And his disciples answered him, “How can one feed these people with bread here in this desolate place?”

Mark 8:4 ESV

If you have read Mark, more than one or two times, you’ll know that Jesus had already fed a crowd of five thousand men (who likely had women and children with them as well). Now, with a crowd of about 4,000 men, and their families, Jesus challenges His disciples once again. He had compassion on them. He does not want to send them away hungry. That is the background the reader has. Isn’t it beautiful to know that in our worries and stresses, the Lord our Savior has compassion on His people?! Compassion on the hungry crowd. Compassion on the disciples He is training so they will know how to act when He is seated on the throne of grace at the Father’s right hand.

For me the lesson is found in the disciples’ lack of memory. Jesus had already fed a huge crowd. The disciples knew Him capable. They had only to ask. Think of all the situations God into which God has placed you—places you’ve been before and you, dear fellow Christian, are short on memory. You worry. You panic. You ask questions.

From the passage today, take away these lessons. The Father has shown you Jesus, His greatest gift of salvation. Jesus has great compassion on you. He has given you the opportunity to learn to call on Him. It might be a lesson that has to have iterations before you truly grasp the invitation of Jesus. Call on Him. Trust Him. Know He is teaching you to trust Him more and more in every situation. It is rarely the case that our Father gives everything we need and then sends us. The usual way of things is that our Father teaches us we have every spiritual blessing through Jesus Christ and the same Spirit given to Jesus lives in you. Therefore, as you go out in obedience to the call of God, He will provide all you need.

Father in heaven hallowed be Your Name. Thank You for the lesson taught here, and the one summarized so simply in Jesus’ prayer “give us this day our daily bread”. Thank You for Your faithful providing all through our lives thus far. Thank You, Jesus, for the assurance You will provide. By Your Word and Spirit teach us to believe in You and to trust You more and more. Spirit of the Living God, we confess we do believe in Jesus, help us to overcome the patches of our unbelief so that our faith may be stronger and our prayer life ever more vital and rich. Amen.

https://youtu.be/yfAvANsCP1c?si=rkWdg3rzd87oIM4q Like a River Glorious

July 14, 2024 -- Psalm 37:17 -- Who are the wicked? Who are the meek?

For the arms of the wicked shall be broken,
but the LORD upholds the righteous.
Psalm 37:17 ESV

Who are the wicked? King David wrote “Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me” Psalm 41:9 ESV. The wicked are often those who have been among the righteous, but by the things they say and do show themselves to be enemies of God. This anger against God begins with small steps of pride, little resentments that are unchecked. Finally, after months of not confessing sin, nor checking the rebellion of one’s heart, the formerly righteous man is proved to be wicked and a wolf among the sheep.

Who are the righteous? They are meek—a term Jesus applied to Himself. He is meek and lowly of heart (Matthew 11:29). Some translations have “gentle”. It is appropriate. Those who seek to confess their sins to Jesus, seeking His healing forgiveness do not come to a haughty, cruel king as likely to beat one down as to show forgiveness. No. Believers approach Jesus, at His throne of grace, finding healing from their sin, and the strength of His Spirit to combat the heart’s natural inclination towards waywardness. The righteous are meek, gentle as is Christ. Knowing in Christ they are strong, they keep themselves in submitted service to Jesus by the power of His Spirit.

Why are the arms of the wicked broken? When the Father Who is the source of all good, breaks the arm of the wicked, there is an opportunity for them to repent and turn from their sin. Often it is only pain which stops a sinner in his tracks and calls him back to godliness. If, however, the wicked man remains entrenched in his wickedness, he will have broken limbs, rendering him far less harmful to the righteous. He is thereby exposed as the dangerous one who ultimately is forced to acknowledge his helplessness.

The LORD upholds the arms of the righteous. It is His Spirit Who strengthens a righteous man to lift up his arms in prayer. It is the kindness of the Father, His mercies which are new every morning, which lead a righteous man to join with other Christians and worship God. It is the blessedness of Jesus that causes a formerly wicked man, having confessed his sins and truly repented of them, to know all his righteousness is found in Christ alone. His once-broken arms are restored in strength to serve God. No wonder believers gather together on Sunday, praising God, seeking to grow in their delight in Him and grow in godly fellowship with one another.

ALMIGHTY and Everlasting God, by Whose grace Thy servants are enabled to fight the good fight of faith and ever prove victorious; we humbly beseech Thee so to inspire us, that we may yield our hearts to Thine obedience and exercise our wills on Thy behalf. Help us to think wisely, to speak rightly, to resolve bravely, to act kindly, to live purely. Guard us in body and in soul, and make us a blessing to our fellows. Whether at home or abroad may we ever seek the extension of Thy kingdom. Let the assurance of Thy presence save us from sinning. O Lord our God, accept this prayer for Jesus Christ’s sake. Amen.

“For Guidance and Betterment of Character” DIVINE SERVICE BOOK FOR THE ARMED FORCES, page 27.

https://youtu.be/JGaGkOJnni4?si=2tiG8ZxdjRkEjNNv Jesus, Thou Joy of Loving Hearts

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

July 12, 2024 -- Acts 16:31 -- What must I do to be saved?

…believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved…
Acts 16:31 ESV

Recently I have been reading biographies of well-known Christian missionaries and theologians. It is exciting reading. Yesterday I completed a brief biography of David Brainerd. He was, along with John Eliot, among the very first missionaries to the First Nations peoples of the American Colonies.

David Brainerd was known for his devotion to God. However devout he was, he wrestled with the assurance of his salvation. Read on and see the process that led him to salvation.
     First, he became completely convinced that salvation lay completely beyond
     his own power. Although he thought he had believed this before, since he
     had entertained a feeling that he could merit the favour of God by reaching
     a certain pitch of religious fervour, it is evident that he had not. He now
     regarded himself as hopelessly lost, believing that nothing he could possibly
     do could alter his state. Secondly, he reached the conviction that all his past
     activities in praying, fasting, and other exercises were all completely worth-
     less because they were based solely on self-interest and had no respect to
     the glory of God. He now realized that there was no more virtue or goodness
     in them—as far as putting God under an obligation to save him was
     concerned—than ‘paddling with his hand in the water’ (his own expression).
     Five Pioneer Missionaries. David Brainerd, page 85

The brief snippet of Scripture describes the times Paul and Silas were in prison, singing to God. An angel of the Lord freed all the prisoners. Though their chains fell off none of them escaped the jail. Terrified, the jailer realized there was a power beyond himself. He asked what he needed to do to be saved. Look at the simple answer: “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved”. People cannot earn God’s salvation. Brainerd discovered that. One cannot, as Brainerd admitted, try to put God under obligation by good deeds or fasting, or giving. It is simply this, knowing one is a great sinner in need of an even greater Savior. That Savior is Jesus Christ the Lord.

Believe in Him. Not in your works. No in your efforts. Not in your attempts at sobriety. Not in your prayerfulness. Believe that you are a wretch, saved by the grace of God shown to you in Jesus Christ. All who believe as given power by the Spirit of God to walk in newness of life.

BLESSED LORD, who hast caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: Grant that we may in such wise hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that by patience, and comfort of thy holy Word, we may embrace, and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which thou has given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
“For the Word of God” Divine Service Book for the Armed Forces, 1950 page 26

https://youtu.be/E8d0bMPl2hY?si=N4XzBxdWv3M-cj6r “Fill Thou My Life, O Lord My God”
 

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

July 11, 2024 -- Philippians 4:9 -- A Living Example

What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things,
and the God of peace will be with you.
Philippians 4:9 ESV

What a bold statement Paul made to the Philippian Christians. He is declaring himself to be such a good example of what it is to be a follower of Jesus Christ that his life is worthy of emulating. Not just imitating, but emulating, that is achieving the success he has achieved. Dear fellow believers, this is the power of godly living.

One of the great privileges of the prison-visiting ministry I’m involved in is seeing the great changes that take place in the life of a man who is gripped by the grace of God. His attitude changes. His language changes. His heart is inclined towards the things of God. The Bible becomes interesting. People around him are confused. They are waiting to see if this is a phase or something else. Please understand, such a man is not perfect. No. Not by a long shot. But the grace of Jesus Christ has been applied to his life and the Holy Spirit has set such a man on the path of holiness.

One defining characteristic of such a person who has been changed by Jesus is his willingness to confess his sins. When he is aware of the wrong he has committed, he will repent of his sins, turn away from it, and ask God’s forgiveness, and ask forgiveness from those he’s offended. How unlike the world around us. People excuse. Justify. Equivocate. Squirm out of accountability. Not so for the Christian. When his sin is pointed out to him, he humbly confesses.

People who know you are a Christian look to you. They want to know if what you say is what you are actually putting into practice. They are not looking for perfection. What they are looking to see is that what you believe, what you tell others is evident in your life, practiced on hard days and easy days, on your days off and lasts as long as you live. Can the people around you see your obedience that strives commit every aspect of your life into submitted service to King Jesus?

Why? Paul added the benefit of such living. God adds His great blessing of peace. Peace, that is a constant state of knowing one belongs to God, as a beloved child belongs to a loving Father. Peace that is the result of being reconciled to God and springing from such reconciliation a desire to be reconciled to the people around you. Great ripples of grace flow outward from one’s union with Jesus.

So, who in your life is looking to you to learn what it means to follow Jesus? Whose walk with God do you admire? Who are the peers in your life who can comment on your walk with God and into those lives you also have permission to speak and correct and encourage?

Oh God, Your Faithfulness is proved in Jesus Christ. His whole-hearted devotion to You as He walked here on earth is soul-inspiring and puts fire into the bones of all who believe. Looking to Jesus gives us, as believers, a burning zeal to exchange the rags of our wickedness and sin for His clothing of righteousness. Thank You for the men and women in our lives who have modeled what it is to follow Jesus in the rough and tumble of real life. Spirit of holiness, help us to walk the way of Jesus. We confess our failures. We confess our laziness. We confess the hardness of our hearts. Spirit of God, excite in us a passion for Jesus that turns us away from our sins and replaces them with a zeal for Jesus that radiates from hearts that are continually captivated by His redeeming love. Triune God, cause us to not only talk the talk, but to walk the walk of faithful service. This we pray in Jesus’ Name, to the glory of the Father, seeking the strength of the Spirit. Amen.

https://youtu.be/Y0yJ8TMXjPM?si=3A_99cFfnljI3FYU “Rushing Wind”

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

July 9, 2024 -- Proverbs 9:1-4a -- Jesus is Wisdom Personified

PEOPLE LOVED BY THE FATHER, IN THE SPIRIT’S POWER: SH’MA ~ HEAR AND OBEY JESUS!

Wisdom has built her house;
    she has hewn her seven pillars.
2 She has slaughtered her beasts; she has mixed her wine;
    she has also set her table.
3 She has sent out her young women to call
    from the highest places in the town,
4 “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”
Proverbs 9:1-4a ESV

Wisdom has set her table. That phrase stood out to me today. Think of all the times God spread a table for His people. During the Exodus, all through Israel’s wilderness journey, God provided mana and water. God the Faithful One, when His people complained expressing their longing for meat, He spread a table of quail. In Psalm 23 it is the Good Shepherd Who prepares a table for for His weary sheep, this He does in the presence of all the enemies. Jesus is wisdom incarnate. He fed the 5,000. He healed the sick. He proved He is the shelter for all who seek refuge in Him. All the Proverbs point to Him, encouraging people to seek Him as the treasure above all earthly treasures.

Now, consider the Lord’s Supper table. At that feast believers eat and drink and become wise. The wanderer returns home. The sinner is confronted with mercy that is abundant. Jesus is wisdom for His people. He is life. He invites believers to eat and drink until He returns again in glory. The seven pillars in Proverbs might well be pointing out the perfections of the new heavens and new earth where God's people will live secure forever. Whenever believers eat and drink at the Lord's Supper table, there is the anticipation of Jesus' return in glory.

Wisdom hews out seven pillars. Her house is strong. The house is large. The house she builds accommodates all whom the Father will draw unto Himself. When I read these opening verses of Proverbs 9, I am reminded of Jesus’ parables where a feast is spread and people are invited to come. Some reject the invitation. But the poor, the needy, those considered unworthy by society’s standards all are drawn into His safe, strong home and fed.

Father in heaven thank You for the banquet You have prepared for Your people. Thank You for new life given in Jesus Christ. Thank You that You have chosen the weak, the poor, the people who are not, in order that the Light and Glory of Christ might shine out with greater magnificence. Spirit of the Living God, restore to us the joy of Your salvation. Renew in us such a depth of gratitude for all the benefits divine which we in Christ possess. Forgive us our sins. Forgive us for the times we have known the good we ought to do and have left it undone. Forgive us for the waywardness of our hearts. Triune God, You know the depths of our need for You, increase our faith and strengthen us for holy service. Amen.

https://youtu.be/q25xEFyTHFY?si=lAbD9UUl7JlljMy- Psalm 23

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

July 7, 2024 -- Matthew 6:12 -- Our Father in heaven commands "You shall be holy, for I AM holy"

…and forgive us our debts,
    as we also have forgiven our debtors.
Matthew 6:12 ESV

How often should we confess our sins? A regular part of the order of a worship service in Reformed and Presbyterian Churches is the call to confession followed by the prayer of the confession of our sins. It seems a bit formulaic, but it makes a point. That is also what Jesus taught His people to pray in the Lord’s Prayer—forgive us our debts—those are spiritual debts. It is an appeal to God. As we confess our sins to Him we are on the basis of Jesus' completed work asking Him to do as He promised, to forgive us through the grace and mercy extended to us in Jesus Christ.

That is helpful background, but it doesn’t actually answer the question. How often should we confess our sins? The Fourth Lateran Council, 1215, of the Roman Catholic Church, Constitution 21, requires men and women to confess their sins to their priests at least once a year. Neglecting to do so means a man or woman will be denied a Christian burial. This confession should take place before the celebration of Resurrection Sunday. I do not hold that up as a good example. I refer to it in surprised disbelief. To my mind, that obviously is shockingly neglectful.

When a Christian reads the Bible, the Spirit of God exposes sin. Reveals the hardness of heart. Reveals the sins that are hoarded up. Resentments. Gossip. Smoldering anger. Lusts. Pride. When the Word is preached, the Christian believer will find his conscience seared and his heart burning within him to make things right with God. Confession of one’s sins must be a daily activity. Our hearts are inclined towards sin. Whenever our wayward desires are exposed, such desires which would lead us far from the glorious standards to which we are called in Christ, these must be confessed so that our lives conform more and more to the perfect holiness of God.

I Peter 1:16 echoes earlier places in Scripture where God demands of His people, “You shall be holy, for I AM holy”. That is the standard to which we are called. It is only possible when one is united to Jesus Christ. The closer one draws to Jesus, the more one will realize his great need for the atoning blood of Jesus. Then the work of Jesus is brought to bear in your life, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His Own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him Who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (I Peter 2:9-10). It is the blood of Jesus that turns away God’s wrath against our sin. Believers, called sons and daughters of God, confess their sins daily. Confess them as soon as they are aware of them, so that nothing will impede their walk with God. The Spirit of God applies to believers the sanctification (the growing in holiness) to which Jesus our Savior and the Captain of Salvation calls us.

Holy Father, we confess we have not abstained from the passions of the flesh nor fully resisted in the war which the Devil and the world continuously wage against us. Our conduct has not been honourable. Our desires have not been focused on Jesus. We have not looked for opportunities to do good. Forgive us. As we perceive even more fully the sinfulness of sin, help us to live in the victory of Jesus, that same victory which overcomes the world. As your people renewed in hope and forgiveness, may we also extend the forgiveness of Jesus Christ to all around us so that we place no rock of stumbling in the path of those around us. Mighty God, conform us more perfectly to Your will and by Your Spirit help us to live as people set free from sin and empowered to live more fully in obedience to Jesus Christ. Amen.

https://youtu.be/Z32HiCoFzlU?si=7581isTM1Ac6_WEJ “Build My Life”

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

July 5, 2024 -- Matthew 19:21 -- What messes up your walk with Jesus?

Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven, and come, follow me.”
Matthew 19:21 ESV

It is easy to lift a verse out of context. It might be very tempting to read this verse and believe it is impossible to be rich and to believe in God. Then, of course, King David and King Hezekiah, kings of Israel who were noted for their faithfulness to God and their great wealth, would be excluded. No, that is not the issue.

The passage today has to do with the question of a rich young man. Though he was obedient to many of God’s laws, he thought he could impress Jesus with his obedience. What Jesus had commanded the rich young ruler, He Himself was doing. He’d left the splendours of heaven, the prerogatives of divinity and He poured out His life for the poor, the lost, and the sinner. He demonstrated complete obedience to the Father. No short cuts. The rich young man wanted a short cut. He wanted to know what one thing he could do so that he’d be perfect, right with God.

What is the obstacle between you and God? What is the possession, or the commitment, or the relationship or the substance you refuse to give up—the very thing that is hindering your walk with God? If you would be perfect—made perfect in Jesus Christ—you must deny yourself—give it up. And follow Jesus. That is the life-long pattern of the man, or the woman who would please God, denying worldly pleasures for the sake of Jesus, in Whom is all one's blessedness, joy, and life.

Almighty and Everlasting God, by whose grace thy servants are enabled to fight the good fight of faith and ever prove victorious; we humbly beseech thee so to inspire us, that we may yield our hearts to thine obedience and exercise our wills on thy behalf. Help us to think wisely, to speak rightly, to resolve bravely, to act kindly, to live purely. Guard us in body and in soul, and make us a blessing to our fellows. Whether at home or abroad may we ever seek the extension of thy kingdom. Let the assurance of thy presence save us from sinning. O Lord our God, accept this prayer for Jesus Christ’s sake. Amen.
Prayer from: Divine Service Book for the Armed Forces, 1950, page 27

https://youtu.be/3OOphIgGkjM?si=bAzRQsZ67IspsyjW “He Will Hold Me Fast (Live)

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

July 4, 2024 -- Hebrews 13:20-21 -- Drenched in unending showers of blessing

Now may the God of peace Who brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ, the Great Shepherd of the Sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good so that you may do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to Whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Hebrews 13:20-21 ESV

This is highlight of the book of Hebrews, the great blessing of God poured out on His people. Hebrews was written to Christians of Jewish origin who were considering going back to Jewish practices and ways. Throughout the book Paul challenges believers with the great Truth, Jesus is better. The Old Testament was a blueprint for Jesus’ work. Because of His accomplished work, Jesus inhabits His temple. We, the people who believe in Him, are the Holy Place where He lives. Furthermore, Jesus is the Guide par excellence. None of the Old Testament leaders, great as they were, can rival Him. In fact, the men did their work well in giving their lives so that all who truly listened to them would be pointed to the Messiah, Jesus.

The Old Testament sacrifices were all pointing to Jesus. The blood of the Covenant (with Abraham in Genesis 15 and then 17) was fulfilled by the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. All the nations of the earth are now blessed by Abraham’s greater descendant Jesus. Those who are in Christ have peace with God. Peace with God is something no amount of keeping the law could ever achieve. Peace is ours because of Jesus Christ and His sacrifice. Peace is applied to our heart, mind and soul by the ever-active work of the Spirit within us.

Jesus, as David’s greater descendant, rules in power and He with the Father sent the Spirit so that believers are equipped for holy service. Precisely what the Law of the Old Testament failed to do, the Spirit of Power brings to bear in our lives—giving believers a willing heart and divinely empowered ability to keep the Law of God.

Ah, what blessings are given to all who are in Christ. What new life is coursing through our veins, that the Spirit Who rested on Jesus without measure in His earthly life, is that same Spirit Who directs our living now. Earlier in this same chapter Paul commanded Christians to continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God (Hebrews 13:15). When the believer has the smallest realization of the riches and blessings of God which are poured out on his life, and as he reflects on this and by faith his understanding expands and his desires are focused in Christ, then his heart cannot help but sing out in blessing to the LORD. Joy expresses itself in acts of Christian love and mercy to those around him. The believer, in view of the unsurpassed greatness of love and mercy shown by the Father through Jesus and guarded in him by the Holy Spirit cannot help but live a life of holy service.

Mighty God of glory and salvation, how can Your people keep from singing? What would stop our lips from praising You and our lives from exulting in service to You? Nothing. That’s the only answer we can give, nothing can stop us. Your covenant love is so amazing and so true that our hearts must sing as Your Spirit directs us. Your faithfulness is aimed at us so truly and perfectly through Your beloved Son Jesus, our hands cannot hang loosely, but long for the Spirit’s prompts so that they serve You even in our most troubled times as ever long to serve You in our good times. Lord Jesus, to You, with the Father and the Spirit, be honour, glory, and praise both now and forever more. Amen.

https://youtu.be/tQUTvMtUhw4?si=x-M8u4EX7Qgp2Waa “The Doxology” Anthem Lights and Selah

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

July 2, 2024 -- Proverbs 2:1-15 -- Why should the Christian urgently seek wisdom and insight?

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.
6 For the Lord gives wisdom;
    from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;
7 he stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
    he is a shield to those who walk in integrity,
8 guarding the paths of justice
    and watching over the way of his saints.
9 Then you will understand righteousness and justice
    and equity, every good path;
10 for wisdom will come into your heart,
    and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul;
11 discretion will watch over you,
    understanding will guard you,
12 delivering you from the way of evil,
    from men of perverted speech,
13 who forsake the paths of uprightness
    to walk in the ways of darkness,
14 who rejoice in doing evil
    and delight in the perverseness of evil,
15 men whose paths are crooked,
    and who are devious in their ways.
Proverbs 2:1-15 ESV

How much time do you spend on video games? Learning the intricacies of it; knowing strategies, comparing your score to others. Now, how much time do you spend on the Bible, pursuing wisdom and praying for understanding?

How much time do you spend watching movies, or video shorts? Scrolling through. Flipping from one to another? Now, how much time you do spend treasuring up the commandments of God? Are you surprised if you find you know more about the most current viral vid than you do about God’s word?

How much time do you spend on sports? Watching. Talking. Listening to commentaries on it? You can store up stats on your fav players, but do you understand godly righteousness and holy justice? Do you store up the word of God as eagerly as you store up those sporting facts?

“The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting.
It has been found difficult and left untried.”
G. K. Chesterton

Why spend all this time and effort in pursuing the knowledge of God, praying for insight, calling out for understanding? Those who do find God to be a shield against the evils of the world. Wisdom gained will guard deliver from the way of evil. Knowledge of God, so pleasant to your soul, will keep you people of perverted speech so that your delight will be in the LORD and His salvation. Wisdom is personified in Jesus Christ. The knowledge that is pleasant to your soul is the way of Jesus, by Whose blood believers are delivered from the devious ways of death and brought to life. The Spirit gives insight so that the Christian can see the lies Satan is using to try to draw you back into darkness. What a powerful protection is given to Christians who treasure up the commandments of God—and by so doing, build a rich storehouse of love and intimacy with the Father in heaven.

Loving Father, by Your Spirit show me the places in my life and the ways my daily schedule are stacked against knowing You better and directing me away from urgently seeking Your wisdom. King Jesus, Faithful High Priest, at Your throne of God, intercede for me in the ways I myself don’t know how to do. Triune God, let Your precious Word and glorious wisdom lead me away from all crooked paths, guarding me in justice and righteousness, so that wisdom will ever more fully conquer my heart, direct my steps and enlarge within me the capacity to love Jesus. He Who is the Captain of Salvation Who leads me captive in His train, equipping me by the Spirit against the Day when You will present me to the Father as one who is blameless by Your work fully accomplished in me. Amen.

https://youtu.be/px-eU1QjQiU?si=cOQIxQgxtRJDrRIZ Psalm 51 (Wisdom in the Secret Heart)

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

June 29, 2024 -- Matthew 13:16-17 -- Conquering the soul gripped by ennui (spiritual boredom)

But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. 17 For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.
Matthew 13:16-17 ESV

Growing up in South-West Ontario meant that whenever family from the Netherlands came to visit, we’d have to go to Niagara Falls. At first , when we were young, we’d be amazed and really expected to go. By my teen-age years the thrill was gone. Utterly. Long. Gone. And still we’d be expected to go with the extended family back to the Falls. Sometimes a couple of times a summer. It truly is a marvel. It is easy to be bored before something so powerful and awesome because one does not have any imagination. It is possible to see something without seeing it, nor be moved by it.

I wonder, fellow believers, how many of us are bored before the Gospel?! It is the power of God unto salvation for all who believe—and yet there is a “not this again” attitude. Sighing we might say, I’ve seen it all before. What that means is you not really seeing it now. Consider this truth. Angels before the throne of God, longingly look to understand the depths of God’s great love for sinners who receive Him; and recoil at the terrors of His wrath against those who are bored before His majesty and holiness.

Do you see the greatness of our God? If you are struggling I challenge you now.

Read the Bible until you are really reading it. Taking it in. How many times have you channel surfed, or scrolled through video-short clips until something caught your attention? (Don’t answer, I know it will be embarrassing to you!). Read the Bible until you are more than just scrolling through. Trust that the Spirit will once against grip your heart.

Teach the Word of God to a young Christian. What made the trips to Niagara Falls bearable was the the “oh’s” and “Ah’s” of those family members seeing it for the very first time. Their wonder recaptured wonder for me as well. The trip changed from being "bearable" to very enjoyable because I saw it through their experience of the newness of it. So it is with those who share the Gospel. The splendor of our King is conveyed to them and to you as the newbie takes in all the glorious truth of the goodness of God and expresses his awe.

Get to church and listen to preaching. If your church has two services, a morning and afternoon (or evening service) go to both. (I know some folks have church in the morning and there is a second service, but the content is the same, then be an usher in the second one, volunteer, choose to get all you can out of the service.) God the Father has chosen to communicate the grace of Jesus Christ through the preaching of the Word—receive that means of grace.

Ask the Spirit to light up your heart once again. Pray for this. Know that your heart is in darkness, needing the light of Jesus Christ. The imagery of Psalm 63 is that your heart is a thirsty, dry land. It is tempting to start seeking blessing in the things of the world, in sinful activities, in all that cannot satisfy. Instead, ask the Spirit, Who filled Jesus without measure, to so fill your heart and mind and soul, that Jesus is for you the greatest desire of your life. Let Jesus be what He promised, Living Water that wells up in  you to fullest, soul-fulfilling satisfaction.

O God, You are my God; the Psalmist confessed he was earnestly seeking You. I confess the tepid temperature of my soul and my lazy scrolling through verses of Scripture. Spirit of the Living God, bring me once again to Jesus, the Fount of Living Water welling up to salvation. Bring to me the realization that gripped the Psalmist, that Your steadfast love is better than life, so that restored to the joy of such extravagant salvation my lips will praise You and I will bless You as long as I live. Amen.

Based on verses from Psalm 63

https://youtu.be/E8d0bMPl2hY?si=pjAfUShG65ok9Yqq “Fill Thou My Life”

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

June 28, 2024 -- John 11:21-27 -- Jesus has power over life, the grave, and death

21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”
John 11:21-27 ESV

Death intrudes. Even when someone we know and love is ill and then dies, death is still a violation. Yesterday a dear, small fellowship at an alcohol and drug recovery centre experienced the shock of unexpected death. One of their peers in the recovery program died in the night. The words of Jesus to Martha are such a poignant, powerful reminder of our neediness wherever and however death intrudes.

Jesus declared His power and His authority even over death and the grave. Lazarus experienced Jesus’ power. At Jesus’ command Lazarus was summoned from the tomb and rose to life. However, Lazarus would die again. His was not yet the resurrection to eternal life.

Those who are in Christ, who believe on Him and know Him alone as their salvation, though they die, yet shall they live. At the small huddle of men, and male and female managers, the powerful words of Jesus were declared: “I Am the resurrection and life. Whoever believes in Me, though he die, yet shall he live”. As the gurney wheeled past our small assembly and a cold rain fell, those words echoed out. A prayer offered, with all present completing that prayer by reciting the Serenity Prayer. The assurance was declared, he will not rise and die again like Lazarus. No, our brother in Christ has risen to new, eternal life in Christ.

Thanks be to God that to live is Christ and to die is gain. Thanks be to God that the Spirit of God seals such promises to our hearts so that our hope can never be snatched away. May God do as He promised, be the Comforter of all who mourn.

God, grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can
and wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time
enjoying one moment at a time
accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
taking as Jesus did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
trusting that You will make all things right
if I surrender to Your will
so that I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with You
forever and ever in the next. Amen.

Prayer attributed to Reinhold Niebuhr (1892-1971)

https://youtu.be/kOlJHNLX_Co?si=w_Gjxdvx6ExHK5U3 “By the Sea of Crystal”

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

June 27, 2024 -- Matthew 9:35-38 -- Pray for Witnesses, Missionaries and Labourers in the Harvest Field

 And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
Matthew 9:35-38 ESV

It may seem that the world is pressing against Christians and that society around you is hard soil compacted against the truth of God’s word. Jesus is teaching His disciples something different. Even as the authorities were seeking to put Him to death, the crowds followed Him, and many individuals were confronted with the Good News. What is this Good News? The wrath of God, which sinners' wickedness brought on themselves, has been averted by the blood of Jesus Christ. All who believe in Jesus know their sins are punished on the Person of Jesus and they have received His righteousness. What a glorious truth!

When you pray for laborers to go out and bear witness to Jesus

• you realize how abundant the harvest actually is and you become even more fervent in prayer

• by the Spirit’s power in you the testimony you have proves itself relevant to your coworkers and family, your neighbours and coffeeshop friends, so that you feel more inclined to speak up for Jesus

• your are revitalized in your prayers for missionaries, knowing they face dangers and have great opportunities

• you realize through your Bible reading, coupled with prayer ,the fact that those who encountered Jesus didn’t wait until they’d attended a training course on evangelism, but immediately after meeting Him, testified to whatever they knew of Jesus

• your heart is stirred to compassion for the people of this world  who are sheep being led to slaughter by all kinds of false teachings, by paganism and the Devil’s lies. The clarity of Jesus’ words are so needed that you can’t help but speak.

• Such urgent prayers reignite in you a passion for missionaries so that you are recommitted to financially supporting their labours

• you also realize your local congregation is not a castle with a moat and a drawbridge so that you can shut out the world, instead the Church is the place where harassed and helpless sheep are drawn closer to Jesus, steeped in the love of the Father and by the Spirit’s power is a place of great transformation in Jesus’ Name; you in fact, become a laborer in the harvest field, bringing people to Jesus.

Father in heaven, thank You for Jesus, His mission, His authority, His compassion which all so wondrously reflect Your electing love towards lost sinners. Forgive us for our lacklustre prayers and our feeble mutterings about missions. Renew in us a holy commitment to obey Jesus and so pray earnestly that You will send out labourers into Your harvest fields. Spirit of God cause us to rejoice in what we know of Jesus; bring to mind recent Bible readings so that we can point others to passages which declare the majesty of Jesus and His saving work that so beautifully applies to us the abundant mercy of our Father in heaven. Triune God, be glorified in us. Amen.

https://youtu.be/N1DMIrqQVXI?si=9heoITk2XYFzXJdg “O Lord, You’re Beautiful”

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

June 26, 2024 -- Matthew 5:37 -- When you say "yes" do you really mean it?

Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.
Matthew 5:37 ESV

One of the privileges of prison ministry is meeting with men who are very direct. Yesterday, I was teaching on confessing our sins to God. Many of us offer perfunctory confessions. We might hastily mutter “Forgive all my sins”. One man remarked, “I have gone through drug and alcohol recovery a dozen times”. He went on, “I’ve done all these steps”.

Another man piped up, before I could say anything. He said, “Then you’re not being honest to God or yourself.” I was struck by the directness of the statement, and the deep truth of it. I, along with the seven other men in the group, had to face the reality of how many times we have, in our own lives. said “I will do this” and failed miserably. No one else might know what’d we’d pledged, but God, Who before a word is even on the tongue, knows it completely, He sees and knows this private failure. It is not private. It is a violation of the holiness of God and a violation of our vows to follow Him completely and blamelessly.

Jesus, here in Matthew 5, is commanding His people to be strikingly unique among the peoples of the earth. Worldly people promise this and do something else. People are required to swear oaths in the courts to which standard they will be held publicly accountable, because in daily life they fail to keep their simple “yes” and “no” promises. Jesus followers must be open to the fact that they are powerless in the grip of their sins and helpless before the strongholds of the enemy. They are unique in the world because those, forgiven by the accomplished work of Jesus, change the way they act, the way they speak, and they offer their sacred yes. 

Let me give a few examples of our Christian negligence. In my local church, there are two church services each Sunday. Believers, upon joining the church, promise to attend both. They don’t. There might be 20% attendance in the evening compared with the morning. Those who do not attend continually make a lie of their "yes". Believers acknowledge before God He is the source of every blessing in their lives. Such believers promise they will give a tithe to God. They don’t. Church budgets bear this out. Examine yourself, where are you saying "yes" and living "no"? Confess your sins to God. Confess your powerlessness. Our Father is faithful and just and will forgive your sin and for the sake of Christ, cleanse you from all unrighteousness.

Father in heaven, I confess before the throne of grace, where Jesus, Your Son, my Savior, rules in splendor, that I am powerless over the issues, the sins, controlling my life. Spirit of God, by the Light of Scripture search out my heart, shine the Truth of Jesus into every part so that I will continually confess all that is sinful in me, so that the grace of Jesus Christ will be applied to every dark corner. Triune God, lead me in all truth, so that in my inner life, in  all my dealings with this world, and even before the hosts of hell—now conquered by Jesus and therefore toothless—I will walk with integrity, letting my “yes” be “yes” before You. Amen.

https://youtu.be/4SIf3AgC1I4?si=JEABJ4GwjSfzM825 “I Sing the Mighty Power of God”

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

June 24, 2024 -- Proverbs 24:1-2 -- Christians facing envy and desire

Be not envious of evil men,
    nor desire to be with them,
2 for their hearts devise violence,
    and their lips talk of trouble.
Proverbs 24:1-2 ESV

What is the source of temptation in your life? What whispers to you so that you are inclined to consider actions which normally you’d run from? These two verses reveal how easily a man falls into the clutches of temptation which morphs into wicked actions.

Who are you envious of? Who in your life do you imagine “has it all-together”? So often Christians are looking at non-Christians and admiring their homes, or their finances, or their beauty, or their talents, or their business acumen—you can name all kinds of things which after you've considered their possessions or attributes, creates in you a discontentment.

Desire kicks in. Having uncovered an attribute or a possession of others, you begin to malign others. Or you actively begin to want something which previously had not been on your radar or part of your array of desires. Sin, when it takes hold of a man, grows. It can find a place for its roots in almost any kind of soil. The whole point of the advertisement industry is to whip up in you an urgent need for the things you are seeing. First the commercials stir up within you a sense of "hey, I like that" or "I want that", or "if I had that then..." Second, the commercials direct you acquire more. The idea planted in you germinates.

Jesus calls out to those who would desire Him: “If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” (Luke 9:23 ESV). Understand, a person will follow Jesus when, having considered His life, His intimacy with the Father, His Spirit-led power, He longs to have what Jesus has. In all the world, this is the only proper place for envy. When a heart becomes discontent with its lot and sees Jesus and finds in Him one’s all-in-all, then desire—appropriate desire--kicks in. 

To follow Jesus one denies all other envies, all other attractions, all other things. Jesus is the heart’s desire and for Him the souls longs. Therefore, denying oneself is accomplished with the vigor of a starving man who sees a table groaning under the weight of food that no one is touching. You’ll do anything to get at it. Jesus is our soul’s banquet.

Cross-bearing for the Christian is the next logical step. When Jesus knew His hour had come, He set His face towards Jerusalem and went to the very place where He knew He’d be betrayed, tried, suffer, and finally be crucified (Luke 9:51). Jesus modeled what He preached. The height of love and devotion for Him was to lay down His life in obedience to His Father’s plan of electing love. The height of Jesus’ love was to deny Himself, His human wishes and desires, and ever more fully press into the Father’s plan that His is the death that redeems all from their sinfulness ways and presents them clean to the Father.

In the same way, we as believers know the denying of our own flesh, putting to death our wants and selfish desires will result in others being brought to the Father. It is the way of the cross. When Christians prove themselves delighted in Jesus and content to follow Him, they are irresistibly attractive to the people around them. A believer who is pressing towards the height of love and greatest devotion to God is a rare commodity and one who is undeniably compelling to the compromised, used and depleted people around him. It is Jesus Who is the great magnet in His life. 

Faithful Father, Who knows how to give all good and perfect gifts to His children, forgive us for the many times we have run from the gift of all Your blessings and churlishly folded our arms against Your mercies. Forgive us for ways in which we have envied the wicked and defied Your lovingkindness. With eyes filled with the vision of Jesus and hearts aware of His intimacy with You and the passion aroused within us by Your Spirit, lead us once again to denying ourselves so that Christ will increase and we decrease. In the light of Jesus magnificence may the things of this world be relegated to the junk heaps and burn piles for which they are destined. Oh Jesus, be our vision and our heart’s strongest desire. Spirit of God, awaken our conscience so that we will deny all things that would interfere with our life's greatest desire, Jesus, and so become ever more faithful followers of Jesus to the glory and praise of God our Father. Amen.

https://youtu.be/WZBOSfiH8Rk?si=waPX3NEWz3KxkD-u “Be Thou My Vision”

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

June 20, 2024 -- Romans 1:18-25 -- Considering everything: both books of God's testimony

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.
24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.
Romans 1:18-25 ESV

Creation is one book of God’s revelation. All of creation declares the glory of God. His divine attributes are clearly evident in them—from the amoeba to the asteroid—all things animate and inanimate—reveal there must be a Creator. Why does this matter? When anyone takes God out of His creation, or denies He is the One and Only Creator—then perversions begin.

The Bible itself, inspired by the Holy Spirit of God, reveals God, so that creation can be rightly interpreted. Men and women are created for the glory of God. Those who follow God, single or married, are called to control their bodies, their lusts and urges so that God is praised.

Marriage is between one man and woman, for life, to the exclusion of all others. The others also means pornography, or other media representations of lust to satisfy selfish urges.

Singleness for the Christian requires a man or a woman to refrain from indulging lustful desires—images, pornography in any form, and print or video. Sexual encounters, of any kind, between a man and a woman are inappropriate. The Bible standard is God’s standard. It is holy. And His holy standard is wholly for the good of His creation, His people whom He made.

Reading this passage one realizes the root of many of today’s evils, from idolatrous worship to hateful interactions, from the disrespect of children against parents to the fact that what is good is called evil in our world, stems from the fact that people do not believe God is the Creator. When book one, creation, is joined to book 2, God’s self-revelation in Scripture, then one has a fully rounded understanding of life that is holy, and wholly dedicated to God.

Purity is worth fighting for. The sanctity of marriage is something Christians in today’s world need to uphold. It is not a hopeless endeavor. Jesus promised His followers, “I have overcome the world”. Those who are in Christ, are people who despite the pressures of the world, the allure of sex, and the promptings of the evil one, stay devoted to Jesus and pure in all their conduct. When a believer fails, and who among us does not stumble, then there is forgiveness full and free in Jesus. Such forgiveness is not a licence to sin, it is an incentive to live boldly for Jesus every moment of day and night.

A Present Salvation
Creator and Redeemer God,
Author of all existence, source of all blessedness,
I adore thee for making me capable of knowing thee,
for giving me reason and conscience, for leading me to desire thee;
I praise thee for the revelation of thyself in the gospel,
for thy heart as a dwelling place of pity,
for thy thoughts of peace towards me,
for thy patience and thy graciousness,
for the vastness of thy mercy.
Thou hast moved my conscience
to know how the guilty can be pardoned,
the unholy sanctified,
the poor enriched.
May I be always amongst those who not only hear but know thee,
who walk with and rejoice in thee,
who take thee at thy word and find life there.
Keep me always longing for a present salvation
in Holy Spirit comforts and rejoicings,
for spiritual graces and blessings,
for help to value my duties as well as my privileges.
May I cherish simplicity and godly sincerity of character.
Help me to be in reality before thee as in appearance I am before men,
to be religious before I profess religion,
to leave the world before I enter the church,
to set my affections on things above,
to shun forbidden follies and vanities,
to be a dispenser as well as a partaker of grace,
to be prepared to bear evil as well as to do good.
O God, make me worthy of this calling,
that the name of Jesus may be glorified in me and I in him.
Prayer from "Valley of Vision"

https://youtu.be/LoE-uNsGc2E?si=fJEzIzukgcfL8Xr1 “Come Thou Fount — I Will Sing”

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

June 19, 2024 -- Hebrews 10:32-36 -- Enduring for the Name of Jesus

But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, 33 sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated. 34 For you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one. 35 Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. 36 For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.
Hebrews 10:32-36 ESV

The meetings continue. I am in a general assembly of church leaders. It is called Synod. I am a fraternal observer, which means my denomination, The Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, sends me to bring greetings to this gathering of the church leaders of the United Reformed Church of North America. So, officially I am called a "fraternal delegate". That is, someone who from a different group of believers who attends the Synod and brings greetings.

One of the other fraternal delegates, Patrick, spoke just a few minutes ago. In order to come to this meeting, he had to start preparing more than a year and a half ago. He had to travel to Nairobi to get a visa application. He is an unassuming man. He is from the Reformed Church of Southern Sudan. If you know anything about recent political history, this is one of the most war-torn regions of the world.

Members of Patrick’s congregation are often brutally beaten by soldiers. His people flee to other countries. A few years ago soldiers took over Patrick's home and booted his  whole family out. He stayed in the neighbourhood of his church. He preached. In view of the Gospel he knew he could not do anything else. How did he endure it? He had confidence in God his Father. He was assured the plundering of his property and his losses here on earth cannot compare with the weight of glory that is in store for him in heaven. He kept in view the needs of his flock, those young Christians who needed to be spiritually fed. After two plus years, the Lord gracious restored Patrick's home to him and his family. Though violence continues all around. them and the church. He did not tell us these facts. It took another delegate, one from South Africa, who stood up and declared to us all what Patrick had endured. Patrick himself never referred to it.

Here is what deeply and truly struck me. As he stood addressing the delegates, the overwhelming majority of us who live very comfortably in North America, he assured us that the churches of his federation pray, every week, for their family in Christ in North America. That is sobering, isn’t it? What does he and his congregation pray for their North American counterparts? They do not look to their own, great needs, they appeal to God asking:

• that Christians in North America will be faithful to Jesus

• that Christians will resist the agenda of those who are perverted in their sexual agenda. Those who are out to fight against the Bride of Christ.

• They pray that Christians here will mentor the young pastoral leaders over there, so that the young pastors in South Sudan will remain faithful to Jesus.

I was left wondering, who is prepared to face this challenge? Who is prepared to go to one of the newest nations on earth and stand firm for the glorious Name of Jesus—discipling men who are prepared to stay in some of the worst conflict zones in the world, so that the Name of Jesus Christ will be lifted high. What a mighty God we serve! How beautiful are the feet of them that bring good news.

Lord of all nations, King of Glory, let Your people in South Sudan continue to be refreshed by the powerful presence of Your Holy Spirit. Give courage that is grounded in the fact that Jesus Christ has overcome the world. Hear their prayers. Increase the number of men and women who defy the bloodshed and the violence and still faithfully go to assemble in Your house, O Lord. Thank You for the prayers of our South Sudanese brothers and sisters in Christ, who are storming the gates of heaven, approaching the throne of grace, where they appeal to Jesus on our behalf. Asking that North American Christians will stay strong in the face of potential cultural compromise and continue to boldly declare the Gospel here and to the ends of the earth. Hear our prayers, O Lord. Among all Your people, near and far, increase our fighting spirit so that we will be bold ambassadors for the Gospel. Amen.

https://youtu.be/mISbGETVr84?si=6lLTNzuYzJ5CwrHO And Can It Be?

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

June 18, 2024 -- Matthew 1:16-17 -- Some implications of being adopted in Christ

16 and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ.17 So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ fourteen generations.
Matthew 1:16-17 ESV

Joseph adopted Jesus. Think about it. The genealogy of Luke traces Jesus’ family line through Nathan—not Solomon, as is recorded in Matthew, which is Joseph’s family tree. Mary was overshadowed by the Holy Spirit, so that what was conceived in her was brought about by the Holy Spirit. Jesus was not conceived and born in sin because the Holy Spirit stopped the taint, the stain, of Adam’s sin which otherwise would have affected Jesus if He'd only had only earthly parents. But Joseph is Jesus’ adoptive father. Mary is Jesus’ mother; fully by bloodline, Jesus’ mother.

Why does this matter?

• Jesus understands the pain many suffer who do not have their biological dad in their life.

• Jesus understands the taunts others hear who realize their birth date and their parents’ wedding doesn’t quite line up.

• Jesus understands adoption—with all its complications and awkwardness.

How is this helpful?

• The grace of God reaches to every place of our brokenness with regards to family and parentage.

• The grace of God overcomes our sense of being an outsider to His mercy and kindness.

• The grace of God is profound grace precisely because, knowing all our sinfulness, all our wicked heritage and all the sins we’d ever commit, He still chose us in love, in the beloved, Jesus Christ.

The grace of God is unstoppable. The Spirit of God puts us into such rich, deep, true communion with God, initiated by Him, maintained by the salvific work of Jesus, and guarded in us by the Holy Spirit through our good days, our bad days, and our worst days, and our days that are more terrible than our most indescribably worst days.

The Father in heaven has adopted you. Jesus knows exactly what adoption means and He shows never-ending love at His throne of grace. The Spirit gives us a Spirit of adoption such that we do not succumb once again to fear and the trap of feeling like outsiders—the Spirit breaks through the dark night of the soul and whispers to your Spirit—”you have a Father in heaven Who loves you and will never abandon you.”

Today’s prayer is the hymn “My Faith Has Found”

1 My faith has found a resting place,
from guilt my soul is freed;
I trust the ever-living One,
his wounds for me shall plead.

Refrain:
I need no other argument,
I need no other plea,
it is enough that Jesus died,
and that he died for me.

2 Enough for me that Jesus saves,
this ends my fear and doubt;
a sinful soul, I come to him,
he’ll never cast me out. [Refrain]

3 My heart is leaning on the Word,
the written Word of God,
salvation by my Savior’s name,
salvation thro' his blood. [Refrain]

4 My great Physician heals the sick,
the lost he came to save;
for me his precious blood he shed,
for me his life he gave. [Refrain]

https://youtu.be/LWymLT_cCdA?si=IpPNF7EXv6d2sT5H “My Faith Has Found a Resting Place”

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

June 17, 2024 -- Proverbs 17:24 -- Where will your focus be today?

The discerning sets his face toward wisdom,
but the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth.
Proverbs 17:24 ESV

What is your goal? If you desire to live for God, then set your focus on Him. Study the Word. Share what you’ve read. Talk about what you believe. Spend time memorizing the Word of God. Get to church regularly (if your church has two services on a Sunday, go both times). Why? Because there are so many distractions.

The eyes of a fool are always wandering here and there. The foolish man is constantly scanning the horizon for some new pleasure or distraction. A foolish woman is oblivious to danger as she scrolls through all kinds of websites, video shorts and posts. Such foolish men and women will find things they were not looking for, bumping into threats and temptations they were not on the lookout for. Because they were not looking at where they were going, they get caught up in all kinds unintended wrong-doing.

This morning I’m getting ready for my flight to a Synod Meeting. At the airport there are so many distractions. There is music blaring from various kiosks and stores. There are people who are dressing so as to draw attention to themselves. There are temptations for things to purchase—everything from snack foods which are incompatible with my resolution to eat healthier to buying trinkets I don’t need. “I must look for wisdom, here and now” I am guessing that is refrain that you might need to return to as much as I do. Perhaps  this verse is a good reminder for us all, one worth returning to throughout the day.

Our Father in heaven, thank You for the teaching of wisdom found in Scripture. Thank You for the words, given to men through-out the centuries, which are designed to help Your people stay anchored in Jesus Christ. As this day begins and I am aware there will be many distractions and temptations which could ensnare me, by Your Spirit, grant constant course corrections so that my face will always be set toward wisdom. Amen.

https://youtu.be/q-dWxto9-XQ?si=5K_LnhV-9zfgQHKi I Set My Hope

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

June 16, 2024 -- John 3:30 -- Increasing Joy

He must increase, but I must decrease.
John 3:30 ESV

How many words do you speak in a day? How many words do you type  in a day, perhaps for your social media posts, your emails or texts, blogs, or your school work? A quick search shows that the common average seems to be agreed upon at about 6,000 spoken words a day. Now, how many of those words are centred on Jesus? How much of your conversation is centred on you, on your fears, your needs, your desires, your wants and your aspirations?

John the Baptist, speaking to his followers declared that Jesus must increase and he himself decrease. Part of this ought to be an increase in one’s conversation about Jesus. An increase in one’s adoration of Jesus. An increase in praise to the Father, to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

Today is Sunday. The question on the minds of many is: "Why bother going to church?" When you attend church the liturgy is focused on the Trinity—the One God Who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The hymns and songs bring praise and adoration so that our minds and mouths are instructed in the increase of God’s glory and the decrease of our own egotism.

Christians, in worship, do not denigrate themselves. Instead, Christians know their glory is a derived glory, a reflected glory. God alone lives in unapproachable splendor. In Him we move and live and have our being. People, rich or poor, young or dying, well or unwell, fit or crippled, mentally strong or challenged, whatever their state or condition are precious precisely because their very D.N.A. announces the greatness of our God.

Sin has obscured humanity’s awareness of God’s nearness, greatness and reflected glory. Believers know, whatever our life’s condition, our station, that our whole purpose is to have Him increase and we decrease. We decrease in dependence on ourselves. We decrease in our opinion of ourselves. We decrease in view of His radiant divinity. Consequently, in worship, in obedient service to God, our understanding of the value of human life increases precisely because we know we are His. Human beings are created for His pleasure and the more we increase in our understanding of this, the more we understand the inestimable value we have in Jesus Christ, our Redeemer-King.

Then it is life’s chief satisfaction to honour Him. The very thing we were made to do, the purpose of our lives, is expressed in speaking of Jesus, living for Jesus, increasing our faith in Him. The butt end of a screwdriver can be used to drive in nails, but that is not its purpose. It is made to fit the appropriate slot of the screw head and turn. So too, when believers are focused on things, idols, people, anything other than the One, True, Living God, they are not fulling the purpose for which they were made. They are striving to increase their usefulness in a way that will destroy them. However, a believer whose life’s desire and goal is to increase his devotion and love for Jesus will find this is exactly what he was made to do. This Sunday, let that joy be yours.

Father in heaven, thank You for the extravagant gift of Jesus Christ. Spirit of the Living God direct our steps this day to the fullest extent so that Jesus will increase and we decrease. Amen.

https://youtu.be/bhOha4AcoMY?si=nTA6ULOc4SV30_FY “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee” the music starts at 1:35

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

June 15, 2024 -- John 3:30 -- Jesus, His increasing power and presence in your life

He must increase, but I must decrease.
John 3:30 ESV

This is my life verse. As a Christian, this is what I strive for. John the Baptist’s followers were annoyed because Jesus’ following was growing and their teacher's followers were decreasing in number. So, he spoke the words of this text to his disciples. Jesus must increase. It is necessary. It is decreed by the Father. It is appropriate. It is something that will require the follower of Jesus to conquer his own heart, his own lusts, his own wilfulness.

Jesus must increase. It is the decision of the Father that those who are belong to Him have been saved through the blood of Jesus Christ. Thus the glory of Jesus and through His work, the glory of the Father, will increase in the eyes of the world. He is all-together glorious from eternity to eternity.

Jesus must increase. When a man hears the Gospel and refuses Jesus that man’s condemnation is a confirmation of the judgment of God. It is the King’s right, in fact, it is an essential part of His just reign, to throw down and defeat all His enemies.

Jesus must increase. It is the inevitable answer to the prayer of Jesus spoken in John 17. The glory of Jesus, in His humanity, will increase. The knowledge of Jesus, Who He truly Is, will increase. The sheep given to Jesus will increase in number and by the Spirit’s presence will increase in their capacity to delight in Him and obey Him.

The Spirit of God. Who draws the believer to Jesus, works salvation into the heart and life of the one who puts his life into the hands of Jesus. Salvation is 100% God’s work. Those who are in Christ, whose mind and souls belong to Jesus must then conquer their wayward, iniquitous hearts. That is what John means when he declared “I must decrease”. The sinful flesh must be brought into obedience to Jesus by the conscious effort of the believer. Sin will pull away from the embrace of Jesus’ love; the Spirit will quiet the heart and lead the man to see that all his reward, all his life, all true joy is found in Jesus and in Him only.

I must decrease. The ego and the believer’s pride want to be acknowledged. Any service to Jesus, the smallest tiny successes are held up to Him as if they are a prize. They’re not. So, with John the believer declares: I must decrease and conquer all lingering sins that so easily undermine my commitment to Jesus. In the original language John stated he must decrease in rank, decrease in his own estimation of himself. The ego wants to be first in rank and first in power. It must decrease in the presence of Jesus!

The benefit one's decrease is immediate. The believer finds joy in Jesus Christ. The will that resides in every man and woman is a tyrant. It is demanding. It is voracious. It is insatiable. Not so for the believer who is bringing his will into submission to Jesus. The believer’s capacity to delight in Him is increased. The believer's freedom is immediately increased, because He brings us to the Father, the source of every good gift. The allure of sin is coextensively decreased as the presence of Jesus and His love expand into every area of the believer’s life. Ah, fellow Christian, tomorrow is Sunday. Plan on going to church. Pray for the increase of Jesus and for His love to flood your soul. Eternal life consists in believing on Jesus and when you place all your hope in Him, immediately, by extension, you believe in the Father Who sent Him.

Faithful Father in heaven, thank You for the testimony of those who, carried along by Your Holy Spirit, wrote the words of the Bible. Thank You for the Truth of the Bible. Thank You for the clarity of Your word. Thank You that by the written word, we see the Living Word, Jesus Christ, so magnificently displayed. Stir us, Spirit of God, to prepare for church tomorrow, to engage in the worship of the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Oh God, in Whom is the River of Delight, You must increase and we must decrease. Amen.

https://youtu.be/rswH9CSyWHk?si=s37RoeDE7-MmU8fG God the Uncreated One

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