May 25, 2023 -- Psalm 27:7-9a -- The Psalm Series: preach to your heart, mind, will and affections

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

Hear, O LORD, when I cry aloud;
   be gracious to me and answer me!
You have said, “Seek my face.”
My heart says to You,
   “Your face, LORD, do I seek.”
   Hide not Your face from me.
Psalm 27:7-9a ESV

How many impulses do you have each day? Impulsively picking up a chocolate bar at the last second and putting it on the check-out conveyor. You didn’t mean to do it, but you didn’t check the impulse either. Or, say something mean? Your mouth opened and what you said just “popped out”. So much of what happens in your life and in mine is a result of a lack of self-discipline. Impulses that were not stopped or checked before they resulted in regrettable actions.

The LORD has said to the Psalmist (and by way of this psalm to us all) “seek My face”. It is a command. There are enemies all around. There are insecurities and fears that threaten to overwhelm him. In an earlier verse he has chosen to sing and make melody to the LORD (verse 6) so that his soul is reminded of the glories of the LORD which are greater than all his troubles. There are so many distractions. So many legit troubles. So many pressures. How does the psalm-writer respond? He decides to preach to his own soul and act. Cutting through everything else his heart says to the LORD, to You, “Your face do I seek”. What keeps him from impulses? What keeps him from sins that would seem to just spring up on him out of nowhere? It is the fact he is cultivating the awareness of the LORD’s presence.

The LORD our God has given us access to Himself through Jesus Christ. He is the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world. When our soul tells our minds and will and desires to seek Jesus above all else, then we have a mighty army lined up against our impulses. We will be prepared to seek the face of Jesus Christ before everything goes awry. We will seek Him based on our past experiences of His graciousness. We will seek Him when we have failed again. All the while we have this deep and beautiful assurance: He prays to the Father on our behalf.

Our Father in heaven may Your Name be hallowed and forever blessed through-out the earth! You have given us, as New Testament believers, greater revelation than King David had. You have shown Your vigilance and faithfulness in seeking Your people by sending Jesus, the Deliverer. Now, Spirit of the Living God, teach our souls to cling to Jesus so that with the psalmist we continually choose to instruct our heart to cry out to our minds, to our will and to our desires “Your face, LORD Jesus Christ, do I seek”. Amen.

https://youtu.be/BLDEt9KP2O0 "Abide" Aaron Williams

Copyright © 2023 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

May 24, 2023 -- Psalm 27:4 -- The Psalm Series: The Big Ask

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

One thing have I asked of the LORD,
    that will I seek after:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
    all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord
    and to inquire in his temple.
Psalm 27:4 ESV

This is a big ask. Think about it. The Psalm writer is appealing to the LORD, Whom he has called “my Light” and “my Salvation”. To this Glorious One he is asking for heaven. Let heaven start on earth and then continue through all eternity, because heaven is to be near the Living God and heaven is delighting in Him.

He wants to live in the house of the LORD. He wants to be at the place, wherever that is, where the LORD of splendor lives. This request will prepare him for eternity. All the days of his life will be many, countless days, because those who belong to the LORD will not be left to decay, rot, in the grave (Psalm 16:10).

What does he want? He wants to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD. What a change this is for King David. He has been known to gaze lustfully at a woman (think of Bathsheba and that whole debacle). Now, instead of gazing lustfully at a woman, or longingly at power, or desirously at greater territory for his Kingdom, or greedily at ever greater wealth and acquisitions, he wants to turn his heart, his mind, his desires, his will, and all his attention to the LORD.

Beloved in our Lord Jesus Christ, King Jesus is seated in glory on the throne of heaven. His Spirit lives in us so that believers are now the dwelling place of God. We, as we join together, delight in God the Stronghold of our lives. King Jesus has disarmed the Devil at the cross and given us new life. Our hope and our joy and our longings are anchored to Him. In view of His excellencies how can we keep from thinking about Him, praising Him and in this way delighting in our Father Who sent Him and this through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Our Father in heaven hallowed and forever blessed be Your Name! One thing have we asked of You, LORD, that we will seek after: that we may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days we live, to gaze on Your beauty, LORD, and to inquire of You. For You, LORD, are the Light and Salvation of Your people. Amen.

https://youtu.be/ndZsEDuCVAQ Psalm 27 Shane and Shane

Copyright © 2023 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

May 23, 2023 -- Psalm 24:7-10 -- The Psalm Series: Jesus' Ascension as the King of Glory

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

Lift up your heads, O gates!
   And be lifted up, O ancient doors,
   that the King of Glory may come in.
Who is this King of Glory?
   The LORD, strong and mighty
   the LORD, mighty in battle! 
Lift your heads, O gates!
   And lift them up, O ancient doors,
   that the King of Glory may come in.
Who is this King of Glory?
   The LORD of Hosts,
   He is the King of Glory! Selah
Psalm 24:7-10 ESV

Many people will know that this coming Sunday is Pentecost Sunday. It is the day when believers celebrate the pouring out of the Holy Spirit on the early church. What you might not be aware of is Ascension Day. This is celebrated 10 days before Pentecost and is always on a Thursday. Luke 24 and Acts 1 both record Jesus’ bodily ascension into heaven. His disciples were watching and Jesus was lifted from the earth and went into heaven.

The psalm reading for today anticipates that glorious moment and it gives us vital information. Jesus is the King of Glory. He has disarmed all the hosts of hell, all the accusations of the Devil, and done so at the cross. Because all our sins were punished on the person of Jesus and the wrath of God against our sins poured out on Jesus, whenever the Devil tries to accuse us of our sins we can confidently declare: that has been forgiven.

Now this LORD, mighty in battle, the victor, takes up His place in heaven. He ascends in victory. The people of God rejoice at this because it means Jesus, Who has flesh and blood just like we do, is seated in power at the Father’s right hand.

• It also means Adam’s curse at the Garden of Eden has been overcome.

• We can be assured because Jesus is in heaven, believers have a place in heaven.

• This Jesus speaks on our behalf to our Father in heaven—He is interceding for us, praying for us (Romans 8:34).

The passage today could be framed as the scoffers and disbelievers asking who is this King of Glory? The hosts of heaven and all believers ring out the powerful, beautiful truth--Jesus is the King of Glory. The Conqueror. Our Savior. Is there anything too difficult for Him? Any sin He cannot disarm and throw down? No?! He is the King of Glory.
 

Our Father in heaven hallowed and forever blessed be Your Name. Thank You for the glory You have given to Jesus Christ at His ascension. Thank You that Jesus’ ascension fulfills Your promise at Genesis 3:15 that Your Son would defeat the enemy and even death itself. Thank You for the gift of Your Spirit, Mighty God, by Whom we study such things and learn and grow in our precious faith. Father in heaven, by Your word—both written and the Living Word—increase our faith. Spirit of God enthrone Jesus Christ as the LORD of Hosts, and King of our hearts. Amen.

https://youtu.be/FsOZ3UsUbNA “Psalm 24” Keith and Kristyn Getty

Copyright © 2023 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

May 19, 2023 -- Psalm 26:1-3 -- Psalm series: vindicated to walk in integrity

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

OF DAVID.
Vindicate me, O LORD,
   for I have walked in my integrity,
   and I have trusted in the LORD without wavering.
Prove me, O LORD, and try me;
   test my heart and my mind.
For Your steadfast love is before my eyes,
   and I walk in Your faithfulness.
Psalm 26:1-3 ESV

It is tough when a newspaper or a news website makes a big, splashy story about some wrong-doing, and only afterwards finds their reporting was inaccurate. Rather than posting their retraction with another big, splashy story, it is usually a small, hard to find by-line or footnote. So that person's reputation remains damaged. 

King David is pleading to the LORD that his name will be cleared of suspicion and that he be set free from his wrong-doing. He has done wrong. We are aware of many of his failings as a King, as a husband, and as a father. Notice the basis on which he makes this plea— “I walk in Your faithfulness”. And at verse 6 he goes around God's altar. The LORD our God saves sinners. No one is blameless. No one can stand before Jesus and say, “I really don’t need You to make me right with God the Holy One.” So how can David ever be vindicated and declared to be a man of integrity?

The LORD has provided Jesus, the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world. The LORD has opened up the way to Himself. That way is open to the one who is humble of heart and trembles at God’s word (Isaiah 66:2). When our sins have been exposed we can either try to justify ourselves, explain them away, or we can humble ourselves, confess our sins, turn away from them, and find rest in God our Savior. This is why David is vindicated. He has made humble confession and then, as one forgiven, walks not with the people who mask their sins, continue to sin, or justify away their sins, David associates with those who trust in the LORD.

Dearly loved people of God, turn to Jesus. The Father has given you His steadfast love. He has made the way open to Himself through the reconciling blood of Jesus. As those who are humble and tremble at His word, receive the blessing of God and by the power of the Spirit walk as those who bless the LORD and keep company with those who bless the LORD.

Our Father in heaven hallowed be Your Name. Thank You for Your steadfast love given to us in Jesus Christ. Thank You that as often as our sins are exposed and our weaknesses revealed, You clear our name and reveal Your great glory by forgiving us on the basis of Jesus' accomplished work. Mighty Father, send Your Spirit to surround us and keep us walking in the path of integrity for that is where we find deep and lasting joy with You. Amen.

https://youtu.be/zC2ijvujYN8 Psalm 26 Song Jason Silver

Copyright © 2023 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

May 18, 2023 -- Ephesians 6:10-12 -- Understanding both the enemy and your Advocate

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
Ephesians 6:10-12 ESV

On Wednesday evenings I am leading a group of Christians through a teaching called “Passion and Power in Prayer”. The study includes reasons why believers should be praying. This brief passage today gives helpful insight to the why question, showing Christians their urgent need for prayer. In the verses 11 and 12 you get a clear sense of the enemy who engages you. He hates Jesus. He hates all who follow Jesus.

The Devil is a supernatural force. You are not. Only by prayer can you couple the strength of God’s might in heaven to your human, natural powers. The LORD our God has promised to work through the prayers of His people.

The Devil is a schemer. He is an opposing general, looking for weaknesses, laziness, or gaps in the ranks of those who are soldiers in the army of Christ. He is exploit them. Beware! Pray.

Remember, as you pray, you have an Advocate, the Captain of Salvation, Jesus Christ, Who prays for you. Listen to these beautiful words “He is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through Him, since He [Jesus] always lives to make intercession for them” Hebrews 7:25 ESV. That should spark to life a new zeal for prayer, knowing that as we draw near to God Jesus is praying, will continue to and not barely save us, not just get us through the gates, but to save to the uttermost. That is more than the most. What a Savior! What a glorious reason to draw near to God in prayer.

Our Father in heaven hallowed be Your Name. Thank You for the strong and glorious protection You have given us in Jesus Christ. Thank You for the Spirit's presence within us. Spirit of God, make the word shine into our minds, let it electrify our hearts so that we are renewed in our zeal to pray, having been made aware that Jesus, the Captain of Salvation, brings all our needs, burdens, weaknesses, and failures to the Father. Father in heaven, thank You, that You have chosen us in love and have determined to work through Jesus to save us to the uttermost. Amen.

https://youtu.be/tGhQARQwKYE "Praise His Name (Psalm 148) SovereignGraceMusic

Copyright © 2023 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

May 16, 2023 -- Psalm 25:20 -- The Psalm Series: The cry in need and rescue indeed

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

Oh, guard my soul, and deliver me!
Psalm 25:20 ESV

Psalm 121 has the same verb ‘guard’ used over and over again. A short eight verse psalm  repeating that the LORD is the One who keeps His people. Here David is praying, guard my soul—keep it for Your holy purposes. Guard my soul, especially given all the chaos that surrounds me: enemies, distress, troubles, sinfulness, and loneliness.

That second verb ‘deliver’ means to snatch away from. I think of Exodus 3:8 where the LORD promised He would deliver His people out of Egypt. At Exodus 19, after His great salvific work, the LORD reminded them He had borne them one eagles’ wings and taken them to Himself. This people were snatched from death and brought to life.

Such is the work of Jesus Christ. At the direction of our Father in heaven, He has rescued us from the wrath of God. Jesus has, by His blood, brought salvation full and free. The Holy Spirit now guards us in this great salvation. We need a guardian of our souls. The Spirit uses the Word to remind us of our salvation. The Spirit speaks to our souls and tells us we are God’s. The Spirit is the deposit guaranteeing our great salvation until we see Jesus face to face. How much we need this guarding work and deliverance. We, like David, face loneliness, troubles, distress, our own sinfulness, and the violent hatred of those with whom we used to sin but not longer join in their wickedness.

Our Father in heaven hallowed be Your Name! Who is there in the heavens, or on earth, or under the earth that is like you at all? There is none like You! You alone are the guardian of our souls and in Christ You are the Deliverer of Your people. Thank You for guarding us and keeping us in Your tender care. Triune God, when the waves of sadness and the breakers of sinfulness and the floods of anxiety would power through our lives we pray, as did David, to You Jesus, for rescue and help. For You alone, God of Victory, can redeem us out of all our troubles. Amen.

https://youtu.be/D3xlq2L0hcs Guy Penrod "Victory in Jesus"

Copyright © 2023 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

May 15, 2023 -- Psalm 25:1-7 -- The Psalm Series: Facing our own broken, faithless condition

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

Of David.
25 To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul.
2 O my God, in you I trust;
    let me not be put to shame;
    let not my enemies exult over me.
3 Indeed, none who wait for you shall be put to shame;
    they shall be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.
4 Make me to know your ways, O LORD;
    teach me your paths.
5 Lead me in your truth and teach me,
    for you are the God of my salvation;
    for you I wait all the day long.
6 Remember your mercy, O LORD, and your steadfast love,
    for they have been from of old.
7 Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions;
    according to your steadfast love remember me,
    for the sake of your goodness, O LORD!
Psalm 25:1-7 ESV

Psalm 24 was a soaring hymn of blessing and praise to Jesus, the King of Glory, Who has become our righteousness and salvation. Now David is back to a penitential psalm. That is, he is he has once again recognized his need for this King of Glory to clothe him in righteousness because David is aware of his troubles, his dire circumstances, and his sinfulness. So he is confessing his need for the LORD's mercy and calling out for it based on his knowledge of the Father's steadfast love.

As a child in church I always used to wonder “why do the ministers spend so much time talking about sin?” As an adult I understand. Sins must be exposed. First, because we sin so much. There are intentional sins to be confessed. Second, there are habitual sins. They seem to pop up again and again. Third, there are the things we know are good and we neglect to do. Fourth, there are sins connected with the community of faith to which we belong and we are not protesting these or are participating in them. (Believe me, this is just a partial list!)

The LORD our God is perfect. Holy. Just. The more a believer draws close to Him by the Spirit’s work in his heart, the more a believer realizes, I am not like Jesus! So the believer, aware of his sin, confesses his need for Jesus. Throws himself on the “steadfast love” of the LORD. That expression “steadfast love” is used twice in our short reading. It is the covenant lovingkindness of God that will not let us go. He knows our neediness. He knows we are sinful. He knows the only way we could ever approach Him is if He had first moved on our behalf and given us salvation in Jesus Christ.

Dear fellow believer, confess your sins, with the full assurance God is inviting you to find freedom from them. Be assured of the steadfast love of God, the Father, Who has reconciled you to Himself through Jesus’ blood and righteousness. Trust in the forgiving love of God the Father which is given through Jesus so that in reliance on the Holy Spirit you walk in newness of life. As your new life takes hold, you see new layers of neediness, sinfulness, and areas to be confessed, such areas, once recognized and confessed allow for ever deeper fellowship with God our Father. Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Our Father in heaven hallowed be Your Name. Hear our prayers of confession. It is only as we read the Bible and are held in place by Your Spirit's power, that we begin to glimpse the stagnant pools of faithlessness which cover vast areas of our inner life, our hearts and actions. The more Your Spirit shows us such things, the more we either confess them and draw closer to Jesus--which is what You'd always intended for us--or we get hard-hearted and cold. Revive us, O God of glory, revive us again so that we will run to You, receiving Your steadfast love and healing mercy. Drain these stagnant pools and slimy ponds so that we will be filled with the Living Water of Jesus Christ and His righteousness. Instruct us in Your way, lead us, newly humbled as we are, in Your way. Amen.

https://youtu.be/VN4N7hOMvTk Gaither Vocal Band “Revive us Again”

Copyright © 2023 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

May 13, 2023 -- Psalm 24 -- No wonder we call Him the King of Glory!

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

A Psalm of David.

24 The earth is the LORD's and the fullness thereof,
    the world and those who dwell therein,
2 for he has founded it upon the seas
    and established it upon the rivers.

3 Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD?
    And who shall stand in his holy place?
4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
    who does not lift up his soul to what is false
    and does not swear deceitfully.
5 He will receive blessing from the LORD
    and righteousness from the God of his salvation.
6 Such is the generation of those who seek him,
    who seek the face of the God of Jacob. Selah

7 Lift up your heads, O gates!
    And be lifted up, O ancient doors,
    that the King of glory may come in.
8 Who is this King of glory?
    The LORD, strong and mighty,
    the LORD, mighty in battle!
9 Lift up your heads, O gates!
    And lift them up, O ancient doors,
    that the King of glory may come in.
10 Who is this King of glory?
    The LORD of hosts,
    he is the King of glory! Selah

Psalm 24 ESV

“Am I good enough?” That was the question posed to me by a man who really wanted to know. More than that, he really wanted to be good enough before God. He’d become interested in Christianity, started to attend my Bible Studies which I lead in prison, but now he was hesitant to keep attending. So he asked if we could talk, one on one. My answer “No, you are not good enough. And I am not good enough. We are sinners.”

The corners of his mouth drooped in a frown. His eyebrows furrowed as he squeezed them in concentration. Psalm 24 answers this question for us. No one has clean hands and a pure heart. No one should expect the blessing of the righteous to be poured out on him…except Jesus Christ. He is the King of Glory! He is the One, strong and mighty, Who faced the Devil, head on, and did not waiver in His love for the Father and dedicated obedience to all His commands. This is why Psalm 24, a psalm of praise at Jesus’ ascension into heaven. He is powerful and magnificent. The Jesus, the King of Glory has conquered in battle. Even when nailed to the cross, Jesus prayed that the very people crucifying Him should be forgiven.

Do you know the full-extent of your wickedness? Do you understand how soiled are your hands in doing evil? Do you realize how many lies you have told yourself? How many lies have you told others? Even if, from this second onwards you could be utterly perfect in every way, what could wash away the heaps, hills, and mountains of sins you have committed before this very moment? So your from-now-on righteousness would not be enough. It is folly right from the start.

Only the King of Glory! Jesus He has been strong and mighty, from the second of conception to His last breath, giving to God all the dedicated obedience to His Father. This Psalm makes our hearts sing because His righteousness, His perfect obedience is credited to us. No wonder then that we celebrate Jesus’ victory! When we read in the Psalm that He entered heaven our hearts soar within us because by His victory, we have been credited with His righteousness. O Spirit of God, help me to sing, praise, honour and bless Jesus, the King of Glory!

O LORD,
I hang on thee; 
I see, believe, live, when thy will, not mine, is done;
I can plead nothing in myself in regard of any worthiness
and grace, in regard of thy providence and promises,
but only thy good pleasure.
If thy mercy make me poor and vile, blessed be thou!
Prayers arising from my needs are preparations for future mercies;
Help me to honour thee by believing before I feel,
for great is the sin if I make feeling a cause of faith.
Show me what sins hide thee from me and eclipse thy love;
Help me to humble myself for past evils,
to be resolved to walk with more care,
For if I do not walk holily before thee,
how can I be assured of my salvation?
It is the meek and humble who are shown thy covenant,
know thy will, are pardoned and healed,
who by faith depend and rest upon grace,
who are sanctified and quickened, who evidence thy love.
Help me to pray in faith and so find thy will,
by leaning hard on thy rich free mercy,
by believing thou wilt give what thou hast promised;
Strengthen me to pray with the conviction that whatever I receive is thy gift,
so that I may pray until prayer be granted;
Teach me to believe that all degrees of mercy
arise from several degrees of prayer,
that when faith is begun it is imperfect and must grow,
as chapped ground opens wider and wider until rain comes.
So shall I wait thy will, pray for it to be done,
and by thy grace become fully obedient.
"The Divine Will" Valley of Vision: Puritan Prayers and Devotions

https://youtu.be/8tzIxPjz7TE The King of Glory Comes

Copyright © 2023 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

May 11, 2023 -- II Kings 5:1-5 -- Not nameless to our Father in heaven

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master and in high favor, because by him the LORD had given victory to Syria. He was a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper. 2 Now the Syrians on one of their raids had carried off a little girl from the land of Israel, and she worked in the service of Naaman's wife. 3 She said to her mistress, “Would that my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.” 4 So Naaman went in and told his lord, “Thus and so spoke the girl from the land of Israel.” 5 And the king of Syria said, “Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel.”
II Kings 5:1-5a ESV

The little girl is nameless in the story. Yet her faithfulness to the Living God, despite great suffering, is amazing. Naaman is a foreigner. Not of the people of God, but it is the LORD Who gives him victory over the King of Israel. Why?

The raids against Israel were exactly what the LORD, the Promise-Making and Promise-Keeping God had pledged would happen when His people rebelled against Him. The purpose of such hardships would be to draw His people back to Himself.

The faithlessness of Israel is being used by the LORD to bring a man, Naaman, to Himself.

The man Naaman presents himself to the King of Israel. That is amazing already. Naaman would be well-known as their oppressor. Yet the prophet, Elisha, will heal at the command of the LORD heal this man and show Israel the LORD is still present among His people. It is a call to repentance.

All these things happen because a young girl, nameless to us, known and loved by the Father, is faithful in a situation that is too hard to imagine. She has been stolen. Were her parents killed in the raid? She is pressed into servitude. Yet she wishes her master well and speaks how the prophet could cure him. We know Elisha to be the prophet of the Living God, in contrast to the gods of Syria which were not gods at all and their prophets all false. She points to healing which ultimately would lead the healing of his soul. Perhaps her mistress and this family would be saved through her bold witness.

Dear family in Christ, have you used every hard circumstance in your life to testify to the LORD? Perhaps the very hardships you are going through are given so that unbelievers will see your patient endurance and through this come to know the LORD. The nameless girl of the story pointed to the prophet. Then it was Elisha, now our prophet is Jesus Christ. He makes known to us, in all our hardships, the pathway to peace. The Prophet Jesus declares the Father. The Prophet Jesus, by His sacrifice has been punished in our place so that the way is open to full and true healing in the presence of the Loving Father.

You may think of yourself as nameless, unimportant, forgotten. Be assured of this today the LORD our God is using every circumstance of your life to build you up in our precious faith. He knows you by name. He is bringing you the fullness of His glorious salvation to you. He is using every circumstance of your life for His holy purposes.

Our Father in heaven hallowed be Your Name.
Thank You for Your great, vast, and extravagant love poured out to us in Jesus Christ. Thank You for the grace with which the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus graces believers. Thank You, Faithful Father, Beautiful Savior Jesus, for the gift of the Holy Spirit, in Whom we have everything we need in every circumstance so that we can live for Jesus.
Forgive us for the times we have wallowed in our circumstances rather than relied on the grace of Jesus and the strength of the Spirit. Let our lives shine out for Jesus, no matter where You take us, so that Your great Name will be made known far and wide. In all of this, and all the tangles and chaos of this world, we join our prayers with those of believers through the ages, asking of You: come quickly Lord Jesus. Amen.

https://youtu.be/U8zWzw_Cc2o “Take Shelter” Keith & Kristyn Getty

Copyright © 2023 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

May 9, 2023 -- Matthew 16:24 -- Distinguishing the Wannabe from the True

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”
Matthew 16:24 ESV

There is an important emphasis going on here. Jesus is making a distinction between those who are interested in Him, wannabes, and those who are true followers--Christians.

Have you ever met someone who made exaggerated claims about himself? For example, someone who claimed to be a mathematician, because he really liked his math courses in high school. One had better hope he is not making the necessary calculations for the next space rocket. Is he a mathematician or a wannabe?

What about a woman who claims to be an athlete because she loved running in grades 7 and 8 and was on the track team. That was twenty years ago. You ask her, “Cool. What are you doing now which earns you the epithet athlete?” Her reply, “Oh no, I haven’t run a day in my life since then. I could if I wanted to, though”. Is she an athlete, or a wannabe?

How many Christians have you met who went to Sunday School until they were 8, but haven’t darkened the doorway since them? How many Christians have you met who say they believe, but it doesn't change their behavior? It says in Scripture even the demons believe, and shudder (James 2:19)! They do nothing with the knowledge they have. How many wannabe Christians have you met who do not show the fruit of the Spirit in their life? 

If anyone would come after Jesus, crossing the threshold of wannabe to truly engaging life as a Christian, one must deny himself. It is an on-going daily occurrence. Fighting laziness, old lusts and patterns and sins in order to keep his heart focused on Jesus.

Take up his cross. This is a continuous action. This is against all self-preservation, against comforts and constantly preparing to live as one despised by the world.

And follow Jesus. The Bible is then his life’s instruction manual. The Word, whenever it is preached in the church of which he is a member, he is attend. He is not allow his friends, his work, his other plans to interfere with his whole-hearted following of Jesus. He is not a wannabe. He is a Christian.

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your Name.
Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
Forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors.
Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For Yours is the Kingdom, the power and the glory, 
   forever and ever. Amen.

https://youtu.be/EGAGsvmNUBc Tim Hawkins “I’m a Christian”

Copyright © 2023 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

May 8, 2023 -- Psalm 23:6b -- The Psalm Series: on Whom or What is your delight focused?

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
Psalm 23:6b ESV

There is an old joke that goes something like this “if I knew I only had a day to live, I’d spend it with my ex. That way it’d feel like forever.” Psalm 23 may not resonate with many people because of this ending phrase. Sure, people might like to have green pastures and be led safely through the valley of the shadow of death. It’d be awesome to show up your enemies and have your head anointed at the table by the Good Shepherd. But the final line is the high point of the whole—the one loved by the LORD may spend eternity in presence of the Good Shepherd. This is where the Psalm distinguishes between those who love the Good Shepherd and those who only love what He can do for them.

Is your life goal centred around the joyful expectation that one day you will see Jesus and sin will be no more?! Much of the Psalm provides such tremendous comfort for this life. But all these comforts, all these blessings are given with an eye towards eternity where the believer will rejoice to be in His presence. No wonder Jesus will, at the end of the age when He judges all the nations and all people say to some people who acted like they were Christians and fooled many “depart from Me, I never knew you” (Matthew 7:23).

Is it God Himself your desire? Is your delight centred on Jesus Christ, and growing ever more so in Him as the Spirit reveals to you more and more of Who He is? Our prayer today is the last 2/3 of Psalm 16, which prayerfully declares one's desire for God Himself.

The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup;
   You hold my lot.
The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
    indeed I have a beautiful inheritance.
I bless the LORD Who gives me counsel 
   in the night also my heart instructs me.
I have set the LORD always before me;
   because He is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.
Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices;
   my flesh also dwells secure.
For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol,
   or let Your Holy One see corruption.
You make known to me the path of life;
   in Your presence is fullness of joy;
   at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Psalm 16:5-11 ESV

https://youtu.be/OoojA0cLPWY

Psalm 23 Shane and Shane

Copyright © 2023 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

May 5, 2023 -- Psalm 22:1-5 -- The Psalm Series: Anguished Cries

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

To the choirmaster: according to The Doe of the Dawn. A Psalm of David.

22 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
    Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?
2 O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer,
    and by night, but I find no rest.
3 Yet you are holy,
    enthroned on the praises of Israel.
4 In you our fathers trusted;
    they trusted, and you delivered them.
5 To you they cried and were rescued;
    in you they trusted and were not put to shame.
Psalm 22:1-5 ESV

Let’s be honest, I was avoiding this Psalm for a few days. It is so daunting to consider. The very first phrase of opening verse are the words Jesus cried out in agony as He hung on the cross. It is the anguish of unanswered prayer. For Jesus there was no other way to be obedient than to endure the cross. At the cross Jesus experienced profound separation from the Father which His flesh had to endure. Jesus bore the weight of the LORD’s wrath against the sins of the world. No wonder that the burden of all of this made Him cry out from the depths of sorrow, abandonment, and pain.

Dear believer, there will be times when you feel like your prayers are not being answered. If you feel, as David did when he composed this Psalm, as though God had abandoned him and ignored his cries, then you are in good company. These words were composed precisely because they give voice to believers who have no other refuge except God Himself, and yet, even there find themselves feeling as if they are utterly alone.

If it is true, and I have heard preachers declare this, that Jesus had memorized the Old Testament, then He knew this Psalm forwards and backwards. He knew a single phrase from this Psalm of Lamentation would speak the volumes of the terrors and woundedness of His body, mind and soul, but it would also point to what the Psalm continues to promise. Deliverance.

The LORD our God is holy. He made covenant promises to His people. Even a cursory reading of the Old Testament will show the LORD’s work among His people through-out the history of Israel. He is their Deliverer. Christ the King prayed to the Father in the greatest distress any human will ever endure, and the Father answered. Jesus was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father. Jesus’ Spirit is given to all who believe. When we cry out we have the tremendous assurance our King will never leave us nor forsake. Cry out. Trust He hears. Know by the powerful presence of the Spirit Who assures you by the Word that you are heard. Trust that you who cried to God will be rescued. Even as His answer seems delaying to You, He is acting. Saving. Directing events.

Our Father in heaven hallowed be Your Name. You are the Deliverer of all who trust in You. You are the One Who alone is holy. You are enthroned on the praises of Your people--all peoples from all nations who have been drawn by Your Spirit to trust in Jesus Christ and so be named sons and daughters of the Living God. Hear our cries. Answer the unutterable griefs and pains of our heart. For You alone are worthy of our trust and on You alone rest all our expectations. Amen.

https://youtu.be/Q3aP5iuJITg Zach Williams "You are My Rescue Story"
 

Copyright © 2023 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

May 4, 2023 -- Hebrews 3:12-13 -- The Sentinel of the Soul

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. 13 But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.
Hebrews 3:12-13 NIV

3 At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. 4 But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us…
Titus 3:3-5a NIV

Recently I have been reading Kris Lundgaard’s book “The Enemy Within”. I am doing this for my work with Redemption Prison Ministry, as one of the men I write is taking a correspondence course which studies this book. I know this quotation will be a great blessing and warning for those who heed it.

   If you want to overthrow a fortress, start by knocking out the
   watchman--if he can't warn the others, you will easily breach
   the wall and carry the day. The flesh plies deceit to knock
   out the watchman of your soul: your mind.
   Each of the faculties of your soul has duties before God. The
   mind is the sentinel, commanded to watch carefully over the
   soul by questioning, assessing, and making judgments: "Will
   this please God?" "Is this according to God's Word?" If the
   mind determines that an action is right, the affections should
   then fall in line and desire, long for, and cling to that which 
   the mind said was good. Last, the will puts the soul into action,
   carrying out what the mind said was good and the affections
   hungered for. When each does its job, you obey God from 
   the heart.
   Lundgaard, page 55 -56

Our Father in heaven hallowed and ever-blessed be Your Name! By Your Spirit's work within help us to perform a penetrating performance review of our mind, affections and will, so that our souls will be renewed in the best and most perfect work of desiring and obeying the Triune God from the heart. Spirit of God keep us from the wiles of deceitfulness. Give such holy, penetrating discernment that deceit will be exposed wherever it has been making headway in our head or heart so that it can be rooted out. Spirit of the Living God, thank You for the cleansing work of Jesus Christ. Thank You for the depths of forgiveness and salvation brought to believers which make that obedience possible. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless the Triune God of Glory. Amen.

 https://youtu.be/sgIZx6j2Ca8 In Sweet Communion, Lord, with You

Copyright © 2023 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

May 3, 2023 -- I Peter 2:9-10 -- Who God Says We Are

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
I Peter 2:9-10 ESV

Look at the beautiful way in which the Father speaks of His people. Those who are in Jesus Christ are a chosen race. Not races. Not various people groups and this because in Jesus Christ we are brought together as a new humanity. People who have been united in Him.

Believers brought to the Father on the basis of Christ’s shed blood are a royal priesthood. We pray for the people around us. That they too will know Jesus Christ and the power of His salvation. Our prayers range far and wide seeking the glory of God to be revealed everywhere. It is part of the greatest work we can do. We speak to the Father on the basis of Jesus’ work and this in the power of the Holy Spirit. Such spiritual strengthening emboldens our prayer.

A holy nation. Think of it. Believers have been called out from their life of sin and broken-out-of the strongholds of darkness by the power of God. We have been given everything we need for life and godliness. Then the LORD our God unites us as one people. We are bound together by the Spirit of God. As a new race we are Christ’s nation. We are formed for obedience to Jesus Christ and this by the power of the Spirit Who lives in us so that in all things the Father may receive the praise, honour and glory.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to Your great mercy, You have caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading and kept for us, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Spirit of the Living God, work in us to throw down the power of sin and continually renew us so that we will live up the calling we have in Christ to be a holy nation. Amen.

The prayer is based directly on I Peter 1:3-5 and I Peter 2:9b

https://youtu.be/5uPwCxxzjC8 “Christ is All in All” Keith & Kristyn Getty

Copyright © 2023 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

April 30, 2023 -- Psalm 20 -- The Psalm Series: A Prayer for Militaristic Times

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

20 May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble!
    May the name of the God of Jacob protect you!
2 May he send you help from the sanctuary
    and give you support from Zion!
3 May he remember all your offerings
    and regard with favor your burnt sacrifices! Selah

4 May he grant you your heart's desire
    and fulfill all your plans!
5 May we shout for joy over your salvation,
    and in the name of our God set up our banners!
May the LORD fulfill all your petitions!

6 Now I know that the LORD saves his anointed;
    he will answer him from his holy heaven
    with the saving might of his right hand.
7 Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
    but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.
8 They collapse and fall,
    but we rise and stand upright.

9 O LORD, save the king!
    May he answer us when we call.

Psalm 20 ESV

What is the difference between the words “can” and “may”? In a psalm-prayer like this one, the distinction is important. If you ask “can the LORD answer you in the day” you are asking a question of possibility. If you ask may the LORD answer you it permission seeking. He Who has the power is being approached with the plea to bring His great power and help to bear on behalf of His people. 

This is a military prayer. The great king David is teaching his people to pray for his successes in battle. The people of God are to be a nation that receives people who are refugees from the godlessness of the others nations all around them. They are to be a people who defend their borders because this land is His gift to His people. They are to be a people who, directed by the LORD, go out against the enemies of the LORD. By Spirit-inspired prophecy David is teaching the people of Israel one of his descendants would be the lasting King, Jesus.

Now believers pray to the Father through the power of David’s greater descendant, Jesus. We appeal to Him that He will hear His people in the day of trouble. As He has, through-out all the generations heard and answered His people, He will again hear and answer His people.

The people of the LORD, know He has set His banner over them. He has won the battle and He will bring His troops to full victory. The warfare is intense precisely because the enemy has been thrown against the ropes so this is the final round. But the outcome is sure, Jesus will be recognized as LORD over all and every enemy will be thrown down to their knees in acknowledgement of His splendour. Believer, pray to the King of Glory for His great power and victory to be revealed in your life as you battle 1. sins of the flesh, 2. peer pressure of the world and the tyranny of nations who hate God, and 3. the schemes of the Devil. Now you understand, with these three forces arrayed against you, the need for urgent prayer, for gathering with the people of God to worship Him and be reassured of His great power and sure victory.

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your Name.
Your kingdom come, Your will be done,
   on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
   and forgive us our debts,
   as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
   but deliver us from evil.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory,
   now and forevermore. Amen.

https://youtu.be/zhMFifugZ8o "A Mighty Fortress is Our God"
 

Copyright © 2023 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

April 29, 2023 -- Psalm 19:12 - 13 -- The Psalm Series: the power of confession

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

Who can discern his errors?
    Declare me innocent from hidden faults.
13 Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins;
    let them not have dominion over me!
Then I shall be blameless,
    and innocent of great transgression.
Psalm 19:12-13 ESV

Yesterday we noted that Psalm 19 explains the two books of revelation the LORD God uses to make Himself known. First is creation. The second is the Bible, which is the law and the testimony of God. The Bible includes the Living Word, Jesus Christ, Who is the best revelation of the Father, the radiance of His glory.

This psalm, written by David, is meant to be sung by the people. The lessons of this psalm continually teach believers, so that their relationship with God will be strengthened and enriched. By this psalm-song believers are taught to know their faults and errors; their presumptuous sins. Why does the Bible focus on the sins believers struggle with?

When you drive and you are about to change lanes you have a blind spot. You need to do a shoulder check, looking backwards to the blind spot so you can see whether or not there is a car that is cruising along near you. If you just change lanes without checking you will wind up in a crash. So too with our sins. Unless the Bible reveals to us our sins and the areas where they have dominion over us, we will crash and burn. Our relationship with God will be in placed in jeopardy.

This is the gracious work of God. When He reveals to us our sins, we have the opportunity to confess them and receive the forgiveness He holds out to us in Jesus Christ. What a great blessing that is. The Spirit then stirs believers to greater, willing, obedience.

Our Father in heaven hallowed be Your Name. Help us to discern our hidden faults. We easily ignore our sins and consider them no big deal; but they keep us from truly knowing You and walking with You in truth. Faithful Father, may Your Word accomplish the purpose for which You send it out. Show us our sins. Deliver us from their power. Apply the grace of Jesus to every part of our neediness and send Your Spirit so that we will be rock solid in obedience to You in every part of our lives. Amen.

https://youtu.be/yxCb6l3jkis
I Am Not My Own - Keith and Kristyn Getty and Skye Peterson

Copyright © 2023 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

April 28, 2023 -- Psalm 19:1-2, 7-8 -- The Psalm Series: The two-fold revelation of the Living God

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

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.

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;
Psalm 19:1-2; 7-8 ESV

This Psalm declares the ways in which the Living God declares Himself to all creation. The first way is in creation. Wherever the sun rises and sets the heavens are declaring the glory of the Maker of it all. This is called “general revelation”. The Self-revelation of God which is available to all people all over the earth.

Then verse 7 speaks of the special revelation of God. The Bible is His special revelation. While a man will discern there is a God Who made all things and orders the heavens and the earth, such a person could not know Jesus Christ and the power of His grace except that a Bible were put into his hands. This is why the Psalmist speaks of the Law of the LORD as perfect. His testimony gives to all who read it the declaration of Who He Is, that He is to be worshiped and adored.

The two-fold revelation of God, general revelation and special revelation, call for believers to know the Father intimately through the splendour of creation. Then, His most excellent Self-revelation is proclaimed in the Word, the Bible. The Bible declares Jesus, the Living Word. The Spirit of God continually declares the truthfulness of God to the heart (John 14:17; Romans 8:15,16).

Our Father in heaven forever honoured and blessed be Your Name. By Your written Word and the Living Word You revive the soul of Your people. How great is Your Name and wonderful is the salvation You lavish on Your people. Thank You for the Spirit Whom You have put into the heart of believers. Thank You for the Spirit Who constantly speaks Your goodness deep into the core of who we are. O LORD, “let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, my Rock and my Redeemer”. Amen.

The final sentence of the prayer is Psalm 19:14 ESV

https://youtu.be/awEvlCRZ3WQ
"The Heavens Declare the Glory of God" Martijn de Groot

Copyright © 2023 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

April 27, 2023 -- Galatians 5:1, 16-17 -- Fighting the Enemy Within

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

For freedom Christ has set us free;
stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.
Galatians 5:1, 16-17 ESV

In my work with Redemption Prison Ministry, I have the privilege of reading and correcting the correspondence course work of an inmate. In preparation for this work I have been reading along with my student, Kris Lundgaard's work "The Enemy Within". The most recent reading made a huge impact on me. Today's devotion is at the first a quotation from this book and then an accompanying prayer from Valley of Vision: Puritan Prayers and Devotions.

     The flesh has chosen quite an enemy; it is ‘enmity against God.”
     Sometimes we think of the flesh as our enemy; but it only hates
     us because God is in us; 'The flesh wars against the Spirit' in
     us (Galatians 5:17).
     Which is easier: to sit with a bucket of butter-soaked popcorn
     and watch Tom Cruise on the big screen for two hours or kneel
     down and pray for five minutes?...The flesh can curl up by your
     side and watch mindless movies all night long. But let even the
     barest thought of meditation flutter into your mind and the flesh
     goes to Red Alter. Before you get past 'Our Father,' your eyes,
     which were glued to the screen, now sag in sleepiness and
     your attention, which was so fixed on the plot, now zips around
     the universe faster than the Starship Enterprise.
     "The Enemy Within" Kris Lundgaard, page 46


O FATHER,
Thou hast made man for the glory of thyself,
and when not an instrument of that glory,
he is a thing of nought;
No sin is greater than the sin of unbelief,
for if union with Christ is the greatest good,
unbelief is the greatest sin, as being cross to thy command;
I see that whatever my sin is,
yet no sin is like disunion from Christ by unbelief.
Lord, keep me from committing
the greatest sin in departing from him,
for I can never in this life perfectly obey and cleave to Christ.
When thou takest away my outward blessings,
it is for sin,
in not acknowledging that all that I have is of thee,
in not serving thee through what I have,
in making myself secure and hardened.
Lawful blessings are the secret idols, and do most hurt;
the greatest injury is in the having,
the greatest good in the taking away.
In love divest me of blessings that I may glorify thee the more;
remove the fuel of my sin, and may I prize the gain of a little holiness
as overbalancing all my losses.
The more I love thee with a truly gracious love
the more I desire to love thee,
and the more miserable I am at my want of love;
The more I hunger and thirst after thee,
the more I faint and fail in finding thee,
The more my heart is broken for sin,
the more I pray it may be far more broken.
My great evil is that I do not remember the sins of my youth,
nay, the sins of one day I forget the next.
Keep me from all things that turn to unbelief
or lack of felt union with Christ.
Valley of Vision "Union with Christ"

Copyright © 2023 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

April 25, 2023 -- Psalm 18:1-3 -- The Psalm Series: The LORD My Deliverer

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David, the servant of the LORD, who addressed the words of this song to the LORD on the day when the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. He said:

18 I love you, O LORD, my strength.
2 The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
    my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,
    my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
3 I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised,
    and I am saved from my enemies.

Psalm 18:1-3 ESV

This Psalm was first recorded in II Samuel 22. The Psalm before us is slightly modified from the original one in II Samuel. However, this song of David, recalling God's faithfulness before he became king of Israel, has been taken up by believers as a song of trust and deliverance. It is a psalm sung and memorized by generation after generation of believers.

David had experienced great hardships, betrayal by King Saul who had previously appointed him to his court. King Saul even had troops of soldiers hunting him down. Time after time the LORD rescued David. This Psalm of love and trust is a response to the goodness of the LORD in the life of His servant.

David’s declaration of love to the LORD echoes to the Living God His prior love to David. Consider all the imagery David uses to describe the LORD’s saving love. The LORD is “my rock”. When all the world around is sinking sand and unreliable, God is the sure foundation of one’s life. For the New Testament believer this is revealed as definitively true in Christ Jesus. The Devil would sink us in lies and defeat and self-condemnation, but Jesus disarmed the Devil at the cross (Colossians 2:15).

Dear family in Christ, think about the opening words of this Psalm. Reflect on the fact that the LORD our God is near. He is Your shield. Perhaps, unlike David, you have not escaped from the clutches of the enemy, be assured, as was David "In my distress I called upon the LORD; to my God I cried for help. From HIs temple He heard my voice" (verse 6). Give thanks to Him based on the ways you have seen His deliverance in your own life

Our Father in heaven hallowed be Your Name. With David, and the great company of believers of previous generations, we raise our voices in honour, love, and praise to You. Faithful Father thank You for Jesus, the Rock of our salvation. Thank You for the Spirit Who shields us from wiles of the Devil. Thank You for the protection You give to Your people so that we can face the challenges and trouble of this generation and through it all loudly declare Your love. Amen.

https://youtu.be/FfVyWMcVJaI
Psalm 18 Song -- Abe and Liz Philip 
 

Copyright © 2023 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

April 21, 2023 -- Proverbs 21:16 & 21 -- Pursuing righteousness and lovingkindness

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

One who wanders from the way of good sense
    will rest in the assembly of the dead.

Whoever pursues righteousness and kindness
    will find life, righteousness, and honor.

Proverbs 21:16 & 21 ESV

Did you notice the sharp contrast between the kinds of people described in these two proverbs? One is wandering. He is aimless. He is not submitted to the way of the LORD, nor does he consider himself a wicked man. He is flitting like a butterfly from one senseless act to another drinking in the poison of waywardness as if it were nectar.

The other man is pursuing righteousness and kindness. That word kindness is a reference to the covenant lovingkindness of the Living God. He, who has been captivated by the goodness of God, will dedicate himself to the LORD of Glory. He has every opportunity to flit here and there and be as senseless as the wanderer. He does not. Why? Because the grace of Jesus Christ has touched him. He has life everlasting flowing through his veins which is fueled by the presence of the Holy Spirit. When he pursues worthless things the Spirit lights up the Word of God so that his heart and mind are convicted by his wandering and he is drawn back to righteousness.

The man or woman caught in the grip of God’s grace have been declared righteous by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. They are justified so that their sins no longer count against them. Such men and women, however, are now by the Spirit’s power drawn into the process of being made holy. The Spirit restrains their willful sin. The Spirit continually shows them their need to be disciplined in their loving obedience so that they do not give the Devil an opening in their ranks. The Spirit takes the Word of God and shows them their need to confess their sins, to turn from them, and the walk with God. Those held by the saving power of the Father are learning to hate their sin more and more. They forsake such because they are soldiers serving Jesus, the Captain of Salvation.

Our Father in heaven hallowed be Your Name. Thank You, Father, for the grace of Jesus which You have decreed from before the foundation of the world to be the sole reason Your love reached us and declared us to be righteous. Spirit of the Living God guard us and fill us with a hunger for the Word so that we will hate sin and ever more fully delight in the pursuit of His righteousness and the Father's lovingkindness lavished on us in Jesus Christ. Amen.

https://youtu.be/SbCtc0obNTs Fountainview Academy “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms”

Copyright © 2023 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.