May 13, 2024 -- Proverbs 13:20 -- Walking not as a fool but as one who is wise

Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise,
    but the companion of fools will suffer harm.
Proverbs 13:20 ESV

To understand this proverb one must know the difference between the wise and the fool. According to the Bible, “the fool says in his heart there is no god” (Psalm 14:1). The fool is one who has all kinds of worldly ideas, thoughts on god, or imaginings of what god must be like, but has not grounded such ideas in Scripture. The fool has made ultimate one aspect of life to the detriment of the rest of life. For example, there are so many foolish climate activists who are defacing art in an attempt to highlight the climate crisis. Their commitment to one cause has unbalanced them.

As you readers will know, much of my work is with prisoners and those recently released, many of whom are addicts seeking to break free from the chains of addiction. Groups like Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous will make sobriety the greatest priority. As soon as this happens, one loses his way with the One True God. A commitment to a cause unbalances one’s sense of Who God Is. You can be sober but still rushing along the highway to hell.

The wise know this “for the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding; He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk in integrity” (Proverbs 2:6-7). Those who are wise are men and women who submit themselves to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. He is the Way, the Truth and the Life, no one comes to the Father except through Him. Those who, strengthened by the Holy Spirit, read the Bible are informed how to live in view of the Truth of God. He is ultimate. God the Father is the ultimate good in one’s life. He may be approached only through Jesus Christ, this is the exclusive claim of Christianity that causes others to howl.

Be fair at this point. In a community forum, the Jewish man, an agnostic, and a believer in Islam, will state there are points of contact. They may even cooperate on projects like community foodbanks for those in poverty or immigration policies that unite families; but do not be fooled, they do not regard these causes as ultimate. There will be strenuous denials among them that all roads lead to God. The point is, people will absolutize that which is convenient or close to their heart.

The one who walks in the wisdom of the One, True God, serves Him alone. All other areas of life—sobriety, fitness, family, climate, finances, and so on—are brought fully into submission to Him. When one area of life begins to assert itself as more important, or equally important, such equivocations lead a person away from whole-hearted service to the Triune God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. In Him alone is all our joy; “a desire fulfilled is sweet to the soul” (Proverbs 13:19). Jesus is all our heart’s desire. Ah, in Him is found such sweetness and this world cannot comprehend any of this. I guess that is the point—Jesus is such sweetness the world cannot comprehend Him, unless the Spirit awakens the soul and shows a man both his mind and his desires are best filled in Christ alone.

Our Father in heaven thank You for the life and healing and grace You have showered on us in Jesus Christ. Thank You, Lord Jesus Christ, that You, for the joy set before You, endured the cross, scorning its shame. Thank You, Spirit of the Living God, for the new life in Christ which You breathe into us. Thank You, Spirit of God, for the teaching of Scripture which is a fountain of life which exposes to us all the concealed, worldly snares of death. Faithful Father, thank You for the godly friends and wise brothers and sisters in the Lord whom You have given to us. Help us, by Your Spirit, to be godly counselors to all those who You put into our life. Amen.

https://youtu.be/72mzKbEAP5g?si=Ub_2NZ0BW4paXvgN Wonderful, Merciful Savior

May 11, 2024 -- Reprint of a favorite devotion from May 11, 2023

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

May 10, 2024 -- II Thessalonians 3:11-13 -- Do not be busy-bodies, but bodies busy at work

For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. 12 Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.
13 As for you, brothers, do not grow weary in doing good.
II Thessalonians 3:11-13 ESV

Type into your search engine “universal basic income” and you’ll get a huge number of websites which directly speak to this. Some explain what what it is. Others propose that all people in a society should receive a basic income from the government. The premise is this: doesn’t matter if you are working, or not working, you'd receive money that would put you above the poverty line. This would be yours even if you are not working. Crazy.

When God created Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, He gave them work to do. This was before there was sin, before the Devil had tempted Eve and the rebellion of humanity had started. Work is part of creation order. It is the command of God. It is the blessing of God. It gives to the one who works the glorious sense of accomplishment in a job well done.

What happens when someone is bored? Idleness leads men and women to create drama. In Thessalonians here the phrase is some people are “not busy at work, but busybodies”. We’ve all met those. People who can with one text stir up drama and anger and frustration.

In our prisons, so many men and women are bored and cause trouble because there are neither educational opportunities nor work opportunities. In our welfare system, healthy men and women are paid to do nothing. In our drug and alcohol recovery centres, so many men and women do time, get clean—but have no goal to be productive, working. Nor do many of these programs encourage healthy working habits.

The greatest and most glorious task any man or woman can undertake is to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ and His salvation. In the Old Testament, God had commanded Adam and Eve to extend the Garden of Eden to fill the earth. The Garden of Eden was the place where God met with His people. So, as the population expanded, there’d be more and more room for people to meet with God.

In the New Testament, Jesus, having borne the punishment of God against sin, commanded His followers to preach the Good News, freedom from slavery to sin, to addictions, to hopelessness, and new life in Christ. Believers work at their jobs as if working for Jesus because He sees their efforts and strivings and honours it. Believers have a work ethic that is noticeable, because it brings credit to Jesus. Work brings order to society. Believers are ordinary people. It is by the strength of the Holy Spirit that believers avoid becoming busy-bodies and we work pleasing the Lord. Those who have worked and are retired are a valuable resource to pray for and encourage those who are actively working. Retirees can volunteer at church and in the community. There is always something useful to do that builds the Kingdom.

Father in heaven, thank You for the new life which is ours in Jesus Christ. We pray for our government, leaders, and policy makers that there will be a recovery of the knowledge of the importance You have placed on honest work. Lord Jesus, thank You for the useful tasks You give Your people. Thank You for the Great Commission\ that as home-makers and retirees, as workers and students, we have the privilege of doing the work You have called us to do. Spirit of the Living God help us to fulfil the command of the Father, so that we will walk in fellowship with our Glorious Lord. Amen.

https://youtu.be/y3gWwGDGgVA?si=ie3DVeyPmuG0rt7A “Take My Life and Let It Be”

Copyright © 2024 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

May 8, 2024 -- Psalm 18:25-27 -- Solid Christianity and a Good Memory

With the merciful you show yourself merciful;
    with the blameless man you show yourself blameless;
26 with the purified you show yourself pure;
    and with the crooked you make yourself seem tortuous.
27 For you save a humble people,
    but the haughty eyes you bring down.
Psalm 18:25-27 ESV

First off, know that this Psalm was composed when David had been saved from the hand of all his enemies and from King Saul. That is important background. In fact, there were two times when Saul was completely vulnerable and David could have killed him, but he showed mercy. David was prepared to submit himself to God's agenda and timing. Those who know the mercy of God are prepared to show mercy to others.

Second, the story of David is convoluted. When his sins were pointed out to him, he admitted them and turned to God asking for His forgiveness. And David sinned. A lot. Why point that out? Like David, we are sinners. In so many ways we chomp against the bit and want to go our own way. It was David's desire to be blameless. As New Testament Christians we know that blamelessness is the result of Jesus' work on the cross.

Next, David sings to God Who is Pure. Those who delight in God are those who know they have been made pure. We live in an age that fears contaminants. There are all kinds of water filters available. They strain out all the impurities. In Jesus Christ believers are purified. All the stains of sin and the wickedness associated with the evil inclinations of the heart are continually strained out by the work of Jesus at the Cross. His Spirit applies this to believers. Believers who yield and submit themselves to walking in God's glorious salvation.

In the fourth place, look at verse 26, the reference to the crooked. There still is so much in us that fights the salvation of God. It takes great effort to walk in obedience to Him. Those who are crooked of heart (that is where we get the term “crook” from) are straining against the commands of God. They complain that following God is too hard. Precisely at this moment a good memory is most important. Remember how terrible, hard, sinful, corrupt life was before God swept in and saved you? Remember your broken, sin-filled condition before the salvation of God set you in a place of safety.

Finally, look at the distinction—the humble are those who, in view of the great salvation of God ask: “how can I follow Jesus Christ?” What are His commands so that I will not leave His protection? Christians do not toy with sin or get too close to non-Christians who can not understand the joy of our salvation. Non-Christian friends cannot help but pull a believer away from whole-hearted service to the Living God. They have not seen what the believer knows to be true: the rescue of God. The haughty are those who, having experienced the salvation of God and seen His goodness, decide now they know what they need to do and what feels good and instead of living for Jesus, they cherry-pick where they will be obedient and where the demands of God are too high, too hard, or too inconvenient.

Preachers banging the pulpit, or friends offering guilt-trips will never bring a man back into obedience. Look at the start of the Psalm, when you have time, read it. David declared God is his strength, Rock, deliverer. Because David remembered all the saving work of God, all the LORD’s deeds which rescued him, it was not hard for David to yield to God all obedience. So, dear family in our Lord Jesus Christ—have you spent time thinking about God’s story of rescue and salvation in your life? Duly humbled and renewed in gratefulness, walk with Him.

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, forever. Amen.

https://youtu.be/NPlVhCZUR68?si=3qXEsOsaZX6rYIp_ Our Father

Copyright © 2024 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

May 7, 2024 -- II Thessalonians 1:9-10 -- Marveling at Jesus

9 They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, 10 when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed.
II Thessalonians 1:9-10 ESV

There are two paths that lead to eternity. Those who serve the Lord Jesus Christ will be see Him glorified and spend eternity with Him in the new heavens and the new earth. Those who reject Him now will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction away from the presence of the Lord, that is, in hell.

How do you distinguish between the two? Sometimes God-haters are obvious. Sometimes they are present in among the saints in churches and Christian fellowship groups. The question that distinguishes the child of God from the one heading for destruction is this: “can I get away with this?” One who is heading for destruction doesn’t care so much about the glory of God as for his own ego, pleasure and comfort. One rushing toward ruin and hell is content with “close enough” to be pleasing to God.

However, the child of God seeks to please God. An adopted son or daughter, realizing the blessing of living in the household of God will bless Him, praise Him, seek to honour Him. It is a joy to empty out one’s life in service to God because of the incomprehensible love of God given in Jesus Christ. The Spirit of God stirs up the believer so he will acknowledge God’s presence and His goodness in every area of life.

What originally caught my attention was that Jesus will be marveled at among all who have believed. This is the condition which starts at the moment a man is truly saved and grows. Marveling at Jesus will fill the mind and the imagination through-out eternity. It is wonder and awe, having begun when a believer is saved, prompting to ask how can I serve Him more? This joy-filled obedience only grows through-out eternity. As one begins to understand more fully the excellencies of Jesus, His splendour beyond description, then more thoroughly will the saint in heaven clap his hand to his mouth and continually marvel at the humiliation of Jesus, Who left heaven to take on flesh and become a man, a hated man, so that by His sacrifice those who are awed before Him and spend their time delighting in Him, would be saved. Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Father in heaven, Who alone lives in unapproachable light, how great is Your mercy and love. Thank You for Jesus Christ, the wonderful Savior, before Whom we marvel, almost unable to put words together to express His magnificence and beneficence. Spirit of God, sent by the Father and the Son to live in us, teach us more of the glorious salvation that is ours in Jesus, so that with all the saints here on earth and those in the light of His presence will be deepened in our precious faith and continually grow in our capacity to marvel at Him. Spirit, incline our minds to serve Him more perfectly and our hands seek greater acts of obedience which express our loving devotion to Him. Amen.

https://youtu.be/fK6sYVQCqhs?si=o7ACAyP3wQe75LUH “Wonderful, Merciful Savior”

Copyright © 2024 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

May 5, 2024 -- Various Texts -- One of the most important questions I've ever received

Dear Struggling Follower of Jesus:

Thank you so much for reaching out. That must have taken a lot of courage. Your honest question , “Can God really love me?” requires an equally honest answer.

First, know that everyone has sinned and falls short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). This is important to understand. If someone doesn’t know the need for God’s forgiveness, nor realize the depths to which that healing forgiveness is needed, then the rest won’t make sense.

Second, it is God Himself Who can rescue the sinful. “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, Who gave Himself for our sins to deliver us (literally, to rescue us)  from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to Whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. (Galatians 1:3-5)

When does sin infect us? What happens when sin infects us?

Well, sin is with us from the moment we are conceived (Psalm 51:5). This is true for every person, except for Adam and Eve, and Jesus Christ. Adam and Eve were created without sin, they were good. They chose to sin and rebel against God. So, the result is that all their children and subsequent descendants are stained with sin from the moment of conception onwards. Jesus is without original sin, that is, inherited sin from Adam and Eve because His conception happened at the command of the Holy Spirit. The stain of inherited sin was kept from Him.

When sin infects us, then the image of God in us is severely damaged. When Adam and Eve were created, the image of God in them consisted of true righteousness,  true holiness and true knowledge (Ephesians 4:24, Colossians 3:10). In Adam we have fallen from true righteousness, true holiness and true knowledge. The point is no one can fully know oneself unless one has been reborn in the image of God. Sin stained the sense of self. The sense of acceptance. The sense of what one is like or what one should be. Sin pervades all of life. Those who are not walking with God will always have a sense of incompleteness, a sense that things are not right or good or going as they should. This awkwardness, called dissonance, is the grace of God, disrupting sinful patterns and calling people to look to Him to find true peace.

When anyone understands this, then one realizes every single person who ever lived, except Jesus, has been so infected by sin that one’s judgment, reason, emotions and spiritually are in severe need of God’s rescue. Rescue that Isaiah puts this way:  3 He will keep in perfect peace all those who trust in him, whose thoughts turn often to the Lord! 4 Trust in the Lord God always, for in the Lord Jehovah is your everlasting strength (Isaiah 26:3-4 NLT).

Can God really rescue any sinner?

Look again at Romans 3 “For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, Whom God put forward as a propitiation by His blood, to be received by faith. (Romans 3:22b-25a ESV).

Everyone has sinned.

Everyone needs Jesus Christ to set aside God’s punishment on our sins, because our sins have been punished on the Person of Jesus Christ. Those who believe in Jesus, the One Whom God Sent, receive Jesus’ purity and even as Jesus was punished, having taken on our impurity and wickedness.

Everyone’s sexuality has been affected by the Fall. A long time ago I heard a counselor say “normal is just a setting on the dryer”. I chuckled. There are all kinds of ways in which we can dishonour God with our bodies. The point is, when God takes hold of your heart and mind, all things begin to change. There is a restoration of God’s image: true righteousness, true holiness and true knowledge.

Righteousness is making God’s way your way. The Scripture is the teaching on this.

Holiness is the submission of self to God and the desire to carry out the commands of God.

Knowledge is distinguishing between the advice of the world (which is in rebellion against God) and the advice of one’s old nature (which will pull against God, even Christians struggle hard to stay on track with keeping God’s way their way) and the advice of the Devil. The Devil is that old liar who used to have free range in our heads. When the knowledge of God enters the head and heart, then one will ask the very question you have been asking, Follower of Jesus “can God love me this way?” The honest and direct answer is no. If one remains in sin, accepting sinful practice as the way of life, then sin is the Master, not God.

The better question, is: Can God give you peace to live within yourself as He recreates you?

This might seem impossible. But read this:

“Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolators, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the Kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” I Corinthians 6:9-11 ESV

Struggling Christian, it is not just those who struggle with trans-feelings , or homosexual fantasies, or gossips, or con-artists who can be rescued by God. Look at the list. It shows that all sins before God are sins that require His rescue. And look at the verb tense in the last two sentences “such WERE some of you” and “you were washed”. It is a past tense with continuing effect in the present. God has purified you and He will continually purify you.

Ultimately the question is this: do you love your life and therefore you will chose to live without God or will you hate the chains that bind you in your sexuality, or whatever sin has a hold on you, and will you choose to let God transform you from the inside out? To truly love your life is to hate it and turn from the emptiness of it and submitting every area of life to God, so that He will bring new life to you.

Paul is writing to people who struggle with old patterns of sin. They were struggling in that they’d expected Jesus’ victory would mean there is never a pull to old sinful way. Read on. There is hope because God rescues people, from whatever orientation, whatever sin, whatever in-born inclination to sin they had. Theft. Lust. Reviling. Addiction. Sex. This is the True Power of God. He is greater than all your sin, all the brokenness of your past, by His Spirit living in you, all the temptations can lose their power.

Does that mean a person never has to fight against the old temptations and old sins? No way!

An athlete has to keep training, eating right, and sleeping right and will fight the urges to binge eat and quit practicing, but keeps fighting those temptations because the goal is in mind.

So, too, a Christian, knowing the pleasure of God, knowing the hope and joy of belonging to God through the accomplished work of Jesus, will always have to fight temptations. Some temptations find their source in the stuff which the world throws up at them. Other temptations are pitched at you by the Devil. TBH, temptations can arise from one’s own old habits and laziness will trip you up and try to stop you in your tracks, keeping you from the work of living for Jesus.

“But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” Philippines 3:14-15. See the work involved in this. One must put to death the old nature. One has to put to death the lies which are repeated in the soundtrack of your brain, the old tunes you’d listened to and begin listening to God. Make Scripture reading your highest priority. Listen to see what God says about you—who you are in Him. Know that others are praying for you. Others are honoured that you dared to share this struggle. Others have the same depths of battling that you have, just in different areas. All those who wonder “do you think He loves me?” can hear the loud, clear, wondrous answer of the Bible: Yes! He will defeat the sin in your life that is slowly killing you and He loves you enough to teach you the true and strengthen you to live for Him.

Ah, Dear Struggling Christian, keep asking hard questions. Keep searching for the help of God and the advice of Christians who love God.

May God the Father strengthen you by the Holy Spirit so that you will live in the power of Jesus’ reconciling work. Shalom to you.

Richard

https://youtu.be/UV8bv4QuDtM?si=E67FlGf3lDb5NUN6 “Behold our God”

May 3, 2024 -- Ephesians 5:8-10 -- Glorious Light

for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), 10 and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord.
Ephesians 5:8-10 ESV

Recently it happened again. A man asked me a sensitive question. If a baby died, whose parents were devout (though not to Jesus), would this little one go to heaven? The man added, that child had not done good or evil. It is a painful question because there are so many emotions tied up with this and so many personal experiences. Look at the first part of today's text. When people are not walking with Jesus they are darkness. Those who belong belong to Jesus are light. So, parents who are the shield or covering of their child—their faithfulness to God or their rebellion against God is profoundly connected to whatever happens to their young children. Until a child reaches the age of majority and himself can walk in light or darkness, that child’s life and his death is bound up with the deeds of his parents.

Why mention this? The text answers a basic question. There is no such thing as good if one is trying to define good without the Lord Jesus. As clearly as we can tell the different between light and dark, so clearly does the Bible teach that a man, a women, a child can not be good without Jesus’ redeeming work and the powerful presence of the Spirit directing him ever deeper into the light of Christ.

So, try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord, Parents, disciple your children to know Jesus. Pray for your young ones. Know the Bible well enough so that you can explain it to your growing children as they reach adulthood. Know the light of God and walk in it. Spring out here in the Maritimes has been cool and cloudy. Whenever sunshine breaks through the gloom of the clouds, well, people respond. After a gloomy morning, the sun started breaking up the afternoon clouds. I had been shopping. As I brought various things to the counter the cashier, whose till was facing the interior of the store and the large windows behind her were bathing her in glorious sunlight shared, isn’t it wonderful? The sunshine! Yes. Light has that effect on us. So too the light of Jesus Christ.

Wherever it is God has placed you, ask God, how can I serve You? A carpenter will have a different answer than a social worker. A nurse and a retiree will have different tasks to do. But whoever you are, whatever your health or lack of it, your riches or poverty, the Lord has a task for you that will shine His light into the areas He has ordained for you to shine. Ask God, what can I do today that will be pleasing to You? Help me to please You.

Glorious LORD Who alone lives in unapproachable light, blessed are You, now and forever more. Thank You for the light of Christ, Your Son, our Savior, Who dispels the darkness of our souls and brings the light of life. Spirit of God, help us to discern what is pleasing to You. Motivate us to walk as children of light so that those around us who are still chained in gloomy darkness, will be drawn to the light of Christ and seek release in His wonderful Name. Amen.

https://youtu.be/ndZsEDuCVAQ?si=SfCseGsEFmd2dXoI Psalm 27

Copyright © 2024 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

May 2, 2024 -- Proverbs 2:1-5 -- The Best Spiritual Stock Tip Ever

My son, if you receive my words
    and treasure up my commandments with you,
2 making your ear attentive to wisdom
    and inclining your heart to understanding;
3 yes, if you call out for insight
    and raise your voice for understanding,
4 if you seek it like silver
    and search for it as for hidden treasures,
5 then you will understand the fear of the LORD
    and find the knowledge of God.
Proverbs 2:1-5 ESV

As I am writing this, gold prices have gone up about 27 dollars an ounce since yesterday. It is trending at $2319.00 per ounce. Silver is at about 26.95 an ounce. Why is the author of Proverbs suggesting people seek God’s insight and understanding like one would seek silver? When you compare the prices of silver and gold—silver seems far more attainable. It is within reach. Sure, it takes diligence and work to get silver; but gold seems too expensive, too out of reach for ordinary people.

Why are times alone with God so precious? They are a treasure, like silver, that can be yours by diligence, increased by constant effort, that is, by time spent alone with Him. Read the Word. Your life depends on it. Your future depends on it. Your hope depends on it.

Yesterday I was listening to a teaching by Paul Washer. He said if a strong man, a well-known fighter, fasted for many days, he’d take him on in a fight. The man would be so weakened by his lack of food he could easily be picked off. Now, think of the Devil. If you have fasted from the word of God, you are as weak as can be and you'd have no defense against the punches and schemes of the Devil.

Take in the Word of God, like a man who is ending a long fast. Read the Bible, like a man who is assessing stock markets and desiring silver, wanting to have it as treasure. Trust that God will build your treasures in Heaven. The great treasures you store there, that can never be taken: seeing Jesus, your Savior, face to face. Knowing your sins, what a glorious thought, your sins, not in part, but the whole are nailed to the cross of Jesus and now you have eternity to rejoice in His presence, praising Him, thanking Him, honouring Him. You have life that stretches on for all eternity. You will have the capacity, granted to you by the Spirit of God, to know God ever more fully and ever more completely truly enjoy Him.

God of Splendor and Glory, Who is like You? There are no treasures, no gods, no good that can be found anywhere in the universe, or in the mines of mountains, or in the depths of ocean that can be compared to You. You are without rival or equal. You alone are God, marvelous in all Your ways. Your radiance is reflected in Jesus Christ—Who is the exact representation of Your glory and goodness and faithfulness. Ah, LORD of Wisdom, send Your Spirit so that our hunger for the Word increases and our ability to take it in is expanded. Spirit of the Living God, help us to treasure up every page of Scripture and hoard it like silver from heaven that can never be stolen, but gains ever more interest every day. Amen.

https://youtu.be/XKOoeTbjSeI?si=1TgMqD0194shq3YX “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing”

Copyright © 2024 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

April 30, 2024 -- I John 4:1a -- Alone with your thoughts: is that great or grievous?

Beloved. do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God…
I John 4:1a ESV

Dear friends in Jesus, yesterday I heard Chaplain Peter give his introduction to chaplaincy. He was speaking to those who are new to prison. He noted that in the next province (I was in Nova Scotia) there is a prison called Dorchester. The second part of its name tells a lot about the reason it was built. It is Dorchester Penitentiary. Very odd. Most people do not know what penance is. Or what a penitentiary is.

Think of where monks went. They went to monasteries. There they lived in cells. They went to contemplate their lives, to discern (to test) what is from God and what is worldliness. The world throws so many distractions at you. Radio. TV. Videos. Cell phones. Work. Play. Entertainment. Sports. The list is nearly endless. Even in a monastery a monk’s thoughts were filled with wicked thoughts and ungodly impulses. Over time they were trained to spend time in their cells thinking about God, reading the Bible and actively governing their thought life.

About 100 years ago, the idea caught on that Corrections Canada should build prisons along the same model. Where men would be placed in cells so they could think about their past, their actions, and learn a new way of living. The problem is, many committed their crimes in order to avoid alone time and avoid their thoughts. Now, the real torture is being alone 20 hours a day with nothing to do or think about and be tormented by thoughts which plague.This struck a chord for the men listening to Chaplain Peter. Many of them were visibly moved when he told them how hard it is to have alone time and have thoughts as one’s only companion. Especially a mind where the patterns of thoughts have never been governed. As a Christian man, I know this is an important message for us all.

The Bible calls men and women to turn from the sinful ways of the world. To test the spirits of this age. Whatever is being presented to you—is it lust, or greed, or violence, or anger, or sensual, or sexual, or anything else which will lead you to other sorts of sin? Then, having tested, or discerned, what is at the heart of the temptation, you can make a wise choice. Run from sin. Turn to God. Repent and believe.

The Word calls on believers to confess Jesus Christ. Any thought, deed, or impulse that would pull one away from the Savior must be thrown to the ground. So that believers can fully, at all hours, live in obedience to Jesus. This takes a life-time of practice. It also explains why many men, after being incarcerated for a while, turn from sin, run from their wicked thoughts and find in Jesus the relief they’d never before had. Suddenly the relevance of chaplaincy is driven home to the hearts and the minds of the men: what do I do with my thoughts, with being alone? There is an answer. What a glorious Savior we serve—He goes to the hurting and the humbled and brings them salvation.

O God, Whose nature and property is ever to have mercy and to forgive; receive our humble petitions; and though we be tied and bound with the chain of our sins, yet let the pitifulness of thy great mercy loose us; for the honour of Jesus Christ, our Mediator and Advocate. Amen.
Divine Service for the Armed Forces, 1950, page 12

https://youtu.be/tP49cL4XJDw?si=tRfdpYm1x9ObMW2H “Remember Not, O God”

Copyright © 2024 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

April 29, 2024 -- Genesis 12:10 & Genesis 13:2 -- Faith and Obedience

Now there was a famine in the land. So Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine was severe in the land. Genesis 12:10

Now Abram was very rich in livestock, in siler, and in gold. Genesis 13:2

Quite a contrast. In the first quotation the LORD of Glory used the famine to test Abram and Sarai’s obedience and faithfulness. They failed. They lied. They did not trust the LORD to protect them, as He had protected them since calling them out of the land of Ur, having them cross the 1600 plus km to Shechem, through harsh wilds where beasts might devour and territories where enemies might strike them. They’d seen the goodness of God, but did not trust Him to protect them in Egypt. Though they were faithless, God was faithful.

In the second quotation, Abram’s riches brought him into conflict with Lot, his nephew. The land where they were staying could not support the flocks and herds of both men. This time, Abram was honourable. It shows that he was growing in his confident trust in the LORD. He was trusting God to provide for him.

The point is simple, dear family in Christ, the heavenly Father uses all the circumstances of our life to reveal how much, or how little, we trust Him. The Spirit of the Living God uses the Word along with these tests for obedience and faith in order to bring us to confess what needs to be confessed, bless God where we see the growth He is bringing, and deepen true community in Christ.  Where one brother sees another struggling—he can encourage his struggling brother to find peace in his walk with Jesus.

Father in heaven thank You that Your eye is always on Your child. Thank You that You are using every circumstance of our life so that we will grow in Christ, ever deeper in obedience, ever more aware of our need to rely on the Spirit for greater steadfastness in faith. Thank You for every example of Scripture where You, O God, are the hero, their rescue-story and Savior. Amen.

https://youtu.be/ghi-48bqqDE?si=IjxKCc2uSQpJLbKI “Rescue Story”

April 28, 2024 -- Proverbs 28:2 -- What happens when leaders act in ways that are lawless

When a land transgresses, it has many rulers,
    but with a man of understanding and knowledge,
    its stability will long continue.
Proverbs 28:2 ESV

Simply put, when the people in any country rebel against God and His ways, they will experience all kinds of instability. Let me give an illustration from what is happening here in New Brunswick. Premier Higgs and his education minister have determined that schools must inform parents when a child, under 16 years of age, wants to change his preferred gender or pronouns, or follow through with even worse advice so freely given. Moncton’s Anglophone East District Education Council has defied the law and voted to allow students to do so anyways. (In fact, leaked documents from the AEDEC show they have determined that parents are among those who do not have the best interests of children at heart!) The Education minister repealed the ruling of the Education Council. Then the Education Council voted their illegal policy back into force. This one example highlights how many rulers the land has. The East District Education Council is leading in rebellion against the government. The agenda of sex politics is influencing policy across the country—in defiance of sense, worse yet, in defiance of God’s order. He Who created all things, does He not have the right to rule?

The effects of the East District Education Council will be that students, seeing their local authority rebelling and acting without reference to proper authority will themselves increase in lawless behavior. That lawless behaviour will happen at home, at school, and disregard for laws of property, or the safety of those around them. Students will be bullies and disrespectful because they see their own teachers and school board acting in that way. Parental authority, long being eroded by the federal government’s policies and now by this Education Council, incites formerly law-abiding men and women to react as well.

The Bible explains why there is such a growing chaotic increase of people who act as if they are in charge—it is the direct result of the leaders of the land who are violating the laws of God. What can bring about a change? When the land, from the households of believers, to the House, begin to abide by the Law of God change will happen. Believers are commanded to pray for leaders and all those in authority “that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way” (I Timothy 2:2).

How does a Christian respond to the chaos in Canada? He is confident of God’s Sovereign rule. He prays. He lives in accord with the regulations God has laid down in the Bible—knowing that the LORD Who saved him from death, hell, and the power of the Devil, will direct him so that his life will shine as a powerful witness to the world around him. Believers will understand that Christians have, through-out the generations, expected to suffer and they did in fact suffer for our precious faith. This is true today as well. Do not despair. Trust in the divine rule of God, confident that evil will always, ultimately claw against itself, while those who trust in the LORD will renew their strength. Gather with other Christians in church. Keep before your eyes the goodness of God.

Father in heaven thank You for Jesus Christ, Who gave Himself as a ransom for all. Thank You that the powers of this age and the demonic powers of unseen realms are no match for Your plan, Your purposes and the good You will bring into the lives of Your people. Forgive us, Father of Mercy, for our prayerlessness and our misplaced discouragement. By the presence of Your Spirit, renew in us the clear awareness that Christ is the King and He is reigning in power. As Your people gather to worship, O Triune God, redirect us by Your Word and Spirit so that we will live as a vital force for good in this crooked and wicked generation. Prepare us for the suffering that will come to us, which is light and momentary suffering, in view of the great glory and mighty salvation which is ours in Christ. Let our lives reflect Your glory. Amen.

https://youtu.be/2DN3L2FQMLg?si=Qt-Q7-o_mg4FFYRI “God Moves in a Mysterious Way”

Copyright © 2024 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

April 26, 2024 -- Mark 15:33-34 -- The One, Great Shield

And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. 34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
Mark 15:33-34 ESV

He will cover you with his pinions,
    and under his wings you will find refuge;
    his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
Psalm 91:4 ESV

The picture of Jesus on the cross is so worthy of contemplation. When one’s love for Jesus is not as passionate, not as full as it should be, ponder what Jesus was doing for you at the cross. His arms stretched out, nailed to the cross. Like wings His arms reached out. Pinned there, while the wrath of the Father against your sin and my sin was poured out, unrelentingly emptied on Jesus in fullest measure, His arms stretched out and protected you. In that terrible darkness, Jesus was your shield. The three hours of darkness, when the Father crushed the Son, punishing Him for your sin and mine, Jesus was the shield spoken of in Psalm 91. The full venting of God’s just anger against sin hit Jesus and He shielded us from ever having to experience it. He is the full-body shield, and He is the buckler, the smaller shield worn on the arm so that attacks from any angle or any side can be repelled.

You won’t understand how good the Good News is until you understand how bad you are and how badly you need Good News. It is too easy to be ho-hum in relation to God. Cool in prayer. Slow in doing good. What reignites the fire of faith is the true sense that our sins deserve the punishment of God. If the shield were ever removed, the molten hot justice of God against sin would spew out and your every sin would be punished bodily, mentally, spiritually and for eternity. God is that holy. You are that sinful. Jesus is providing the refuge under His outstretched arms, He wings of protection. Jesus is your everlasting shield.

It is the contemplation of Jesus, reflecting on His work of shielding and covering you, that moves your formerly icy heart to break, warm, and respond. The Spirit Who lives in you, Who directs you to Jesus, will deepen your devotion and broaden your response to Jesus. When your own self-pity, or your awareness of your sinfulness drowns you, look to Jesus. He endured the darkness, the punishment of God, covering You with His wings of love and shielding You until the wrath of God was spent on Him and lighting the other side is the grace, mercy and love of God your Father.

Father in heaven how great is Your grace and mercy towards us, wretched sinners that we are. How marvelous is the shielding love of Jesus covering us completely so that no trace of Your wrath reaches us. Spirit of the Living God, how great and blessed is Your work, carried out deep within the recesses of our souls whereby the work of Jesus is put into effect. Triune God, lead us out, away from our selfish, selfie culture. Bring us to the sheltering refuge of Jesus where we find it our delight to worship Your holy Name. Amen.

https://youtu.be/anE5zlOHaic?si=rXqB4xI7UMAYbprg “10,000 Reasons” Selah

Copyright © 2024 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

April 25, 2024 -- Romans 3:21-26 -- What's So Amazing About Grace?

But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
Romans 3:21-26 ESV

You might already be very familiar with verse 23, but look closely at verse 24, sinners are justified by God’s grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. There is a double emphasis here. Grace is unmerited favor. It is not earned. So, the word grace itself already communicates the fact it is God’s loving, patient disposition toward His people. So grace by definition is a gift. However, Paul can't help himself. He underlines it. He calls the justification of sinners God's grace as a gift. It is His divine choice to be show His people good will, instead of the punishment and wrath they so richly deserve. Grace is the profound kindness of God which draws believers back from their sins and by His Spirit working brings brings them back to Himself. Grace is God’s blessing poured out into every of the life of each one of His people.

When you know the kindness of God and even so have chosen to rebel, and the Spirit makes you aware of your sinfulness, so that you turn from it and run back to God. That is grace.

When you review all your sins, know all your weaknesses, and realize there isn’t anything in you that could ever commend you to God, yet the Word of God teaches you He has set His love on you. That is grace.

When you strive to do good, and your work and words fall short, but the Spirit teaches you that God is not frowning in heaven, but by the blood of Jesus Christ you are wearing the good works of Jesus as your mantle, that is grace.

Grace is the blessing of God, given constantly, steadily, unstintingly, on your life.

Grace is communicated to you by the Spirit’s powerful presence in your life, through the preaching of the Gospel, and the Lord’s Supper and baptism. Grace is communicated to you where there is Christian discipline unto repentance exercised in your local Christian church.

Our Father in heaven may Your Name be honoured and adored forever—on earth as in heaven above. Thank You for the free gift of Your amazing grace given to Your people through Jesus Christ. Father in heaven let Your Spirit hold us by the spout where Your grace continually pours out and the kingdom of Christ is all about us. Amen.

https://youtu.be/ZoJz2SANTyo?si=or9lzjYx117FgnpI Soweto Gospel Choir — Amazing Grace

Copyright © 2024 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

April 23, 2024 -- I Timothy 4:7-10 -- What kind of effort does it take to set one's hope on God?

Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; 8 for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. 9 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance. 10 For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.
I Timothy 4:7-10 ESV

Last evening several of us from our Bible Study group attended the Harvest House graduation of our friend Michel. He has done so well in his walk with God and in his journey towards sobriety. It was a blessing to celebrate with him and three other graduates. So many others fail on that journey. So many started and fall away. Our passage today teaches us a saying that is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance.

Look at the pair of verbs in verse 10—toil and strive. To toil is to work at something. I laughed when someone used this expression: “he ate that hamburger platter like it was his job”. You can see someone working through a plate of food with purpose, with tempo and with relish. Life in Christ is a constant training in godliness. It is our job. We are to work with purpose, with tempo and with delight. Added to toil is that word strive. To strive is to devote the time, dedication and effort necessary to make something happen. Toiling for the sake of Jesus must be coupled with striving—that is, day in, day out, putting in the effort knowing the goal is a long-term one. When one stumbles, and you will stumble, the man or woman who strives is the one who joins others in regrouping, refocusing and going forward once again so that one achieves the glorious goal of knowing Jesus Christ and living for Him.

The world has all kinds of distractions and side-shows. The silly myths that the passage speaks of. There are all kinds of lies generated by our world (a world which is in rebellion against God). So many subtle lies mixed with just enough truth to mask their maliciousness. By reading the Word, praying, and walking in company with Christians whose walk with God you admire you can show the lies for what they truly are and continue in your purposeful toiling and striving for godliness.

Blessed Father in heaven thank You that You have the perspective of eternity. Thank You that You have declared salvation for Your elect through the reconciling blood of Jesus. Thank You, faithful Father, for the inner working of the Holy Spirit, Who never gets tired, never gets bored, never gets distracted in bringing believers back to their glorious hope which is anchored in Jesus Christ. Triune God, help us to toil and strive with dedication and focus, so that we will be ever more fully trained in the godliness that leads to fuller knowledge of Jesus and greater, joyful obedience to Him. Amen.

https://youtu.be/OkSCTxKNG5Q?si=fZqUTcpxVdQWXHjI “Here is Love”

April 21, 2024 -- I Corinthians 14:12 -- An infant in evil and maturing in Jesus

So with yourselves, since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit,
strive to excel in building up the church.
I Corinthians 14:12 ESV

Dear family in our Lord Jesus Christ today is Sunday. What a joy it is to gather with the people of God and praise the Living God Who is forever blessed! Tucked into the middle of a passage dealing with the controversies of the gathered people is this important instruction. For the instruction to make sense, one needs to understand the context.

The people in the Corinthian church were focused on speaking in tongues, that is, a heavenly language that is unintelligible except to God and those who have the gift of interpreting it. However, in their immaturity, some of the Christians were so excited by their ability to speak in tongues, they were disrupting worship services because they were not waiting with speaking in tongues until they were sure an interpretation would be forthcoming. The same Spirit Who gifts believers to speak in tongues also informs such persons whether this is for intimate conversation between the believer and God, or for the congregation to hear and that interpretation would follow. Without such direction, the speaker should be silent. Others were focused on prophesy. We think of prophesy as telling about the future. The Bible shows something different. Prophesy is telling the people the word of God, applying it so directly to their lives that sins are exposed, comfort is given, the Bible is made comprehensible. Among the Corinthians those who had certain gifts were becoming proud. That explains why Paul taught them the way of love, I Corinthians 13. It is the way of Jesus, the way of humble service to build up the body.

Now the critical point is this: whatever gift one has it is to be used to build up the body of Christ. Are you a giver? Help those who are in financial need. Are you a prayer warrior? Pray earnestly that God’s gift of unity become for the people their goal as well, so the unity received by the Spirit will be exercised among the people. Are you an administrator. Excellent. Help with organization. Are you a teacher? Great teach the new believers. Teach Sunday School. Teach the mature to keep on studying and growing. Ask yourself these two questions:

1. Are you eager for the manifestations of the Spirit? (Manifestations means the signs within your life and evidenced by the way you act and speak that the Spirit is working in you).

2. Are you building up the body of Jesus Christ so that fellow saints are growing in maturity? If not—then ask yourself if you are really working in the power of the Spirit or for your own ego.

Ah, Father of Love and Mercy, thank You for the extravagant salvation You have revealed in Jesus Christ. Send Your Spirit among Your people so that we will put off childish ways and will mature growing up in Christ, Who is the Head of the Body and King and of the Church. In whatever ways I have been destructive or self-serving, I confess it now. Direct me, and work so powerfully in me that I will be an infant in evil but a mature man in the ways of Jesus. Amen.

https://youtu.be/y0ac4sT-4-o?si=AzKA8QoHoY8Hr1_s When We See Your Face

Copyright © 2024 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

April 20, 2024 -- Genesis 12:6-7 -- The Oak of Moreh, Oak of Teaching

Abram passed through the land to the place at Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. 7 Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built there an altar to the LORD, who had appeared to him.
Genesis 12:6-7 ESV

Abram, who most of you know as Abraham because his name was changed by God a little bit later in his life, was taken from Ur of the Chaldeans, where he used to worship idols, and commanded to go to the place where God showed him. God called him. In obedience he traveled without train or plane or car; he traveled over 1600 kilometers from Ur to Shechem. Where did he end up? At the oak of Moreh. So what?! Ah, but Moreh means teacher or teaching. The pagans in the land worshiped at this oak tree. When Abram built this altar he claimed this land for the LORD in effect was saying it is the LORD alone Who is the Teacher.

Our world today worships trees and promotes the welfare of animals above people. We live in a culture that aborts its children and protests the cutting down of trees. People are disposable while trees and animals are considered far more valuable. Whenever the people of the LORD worship Him, their priorities are set right. It is the LORD of heaven and earth Who alone is to be worshiped and praised. The people of God are sent to their workplaces, their coffee-shops, their neighbourhoods so that they will be a people who have been taken from the world, shown how empty its values are, and then filled with the knowledge of the glory of God must teach this world of the glory of God. Like Abram who traveled from Ur to Shechem, our journey from being sinful people to becoming a new creation in Christ is a huge, long journey. However, it is purposeful. We too are called out this world of sin that we may declare the praises of Him Who called us out of darkness into His marvelous light. Shine for Jesus. Wherever He has placed you, let your light shine.

Our Father in heaven hallowed be Your Name. How rich and wonderful and humbling is Your salvation given in Jesus Christ. How amazing that You take sinners and so transform them that they truly are a new creation, temples for Jesus, filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. Forgive us Father, for the lingering wickedness we have entertained in our hearts. Forgive us for the times we have toyed with sin rather than pressed onwards, ever deeper, into the new life that is ours in Christ. By Your Spirit's presence in us enable use to brightly shine the light of Christ in our homes, in our workplaces, in our retirement activities so that You glory, triune God, will cover this earth as the waters cover the sea. We pray this in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

https://youtu.be/4oGuGzCFEWI?si=xGXelctx0bs2M_B9 “Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise”

Copyright © 2024 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

April 18, 2024 -- Hebrews 11:4-7 -- Three examples from the Hall of Faith

By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks. 5 By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God. 6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. 7 By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.
Hebrews 11:4-7 ESV

How do these three Old Testament figures demonstrate faith? I wish I could claim credit for this, but the teaching used for for today's material was originally taught by Dr. Michael Kruger, RTS, Charlotte. (If you want to watch the 40 minute or so podcast, I highly recommend it, follow the link pasted below). Abel demonstrated his faith in God by offering a blood sacrifice. One cannot approach God however he wants to do so or in any way he wants. Abel’s sacrifice pointed to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and thus demonstrated Abel’s confidence in God’s forbearing love. According to Genesis 5:21-25, Enoch walked with God. There is very little else known about him, except that he didn’t die, God took Enoch to Himself. The expression “walked with God” means that in the ordinary duties of life, in the highs and lows of life, Enoch put God first. Finally, imagine how hard it must have been for Noah, to be at a decades-long project of building a massive ark, far away from the sea, confident that God would one day send the promised rains and floods. He must have faced huge pressure and ridicule. What do these three teach us about faith?

Abel shows that faith begins with one’s confidence and hope anchored securely in Jesus Christ and His blood. Enoch’s faith demonstrates that faith is not just knowing about God, it is knowing God Himself. Faith draws a believer closer to Him in deep, real relationship. Noah’s faith demonstrates for the reader the radical obedience that is the result of faith that is based on Christ and is relational. What God commands might not seem logical or sensible—His command definitely does not have us doing whatever it is we want to do! Faith leads the believer to yield his will to God, walking joyfully in step with the King of Glory.

O LORD, from whom all good things do come: Grant to us thy humble servants, that by thy holy inspiration we may think those things that be good, and by thy merciful guiding may perform the same; through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Divine Service Book for the Armed Forces, 1950, page 12

https://youtu.be/y0ac4sT-4-o?si=vnHWZ32uSe5oxjIW “When We See Your Face”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1Kkwi9Sq4w  Dr. M. Kruger, Hebrews 11

Copyright © 2024 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

April 16, 2024 -- Joshua 7:20-21 -- Avoiding the teeth of temptation

And Achan answered Joshua, “Truly I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel, and this is what I did: 21 when I saw among the spoil a beautiful cloak from Shinar, and 200 shekels of silver, and a bar of gold weighing 50 shekels, then I coveted them and took them. And see, they are hidden in the earth inside my tent, with the silver underneath.”
Joshua 7:20-21 ESV

The path of sin is clearly spelled out here. Achan confessed his sins to the leader of the Israelites, to Joshua, and to God. He did this only after he was caught red-handed and by-passed every previous opportunity given him to voluntarily confess his sins (but that is for another time). Look at the three verbs which show his descent into sin. He saw a beautiful coat, silver and gold. Seeing drew his attention and his devotion away from God. Rather than immediately declaring these things belong to the LORD, he then coveted. He decided he wanted them for himself. He is already going moving more quickly away from God and towards his sinful lusts. To covet, or to desire for oneself, is to think this would be good for me. I know what the Bible says; I know in the past such things were destructive, but maybe this time things will be different? They won't. Things will end badly. When the eye sees and the heart begins to crave then the Christian mind, governed by the Spirit of God, must turn away immediately. To entertain these thoughts is to allow yourself to be trapped.

Then he moving from thinking to acting. He took the things he’d begun to crave. Prior to seeing the coat, the silver and the gold, he wasn't thinking he was going to betray God. Once Achan's eyes opened and the temptation started, he did not run from it. He embraced it.

Why do you think advertisers are willing to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to place their products in movies, TV shows, video clips and alongside your internet searches? Big corporations  know that once your eye sees them, and you begin to imagine what it might be like to own such a thing, you are half-caught already. How can you resist? How can you fight these temptations?

Psalm 27 invites the believer to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD. He is all perfection. He is the soul’s greatest desire. He is One Who protects His people from devasting desires and crippling lusts that threaten to draw people ever closer to the teeth of hell. It is also why the psalm writer declares “I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless” (Psalm 101:3). Why did the psalm writer decide this in advance? Such worthless things could be the very temptation against which he’d not guarded his heart. They might overtake him if he doesn't take action to avoid them.

Beloved, the warning of Achan helps you to understand the command to read the Scriptures. Your eyes and your mind will be filled with greater things than whatever the world could offer. The Word of God helps you become wise unto salvation through faith in Jesus (II Timothy 3:15).

Let thy merciful ears, O Lord, be open to the prayers of thy humble servants; and that they may obtain their petitions make them to ask such things as shall please thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Book of Common Prayer in the Dominion of Canada)

https://youtu.be/4tvOqL5KJOQ?si=rbxEwOuN4UZc6Ho5 “Jesus, Thou Joy of Loving Hearts”

Copyright © 2024 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

April 14, 2024 -- Romans 12:14 -- Bless and Do Not Curse

14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.
Romans 12:14 ESV

What a challenging command from the Bible. Who can keep it? Presently I’m reading “How to Overcome Evil” by Jay Adams. He noted “The sinful cursing response is inborn. My son, before he had an adequate vocabulary invented his own curses. As a youngster he loved trucks. One day, incensed at what a friend had done, he said, ‘You…you dump truck with a wheel off!’ He is not alone. Because of social pressure, more often than not, you may find the curse” (page 38).

Who is adequate to the command? When the inborn response is cursing, who can truly bless? Ah, good question. It is the man whose heart has been conquered by Jesus. It is the woman who has been overcome by the blessing of Jesus. While you were still a sinner, cursing God and reviling His Son, Jesus died for your sins. In Him the old self, the old inborn nature is passing away and the new is taking hold. The fact that you are realizing your sinfulness and your need for the Savior is evidence of the change taking place in you.

Put yourself into the mindset of thinking of God’s blessings which are poured out on you. Decide you will be a person who blesses in Jesus' Name. Then ask the Spirit of God to continue to renew Your mind. In view of who you are in Jesus Christ, decide to change the pattern of your words and your thinking. Get to a Bible-believing, Bible preaching church today. Spend time with Christians whose walk with God you admire. Practice your new-life in Christ—bless those who curse you.

Our Father in heaven hallowed be Your Name. Thank You for the great blessing of Your electing love. Thank You that You have turned aside Your wrath against our cursing and have punished our sin on the Person of Your Son. Thank You for the new life that is taking hold of us. Spirit of the Living God, continue Your transforming work within our hearts and minds so that our lives, our words and our actions reflect the blessing of Jesus Christ. Help us to be mentors, spiritual fathers and mothers in the faith, to those who are seeking Jesus Christ. It is in His mighty Name we pray. Amen.

https://youtu.be/fK6sYVQCqhs?si=BTcyOtjZJGTq_gqd “Wonderful, Merciful Savior” Selah

Copyright © 2024 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

April 13, 2024 -- II Corinthians 2:14-17 -- Quick. Check your breath.

 But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. 15 For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, 16 to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things? 17 For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God's word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ.
II Corinthians 2:14-17 ESV

Recently I had to interact with a man on a project. The chairs at the table were set close to one another so that we could easily hear one another. However, the close proximity meant that I could smell his breath. There was a fresh smell of newly applied toothpaste, but underneath that as he breathed out, I could smell his very bad breath. It is a startling image that relates to this text.

Those who are not believers in and followers of Jesus Christ are those whose lives are in the grips of putrefaction. Sin and evil are like an infection running through all of their lives, slowly destroying health. No matter how much shampoo, antibiotics of any kind, or soap is applied, nothing can not stop the rot which originates in the heart and mind and radiates outward. Nothing that is, except the work of Jesus Christ.

One who belongs to Jesus Christ has had the stench of sin and the infection of death removed from him. The deep cleansing work of the Spirit addresses the hidden plaque and particles of wickedness which inevitably emit an odor of death. Whenever the Spirit works, the aroma of Christ prevails, a freshness of life, a vitality of heart, a joy in speaking about God’s Word. Believers are repellant to many because of their close association with Jesus. It is the life of Jesus, the joy and reward of the believer's soul, Who actually offends the unbelieving listener. To other people believers are compellingly interesting because of the purity radiating off of them through the accomplished work of Jesus.

If you are finding yourself intrigued by the life and vitality of a Christian, ask him about it. If you are blessed to know a Christian, ask to go to church with her. It is a matter of death and life.

Father in heaven, great and holy is Your Name. Marvelous is the life-giving work You have effected in Your people through the work of Jesus, Your beloved Son, our Savior. Spirit of God, thank You for the reviving work You are doing in us; continue to purify us until our lives continually spread the fragrance of Christ our King to all we meet. Triune God, hem us in so completely that our private life as well as our public life radiate the blessedness of Jesus. Amen.

https://youtu.be/OH01enzQXpQ?si=N81K4yEVWgyzfPyR Shane and Shane “Psalm 51”

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