August 4, 2024 -- Proverbs 4:24 - 27 -- What's the matter? Your words matter. Ponder them.

Put away from you crooked speech,
    and put devious talk far from you.
25 Let your eyes look directly forward,
    and your gaze be straight before you.
26 Ponder the path of your feet;
    then all your ways will be sure.
27 Do not swerve to the right or to the left;
    turn your foot away from evil.
Proverbs 4:24-27 ESV

Earlier this week I became angry and even as I recall what happened I am easily angered all over again. While visiting one of the prisons, having taught Bible Study, one of the men referred to the guards as “keepers”. It was an odd reference. Then another one referred to lunch as “feeding time”. These men were quoting the very words which the prison officers use in reference to the men and their situation. Perhaps you have already understood the implications. According to many of the guards the prison is a zoo. The prison officers also refer to their charges as “animals”. My stomach boils as I write this. The men on the inside are demeaned by these words. They know many of the guards considered them no better than animals. Their lives are on exhibit for the guards and social workers. To add greater insult to this injury, they are at the mercy of these “keepers” who provoke them at will and write them up when the defenseless prisoner reacts against such vile treatment.

Words matter. What I’ve just described is an example of crooked speech and devious talk. Though it is a terrible example, if you are honest, ponder how often do you use crooked speech and devious talk to slander someone you’re angry with? Or to mock the government which God has put into power—perhaps putting such men and women into power because of the sins of His people. Men and women who need the prayers of the Christians more than ever. Maybe your crooked speech and devious talk relates to gossip. Maybe you use your words to manipulate others?

Today is Sunday. Examine your own heart. Your example is Jesus Christ. If you have deviated from any standard, do not compare your walk with someone other than Jesus. He is the measure of holiness you are to use. When the Spirit of God uses the Word to convict you, then do not look to the right or to the left for excuses. Confess your sins. The Father is faithful and just and will forgive you based on the accomplished work of Jesus. Jesus was crushed for your sinful words.

Pray for those who are in prison, and do so today with greater understanding of their plight.

Pray for prison guards and those who work in prison settings that vile words and crooked speech will be exposed there will be a changed atmosphere such that guards will deal kindly with those in their care. The Father in heaven will not spare the wicked on the Day of Judgment.

Pray for yourself that you will be restored to the way of salvation and keep your feet in right paths so that your head (intentions) and feet (actions) go towards Jesus.

Father in heaven, we confess we have sinned against You in thought, word and deed. We confess our sins and plead that You will forgive us in Jesus’ Name. By Your Holy Spirit direct us in right paths and so declare Your Holiness and by such words and deeds draw others to the light of Jesus Christ. Amen.

https://youtu.be/Vs39C1-T4BE?si=cMmHccvDI7-yBPph “May the Word of My Mouth”

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

August 2, 2024 -- Luke 10:16 -- Do you have ears?

The one who hears you hears me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me.”
Luke 10:16 ESV

An expression that is regularly used through-out the Bible is alluded to here in Jesus' words “the one who hears you hears me”. The underlying expression is “he who has ears to hear, let him hear” (Luke 8:8). Recently I asked this question as I preached, "How many of you have no ears, hands up?" One smart aleck pointed to his wife but there were no waving hands otherwise. Everyone has ears. Two ears. As natural as it is to hear, so natural should it be to hear and obey Jesus.

Each one of us has received the Good News about Jesus Christ from a parent, a Sunday School teacher, a brave street evangelist, a minister, or a friend. The Good News is spoken from person to person. It is the Father’s chosen means of bringing the grace of Jesus Christ to all. In view of this, how shall we live?

Fill yourself with the knowledge of Jesus Christ. Know Him. Know His Word. Discern those who preach Him versus those who proclaim a false message about Jesus.

Speak of Jesus in all your daily conversation. He sends you. And He has equipped you. All who profess Jesus Christ do so in the power of the Holy Spirit. You are given all you need so that Jesus’ Name can be carried far and wide.

Expect people to reject you. The message of Jesus Christ is direct and He is the only way to the Father. Contrary to the false message of this world, there are not many roads that lead to the Father. He has appointed One Way of salvation, through His Son Jesus Christ. The very exclusivity of Jesus is an offense in every age. People do not want to submit their will and offer obedience to the True King of heaven and earth. Do not let the rejection you fear you'll experience, or have experienced stop you.

The more you speak of and proclaim Jesus, the deeper the truth of His glory and blessedness of His salvation works into your own heart, mind and soul. What ancient prophets, like Moses and Abraham, and kings, like King David, longed to see and hear, we have seen and heard through the testimony of the Word and the Spirit. What privilege is ours!

Father in heaven, thank You for the great privilege You have given us to live in such a time as this, where the accomplished work of Jesus Christ is recorded in Scripture. The testimony of the Holy Spirit has been declared through-out the generations and we can see how You, Mighty God, preserve Your people and cause the tide of believers to flow through the nations. Triune God, thank You for the people who You raised up who spoke to each of us the Good News of Jesus Christ and His salvation. Spirit of God send us out, near and far, to declare the rule of the Father through the Kingship of Jesus. Help us to speak with the Holy Spirit's clarity and boldness until all who have ears hear the greatest message of all and in joyful obedience submit their lives wholly to Him. Amen.

https://youtu.be/NwqTvmpnKeE?si=gXXB18LnQsgJGp0_ This is My Father’s World

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

August 1, 2024 -- Proverbs 1:32-33 -- What are you humming?

For the simple are killed by their turning away,
    and the complacency of fools destroys them;
33 but whoever listens to me will dwell secure
    and will be at ease, without dread of disaster.”
Proverbs 1:32-33 ESV

There are two paths: the way of fools (the simple) and the way of wisdom. The fool ignores the Word of God, mocking it. He does whatever seems right in his own eyes, following the rebellious fashions of the world. The fool will in the end exhaust himself in his sinfulness and by his folly lose his life.

The man who takes hold of wisdom takes hold of life. There is no fear of disaster. The fool and the wise will both face good and bad governments. Both will experience sickness and health. Both will experience riches and poverty. So, what is better about the way of the wise?

The man who walks in the way of wisdom finds it to be the path that leads a man to know Jesus Christ. The path of wisdom raises a man’s understanding so that he knows this life is not all there is. The Father in heaven has provided Jesus, Who is wisdom and Whose walk in wisdom brings life to all who obediently follow to Him. The Spirit of God leads a man in wisdom’s way, at ease no matter the circumstances because the he knows his life is guarded by God. However long or short he lives, whatever trials or joys, all of these he knows are used by God to shape him for God’s holy purposes so that even death itself, the great dread of the fool, is rendered toothless and without a sting, because it is the entrance to eternal life in the wondrous presence of God.

How does one obtain wisdom? Read the word of God. Apply it to your daily life. Ask friends who are Christians to help you and advise you in the way of wisdom when you are not sure what to do next. Confess your sins and the times you have wandered down wrong paths. Talk to God, throughout the day. Pray to Him. Sing Psalms to Him.

Alistair Begg noted when facing suffering or joy, there is a distinguishing mark between the Christian and the non-Christian. It is music. When a non-Christian is happy, he’ll sing a ditty, pointless, pagan paeans. However, the happy Christian sings and recites the Word of God back to God. The rich Word of God gives formfulness to the Christian's day. The Psalms of God express the depth and breadth of human emotions and lead one to greater joy and security in the Presence of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies, hear my prayer.
    Listen, O God of Jacob. 

9 O God, look with favor upon the king, our shield!
    Show favor to the one you have anointed.

10 A single day in your courts
    is better than a thousand anywhere else!
I would rather be a gatekeeper in the house of my God
    than live the good life in the homes of the wicked.
11 For the Lord God is our sun and our shield.
    He gives us grace and glory.
The Lord will withhold no good thing
    from those who do what is right.
12 O Lord of Heaven’s Armies,
    what joy for those who trust in you.
Psalm 84:8-12 New Living Translation

https://youtu.be/8RzGnpvUFFw?si=MjvM7TrwIQ-bQjeP Psalm 23

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

July 30, 2024 -- Hebrews 5:11 -- How's your hearing? What?

About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain,
since you have become dull of hearing.
Hebrews 5:11 ESV

Perhaps you know the hymn: “The Love of God”? Listen to the words of the final stanza and the refrain that follows.
Could we with ink the ocean fill,
And were the skies of parchment made,
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
And every man a scribe by trade,
To write the love of God above,
Would drain the ocean dry.
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky.
     Refrain
O love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure
The saints’ and angels’ song.

I wonder, have we grown so familiar with the amazing salvation of Jesus Christ that we grow cold in the telling of it? We are dull of hearing, precisely because of familiarity. The breathless recounting of Jesus’ salvation fills the pages of Hebrews. The epistle is marked with wonder and praise to God. That is why there are so many warnings against apostacy found in Hebrews. Apostacy is when one appears to be a child of God, though his heart is cold and his actions argue against his salvation.

Preach to your soul, every day, the marvelous love of God. Declare the rich salvation of Jesus Christ, which has lifted you from death life. Cry out to the Spirit so that your ears will hear the blessed truths of Scripture and your heart will rejoice in all you hear.

Spirit of God, we confess that all too often we are dull of hearing. The blessed truth of Scripture, so rich and deep that it will take eternity to comprehend, is regularly brushed aside for vain and useless pursuits. Spirit of the Living God, revive us again, so that the great and glorious salvation that is ours in Christ will be for us new every morning, filling our thoughts with excited anticipation for all that is yet to be. Assist us, Spirit of God, by Your divine power, so that we will live as soldiers of the cross. Triune God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, in our lives be glorified. Amen.

https://youtu.be/NafJoD8Mt94?si=0QACR9-CwABakFsy “The Love of God”

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July 28, 2024 -- Matthew 6:19-21 -- What, or whom, do you treasure?

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Matthew 6:19-21 ESV

This past week was my reading week. I focused on educational reading that is helpful in building up my skills for the work God has given me to do. It has been a pleasure. One expression has been playing around in my mind. It is a quotation from John Piper, “when sin becomes bitter, marriage becomes sweet”. In the context of the reading today that expression could be altered to something like this: when sin becomes bitter then following Jesus, Who is the treasure in heaven, becomes sweet.

You know what people value by the amount of time they spend talking about it, or showing pictures of it, or teaching others how to do what they love. A Christian, who treasures Jesus in his heart, will find following Jesus and serving Him to be sweet. The Spirit of God, Who lives in the heart of the believer changes his tastes and attitudes. The Spirit of God, Who lives in the heart of believers changes her values and her desires. A believer will talk about Jesus. Express hope in Jesus that is unwavering. Fill their conversations with the hope that anchors their souls, the love of God the Father revealed in Jesus Christ, Who is sealed to the heart of believers by the presence of the Spirit.

What are you treasuring? What readjustment needs to take place so that you are not rolling and turning like tumbleweed to hell, but are instead, living with eyes fixed on Jesus and with steady pace and sure steps journeying toward Him in every thought, word and deed. When sin has become bitter, then following Jesus, Who is our treasure in heaven, becomes sweet.

Father in heaven, at the start of this day, by Your Word and Spirit expose sin for the bitterness and wretchedness it truly is. By the same Word and Spirit reveal Jesus as the sweetest gift of heaven, our highest treasure, Whom we then will follow no matter the cost. Amen.

https://youtu.be/y0ac4sT-4-o?si=2Z2oNmGenUH7GKlp “When We See Your Face”

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

July 27, 2024 -- Psalm 98:4-6 -- What songs are running through your mind?

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth;
    break forth into joyous song and sing praises!
5 Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre,
    with the lyre and the sound of melody!
6 With trumpets and the sound of the horn
    make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord!
Psalm 98:4-6 ESV

Whenever I’m out walking, or riding my bike, I see many people have earbuds in. They’re listening to music. When I’m standing in line at the grocery store, sometimes I’ll notice someone is bebopping to music. Once in a while I’m around people who are humming or singing a fav songs. Music gets past our defenses. Musical scores plant words and ideas into our heads and hearts so that with the slightest encouragement, such songs can pour out from us. The critical question one must be asking is this; what are you listening to? What is going so deep into you that it influences you, shapes you, and flows from you?

Consider carefully these words attributed to Andrew Fletcher (1653-1716, a Scottish writer and politician).
     …if a man were permitted to make all the ballads he
    need not care who should make the laws of a nation,
    and we find that most of the ancient legislators
    thought that they could not well reform the manners
    of any city without the help of a lyric, and
    sometimes of a dramatic poet.
Basically the songs of a nation, the words of a nation’s popular music have more direct impact on a nation than do all the laws and courts. It makes sense. Music is the catechism of every age. It is the instruction in worldly ways of thinking. Ballad-makers capture what is going on and by their tunes teach others to see the world the way they do. Such poets are not teaching the laws of God. Be careful, most of the music of this world is schooling you in the ways of hell.

So, that are you putting into your heart and mind? What is influencing far more than you even realize? Even Christian music must be discerned so that one can distinguish between what is almost right and what is right and true. This is one of the reasons many denominations used to sing the Psalms. Exclusively sing Psalms, so that the words God gave to His people by the inspiration of the Spirit should fill the hearts and minds of His people. 

The passage today teaches the believer that Jesus Christ is the King, He is the LORD. He, the One long foretold in the Old Testament, Who is perfectly revealed in the New Testament. He is worthy of praise and honour because by Him the steadfast love of the Father in heaven has been revealed. In Jesus Christ first Israel, and then the ends of the earth, have seen the salvation of our God .

O LORD our God, You answered Moses and Aaron ; You were a forgiving God to them, but an avenger to their wrongdoings. Spirit of God, guide us in all Truth so that we confess our sins and hate all evil practices, thus conforming our minds and lives to the will of Jesus, our King and Lord. Spirit, with hymns and psalms, and the music of spiritual songs, help us to exalt the LORD our God, worshiping Him alone, knowing He alone is holy and worthy of all praise and adoration and consideration. Amen.
(Prayer is based on Psalm 99:8-9)

https://youtu.be/hALYEEznXFQ?si=XOedO0XvCN2MgGJp Psalm 98

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

July 26, 2024 -- Mark 14:37-38 -- Prayer and Spiritual Battle

And he came to them and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not watch one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Mark 14:37-38 ESV

Jesus was facing the greatest trial of His life. He was wrestling in prayer with God the Father, preparing for the foaming cup of God’s wrath against sin which soon would be poured out on Him, Jesus. Jesus had asked His disciples, Peter, James, and John, to go with Him and pray. They fell asleep. If you know the story well, Peter had just declared to Jesus something to the effect that even if all the others fell away, he’d stay true to God. Jesus prophesied that Peter would deny Him three times before the rooster had crowed twice.

By the light of this context, the failure of Peter is shown in even greater contrast to Jesus’ faithfulness. Peter having been warned by Jesus slept. He did not engage in prayer to prepare himself for the spiritual warfare that he’d been warned he’d be up against. No wonder he failed. Greater is the grace and the love of Jesus—Who had prayed for Peter, that though he be sifted like wheat, he would not ultimately fall into the hands of Satan. What mercy Jesus showed, even in His worst and darkest hours, He prayed for and shepherded His followers.

I wonder, how often is it we fall into temptation and sinful ways precisely because, like Peter, we are asleep, or are distracted, or are prayerless. It is easy to condemn Peter, but in doing so, we condemn ourselves also. What a warning is set before us today. What a wonderful Savior we serve! Blessed be the Captain of Salvation, our King, for His faithful prayers and His protecting grace.

Blessed Jesus, thank You for Your prayers for Your people. Spirit of the Living God, awaken our souls, revivify our minds so that we will by prayer and Scripture reading prepare to engage in the spiritual battles all around us. Thank You, Father in heaven, for choosing us in love. Thank You that You have, indeed, provided all things necessary for our salvation and for the guarding of our souls in the grace of Jesus Christ. Amen.

https://youtu.be/Cr6vMGPxYjI?si=h41h1CWY2ds-8xqp Arise, My Soul, Arise (the song begins at the 1 minute 43 second mark. So, if you want to skip the history of it, just slide the cursor to that point.

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

July 24, 2024 -- Mark 10:51-52 -- Having been given sight, do you still act blindly?

And Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” And the blind man said to him, “Rabbi, let me recover my sight.” And Jesus said to him, “Go your way, your faith has made you well.” And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him on the way.
Mark 10:51-52 ESV

What happens when a man truly encounters Jesus? Like the formerly blind man, Bartimaeus, having been healed by Jesus he follows Jesus. To follow Jesus is to be trained by Him. To follow Jesus is to allow His Word to change your thinking. To follow Jesus is to take His commandments as your rule for life and obey them. Sinclair Ferguson uses this expression, “the grammar of grace”. What he means by it is expressed in the passage before you today. God acts first. Jesus healed Bartimaeus. This man was both blind spiritually and blind physically. He called to Jesus for mercy. And Jesus responded. Having received the grace of Jesus, Bartimaeus then follows Jesus, obeying Him in view of Jesus’ great salvation.

There are many instances where people are healed and then they just leave Jesus’ presence. Think of the Ten Lepers who were healed, Luke 17:11-19. Only one returned to thank Jesus for His healing; and the one who returned was not even a Jewish man, he was a foreigner. Jesus draws the reader-listener’s attention to this fact it is a non-Jewish man who returned to thank Him. He asked, were not all ten cleansed, where are the other nine? Yes, all were healed, but not all turned to Him in obedience, prepared to be trained by Him, obedient to Him.

Scripture warns you, “Do not be envious of evil men nor desire to be with, for their hearts devise violence and their lips talk of trouble” Proverbs 24:1-2. Remember this is in the Bible, it is written to men and women who read the Word and hear it preached. Men and women who are supposed to be followers of Jesus, trained by Him, who instead are prepared to forego His great grace and His tender love because they are tempted by the evil people around them. They see the things they do. They desire to do them. They are then led away from Jesus, acting on the things they constantly see. That is the descent from temptation to sin. To see, then to have an over-riding desire that causes one to abandon what is right, and then to take--these are the steps from temptation to engaging in sin.

Follow Jesus. Get close to Him by prayer. Shun the words and ways of evil doers. Call on the Holy Spirit to teach you the Word so that reading the Bible is not a chore, but a blessing. Trust the grammar of grace, that He Who saved you, has in store for you a life of adventure, challenge and vitality.
 

King Jesus, in You, and only You, can a seeker find wisdom. Following You is the adventure of a life-time. By Your Spirit’s work deep within the heart and mind, make all the things that used to charm to be exposed as circus mirrors and seem sillier than a grown man drinking formula from a baby’s bottle. Jesus, Captain of Salvation, make Your people wise, full of strength, adding to wisdom knowledge which enhances strength and gives victory over temptation and sin. Amen.
     (the concluding sentence of this prayer is adapted from Proverbs 24:5-6).

https://youtu.be/wF1cFxJ2Yhw?si=lwTWZ-OHTe9hgLXF “Jesus, the Very Thought of Thee”

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

July 23, 2024 -- II Timothy 2:1-4 -- Am I A Soldier of the Cross?

You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, 2 and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also. 3 Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him.
II Timothy 2:1-4 ESV

What a joyful encouragement it is to read biographies of Christians through-out the ages. And a challenge that encourages one to keep pushing forward with the goal of making the most of every opportunity to share Jesus Christ. The most recent biography I’ve read is of William Chalmers Burns. Born in Scotland, (April 1, 1815), one of ten children where many of his sisters married ministers. Brothers were involved in publishing and ministry as well. To my surprise Burns briefly preached a mission tour in Canada (including the Sarnia, ON area) before being sent to the place he longed to go to, namely, China.

His biographer noted that a phrase which stayed with him throughout his life was miles expeditus. It is a phrase from classical Latin meaning a soldier unchained, or unencumbered. The point is a soldier is always prepared for the duties his captain sets out for him to do, such as march, train, or engage in battle. That fits with what Paul wrote to Timothy, instructing him to be a soldier ready for battle who does not get entangled in pursuits which would distract him from his committed, faithful duty to Jesus.

The soldier of Christ knows the day is filled with distractions of the enemy. The soldier of Christ knows preparation for the war can involve many, long hours of boring duties, cleaning the rifles, learning battle strategies, getting into formation marching and learning how to fight as a unit. When the battle comes, the soldier who diligently prepared is one who can fight putting into practice all that was learned. The lazy soldier, the soldier who was entangled in other pursuits will get knocked about and need to be saved by his fellow soldiers. He is a liability.

Somehow Burns’ life and his unofficial motto, miles expeditus, when matched with this text from II Timothy inspires me and makes me want to recommit to share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. The phrase reminds me to be prepared at every moment for the guerilla warfare of the Devil, and even to fight my own inertia and laziness, knowing the long hours of preparation—bible reading, prayer, encouraging fellow believers, preaching or hearing sermons, worship—all these will be suddenly put into use on the day of battle.

O God, our heavenly Father, thank You for the great gift of Jesus, Your Son, our Savior. In Him the way of salvation is opened by His atoning blood. In view of Your steadfast love, Father in heaven, we rededicate ourselves to following Jesus the Captain of Salvation. Spirit of the Living God help us to stay sharp, ever on call for Jesus. Forgive us for the times of laziness and inattention. Direct us so that by the eyes of faith, made sharp through Bible reading, see the splendour of our King, robed in majesty, Who leads us. Triune God, lead us, as soldiers unencumbered, ready for each duty, mundane or glorious, which You have prepared for us, so that we please You, Who have enlisted us, and are fit to teach others also. This we pray for Jesus’ sake. Amen.

https://youtu.be/KU5ct0iY-Ds?si=lfCqEZV0882H_IKI “Am I A Soldier of the Cross?”

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

July 22, 2024 -- Mark 6:30-31 -- What does real refreshment and rest look like?

The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all they had done and taught. And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going and they had no leisure even to eat.
Mark 6:30-31 ESV

Two important pieces are information are necessary in order for you to understand this brief passage. First, Jesus had sent out His disciples, two by two, and gave them authority over demons and illnesses. They were sent to prepare the various towns and villages for Jesus’ arrival. The disciples would be overwhelmed by all that happened, the things the Spirit had empowered them to do and the response of the people, hungry for the Gospel. Jesus Second, Jesus’ cousin, John the Baptist, was beheaded by the wicked King Herod. Jesus, Who is a truly human man, is grieved at the death of His cousin.

When you are overwhelmed, grieved, overtired, what is it you turn to? Do you mindlessly watch TV, or scroll through short videos to recover? Do you figure you need to self-soothe in some way, like eating a bucket of ice cream? Notice carefully what Jesus did, how He modeled the pathway to true, life-giving refreshment. He called His disciples away to a desolate place. The same expression is used of Jesus in Mark 1:35. Jesus went to a desolate place to pray. This is the clue to what Jesus is modeling and teaching His disciples then, and through out the generations to follow.

What is restorative to the weary soul of the Christian believer? What is restorative to the grieving soul? It is time spent alone with the Father in heaven. Those who feel themselves stretched beyond their limits don’t need food or more sleep, movies or video games, the deepest longings of one’s soul are answered when the believer shuts off all the world’s distractions and finds rest for his soul in prayer with the Heavenly Father. If you struggle to know how to pray, find a Psalm that matches your emotional state and pray it. 

Feeling cut-loose from God, that He is far away? Psalm 13
Feeling hopeless and surrounded by hard circumstances? Psalm 61
Feeling depressed and all alone? Psalm 42-43
Feeling like the godless are all around you? Psalm 73
Longing to learn to obey God, but not sure how? Psalm 119 (any one of the twenty-two stanzas that are eight verses each)
Wanting to remember His blessings, His great forgiveness, and so be lifted up? Psalm 103

HEAVENLY Father, we give thee praise and thanks that upon us, the unworthy, thou dost confer so rich a benefit as to bring us into the communion of thy Son Jesus Christ; whom, having delivered up to death, thou hast given for our nourishment unto eternal life. Now also grant us grace, that we may never be unmindful of these things; but bearing them about, engraved on our hearts, may advance and grow in that faith which is effectual unto every good work; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

DIVINE SERVICE BOOK FOR THE ARMED FORCES, 1950, page 64

https://youtu.be/IyCfVKAe_lA?si=8rL3rovnmN0gZw8a Psalm 91: Word for Word (Sung Scripture)

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July 20, 2024 -- Nehemiah 2:19-20 -- Following Jesus in the face of great opposition

But when Sanballet the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite servant and Geshem the Arab heard of it, they jeered at us and despised us and said, “What is this thing that you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?” Then I replied to them, “The God of heaven will make us prosper, and we his servants will arise and built, but you have no portion or right or claim in Jerusalem.
Nehemiah 2:19-20 ESV

Nehemiah was a servant of King Artaxerxes, the ruler of all the region where the Kingdoms of Judah and Jerusalem formerly had power. He had granted permission for Nehemiah to begin rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. Artaxerxes’ predecessor had granted permission to an earlier leader, Ezra, to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. Ezra, and then his compatriot Nehemiah who joined him, had formidable opponents.

Sanballet was a regional governor, likely of the Moabites, who was opposing the rebuilding. Tobiah had married into one of the priestly families of the Levites. This was expressly forbidden. It shows how far God’s people had gone in straying from the LORD, allowing a non-believer to marry into the family of priests. The Ammonites were, like the Moabites, also descendants of Lot (Abraham’s nephew in the distant past). And Geshem completed the trio of governors who rose up, with real political clout, working to stop the building of the walls of Jerusalem.

Dear fellow Christians—when you engage in the work God has called you to do, you will face opposition. Those who know about God, but suppress the knowledge of His glory and His right to rule, will howl at your obedience. Jesus, our One, True King, sends you out to do His work. When you do so, you as His followers will face haters and mockers. In fact, there will be times you will begin to doubt your own ability to carry out the task you have in front of you.

Look at the words of Nehemiah. The God of Heaven will make us prosper. What is impossible, humanly speaking, what can not be carried out in human strength is possible because of the blessing of God the Father. What He sends His people to do, will be accomplished, based on the atoning blood of Jesus and His intercession, His prayers, on behalf of His people. It may be that you yourself, as you seek to do what you know is right, will begin to doubt your calling, or doubting your ability to carry it out. It is the God of heaven Who commands You. His Spirit will equip you with everything you need for doing this work. Your every task, your every activity carried out in Jesus’ Name is bigger and harder than what you can do. That is why the Spirit is given—so that you will bless Jesus for the gift of the Spirit. So that you realize through every step of the work you are doing, all your boasting is in God alone. You did not work in your own strength, but whatever it is you accomplished, you have completed it because God has given you everything you needed for godliness in order to carry out His work.

Finally, there are people who have no portion in Jerusalem. Their hatred of God is so evident, so persistent, they move from the category of people to be witnessed to into the category of enemies of God. The LORD has power over them. However, as long as they actively oppose the work of God, they are to be treated as those who have no part in Jerusalem, no part in the family of God. Through-out the rest of the book, Nehemiah patiently, and persistently, upholds the claim of God on Jerusalem, and does the work given to him. But he does not back down before the credible, powerful threat of this trio of men. He will persist in doing the work of the LORD. If the LORD puts a stop to the work before it is completed, but His servants remained faithful, well, blessed be the Name of the LORD. If the LORD allows victory to come despite great opposition, then the LORD adds greater condemnation to His enemies, proves His gracious power to equip His saints and so causes His saints to declare with even more enthusiasm “Blessed be the Name of the LORD”.

Glorious, All-Powerful Father in heaven, we confess how often we have started a project but looking at the suffering that might be attached to ourselves because we are involved with it and then consider the real (or imagined) opposition of the enemy our strength has faltered and our courage fled from us. Thank You, Father for the gift of Jesus—the suffering servant, Your Son, our Savior. Thank You that He learned obedience through all He suffered. Thank You that in His powerful Name there is salvation, full and free. Faithful Father, blessed Son, thank You for the wonderful gift of the Holy Spirit. Lead us, Spirit of God, into all the victory already given us in Jesus Christ. Steady our hands so that they will be folded in prayer when are starting to fill up with self-doubt. Put steel in our spines after such praying so that when we see the enemy we will know the victory is already won in Jesus and all our work is evidence that the King of Glory is claiming the kingdom of the world in the Majestic Name of the Father. Amen.

https://youtu.be/z-yJ3xMVUDI?si=vkJBD8Y0g9KUBj4L Whate’er My God Ordains Is Right

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

July 19, 2024 -- Proverbs 19:3 -- Warned against folly, welcomed to rest

When a man’s folly brings his way to ruin,
his heart rages against the LORD.
Proverbs 19:3 ESV

What is folly? It is a lack of sense. It is the inability to see how a particular action will result in physical, moral, spiritual or emotional harm. Folly is the way of fools, the very people who say in their heart there is no god (Psalm 14:1). Though such a person professes not to believe in God, when his own actions bring trouble on his head he blames the very God he claims not to believe in. How can a man be mad at One in Whom he professes not to believe in? This is clear evidence that ways of rebellious people cause them to suppress the knowledge of His nearness.

The Proverb here is written by a believer, Solomon, to believers, and this by the inspiration of the Spirit. Christians need to be warned here. How many times don’t you unthinkingly speak, and wound others? How often are your purchases impulsive and the results bad? Think how easily you fall into old patterns, sinful patterns, and get frustrated when the consequences bite you? Christian, be warned, by the words of this Proverb.

After studying Hebrews for the better part of eight months, I was surprised at how many warnings against apostacy were in that book. Yet Paul urgently warns believers against laziness. Against spiritually drifting. Against inattention. Against acting like children who still need spiritual milk instead of solid food. The warnings in Scripture are meant for believers, so that they will walk in the way of wisdom.

No wonder Jesus called out: “Come to Me all you who are weary” (Matthew 11:28). Weary of sins. Weary of doing the same things over and over again and not getting different results. Weary of finding yourself knee-deep in the muck of the consequences of your sins. No wonder Jesus urges His followers, “Come on, come to Me”. Shake off the chains of your folly, your sinful patterns, be renewed in close association with Me. Your weary heart, exhausted mind, and hands hanging limp tired from sinful exertions will be brought to the reconciling peace of Christ. Healing is found in Him. Christian, do not rage against the LORD, but come to Him. Find forgiveness full and free and healing rest for your soul. Be renewed in the way everlasting, following Jesus.

ALMIGHTY GOD, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Maker of all things, Judge of all men; we acknowledge and bewail our manifold sins and wickedness, which we, from time to time, most grievously have committed, by thought, word, and deed, against Thy Divine Majesty, provoking most justly Thy wrath and indignation against us. We do earnestly repent, and are heartily sorry for these our misdoings; the remembrance of them is grievous to us; the burden of them is intolerable. Have mercy upon us, have mercy upon us, most merciful Father; for Thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ’s sake, forgive us all that is past; and grant that we may ever hereafter serve and please Thee in newness of life, to the honour and glory of Thy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Confession; Divine Service Book for the Armed Forces, 1950, page 51

https://youtu.be/I1GiZL60c80?si=mqvqOJzXdjEK8jI2 “His Mercy Is More”

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

July 17, 2024 -- Romans 8:15 -- The desperate soul crying out

For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by Whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”
Romans 8:15 ESV

In this passage, the somewhat simple-sounding verb “cry” is in the original language a heart-rending call out for help. It can be translated as a groaning for help. When Peter was walking on the sea and he took his eyes off Jesus and started considering the wind, he started sinking. In desperation he cried out “Lord, save me” (Matthew14:30). Same verb as in Romans 8—a wild-with-fear calling out. When Jesus was on the road to Jericho, a blind man, learning from the crowd around him that Jesus was passing by, “cried out, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me’! And those who were in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, ‘Son of David, have mercy on me!’”(Luke 18:38,39). It is the second “he cried out all the more” which is the same verb as Romans 8:15. It is an intense crying out. It is a soul-broken-without-any-other-place of refuge cry. It is the deep, low, crying-groan. God, help me.

It is the Spirit of God Who leads the person crying out to call out to God the Father and to do so on the basis of Jesus’ work. When a man is drowning, or a woman is in great despair, it is possible such a person will curse God and die. His dire circumstances lead him to curse the very God he always professed he didn't believe in. There are many examples of those who, facing suffering, fears, hardships or the consequences of their own actions, call out and curse God. However, one gripped by the Spirit, touched at the lowest, most helpless state, will cry out to God. It is the Spirit Who stirs the heart to cry out to God when there is no other helper, when hope seems lost. It is the Spirit Who may, for the first time in that person's life, bring the light of Jesus Christ by Whom the all help is available. It may be a Christian of long-years knowing God's faithfulness, when he is at the very end of himself, cries out with a depth of fervour and longing he'd never known before. Yes, it is the same Spirit Who gives the strength of soul to cry out with gut-wrenching groans in that greatest moment of need, appealing to the God Who hears. Thereby reaching a new richness of security in His relationship with God. The God Who is exactly what He's always promised, Immanuel--God with us.

This is not for weaklings. This is not the cry of a failure. It is the cry of one induced by the Spirit to find the greatest, most true Helper. The awareness to call on God the Father, beyond any man's natural impulse, is stirred up in one’s very soul because the Spirit is present. When one’s weakness and helplessness is most evident and he is least likely to call out for help, perhaps thinking he is unworthy, it is the Spirit Who enables that soul to cry to God and find in Him the One Source of help in all the universe Who can supply his need.

God hears your gut-wrenching cry. He does so on the basis of Jesus’ accomplished work. He does so because it is His electing love by which He freely gives His Spirit to those who are at the very end of themselves, when all other hope is gone. He proves Himself good. he shows Himself utterly faithful. All this lovingkindness of God hinges on His greatest demonstration of His love, that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. The Spirit will assure you when you are strong, you belong to Jesus. Most beautifully, with such tenderness and compassion, when you don’t even have it in you to call out to Jesus, the Spirit of adoption, will lead you to cry out. That call of last resort will find its anchor in Jesus Who brings you to the Father, in Whose arms you’ll find all fears driven away.

Hear my cry, O God!
From the ends of the earth, when I feel farthest away, my parched throat barely able to whisper, I call out. My heart is overwhelmed. Spirit of God, lead me to the Rock of Help, to Him Who is my only Refuge. Thank You, Faithful Father, for every time in the past You rescued me. Thank You, Lord Jesus, for Your throne of mercy, where the overwhelmed, the drowning, the helpless and the penitent find all help. Thank You, Spirit of God, You, Who rescue the souls of men. Amen.

https://youtu.be/fK6sYVQCqhs?si=cXYlyu5XH9IKcNYj “Wonderful, Merciful, Savior”

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

July 16, 2024 -- Mark 8:4 -- Trusting Him fully and finding Him fully true

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 to consider feeding these people. 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. Compassion on you and me, centuries later, who are by the Word and Spirit and circumstances being trained to trust Jesus.

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 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. You forget as He has been faithful, He will again be faithful. Pray.

From the passage today, take away these lessons. The Father has given 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

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

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”

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