will be brought against all evil doers. Christ has the authority not only to judge the wicked, but to cast those who were perpetrators of evil into the torment and agony of hell. Therefore Jesus is to be feared. Therefore, people are to examine their hearts and minds, their words and their actions and bow before Him. Now is the day of salvation. Now is the day of reconciliation. Now is the day of truth telling.

Note as well the tenderness of our God. In our lives and our busy times we do not pay attention to the little sparrows all around us. We cannot tell if there is one missing. But the LORD knows the full number of His precious little sparrows. The pointed teaching is that He knows and cares for the people, the teens, the aged, and the infants—for all people, for Psalm 8 teaches us mankind is the crown of His creation. While our grief is yet fresh, know this, those graves which are unmarked to us, are known to the tender heart of our Father in heaven as is every single person not yet accounted for. He knows them all.

Today’s prayer is taken from the book of Lamentations. It is the grief saturated cries of Jeremiah before the LORD when the city of Jerusalem was sacked, her inhabitants slaughtered and carried to exile.

My eyes are spent with weeping; my stomach churns;

my bile is poured out to the ground

because of the destruction of the daughter of my people,

because infants and babies faint in the streets of the city.

Their hearts cried out to the Lord. O wall of the daughter of Zion,

let tears stream down like a torrent day and night!

Give yourself no rest, your eyes no respite!

Remember my affliction and my wanderings, the wormwood and the gall!

My soul continually remembers it and is bowed down within me.

But this I call to mind, and therefore have hope.

The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end;

they are new every morning, great is your faithfulness.

“The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him”

The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.

Lamentations 2:11, 18, 3:19-25

https://youtu.be/UUEy8nZvpdM

June 3, 2021 -- Psalm 19:1-4; 7-10 -- Letting your imagination savour the glories of God

The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
2 Day to day pours out speech,
and night to night reveals knowledge.
3 There is no speech, nor are there words,
whose voice is not heard.
4 Their voice goes out through all the earth,
and their words to the end of the world.

The law of the Lord is perfect,
reviving the soul;
the testimony of the Lord is sure,
making wise the simple;
8 the precepts of the Lord are right,
rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the Lord is pure,
enlightening the eyes;
9 the fear of the Lord is clean,
enduring forever;
the rules[d] of the Lord are true,
and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold,
even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey
and drippings of the honeycomb.

Psalm 19:1-4; 7-10 ESV

Dearly loved people of God, Who declares His splendor, how much time do you spend examining the riotous colours painted in the sky as the sun is going down? Maybe you look at pictures of the most colourful birds of the earth? Or you spend time looking at the varied beauty of orchids? The LORD speaks to us through creation. It is the book of revelation called General Revelation. It is general because you can learn about God, His invisible attributes, power and divine nature are displayed in creation (so says Romans 1).

As you spend time thinking about creation, meditating on its beauty so Psalm 19 invites you to use your imagination and your soul’s longing to think on Jesus Christ. The Word of God (broadly speaking the law, testimony and precepts) reveal the glory of God to the heart and mind. This is Special Revelation. By way of the Word God makes Himself known as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. God shows His salvation in Jesus Christ. Spend time thinking about Him. As you might scroll through pictures of birds, animals, sunsets etc, spend time reading a passage of scripture and let your mind savour it. Consider the magnificence of God Who makes Himself known.

Wherever one looks, the brilliance of Your creation declares Your glory. The inner workings of DNA ribbons, precisely folded, and the dancing Northern Lights all proclaim Your handiwork. Spirit of God, help us to think about God and reflect on His invisible attributes and power and divine nature when our attention is caught by such beauty. Spirit of God, let the Word, soak into our imagination, so that the purity and perfections of Jesus are as sweet to our soul as honey from the honeycomb. Amen.

https://youtu.be/awEvlCRZ3WQ

June 2, 2021 -- I Corinthians 11:26-29 -- Full systems check for health

 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

27 Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. 28 Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself.

I Corinthians 11:26-29 ESV

You might be inwardly groaning. Here we go again! Another passage on God’s judgment and wrath. It is easy to skip over a passage like this and miss the lovingkindness of God our Father. Why are road signs posted? Warning signs like: Bridge out. Detour ahead? So that people do not drive headlong into destruction. The warning is given for the purpose of saving life.

So too with the words concerning the celebration of the Lord’s Supper. This Sunday many churches will celebrate the Lord’s Supper and it used to be the practice in our Presbyterian - Reformed circles to have the previous Sunday serve as a preparatory service, an invitation to taste and see the goodness of the LORD and a warning to make sure one did not eat and drink in an unworthy manner—a way in which would drive the believer away from God into danger and disaster.

To discern the body is to know Jesus Christ is the One Sacrifice Who has taken away the sin of the world. To discern the body is to believe this and set your whole confidence for salvation in Him, Jesus, the One Who was sent by the Father to rescue you from the dominion of darkness. To discern the body is to hate your own sin and by the inner working of the Spirit, Who is applying the Word of God to your minds and hearts, confess your sins and seek to remove anything that might block the full blessing and full joy of serving Jesus Christ.

Truly it is a wonderful blessing to know that the LORD our God is prepared to pour out His blessings on you life. It is humbling and tremendous to know His warning serves to open your heart and life to the fullest measure of blessing He has in store for you. And what blessing it is, to consider the fact that the Lord’s Supper is time bound. There will come a day when the heavens and the earth will be swept away. There will be a new heaven and new earth, sin will be no more. In eternity the Triune God’s great glory, majesty, love, kindness, patience, mercy and infinite holiness will begin to break on the senses of the believers made holy and this will increase and endure for all eternity!

Gracious God, Father of all kindness and mercy beyond the deserving of His people, thank You for the warnings You have given in Scripture. Thank You for the opportunity to repent, recommit mind and action to You by the renewing grace of Your Spirit. Jesus, Who is a Friend like You? Faithful are Your wounds received so that believers would not know wrath, but would walk in the blessedness of God our Saviour. Give us the courage and the faith to make a fearless and searching examination of our lives so that sin would be kicked to the curb and greater space is made to receive Your mercies, which are new every morning. Amen.

https://youtu.be/Nplylz-EEE0

May 31, 2021 -- Psalm 119:54-55 -- So shall no part of day or night from sacredness be free

Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

Your statutes have been my songs
   in the house of my sojourning.
I remember your name in the night, O LORD,
   and keep your law.
Psalm 119:54-55 English Standard Version

In the last few days I have been listening to some George Whitefield sermons. These are read on a sermon audio platform. One striking comment he made was something to the effect of, show me what a man does with his time at night and I will show you how warm or cold that man is towards Christ. That is a statement worthy of reflection. It is easy to bless God in the day time, especially on a Sunday when one goes to church, but what are you doing the evening? How are you honouring and praising God?

We live in a wonderful time when great sermons of past centuries are at our fingertips. We can read them. We can listen to them. Sermons are posted on so many different platforms. There are excellent, insightful, Christian commentaries available on line which instruct the believer how understand and respond to current social trends such as the “Woke Movement” and the agenda of the “Transgender and LGBT+”.

Now, gauge your reaction to what was just written in the previous paragraph. Are you protesting, “but that is MY Time”? Interestingly enough, all your life, day and night, belongs to the LORD. Can you watch sports? Can you engage in hobbies? Can you have other interests? Sure. The over-riding question: is your heart warm or cool towards the Living God, with Whom you claim you desire to spend eternity? If you find your evenings are drawing you away from your devotion to Him, it is time to rededicate yourself to learning more about the infinite greatness of the LORD of Glory. It is hard work to overcome distractions, laziness, and well-aimed temptations of the devil and the world all of which would conspire to keep you from this holy appointment. Anything worth having is worth fighting for.

Father in heaven, it is beyond my ability to express the wonder I feel that You, the Majestic, Glorious One of Heaven and Earth should know me and delight in my walk before You and the praise of Your Name. Spirit of God, renew my heart and imagination so that in all things it is my desire and my joy to honour Jesus in all things and at all times. Amen.

https://youtu.be/a91_3VYRiZo

Copyright © 2021 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

May 28, 2021 -- Jude 1-2 -- Kept by the Spirit

Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James,

To those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ:

May mercy, peace and love be multiplied to you.

Jude 1-2 English Standard Version

It is that easily overlooked expression “kept for Jesus Christ” that is the focus today. In order to understand the weight of it, notice who is inspired by the Spirit of God to write this letter. Jude (and his brother James) are half brothers of Jesus. Jesus is fully human by His birth of Mary and He is fully divine, as the Spirit spoke Jesus conception to life. Jude and James are children of Joseph and Mary, therefore, half brothers to their elder brother Jesus.

Through-out Jesus’ ministry the brothers of Jesus discounted His ministry. They were prepared to call Him crazy and take Him home (Mark 3:31). It is recorded “For not even His brothers believed in Him” John 7:5. Knowing Scripture helps the reader to understand how much believers are trophies of the grace of Jesus Christ, kept by the Spirit of God.

It was the Spirit of God Who broke down Jude’s stubborn resistance to the Gospel. It was the Spirit of God Who humbled Jude so that he could believe that Jesus is the One by Whom the Father’s electing love was brought into force. It is the Spirit of God Who kept Jude for the moment of new birth in Jesus and Who continued to feed Jude’s faith so that he would be a powerful witness to Jesus. Those who knew Jude before his conversion would say, “Jude, what, you believe in Jesus now?”

Can you relate? Your pre-conversion life to the life you now have in Christ? No doubt people who knew you before and see you in Christ have serious questions. It is the work of the Spirit to break down your stubborn disbelief. It is the work of the Spirit to bring you into the fullness of life that is yours in Christ. It is the Spirit Who guards and keeps you near the spout, where the blessings of God flow out and the kingdom of Christ is brought about.

Blessed are You, Father of Light, Who gives every good gift and perfect gift. Thank You for drawing us to Yourself in Jesus Christ. Thank You for the Spirit of God Who keeps us in Your loving care until the great day when we shall see Jesus face to face and our lives will be displayed through-out eternity as the trophies of His grace. Amen.

https://youtu.be/ytJymjk9xk8

May 27, 2021 -- Romans 7:12-13 -- Freed from hateful sins

So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.

13 Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure. 

Romans 7:12-13 English Standard Version

Paul Washer was approached by a Christian man who was struggling with his sin. He said to Washer, “I don’t feel like I’m a Christian. I have all these horrible thoughts and wicked temptations”

Washer replied, “I’ll get a phone book, call you a taxi to go to the most wicked place in town where you can party.”

“No! Do not do that!” the man shouted.

“Why not? If you are not a Christian, this should not trouble you.” Washer replied.

Isn’t that the point. Of course we wrestle with sin. The law of God shows and teaches us what sin is.

The glorious work of the Spirit is to show us how much He has transformed us so that sins which used to be attractive to us are now seen as sinful beyond measure. Wicked, passing thoughts happen when the devil is pressing the “easy button” which is temptation to the sin that used to trip us up every time. Now that we are in Christ and a new creation, the devil is trying to get us to fall for the old sins that used to fascinate and attract us. The Spirit is showing us sin produces death and the Spirit is directing us deeper into the new life that is ours in Christ. We are trophies of Christ’s grace held up by the Spirit all to the glory of the Father. Fellow Christian, do not be stare at the terrible temptations, instead, rejoice in the new life which is yours and has taken hold of you so strongly that old sins have become a horror to you. Great is the pleasure wrought in us by the wondrous deeds God the gracious is working out in our lives.

Mighty God, we know how wretched we were. Thanks be to Your great Name, O God our Father that You have rescued us through Jesus Christ our Lord! By Your Spirit help us to serve the law of God with our whole heart and mind. Amen.

Prayer based on Romans 7:25

https://youtu.be/-jkMnq2Hfzo

May 26, 2021 -- II Peter 1:2-4 -- Excuse-busting power in Christ

2 May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

3 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, 4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.

II Peter 1:2-4 English Standard Version

Today’s passage is a powerful excuse buster as God’s grace is multiplied to believers. You have so many excuses—I can’t do this. The temptation is just too strong. I couldn’t stop. I didn’t even realize it was sin. I didn’t know what I did would cause so many problems. I can’t handle the consequences so I’m just going to give up.

Excuse buster 1—God’s grace and peace are multiplied to you in the knowledge of God. The God of infinite power has set His blessings on all you who believe. It doesn’t matter how big or small your faith is, this depends on His omnipotence (the fact He is all-powerful).

Excuse buster 2—The Spirit of the Living God has taken up residence in your heart and life. You have the full power of God for ALL THINGS—all circumstances, defeat of all sins, hope and strength in holiness.

Excuse buster 3—Jesus has provided escape from the corruptions of the world and thrown down sinful desires. He is the Desire of All Nations, He is the glory of the temple (Haggai 2:7). Satan has been disarmed at the cross of Jesus Christ so that you have new life. So your heart as a new directive and a new desire—pursue Jesus!

Excuse buster 4—the promises of God are “yes” and “amen” in Jesus. To live in the strength which God has promised you in this passage, you need to know the Word and the many, rich and varied promises of God which fill the Scriptures. The more you know God by knowing His Word, the more you have peaceful confidence to face down the sins which had been overwhelming you.

Applying the strength of this passage: ask God for His help. Find a Christian friend whose walk with God you admire and agree together to walk out your faith in daily life, holding each other accountable to keep applying the excuse-buster power of Scripture. Read the Bible. Listen to the Bible. Memorize the Bible. Be a fully engaged member of a Christ-exalting, Bible-believing Church.

Father in heaven, Your majestic voice gloriously declared “This is My Beloved Son, with Whom I am well-pleased”. It pleases You to empower Your children to live in the grace and peace which Jesus’ obedience has won for all who believe. Father in heaven, pour out Your Spirit so that this power for life and godliness truly directs us in obedient and joyful submission to Your Word and will. Amen.

https://youtu.be/NjOGX5zT8KU

May 25, 2021 -- I Kings 19:13-14 -- We shall overcome someday deep in my heart I do believe

And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 14 He said, “I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.”

I Kings 19:13-14 English Standard Version

Usually at the end of the day I’ll check out the internet and see what the latest news is. Interestingly, there were several articles with provocative titles like: “COVID hastens the demise of the Church” or “Will there be a post-Covid Church”? Truly there is nothing new under the sun. Even the mighty prophet Elijah was afraid that the crisis of his day—living under the wicked King Ahab whose wife was persecuting the followers of God and promoting the worship of a hateful pagan god—meant he was the last faithful man standing.

Don’t believe a word of it. Then it was not true. Nor is it true today. In every age and through every crisis the LORD our God brings in His people and preserves for Himself a faithful remnant. The book of Acts records the scattering of Christians, displacing people around the known world, which contributed to the spread of Christianity. James wrote his letter to Christians in dispersion.

Jesus declared to His disciples, just hours before His arrest and mock trial and crucifixion: “Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me. I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” John 16:32-33

King Jesus, doomsayers and prognosticators of woe railing against Your victory have in every generation proclaimed “God is dead” or “The Church is no more”. Every single ill-breath of forecast has failed and Your people have always been protected through the persecutions, which inevitably have meant the scattered believers were like seeds sown in new regions. Blessed are You, Triune God, for You are from everlasting to everlasting. Spirit of God, give to us this very day, eyes of faith, such that we see Jesus has already overcome the world and based on this grant us the confident, peaceful, conviction we too overcome in HIs Name. He is our boast and our song. Amen.

https://youtu.be/wMYbd2ZhhjE

May 24, 2021 -- James 4:7 -- How the Spirit makes the Devil RUN!

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

James 4:7 English Standard Version

Yesterday I listened to someone reading a George Whitfield sermon. It was quite interesting. Whitfield noted there are several ways the devil attacks. Knowing these helps one prepare.

The devil is the accuser. He will remind you of your sin. Be prepared by remembering at the cross Jesus disarmed Satan and his accusations (Colossians 2:14-15.

The devil will tempt you with things you desire, by offering you his wicked short-cuts, which have no reference to the glory of God. As Jesus quoted scripture, so also know the word and declare “it is written”.

There will be times the devil suddenly seems to leave you alone. After Jesus was tempted the devil “departed from Him until an opportune time” (Luke 4:13). So there may be a brief season where temptations are lessened, be prepared for the fact a new onslaught will come, when you least expect it

The devil will sometimes launch obscene and wicked thoughts. These are the flaming arrows of the devil (Ephesians 6:16). Unwelcome and set ablaze in the pit of hell, be aware the devil is just trying to ignite a fire which the God-given shield of faith can extinguish.

Such vile and hellish tactics are such which the Christian must be prepared to fight. The greatest protection the believer has is being fully submitted to the Living God. We are submitted to Him as beloved sons and daughters who have been purchased by the blood of Jesus Christ. We choose to drink deeply from the well of Salvation—Jesus Christ is for us living water—which quenches the fiery arrows of the enemy, refreshes the soul and keeps the believer from feeling parched. Dearly loved people of God, know that the Living God has already given everything you need for salvation—the forgiveness won by Christ’s blood; the disarming of the enemy at the cross, the Spirit of God to guard you in the riches of Christ. The Spirit makes the Word clear so that we are protected in our God. Rejoice believer rejoice! Help those who are struggling while you prepare to endure until the day of Jesus’ return.

Oh come, let us sing to the Lord;
    let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!
2 Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
    let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!
3 For the Lord is a great God,
    and a great King above all gods.
4 In his hand are the depths of the earth;
    the heights of the mountains are his also.
5 The sea is his, for he made it,
    and his hands formed the dry land.

6 Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
    let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!
7 For he is our God,
    and we are the people of his pasture,
    and the sheep of his hand.

Psalm 95:1-7 ESV

https://youtu.be/A98YQHG8tLY

May 21, 2021 -- James 2:14-17 -- Costly Obedience which leads to praise

What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

James 2:14-17 English Standard Version

There are many Christians who bristle at these verses, wanting to be very careful to guard against a theology that says something like in order to be saved one must do works, as if such works contributed to their salvation. It is a misunderstanding easily corrected. To whom is the Spirit of God prompting James to write? Yes, to believers who are in dispersion, scattered because of persecutions suffered for the Name of Jesus. So, James is writing to warn believers to act according their faith in Jesus Christ.

It is costly. Remember these believers being urged to give generously are themselves in exile because of their faith. This obedience of practically and financially caring for others will be a sacrifice. So we learn it is not a matter of accumulating enough money in order to be able to help others at some vague future time; where there is a need and you can help, do so at that moment.

It is a blessings to see other Christians serving in such a way. Faith is encouraged and built up where, in dire times, needs are met and those receiving help are blessing the LORD. Such praise and thanksgiving is contagious sweeping across whole congregations.

Giving generously despite one’s own circumstances lends humble urgency to the petition of the LORD’s prayer which states “Give us this day our daily bread”. Surely we are at the mercy of the LORD our Father for every day’s rich supply.

Finally, where Christians give generously, it is obvious that the LORD is the Giver of every good gift and every perfect gift (James 1:17). Believers cannot out give God, Who in Christ, has rescued us from death and hell and by His Spirit preserves us for Christ Jesus until that rich inheritance is given in full throughout eternity. Blessed be our God.

God our Father, thank You for our daily bread and for every blessing You have poured out on our lives in Christ our King. Thank You Father in heaven for the privilege of being able to help others. Mighty Spirit of God, thank You for the humble grace of being able to ask other Christians for help and finding Your bounty and Your love shines through their giving. Triune God, help us to live up to the high calling of Your Word so that in all things our faith will be strengthened to the glory of Your praise. Amen.

https://youtu.be/E8d0bMPl2hY

May 20, 2021 -- Mark 12:28-30 -- Christian Imagination Unleashed in Holy Service

And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” 29 Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’

Mark 12:28-30 ESV

4 “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. 5 You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.

Deuteronomy 6:4 ESV

That first imperative “hear” is the translation of the Hebrew sh’ma. It carries the dual meaning of “to hear and to obey”. It is why I title my blog “sh’ma Christian Ministries”. Those who hear the word of the LORD are to put it into practice. A Jewish person would recognize Deuteronomy 6:4 immediately as a devout religion-practicing Jew will recite this every morning. The text is known by its first word. It is called the “Shema” or “Sh’ma”.

Did you notice the subtle difference between the way in which Jesus recited the Sh’ma Mark compared to the way it is written in Deuteronomy? He added that the believer is to love the LORD with all his mind. Yes, the heart. Also the soul. Indeed the strength must be fully employed in service to the Living God—but the mind. Our imagination must be directed to the purpose of obedient living for Jesus.

This is why what a believer watches makes such a difference. Television shows, movies, media snippets watched on various platforms all influence the mind for or against the Living God. What you are watching and listening to, do such things enhance your imagination so that you are whole-heartedly and full on imaginatively living for God? Ouch, I feel the weight of conviction on this as well.

LORD of Heaven and Earth, You Who knit us together in our mother’s womb, direct us by Your Spirit so that even our minds and our imagination will be put into holy service as we seek to hear and obey Jesus. Forgive us for the staggering amounts of time we waste on social media, and gaming and selfish pursuits. With the Psalmist may we apply this Spirit-inspired blessing to our own lives: ^Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the LORD! Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, who seek Him with their whole heart, who also do no wrong, but walk in His ways! Amen.

^Psalm 119:1-3

https://youtu.be/sI6ZkTbUgW4

May 19, 2021 -- Colossians 3:5-10 -- Fighting Fit

Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming. 7 In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. 8 But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.

Colossians 3:5-10 English Standard Version

Have you ever played Pop-a-Mole? It is a game in which the player has an over-sized, padded mallet, with which to hit down moles which keep popping up from the large game board. As soon as one mole is hit down another one, or several, pop up. It feels like an endless, futile task.

In contrast to this, Christians do not “Pop-a-Mole” when fighting against sin. They put sins to death. Whereas the sins in which you used to walk were once pleasurable, now they are revealed to be sad, a waste of time and worse, an insult against the God of Glory Who has claimed us in Christ Jesus. It is not enough to have old sinful ways put to death, one must be renewed. It is this new life which removes the “Pop-a-Mole” seeming futility of the task. When one is renewed in Jesus Christ, kindness and humility, forgiveness and love rise up powered by the Spirit Who has taken up residence in the heart, mind, soul and imagination of the believer.

Rather than chasing down sins and shadow-boxing the old self, Paul is encouraging the Colossian Christians to put on the new self. Get dressed in the Good News of Jesus Christ. Offer your imagination to Him. Offer your day to Him. Submit your conversations to Him. Renew your mind in Jesus Christ as you read the Bible and listen to godly preaching and good counsel from people whose walk with God you admire! You will find your energies are engaged in what is holy, admirable and good and your life overflows with thankfulness for all that is yours in Christ Jesus.

Kept by God

Jehovah God,

Thou Creator, Upholder, Proprietor of all things,

I cannot escape from thy presence or control,

nor do I desire to do so.

My privilege is to be under the agency of

omnipotence, righteousness, wisdom,

patience, mercy, grace.

Thou art love with more than parental affection;

I admire thy heart, adore thy wisdom,

stand in awe of thy power, abase myself

before thy purity.

It is the discovery of thy goodness alone that can

banish my fear,

allure me into thy presence,

help me to bewail and confess my sins. Amen.

From The Valley of Vision: Puritan Prayers and Devotions

https://youtu.be/4j_Hz-khSyE

May 18, 2021 -- I Timothy 6:20-21 -- Guardians of Something Greater than the Galaxy

O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you. Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called “knowledge,” for by professing it some have swerved from the faith. Grace be with you.

I Timothy 6:20-21 English Standard Version

Paul, the mentor and father-in-the-faith to Timothy, ends this letter with a final imperative, that is a final command. What has been entrusted to Timothy is the sound doctrine of the Gospel (I Timothy 1:10-11). Timothy is to guard this Gospel—the Good News of Jesus Christ and His salvation—against all the heresies swirling around. As the serpent in the Garden of Eden said to Eve “Did God really say” so the enemy uses the same tactic over and over again “Did God really say"? It is an attempt to shake Christians from their sure foundation in the Word of God and the truth of His promises.

You guard this deposit by knowing what the LORD our God says to His people in the Word. Read the Bible. Savor it. Memorize it. Guard the time you spend in the Word of God as precious. Knowing the Truth makes counterfeits immediately recognizable for the false teachings they are.

You guard this deposit by listening to knowledgeable, godly Bible instructors. Make sure the Bible instructor you have chosen knows the Word of God, handles it rightly, and loves the Triune God—Father, Son and Holy Spirit. May false teachers have arisen.

You guard this deposit by praying to God. Ask the Spirit of God to show you the error of your ways. The Spirit of God has been poured out on believers so that we can speak with God and be instructed in the ways of holiness. Learn to speak with God and grow in your sensitivity to discerning what He says to you.

You guard this deposit by confessing the ways in which you have wandered from the truth of the Word and become entangled in irreverent babble. The LORD our Father knows our frailty of our hearts and our propensity to sin. Whenever you confess your sin and turn back to the LORD you bless Him, declaring Jesus the inestimable worth of the Savior.

Today’s prayer is based on Psalm 119:162-166

I rejoice at your word like one who finds great treasures.

I hate and abhor falsehood, but I love your law.

Seven times a day I praise you for your righteous rules.

Great peace have those who love your law; nothing can make them stumble.

I hope for your salvation, O LORD, and I do your testimonies. Amen.

https://youtu.be/IzXnINe12_E

May 17, 2021 -- James 4:13-17 -- Mist that Boasts

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— 14 yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” 16 As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. 17 So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.

James 4:13-17 English Standard Version

In the 1987 the stock market crashed and it was estimated about 500 billion in assets were wiped out. In the crash of 2000 it was estimated 8 trillion was wiped out. Sure, the markets slowly gained these losses back, but for some retirement income was lost with no time to regain it back. Many were ruined.

How long does mist last? It is about as stable as our investments! In the blink of an eye it can all disappear. What is the hope of the Christian, what is our glory and purpose? According to James our lives, though mist and quickly vanishing, are for the glory of God. He wills our living. Our successes and failures take place while we are in the grip of His grace. Given the brevity of our lives we are to do what the LORD commands, for the greatest treasure we have is this—belonging to Jesus Christ.

Blessed God, even as my life is being poured out, may its every part be filled with praise to You. King Jesus direct my faith and service to You so that, filled with Your Spirit, I will accomplish the purposes for which I have been created. Amen.

https://youtu.be/a91_3VYRiZo

May 15, 2021 -- II Timothy 2:15 -- Presenting yourself approved to God

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.

II Timothy 2:15 English Standard Version

When your supervisor at work is on the job site, you might be inclined to work a bit harder, to show off your best skills and the good work you are doing. If you love your boss and you love your work, you are dedicated to giving that boss your very best. This is the analogy Paul is giving to Timothy and through Timothy to the Ephesians among whom Timothy ministered.

Tomorrow is Sunday. If you are able to go to church—thanks be to God. Get dressed up. Pray so that your heart and your head are prepared to meet with God Who is not just your supervisor, but He is Your Father through Christ. Ask the Spirit of God to show you what needs to be cleansed and confessed. If you are not able to go to a church building and join with God’s people, I urge you to get dressed up anyways. Don’t slouch around in your PJ’s and half-heartedly listen to the Livestream service as you scroll through your text messages and emails. Put your phone away. Engage your heart and mind. Rightly handle the Word of Truth and prepare to be blessed by the King of Glory Who deigns to call you His beloved child.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of Sunday and the blessing of being able to stop work and focus on blessing You. Thank You for Jesus Christ, through Whom we have access to the throne-room of blessing. Blessed Spirit, thank You for Your presence in our hearts and lives so that the joyful awareness of all that is ours in Christ continually dawns on us and revives our soul. Amen.

https://youtu.be/sWUWO4-ddTw

May 14, 2021 -- Psalm 27:1,3 -- Fearless in Christ

The LORD is my light and my salvation;

whom shall I fear?

The LORD is the stronghold of my life;

of whom shall I be afraid?

Though an army encamp against me,

my heart shall not fear;

though war arise against me,

yet I will be confident.

Psalm 27:1,3 English Standard Version

Really, an army can rage against me and set up all it’s rockets and tanks and I will not be afraid? People of God, this is where it is critical for us to know our Bible.

II Chronicles 32:20-22 The mighty king of Assyria had conquered all the way to Jerusalem and was about to crush King Hezekiah, when the king prayed and Isaiah prayed and the LORD sent an angel to cut his enemies down.

II Chronicles 13:13ff The LORD rescued King Abijah from an army that had surrounded him.

With three hundred men (against an army that was like locusts in number Judges 6:5) the LORD raised up Gideon to lead them and the LORD caused there to be fear and confusion in the camp of the enemy until they fought against themselves and destroyed themselves Judges 7:19ff).

There are many more examples of this. Why is this important? Jesus, the Captain of Salvation, led His people to victory over demons, over nature, over diseases—yes, even sickness is not free from Jesus’ command and control—and over false teaching and over all enemies. When the guards came to arrest Jesus they fell at His feet when He said, “I AM He” (John 18:6).

Dearly loved people of God, with the Psalmist, raise up a song of praise to the LORD our Light, Who reveals we need not live in fear. Sing a song of victory to the God of our salvation. He has promised us and proved to us He is the Ruler. No matter who is in the Prime Minister’s office, or the President or Monarch’s palace, God is the Ruler yet. When the people of the LORD were thrown in prison, they converted cell mates. When the people of God were set before judges and rulers, they declared the power of God. When the people of God faced illness, their confidence was not in doctors or vaccines, their sure confidence remained in God the Father Who has the power of life and death, the power to throw sinners into the eternal punishment of hell or bring His people under the Banner of Jesus into the splendor of the new heaven and new earth.

Therefore, beloved people of God, do not be afraid. In the sure confidence of God and His glorious salvation, live without fear, fixing your eyes on His glory. Know that the troubles of this day are merely the labour pains by which God the All-Powerful is signaling the new heavens and the new earth are about to be. Wherever the LORD has set you, testify to His goodness.

O God of my salvation, with the psalm-writer I declare

I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the LORD,

in the land of the living!

Therefore, Spirit of God, prompt me and hold me in this sure faith

so that I will be strong in the LORD

taking courage in the victory of Jesus Christ, the Captain of Salvation,

the Author and Perfecter of all true believing. Amen.

https://youtu.be/NjOGX5zT8KU

May 12, 2021 -- Luke 4:18 -- Let Christ's healing overflow

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised…

Luke 4:18 KJV

You’ll notice I am quoting from a different translation than I usually use. Yesterday, as I visited the Harvest House Men’s Christian 12-step recovery group, called “Overcomers”, this is the text that was quoted and from this translation. The material is from Charles and Sharon Burton’s Overcomers Recovery Support. The explanation of this passage is beautiful and helpful. So I am freely borrowing their insights.

Jesus is anointed—that is, empowered by God the Father to bring relief to those in need. He has the Spirit of the LORD propelling Him, comforting Him and teaching Him. This same Spirit is given to all who believe and trust in Jesus alone for their salvation and follow Him in obedience. Jesus’ Spirit powered Gospel reaches to those who are in need. Jesus is anointed to reach all those whom the Father has given Him. That means we are chosen by God for His rich blessings! Look at the variety of work Jesus is anointed to perform for all who believe.

Preaching to the poor—those who are emotionally spent. Those who are financially poor. Those who are spiritually emptied. Jesus is preaching His power and revival to You!

Sent to heal the brokenhearted. How many relationships in your life have been destroyed because of your willful sinfulness? No doubt many. How many of us are estranged to our own lives. The very sins we hate we keep on doing. Who will rescue us from this body of death? Thanks be to God through our Lord Jesus Christ, He has given us the victory! Join the vast multitudes of those who grieve broken-heartedly, often trying to put on a brave face. Jesus is anointed to heal you, you are entrusted to Him for this Spirit-powered healing because the Father has given the wreckage of your life to Jesus for this very purpose. This is then credited to the greater glory of our Father. Who else but the God of Splendour and Power, of Love and Wisdom, could possibly have brought about this change?

Preach deliverance to the captives. What sin has you in its grip, strangling you? Is it alcohol? Drugs? Anger? Sex? Gluttony? Pornography? Pride? Selfishness? Fears? Depression? Jesus has come to deliver us from the strongholds of sin and set us before the Father as loved sons and daughters. He gives us a place where the boundary lines of faithfulness are precious and good. This the the work for which Jesus is anointed and the reason the Father and the Son have given the Spirit to us.

Sight to the blind. When we are caught up in our addictions, slaves to sin, our feelings override God’s wisdom. Sharon Burton noted: “every time we disobey God we are in fact saying ‘God, I am smarter than You’!'“ That is profound blindness.

Freedom or liberty to those who are bruised. The explanation here is beautiful. So many of us have experienced bruised family relationships. Families would rather have their Christmas celebration without us present because our sins make everyone else tired, awkward, ready to rise to the bait of a particular old familiar quarrel. Even touching on it brings the wince of pressing bruised emotions and wounded flesh. Jesus brings His liberty and healing. He forgives us and in turn we are enabled to forgive one another.

Thanks be to God for the Anointed One, Jesus, by Whose Spirit all the blessings and benefits of Jesus are given us. This all because the Father has chosen us in His love before the foundation of the world!

Today’s prayer comes from the Overcomers Recovery Support resource book:

Dear God, it seems that I have so many problems to overcome. I ask You to give me courage and wisdom to examine myself and acknowledge the true reasons for my life-controlling problems. Thank You for beginning the healing process in my life. Amen.

https://youtu.be/-jkMnq2Hfzo

May 11, 2021 -- Psalm 51:17 -- Lifting up a broken heart to God

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;

a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

Psalm 51:17 English Standard Version

This is a bit foreign to us as New Testament believers. It seems strange to speak of sacrifices. Psalm 4 notes that believers are to offer righteous sacrifices, not giving in to sin or anger. Ephesians 4 picks this up. When we are angry we are not to sin. This still leads us back to the opening issue we started with, do New Testament Christians offer sacrifices?

No. Jesus is the full and final sacrifice for all our sins. Based on His sacrifice, when we recognize our own sinfulness, our willfulness, our selfishness and anything that is brewing in us that is in rebellion against God we confess it. Our hearts are broken before God. We thank Him that our sins have not driven us to hell, but Jesus had taken our place. We confess, God You are holy and You are right in punishing sin. And in awe and wonder we thank the Father that in Christ our sins are forgiven. When we are unable to move or help ourselves, we turn to the Spirit of God, asking the Spirit to animate our soul and renew our hearts so that we are willing and ready from now on to serve Him.

Do Christians offer a sacrifice? Yes. Consider this. You may protest: I don’t feel like it. None of us “feels like it”. We are sinners. We are already aware our sin nature would drown us. So we deny ourselves. We refuse to knuckle under against sin’s siren songs. When we experience the struggle between tempting tugs our old sinful nature and the holy desires of the new creation we are in Christ, then we call on the Spirit, to arm us and equip us for the holy battle ahead. Ephesians 4:30 reminds us we are sealed with the Spirit—Jesus will not “fall out of us” like a snail mail letter might fall out of an unsealed envelope, or fall out of love with us as if He were wavering in His emotions. He is steadfast and faithful in His great salvation. When we have fallen, again (and again and again and again) into old sins—we thank God for halting our slide into sin and giving us a heart that longs for something more. Someone Who is God enough and big enough and terrible in splendour Whom we can serve.

So, we offer our hearts to the Living God. Broken as we are. Sinful as we are. Troubled as we are. In awe and wonder we bless God our Savior for the victory He has given us in Jesus. Each day we start again.

Lord my God, here I am again. A ruined sinner, wavering and uncertain of my welcome. There You are, steadfast and steady, ready to receive those who hold up broken hearts and confused contrition—can You truly love me? Yes. Oh the glory and wonder of it! Yes, You have declared Your love for us through Jesus Christ, Who was punished in our place. He died, was raised from the dead through Your glory O God, and Jesus ascended into heaven, taking the seat of power and splendour at Your right hand. Spirit of God, conquer this heart again and again so that I will be wholeheartedly willing and ready, from now on, to serve Jesus my King!

The song choice today is long. One of my high school favorites from the early days of CCM — Christian Contemporary Music.

https://youtu.be/N3TYkAWRdU4

May 10, 2021 -- Hebrews 1:3 -- Jesus upholds the universe, what glory!

He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.

Hebrews 1:3 English Standard Version

What does it mean that Jesus upholds the universe by the word of His power? Why is this so important? Yesterday, listening to my pastor, he quoted from Paul Tripp. Tripp describes the universe as a ‘gloryscope’. The quotation from Paul Tripp is a beautiful explanation of the universe and Jesus’ power by which He upholds it.

“…God has designed the world in which we live to be a gloryscope. What does this term mean? Just as a telescope points you to the stars and magnifies them for you to see their illuminating glory, so the earth focuses our eyes on God and magnifies his glory, so it can produce wonder in us.

“Every beautiful and amazing sight, sound, color, texture, taste, and touch of the created world has gloryscopic intention built into it. Every powerful and mighty thing, animate and inanimate, is gloryscopic by design. No created beauty is an end in itself. No physical wonder exists in isolation. Nothing that is, just is. Everything exists for a grand, vertical purpose. The glories of the physical world don’t reflect God’s glory by happenchance.

:No, God specifically and carefully designed the physical world to reflect him, that is, to be the gloryscope that our poorly seeing eyes so desperately need. As the technician grinds the lens of the telescope for the best clarity and magnification possible, so God fashioned his world in such a way that it would bring his glory into view. God created every fish, stone, flower, bird, cloud, tree, monkey, and leaf to be gloryscopic because our loving Creator knows how fundamentally blind we can be.

Taken from Awe: Why it Matters to Everything We Think, Say, and Do by Paul David Tripp, © 2015, pp.65-66. 

Spirit of the Living God, deepen my faith so that I see the glory of Jesus Christ in every part of universe. Spirit of God, move me to bless God my Father for the rich gift of Jesus Christ given to believers, Jesus the radiance of the Father’s glory. Amen.

https://youtu.be/NYe6EOIH1kY