October 4, 2024 -- Proverbs 4:18-19 -- Righteousness in Christ that shines ever brighter

But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn,
    which shines brighter and brighter until full day.
19 The way of the wicked is like deep darkness;
    they do not know over what they stumble.
Proverbs 4:18-19 ESV

Remember that King Solomon wrote the Book of Proverbs. He was the king of the people of the Living God. These writings are for the people of God—”to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth” (Proverbs 1:4). It is to be used by the people of the Living God as encouragement in righteousness and as a searching lamp used to seek out one’s sin so it can be rooted out.

All too often Christians come to church, looking nicely dressed and cleaned up, but in their hearts there are evil intentions, their minds are stages where dress rehearsals are taking place where plots are constantly being formulated to take out those who have offended these “Christians”. It is notable that in the New Testament the Apostle Paul does not call himself a Christian, but instead calls himself one who is “in Christ”. That is, he defined his life by his union with Jesus Christ.

The beloved disciple wrote “God is light and in Him there is not darkness at all” (I John 1:5). Already here in the Old Testament, King Solomon is calling on believers to live as those who examine their hearts and minds against the light of Scripture and expose the wicked schemes and evil plans still being formulated. Christians are born with, and still carry, the taint of original sin. Adam and Eve’s Fall in the Garden of Eden infects every single one of their descendants. It is by recognizing such evil that still lodges in the heart, turning away from it, and confessing it to Jesus that it is thrown down. The Christian who repents, denying himself, that means putting his own selfish desires to death, will continually follow Jesus and the righteousness which radiates from his union with Jesus will shine a bit brighter until the Day of His return.

It is common for sinners to say, “I don’t have a problem”. It is sad to hear Christians who talk and act as if they do not wrestle with sin. Unless one is constantly engaged in the fight against sin, admitting he is powerless to act against it and that sin controls one’s life, he will not daily, hourly even, seek the conquering power of Christ’s blood and His resurrection power. To be in Christ is (by Scripture, prayer, and the constant cultivating of the awareness of His nearness) to match His infinite power and loving care to your weakness and powerlessness so that by His strength at work in you your sin is overcome.

Father in heaven, thank You, that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for all of us, so that we can be in Christ. King Jesus, I admit I am powerless, helpless to fight my sin, and it is controlling my life. Spirit of the Living God, apply the reconciling blood of Jesus to every part of my life. Raise me to newness of life in Christ so that His righteousness will shine out from me in ever greater measure until that great Day when He returns and claims all His holy ones, presenting us to the Father as those who are blameless through His victory. Amen.

https://youtu.be/Z32HiCoFzlU?si=PQmki9UluF45eMGT “Build My Life”

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

October 3, 2024 -- I Corinthians 6:19-20 -- United with Christ you are the temple of the Holy Spirit

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
I Corinthians 6:19-20 ESV

Dear fellow believer, by the work of the Holy Spirit you are united to Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit lives in you, nanosecond by nanosecond making the appeal before the Father that you belong to Him by adoption because of the precious blood of Jesus Christ. Let that sink in. You are a much-loved son or daughter of God the Most High!

Often this text has been used as a stick to beat people with. Such berating goes something like this: “You are a temple of the Holy Spirit, therefore, God isn’t pleased with you, so don’t do this, don’t do that”. Yes, in the context of this passage as a whole that is an argument can be made. Surely believers must refrain from polluting the temple of your body, where the Holy Spirit lives. But  in this argument there is a implication that must be strenuously fought against.

Think about this, from before the foundation of the world, the Father has in love chosen you through His beloved Son, Jesus Christ. The triune God, knowing the worst of your sin and utter brokenness and your helpless neediness provided for your salvation through the passion of Jesus. The construction of the temple of your body is a project the Father had planned and prepared for long before you ever were born, and before you considered Him as your salvation.

The Spirit works in you, and through every circumstance of your life, so that you will be preserved as one forgiven in Jesus Christ and one who is being sanctified—that is, set apart for God and made ever more holy for His service. Think of it with wonder: the mighty power of God is steadily, constantly being brought to bear in your life, accomplishing what is, humanly speaking, impossible. Think of the persistent, patient, loving-kindness of God Who brings this to reality in your life: you are the temple of the Holy Spirit. Despite your (and my) waywardness, rebelliousness, and our straining against the cords of His healing love, He is perfecting you as His temple. You are now and through-out eternity will be the temple of the Holy Spirit. From your life praise and honour and blessing rise as incense before the Father, bringing glory to Him, through the Son, Who has reconciled you God.

Father in heaven, Who by Your glory raised Jesus from the dead, blessed be Your Name as through Your Son’s reconciling work You are making us ever more fit as a holy habitation for the Spirit. Spirit of God, slow my busy steps and the pinball like shooting thoughts darting through my mind, so that I can stop and meditate on the fact that I am wholly Christ’s and He is mine. Thank You, Spirit of God, for making that statement ever more true now and applying the full weight of His saving work in my life. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, let praise and thanksgiving, honour and blessing flow from me rising as incense to honour You. Amen.

https://youtu.be/yxCb6l3jkis?si=9cdsesnLtocAo1CS I Am Not My Own

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

October 2, 2024 -- I Corinthians 2:11b-13 -- When it's no one else's fault but your own

So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. 13 And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.
I Corinthians 2:11b-13 ESV

Why are there twists and turns in our lives? Why are there so many challenges? The sin-addict faces a myriad of troubles which arise from his own indulgent, wicked behavior, but he refuses to acknowledge the link between his sin and its consequences. There is a mercy which God exercises that is hard for the worldly person to comprehend—God uses our trials and the consequences of our actions so that sinful behavior will be exposed as sinful and the source of troubles which dog our steps.

Hear me. Listen carefully to what I am saying. God uses all the circumstances of our lives in order to bring to light how far, how easily, and how quickly we turn from His ways. Consider these words: “We can ignore even pleasure. But pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world” (C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain). God does not waste any opportunity in our lives. The things that assault us, sickness, accidents, addictions, debt, persecution by others and so on, are tools used in the hand of God to show how we might have been coping with life and striving to do so without His help.

You sin, which is obvious to everyone around you, might be hidden to the very person being crushed under the weight of it: you. The wicked man declares “I don’t have a problem”; while his nearest and dearest are crying out over the wretchedness of his condition. It is the Spirit of God Who awakens your conscience. It is, as the passage teaches, the Spirit Who lives within the heart of believers Who reveals the full extent of sin’s control so that the mercy of Jesus, the chain-breaker, will be applied and a man (a woman, or a child) once tightly gripped by sin may be set free. It is tempting, when sin is exposed, to blame others, to attribute your bad behavior to your circumstances.

Beloved, it is the Spirit of God Who holds you together through the trials and the pains Who will reveal to you the way sin ravages you. Thus exposed, you can cry to Jesus for His healing. Recognize your sin. Confess it. Hate it. Turn from it. Drop all your excuses. Follow Jesus. The work of the Spirit isn’t to leave you exposed, guilty, shame-filled and wretched! Once the great need to escape the hamster-wheel of sin you have been endlessly running on has been exposed, Jesus’ s healing forgiveness and cleansing work can be applied. Consider the trial you are going through as God’s megaphone, inviting you to call out to Jesus, so that the moment you admit you are powerless over your sin, your addiction, and that it is controlling you, you can find grace and mercy which is all-sufficient. How?

Call a Christian whose walk with God you admire, and ask for help.

Pray to Jesus. Ask that the same Spirit Who has exposed your sin for what it really is, can also lead you to healing.

Read the Bible and ask God to show you the way.

Speak with a Christian minister or chaplain and ask for help.

God, help me to be humble, readied by Your Spirit, so that the exposure of my sin will lead me to repent, turning from it and running to Jesus. Spirit of God, renew in me the confidence that You match my weakness and powerlessness to the mighty, accomplished work of Jesus, in Whom there is new life. Amen.

https://youtu.be/I1GiZL60c80?si=fiOXbZROXDad4nzo “His Mercy Is More”

October 1, 2024 -- Proverbs 1:29-33 -- Confession that breaks the power of sin

Because they hated knowledge
    and did not choose the fear of the LORD,
30 would have none of my counsel
    and despised all my reproof,
31 therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way,
    and have their fill of their own devices.
32 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 1:29-33 ESV

For whom is the Bible written? Is it not written to those who profess Jesus Christ and desire to follow in His ways? Yes. Look at the dire warning given to those who claim to know God, but are in fact foolish in the way they walk. Those who are in danger of falling away from the Living God. Those who have no fear of God in their hearts. The consequence is they sin without any reference to the Word of God or His judgment on sin. When someone regularly breaks a commandment the fruit of that action is a pattern of sin that becomes more and more familiar, comfortable even. Ready excuses are made for this sin. Be warned. Sin always kills. Sin will suck the life out of you.

Today’s passage reminds the believer that the LORD, the God Who is outside of time, sees every single moment of history simultaneously. Nothing is hidden from the sight of God. Nothing escapes the notice of God. This should lead the believer to fear Him. He punishes the sinful, wayward person. To claim allegiance to Jesus Christ is to swear off sin. The first step in the fight against sin requires of the sin-addict to confess his need of God: “I admit I am powerless over (name your addiction or sin), and it is controlling my life”. Sin is taking hold of you. It is ruling your desires. It must be mastered.

Sin is named and described all through the bible. It is witch-craft. It is sexual promiscuity. It is chasing the bottle, or the needle, or the pill. It is anger. It is meddling in the affairs of others. It is selfishness. It is jealousy. It is comparing oneself to others so that you come off looking good. It is complaining against God for your lot in life. Unless you recognize the sinfulness of sin, how easily it has a choke-hold on your life, you will not hate it, confess it, or turn from it. The wrath of God is expressed by allowing you to experience the ever increasing, burdensome consequences of your sinful indulgence.

The passage ends with hope. Listen to the LORD. When the word is applied to your heart and your sin is exposed, you choose to fear the LORD. Confess your sin. Hate it. Put it to death at the earliest moment you see it rear its ugly head. Find Christian friends with whom you can speak, share the struggle against sin, and pray for victory. Be warned, it is a life-long fight against the sins that so easily cling to you. Where there is one victory over sin, the LORD will, in His mercy, show you more areas in your life where you have a rebellious spirit, or pride, or some other sin which needs to be beaten down.

The cross is D-Day. Christ has established the landing site of victory in your life. The enemy is disarmed and the war is essentially won. However, there are great battles and hard-fought victories yet to be had before Jesus returns and conquers all the final enemies. Until that day, be vigilant. Fight the good fight of faith. Hold one another accountable. Expose sin so it can be thrown down and despised. Encourage one another in faithfulness.

Know that sin is powerful, but greater is He Who is in you, than he who is in the world. As often as you confess your sin, He is faithful and just to forgive you your sin and cleanse you from all unrighteousness (I John 1:9). Note the Father applies the forgiveness that is yours in Christ as often as you confess your sin. Be assured there is forgiveness. Especially in the early days when sin is exposed, you’ll need to confess it often. You’ll have to notice and realize how readily you sin. How quickly the old sinful pattern can claim your attention, and knock you back into its power.

Look at the latter part of I John 1:9, there is cleansing from all unrighteousness. That means the Spirit of Jesus, Who lives in you, will effect healing, repairing the boundary lines of your life so that it becomes harder and harder to cross over into enemy territory and commit the same sins that used to be so easy to commit. The Spirit gives Christian friends, power in the Word, conviction in the heart, and fire in the soul, a zeal for Jesus through Whom you are one who overcomes sin; a soldier in the cause of Christ.

Faithful Father, Who is like You? You are tender in Your mercy, just in Your hatred of sin, and patience in renewing Your people in the holiness that is applied to them in Jesus. Blessed Jesus, Captain of Salvation and Victor over sin, hell, death and the grave, by Your Spirit, lead me deeper into union with Yourself. Spirit of God, let the joy of Jesus’s work which led to my adoption as a beloved son, or daughter, of the Heavenly Father, be my soul’s encouragement to stay the course in obedient-love. Triune God, teach me to hate my sin more and more and to grow in the assurance that Your righteousness is taking hold of every part of my heart, mind, and soul. Amen.

https://youtu.be/px-eU1QjQiU?si=0XtzXi-ARtNPM_aL Psalm 51 (Wisdom in the Secret Heart) Shane and Shane

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

September 29, 2024 -- Jeremiah 39:15-18 -- Does God really see me?

15 The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah while he was shut up in the court of the guard: 16 “Go, and say to Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will fulfill my words against this city for harm and not for good, and they shall be accomplished before you on that day. 17 But I will deliver you on that day, declares the LORD, and you shall not be given into the hand of the men of whom you are afraid. 18 For I will surely save you, and you shall not fall by the sword, but you shall have your life as a prize of war, because you have put your trust in me, declares the LORD.’”
Jeremiah 39:15-18 ESV

Those who know a little bit of Hebrew recognize something about the Ethiopian’s station. He is a servant (or possibly slave of) the King. At a quick glance he might be thought of as a low ranking person, but there are some clues in Jeremiah 38 that teach something about this man. He is a Cushite, that is, a black Egyptian from the upper Nile region—a people allied with Judah. It is entirely possible (since King Zedekiah listened to his advice about rescuing the prophet Jeremiah from the cistern of Malchiah, the son of King Zedekiah) that Ebed-melech is a military commander. If this is true, he is a representative  of the Cushite people, posted in the court of the king. He would then be an advisor to the king, a man who serves as an ally well-versed in the tactics of the enemy.

Why mention this? Ebed-melech is a foreigner. He is caught up in all the events overtaking the kingdom of Judah—events which point to the judgment of God being poured out because of her sins. In contrast to the king’s duplicity, this stranger put his trust in the LORD and his actions are the direct result of his trust in the LORD. It is even more remarkable because King Zedekiah consulted with Jeremiah several times, and each time, having heard the Word of the LORD, King Zedekiah acted against the prophesy he’d received.

The LORD of Hosts—that is, the Mighty God of Heaven—knows the past, the present, and the future. His Name, the LORD, can be translated: “He is, He was, He will be”. He revealed that Name to His people. What is communicated by His Name is that all of history is before Him at every moment. Nothing surprises Him. Nothing is outside of His Sovereign control. This passage gives tremendous assurance to believers who read it today. By reading it believers are instructed about the knowledge of God, which is higher and greater than anything we can know. As the believer reads this passage and many others, he realized it is the LORD, Who alone, is the help His people need.

The passages teaches believers to trust in God and His Word, even when events in your life are overwhelming and obedience requires you to go against all the powers of the world. The power of the LORD is greater than all the puny strength of man.

Jeremiah spoke as a prophet of the LORD—his office points to Jesus Christ—Who fulfilled all obedience to the LORD of Hosts—and His life was poured out as a sacrifice to the Father. By Jesus’s perfect obedience, obedience even unto death on the cross, He became the source of salvation for all who believe and express such by their obedience to Him.

What is the guarantee that this is so? In the New Testament believers are gifted with the Presence of Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God is the deposit guaranteeing all God’s promises. The Holy Spirit is the prize of Christ’s victorious life, death, and resurrection. It is the Spirit of God Who leads believers into deeper knowledge of Christ, greater trust in His reconciling work. It is Jesus, our Redeemer-King, Who takes His people, held captive by the Spirit, and presents them pure and perfected before the Father in heaven.

Be encouraged dear believer. You may think, “Does God really see me?” It might be that your insecurities and the slimy words of the deceiver whisper despair into your ears so that your strength leaves you and you say to yourself “I am cut-off from God and all help”. Do not believe the Devil’s lies. Know that this story of the Ethiopian, the foreigner in the court of the king, is meant to reassure you of God’s graciousness. He sees you. He knows your struggles. He matches His power to your weakness.

O LORD of Hosts, strength of the helpless and salvation of all Who trust in You through Jesus, send Your Spirit so that my faith will not fail. I need You. Deliver me from all evil and lead me by Your Spirit into the victory of Jesus, Your Son, my Savior. Amen.

https://youtu.be/NTT5HGSaO-Y?si=iRseGnBmMUPTxwP2 “Abide with Me”

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

September 28, 2024 -- Proverbs 23:26-29 -- The Power of Confession

My son, give me your heart,
    and let your eyes observe my ways.
27 For a prostitute is a deep pit;
    an adulteress is a narrow well.
28 She lies in wait like a robber
    and increases the traitors among mankind.

29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow?
    Who has strife? Who has complaining?
Who has wounds without cause?
    Who has redness of eyes?

Proverbs 23:26-29 ESV

It is the repetition of the Twelve Steps that really brings home to the person trapped in addiction the gut-level need for change. At every meeting, of a sponsor mentoring one addicted, Narcotics Anonymous, or Alcoholics Anonymous, or Sex Addicts Anonymous, there is the starting confession “I admit that I am powerless over (name your sin here) and it is controlling my life”. Notice how the Proverbs teach the persuasiveness and pervasiveness of sin. A sex addict, knowing full well the cost to his life, his heart, his family, his pocketbook, and all those are not even making mention of the cost to his walk with the Living God. Despite all warnings and instruction of wisdom he still turns to a prostitute, or porn, or that one-night-stand. Such sexual encounters are chasing the wind, feeding an insatiable addiction, but the man (or woman) caught in that cycle are not even aware that the one hired for sex is actually a robber and a traitor. The pleasures one expects to gain are immediately outweighed by the painful consequences and the cost to his immortal soul.

The author of the Proverbs is asking the one trapped by his life-controlling sin to ask himself what is the source of my woe? Why am I experiencing pain? The alcoholic is red-eyed, hung over, and lonely. The one who prizes family above all else, is broken and grieved when children grow up and go their own way. Resentment and bitterness begin to invade the soul. Sin, life-controlling sin, brings consequences.

Ask yourself, what is your life-controlling sin? What is the sin you run to for comfort? What sin do you use to soothe yourself when you feel wounded? That is a life-controlling sin. Sin that has a small corner of your life will never be content with a little portion of your life, or a small corner of your pocketbook. Sin will, like a serpent, swallow you whole.

Why mention this? When someone speaks prophetically—preaching from the pulpit, or leading in family devotions applying the word of God, or speaking a caring Christian friend points out your sin know all such conviction is purposeful. Paul, inspired by the Spirit wrote: “the secrets of his [or your] heart are disclosed, and so, falling on his face, he will worship God” I Corinthians 14:25. It is the mercy of God to expose your sins so that by confession you can end the stranglehold sin has over your life and you can find freedom in Jesus Christ. Paul knew what he was writing about. His prideful sin, boasting in his allegiance to the law and his covetousness were exposed by the Word of God. He confessed his life-controlling sin and found a freedom beyond description as he then yielded his whole life in service to Jesus. 

No matter how long or short you’ve been chained by your sins, know that the Spirit of God applying the word of God will bring you to Jesus, the chain-breaker, through Whom you will find freedom. In Jesus Christ, your heart will be cleansed from all unrighteousness and you will be given new, holy, satisfying marching orders which bring you in-step with the Savior of the World, He Who alone is worthy to be the King of your heart and life. This is the Father’s gracious design: He will to leave you hopelessly entangled and helpless, but to apply the healing of heaven to you. Now, it is up to you, will you admit your need?!

Father in heaven, I admit I am powerless over my sin and it is controlling my life. Thank You for the Word of God that is penetrating through the layers of excuses, the detours of self-deception and the dark weight of my own shame so that the Light of Christ can bring true, lasting healing. Spirit of God, apply to me today, the rescue of Jesus Christ, so that in Him I will rise to newness of life. Triune God, bring me into true fellowship with other believers so that in the mighty Name of Jesus we will encourage one another in greater obedience as we live in hope-filled expectation for the return of Jesus and the day He brings us to the Father, Who declares, “Well done, good and faithful servant”. Amen

https://youtu.be/ybCOOCaHp5c?si=bHDtnAPRMV7CzQkC “Rescue Story” Zach Williams

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

September 27, 2024 -- Jeremiah 31:25 -- The Weary Soul Revived by Jesus the Redeemer-King

For I will satisfy the weary soul, and every languishing soul I will replenish.
Jeremiah 31:25 ESV

These words are found among Jeremiah’s prophecy of doom pronounced upon the people of God. Their sins have reached full measure and they will be thrown into exile in a far country. However, the LORD has not forgotten His covenant promises. He will satiate weary soul. What a picture that is. The soul that is exhausted from the weight of sin; tired of wandering far from God and questioning what is next, will find his dried out soul satiated with living water. That Living Water is Jesus Christ. He promised this in John 4:14. Every sorrowing one, each person who feels his very life and every hope have been squeezed out of him, will be revived. “God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ” (Ephesians 2:4-5). It is magnificent how the past promises of God are fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

How does all of this comfort the people in Jeremiah’s day? They had great and confident hope that this prophet, Who has accurately prophesied, is being used by God to comfort His people during the extreme duress that is to come. We have comfort in the fact that this same God, Who once spoke through Jeremiah, now has spoken perfectly, fulfilling His promises in Jesus Christ—His final word. No matter what hardships we face, sickness, losses, financial setbacks, persecution, war, corrupt governments, the agenda of the godless in the media and so on, we can draw great and sure comfort from the fact Christ is our comfort and our song. He is our sure salvation and God Himself will revive the weary soul of each of His people.

Such words also inspire believers to walk in faith. In Jeremiah’s day, those who believed God listened to the words of Jeremiah. Their confidence in the prophet of the LORD meant that they trusted the LORD’s purposes, even when they made no sense. So too for us today, trusting in God and walking in obedience to Him is the path of wisdom. So many of the LORD’s commands do not make sense to the believer, however, wisdom teaches us His ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts higher than ours. Obedience doesn’t require a man to understand the why of such commands, but the fact our LORD requires it is enough. To walk with Him is the greatest satisfaction to the weary soul and obedience to Him is newness of life.

Our Father in heaven, so direct us by Your Word and Spirit that Christ our Redeemer-King will be honoured in our words and deeds, and our souls will be revived in Him. Amen.

https://youtu.be/z-yJ3xMVUDI?si=2uCXCJB8BXnYORVi

"Whate'er My God Ordains Is Right"

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

September 24, 2024 -- Colossians 3:12-17 -- What Christians wear under their armour

Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Colossians 3:12-17 ESV

No doubt the simple verb put on will immediately bring to mind the famous saying of Paul in Ephesians 6, putting on the whole armour of God. What do you wear under the armour? Imagine just putting on a breastplate with nothing under it to protect against the metal and edges? In the time these verses were written soldiers wore linen underclothing and padding. In the past, whenever I read Ephesians 6 about armour I just imagined the armour going on over ordinary clothing. But today’s reading makes me wonder. Does Paul suggest before the armour, there is the clothing of righteousness that in peace time allows people to live in community?

As a Christian, like all the non-Christians, you put on clothes every day. What you wear identifies you. A store employee has an outfit, a surgeon wears scrubs, a flagman has bright orange and so on. A Christian dresses himself in a compassionate heart. That is a choice as one who belongs to Jesus. Kindness—which is enduring nonsense with patience towards others; and patience which is long-suffering and not retaliating against those who torment you. Bearing with one another is recognizing the idiosyncrasies and flaws and still living in communality, even as others live in community with you despite your flaws and weird habits. Spend time on your own and reflect on the various items of clothing, like forgiveness, which I haven't time to comment on today.

As a new creation in Jesus Christ we confess, with all other sin addicts “I admit that I am powerless over (name the sin) and it is controlling my life.” What changes is that we are no longer dressing ourselves in our addictions and the attendant behaviours. We are choosing to get dressed in the clothing of Jesus Christ and His perfections. It takes practice.

Eugene Peterson, the man who translated the Bible into the modern English version known as “The Message” spoke of following Jesus as “a long obedience in the same direction”. That implies we are stepping back from old, sinful patterns and wicked ways and are learning to walk, following in the footsteps of our King. We are being strengthened by the Holy Spirit to put on the clothing that allows us to live in true community. Some of us young with stinky diapers, others with incredible energy running this way and that, still others more mature and able to assist the little ones or help the elderly. As those walking a long obedience in the same direction, we notice the little wrong steps and cumulative small mis-directive actions that used to lead us back into sinful patterns. In view of Christ, and in community with fellow Christians, instructed by the word and by prayer, we put on the new, holy clothing of Jesus’ perfections so that when we are summoned to the battlefield we are already dressed in the appropriate padding of His righteousness and our ears are attentive to His instruction.

O GOD, You have revealed Your purpose for mankind in Him Who is King of Righteousness and Prince of Peace; inspire the hearts of all men to follow after justice, and hasten the time when nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they war any more; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Divine Service Book for The Armed Forces, For Peace Times, page 31

https://youtu.be/qr8QoQKmXfk?si=u8U1_1i7uv3xnQ_f “Let the Words of My Mouth”

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

September 23, 2024 -- James 1:12-15 -- The Power to Fight Life-Controlling Sin

Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.
James 1:12-15 ESV

What do you think about when you are not really thinking anything at all? It is an excellent challenge for you. Over the course of the day, if you’ve caught yourself day-dreaming or doing your work on automatic, as soon as you realize you’ve done so, figure out what it was you were thinking about. Overcomers, Christians who are involved in the 12-Step program which the Canadian Bible Society produces, are encouraged to do just that. Examine their thought life.

The first of the Twelve Steps is: “I admit I am powerless over (put your sin or addiction here), and it is controlling my life.” The passage in James makes a distinction between trial and temptation. Think of the trials that the Heavenly Father gives you in this way. Compare them to a parent giving a child trial. A parent walks a child to school each day for the first week of school. Then on Monday of week two the parent says, “Okay, now you can walk to school by yourself”. The little one is given an age-appropriate trial: to walk to school. Unbeknownst to the child, mom is just a block behind, making sure the little one has help (if that is necessary). Your Faithful Father in heaven gives you such tests for faithfulness; evidences that you are growing in age appropriate ways. You have every opportunity to turn to Him and cry out for help.

Temptations are something utterly different. That little one going to school may be enticed to take a forbidden detour into the store. That is something mom and dad have already instructed their child is inappropriate. Or friends going along the same path to school may propose visiting another friend’s house along the way. This temptation may lead the little one to be late for school, or even absent for the first class.

Your temptations are the evidence of the life-controlling issues that are weighing you down. You may be a people-pleaser, unwilling to take a stand for Jesus. You may be one who struggles to stay on task, always seeking your own fun or pleasure at the expense of the work that is required of you. You may be one who is pulled to other life controlling issues: food, anger, resentment, drugs, alcohol, sex, gossip, (you can insert your own life-controlling sin here in this list).

It has been made plain to me through prison ministry that many of those who are or were incarcerated have been required to truly examine their sinful behaviors in order to bring them to Jesus so that their thoughts will be made captive and destroyed. There are many Christians who in their naivete act as if there are no life-controlling sins that have a hold on them. They might not even recognize the pride which makes them say things like, “I am not like those people”.

Exposing this life-controlling issue, this sin, which inclines your heart away from God, is the important first step. By acknowledging it, you are seeing the work of the Holy Spirit, Who is making your conscience function exactly as it should act. The conscience has been set up by God the Father to be one of the guardians of your soul. Confessing your life-controlling sin to Jesus brings this sin under His great forgiving power. Repenting of this sin, that is, expressing the desire to turn from it, brings the power of the Holy Spirit to bear on your life so that recognizing that sin, you will not allow it to lure you into greater sinful acts. You might say, “I’ve tried it all before” and failed. True. You may have. What is different this time is the strength of God coupled to your weakness. He is All-powerful. He delights to brings to His sons and daughters His life-giving salvation.

ALMIGHTY GOD, we confess that we have sinned against You in thought, word and deed. We do earnestly repent, and are heartily sorry for our misdoings. Have mercy upon us, O God, after Your great goodness. Forgive us all that is past and grant us Your grace to stand firm against temptation and sin. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Based on the Prayer in “Divine Service Book for the Armed Forces” page 6

https://youtu.be/CmNXeReZqAg?si=efWZ5uKXAnty0e-f “Be Still My Soul”

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September 21, 2024 -- Romans 7:21 -- Powerless against sin?

So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lives close at hand.
Romans 7:21 ESV

Among the many privileges of prison ministry one stand out joy is the opportunity I have to teach a Christian 12-Step program called: “Overcomers”. As you may be aware Alcoholics Anonymous started as a Christian response to the sin of alcoholism. However, to accommodate men and women of different faiths, or of humanists, the material was changed from Christian to material that can be used by all people. The Overcomers material is a nod to the original work of AA. That material has been reworked to assist Christians in their walk toward a life free from addiction and this by the power of Jesus, in Whom alone all our strength is found.

Step One: “I admit I am powerless over the issue controlling my life”. Do you see how that is taken directly from the word of God? Paul expressed this exasperation. Earlier in this same chapter he exclaims: “I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate” Romans 7:15 ESV. Sin is life controlling. It is expressed in addictions like pornography, alcoholism, sexual addiction, promiscuity, profanity, anger, gluttony, gossip, greed, drug use and every other vice that Scripture describes as sinful.

The concept of Jesus as your rescue story will be crazy talk to you if you do not acknowledge the chains that bind you and the sins that leave you incapable of taking control of your life. The good news is not good news until you are able to see the depths of your depravity, the lengths to which you are going deeper into more wickedness. You will not seek help until you realize your blindness to your own condition. It is the gift of the Spirit of God to awaken your soul so that you cry out to Jesus acknowledging this helplessness you experience in your fight against sin.

Interestingly, it is among church-going fellow Christians where this can be hardest sell. Many Christians think, since Jesus has taken hold of their life, they are not really so bad anymore. They are blinded to the depths of their need for Jesus. This is foolishness. The flesh is hostile to God. The desires of the heart are still bent and wicked. What is required is a constant submission of one’s will, desires, thoughts and actions to the Spirit of God Who leads you to Jesus, in Whose life you die to sin and in Whose resurrection you rise to newness of life. Through Jesus you are clothed with His perfection (He lived completely without sin from conception to His death on the cross, therefore He is the One punished in your place for your sins.) So, Jesus’s sinlessness is credited to the believer. That is the one-time fact of justification.

However, the believer, like Paul expressed it in Romans 7, experiences an on-going battle against the flesh. After receiving the justification, the "Not-guilty" verdict of God the Father, the Christian needs to grow in holiness. This on-going activity is called "sanctification". The victory one receives is found in Jesus only. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us” (I John 1:9-10 ESV). What freedom there is in confession. You can acknowledge the hopelessness and helplessness you experience every day as the same parade of sins bogeys over your mind and heart. The Spirit making you aware of such sins, humbles you and fills you with hope, knowing that as you confess such sins and your powerlessness against them, the more you are emptied of sin and scrubbed of your baked in pride so that the life-giving resurrection power of Jesus takes hold of your heart.

Today, Father in heaven, today all over again, I confess how much I need You in my battle against the flesh, against my wayward thought-life, and against the persistent sins that seem to choke the life out of me. Thank You Father in heaven, for the inexpressible gift of Jesus, the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world. Spirit of God, give me bold confidence infused in holy hope that as often I as confess my sin, the Savior’s reconciling blood is applied to the fullest measure. Triune God, I admit I am powerless over the sin controlling my life. Lift my eyes to where Christ is seated at Your right hand so that I will know in the deepest part of my guts that He is One, the Only, Mediator between me and You, Dearest Father, Who as the Spirit testifies to my spirit, this same Jesus is praying for me. King of Glory, to my weakness and powerlessness bring the strength of Jesus work and the empowerment of the Spirit’s presence in my life—bring this to bear in me so that I will walk as a forgiven Christian, offering my life in thankful service. Amen.

https://youtu.be/H5rysOYt6Dw?si=P8ruZNu6BfJzJJ4X I Need Thee Every Hour

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September 20, 2024 -- Psalm 141:3-5 -- Fighting by Prayer

Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth;
     keep watch over the door of my lips!
Do not let my heart inline to any evil,
     to busy myself with wicked deeds
in company with men who work iniquity,
     and let me not eat of their delicacies!
Let a righteous man strike me—it is a kindness;
     let him rebuke me—it is oil for my head;
let my heart not refuse it.
Yet my prayer is continually against their evil deeds.
Psalm 141:3-5 ESV

In Psalm 121 it is the LORD Who is the guard, or the keeper of the righteous. In our reading today the noun guard has the same root as the verb guard or keeper in Psalm 121. The point is, it is the LORD Himself, Who by His Spirit, guards the words of a man’s mouth. The next line is an appeal to God to ‘keep watch”. Here an entirely different verb is used. It is an echo of Exodus, where the LORD reveals His Name to Moses. “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin” Exodus 34:6-7a ESV. What is the point? The LORD keeps His steadfast love as the guard over our lips. In view of His greatness and His mercy, our lips are shut to vulgar talk, to resentment and curses, even when we ourselves have been unjustly cursed or are in the company of wicked men. The Spirit of God seals the believer’s heart with the goodness of Christ’s accomplished work so that the Father’s love is in view, rather than the wickedness of men.

When a man, or a woman, has been so sealed that the goodness and redeeming love of Christ has captured his heart, it is at that point the wickedness of hearts out of alignment with God’s goodness and purposes are exposed. Likely one of the least acknowledged doctrines is the total depravity of the heart. It is all too common to believe in one’s own innate goodness. That is a lie from the pit of hell. Unless you realize your own heart, the seat of emotions and the source of thoughts is itself inclined towards evil, you will not know how much you need the Father in heaven to have a vigilant guard at the ready to stop your mouth from speaking evil and applying His steadfast love so that your lips will not contemplate the wicked words of others and get resentful, but will instead, constantly move speaking the steadfast love of the LORD.

The psalmist David realizes how easily a man, even a man like himself described as a man after God’s own heart, can be led astray into sin. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, Paul wrote “Bad company corrupts good character” I Corinthians 15:33 NKJV. Instead of blaming the wicked advisors and the general moral turpitude of the time, David’s urgent prayer is for the LORD’s work in his life to keep him free from corruption. Here is how the LORD works.

The LORD will provide wise advisors. A righteous man may strike me. It will take strong actions to bring my life back into line with all that is godly and pure. Rather than resent the man of God (or saintly sister appointed by the LORD) who is carrying out His purposes to restore the wayward, David welcomes it.

The one who is humble, teachable, will not require a smack across the unguarded lips, but will be changed by a rebuke, a stern warning. This too is the blessing of God so that those who are contrite of heart will be turned to God.

Note as well this Psalm is a prayer. There is great power in prayer, not because of the eloquence of the praying, nor because of the righteousness of the one engaged in it, but the power in prayer comes from the Prayer-hearing God. He couples His power to our weakness and promises to our frailties so that His glory and mercy shine through in our lives.

Prayer is also a powerful weapon. Ephesians 6 teaches the believer that spiritual armour—the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes bearing the readiness to share the Gospel of peace, the shield of faith and the helmet of salvation—all these are fastened to the believer by prayer. Prayerlessness is leaving yourself defenseless. Psalm 141 is a prayer. It is most powerfully fulfilled in Jesus Christ—in Whom is all the believer’s righteousness and protection, given so fully and graciously by the Father in heaven.

Finally, the Psalmist's prayer is against their evil deeds. By prayer such evil men and wicked persons may be changed from the inside out, becoming fellow followers of Jesus. That is the great hope and prayer of our lives, to see the people around us becoming men and women over whom the LORD exercises His love and vigilant care.

O LORD, I call upon You; hasten to me!
Give ear to my voice when I call to You!
Let my prayer be counted as incense before You,
    and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice!
My eyes are toward You, O LORD, my Lord;
in You I seek refuge; leave me not defenseless!
Psalm 141:1-2, 8 ESV

Note, the expression O LORD, my Lord—the first is all in capitals, emphasizing the divine Name of God Who keeps His promises, the second use of the Name Lord refers to Him as the Master of the one who is praying.

https://youtu.be/yxCb6l3jkis?si=coKxYX52_6Fb7ZTS “I Am Not My Own” Getty Music

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September 18, 2024 -- II Peter 1:2-4 -- How Can I be a Christian when I struggle with such thoughts? Read on!

May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ our Lord.
His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.
II Peter 1:2-4 ESV

Notice that the corruption of the world so infests believers that they are filled with sinful desires. Sometimes believers groan and cry out to God, though they are believers in Jesus Christ, yet they still feel the pull of sin and its deadly attractions. It is exhausting. It can lead the devoted believer to question whether or not he is truly saved. There are so many people around him who act as if sin has no hold on them. There are so many fellow believers who never speak of the cesspools of sin in which they swim.

Sometimes in our world today, preachers teach that believers are tempted, but withstanding temptations means the believer has not sinned. That is in fact false. The very inclinations believers have towards sin are in themselves sinful. Every desire, every attraction, every thought against God, even our self-loathing against such (which shows that our conscience is awakened by the Spirit of God) is sin. Listen to a classic, historic interpretation of the sinfulness of Christians.

114 Q. But can those converted to God obey these commandments perfectly?

A. No. In this life even the holiest have only a small beginning of this obedience.1 Nevertheless, with all seriousness of purpose, they do begin to live according to all, not only some, of God’s commandments.2

1 Eccles. 7:20; Rom. 7:14-15; 1 Cor. 13:9; 1 John 1:8-10
2 Ps. 1:1-2; Rom. 7:22-25; Phil. 3:12-16
(This Q and A is from the Heidelberg Catechism, written in 1563 to help believers understand the Christian faith, how it differs from Roman Catholic theology)

Now, re-read II Peter 1:2-4. Jesus’s perfect righteousness is applied to us—you who struggle with thoughts that are contrary to your new life in Christ. Jesus’s salvation is all the brighter because His Spirit is applying Jesus’s perfection to believers. The fact Jesus walked this earth as a man, sinless from conception to His death on the cross, so that He is the One and Only sacrifice which takes away the sin of the world. So, even the fire-hose of endless evil thoughts that flow through your mind at all hours and can even flood your dreams are themselves drowned out by the cleansing blood of Jesus!

Today’s devotional is directly influenced by Matthew Mason, his lecture at the ICP Catalyst Conference, the link is below. The credit for this devotion belongs to him. I was so inspired by his teaching and my soul needed it so much. Mason quoted Martin Luther, “True repentance does not debate over what is a sin or over what is not a sin. Instead, it simply lumps everything together and says everything is pure sin within us. There is a plain, certain despair within us over everything we say, are, and do. But then the Gospel says remember where the true satisfaction of God’s wrath upon sin is to be found. The suffering and blood of the innocent Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world.” (If you listen closely, as Mason speaks this quotation, when he refers to Jesus as the innocent Lamb of God his voice quivers, full of emotion, as he contemplates the magnitude of God’s great grace).

II Peter 1:3 teaches believers have been granted, in Jesus Christ, all things that pertain to life and godliness. Knowing Jesus. By the power of the Spirit, crying out for forgiveness. When the thoughts of your heart are evil—bless God that His Spirit has shown you what is evil. The wicked man sins without a prick of conscience. He devours sin, wipes his mouth, and says I have done nothing wrong (Proverbs 30:20). By contrast, the believer declares with Paul, “Who will save me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” Romans 7:24-25a ESV. Today's prayer is directly from the Bible, Psalm 32. Read it, in view of all you have just read and all you have received in Jesus Christ.

A Maskil of David.

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

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

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

6 Therefore let everyone who is godly
    offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found;
surely in the rush of great waters,
    they shall not reach him.
7 You are a hiding place for me;
    you preserve me from trouble;
    you surround me with shouts of deliverance. Selah

8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
    I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
9 Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding,
    which must be curbed with bit and bridle,
    or it will not stay near you.

10 Many are the sorrows of the wicked,
    but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord.
11 Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous,
    and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!

https://youtu.be/KKo3T0j9qqo?si=AhKPAopDz5hKQIKF “Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone)”

https://youtu.be/s44ijdqz8pU?si=4nnHJ3VGpNlvMt53 Matthew Mason ICP Catalyst Conference

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September 17, 2024 -- II Corinthians 2:14 -- What's that smell?

But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere.

II Corinthians 2:14 ESV

Have you ever stood in an elevator with a man who smoked and who has just popped a breath mint? You can smell the stench of the cigarettes emanating from his clothes while at the same time catch the scent of the breath mint. Or perhaps you’ve been in church and sat behind a woman who has liberally used her new perfume. Depending on which way the fan is blowing, you might find yourself sitting in a steady stream of a strong smell. Interestingly, the woman doesn’t smell herself nor realize how strong the perfume is. The man in this illustration believes a small mint masks what is stronger and reeking from him.

By the same token how you live in Christ is obvious to the people around you. You may believe you’ve got the fragrance of Christ about you, but the people near you only smell insincerity. You can not fool the people who know you best. What you really are will be so obvious to people around you, even if you don’t realize it yourself.

Think of the famous question at a job interview: “I’ve heard your strengths, now what weakness do you bring to this job?” At this point a man will stutter, and pause, stumbling because our weaknesses often are not immediately apparent to us. A wise man, with a smirk, might suggest: “Let me call my wife, she knows them all too well”. While we might laugh at that, the fact is, our weaknesses are obvious to the people around us.

Dear fellow believer, this brief passage ought to remind you of the need you have for hard, true accountability. Who in your life comments on your walk with God? Who comments on where you are strong, where you are weak, where you are hypocritical and where your words match your actions? Ask the Spirit of God to show you, as you read the Bible, what sins you need to confess. Pray for the Spirit to give you a fellow Christian with whom you can speak openly, honestly, applying the Word of God to both expose your sins and then to confirm the forgiveness that is so richly yours in Christ. Do this so that your walk with Him fits what you say about Him.

ALMIGHTY GOD, of Whose righteous will all things are, and were created: You have gathered our people into a great nation, and sent them to sow beside all waters, and multiply sure dwellings on the earth. Deepen the root of our life in everlasting righteousness. Make us equal to our high trusts, reverent in the use of freedom, just in the exercise of power, generous in the protection of weakness. With all Your blessings, bless Your servant Charles III, our King, with all the members of the Royal House. Fill his heart and theirs with such loyalty to You, that his people may be exalted by their loyalty to him. To our legislators and councillors give insight and faithfulness, that our lays may clearly speak the right, and our judges purely interpret them. May wisdom and knowledge be the stability of our times, and our deepest trust be in You, the Lord of nations, and the King of kings, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

DIVINE SERVICE BOOK FOR THE ARMED FORCES, 1950, page 16

https://youtu.be/yxCb6l3jkis?si=T-bNQQrN06S79ZMT “I am Not My Own”

September 16, 2024 -- Acts 28:30-31 -- Declaring Jesus anytime, anywhere

He lived there two whole years at his own expense, and welcomed all who came to him, 31 proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance.
Acts 28:30-31 ESV

At the beginning of Acts Jesus prophesied that His followers would be His witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the earth. When the Holy Spirit was given at Pentecost representatives from 15 nations and regions heard of and believed in Jesus Christ. As the Acts of the Apostles continue the reader sees how Jesus’ words are fulfilled. Even in the most unlikely circumstances. Philip is led to meet an Ethiopian as he is traveling from Israel back home. The man believes. Paul, the one spoken of in today's text, is on house arrest, living at his own expense in Rome. Just prior to his arriving in Rome, he had been shipwrecked. The whole company of the ship were spared and arrived at Malta. Where many heard Paul and believed in Jesus Christ.

Now, though under house arrest, for two whole years, Paul preached the Gospel. No doubt the guards assigned to him for the duration of his house arrest also came to know Jesus Christ and the power of His salvation. If not, they could not get away from his tireless preaching. What is the point of this?

First, those who are united to Jesus Christ will speak of Him wherever they are and whatever their circumstances. Second, even when it seems a believer is under the worst circumstances possible, that man or woman can be used by the Spirit of God to proclaim Jesus Christ to others who are also in dire circumstances.

While visiting a prison last week a newcomer joined in. Here is the background. Two years ago he’d set up an appointment to meet with me. He was too embarrassed to keep the appointment and I never did meet him or know who he is (I’ll call him Dave). Two cells away from that man, another man also incarcerated, would faithfully attend my bible studies. For the purposes of clarity I’ll call him Ed (not his real name). Ed realized Dave needed to speak with a Christian minister. So, for two years, though he himself was incarcerated, Ed urged Dave to set up a visit with me. Ed went through a very dark period and was nearly sent away from the prison; even when that painful circumstance was inflicted on him and he had no idea what was next, whenever the opportunity presented itself, he spoke to Dave, kindly, still encouraging him to meet me.

Dave relented. He attended the bible study. The day he attended, by the grace of God, I had an extra 45 minutes available to me to meet. (Usually, as soon as the bible study is done, I have a 5 to 10 minutes to meet anyone who wants to talk with me and then the prison staff has to tell the men to leave so that he can attend to other duties and I have to leave as well). On this day in question, no one else wanted to stay and talk. Just Dave. That meeting was a divine appointment. We talked. We prayed. And the Spirit of God softened this man’s heart.

Third, trust God. Even if you speak the Good News about Jesus Christ, it may well be that you do not meet that man or woman again. Trust that the Spirit is using you to spread the Gospel and that the Spirit will continue to bring other men and women into the life of that person until, by the mercy of God, that man is brought safe into the fold of Jesus.

Finally, pray. Ask God to stimulate in you an urgent desire to share the Gospel. Ask the Holy Spirit to make you sensitive to the opportunities that are all around you at work, or school, or among family or your circles of influence. A Christian is never somewhere by accident. Wherever you are, God the Father has a purpose for you and for those around you. Proclaim Jesus Christ with boldness.

Merciful Father in heaven, thank You for the people You appointed to teach me about Jesus! Spirit of the Living God, motivate me to act and stir up within me a holy boldness so that I will tell others about Jesus Christ. Lord Jesus Christ, draw me closer to Yourself in ever greater intimacy so that through Bible reading and prayer, busy times and quiet ones, day and night, I will by the eyes of faith see You more clearly. Amen.

https://youtu.be/n9c-efcFTJU?si=5b67pAVj5xsguO2w “Tell Out My Soul”

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

September 14, 2024 -- Proverbs 14:2, 26-27 -- The Fear of the LORD is a fountain of life

Whoever walks in uprightness fears the LORD,
     but he who is devious in his ways despises him.
In the fear of the LORD one has strong confidence,
     and his children will have refuge.
The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life,
     that one may turn away from the snares of death.
Proverbs 14:2,26-27 ESV

The expression “the fear of the LORD” is used almost two dozen times in the Proverbs. Variants, such as is found in verse 2 where the verb is slightly different in the Hebrew but translated as fear into English, increase that number substantially. In Isaiah 11 the prophet speaks of Jesus when he declared “and his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD” (Isaiah 11:3). Obviously this expression of the fear of the LORD is something that Christians must consider, meditate on, and implement in their lives. Why would one delight in the fear of the LORD?

At the beginning of Proverbs the fear of the LORD is explained as the beginning of knowledge. When a believer credits the word of God in the power of the Spirit of God then his own opinions and former beliefs are put away in favour of pursuing the LORD. One no longer says, “I believe this, I am okay with that” as if the Bible were a smorgasbord where one can pick and choose items to believe and others to leave. No, the fear of the LORD leads the believer to bring his whole life into submission to God. Actively subduing the areas of his heart and mind that are still rebellious.

The LORD, with His Name all in capital letters, points to the personal Name of God. His Name by which He revealed Himself to Moses and the prophets. He is everlasting. He is self-existent. He is the Source of life and of every blessing. That is why such submission to the LORD is vital. He is the anchor in the storms of life, the only Source of true life and happiness.

Back to Proverbs 14, whenever someone lies in word or deed, or manipulates others for their own gain, they are despising the LORD. Remember, these words are written for Old Testament believers. Pagans don’t read these words. Unbelievers don’t mine the Bible for truth. Believers are supposed to read these words and by them be warned. To walk in uprightness is to confess all sin, turn from it in repentance and follow Jesus.

The fear of the LORD leads to strong confidence. The Psalmist wrote

The LORD is my light and my salvation,
   whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life,
     of whom shall I be afraid?”
Psalm 27:1 ESV

The LORD of heaven and earth, Who by the accomplished work of Jesus, believers call Father, is stronger than all bullies, all jailors, all despots and all false judges. Believers fear the LORD, putting all their confidence in Him because they realize it the LORD Who can, after one has died, cast him into hell or bring him into His majestic presence for all eternity. Such confidence in the LORD leads a believer’s children and children’s children to long to know the LORD.

A quick but important note here, Jesus is described as having descendants, though He never married, never had children the way in which we think of having descendants (Isaiah 53). The point of the prophecy is that Jesus has countless children, believers, whom He brings to His Father in heaven. In heaven there will neither be marriage or sexual intercourse. These gifts are for the earthly existence. Spiritual descendants, those who believe in Jesus Christ through your witness, are even more truly your children than those which are born to you. Spiritual descendants will still be spiritual descendants even in eternity.

What do people fear in our world? Climate change? Not having enough likes on a post? Once you start the list of fears in this world, it grows and grows. Those who fear the LORD have only one fear. Remember as well that Isaiah called the fear of the LORD delight. So, putting one’s fear and delight in Him is the fountain of life. All other fears are subjected to the fear of the LORD. When one realizes the LORD is in charge of all things through all eternity, then no other fear can rule you. Even death, which people seek to avoid, but are running head long to it by their own destructive behaviours, even death loses its sting because Jesus Christ has conquered death and the grave and all who believe in Him have everlasting life.

GENERAL INTERCESSION

O GOD, Who art mindful of Thy people everywhere; reveal Thy mercy unto all men, and remember in Thy great good will, those for whom we now make intercession. Remember Thy Church which Thou hast purchased of old; and let all the ends of the earth see the salvation of our God. Remember our nation which Thou hast established; give wisdom and power to Thy servants upon whom Thou hast laid the burden of authority, especially the King and his counsellors and all judges; and unite the whole body the commonwealth to promote the peace and welfare of the world. Remember all the persecuted and afflicted; strengthen the weak, confirm the strong, instruct the ignorant, deliver the oppressed, heal the sick, relieve the needy that hath no helper; and lead us all by the waters of comfort, and in the ways of righteousness, to Thine everlasting rest; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

DIVINE SERVICE BOOK FOR THE ARMED FORCES, 1950, page 21

https://youtu.be/NjOGX5zT8KU?si=iDtZikhDK-vcyrvd “The Lord is My Salvation”

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September 13, 2024 -- Genesis 3:1-7 -- Hear Him!

Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made.
He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” 2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, 3 but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” 4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.
Genesis 3:1-7 ESV

The lie of the serpent, Satan, is so blatant in this temptation, yet it is a lie that works over and over again. In order to see how blatantly wrong, grossly misleading his lie is, you need to recall the earlier chapters. Genesis 1:26 the Triune God declared “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.” Now consider verse 27: “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him”. The repetition sears into the brain of the reader that God Himself has made Adam and Eve in His image. They are like God. In Genesis 2, before Eve was created, Adam was exercising his dominion over creation by naming the livestock and the birds of the heavens and the beasts of the field. As he did so, he realized there was no creature like unto him, created in the image of God. No other creature bore the unique stamp of God’s love and was created for fellowship with the LORD of heaven. Okay, you have this background. Now look at Satan’s lie at Genesis 3:5, when you eat of the forbidden fruit you will be like God, knowing good and evil”. See the lie? They were already like God. As close as ever could be because that IS how God made them.

Now, armed with the information on the image of God which is given in the previous two chapters, you can see how the lie of Satan is exposed as absolutely wrong. Adam and Eve are already in the image of God. Adam and Eve. They were created to walk with God in the cool of the evening. Adam and Eve were created for life which stretched on and would allow for constant growth in the knowledge of God, ever more delight in Him, and greater understanding of what it meant to be made in His image. Satan caused them to doubt the generosity of God and His goodness towards them. It is his most familiar, most often used tactic.

Jesus’s disciple, Peter, though having walked with Jesus for three years was still susceptible to the lies of Satan which started in the Garden of Eden. When Jesus was arrested, Peter and John stood in the courtyard of the place where Jesus was being tried. A young servant girl asked Peter “were you with Him?” He vehemently denied it. He was prepared to identify with the enemy, doubting God's good and holy intentions for him. So, he betrayed Jesus, rather than stay true to the One in Whose likeness He was made and Whose fellowship he enjoyed. All of us can see how easily we fall. We fail.

Be encouraged, dear fellow Christians, this same Jesus, risen and ascended to heaven, has given us His righteousness. He has poured out His Spirit so that “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness” (I Peter 1:3a). In fact, Peter goes on to write that this divine power, to which is added the God’s very great and precious promises, you escape “the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire” (I Peter 1:4).

Sinclair Ferguson makes the point that the people of God might be deceived by what their eyes see, or are led by their feelings. However, the one sense which must be cultivated is the sense of hearing. The people of God hear the word of God. The people of the Savior listen to His voice. Think of Jesus’s words “The sheep hear His voice, and He calls His Own sheep by name and leads them out” (John 10:3). Believers reading the Word of God hear the voice of Jesus.

Believers when they are out in the world, tested and tempted, must recall the Word of God and His very great and precious promises. Those precious promises expose the lies of the enemy. His Word destroys the fictions we tell ourselves, and show how ridiculous the incessant catechism of the world is. A constant, spewing narrative that strives to dictate what is current, what is fashionable, what matters. It is an endless treadmill going nowhere but to hell. Believers hear the voice of Jesus, over the crashing waves of life’s wild restless sea. Believers hear His invitation to defy evil and not be fooled by the lies of the world and the temptations of the Devil, instead hearing His voice, returning again and again to Him. Jesus' voice is discerned in the Bible, from start to finish, it is His instruction in His very great, very precious promise of life.

IN THE MORNING

O LORD, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, Who has safely brought us to the beginning of this day; defend us in the same with Thy mighty power; and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger; but that all our doings may be ordered by Thy governance, to do always that which is righteous in Thy sight; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

THE DIVINE SERVICE BOOK FOR THE ARMED FORCES, 1950, page 32

https://youtu.be/In-MtdNjF44?si=LmjBSaJDFBtBCuXN “Jesus Calls Us O’er the Tumult”

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September 12, 2024 -- John 20:11-16 -- The Risen Jesus called a Gardener

But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. 12 And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. 13 They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” 14 Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher).
John 20:11-16 ESV

One of the great blessings of my job is the opportunity I have to listen to bible teaching as I drive to and from various prisons. In the last five days I drove around 1100 KM, so there was a lot of time to delight in hearing other preachers. Sinclair Ferguson noted the double meaning in this passage. The author of the Gospel of John often employs “misunderstanding”, or double-meanings to direct his readers to see something deeper than what is going on in the ordinary events.

Jesus was crucified. Buried in a tomb. On the third day He arose. Mary had joined a company of women looking for Jesus presuming He was still dead. He had risen. She couldn’t comprehend this. When Jesus appeared to her she thought He was the Gardener. Amazing. One the surface, that makes sense to our modern ears. There are groundskeepers or gardeners at cemeteries. But remember Who Jesus Is.

Jesus is the second Adam. The first Adam sinned. Adam was representative of the whole human race at the Garden of Eden. His initial work was to extend the Garden of Eden through out the whole earth. He was the original Gardener. He failed. He sinned. He was thrown out of the Garden of Eden.

Jesus is the New Adam. He is our representative in righteousness. He lived His entire life in whole-hearted obedience to God and therefore at His death, He became the perfect sacrifice for the sins of the whole world. He had no sins for which He should die. Therefore, Jesus, is the New Adam and all who are united to Him in faith know Him as their righteous representative before the Father in heaven. In Christ, we are made alive. Then, Jesus also takes up the original Adam’s task. He is the Gardener. He will bring the blessings of Eden, the blessings of walking with God, to believers one by one, until all the earth is the New Eden. The glory of the original Eden was close communion with God, enjoying His nearness and love. In a very real sense Mary's misunderstanding was accurate: Jesus is the Gardener—the New Adam, Who can actually fulfil God’s first creation mandate to make all the world a place where the Father can meet with His people and bring to them the delight of His presence..

Those who are united to Jesus have had their lives upended and the ruin of their hearts transformed. What once was a barren waste, seeking pleasure like a banquet, while instead eating the sand and dirt of sinful living. Now  the life of a Christian is a garden, made beautiful in Jesus, so that our lives abound with blessings and the goodness of belonging to Jesus. In Jesus were are now His sent-ones, gardeners, who see the ruin in the lives of others around us and we cry, “Let me bring you to Jesus, He will make all things new, holy and beautiful”.
 

PRAYER FOR GUIDANCE AND BETTERMENT OF CHARACTER

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.

Divine Service Book for the Armed Forces, printed 1950, page 28

https://youtu.be/Jcl6WSNVcHM?si=QrE8v3YbNTvlD6Sd Christ the True and Better Adam

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September 11, 2024 -- Psalm 124:8 -- Opening Worship

Our help is in the name of the LORD,
     Who made heaven and earth.
Psalm 124:8 ESV

This brief text is very familiar to many Christians of the Reformed tradition. For almost 500 years it has been part of a responsive reading at the very start of worship. Many people will recognize it when it is printed out (in a bulletin) like this:

Minister: Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ,
     in Whom do you find your help?

PEOPLE: Our help is in the Name of the LORD,
     Maker of heaven and earth.

This responsive reading is called the votum. That is, a prayer for help, an entreaty from one who knows his own neediness as he stands before the All-Powerful, and All-Knowing God. Worship is a conversation between the believer and the LORD of Heaven and Earth. Worship is the act whereby the believer acknowledges all his life, from beginning to end, is in the hands of the Sovereign God.

Psalm 124 is a brief Psalm that emphasizes how small and helpless people really are. There are forces in history, enemies presently that hover all around, and yes, there are threats to believers even from within the community of faith. Many people who claim to be Christians shelter among believers, only the Sovereign LORD can weed out the wicked from the godly. So, it is the LORD Himself Who delivers His people from all their foes, threats, and enemies.

Note also how the minister intentionally asks the people of Jesus Who their help is, and the people respond with the Name: LORD. When the Old Testament Name of God is used in this way, with all capital letters, it is an expression of the Name which God has given Himself. LORD is expressed as: Who Was and Who Is and Who Is to Come. He is everlasting. He is the promise-making, promise-keeping God. The liturgy intentionally links Jesus to the Holy Name of God. It is a weekly reminder that the Father is God; the Son Jesus is God; the Holy Spirit is fully God. This triune God, He alone is the source of every blessing in your life.

Today’s prayer is Psalm 124

If it had not been the LORD who was on our side—
    let Israel now say—
2 if it had not been the LORD who was on our side
    when people rose up against us,
3 then they would have swallowed us up alive,
    when their anger was kindled against us;
4 then the flood would have swept us away,
    the torrent would have gone over us;
5 then over us would have gone
    the raging waters.

6 Blessed be the LORD,
    who has not given us
    as prey to their teeth!
7 We have escaped like a bird
    from the snare of the fowlers;
the snare is broken,
    and we have escaped!

8 Our help is in the name of the LORD,
    who made heaven and earth.
Psalm 124 ESV

https://youtu.be/CmNXeReZqAg?si=Sdx3cQsM8h2ypVMV “Be Still My Soul”

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September 9, 2024 -- Acts 14:1-7 -- Zeal for Jesus and heretical counter-zeal

Now at Iconium they entered together into the Jewish synagogue and spoke in such a way that a great number of both Jews and Greeks believed. 2 But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers. 3 So they remained for a long time, speaking boldly for the Lord, who bore witness to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands. 4 But the people of the city were divided; some sided with the Jews and some with the apostles. 5 When an attempt was made by both Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, to mistreat them and to stone them, 6 they learned of it and fled to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the surrounding country, 7 and there they continued to preach the gospel.
Acts 14:1-7 ESV

Notice in this passage there are two kinds of zeal. First there is the zeal of the believers. But the passage also reveals the counter-zeal of the unbelievers. (BTW: zeal means eagerness, enthusiasm, joyful commitment to a cause.) Paul and Barnabas can’t help but preach and teach others about Jesus. Their holy zeal incited many Jews and Greeks to believe in Jesus Christ. Those who had become believers are zealous for Jesus and therefore their bold, joyful faith immediately puts them at odds with those who are zealous unbelievers.

The unbelievers are equally committed to a cause. Their cause is the destruction of anything that smacks of zeal for God. They have a counter-zeal. A reckless disregard for all that is holy and good and honourable. When a Christian preaches the audience is never neutral. There will be a zeal for Jesus that is created and encouraged to further growth, or a counter-zeal stirred up causing the wicked one to grip even more tightly to the rage and hatred that naturally occurs in the unconverted human heart.

Recently a dear friend, who’d previously been zealous for God, fallen away and by his own account had wandered in paganism, returned to God. He knew the depths of his recent depravity. He returned to God the Father compelled by the Spirit’s prompting and he began confessing his sins so that he received the merciful forgiveness so richly provided in Jesus. He can't stop talking about the goodness and mercy which God the Father showed him. Some fellow Christian recoiled at his zeal. They were sure he was too enthusiastic, too crazy for Jesus. There is a common pressure among Christians to be a “normal Christian”, that is, one who is not offensive to others, not too enthusiastic, too strongly guided by the Bible, so that one can be well-received among pagans. It is not possible.

Look at the Jewish people in verse 2, they’d walked the way of the Old Testament, expecting even longing for the time of Jesus. The sad fact is when Jesus arrived and His heralds proclaimed Him, they were content to side with Gentiles (whom they’d normally despise). Jews who were supposed to be dedicated to God and ready for His Son instead opposed God’s Son. That is the counter-zeal of wickedness. It leads to blind rage.

Dear fellow believer, where are you compromising with the world? Where are you allowing yourself to be a little less Christian, less zealous, so that people around you won’t be offended? Jesus rebuked the congregation at Laodicea because they were lukewarm. He warned them He’d vomit them out of His mouth, Revelation 3:16 (it is a sign of terrible judgment). In zeal for His Father’s glory and zealous for the joy of rescuing believers from hell and the clutches of the Devil, Jesus scorned the shame of the cross and became the Saviour of the world. The only response the Christian can offer is holy, life-long, in-all-areas-of-life-obedience that is zealous and infused with thanksgiving to Jesus.

Majestic Father Your holy angels never cease to cry out: “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, Who Was and Who Is, and Who Is to Come”. The accomplished work of Jesus should evoke from us equal life-long, enthusiastic praise but we humbly confess how easily our attention wanders and our hearts grow cold to the mighty splendors of Your salvation. Thank You for the beautiful Word of God, still warm with the breath of the Spirit. Thank You for the work of Your Spirit by Whom we realize the depths of our coldness and the insipid murmurings of praise. We confess how lukewarm we have been. Oh, we confess it. We hate it. Reignite in us a zeal for Jesus that touches every part of our hearts, minds, souls, and actions. Amen.

https://youtu.be/DV-V4xZMQx0?si=axnv7Fyl94uZfeeQ Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing

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September 8, 2024 -- Acts 2:5-13 -- The Spirit equips you to shine for Jesus

5 Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. 6 And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. 7 And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? 9 Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, 11 both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” 12 And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13 But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.”
Acts 2:5-13 ESV

Dearly loved people of God, you probably recognize this text. It is from the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit was poured out on the church. About 120 men and women received the Holy Spirit. The work of the Holy Spirit is to lead the people of God to Jesus Christ and His work accomplished at the cross. The Holy Spirit seals this work to the heart of believers so that they are kept in the merciful-love of God which was so beautifully demonstrated in the life, crucifixion, resurrection and ascension of Jesus.

A few things to note here. Jesus when He was engaged in His public ministry sent His followers ahead into various towns and villages so that they’d be prepared for His coming. At Pentecost, men and women from fifteen different regions, cities, islands and nations heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ preached in their own language. The gift of tongues was given so that Jewish foreigners could hear the Good News of Jesus in their own language. When they went back to Cyrene and Rome, Crete and Egypt, and the other eleven nations, cities and territories they’d be like the disciples in Jesus’ earthly ministry days that is, they'd be sent out for the purpose of preparing their region for the arrival of the preachers of Jesus.

The implication for you today is, I believe, that as you go to church and hear the Good News preached, the Spirit of God is equipping you in the salvific work of Jesus so that you too can go in Jesus’s Name. As you live among the various people in your circle of family, co-workers, and friends you make Jesus known to them.

Someone, a visitor to our home, recently said to me, “I could never do what you do”. (By this she meant going into prisons and leading Bible Studies). I thought to myself, you don’t have to do this. You were never called to do this. However, this same woman had a difficult neighbour who for nine years made being a neighbour a miserable thing. So, our visitor friend explained she’d determined to make things right and win her neighbour over. After nine years this was accomplished. Think about it, over those nine years the mercy of Jesus was revealed by the Spirit’s persistent work in the life of this faithful woman. The Spirit has a task for each and every believer so that Jesus will be preached and your lives will be exactly the preparation an evangelist or preacher can use so that the Gospel of Jesus will take hold in the life of the hearer.

Go to church. Read your bible. Prepare to be equipped. Then go, share Jesus, wherever it you are, in whatever situation you are. Trust that the Spirit has uniquely prepared you for holy service.

Our Father in heaven thank You for Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Redeemer-King. Blessed Father and Holy Son, thank You for the magnificent Spirit through Whom believers see Jesus with the eyes of faith and understand Who He is through the gift of the Bible. Send us, Spirit, to the places where You have prepared people to hear of Jesus. Give us boldness, Spirit of God, and confident assurance that You have put us as witnesses for Jesus in exactly the right places so that He will be made known. Thank You, Triune God, for all those who spoke to us and demonstrated to us the love of Jesus; now, work in us so that our lives shine with the glory of Jesus so that many others will believe in Him. Amen.

https://youtu.be/Atc3AHLNp-0?si=BoQU96ccs7JDTz0g Christ the Sure and Steady Anchor

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