July 2, 2023 -- Luke 5:27-32 -- Called to remember the God-given purpose of being called Church

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

27 After this he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth. And he said to him, “Follow me.” 28 And leaving everything, he rose and followed him.

29 And Levi made him a great feast in his house, and there was a large company of tax collectors and others reclining at table with them. 30 And the Pharisees and their scribes grumbled at his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” 31 And Jesus answered them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”
Luke 5:27-32 ESV

Today’s devotional blog is a modern parable. I am not sure who the original author is, but today’s version is an adaptation. It is a strong criticism of the work of many churches. May the Lord our God send His Spirit so the Word and the explanation of it lead us to repent in the powerful Name of Jesus.

On a dangerous seacoast where shipwrecks often occur there was a once a crude little life-saving station. The building was just a hut, and there was only one boat, but the few devoted members kept a constant watch over the sea, and with no thought for themselves, they went out day or night tirelessly searching for the lost.

Many lives were saved by this wonderful little station, so that it became famous. Some of those who were saved, and various others in the surrounding areas, wanted to become associated with the station and give of their time and money and effort for the support of its work. New boats were bought and new crews were trained. The little life-saving station grew.

Some of the new members of the life-saving station were unhappy that the building was so crude and so poorly equipped. They felt that a more comfortable place should be provided as the first refuge of those saved from the sea.

So they replaced the emergency cots with beds and put better furniture in an enlarged building. Now the life-saving station became a popular gathering place for its members, and they re-decorated it beautifully and furnished it as a sort of club.

Less of the members were now interested in going to sea on life-saving missions, so they hired life boat crews to do this work.

The mission of life-saving was still given lip-service but most were too busy or lacked the necessary commitment to take part in the life-saving activities personally.

About this time a large ship was wrecked off the coast, and the hired crews brought in boat loads of cold, wet, and half-drowned people.

They were dirty and sick, and some of them had black skin, and some spoke a strange language, and the beautiful new club was considerably messed up. So the property committee immediately had a shower house built outside the club where victims of shipwreck could be cleaned up before coming inside.

At the next meeting, there was a split in the club membership. Most of the members wanted to stop the club's life-saving activities as being unpleasant and a hindrance to the normal life pattern of the club.

But some members insisted that life-saving was their primary purpose and pointed out that they were still called a life-saving station. But they were finally voted down and told that if they wanted to save the life of all the various kinds of people who were shipwrecked in those waters, they could begin their own life-saving station down the coast. They did.

As the years went by, the new station experienced the same changes that had occurred in the old. They evolved into a club and yet another life-saving station was founded.

If you visit the seacoast today you will find a number of exclusive clubs along that shore. Shipwrecks are still frequent in those waters, only now most of the people drown.

Author unknown; Adapted by Steve Rudd

Our Father in heaven hallowed be Your Name. Forgive us for fields unwon, forgive us for work undone. We thank You and praise You, O God of our Salvation, for the people You put into our lives who did the hard and dirty work of rescuing us in Jesus’ precious Name. Thank You for their persistence, their willingness to overcome disappointments when we pushed back against the work You called them to do. Faithful Father work in us by Your Holy Spirit so that we will truly be those who call sinners to repentance. Give to us a clear vision of the work that You call us to do. Help us to lay aside every distraction and all the entanglements of this world. Precious Savior You are the Great Physician, help us to bring people to You—the Great Physician, so they may be healed in Your Name. Amen.

https://youtu.be/9Yr48Berkqc Zach Williams “Rescue Story”

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

July 1, 2023 -- Revelation 12:3-4a -- Happy Canada Day

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

And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems. His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth.
Revelation 12:3-4a ESV

The smoke from Canadian fires is so voluminous that it is wafting through Canadian provinces and sweeping down into the United States so that it affects 100 million people. According to Canada Health, in 2019 1.9% of all Canadian deaths were by assisted suicide (A.K.A. medical assistance in dying). In 2021, that percentage rose to 3.3%. According to the Campaign for Life Coalition, 1 baby is aborted for every four born alive in Canada. That is nearly 100,000 abortions annually. Why mention these statistics? It is the sign from the heavens. Satan, once a serpent in the Garden of Eden, has grown to such stature that he is now a great red dragon, bringing death and destruction.

Christians should not be surprised by the march of death across the country. Either people follow God the Father and affirm life, from conception to natural death because life is a gift from the hand of LORD our God, or people follow Satan, the great red dragon, promoting death and wickedness which directly opposes the Kingdom of God.

The sign of the great red dragon appeared in heaven because:
1. the dragon is on a leash. Jesus Christ is in charge in heaven.
2. the dragon can do harm the elect of God but his does so as prowling,
    de-fanged lion.
3. the dragon torments the people who hate the One True God. Such who
    are under his thrall are made ever more miserable and not even aware of the
    greatness of their tortured existence.
4. the dragon’s time is limited, there will be an end to the dragon.
5. the dragon’s power should not surprise the church, through-out history
    the one-time serpent in the Garden has been growing, exerting influence,
    gaining power until the day when Jesus will cast him, and all his
    followers in the lake of fire for all eternity.
6. the dragon sign appears in heaven because his followers range from the
    out-and-out obviously wicked, to the seemingly kind-hearted, harmless-
    appearing person but Christian be aware any who does not humble
    himself before the LORD or tremble at His word such a one is slated for
    destruction. Such persons do not expect any judgment, they are shocked
    at the thought that Jesus the Ruler over all powers and authorities and
    dominions, will one day execute His justice.
Revelation is written so that believers under the spiritual power and the great dominance of the red dragon but reading John’s vision are given the greater confidence in the power of Jesus, Who was appointed from before the foundation of the earth, so bring to the Father all His beloved. Christians realize the Spirit of God works the sure hope of salvation into the hearts of believers, so that they can endure all kinds of suffering, persecution and assaults of the enemy in the sure knowledge that Christ is Lord and His Spirit will not allow any believer to be torn from the grip of our Father’s grace.

Fellow Christian, on this Canada Day, pray. May the beauty and the dreadful splendor of King Jesus woo your heart and increase in your faith. Pray for this land that the Ruler Supreme, Who hearest humble pray will hold our dominion in His loving care. Pray for the leaders of our land, from King Charles III to the Prime Minister, the Governor-General and all premiers and all their advisors and cabinets and the loyal opposition. This land and all her leaders and all her people are under the watchful eye of our glorious King Jesus, Who is called Faithful and True.

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 forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, 
   but deliver us from evil.
For Yours is the kingdom, and the power and the glory,
   forever! Amen.

https://youtu.be/w1YBYrJ8Hzg "The Church's One Foundation"

 

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

June 29, 2023 -- Proverbs 29:25 -- Whoever trusts in the LORD is safe

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

The fear of man lays a snare,
   but whoever trusts in the LORD is safe.
Proverbs 29:25 ESV

It is a strange experience for me to walk around in the local Mall. Youth are walking around in expensive jeans that have been “pre-ripped”. It is ludicrous. (Before you get yourself in a knot, this comment is tongue-in-cheek, coming from a man who in his youth thought tight polyester bell-bottoms were the height of fashion! So, who am I to judge?) My point is this: many a young person fears being out of step with the latest fashions. There is a fear of not measuring up to peers. There is a fear of not receiving the approval of others. The fear of man twists one’s mind and antagonizes his heart. What can ever be enough to please the flood of FB critics? What will ever be enough to feed in the insatiable appetite of the influence-leaders?

Conversely, the one who trusts in the LORD is safe. He lives for an audience of One—His Father in heaven. He already knows that His Father loves him. Recall these words, "he chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us for adoption to Himself as sons through Jesus Christ" (Ephesians 1:4-5 ESV) The Spirit of God gives talents, gifts and abilities to each one according to His pleasure so that each believer is unique. Each believer has something to offer the Christian community and the world. Each believer is secure in the fact that he is made according to God’s perfect purposes. From conception to death and then beyond death into life eternal, the believer’s life carries with it a weight of glory that reflects the majesty of our God.

Our Father in heaven forever blessed and honoured be Your Name. The more we read Scripture, the more we realize You are God, the LORD of heaven and earth. You made us and we are Yours, we are Your people and the sheep of Your pasture. God our Father the Scriptures prove it and our lives bear witnesses to the fact that You are good! Your steadfast love endures forever and Your faithfulness rolls down through every generation. Amen.
(The prayer is based on Psalm 100:3,5)

https://youtu.be/bvTz6k7cTIA “Who Am I?” Casting Crowns

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

June 28, 2023 -- Psalm 32:6-7 -- The Psalm Series: Guilt versus Troubles ~ separating them

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

Therefore let everyone who is godly
    offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found;
surely in the rush of great waters,
    they shall not reach him.
7 You are a hiding place for me;
    you preserve me from trouble;
    you surround me with shouts of deliverance. Selah
Psalm 32:6-7 ESV
 
The start of this psalm is a prayer acknowledging the blessedness of knowing God and His great mercy in extending forgiveness, and mercy in counting His people as righteous, through the blood of the Lamb, and how confession itself heals the bones. No wonder today’s reading begins with “therefore” because all that went there before informs what we read today.
 
A believer must distinguish between suffering which is the result of his sin and the struggles and troubles which result from being a Christian in a hostile, unbelieving world. As forgiven believers, it is the great joy and privilege of our hearts to praise our God and seek Him in prayer. By whom will God be found? By the one who is godly, who knows the freedom that comes with the forgiveness of sins. God shows Himself merciful to the one who knows all he brings to God is his need for God and God’s cleansing and healing.
 
What verse 6 also shows is how quickly the forgiven man and the woman set free from the entanglements of guilt will then experience other kinds of trials. One who knows himself forgiven will experience “great waters”. These are temptations and pressures to sin. Or great waters can be the push-back of worldly people, both within the church and outside the church, who hate God and do not want you to rejoice in Him. You will experience the tossing and tumult of such great churnings, but it will not disrupt the peace you have sealed to your heart by the blood of the Lamb, Jesus. Nor will it cause you to question the goodness of God, for His forgiveness and the accompanying new life you have in Christ is greater than the rumblings of this world.
 
God is our hiding place. What a beautiful picture. Right now, even as I am writing this, there is downpour, rain beating hard on every exposed surface. Picture it. If you are about to be caught in a rainstorm, you seek shelter. People rush to bus shelters or dash from exposed areas to stand in the doorways of businesses just to get away from the all-soaking rain. They seek a hiding place. The LORD our God is our hiding place. No matter what is happening all around you, the torrential spouts of wickedness all around, the believer has the great security of knowing the LORD our God is in charge. He is the shelter of all who trust in Him. The shouts of deliverance uttered by the believer are not the gloating of one who will not suffering, but it is confident war-cry that Jesus, the Captain of Salvation, has already won the victory even as the believer is facing storms. Therefore, believers are prepared to face anything in the full confidence of His victory.
 
Our Father in heaven hallowed be Your Name. Let Your people praise You, God, the Hiding Place, security, for all who trust in You. Let Your people pray to You, LORD, based on Jesus’ accomplished work. Let Your people, as they pray to You, experience the help of Your Holy Spirit, Who is the seal guaranteeing Your protection now. Holy Spirit, as the psalm pictures, we pray preserve believers no matter how violent the rush of great waters is now and the assaults of the enemy to come. You alone, Triune God, safeguard the life of Your people. You bring to the heart and mind such blessedness, mercy, and peace that Your people’s lips overflow declaring the fullness of Your goodness. Your sheltered people cannot help joining all the others everywhere who know the intimacy of Your loving arms so completely they offer shouts of victory and acclaim to Your great Name. Amen.

https://youtu.be/BppKOFLig2w "Only There" Shane and Shane

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

June 26, 2023 -- I Corinthians 9:25-27 -- Properly Goal Oriented

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

Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26 So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. 27 But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.
I Corinthians 9:25-27 ESV
 
Recently my banker sent my wife and me an email urging us to consider our retirement. This bank regularly sends out notices asking whether we are meeting our financial targets, are we prepared for the volatile housing market with rising interest rates and are we saving enough? Great questions. Dear family in Christ, I wonder, do you as a Christian consider the spiritual goals you have set?
 
Are you keeping your eye on the prize, which is an eternity in the presence of the Majestic One of heaven and earth? Do your daily goals of Bible reading, prayer, and exercising your spiritual gifts govern the way you live, the way you raise your children, the way you spend money, the way in which you work, the way in which you interact with people, even how you interact with those who act as enemies to you?
 
Just like financial setbacks like unexpected expense like car repairs can require a major readjustment in your financial planning, so too there will be setbacks in the way in which you live your Christian faith. When this happens, confess your sins to God. Regroup. Review your goals so that you constantly reaffirming your goal to live for God. Walk in the strength of the Spirit so that your eyes remained fixed on Jesus Christ and your overarching goal is to conform your life to the patterns your Father in heaven has set as the standard of holiness. This is not a burden or a chore. It is the fulfilment of that fact that a believer is a child of God who delights in the way of God.
 
Our Father in heaven hallowed and forever blessed be Your Name. I confess how easily I am knocked off course and stagger away from the goals I have for myself. Thank You for Your Word which reminds me of Your plan for me—to make me fully Yours through the reconciling work of Jesus and this by the power of the Spirit Who makes me more willing and able to live in this way. There are so many distractions and opportunities which on the surface seem okay but are concealing danger and wickedness. Lead me, O my Father, in the way everlasting. Redirect my course so that I am fully Yours, willingly Yours, Spirit-kept as Yours and all other entanglements and red herrings will be revealed as such and avoided. With Your saints through the ages, I dedicate myself to discipline my body and my mind, my strength and my thought-life keeping these under control to the honour and praise of Your great Name. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/WZBOSfiH8Rk “Be Thou My Vision” K & K Getty Music
 

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

June 23, 2023 -- Romans 12:18 -- Living peaceably with all brothers and sisters in Christ

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

If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.
Romans 12:18 ESV

Dear family in our Lord Jesus Christ the opening of this chapter in Romans begins with the command for believers to offer their bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is our spiritual act of worship. Then further commands and explanations through-out this chapter fill out the meaning of those opening words. So, the brief text before us today expands one aspect of what it means to live as a 'holy sacrifice'. The focus is living at peace with others; especially those who are fellow believers.

Today I am heading home from Marion, Indiana. I’ve spent the week attending the General Synod of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America. It was good to see brothers in Christ deliberating. Some might say, arguing. My son Micah and his lovely wife Rebecca will sometimes smilingly say, “We’re not arguing, we are having intense fellowship”. I love that line. After some particularly intense fellowship during one of the sessions of synod, one man stood up, and before the gathered synodical delegates confessed he’d been stoking anger in his heart against someone, a brother whose been a friend for more than a decade. He was grieved by this. He expressed his sorrow. He also informed the gathering that he had humbled himself before this brother in order to make things right. They were reconciled and peace was restored.

During my “free time” (Synod breakfast begins at 7 AM and the first meeting start at 8:30AM and the day goes until 8:30pm or 9:15 on some days) I have been reading “Daniel Rowland and the Great Evangelical Awakening in Wales” by Eifion Evans. Evans remarked that two dear friends, Daniel Rowland and Howell Harris, experienced more and more strains and fractures in their relationship. Until finally, Harris' biographer, Richard Tibbot, in his critique of Harris noted:

You failed to distinguish between some and others of those you opposed,
and accused indiscriminately. You took things to extremes against those
you withstood, their persons and actions, depicting them as the blackest
rebels…You failed touse all the means for their recovery, and by dealing
harshly with them as enemies, you hardened them in their faults; you
concentrated too much on words at the expense of sense and substance…
You were too hasty in taking suspicion for fact.
Evans, page 340

Those words were some I’d read shortly after hearing the confession of that man in synod. Truly the man in synod was seeking to live peaceably with all. The quotation above is a wonderful, direct call for believers to examine themselves to see if they are honestly seeking to live peaceably with all. I recognize freely that recently in my own life I’d taken suspicion for fact, and needed to humble myself and confess my wrongdoing. Thanks be to God for the gift of Jesus Christ, through Whom we have true and lasting peace.

Our Father in heaven hallowed be Your Name! Thank You for the gift of Jesus Christ through Whom we are reconciled to You and have true and profound peace. Thank You, Father in heaven that You did not merely ignore our sinfulness nor brush it away as if it were nothing, but You fully punished it on the Person of Christ so that in Him all our seemingly irreconcilable differences can be submitted to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Spirit of the Living God, help us as believers to walk in true humility before our Father in heaven and so live peaceably with our family in Jesus Christ. Amen.

https://youtu.be/yjPR09kdCgc “God Moves in a Mysterious Way” the song begins at 1:22

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

June 22, 2023 -- I Corinthians 15:38-40 -- Jesus' resurrection has deep, beautiful, profound implications. Ponder it.

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

But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body. 39 For not all flesh is the same, but there is one kind for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. 40 There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is of one kind, and the glory of the earthly is of another.
I Corinthians 15:38-40 ESV

This morning my fellow Associate Reformed Presbyterian pastor, the Rev. Benjamin Glaser, preached from I Corinthians 15:35-49. He, like me, is a guest at the General Synod of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America. It was a pleasure to hear him preach. The theme for preaching is focused on the resurrection of Jesus Christ. There are some implications of the resurrection that we, as believers, may not often think about, though we are encouraged to do so. Let me make reference to his sermon.

The Rev. Glaser’s church, Bethany ARP, recently celebrated their 225th anniversary. He noted there have been a lot of funerals; about 3 acres of cemetery surround the church; the neat thing about it; all of the headstones of that cemetery are facing east. Why? Because that is where Jerusalem is; where we believe Jesus is going to return. They who are laid in the ground have been placed there in the hope of the resurrection; there they will see their coming Savior. The Rev. Glaser quoted the shorter catechism.

Q. 37. What benefits do believers receive from Christ at death?
A. The souls of believers are, at their death, made perfect in holiness, and do immediately pass into glory; and their bodies, being still united to Christ, do rest in their graves until the resurrection.

Heb. 12:23; 2 Cor. 5:1, 6, 8; Phil. 1:23; Luke 23:43; 1 Thess. 4:14; Isa. 57:2;
Job 19:26-27.

Dear fellow believers, isn’t this reading soul-refreshing?! From Jesus’ death believers derive the supreme blessing of knowing their bodies rest in Him. Even in the grave there is such assurance Jesus is in charge. From Jesus’ resurrection believers derive the supreme assurance that at their death they are made perfect in holiness and immediately pass into glory with Him. How great is our God and what joy there is in our salvation.

Our Father in heaven hallowed be Your great Name! How great is the salvation You have poured out on Your people in Jesus Christ. How great is the confidence hope that You have sealed to our hearts by Your powerful Spirit. Living God. Teach us, glorious God, to ponder the depths and heights of the blessed salvation given us in Jesus, Your beloved Son, our Savior. Amen.

https://youtu.be/KLTu1xv2-Us "Oh, the Deep Love of Jesus!" Simon Khorolskiy

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

June 21, 2023 -- I Corinthians 15:12 -- Ponder Jesus' resurrection and consider what it means for you today and for you in eternity

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

Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?
I Corinthians 15:12 ESV

Currently I am attending the General Synod the Reformed Presbyterian Church North America. I am attending as a fraternal delegate. That is, my denomination has friendly contact with this denomination and the way we stay in touch is sending representatives to each other’s assemblies. So, here I am in beautiful Marion, Indiana, on the campus of the Indiana Wesleyan University. Each day before deliberations begin the day starts with a sermon and the a cappella singing of a Psalm. Magnificent to hear a room full of men singing their hearts out in praise to our Glorious God! This morning the Rev. Matthew Ma preached on I Corinthians 15:12-33. It was a great way to start the day. I am freely borrowing from the material he preached.

Notice that Paul is writing to the Corinthians believers. In the church there are people who profess to be Christians, but as a matter of fact they are not Christians at all. They deny the resurrection of Jesus Christ. His resurrection is the very core of the Gospel. Jesus died in our place. He rose again from the dead. He is the guarantee of our glorious resurrection. The Rev. Ma urged believers to ponder this, rejoice in this truth and make sure it is driven home to your head and to your heart.

One line of the sermon really stood out for me. The Rev. Ma stated, near the end of his sermon: “Because of Christ’s resurrection we are more likely to rise from our graves than we are to rise from our beds”. When you grasp that truth, the blessing and the wonder of knowing Jesus Christ will truly fill your soul with joy.

Our Father in heaven hallowed be Your Name, now and forever more. Thank You for the wondrous gift of Jesus Christ and the rich salvation You have given us through His death and resurrection. Spirit of the Living God, cause us to meditate on the beautiful truth of Jesus’ resurrection; His resurrection by which we are assured of fullness of life in Him now and fully assured of the bliss and blessedness that life that stretches through-out eternity celebrated in Jesus’ magnificent presence. Amen.

https://youtu.be/lXzmjNE-yLA “Thine be the glory” King’s College Choir

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

June 18, 2023 -- Psalm 32:1-5 -- The Psalm Series: True forgiveness and deep community

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

A Maskil of David.

32 Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven,
    whose sin is covered.
2 Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity,
    and in whose spirit there is no deceit.

3 For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away
    through my groaning all day long.
4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;
    my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah

5 I acknowledged my sin to you,
    and I did not cover my iniquity;
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,”
    and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah

Psalm 32:1-5 EV

What stands out for me, besides the powerful blessing of having our sins forgiven in Jesus Christ, is the meaning of the word “maskil”. The footnote of my study bible indicates it may mean this is an instructional poem—wisdom literature. That makes sense. Odd how often I have read that word and thought about it, or just ignored it and glanced over it without recognizing what it means. Now wisdom is understanding the LORD's gift of forgiveness.

Look at the variety of ways in which David, whom Scriptures describe as a man after God’s own heart, expresses sin. It is transgression—the intentional crossing of holy boundaries. It is iniquity, that is perversity and depravity. It is deceit, that is treachery, the planning of evil against others. Think of David’s life, how he acted perversely with his general’s wife, Bathsheba. How he planned evil, the killing of the man who was innocent so that he could have that man’s wife for himself. The LORD our God knows the wickedness that resides in a man's heart. He commanded the godly kings of Israel to write out the commandments of the LORD and do so under the tutelage of the priest so that they would obey the word of the LORD (Deuteronomy 17:18-20).

Fellow believers, how easily, like David, we fall into sins. Familiar sins. Habitual sins. Peer pressure sins. Sins that are excused or justified away—as if it were even possible to do so. And then like David, experience the bone-crushing pain of the consequences of our sins. Or the conscience, inflamed by sin and carrying the burden of guilt, begins to drain the body of strength. Thanks be to God He gives to His children the awareness of their sins. He shows them the consequences and impacts of wrong-doing. Otherwise we’d let sin run wildly, all-over our lives, with nothing to check or impede its accursed impact.

What sweet release and relief is given in Christ when we confess our sins and realize He fully forgives. It is the great gift of true Christian community, to experience sin’s tearing of relationships and then to experience the sweet healing among brothers and sisters which only Christ’s reconciling blood can achieve. No wonder this poem is punctuated with the word “Selah” (which means: pause, repeat, and reflect). It is the Spirit Who urges believers to pause, repeat, and reflect on the goodness of God. No wonder believers long to attend worship, where we can give full voice to the LORD our King in all thankful devotion to Him. Believers rejoice that rifts and wounds among us can be healed by Jesus—His costly sacrifice means we can live in true, hard-won community.

Our Father in heaven hallowed and blessed be Your Name, now and through-out all eternity! Who is a god like You? You forgive Your people, hurling our iniquities into the depths of the sea and stamping down into the dust all our past wrong-doings under Your feet so that they can no longer rise up to taunt us. Glorious are You, Jesus, by Whose blood, true community between God and man, and among believers, can be restored and maintained. No other Name will do. No other blood but Yours is sufficient to heal all our hurts and bring eternal restoration. Spirit of the Living God, let our hearts and thoughts reflect on this beautiful truth of forgiveness so that prompted by the Word and Your powerful presence within us, we may offer real confession to one another and hold out true forgiveness and restoration. Amen.

https://youtu.be/lXsXmoOXQK4 “Remember Not, O God”

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

June 17, 2023 -- John 16:31-33 -- The Fact that Jesus has overcome the world matters to you

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

Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? 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 16:31-33 ESV

The time of Jesus’ betrayal, trial, and crucifixion is at hand. He is giving His disciples His final instructions, preparing them for the trials and sufferings ahead. He does so telling them how far away from Him they will go in the days of suffering. Notice the confidence Jesus has. It is not in His disciples, it is in His Father. Even the Father will abandon Jesus to suffering on the cross and death. How can Jesus endure it?

1. Jesus knows this is for the glory of the Father. From the foundation of the world the Father had chosen people for Himself, to be elected unto salvation through Jesus.

2. Jesus volunteered to undertake this work, to be the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. In this He brings glory to the Father and the Father’s glory will be reflected in Him and through Him.

3. Jesus taught His disciples that such suffering is purposeful. For Jesus it would mean the public demonstration that the devil has been disarmed and all of Satan's work and that of all his wicked hosts made a spectacle of scorn.

4. Jesus has peace to give to His disciples. Peace in the knowledge He is the Victor. Peace in the knowledge that trials and sufferings are purposeful, and short-lived, in view of the fact that the Jesus has overcome the world. And Jesus' victory will carry them to the end of history and into the glory of eternity.

5. Jesus spoke peace to His disciples, knowing they would abandon Him, but assuring them that when His work is complete, they would be reconciled to the Father through Him by the powerful Spirit. They would have peace that none can ever take away.

Dear fellow believer, sin is real. It is ugly. It is destructive. Acknowledge such things. Confess your sin and your brokenness to the Father. Let today's passage give you confident assurance that our Father in heaven will forgive you because of the accomplished work of Jesus.

When you face trials and suffering, it is not a sign God has abandoned you. He will place you in exactly the right circumstances so that your faith will be tried and stretched, your knowledge of His mercy will expand, and those around you will see the Spirit’s power in your life and believe God the Father has sent Jesus. Jesus has overcome the world. He has victory, even in this great suffering and trouble you are enduring, and you are sharing in Jesus' victory. Your life, even its hardest suffering, testifies to Jesus' power is being focused in you so that in Him you will overcome. Take heart, that is, be encouraged in this.

Our Father in heaven hallowed be Your Name. These words of Jesus, though few, have such a powerful meaning. They carry the weight of eternity in them and it is hard for us to understand the depth of the assurance Jesus. This assurance He gave to His first followers and this assurance is for every successive generation, including our own. Spirit of God wrap us securely in the promises Jesus has given to us in these words. Spirit of the Living God help us to receive this promised peace which is ours in Christ Jesus so we can stand in His overcoming work with the result that our lives will bring honor and glory to our Father in heaven. 

https://youtu.be/936BapRFHaQ "He Will Hold Me Fast" K & K Getty

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

June 15, 2023 -- Psalm 31:1-2; 21-24 -- The Psalm Series: Trust and Thanks

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

In you, O LORD, do I take refuge;
    let me never be put to shame;
    in your righteousness deliver me!
2 Incline your ear to me;
    rescue me speedily!
Be a rock of refuge for me,
    a strong fortress to save me!

Blessed be the LORD,
    for he has wondrously shown his steadfast love to me
    when I was in a besieged city.
22 I had said in my alarm,
    “I am cut off from your sight.”
But you heard the voice of my pleas for mercy
    when I cried to you for help.

23 Love the LORD, all you his saints!
    The LORD preserves the faithful
    but abundantly repays the one who acts in pride.
24 Be strong, and let your heart take courage,
    all you who wait for the LORD!

Psalm 31:1-2; 21-24 ESV

This Psalm has two parts. The first 18 verses are a prayer of trust and the verses 19 to 24 are thanksgiving for prayers that have been answered. When things are good, Christians affirm their confidence in the Living God. One way to affirm our trust in God is through worship—according to the Hebrew superscription Psalm 31 is one that is meant to be sung by the people. So as the people sing this, they are reminded God is all their righteousness. This would be evident as the people knew the blood of lambs was poured out, an offering for their sins. Such offerings were presented and taught the people to expect Jesus, the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). If we do not sing, rehearse, meditate on and pray in trust to the Living God when things are good in our lives, then when the troubles hit we will be exposed, vulnerable and helpless.

I wonder, how often have you prayed for something and urgently wanted it and the Father, the source of every good gift has given it to you but you did not offer thanks to Him? Thanking God is a sign that we are humble. Offering thanks to God means our minds and heart recognize all that we have, anything good we have, is from Him. Thanksgiving teaches us that good times and hard times, fruitful years and lean years, riches and poverty are all tools in His hands in order to shape us for eternity in His presence. This life is not all there is. We are being fitted and prepared for the weight of glory that He has in store for us in eternity. The Holy Spirit fills our thanksgiving with heightened our anticipation for the glory of eternity lived in the presence of the Triune God, in Whom is all our trust and joy.

I trust in You, O LORD; I say, “You are my God.” My times are in Your hand; rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors. Make Your face shine on Your servant; save me in Your steadfast love! Love the LORD, all you His saints! The LORD preserves the faithful but abundantly repays the one who acts in pride. Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the LORD!

Prayer is Psalm 31:14-16, 23-24 ESV

https://youtu.be/8l8_rmvo6kg "My Redeemer Lives" K & K Getty

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

June 13, 2023 -- Ephesians 6:10-11 -- Be strong in the Lord and protected against the devil's schemes

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.
Ephesians 6:10-11 ESV

A friend gave me a copy of the biography of Daniel Rowland. Rowland was a Welsh preacher who has been somewhat forgotten as many of his sermons and manuscripts have been lost. Eifion Evans researched and gathered information in order to put together a pretty comprehensive biography. One of Rowlands contemporaries and admirers said his preaching was second only to George Whitefield's. Rowlands preached, prompted by the Spirit, to awaken sleepy and lazy consciences. He sought to expose the temptations and schemes of the devil. When explaining how the devil tempts the human nature he gave this analogy:
    He is a fisherman and knows where to draw his net;
    when under the word, and especially when we come
    from under the word. When one is newly come from
    the war, he throws his armour down, and goes to 
    drink and rejoice, until the enemy comes on him and
    finds him unarmed. So when you have had victory over
    Satan, he'll come in again through levity or self.
    Eifion Evans Daniel Rowland and the Great Evangelical
   Awakening in Wales, page 203

Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, wrote that the devil schemes, plans, waits for the perfect opportunity to go up against you. Rowland noted that after a victory believers tend to relax. The old self looks to old ways and past bad habits for self-congratulations. Furthermore, levity, or joking, is often disarming to the believer as well. Men get comfortable with crudeness and toying with sin. No wonder the Bible is full of warnings against sin and temptation. No wonder Paul sounds the alarm, "be strong in the Lord". Just thirty years after this was written, John in his Revelation vision from the Lord (Revelation 2:4), called the Ephesians to account because they had forgotten their first love, Jesus.

Our Father in heaven hallowed and blessed, honored and adored be Your Name, now and forevermore. Thank You for Your great love which decreed our rescue in Jesus Christ. Thank You for the probing and revealing work of the Holy Spirit Who lifts high the lamp of the word and by it  exposes the dark intentions of our reckless hearts. Triune God, thank You for Your vigilance over our wild, restless hearts and thoughtless, vulnerable and exposed minds. Oh Spirit, we confess how lightly we have draped ourselves in Christ's righteousness and how neglectful we have been of engaging in true spiritual warfare and dedicated obedience to Jesus, the Captain of our Salvation. Have mercy on us, Father in heaven, have great mercy. Renew in us, Spirit of God, an awareness that Jesus' blood was spilled for the complete forgiveness of our sins so that the appropriate response from us, His redeemed ones, is to give our all in wonder-filled, and devoted service to Jesus and this to the glory of our Father in heaven. Amen.

"Dear Refuge of My Weary Soul" K. & K. Getty and Matt Merker

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

June 10, 2023 -- Psalm 30:11-12 -- The Psalm Series: Jesus my glory

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

You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;
    you have loosed my sackcloth
    and clothed me with gladness,
12 that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent.
    O LORD my God, I will give thanks to you forever!
Psalm 30:11-12 ESV

The LORD has heard the psalmist’s cries for mercy (verses 2, 8, 10). The result is he now sings before the LORD. He dances because his tears and cries, his mourning and sorrow have all been swallowed up and to be regarded as nothing compared to the all-surpassing greatness of our God and His tender answer to all our prayers.

Sackcloth was a sign of sorrow, something to be worn when a man, or a woman, wanted to show their humble state before God. People wore sackcloth when they wanted to repent. To have one’s sackcloth loosed, that is, loosened and removed, it to have the LORD exchange the clothes of sadness for the robes of His holy joy.

There is a strange expression here as well “that my glory may sing your praise”. What is my glory? Some translations substitute the word “soul” for “glory”. The word glory however, highlights the fact that all our boasting (I Corinthians 1:31), all our glory, all our life is bound up with the work of Jesus Christ. In the Old Testament He was foretold, in the New Testament does His glory unfold. Living as His redeemed followers means like polished mirrors we reflect His manifold splendor. This is a song for the dedication of the temple. It was to be sung and recited by the people of the Living God. For us today it is a reminder, as it has been to each and every generation, to recognize it the Living God Who lifts us from death to life. The mercy of God exposed whenever we confess our sins and cry out to Him longing for forgiveness and find His once-for-all answer is Jesus. The Spirit of God has clothed us with gladness. We can't keep silent. We must praise Him, the overflow of our hearts is praise to Him.

Our Father in heaven hallowed be Your Name. Thank You for the richness of the salvation You have given us in Christ Jesus our King. Thank You that You have by Your Spirit clothed us with Jesus’ glory and filled us with unending gladness. Thank You that You have placed us in the great company of people who know You and bless You. Let the words of our mouths and the songs of our lips praise You even and simultaneously instruct the next generation to know Your goodness. Amen.

https://youtu.be/1-RzrZaiLiI Psalm 30 Song Jason Silver

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

June 9, 2023 -- Psalm 30:8-10 -- The Psalm Series: a plea for mercy.

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

To you, O LORD, I cry,
    and to the Lord I plead for mercy:
9 “What profit is there in my death,
    if I go down to the pit?
Will the dust praise you?
    Will it tell of your faithfulness?
10 Hear, O LORD, be merciful to me!
    O LORD, be my helper!”
Psalm 30:8-10 ESV

A week ago we considered what it means to extol the LORD—to make His name great to our own hearts and minds. When a child of God considers Him in this way, he will be drawn to the awareness of his own sinful condition. The brilliance of the LORD’s holiness, even as it is veiled from our eyes right now, will lead the believer to be profoundly aware of the ugliness of the sin that remains in him.

So, the psalmist cries out to the LORD, the Covenant-Making, Promise-Keeping God. It is He Who must act to cleanse us from our sin. It is He Who has provided the way of reconciling forgiveness through His Son, Jesus. The psalmist calls Him Lord also. The first use of God’s Name, LORD, emphasizes His Covenant-Making and Keeping saving work on our behalf. The second use of His Name, Lord, emphasizes He is our Master. We have pledged our obedience to Him. We have placed into His hands our whole soul, body, mind, and strength. Without Him we cannot do anything good.

The awareness of our sins leads also to the awareness of our helpless condition prior to God’s saving work. We were fit only for the grave (the pit). Our sins were rank and foul, offensive to the Living God. Believers know their lives have been redeemed. So, based on the work of Jesus, concealed in the Old and revealed in the New Testament, believers cry out to God—be merciful to me.

The LORD is our helper. He has made His covenant promises, which are “yes” and “amen” in Jesus Christ. Jesus called the Holy Spirit “the Helper” in John’s Gospel. It is the Holy Spirit Who reveals the dazzling mercies of the Father. It is the Spirit Who helps us to know Jesus’ sacrificial work covers all our sins. It is the Spirit Who teaches us the Word, so that we know the LORD Himself, and His works, and ourselves and our true condition. It is the Spirit Who helps us in our weakness so that we willingly and whole-heartedly desire, from now on, to live for God the Triune, with all our heart, soul, mind and strength.

Our Father in heaven hallowed be Your Name. Truly You are exalted in splendour and radiant in beauty. With the psalmist, and with Your people through-out every generation, I join my voice with theirs and extol You and bless You. Free me from my sins. By the glorious presence of the Helper may the work of Jesus Christ be brought to full effect in every part of my life and this to the praise and honour of God, my Father. Amen.

https://youtu.be/bvTz6k7cTIA Casting Crowns “Who Am I”

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

June 7, 2023 -- Genesis 3:8 -- What was lost in the Fall?

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

8 And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.
Genesis 3:8 ESV

Perhaps you are aware, perhaps not, I am currently at my denomination’s Synod Meeting. So I’m in North Carolina—the temperature is beautiful and the bucolic setting is conducive to restful contemplation. Each block of meetings starts with a sermon. What a wonderful day to begin deliberations, by first spending time in the word of God.

Yesterday the Rev. Jeff Kingswood preached. It was a wonderful sermon. The theme given him was worship and the text he used as the basis of his sermon was John 4:21-24. He also referred to the text above, Genesis 3.

Today’s devotion is a brief synopsis of his stirring sermon. Kingswood asked a marvelous question. What was lost when Adam and Eve fell into sin? Some, perhaps women, might answer: ‘painless childbirth’. Men might answer weedless gardening. It misses the point. Consider this amazing fact, God approached His people, as He’d always done. They had, before their sinful rebellion, communion with Him like we can’t even imagine now. What they’d once enjoyed is now lost to them.

Worship was incapacitated by sin. Praise God. For God provides for us in what Christ we cannot do for ourselves. He provides us with Christ’s righteousness. In his vision of heaven, John notes the New Jerusalem has streets of such gold it is like glass. The gates of the city are carved pearls. Kingswood said Revelation uses the language of Tiffany’s! The thrill of everything that is so precious, valuable beyond comprehension. Yet, what is of even greater value is being restored so that the people of God can be in the presence of God, unashamed. Hallelujah!

Our Father in heaven hallowed be Your Name! Increase our capacity to marvel, to anticipate, and to long for eternity in Your presence. Deepen our awareness of Jesus’ beautiful-beyond-description work of reconciling us to Yourself through His death, burial, resurrection, ascension and session to Your right hand. Spirit of God, bring to mind for us, through-out each day and in the watches of the night, the profound expectation of that moment, when God will make all things new in Christ and we will live in the presence of God and of the Lamb and worship will be most excellent, joyous, and soul-satisfying. Exactly what had been missing in all our lives and what we searched for in all places and exploring all sorts of wrongs with an urgency of need that wasn’t met until it was fully, finally and completely met in You. What a treasure beyond all treasures. King of kings and LORD of lords, there will be a day, when we will be completely enraptured in Christ! Hallelujah! Amen!

https://youtu.be/VbqSm-_pDxA ‘Hymn of Heaven’ Phil Wickham

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

May 31, 2023 -- Luke 18:9-15 -- Pride and Humility

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

9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: 10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ 13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Luke 18:9-15 ESV

How many of us are aware of our profound need for God’s mercy? A mercy that must shield us every moment of every day! I was listening to Voddie Baucham’s teaching on justification and sanctification. He was explaining that for an act to be right, or good, it must be i) a right action; ii) it must be carried out with a right attitude; iii) it must be done with a view to the glory of God.

Look at the various things you have done that you considered “good” or “right”. For example, perhaps you gave money to a charity which cares for the poor. Afterwards you said, “okay, I am done with them for a while”. A right action, but a deed with an accompanying attitude which disregards the humanity of the poor who are made in God’s image. It might be good in the eyes of the world, but not before God.

For a people who are dependent on God the Father for life, for breath, for every moment of our existence, we are exceptionally proud. The antidote to pride is to look to Jesus Christ, Who humbled Himself. He gave Himself up to death for sinners, such as we are. The antidote to pride is to consider how unlovable we were (and are) and still Jesus died for us, He the Just One for us who are unjust. Then spend time with a man or a woman who, aware of their impoverished spiritual state, who like the tax collector, are aware of their great sinfulness and need for God’s loving help every single moment, and you’ll see evidence of the joy of the Lord. It is infectious.

The LORD our God has so designed us that we are to be a compassionate people. If we do not act out our love for Jesus in ways in which show divine for love the people around us, we will grow stagnant and putrid in our spiritual lives. If, however, we share the love of God with those around us, doing right deeds freely and extravagantly, with an attitude that is right and a heart fixed on the goodness of God we will find that the Spirit of God replenishes our very soul. We were designed to give away the love of God. And as we do so we learn we can never outgive His love and goodness. Now that is truly humbling and a cause for great joy.

Our Father in heaven honored and holy be Your Name. God, be merciful to us, sinners. Amen.

https://youtu.be/W5EUvOnQr4Y “His Mercy Is More” Matt Papa

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

May 30, 2023 -- Psalm 30:1-3 -- The Psalm Series: The contemplation of God leads to adoration

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

I will extol you, O LORD, for you have drawn me up
    and have not let my foes rejoice over me.
2 O LORD my God, I cried to you for help,
    and you have healed me.
3 O LORD, you have brought up my soul from Sheol;
    you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit.
Psalm 30:1-3 ESV

Notice the preaching King David brings to his own heart and what he teaches his people to say and to sing—I will extol You, O LORD. What does it mean to extol the LORD? It means to make His Name and His reputation and His glory great to your heart and mind. To extol God is to talk Him up and to study His goodness so that you can’t help but praise Him and become more dedicated to Him.

It is interesting an oenophile will study wines, swirling it in the glass to see it reflect colour, checking its clarity and making sure there are sediments and then sniff it to get a sense of its fragrance and to awaken the palette to receive the luxurious complexity of tastes. A connoisseur of art will study a piece endlessly, searching out details, noticing brush-strokes, delighting in the interplay of light and shadow. Those who are not oenophiles or connoisseurs of art will think it a waste of time.

Our lives and our future are bound up with the LORD, Who has drawn us up. He has made us stand tall though we’d been ruined and humbled to the ground and so shamed we could not stand before Him. He made us alive, though we’d been dead in our sins and trespasses, and causes us to stand before Him by the amazing grace given ins Jesus Christ. He is our constant help, in fact, at Jesus’ request, the Father has poured out the Holy Spirit so that the Father’s healing work in our lives is on-going.

Through-out the psalms the writers of the various psalms urge the people of the LORD to study the LORD, as intently as an oenophile studies wines and believers savor His greatness as much as art connoisseurs lovingly look at art so that their hearts will swell with adoration and praise. This is not something that is reluctantly plucked from the unwilling heart. Believers study God. Believers contemplate all He has done and is doing in their lives and from such contemplation songs will swell up, such as will praise Him.

Our Father in heaven hallowed be Your Name. We join with Your people through-out the centuries in thinking about Your mighty acts of creation; the blessing of the seasons, the richness of the variety of flora and fauna which Your have put into various continents and climates and our souls are drawn up to worship. When the Spirit leads Your people to consider Your acts of salvation, how You have rescued Your people from death to life, then praise and adoration wells up within us and overwhelms the mind so that thanks flows past the lips in hymns, psalms, and spiritual songs of exultation to Your great and glorious Name. In our lives, in Your Church, in Your world, LORD our God be glorified now and forevermore. Amen.

https://youtu.be/byRXcyZn7YE Mahalia Jackson “How Great Thou Art”

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

May 29, 2023 -- Psalm 29:1-2 -- The Psalm Series: What does it mean to ascribe glory to the LORD?

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

A Psalm of David.
Ascribe to the LORD, O heavenly beings,
   ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;
   worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness.
Psalm 29:1-2 ESV

The word ascribe is rarely used in daily life. In college I was an English Major, and honestly I can only think of the word ascribe as used in the context of the Bible. So what does it mean? It is an important question if you want to understand this psalm and what it is about. To ascribe means to regard something as being due to a person or a thing. So, the LORD’s due is that His people recognize Him alone as glorious, powerful.

Why? In an age and a culture where the Majestic One of heaven is considered a buddy this is a jarring Psalm. Think of who David is. He was a strong king and worthy of honour and respect. Consider this example. When his wife approached David, she bowed to the ground and paid homage to him (I Kings 1:16). She recognized him as a powerful king. Even though they had an intimate relationship, she ascribed to him the honour due to his position as her king and the ruler of the nation. Now, if an earthly king, like David, was ascribed such honour, how much more should the LORD receive honour?! No wonder David needed to humble his own heart and ascribe to the Living God the glory and renown and honour that is due the LORD. David had to do so to keep himself from pride.

Dear fellow believer. Consider the great need there is in your own life to ascribe to the LORD the glory due His Name. Where have you stolen what belongs to Him? When you hold grudges rather than freely forgiving as you have been forgiven in Jesus, you ascribe to yourself the place of God and ascribe to yourself what belongs to Him alone. You have put yourself in a place of pride rather than humbling yourself and giving to the Living God the splendor and honour due to Him. When you are acting in ways that are sexually inappropriate, from looking lustfully, to viewing pornography, and any other such activities beyond those, you are living outside the rules of the LORD your God and ascribing to yourself a place of a tyrant. You are in effect saying, I can decide for myself what I want, rather than humbling yourself before Your King.

Father in heaven hallowed be Your Name. As we are reminded to ascribe to You the honour and strength and glory that is Yours, we are also reminded how we are to humble ourselves. And we recognize how our flesh resists and strains against this very thing. Spirit of God, teach us new humility. Spirit of God, as those who are ever learning and re-learning humility focus our eyes and attention on Jesus Christ so that from Him and in Him we know the greatness of the Father’s love, the depths of our neediness, and the extravagance of Your grace. Spirit of the Living God, help us then to live as those who offer and receive true Christian community. Then as the people redeemed by Jesus grace alone replenish in us the desire and ability to ascribe to the LORD of Heaven and Earth all the glory and honour.

https://youtu.be/bvTz6k7cTIA “Who Am I?” Casting Crowns

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

May 28, 2023 -- John 14:15-17 -- The Work of the Holy Spirit

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

If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees him nor knows him.
John 14:15-17 ESV

Today, Sunday, May 28, 2023, believers around the world celebrate Pentecost Sunday. There is a great emphasis on the Holy Spirit. Many people highlight the Spirit’s work in giving gifts like tongues and interpretation of tongues or other extraordinary manifestations of the Spirit, which, frankly, are for the New Testament era. Prophetic gifts and apostolic gifts and healing gifts were given to Jesus and to His disciples, but were for the start of the Church, the beginning of the Church. Once the Church had been established on the foundation of Jesus, there is no need for a whole new foundation. So, the building is built up in Christ by the Spirit. So, if the Spirit is not giving new visions and prophesies, what is the work of the Holy Spirit?  Great question.

Perhaps the most radical work of the Spirit is to take sinners and so transform their hearts and minds and actions that they are men and women who love Jesus Christ and desire to follow Him in obedience. The defining characteristic of a Christian is that he loves Jesus Christ and desires to be more like Him. When people who know you well see the change in your life and hear how you have a new, clean vocabulary and now live devoted service which has switched from things allegiance the world to complete dedication to Jesus, there is nothing that can argue against that. It is the Spirit of God Who leads you in the way of truth. It is the Spirit Who convicts you when you are straying and sinning so that you can, with hope and joy turn to Jesus and find grace and mercy. It is the Spirit Who continually reveals to you Jesus Christ and immeasurable riches of the salvation that you have in Him.

Our Father in heaven hallowed be Your Name. Thank You for the magnificent gift of Jesus Christ and His reconciling work, by which all who believe are called Your sons and daughters. Thank You for the Spirit poured out so that believers are sealed for Jesus Christ and are directed in all truth. Spirit of the Living God by Your mighty power continually change the course of my life and refresh the attitudes of my mind so that I will whole-heartedly and willing deny myself, take up my cross and follow Jesus Christ and this to the glory of the Father. Amen.

https://youtu.be/WNz_s7uV_uo Keith Green “Rushing Wind”

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

May 26, 2023 -- Psalm 28:6-9 -- The Psalm Series: the rest of the story

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

Blessed be the LORD!
    For he has heard the voice of my pleas for mercy.
7 The LORD is my strength and my shield;
    in him my heart trusts, and I am helped;
my heart exults,
    and with my song I give thanks to him.

8 The LORD is the strength of his people;
    he is the saving refuge of his anointed.
9 Oh, save your people and bless your heritage!
    Be their shepherd and carry them forever.
Psalm 28:6-9 ESV

To be honest, this is cherry-picking. That is, taking the best fruit and leaving the rest of the psalm unexplained and unexplored. Believers love a passage like this. It is a high-point of praise to God and a celebration of His blessings. However, if all you do is read this, you are missing why the psalmist has reached this summit. Go ahead, read it now. It is a short psalm, take a minute or two to turn in your Bible and read the whole of it.

Now you understand. David had faced the silence of the LORD. He called out. No answer. He asked for mercy. Nothing. He saw the works of wicked men and it seemed they were prospering. He himself, not so much.

Rather than getting into a pit of depression, David is remembering the past goodness of God. Think of all the times the LORD has heard your prayers. Go ahead, see if you can count them. You can’t! That much I already know. He has heard your plenteous pleas for mercy. Even now, when it seems prayers have not been answered as quickly as you’d like, know this, the LORD your God, He is your strength. That is why you are still praying. He is your shield. In Jesus Christ all the flaming darts of the evil one have fallen to the ground, and they are ineffective to cause our Father to disown you. Do not give up. Keep praying. He is carrying you through.

Our Father in heaven hallowed be Your Name. Great is Your glory and profound is Your persistent kindness. Thank You for Jesus Christ. Thank You, that in Jesus’ powerful Name we are assured that not one of our prayers have fallen on deaf ears. Spirit of God, like a rushing wind, blow into the temple of our hearts and minds with the knowledge of the goodness of God so that we can pray, waiting with assurance, that the Father in heaven is even now answering the prayers of His people. Not just the prayers of people ‘out there’, but even now, You are answering my prayer. O blessed be the LORD! You are the strength of Your people. Amen.

https://youtu.be/9sE5kEnitqE CeCe Winans “Goodness of God”

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