September 8, 2017 - - Psalm 34:19-22

Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
But the Lord delivers him out of them all.
He guards all his bones;
Not one of them is broken.
Evil shall slay the wicked,
And those who hate the righteous shall be condemned.
The Lord redeems the soul of His servants,
And none of those who trust in Him shall be condemned.
Psalm 34:19-22 NKJV

Life means suffering. Those who follow God and are obedient to Christ will suffer many troubles. These are purposeful. It is the transformation from death to life, it is the squeezing out of the pus of evil. The Spirit of the Living God takes hold of the Christian and works into us, rotting, stinking corpses that we once were, the breath of life. As the Spirit works in us, evil things become hateful and obedience joyful. Knowing God becomes the greatest joy.
Life means suffering. Those who follow evil will face troubles--mental, spiritual, emotional, physical. There is a pervading purposelessness, emptiness in all things when one attempts to enjoy them without God. Ultimately, one who pursues evil and thinks he is free and enjoying life will face the reality he has prepared himself, all life long, for hell.
There is no middle ground. Either one is hell-bent in all living or one has his heart held by Christ and is being redeemed by the LORD. Devotional times clearly emphasize the happiness, the great blessing, which God pours into the life of those who trust in God. Times of Bible reading and prayer bring healing to the mind and the soul, life and strength to the body in times of suffering--it is evidence of the refreshing of the Spirit.

Thank You Father for Your great deliverance in Jesus Christ. Thank You for the Spirit Who is bringing new life and breath to these once dead, dry bones. Cause the devotional times to be fixed in my day so that Your Spirit can continue to fix my heart. Give me the perseverance I need to stay true to You. Amen.

September 7, 2017 - - Psalm 30:2-3a

O LORD my God, I cried out to You,
And You healed me.
O LORD, You brought my soul up from the grave;
You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;
You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness.
Psalm 30:2-3a, 11 NKJV

There was a big moment in our household yesterday: Carolyn got a cellphone! Now, in order to reach her you need to know the exact area code and the exact sequence of the seven numbers. Of course that sounds silly to spell out. We are so used to this. One wrong number in the sequence and you'll contact someone entirely different. Your message will go off to who knows where and you'll reach who knows whom.

The glory of our text this morning is this: we cry out to God. He hears us. There is no need for a correct number sequence. There is no need to have a 2-year contract. Jesus Christ has taken away the shame of our sins and by His blood opened up the glory of heaven. The Spirit of God takes the sighs, the tears, and hopes of our heart and brings these to our Father in heaven.

Spend time with God. Read the Bible. Pray. Sing praise songs. Know that Creator of Heaven and Earth, the Victor over death and hell, and the One Who makes order out of chaos, the One, Triune God, hears you. Get to know Him better each day.

Thank You, God of mercy, that You know us, each of us, intimately. You invite us to daily conversation. As our tender Father You welcome our joys and our tears. Thank You that the way into Your presence has been opened up in Jesus Christ. Thank You that Your Spirit always keeps the line of communication open. Forgive the times we stubbornly refuse to speak. Forgive the times we get busy with ourselves and our schedules rather than acknowledge, our days and nights and the all the activities therein belong to You. You never leave us or abandon us. Blessed be Your Name. Amen.

September 6, 2017 - - II Corinthians 3:18

And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
II Corinthians 3:18 NIV

Carolyn and I have been married for 30 years. What is funny and interesting to me is how we are thinking more and more alike. Since we will be moving soon, we have let our food stores at home dwindle so that we don't have to move as much foodstuff. Well, we were very low on Tuesday, so I went to the store and picked up a few items. Carolyn as she returned home from work, thought to herself, I'll pick up a few supplies. Oddly enough, we picked up almost the exact same items. The longer we are married and live together, the more we understand and mirror one another.

So it is in our relationship with God. We contemplate, think about Who God is, we spend time with Him each day in our prayers, in our Bible readings and in conversation with other Christians, the Spirit uses all of this so that we become more and more like Jesus. The Spirit is transforming our hearts, our minds and our words. It is a glorious process in us and reveals the glory and the kindness of God.

Like a magnet, attract me to Your Word. Like a sponge let me soak it all in. Like a sprinkler in a dry and weary land where there is no water, let me share the Good News of Jesus. In all of this, Spirit of God, help me to become more like Jesus, to the honour and praise of God the Father. Amen.

September 2, 2017 - - Pray without ceasing

Rejoice always.

Pray without ceasing.

I Thessalonians 5:16-17 NKJV

There is a portion of a hymn that keeps scrolling through my heart and mind: "teach me the patience of unanswered prayer." The glory of our devotional times is not to put a checkmark beside our "to do list" and mark the time done. The goal is to know God better. The desire is to understand the greatness of Christ's sacrifice for us and His right to command obedience. The goal is for the Spirit to conquer sin within us and help us to overcome in Jesus' Name. Our formal times spent with God in Bible reading and prayer are supplemented throughout the day by the times the Spirit reminds us to pray, or give thanks, or shows us the glory of our salvation and our hearts rejoice in Him.

Spirit of God, Who dwells within my heart

Teach me to feel that you are always nigh;

teach me the struggles of the soul to bear,

to check the rising doubt, the rebel sigh;

teach me the patience of unceasing prayer.

Hymn "Spirit of God, Descend Upon My Heart"

Author: George Croly, 1854

Public Domain

September 1, 2017 Word Alive Press

http://wordalivepress.ca/blogs/459

Check this out! I am the spotlight author at Word Alive Press. That is so cool.

August 1, 2017 - - Revelation 1:5-6

To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a
kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and
ever. Amen.
Revelation 1:5c-6 ESV

Jesus, the Lamb of God, Who by His crucifixion on the cross bore God's just punishment against our sins, is the One Who loves us and freed us from our sins. Jesus rose from the dead and is seated at the Father's right hand. He is our High Priest--He is praying for us before the Father in heaven.

Those who believe in Jesus and follow Him are priests. As Jesus' priests we renounce sin. As priests, who are such in the power of the Holy Spirit, we offer the parts of our body as instruments of righteousness. As priests in Jesus' Name
we pray for those around us. We pray for those caught in sin that they may be set free. We pray for those who do not know Jesus that they will taken from darkness to light. As priests who know Jesus we bring praise to the Father in heaven. He has chosen us for Himself before the world was created. The Father
loves us and in Jesus has given us every good gift, so our hearts and words and lives bring praise to the Father.

And note well that Jesus, by His resurrection, is gathering a kingdom. The
Spirit is given to believers so that in Jesus' Name we have the moral authority
to judge the world. The followers of Jesus are set free to follow Him, to live
according to the boundary lines set down in Scripture. The world follows Satan,
the Father of lies. The world cannot be neutral or benign. Jesus our King is
restraining the full effects of humanity's sinful rebellion until the full
number of the saints is brought into His Kingdom. Speak the truth about sin and
its consequences. Do not fear what the world can do, our King is reigning and
praying for us and wields the sword of justice which is gaining the victory. The
Day of Judgment will reveal Jesus' complete victory. Glory be to the Father,
Glory be to the Son and Glory be to the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Spirit of Truth grant believers to have the eyes of faith so that the victory of
Jesus Christ will be clear to us. Jesus forgive the times we have been
half-hearted soldiers and wavering witnesses. Spirit of Power renew in us the
courage necessary to follow Jesus in all things. Spirit, Who convicts men of
sin, make us bold as witnesses for Jesus so that we will speak to those around
us who are wallowing in the latrine of this world's rottenness and sin. Father
in heaven, thank You that You have revealed glimpses of You glory through the
Bible and shown the radiance of Your glory in Jesus the Savior. Triune God,
preserve Your kingdom of priests in these tumultuous times until the Day when
Your glory will be fully revealed. Amen.

July 31 - Zeal

Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, in your hearts honor Christ Jesus the Lord as holy...
I Peter 3:13-15a ESV

Zeal is a great descriptive word. You can imagine someone who loves soccer committing time and energy to improving his skills. Even in the hottest weather or in rain he is not deterred from his practice nor his game.

Such is our zeal for Christ: He is our prize; He is our lasting and great reward. Though others might mock us for our dedication to Him and ridicule us for our willingness to forego sins and the things of the world in order to stay true to Him, we are blessed.

Spirit of God, increase my knowledge of Christ and deepen my intimacy with Him. Forgive my sins. Strip from me whatever would disqualify me from prizing Christ above all. Lead me to many who need to know the Savior's greatness and from my heart's overflow of blessing and zeal enable to speak. Amen.

July 30

While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me.
John 17:12a ESV

This is Jesus' prayer which He prayed in the time leading up to His betrayal and crucifixion. He already knew Judas Iscariot was leading a band of soldiers towards Him. Jesus knew that His disciples would scatter and abandon Him. Jesus knew Peter would deny Him three times. Why does this matter? Jesus knew the full extent of the sins of His followers. It is not a surprise to Him. It matters because Jesus kept the eleven remaining disciples in the Father's Name at the cost of His Own life. Their sin, and the punishment their sin deserved, would be covered by the cross. Nor is Jesus surprised by our sins. He knew the fullest extent of the blackness of our heart and thoughts and actions. Jesus stood in our place and received the punishment our sins deserved.

Jesus' death and resurrection means that those who believe in Him are guarded for fullness of life--right now. Our sins are continually being defeated, not in our strength--for we don't have that kind of strength--but by the power of Jesus' Spirit poured out at Pentecost. Those who believe in Jesus have His Spirit. Those who believe in Jesus are receiving the Spirit's ascendancy so that the root causes of sin in us are thrown down and Jesus is becoming our greater joy. Jesus made known to His followers the Father's love and He will continue to make the Father's love known to us. Christ has died and conquered death, therefore He is fully able to save all who believe in Him and bring us to our Father in heaven.

We know the Father's love:
~By the Spirit of God
~through the Word of God
~through the preaching of the Word
~By Jesus' continual intercession/prayers for us
~through confession of our sins and the assurance of forgiveness
~through the love of other Christians

Ask for the Father to forgive your sins in Jesus' Name. Ask for the Spirit to reveal the impulses in your heart which are prompting particular sins and ask that these be rooted out in Jesus' Name. Ask for the courage to forgive those who have hurt you--and then forgive. Join with believers and worship God. Join with believers and encourage one another in holiness.

Thank You, Father in heaven, for the greatness of the love You have shown this world in Jesus. Thank You, Spirit of God, for showing us Jesus. Help us, Spirit of God, to confess our sins and hate them more and more. Increase our love for Jesus. Build into us a greater capacity to truly follow Jesus. Triune God as believers gather for worship, all around the globe this day, may Your praise be magnified in our hearts and in our minds. Equip us for holy service. Through Jesus bring many sons and daughters to the glorious knowledge of You, our Father in heaven. Amen.

July 29

And let us consider how to stir one another to love and good works not neglecting to meet together as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
Hebrews 10:24-25 ESV

There will come a day when all deeds will be judged. There will be a moment, when Christ returns with all His holy angels and the secret thoughts and sins of all people will be exposed. On that day those who believe in Jesus, by Whom their sins' punishment has been taken away at the cross, will be ushered into eternal life. On the Day of Judgment those who refused Jesus will then be sent to hell. It is a terrible thing to contemplate.

Tomorrow is Sunday. There is the opportunity to be stirred up in faith which is bears of the fruit of love and good works. One sign that you are faithful in Christ is the fact you attend church and encourage others in this important time. When the Bible is faithfully preached believers catch a sense of the greatness of God and His vast mercy shown in Christ.

Tomorrow I'll be preaching at 10 AM in Faith Presbyterian Church, 14 Glendale Dr., Tillsonburg. Plan on going to church and getting spiritually fit.

God our Father by Your Spirit equip Your preachers and missionaries, Your evangelists and chaplains to preach Your Word with power so that Jesus Christ is lifted high and many will be drawn to Him. Amen.

July 28

Blessed is the one who fears the LORD always,
   but whoever hardens his heart will fall into calamity.
Whoever rebukes a man will afterward find more favor
   than he who flatters with his tongue.
Proverbs 28:14,23 ESV

To fear the LORD is to know He is in charge of your life. To fear the LORD is to decide--over and over again each day (and sometimes each hour, or each minutes)--to submit yourself to His rule in all things.

When someone takes the time and effort to correct you and by such words to save you from wrong-doing you know this person fears the LORD and has your best interest in heart.

When we are engaged in doing something we know is wrong, how often don't we harden our hearts against others? It is easy to rehearse pithy responses against others to keep them from getting close enough to speak the words of rebuke you need to hear. Once we begin to harden our hearts against someone we become, as the Proverbs say, unyielding as a fortified city. We are not just hardening our hearts against others, we are denying the fear of the LORD and hardening our hearts against our own conscience, but most importantly, we are hardening ourselves against our Father.

But the way of wisdom is to yield one's heart to the searching work of the Spirit. The way of wisdom is to go the throne of Jesus Christ and pray for the heart of stone to be removed and to be given a heart of flesh that will respond to the concerns of those around us. Weigh and evaluate what someone says. Even when someone is mostly wrong in their evaluation there is a grain of truth in what is said and a bushel of compassion in braving another's person's anger in order to speak life and correction.

Father in heaven it is an awesome thing that in Christ You take sinful men and women to be your sons and daughters. It is extravagant love that moves in mercy for us, so that while we were yet sinners, Christ's death sets us free from condemnation. Holy Father and Just Judge Jesus, pour out the Spirit so that whatever areas of our hearts have become hardened will be softened and prepared for the rebukes and corrections that will lead to greater holiness. Spirit of God, when You direct us to coach another person in the fear of the LORD, grant us to be gentle but firm in showing such love. Thank You for the blessing of community which sharpens, corrects, encourages and bears each others burdens so that together we grow in maturity as the family of God. Amen.

July 27

The crucible is for silver and the furnace is for gold,
   and a man is tested by his praise.
Proverbs 27:21 ESV

Refining silver takes very high heat--the silver melts and the impurities are drawn out. Gold is refined in a furnace and purified. Interestingly praise is the refining furnace for people. If we are always hungry for the praise of people we will never be satisfied. Those who are in Christ, following Him, are refined by suffering and purified by the Word and Spirit and the only praise we seek is that of God. He has given us talents, skills and responsibilities. When at last we lay down our mortal remains and are before our Father in heaven, we long to hear: "Well done, good and faithful servant." As Oswald Chambers puts it, we offer: Our utmost for His Highest. It is the pathway of self-denial and obedience to our King which is the crucible for believers and we endure knowing the Spirit will conform us to Christ and bring us to our Father in heaven.

Father in heaven, thank You for the work of Christ. Thank You that in His Name we are set free from the punishment of sin. Thank You, Father in heaven, for the Spirit given to believers so that we serve with our eyes fixed on the throne of Jesus Christ. In our lives, Lord, be glorified.
Amen.

July 26

The word of the LORD came to me, "Son of man, behold, I am about to take the delight of your eyes away from you at a stroke; yet you shall not mourn or weep, nor shall your tears run down.
Ezekiel 24:15 ESV

Ezekiel was a prophet. The LORD warned him that his wife would die suddenly, as a warning to Israel that the temple, which was the light of Israel's eyes, would suddenly be taken and profaned. It is such a hard prophecy and difficult to understand.

First, Ezekiel's wife would be with the LORD. The glory of eternity cannot compare with the world. 
Second, Ezekiel, as a prophet knew that all he had--calling, family, home, every single thing and person and possession--belonged to the LORD. Ezekiel held it in trust from God.
Third, this lesson is for us, when we mourn the loss of someone, it is deeply painful, but for believers in Christ there is profound hope. The Spirit of God seals our faith and guards us in Christ until faith becomes sight. Finally, all suffering is used by God our Father--to refine us, correct us, discipline us and so on. Christ Himself was made perfect through suffering. God is not imposing on us something He Himself has not endured. Christ suffered more intensely than any other human. Suffering by the Hand of God is painful but necessary for the Christian so that we let go of our sin and rebellion and learn to cling to Him alone.

God my Father, when I suffer, let the Spirit guide me in the Word, in prayer, and in hope that clings ever more tightly to Christ. When I do not have the strength to hold on to You, thank You for the words of Christ--none shall snatch the believer from My Father's Hand. Sustain those around me who are suffering. 
May we, in true community rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep.
Amen.

July 25

If you have found honey, eat only enough for you,
   lest you have your fill of it and vomit it.
Proverbs 25:16 ESV

A few days ago I was listening to a talk given by Ravi Zacharias:  "The Problem of Pleasure." Zacharias noted we have a theology of evil, of good, of so many things, but we the Church seems to be silent on pleasure. Crediting F.W. Boreham, Zacharias noted three principles of pleasure that must be observed. I found them incredibly helpful and clear.
1. Pleasure must not distract from our life's goal. We belong to Christ and if our pleasure distracts our attention from Him, it is for us sin.
2. Pleasure indulged in excess quickly becomes sickening. Look at the text from Proverbs. How easily we have too much of food, or too much alcohol, too many items of clothing, too much time on our hands so that we don't know what to do, or too much sweetness which becomes cloying to us and can turn the stomach.
3. Pleasure must not detract from the sanctity of others. If my pleasure violates or harms another, it is sin..

As I reflected on these I realize true pleasure, therefore is found in Christ. He is our goal, He is our focus. True pleasure is found in training in wisdom, knowledge and righteousness--this is the work of the Spirit, restoring in us the image of God. As an athlete will count calories and carefully weigh out sweets so we too in our marathon of life enjoy pleasures in their place and right quantities. Finally, our personal pleasures must honour the family and community in which God has placed us. We strive to honour life, for people bear the image of our Maker and therefore are worthy of respect.

You, O God, have caused the boundary lines to fall for me in pleasant places. In every part of my life may Christ be the goal and highest joy and His Spirit direct my steps so that I contribute to the blessing of true community. May the joy of the LORD be my strength and the salvation of God my song and may this anthem of praise encourage others to join in the growing chorus of praise. In my life, LORD--Father, Son and Holy Spirit--be glorified. Amen.

July 23

Cursed is he who does the work of the LORD with slackness, and cursed is he who keeps back his sword from bloodshed.
Jeremiah 48:10 ESV

Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the Living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called "today," that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.
Hebrews 3:12-13 ESV

We are dedicated to our work--well, because we are paid. We are dedicated to our hobbies, because they are fun. We are dedicated to family functions (for some us it is so only because our spouses make us). But are we dedicated to the LORD? This curse, recorded in Jeremiah, staggered me when I read it a few days ago. All too easily we give to the LORD little dribs and drabs and left-overs of our time and attention and heart.

He, the LORD, is worthy of all our heart, soul, mind and strength. Hearing the Word preached is a means of grace. Gathering with believers who are passionate sharpens us and keeps us from slackness.

The devil is ever trying to harden us against the blessings poured out on us in Christ. The devil is trying to distract believers so that we do not serve with passionate commitment.

Today, get to church. Today phone a friend and say: "Let's get back to the church." Today recognize God's Spirit is touching you and stirring you to renewed zeal. Today throw off laziness and procrastination and know this--the LORD, the LORD He is our strength and our Song!

As Your people gather today--in house churches or magnificent stone structures, in secret where there is persecution or in groups large and small where there is still freedom to worship--revive our faith and reinvigorate our resolve to serve you with our whole heart, soul, mind and strength. Let Christ be lifted up so that whoever believes in Him may have eternal life. Let the Spirit cleanse the trash from our hearts and minds so that our service to You, Triune God, may be limitless. Amen.

July 22

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set out before us, looking to Jesus the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising its shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:1-3 ESV

It is one of those days when I get up and before my feet even hit the floor I am already counting the minutes until I can go back to bed. The weight which clings is depression. One gift God has given as a tool to fight depression is running. The first steps of the first kilometer are killer. I just want to go back to my room and back to bed. Every joint and ligament complains and my brain is urging me to quit. But then the breathing evens out. The pace improves. The legs find their stride.

Walking with Christ and enduring with Him requires every ounce of effort. We belong to Him. We are rescued by Jesus' blood. Our energy is focused on staying true to Him and fighting off all the temptations of the enemy. The devil does not play fair, he is, after all, the father of lies and when he lies he speaks in his native language. He promises what he cannot and will not ever deliver.

Therefore, the struggle to hold onto faith is the most important contest of our lives. Do not give up hope. This is what I am preaching to my own heart. It is around 11 AM here, so in 9 or 10 hours I can go to bed. The weight has not left my chest nor lifted from my head. But He has sustained me this far. He will give what is needed moment by moment through the day.

Thank You God for the great cloud of witnesses--fellow believers who in Your great wisdom are praying when praying is too hard for me. Thank You Jesus that You are the founder and perfecter of faith--even my now staggering faith is not beyond Your help. Amen.

July 21

They angered him at the waters of Meribah,
   and it went ill with Moses on their account,
for they made his spirit bitter,
   and he spoke rashly with his lips.
Psalm 106:32-33 ESV

Moses was the man whom the LORD had appointed to lead His people out of Egypt. He prayed persistently for this people. Whenever they grumbled, he prayed. Whenever they longed for food in Egypt (forgetting their slavery) he prayed. When they set up an idol and worshiped it, he got angry and he prayed. The people grumbled for water and Moses was instructed to speak to the rock in order that it would bring forth water. He struck it. I wondered the significance of this. I have read Psalm 106 many times, but yesterday, for the first time, I realized Moses' sin. His heart had become bitter and it was reflected in his words and his actions. The LORD forgave Moses, but as a consequence, Moses was not permitted to go into the Promised Land.

At the cross of Jesus Christ, all our sins, all the sins of all the people in the world are covered by the blood of Christ. Bitterness is to reach into that blood covering and claim back the deadly prize of anger nurtured in the heart. Bitterness is a vile vine that yields a fruit which continually poisons the mind and heart. If a man, righteous and godly as Moses wrestled with bitterness, how much more ought we to seek to purge it from our souls and hearts and thoughts? We are not entitled to bitterness. We are not entitled to hold on to this or that wrong which we think someone else had done against us. We are to yield our all to the cleansing flood of Jesus' blood.

Spirit of God, thank You that You are the Lamp lighting up every part of my heart so that I can clearly see where the cancer of bitterness is gnawing at my heart and mind. Thank You, Spirit of God, that You bring the healing and cleansing of Jesus' blood to every stain and all wrong-doing in the lives of those who believe. Spirit of God, thank You that in Christ I am continually being made holy and am confirmed as a child of the Father in Heaven. Move me God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit to forgive those who need forgiveness and prepare me and humble me so that I may seek forgiveness also. Through the Spirit's reconciling work accomplished by Christ among Your people, Mighty God be glorified. Your word says that a brother, or sister, offended is harder than a fortified city. Break down the walls of bitterness and set us free in Christ.
Amen.

July 20, 2017

Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men.
-I Corinthians 16:13 ESV

Well, I don't really feel like having my devotional times this morning. This passage from yesterday stands out to me, especially the phrase: "act like men".
A man might not feel like going to work, but he knows he must provide for his family, so he goes. A man might not feel like doing repairs around the house, but if he doesn't repair the shingles then his roof will leak. A man will stir himself and get going. All of us have things that we don't feel like doing, but we know are necessary, are good and will benefit others and ourselves, so we just stir ourselves and do it. 
Excuse me while I head off and get alone with God.
God, help me to delight myself in You. From all the distractions and excuses and sinful inclinations of my heart, draw me away to Yourself. Amen.