November 5, 2024 -- II Timothy 2:1-7 -- Three powerful illustrations to encourage believers

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. 5 An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. 6 It is the hard-working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops. 7 Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.
II Timothy 2:1-7 ESV

The Apostle Paul writes to encourage Timothy. Timothy, he states at the start of this letter, is “my beloved child”. Timothy is a man whom Paul mentors in the Christian faith. For believers to grow in the freedom Christ gives, so that you do not fall back into addictions and life-controlling sins, means you continually submit your life to Jesus. This is an intentional commitment made and renewed constantly. There are so many forces and pressures seeking to pull you away from obedience to God.

Consider the three illustrations Paul gives in the short passage. Soldiers do not question their commanders. Where the captain commands them to go, they obey. The well-being of the unit and the outcome of the war depends on each soldier acting upon their leader’s every command. So it with believers following Jesus. He sees the complete battle. He knows the tactics of the enemy. You know what Jesus commands you must do, for your own welfare, for the good of the unit and for the whole battle. How can you possibly do your part? It is by His Spirit in you, by the Word and through the instruction of fellow Christians. That is how you submit your life to Jesus in the chaos of life’s battles.

An athlete has a coach who demands his athlete eat right, sleep enough and train hard. The coach can seem harsh and unyielding, but he knows the only way to get the best performance out of the athlete is to push where the athlete is lazy and to go easy where the athlete might be hurt. The coach knows the power of restorative rest after a hard work-out. Jesus is such a coach. He knows what it takes so that those who follow Him do not give up, burn out, or for lack of training miss out on the prize, which is the crown of life.

Think of the illustration of the farmer. There is a huge amount of patience needed in the life of a farmer. He plants the crops, and it takes months of weeding, months of scaring off the animals that would eat the tender plants before there is the benefit of harvesting the crop. It can seem so long, but the patient farmer knows the cycle of the seasons and has a history with the faithfulness of God. He persists in doing all that is necessary so that the fields bring forth their produce.
The believer who ponders these illustrations, gains better insight into the work of Jesus Who leads His people in triumphal procession, presenting believers unblemished before the Father. It is hard work. There is nothing like it in all the world—submitting oneself to Jesus, daily yielding yourself to Him, with the full expectation He will guide you to overcome in the battle, He will coach you and at he proper time award you the crown of life, He will give you the produce of the rich harvest at the banquet of life in eternity.

Beloved in the Lord, do not give up. Press on and know God our Father has appointed Jesus to direct you and gives you the Holy Spirit so that in all things you can overcome.

Father in heaven, thank You for Jesus Christ—the Captain of Salvation, the Coach extraordinaire and Crop-blesser. I confess how often I want to run from the battle or make excuses to get out of hard-training and I have oh-so-little patience to do the work necessary over the long-haul so that a harvest of blessing will be reaped. Spirit of God, bless me so that today I will turn from wrong and make every effort to please Him Who enlisted me in His holy service. Father, the promise of the Bible is when you start a good work in us, You will see it to completion—how I need that assurance today. Amen.

https://youtu.be/tstRfOGGgpQ?si=iUZ6gQylw8W-v2AZ Lead On, O King Eternal
 

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

November 4, 2024 -- Psalm 119:66-67 -- To what or whom are you submitting your life?

Teach me good judgment and knowledge,
for I believe in your commandments.
Before I was afflicted I went astray,
but now I keep your word.
Psalm 119:66-67 ESV
 
After a sinner has admitted he is powerless against sin and then acknowledged God alone is the source of all power Who restores him on his journey to freedom from addiction and life-controlling sin, the next, critical step, is submitting one’s life to the care of God. Ah, this step is a doozie.
 
Consider the way in which worldly people talk today. When you say something that expresses your belief, the response might be, “I respect you for following your truth”. What a load of hooey! There is Truth. Capital “T” Truth because Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life (John 14:6). Prior to submitting myself to Jesus, the Truth, I was tossed this way and that way, by all the competing claims of the world. So were you. Or perhaps so are you right now. Tossed and turning like a ragdoll in the undertow of the world’s waves and endless parade of new fashions overtaking old ones.
 
Whatever the world, or your peer group, or even your own misguided, undirected mind tells you is important, you want to rush out to buy, or do, or say, or wear. If you do not submit your life to the care of God and constantly seeking His guidance, you are a ping-pong ball batted back and forth by every whim of what the world calls important today, or tells you is good (even though common sense says it is completely idiotic) or what the world is trying to parade as true for today. It is exhausting. It was what got you into the hot messes of sin that you always go back to.
 
If you think about it, really pause and go deep, notice how often you have impulses to do something. You are about to buy something; you realize it is based on a commercial you saw. You want the latest phone, which you can’t afford, because you’re still paying for last year’s latest phone, but, sigh, people around you have it. You see friends casually making out and know they are doing things you shouldn’t speak of, and they shrug it all off and say they’ve done nothing wrong. You wonder, maybe this making out thing isn’t as bad as the preacher, or the Bible, or your parents say it is…But then, your parents may have told you the importance to telling the truth, when to the added confusion of your mind, they lie about your age to get you cheap seats on the amusement ride. You begin to realize that so much of what guides your decision-making comes from flawed sources, compromised experiences, and out-right lies.
 
The Psalmist knew the intentions of his heart and the seemingly-out-of-nowhere impulses of his mind were topsy-turvy. He didn’t trust himself to know the truth. In his prayer he asks God, “teach me good judgment and knowledge”. Whatever the world offers is tainted by the Devil, who is the father of lies, who constantly teaching worldly people to speak his language. If you want to become a native speaker of all that is good and right and honourable—so breaking the pattern of self-governance and selfish addictive behavior—you must submit your mind, your core beliefs and your actions to God.
 
Why is this bit about “affliction” included in today’s passage? To be perfectly honest, most of you (and if I am perfectly honest, I have to include myself in this) will stubbornly try doing things your own way. Even if that way has been unsuccessful 100 times out of 100. Any miniscule, fleeing sign of half-success, you’ll latch onto and launch yourself headlong back into ruin. The LORD uses the consequences of your bad actions, He uses disciplines, He uses suffering to grab hold of your attention and then teach you wisdom in the secret heart. The Father in heaven is endlessly patient. Loving beyond measure. Committed to your growth in holiness in the way of Truth, because He has drawn you to Himself through Jesus Christ, Who is your Rescue-Story, Your Redeemer, and in Him you bring glory to the Father.
 
Father in heaven, there are competing messages, all kinds of conflicting versions of what is true and important, but today, teach me wisdom in the secret heart. By Your Spirit, apply the Word and plant it deep in me so that I will daily, become more fully submitted to You through its guidance. What I am praying is teach me to know Him Who is Truth, and humble me to submit myself to Him, and from that place of submission live out the Truth of Jesus in every area of my life. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/aH1Wn4fTiBs?si=askVaIJy_O1CIm7u “Speak O Lord”
 

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November 2, 2024 -- Ephesians 5:15-18 -- Be filled with the Holy Spirit

Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit…
Ephesians 5:15-18 ESV
 
My time. Free time. Down time. You know all the expressions. The point of the passage is that all time is God’s time. He oversees it all and those who know Him, choose to follow Him every moment of the day. I don’t know about you, but that is one tall order. I am not sure how to accomplish that! Look how the passage helps steer your life.
 
First, on your own, you are unwise. Every time there is a choice between doing good in service to God, for fulfilling your own desires, guess what, you are likely to put God in the back seat of your life. We are, by nature, unwise, sin-filled and without God’s restraining hand, we are plotting a course towards evil.
 
Second, the days are evil. Think about something like Halloween. It is just kids play, right? Hmm. Probably not. You are playfully introducing your children to the world of witches and demons and play-acting. It is an invitation to make evil and all that is demonic seem inviting and fun. Basically harmless? No way! Then look at how evil is celebrated in the world in other, obvious ways. Infants are killed in the womb, and it is celebrated as a mother’s choice. Her body. her choice as the incoherent logic of our world. It completely ignores that fact that men and women are made in the image of God, therefore, their body and their children belong to Him!
 
Third, believers can be filled so full of the things of the world, that they are oblivious to the commandments of God. Such bloatedness makes them too lazy to do what God commands. They welcome the opportunities to ingest the things of the world, but then are too full to drink deeply from the well of salvation. The will of the Lord, as it is clearly expressed in the Bible. It is the pathway of life. It is life and salvation and ultimately true joy. However, many believers compromise it, so that the clear commands of God are softened, changed, in places ignored, exchanged so that believers can live a more comfortable Christian life in the world which hates God. Christians seek to live sort of in obedience to God, a manufactured obedience that suits them, rather than conforming themselves the will of our God.
 
The passage is clear, believers are not to be intoxicated by wine or beer. Nor are their lives to be filled with other things that will crowd God out. Binge watching TV. Shopping to excess. Gambling. Video gaming. Board gaming. Partying. Endless eating out. Notice that there are a few things in that list which are okay in moderation, in appropriate small doses, but clearly are wrong when they take over one’s life. Sin does that. The Devil is always trying to hook you in and take more and more of your time, your thought life, your attention and if possible, draw you away from God.
 
Fourth, excess of anything is debauchery. That is a loaded word. Simply, when you are getting tanked up with anything other than God, you are acting in “unsavedness”. That is what debauchery means, unsavedness, excess, wastefulness. Debauchery is taking the precious gifts that are yours in Jesus Christ—forgiveness, the demonstration of the Father’s love, walking in newness of life, joy, and stomping on these. Saying, God, you’re not good enough for me.
Finally, be filled with the Spirit. Ah, dear brother and sister in Christ, the Spirit’s role is to lead you back to Jesus. Jesus, Who is praying for you by presenting His wounds to the Father and saying, Father, as You decreed from before the beginning of time, so now act in mercy and love, apply My righteousness to this sinner seeking You so that he knows himself to be Your son. Father, draw this wayward daughter back to yourself, based on Your decree of love which is founded on My life poured out for her.
 
Being filled with the Spirit is prayerfully asking for help when confronted with hard choices or temptations. Being filled with the Spirit is leaning on Christian friends to help you when times are tough. Being filled with the Spirit taking time to read the Bible and meditate on it. What does it mean for me? For the people of God collectively? Being filled with the Spirit is an invitation to deeper, richer life with God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.
 
God You are the source of all Power in my life. I confess how much I just want to do what I want to do, with no reference to You or Your plans and purposes for my life. Time after time I see the mess I make of my life, and I still wind up in the same, dumb and broken places I was before. Thank You that You are patient. You are near. You are the Faithful Father Who delights to forgive His people to the great glory of Jesus Christ, and You, Almighty God are the restorer of the broken hearted, who, by Your Spirit, are led onward on the great journey of salvation. Blessed be Your Name.
 
https://youtu.be/2CJT-6nsl8c?si=0n_5NQzriPTRxEg_ Fill Thou My Life, O Lord My God
 

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

November 1, 2024 -- Psalm 16:1-2 -- Who is your truest friend?

Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge.
I say to the LORD, “You are my Lord;
    I have no good apart from you.”
As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones,
   in whom is all my delight.
Psalm 16:1-2 ESV

One of the strangest, most disorienting experiences of having moved from Ingersoll, ON to Moncton NB is the loss of deep friendship. While Carolyn and I lived in Ontario, we had a ready supply of good friends, church friends and deep friends. Deep friends are the ones on whom we could call at any hour of day or night and know they’d answer and care for us. Or, whenever they called us, we were ready to help in any way that was needed. Now, when a church service is done, many people speak with us, and are nice to us, but rarely, very rarely, do we ever receive a post-church dinner invitation. There are no “spontaneous friends” here, who will call and say, “I’m coming over”. Or who are ringing the doorbell, unannounced. To be fair, God has preserved some wonderful friendships in Ontario. Whenever we visit, we know we have an open invitation. Blessed be the Name of God, our strength and song!

Why mention this? Consider this Psalm. King David noted that first and foremost God is his refuge and his LORD. A refuge is a place you run to when troubles surround you. A safe place when enemies are attacking. You feel surrounded and hope is at a low ebb a refuge is a place where you can be restored and refreshed. God is the LORD—a tower of strength and the sole source of salvation. He coordinates all things so that His people will be built up in this precious faith.

Now, notice what he writes about fellow believers. They are the saints in the land, in whom is all his delight. Fellow believers experience God as the strength of their lives, the Captain of Salvation Who guards the soul and equips His people with the gift of the Holy Spirit. Fellow believers prop one another up in the way of God. Fellow believers are part of God's salvation plan. They interfere with your plans when you are bent on evil. They celebrate victories. They cry in the dust with you when it seems everything has crumbled to the ground.

When we have admitted our belief that God is the source of all power and that He is restoring me on my journey away from the chains of sin and the siren songs of temptation, it is important to know who He has placed in your life. Fellow Christians are the people who stand with you when your strength has failed. Fellow Christians help pick you up when you all others would mock. Deep Christian friends are those whose love for God is an inspiration. The saints, in whom is all your delight, will not abandon when you are in the mud of former sins. They are the iron sharpening iron, calling you back to faithfulness. They are the ones, crying with you, holding on to the hem of Jesus’s robe, asking Him for mercy and the much-needed fortitude to get up and start traveling forward again on the journey of salvation.

Over the last number of months Carolyn and I realize that God has broken our circle of close friends and disrupted our readily available supply of invitations so that our hearts and home can be open to the people He is placing in our life. Since moving to Moncton, and starting all over finding friends, we have found we have time for people who are new Christians. We have a hunger for socializing and there are post-incarcerated Christians who are starved for true friendships, with whom they can walk knowing they have also been and are being restored on their journey to freedom in Jesus. Our lives have been immeasurably enriched. Thanks be to God for the faithful friends who stay in touch. Thanks be to God for the new friends He has gifted to us.

God, my Father, Who is kind and patient like You? There is no one and nothing else in all creation that is like You! Thank You for the new life You give me in Jesus Christ. Thank You for the Spirit You have sent to live with me, guaranteeing the salvation of Jesus Christ will be perfected in me. Blessed God, thank You for the deep friends You have given who stand with me even when every one else runs away. Thank You for new friends whose friendship is delight as together we walk in the light of Your salvation, journeying to freedom from sin and life-controlling issues. Amen.

https://youtu.be/R8mLTdQQXg4?si=Tu6YHmkHCGKn9jU6 Shane and Shane Psalm 16 (Fullness of Joy)

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October 29, 2024 -- Matthew 6:7 -- Power to change your life

And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do,
for they think that they will be heard for their many words.
Matthew 6:7 ESV

All the power Christians need for their walk with God is supplied by God Himself. Jesus invites His followers “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7 ESV). So, how should we ask God for the help we need so that we will be restored on our journey to freedom from addiction and life-controlling issues?

• Ask, knowing He can help you. Remember the first step of the twelve, we admit we are powerless and the second step is to confess God is the source of all power.

• The passage today reminds us that we don’t need a certain formula, no exact phrasing of words as if by the precision of our words we manipulate God to doing our bidding. He is willing, loving, and able to change us from the inside out. Ask with simple words, naming your need.

• Ask Him persistently. In Luke 18 Jesus taught His followers to pray persistently and not to lose hope as they pray. Even in the asking His Spirit refines people so that they are conformed more and more to the will of God.

• Ask trusting Him that He will more willing to give than we are even willing to ask. Jesus noted that if earthly fathers and mothers know how to give their children good gifts, how much more, infinitely more, does their Father in heaven know how to give good gifts to His children!

The text today speaks of Gentiles, that is, people who are not Jewish. In the Old Testament, before Jesus walked this earth, God primarily worked through the Jewish people. They were to be a light to the nations shining the love of God. Now, through Jesus, people from all over the world are light-bearers shining the love of God to all who walk in darkness. Pray for opportunities to tell others about the recovery God is giving you. You'll be amazed to discover as you share God's healing power in your life, others will be drawn to Jesus, and Jesus's healing work in your own life will be confirmed.

God thank You for the new life You are giving me. Life in Jesus's power that proves to me there is freedom from the addictions and sinful patterns of my past. I admit how strong temptations are in my life. Be stronger still so that I won’t fall into old sins and bad patterns of behavior. Spirit lead me to greater freedom through the rising-from-the-dead power of Jesus, the Captain of Salvation. Amen.

https://youtu.be/PLpB-dE2DHM?si=ThZtcfyZxSCR_OJ1 Lead Me, Guide Me

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

October 28, 2024 -- Galatians 6:1 -- Staying on course and helping others to do so

Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.
Galatians 6:1 ESV

Our life in Christ is one of growing sanctification. When the Spirit of God gets our attention, drawing us out of the cyclone of temptation, indulgence and sinful activity which characterized our former way of life, our whole life’s direction is changed. We are taken from the highway to hell (as one of the world’s songs so aptly states it) and set on the path of eternal life. Our spiritual GPS is tuned by the Spirit and informed by the Word of God. Fellow Christians assist us in letting us know what hazards might be blocking the road. With wisdom gained by experience and persistence  learned from their own trial and errors they will also urge us against taking detours into old habits.

When you are caught in sin your conscience is already seared by the Spirit and your God-directed sense of shame will be on high alert. You will need to be approached as a wounded animal, one who is hurt but still ready to strike out. That is why Paul tells the Galatians, who received this letter, to restore the wandering brother or sister in a spirit of gentleness. Not proud. Not harshly. Not show-boating your own spirituality and progress. No. But keenly aware of your own inclination to sin and waywardness, tenderly seek to win your brother back to the way of truth and obedience to Jesus. Remembering that Jesus Himself described Himself this way, “for I am gentle and lowly in heart” (Matthew 11:29). What a powerful description. No wonder Christians, filled with shame and angry at themselves for taking a detour back into old sins, are able to turn to Jesus. For He welcomes them. Tenderly corrects them. Gently restores them. Helps them in their path of reconciliation with the Father and the people of God.

The wily old Devil has been in the business of deceiving believers for a long, long time. It will be just a short, slight adjustment in your own journey with Jesus to walk a little ways with a brother or sister caught in sin. Soon you will find yourself getting caught up in the very sins from which you are trying to help your fellow believer extricate himself. You'll be on an unfamiliar road that looks suspiciously like your old ways.

Yet God is merciful. He directed His servant Paul to write this warning to the Galatians, and to all subsequent generations of believers, so that warned they would be better sensitized to the enemy's wiles and temptations disguised as harmless sidetracks. Dear fellow believers, stay alert so that you and your family, and your brothers and sisters in Christ, will faithfully travel on the road of salvation, keeping true to Jesus, follow Him, Who is the Captain of Salvation.

“Father, what we do not know, teach us;
What we have not; give us,
What we are not, kindly make us
For Your Son's sake. Amen.”
~Old Anglican Prayer

https://youtu.be/eXp6XXBPiCg?si=W_wXYGqvXXHpFqQf Soldiers of Christ, Arise

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October 26, 2024 -- Psalm 18:1-3 -- Testify!

I love you, O LORD, my strength.
The LORD is my rock and my fortress
and my deliverer,
my God, my rock, in Whom I take refuge,
my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
I call upon the LORD, Who is worthy to be praised,
and I am saved from my enemies.
Psalm 18:1-3 ESV

Last night Redemption Prison Ministry held its Annual Fall Banquet in Jordon, Ontario. One of the men, Wade, who now hails from Moncton, gave his testimony. How the Lord took him from addiction and life-controlling issues and brought him to fullness of life in Christ. When believers share their testimony with other believers, the family of God is built up and encouraged. Certainly, that happened last night. On the way home from the dinner, my son, Adrian called me, to say how the testimony he heard from Wade, and the conversation with Travis, and the report Pastor Mitch gave had a huge impact. He said it reinvigorated his enthusiasm in his walk with God.

That is the blessing of sharing our faith journey. In this Psalm David speaks to God telling Him of all the Lord has done for him. Such a testimony confirms the goodness of God’s work in his life. Speaking of God’s goodness guards our hearts and minds from evil temptations. Declaring what God has done encourages other believers in our precious faith so that together we are strengthened to stand against former sins and the onslaught of unwelcome, renewed temptations. Psalm 18, as with all the Psalms, is a prayer to God. Such a prayer recounting what God has done, leads His people to praise Him and declare His goodness.

If you keep on reading this Psalm, you’ll see the variety of ways which David declares the salvation of God. It is personal. It is creation-wide. It is His salvation, taking Israel out of Egypt. The salvation of God is communal. Strange how many modern day Christians are so self-focused that their interactions with other Christians is neglected. When I was in High School, okay, about forty years ago, a common expression was “faith is personal, not private”. The point being, one’s deep faith is meant to be expressed and shared. Folks who have never considered God or His saving work in Jesus, are drawn to Him by the testimony of other believers.

Sometimes Christians grow stale in their walk with God. Reading the Bible is okay. Going to church is a common habit. When believers specifically share what God is doing in their lives, others are sparked again in our precious faith. Be prepared, wherever you are, to tell others about what God is doing in your life. You’ll notice the praises start and your heart is warmed with renewed joy in the Lord.

For these things I praise You, O LORD. In my heart and among your people I will sing to Your Name. Your great salvation has been revealed through Jesus, Your beloved Son, our King. You show Your steadfast love to Your people forever and ever. Spirit of the Living God, make us so brimmingly aware of God’s salvation story in our lives such that we are readily prepared to tell others of Your great love and salvation. Amen.

https://youtu.be/9sE5kEnitqE?si=MrDjAlH3yGoLk3lA “Goodness of God”

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

October 25, 2024 -- John 1:29 -- Truly taking a second, penetrating, look toword Jesus

The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said,
“Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”
John 1:29 ESV

What a statement for Jesus’s cousin, John the Baptist, to make. John was the forerunner of Jesus. He was preparing the people for the message Jesus brings. Notice the weight of what John told them, and by way of the Spirit’s preservation of Scripture, what his words continue to teach today.

Look to Jesus. That is what behold means. That words calls on the listener to focus his or her attention on what is coming next. It is important, significant. John called on people then and now to look to Jesus—really consider Who He Is. Look away from your sin. Look away from your practices of evil. Look away from what is not-sinful, turn from what is merely okay, and truly consider Jesus, in Whom is all perfection. In view of Who He is, our need for Him becomes so clear. 

He is the Lamb of God. All the Old Testament is now drawn together into the focal point of Jesus. All the rivers of blood, sacrifices of lambs and goats, bulls and oxen, are now ended. There is one, final, perfect sacrifice, the One upon Whom all sins are punished. The wrath of God is turned aside. That is powerfully comforting, that is the Good News of the Bible. No other sacrifice will do. No other power can erase your sins.

He takes away your sin. This is a comforting sentiment, but it is mere mushy emotionalism if you do not realize that Jesus’s atoning work heals people who are in community with Him as well. You can not claim Christ as my-chain-breaker, Who has carried away my sins, and then turn around and have an unforgiving heart towards others. Jesus works in and through and among community. If you are harboring unforgiveness in your heart, then you have not beheld Him, Who takes away the sin of the world. You are instead beholding your own interests and your own selfishness. You have made yourself a small, puny, tyrannical god.

The evidence of Jesus’s soul saving work is the fruit it brings in your life. When you know, in the very bowels of your being know, that you are forgiven, then you have such a light-heartedness, such exuberance that you are compelled to share His goodness with your best friend and your worst enemy. It is costly forgiveness. Jesus shed His blood on the cross, it was only by His nail pierced hands and feet, and sword-wounded body, taking away the sin of the world, that is your confident basis for faith that you are forgiven in Him.

When you forgiven, you are digging deep into the wounds of Christ. Forgiveness you offer to another comes from the inexhaustible storehouse of Jesus’s treasures of mercy, love, forgiveness, keeping no record of wrongs against you. You, who expect to be forgiven, forgive. It is the evidence that you have truly been forgiven. And you will find a peace that passes understanding as you have canceled the record of wrongs others have committed against you, you realize at a deeper, more intimate level of your own life, the debts of wrong and the graphic sins which in Christ have been forgiven you.

Father in heaven, by Your Spirit’s life-bringing work within us, empower us so that I lift our eyes from our selfishness and haughty-self-focused inclinations and truly with the eyes of faith behold Jesus. As Your people we ask You to help us to forgive as fully as we ourselves have been fully forgiven in Jesus’s Name. Amen.

https://youtu.be/OqG_iQwqEOE?si=MgTfegTkk4kPeyH5 Forgive our Sing As We Forgive

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October 22, 2024 -- John 16:33 -- Facing the inevitable troubles

 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33 ESV

Funny thing is, when I memorized this verse (so many decades ago) I used the NIV translation. The second sentence uses the world “trouble” where the translation quoted today has “tribulation”. The original word means “pressing together”, or pressure. It can mean dire distress, struggles and oppression. The point is, Jesus was telling His followers as much as the world hated Him, equally the world will hate those who follow Him. He spoke the truth, people hated hearing it. He revealed the false hopes of the people and they became enraged against Him. For example, the religious leaders figured if they did good works, then God would be pleased with them. The problem is, no one can be sustained in good works. Even the slightest misstep into sin will render all your good works null and void. This is how high and great and perfect is the holiness of God Who is called a Consuming Fire. His perfections are so great anything even slightly less than perfect will be burned up. The religious leaders simply did not believe Jesus and in their pride put Him (their hope of salvation) to death. 

Why mention this? It is pretty discouraging. The point is, Jesus lived out absolute perfection from the moment of His conception until His death. No word, no thought, nor any single deed was ever contrary to the will of God. Earlier in this chapter He promised His disciples that He is going to the Father—He would be betrayed, falsely accused, tried in a court that was stacked against Him, killed by the very people He came to save—and He never even thought a wicked or bad thought against anyone. He prayed, even as He was dying on the cross, crying out, “Father, forgive them”. His perfection is credited to you, who believe in Him. We are saved by good works. But those good works are yours, they are the good works, the life-long perfections of Jesus, credited to you, as He died for the sinful, wickedness of all your trespasses against God.

Now, when you know this to be true, you will face hard times. Your old patterns of sin will want to rise up and rebel. You are more familiar with bad patterns of behaviour and life-controlling issues, like lust, or anger, gossip, or complaining. So, you retreat back to those, rather than trying to stay true to God. Jesus warned His disciples. You are going to struggle. But I have said this so that you will have peace, your old sins are no match for My goodness and My perfections which I bring into the presence of the Father. Do you understand the implications of this?! You and I will be declared clean and perfect based on Jesus’s perfections. Every time you fall back into sin, confess it. Trust that Jesus has overcome the world and you are gifted with the blessing of going ahead in life wearing victory of Jesus’s perfection.

The world will sneer. Hate you. Snarl against what they wrongly perceive as your smugness and self-satisfaction. They can’t understand that it is with humble awe and thanks you are made alive with Jesus and by His Spirit’s presence in you are able to stand against all the allurements of the world and to withstand the onslaught of pressures people of the world put on you, demanding you conform to their ways. Jesus already, two-thousand years ago, foretold that such pressures and troubles would push up against you because you believe in Him. Remember, He is stronger than the world. He faced all the world’s strongest powers and penalties and kept true to His Father. That is the kind of perfection that is applied to you when you believe in Jesus. As often as you fail, remember, that is precisely the reason He came to the earth, to lift you from your failures, your sins, and all your wrong-doing and bring you, as one declared not-guilty by reason of the fact all the punishment you deserved was put on Jesus. He will bring you to the Father, as one who is not guilty, and by who by the work of the Spirit  was being in real time, each day, conformed, molded to be more like Jesus.

Father in heaven, I feel like a nearly potty-trained toddler, ripe and smelly aware of my great need to have my diaper changed. Embarrassed and so aware that I messed up again. Thank You for the accomplished work of Jesus. Thank You that as often as is needed, daily, or hourly, or minute by minute, You will apply the perfections of Jesus to me. By Your Spirit living in me, help me to be so united with Jesus that all my sins, hidden and public, will be defeated, overcome by the goodness of Jesus. Lead me, Spirit of God, so that I will desire to follow Jesus, even when I face troubles in this world. Please, give to me the peace that this passage speaks of. I ask it, based on the fact that Jesus promised it for all who believe. Amen.

https://youtu.be/1yBzIt_z8oY?si=KIHViq3T0Q6zy_vC Nobody

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

October 21, 2024 -- Proverbs 21:21 -- The Blessings God our Father confers on all who pursue Him

Whoever pursues righteousness and kindness,
will find life, righteousness, and honor.
Proverbs 21:21 ESV

Earlier in this same chapter of Proverbs the LORD is described as “the Righteous One”; that is a helpful backdrop to understanding the proverb before us today. Whoever pursues—that is, to follow with the intention of making His righteousness your desire and goal—is committed to running farther and farther away from his own past wicked ways and thoughts. At the start of this chapter in Proverbs there is a line which is reminiscent of Judges “every way of a man is right in his own eyes” (Proverbs 21:2). Now the quotation from Judges “Everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25b ESV). What is the significance of this? A man can’t tell right from wrong. Right and wrong are given as a gift of discernment by the Spirit of the LORD Who lives in him. If that intrigues you, know that the Spirit is nudging you. Listen.

Ultimately, to pursue righteousness, is to deny oneself and decisively putting to death one’s former desires and false ideals of what is right and wrong in favour of following Jesus Christ. He alone is “the Way, the Truth, and the Life” (John 14:6). In fact, no one can approach righteousness, no one can find the Father in heaven unless he knows Jesus Christ.

There are twin virtues which the wise person pursues—righteousness and kindness. The word kindness is a translation of that sumptuous Hebrew word hēsēd, which can be translated into about 100 English words. Words like: lovingkindness, steadfast love, love, mercy, kindness, and so on. It is the key Hebrew word that describes way the LORD our God deals with His people. It is a word so deep and beautiful that language can not capture every sense of it. It is a verbal indication of His perfections beyond comprehension and description. In eternity we will marvel at the majestic love and covenant-faithfulness of our God and still not come to the end of all He Is.

Now look at the result of pursuing righteousness and kindness—He blesses those who pursue Him beyond their expectation. He gives life. That is as Jesus describes it ‘everlasting life’, beginning here on earth with a richness and fulness that the result of being joined to Jesus Who is the source of life. He gives life that even death will not defeat. The promise is those who are joined to Jesus by baptism will with Him rise from death to newness of life. Eternity begins now for those who pursue Jesus.

The “Righteous One” will award those who follow after Him with greater righteousness than they can achieve on their own. In fact, the bible describes all our own feeble efforts of righteousness enacted without reference to Him as unclean, foul as a used menstrual rag. (Isaiah 64:6 states the uncleanness of people that graphically; so gross that editors inappropriately clean up the language there.) The righteousness (right living according to all the commands of God) of Jesus Christ will be applied to the believer and the believer’s sinfulness, uncleanness, and all his inclinations to waywardness have been punished on the Person of Jesus at the cross. Therefore believers have now, through Jesus Christ, a righteousness beyond anything they could ever have hoped to achieve. They are credited with the righteousness of Jesus Himself.

Finally, as if this is not enough, God the Faithful Father, heaps on His people honor. The word can also be translated as “glory”. The glory that is God’s will be somehow given in some measure to His people. In John 17 Jesus prayed to the Father that His followers would be given glory—the glory that belongs to Jesus will be given to His pursuers. What a concept that is. Such glory consists in knowing Jesus. Belonging to the Father by way of adoption. Think how the child of a billionaire revels in the worldly position such wealth confers. Now, multiply that endlessly and contemplate what it is to be the beloved son or daughter of the Righteous One Who made all the cosmos. Our Good and Gracious Father owns everything. Glory is having the Spirit of God living in you so that all the divine blessings of belonging to God are given to you and you are enabled to walk in life and godliness. In fact, you are strengthened to go ever deeper into this new life and find the boundless exuberance of belonging to Jesus and having His righteousness.

God, the Righteous One, we confess how easily we are tangled in the cares of life and distracted by our own inflated sense of self so that we do not even give a thought to Your righteousness and perfections. We confess we chase after love here and there and only find rejection. It is a lofty thing to run to You looking to find Your righteousness and endless love. Ah, Spirit of God, hold us near the spout
where the righteousness and love of God pour out
and the Kingdom of Jesus is being expanded out.
Amen.

https://youtu.be/2gSugruC1jQ?si=-JaJsIaLhlOpobG_ Good Good Father

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October 20, 2024 -- I Thessalonians 5:15-19 -- How to plug into God, the Source of All Power for your life

See to it that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit.
I Thessalonians 5:15-19 ESV

As believers who are “born from above” or “born again” it is striking that everything about us has changed. Our will is now submitted to Jesus. Our thoughts are being checked at the gateway of the mind before they hit the lips and cause offense. There is an intentionality in our words and deeds that was not part of our old nature.

As those who are “in Jesus”, that is belonging to Him and seeking to follow Him in every part of the day and night, we realize the ability to talk to God and live at peace with others can only be achieved if God is actively helping us. This too is part of the journey towards greater maturity in our new life in Christ. Step 2 is “I admit my belief that God, the source of all power, restores me on my journey to freedom from addictions and life-controlling issues.” (Overcomers, Step 2, page vii).

The old nature would be to repay evil for evil—and to apply greater force in retaliation so that the other person will think twice about hurting you. However, our life-controlling issue of anger has been submitted to the authority of God and by His Spirit He is helping you to return good for evil. This takes prayer. It takes a dedicated effort to talk with God and bring all complaints to Him, not taking matters into your own hands. That is prayer.

By the way, did you catch Paul (the writer of this letter) his emphasis on doing good to one another and to everyone. Believers get into verbal spats and tussles and misunderstandings. The Devil likes nothing better than for believers to get into scraps with one another so that their testimony about being followers of Jesus and therefore being different from the world is rendered to be without any merit or credibility. This is how God is the source of all power. Believers step back, before speaking, and examine their thoughts and the actions they are about to take before the throne of God’s grace and mercy  Then Christians also intentionally return good for evil in their dealings with non-Christians as well. I suppose this makes sense, we can't expect non-Christians to live according to the high standards we have in Christ. So, a non-Christian by definition a follower of the Devil and inclined to evil, needs to see how a believer overcomes evil with good. In view of Jesus’s life which was poured out for us so that we would not be acting in old, sinful patterns, we ask the Spirit to renew our minds and change the way we live and speak among ourselves and in our dealings with everyone.

Rejoicing always. This is a matter for prayer also—talking to God and noticing all the good things He has given and is giving you: new life. Salvation. Opportunities to show others the change that has taken place in you. The gift of seasons. You see God is the source of all power in your life because you take formal times to speak with Him, and spontaneously, through-out the day, you notice His goodness, His kindness, and His wondrous creation and you can’t help but tell Him how good He really is. So, you plug into God, the source of all power, at different times during the day, as your mind delights in Him and you tell Him He is good. This rejoicing in Him deepens your connection to Him. Binds you closer to Him. Throws down the influences of evil and rips up the well-worn paths of old disobedience as you chart a new course of joy in knowing God.

Perhaps now you understand “pray without ceasing” a bit better. It is both formal times of prayer, like morning Bible reading and prayer times, or prayer at meals thanking God for the food, as well as spontaneous times of telling God how amazing He really is. That is magnifying God—He is great. But when you tell Him, you are making His Name great in your own life, so that You see Him to be bigger than your worst problem, stronger than your worst fear, more persistent than your most agonizing life-controlling problem.

Giving thanks is all too easily confined to the second Monday of October. This brief passage commands the believer to keep adding to the list of thanksgiving each day, every single day that ends with a “y”. (Catch that?) why not give thanks and keep a list. One month later you’ll be awestruck by all the long list of reasons you have to thank the Lord.

Quenching the Spirit is resisting these impulses He gives you to speak with God. Quenching (or stifling) the Spirit means intentionally turning away from acting according to the new life you have in Jesus and not plugging into God, the source of all power. How do you stop stifling the Spirit’s work in you? Confess that you have been. Ask for help to hear the Spirit’s prompts in your conscience. Go to church and listen to sermons, instructing you how to live more fully for Jesus. Find Christian friends you respect and work on being accountable so that together your will grow up in the confident faith lived out that God really is the only source of all power in your life.

God, thank You for opening this conversation between Yourself and Your people through Jesus. Thank You for the Spirit Whom You’ve put in my life. Help me to listen to the Spirit, to get sensitive to the Spirit’s nudges and prompts, so that I will stay plugged into You, the Source of everything good in my life. Amen.

https://youtu.be/DXDGE_lRI0E?si=XMsMlnxO0VHWXyJz 10,000 Reasons

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October 18, 2024 -- Matthew 4:17 -- Repentance, understanding what it is

 From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Matthew 4:17 ESV

For the Christian life is a journey towards Jesus. That means, by the power of the Holy Spirit living within you, heading away from former sins and old habits and intentionally directing one’s thoughts, life, and actions to greater conformity with the will of our Father in heaven. I don’t know about you, but I fail. A lot. I am angry at things that should not trouble me (don’t even talk to me about people in Costco who block the aisles so that they can catch up with long stories!) exposing my own ego and my not-so-hidden-and-ungracious belief that I am more important than I am. Or, instead of forgiving and forgetting, I rehearse the wrongs (real or imagined) that others have committed against me.

Step 2 of the Overcomers material (that is the Christian 12-Step material upon which I am basing this series of devotions) has adherents state: “I admit my belief that God, the source of all power, restores me on my journey to freedom from addictions and life-controlling issues”. To turn to God means to turn away from sin and the life-controlling issues which had a choke-hold on you. Overcomers defines repentance this way: “to name your specific sin to God and ask for forgiveness. The actions that come after repentance need to include a change in behavior” (Overcomers, page 32).

Face it, addictions and life-controlling issues are evidence that people are not basically good. God created the heavens and the earth, and every single nanoparticle was good. He created Adam and Eve. At creation they were completely without sin. When they rebelled against God, they exchanged their state of created goodness for a nature that is rebellious against God. This is what believers fight against, that rebellious nature. It is called the sin nature.

Believers are a new creation in Jesus Christ. Aware that their former sins, to which they are often still drawn, must be fought. By the grace of God and the presence of His Spirit living in the heart of every Christian, there are victories. And, interestingly, when one area has been conquered and brought into submission to the Lord, there are often newly recognized patterns of behavior and thought that need to be brought into submission to God.

Elsewhere in the New Testament there is the command “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” Romans 12:2 ESV. This journey is one of transformation. The path of our new life in Christ (remember, those who belong to Jesus are “born again” so all that we are living and experiencing is like growing up from infancy in His goodness to crawling and toddling and walking) is one of constant growth and maturation. As long as we live, there is much to learn, to delight in. The promise is that this new life in Jesus, though one of regular, daily repentance, is also one of delight and wonder and discovery.

God, Source of All Power, I confess to You specifically my specific sins and admit to You generally my general sins. Generally I am lax in my attitude towards fighting those addictive patterns and life-controlling issues. Specifically, I admit to these sins (here, you can name them). Help me to hate them more and more. By Your Spirit’s power within me, assist me on the journey to complete freedom from the strangle-hold of sin. Blessed Jesus, thank You that by Your substitutionary death on the cross and Your resurrection, You have turned aside God’s anger and have given me peace with God. Help me so that daily I will deny myself, resisting all the sinful allurements that will parade themselves before me. Teach me, Spirit of God, to walk more confidently and steadily towards Jesus, in Whom is all freedom and fullness of life. Amen.

https://youtu.be/4dh02OnJpIE?si=Hv6EhU_sK454XmLT “Trust and Obey”

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October 16, 2024 -- Luke 9:57-62 -- Joyfully Following Jesus

As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 58 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” 59 To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” 60 And Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” 61 Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” 62 Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”
Luke 9:57-62 ESV

Jesus was a peripatetic teacher. Okay, I love that word peripatetic. It means He was an itinerant preacher going from place to place. It was common in Jesus’s day for a philosopher, or great teacher, or preacher, to have disciples leave their families and homes and go with the itinerant master in order to get instructed. This passage shows the reader there was great interest in following Jesus, however, the follow-through was not great. If someone is going to follow Jesus, becoming His disciple, then Jesus becomes the Master and all other worldly concerns must be submitted to His authority.

Have you ever heard of William Whiting Borden (November 1, 1887 - April 9, 1913? He was part of the Borden family that became rich building the Borden milk empire. In 1905 Borden went to Yale. His classmates noted something different about him. He was focused in his spiritual walk. In his journal was an entry that read, “Say ‘no’ to self and ‘yes’ to Jesus every time”. At the start of his first year at Yale, he started a prayer meeting. By the end of his first year about 150 students were meeting regularly for prayer. At the end of his senior year it is said that 1,000 students met regularly for prayer. At that time Yale had 1300 students!

William felt the call to become a missionary. His friends were not supportive. His parents wanted him to go to Yale. He attended Yale, but wrote on the inside cover of his Bible: no reserves. Despite the negative influences he received, he kept his goal of following Jesus. When he graduated Yale, he was pressured to go into the family business. He didn’t. He went to Princeton Seminary. Even though his family objected and preferred he take his place in the family business. He wrote on the inside cover of his Bible “no retreat”.

After graduating Princeton, Borden determined to go to Egypt. He felt led to learn Arabic so that he could teach Chinese Muslims the way to Jesus. One month after starting his studies, he contracted spinal meningitis and died. Many people thought what a waste. He could have accomplished so much at home. However, on the inside cover of his Bible he’d written “no regrets”. What profound and beautiful dedication to Jesus he showed, “no reserves, no retreat, no regrets”. Though his earthly goals may not have been met, his greater goal of saying “yes” to Jesus every time was fulfilled.

To what is Jesus calling you? Where are you providing excuses? Where are you yielding to Him?

Lord Jesus Christ, I confess there are so many distractions pulling me away from whole-hearted allegiance to You and I make many lame excuses which always lead me into trouble of my own making. Spirit, great Gift of the Father and the Son, by Your mighty presence in me, and with Your divine help enable me to constantly submit my own will to Yours, thus empower me to cheerfully follow Jesus with no reserves, no retreat, and no regrets. Amen

https://youtu.be/e8MU9UVd8Yc?si=dlkhMDIJ8UJhqpY9 What God Ordains Is Always Right

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

October 15, 2024 -- John 3:1-3 -- As those born again, we are lifted from stumbling

Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
John 3:1-3 ESV

As those who both know the power of sin and the stronghold that life controlling issues have in our lives, we know God alone has the power to change us. His Spirit supplies the day to day (sometimes minute to minute) will and strength we must have so that we can stand firm against former sins and stay on this journey to Jesus. Nicodemus, one of the religious leaders, steeped in the Old Testament, ought to have known the power of God to give new life. But when Jesus spoke to him of it, the man could not understand it. That is because it is spiritually discerned.

To be born again, or born from above, means that the old nature of sin and the patterns of wickedness are defeated. Rather than trying to rule one’s own life, acknowledging our helplessness and past failure, we turn to Jesus. The Father has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus. Now the battle begins. One of my former pastors used to say, “My old, sinful self was drowned in my baptism but he is a strong swimmer and keeps popping up”. How true. Old sins, thoughts, desires will suddenly appear. The Devil is trying to woo you back with old stinking thinking. Those who are “born again” or “born from above” know these facts.

• We can bring these thoughts and temptations to Jesus, where they will be taken captive and defeated by Jesus Himself (II Corinthians 10:5-6).

• Those who confess Jesus as Lord are not left defenseless. God supplies them with heavy armour to fight the wiles and schemes of the Devil (Ephesians 6:10-20).

• When we fail in our struggles and fail into sin, God has provided the way forward in this journey. It is confession that brings us back to the cleansing work of Jesus (I John 1:7-10).

Find people in your life with whom you can be honest, open, and raw. The fight against the Devil and his allurements, is not easy. It will require all your focus, deliberate attention and even that is not enough. You must find fellow Christians to confess to when you fall. The Proverbs tell us “for the righteousness falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked stumble in times of calamity” (Proverbs 24:16). Note, it is significant that the disciples asked Jesus, do I forgive my brother seven times (as often as a righteous man stumbles)? Jesus is generous beyond human understanding, He forgives and calls on His people to forgive seventy-times-seven. But this is not mere record keeping, as if there is a limit to the goodness of our God! Remember, as often as you forgive your brother or sister, you are clearing the slate, our God Who is love, is not keeping a record of wrongs!

Turn to brothers and sisters who also know the battle against sin and will help you to stand again. Pray. Trust the promises of God that you are born again, born from above, therefore all you need for this new life in Christ will be supplied.

Father in heaven, Who is like You? You are great in compassion, slow to anger, abounding in mercy! Teach us to trust that You Who cause Your people to be born again through the reconciling work of Jesus will also supply to Your children with everything necessary to live for you and to find victory in this journey. Thank You for the powerful presence of Your Holy Spirit in us and among us--the Spirit, Who steadies stumbling feet and lifts those who thrown down so that they can stand once again in vivifying work of Jesus. Amen.

https://youtu.be/S6Odk49ZvD4?si=y6GYXkbXu3bnOI-4 Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah

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October 14, 2024 -- Philippians 4:2-9 -- Thanksgiving

I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord. 3 Yes, I ask you also, true companion, help these women, who have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.
4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness[d] be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9 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 4:2-9 ESV

It is so easy to miss the opportunity to give thanks to God. It is a sign of the relentless busyness of the culture that stopping for one day in the week, the day of rest, is virtually unheard of anymore. Now, a day set apart by the government so that believers (and unbelievers as well) learn to give thanks, this day must be seized upon so that gratitude flows from the lips of believers as a fragrant offering to God.

It is so easy to miss the opportunity to give thanks to God because of the petty grievances and misunderstandings that linger among the people of a congregation, as they did among the Philippians.

If perhaps you are struggling to find reasons to give thanks to God, look at your life and relationships. Are you at peace with God and the people whom He has placed in your life? Are you reconciled and prepared to be reconciled in every case of offense? Unresolved relational conflicts will keep believers from offering to God the whole-hearted praise due His glorious Name.

Do you spend time through-out your day meditating on God and blessing Him for all His goodness to you? Whenever you go through your devotions, write out the attributes of God. Consider the list of them, the length of them and His perfections. Doing so will lift you from focusing on the problems of life and instead lead you to Him Who gives you new life.

A passage such as this one from Philippians teaches believers to consider one another as precious in the sight of God. Fellow believers redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus Christ and who are so worthy of consideration and mild approach that together the body of Jesus is built up.

Give thanks and praise to God for those in your life who are agents of reconciliation.

Give praise and thanks to God for those whom He has put in the congregation where you attend and placed within the family of God.

Give thanks to God for the riches of this glorious salvation, which assures believers their names are written in the Lamb's book of life. Give thanks to God for personally. Think of all the benefits and rich blessings He has poured out into your life, given to our country, and let thanksgiving fill this day.

ALMIGHTY GOD and heavenly Father, we glorify You that we are once more permitted to enjoy the fulfilment of Your gracious promise, that, while the earth remains, seed-time and harvest shall not fail. Blessed are You, Who has given us to fruits of the earth in their season. Teach us to remember that it is not by bread alone that man lives; but that we may feed on Him Who is the True Bread which comes down from heaven, even Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour; to Whom with You, O Father, and You, O Holy Spirit, be honour and glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

Thanksgiving for the Harvest. DIVINE SERVICE BOOK FOR THE ARMED FORCES, 1950

https://youtu.be/9c7VaTjyuLA?si=zwkYzraW85V5VtT2 Now Thank We All Our God

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October 12, 2024 -- Ezekiel 22:29-31 -- Jesus is the Man Standing in the Breach

29 The people of the land have practiced extortion and committed robbery. They have oppressed the poor and needy, and have extorted from the sojourner without justice. 30 And I sought for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the breach before me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found none. 31 Therefore I have poured out my indignation upon them. I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath. I have returned their way upon their heads, declares the LORD GOD.”
Ezekiel 22:29-31 ESV

The Bible was written for the people of God to hear the commands and decisions of the LORD of Heaven and Earth. Notice the extensive list of sins named in the passage today. In other places the prophets also add the fact that children disobey parents. Infants are sacrificed on altars. You may think smugly, we don’t do such barbaric things today. Sure it happens in this land—it is abortion. Abortion is child sacrifice. Add to the list those who are addicted. Those who have yielded their lives to controlling patterns of sin. Addictions enslaved to their addictions, when they have a moment of clarity, are aware of the devastation of their sinful, selfish ways.

What is the response of the LORD? He searches out for a man to stand in the breach—that is, someone to speak so powerfully that His people will listen. He seeks a prophet who can change the hearts of his hearers. He seeks a priest. One who receives the people convicted by the teaching of the prophet and offers a sacrifice for their sin. That is standing in the breach. For the breach is the unleashing of the wrath of God against sin and lawlessness and corruption. Finally, after the sacrifice is made, one who stands up and leads so  kindly, in strength, that frail men and women will be both protected from all enemies and led in righteousness—that is, led by the king who knows and serves God.

Dear fellow believer, this cry of the prophet Ezekiel was answered by the word of Jesus Christ. He proclaimed the sin of the people—until the people knew their need for a rescuer, they would continue to wallow in their wickedness. He came as the final, true prophet.

Jesus is the final High Priest. He laid down His life for His people so that their sins would be fully and finally atoned for and the wrath of God against sin averted.

Jesus is the final, perfect King. By His death He defeated the claims of Satan. Satan used to remind people of their sins and rebellion against God and so keep people from hoping that God ever could love them. At the cross all of Satan’s accusations were answered by the blood of Jesus so that no single wrong-doing, sin, or shred of guilt remained to be used by Satan as a leash leading people back into submission. No, every violation of God's law and all His perfect demands were met in Jesus's work on the cross. Those who believe in Him are forgiven. Now Jesus leads His people in the path of victory over their own former sinful ways. He leads in victory so that the pressures of the worldly people demanding that you conform to their ways are shown to be vile and ruinous. Jesus leads in victory over the innermost thoughts. Insecurity and fears so perfectly that they are thrown down  and defeated. Jesus declares: “Look to Me and live. Follow Me and I will lead you to the Father”.

Those who hear the testimony of Jesus and follow Him as prophet, priest and king find they now walk in newness of life. Jesus said to a religious leader of His day “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God” (John 3:3 ESV). This new birth, or being born from above, means that the work of Jesus to stand in the breach between God and believer is so powerful, so reconciling, so perfect, that the one who receives His teaching is a completely new person. New submission, not to the Devil, nor one’s own depravity, or the abominations of the world. Never! One who believes in Jesus finds in submitting to Him there is freedom. New life. New hope.

Ah, believe me, it is hard work. Once disgrace is removed, once a believer is changed in his allegiance from serving the Devil to serving God, it is a fight to keep from following the old patterns of sin. However, Jesus stands in this breach also. He leads His people into peace with God. Jesus leads His people away from the snares and quick sands of old well-worn paths of debauchery. He leads His people away from their lostness and aimless wandering around the sinkhole of death. He leads His people by His Spirit so that this new life takes hold.

LORD God thank You for sending the Man Who can stand before You in the breach. Thank You for Jesus, Who teaches, Who offered Himself, Who leads us so that we can follow You. So often the day gets away from me and mindlessly I find myself on auto pilot going back familiar wrongs and life-controlling patterns. I confess it. I need You, Living God, to be the source of all power in my life so that forgiven in Jesus and strengthened by His Spirit I can keep going on this journey to freedom. Amen.

https://youtu.be/obtMO0X5Hp4?si=ifRQ5s_vW8Gzcq0f His Mercy Is More

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

October 11, 2024 -- I Timothy 2:5-6 -- How does restoration from addiction and life controlling issues work itself out in my life?

 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.
I Timothy 2:5-6 ESV

Okay, I’ve admitted I am powerless against my sin and destructive behavior. I have confessed my belief that God is the source of all power Who can restore me. But how does this all work? What does this mean? Who is this God that I should trust Him?

Last time we considered that God (the Father) before He ever created the heavens and the earth, chose men and women in Christ to be His sons and daughters. The Being God has revealed Himself to be Father, and Son, and Holy Spirit. Three Persons in One Being. That is called Trinity. The Father prepared a way for sinful, destructive-life-style-living men and women to turn from evil and find hope in Him. Jesus Christ, His Son, is the One Mediator between God and Man.

Since Jesus is fully God He understands God’s utter hatred of any and all sin. Since Jesus is fully human, born of the virgin Mary, He understands the very human pull of temptation leading sin and the pull it has on our weak flesh. But the difference is Jesus never sinned. Ever. So Jesus is perfectly suited to stand between God and all people as the Mediator, the One Reconciler.

Wait. How did Jesus resist sin Himself when He was human? Great and important question. He was filled with the Holy Spirit. The third Person of the Being God, the Holy Spirit, filled Jesus’ humanity to all the measure of fullness (John 3:34). So all who believe on Jesus, confessing their sin, receive the Holy Spirit Who strengthens them to stand against sin and walk in the way of righteousness.

Today's text says that Jesus is the ransom for sin. That means at the cross, the Father put on Jesus the sins of all. Jesus was punished in the place of guilty, ruined sinners, so that His perfect righteousness (His keeping of God’s law perfectly in all His life from conception to death) is now credited to all who believe on Him and follow Him in faithfulness.

But what if I keep sinning after I confess my belief that God is the source of all power and He alone can restore me in my journey to freedom? You will keep on sinning. However, the change is you have a mediator, Jesus, Whose reconciling sacrifice continually makes you right with God. You have the Holy Spirit Who lives in you so that sin becomes hateful, more truly vile to you, and you want to turn from it. The Holy Spirit cleanses you more and more so that following Jesus becomes more desirable than going back to the vomitous ways of your past habits.

What is more, God Himself gives you a place in His family, as an adopted son or daughter. This is the good news that helps believers stay on course. When a fellow believer sees you straying, he will help you back on track. When you see a believer straying, you help him back to Jesus. This accountability strengthens the commitment of all to hold each other up in prayer. Believers in community with God and walking together guard each other from the Devil’s sly schemes and his treacherous tricks which are designed to get you back into your old addictions and submission to life-controlling issues. The Word of God is your daily help, showing you how the Devil is defeated already, disarmed by the cross of Jesus, and there is victory now in this life and peace in the life to come, eternal life, where the Devil and temptations are never to be seen or heard of again.

How does this work? Ask Jesus to be the One Mediator between you and God. Seek Christians who can help you walk with God. Get a Bible. Read it. Ask the Spirit of God to help you. You will find you doubt. You will question whether God can really love you. He can. He does. You will slip and slide at first—like an infant moving from crawling to attempting to walk, you will find you will knock against things, fall. Don’t worry. God delights to save all who call on His Name. You will find He even gives you opportunities to teach others about this newfound freedom and blessing. Doon you will be walking far more steadily, following Jesus.

God, I need help. As someone new to this faith-thing, lead me to Jesus.

God, I need help. As someone who has been walking with Jesus for a long time, there are so many battles still to be fought, in my head, in my heart and in my hidden motives.

The Bible promises that all who put their faith in Jesus, You, O Father, give the right to be Your sons and daughters. That is amazing. Do what You do best, continually bring us out of the darkness of our past and into the Light and Life of Jesus. Keep me tuned into You, so I will be ready to help anyone who is struggling trying to walk with You. Amen.

https://youtu.be/q-dWxto9-XQ?si=TNz2lSAnnxVU28_i I Set My Hope On Jesus

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

October 10, 2024 -- Matthew 11:27-30 -- Who is God and How can He Help?

All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. 28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Matthew 11:27-30 ESV

Once I have admitted I am powerless over my addiction, then the obvious question becomes: "Well, then, to whom will I yield control of my life"? The second step requires the one seeking healing to confess “I admit my belief that God, the source of all power, restores me on my journey to freedom from addictions and life-controlling issues (Overcomers, page 22). The despotism of my addiction was brutal. My life was ravaged by my sins. When I was in control (though I was dominated by evil controlling my life through my own selfish desires) I was in constant exhaustion and terror. If I’m honest, I’m wondering this about You; aren’t You a hard task-Master? Am I going from one tyrant to another?

Look at the passage. Jesus is the Father’s representative, His ambassador, the One Who perfectly reveals the Father. It is the will of the Father that those who have been crushed under the weight of addiction, heart-break, and hopelessness find true freedom. God has become one of us through Jesus Christ. He describes Himself as gentle and lowly in heart—that is meek. Jesus Christ is God made flesh, utterly approachable, welcoming and the One Who gives rest for the tormented soul. As a flesh and blood man, He knows the power of temptation and the relentless onslaught of the Devil’s invitation. Yet He stood against it all. He welcomes you to His victory. What a glorious picture this is.

The expression “My yoke is easy and My burden is light” is drawn from farm life. Usually two oxen are put together to plough a field. There is a large wooden bar that joins them so that their power is matched and their steps are in sync. The point Jesus is making is that when you are joined to Him, He does all the heavy lifting. Consider  how He does so:

• the stronghold of addiction is broken;

• the ability to keep you in step on the path of life and holiness is on Him;

• the burden of paying for all your sins is carried by Him—He did it at the cross;

• the gift of His Spirit is given so that life which was cursed and stumbling from one excess to another without relief or help is now halted and all that is needed for life is given to you by the Spirit’s power;

• Jesus continually carries the load so that to resist temptation and stop ourselves from the going down the rabbit trails where we used to veer off course back into our wild bankrupt ways all of these are halted by being yoked to Jesus;

• through Jesus, you realize the indescribable power of the Father in heaven, which has been focused into your life by Jesus’s presence so that you will be restored to freedom.

Perhaps you’ve noticed previous attempts you’ve made at getting better. You’d last a day or a week, perhaps a few weeks and then feeling good, you think, “I’ve got this”. I can try just one pill, or one shot, or just one of (and here name your life-controlling addiction). You don’t got this. To be yoked to Jesus is to be powerfully restrained in love from you self-destructive ways.

Previously getting better meant you had to face terrors that you’d long been hiding from. Things from your past. Yoked to Jesus, you have One Who is infinitely powerful. He Who heals you and bring healing to every area of brokenness and is fully able to retore what had been ruined by your life-controlling issues.

As you discover God the Father’s character through the very approachable Person of Jesus, you will find healing. Restoration. Freedom. Hope. Get to know God. Read the Bible. Speak with Christian friends whose walk with God you admire so that you can grow in Him. Attend church and listen to the preacher so that you will know more about Who God is and through Him find restoration beyond all your former, feeble expectations.

The more you lean into Jesus, the greater you’ll find His gentleness and patience expressed toward you. He will never fail you.

God, aren’t You tired, worn out by the number of times I’ve asked for help? I have been told that the Bible says You make the sun to rise. Day after day, month after month, year after year, decade after decade, century after century, if You do this and are never bored, never tired of it, and have the limitless capacity to enjoy this, then surely You have the infinite capacity to hear me as often as I call to You. You have the power and the patience to answer me. Help me to entrust myself and all my troubles to You, again, or maybe for the 1,000th time. I admit to You my addiction and my brokenness. Please, restore me. Thank You for Jesus, Who kindly, patiently, on Your behalf, invites people to find healing. Spirit help me to trust Jesus.. Amen.

https://youtu.be/VwKPMqxmvGc?si=q6ENFaM8P3gHn80e “Out of the Depths”

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

October 8, 2024 -- Proverbs 8:1 -- Understanding and Wisdom: they are calling out to you today.

Does not wisdom call?
Does not understanding raise her voice?
Proverbs 8:1 ESV

Those are the two questions that dog your steps today. Are you going to choose the way of understanding? Will you listen to wisdom? In this text understanding is personified. She is calling you to make a choice—the blindness of the world, or the bright path of ever greater understanding of this world which was made by her Creator. And those who gain understanding grow in the awareness that it is the presence of God which sustains all things. The orderliness of the world reflects the understanding with which God endued creation.

In the Proverbs wisdom is personified as a woman who follows the commands of God. Wisdom is an instructor so that the traps of sin and the snares of evil can be discerned and avoided. Wisdom is winsome and welcomes those who are simple, confused, lost or indecisive calling all such people to find their way to the Living God. Wisdom invites sinners to leave their sins and foolish men to avoid the traps of the Devil which will ensnare the mind and capture the soul of a man.

It is striking that Jesus though despised by the very people He created and came to save was acknowledged in Luke’s Gospel as one who “grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon Him” (Luke 2:40 ESV). He was filled with understanding—He could refute all those who challenged His confidence in the LORD of Glory. He was wise. He knew when to speak and when to perform miracles that attested His message. He knew when to leave and go to a new region. He was open to God’s leading. Why is that? Because, as is recorded, more than a dozen times in Luke, Jesus went off to a lonely place to pray.

It is by His deep connection to the Father, aided by the power of the Spirit’s presence in Him, that Jesus grew in understanding. He was human. He needed the Spirit to make the Father known to Him. He knew the word of God. He stood His ground against all the lies of the world and all what was purported to be wisdom among the religious leaders, but was, in fact, falseness and idolatry.

Will you heed understanding as she raises her voice over you today? Will you pick up your Bible and ask the Spirit of God to give you the ability to see His hand, His goodness, and His sustaining work in your life? Look at the world around you and consider the stars above the mysteries of the ocean depths, and the interactions of each cell in your body and know the LORD has fit all of together and placed you on a planet that is perfectly suited so that you can know Him.

Will you listen to wisdom? She is calling you away from the patterns of sin that chain you. She is inviting you to learn of Jesus and His salvation so that you, in the spheres of influence where God has placed you, your voice will be joined to hers inviting others to know God.

Father, what we do not know, teach us;
What we have not, give us;
What we are not, kindly make us;
For Your Son’s sake. Amen.
Old Anglican Prayer

https://youtu.be/BE4DDB5whyk?si=jp-9Ic08B4vjQJn1 “Jesus Shall Reign”

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

October 6, 2024 -- Proverbs 17:5-6, 17 -- Accountability -- defeater of sin and strength of the believer

Better is open rebuke
    than hidden love.
6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend;
    profuse are the kisses of an enemy.
17 Iron sharpens iron,
    and one man sharpens another.
Proverbs 17:5-6, 17 ESV

Okay, you’ve admitted you are powerless to fight your own addiction. You realizing it is controlling your life. You’ve been fighting against it. Ignoring it. Submitted to it. Hated yourself. Tried all things imaginable. Now, having turned to God, find one of His people, a Christian whose walk you admire, and ask for help. Look for an accountability partner. 

The Canadian Bible Society has the Overcomer’s material. Day 8 offers these criteria for such an accountability person:

• Someone who is farther along the recovery journey than you are

• who is of the same gender

• is supportive of your goals

• and someone you respect

• who is a follower of Jesus (page 19, Overcomers)

Look at Proverbs. You must respect this person because he will rebuke you for wrong-doing. You will be bringing to light, confessing, things you have avoided. Now you are opening yourself up to someone who can discern the lies, the deceptions and misdirection you use in order to stay bound up in your addiction. You must respect him enough to do these things with integrity.

This friend will bear wounds from your defensiveness and fighting against his efforts to help you. These will be faithful wounds. The wounds of Jesus—against Whom all your sin is focused. Your accountability partner is willing to put up with bad behavior, angry words all the while standing firm in Jesus's truth and leading you back to Him. An enemy is someone who speaks kindly to you and allows you to wallow in the same sins.

An accountability partner is hard like iron. He will not put up with excuses. He will call you out on your sin. He knows the value of being a follower of Jesus who denies his own desires and wants and will put down temptations in order to keep his allegiance to the King of glory. He has to be like iron, because anything softer will allow you to secretly go back to sin.

Get to church. Let the Word of God convict you of your sin. Let the preaching encourage you of your need for Jesus. Allow the Spirit of God to bring you to the company of fellow Christians who with you desire to know the saving grace of Jesus which matches His omnipotence to your weakness.

Father in heaven thank You for Jesus, the chain-breaker, the reconciler between You and Your people. By the powerful presence of Your Spirit in me, break the strongholds of sin, of spiritual blindness, of self-satisfaction so that wholly open to You I will be made holy. Spirit of the Living God, lead me to the right person who will be for me a strong representative of Jesus, iron who sharpens me in His holy ways. Amen.

https://youtu.be/j4wYkS8Z3Io?si=OLFdVxuRv6bVeA_t “Truth be Told”

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