June 2, 2018 - - Luke 4:33-36 - - Jesus the Holy One

And in the synagogue there was a man who had the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice, “Ha! What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.” But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent and come out of him!” And when the demon had thrown him down in their midst, he came out of him, having done him no harm. And they were all amazed and said to one another, “What is this word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out!”
Luke 4:33-36 ESV

The demon knew Jesus as the Holy One of God. What a description. It is the holiness of God that terrifies demons. It is the holiness of God that makes the sin-filled tremble.

Perhaps one of the reasons many of us as Christians are so casual about our faith and worship practices is that we haven't come face to face with the holiness of God! Sin cannot stand in His presence. Sinners are "undone", feel as if they disintegrate, fly apart at the seams, because the Living God is so pure, so majestic, so holy.

Until we have been confronted with the holiness of God, we will not recognize the sinfulness that infests us. 
Until we recognize the sin that infests us, we will not truly understand the grace of Jesus Christ that makes us clean and shields us from the just wrath of God.
Once we have recognized the depths of God's holiness, we will realize the profound need we have of Christ and of His grace, we cannot help but humble ourselves before the Living God in wonder, worship and praise. Coffee mugs and hipster attitudes will be thrown far from us and we will, with awe and wonder, worship will mean throwing ourselves on the mercy of Jesus--He Who has the authority and power to shield us and bring us into the very presence of God.

Holy are You, LORD God Almighty! We are demented in sin and covered in hubris until Your holiness confronts us and shows us that evil does not reside "out there somewhere" but has a castle in our own hearts. King Jesus, break down every edifice of sinful resistance. Spirit of the Living God apply the finished work of Jesus to our hearts and minds, to our words and actions so that we will be a people of humble praise and fervent service witnessing to this world of the only hope of rescue: Jesus. Amen.

May 31, 2018 - - Isaiah 25:6-8 When Death is Swallowed UP

On this mountain the LORD of hosts will make for all peoples
a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine
of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined.
And he will swallow up on this mountain
the covering that is cast over all peoples,
the veil that is spread over all nations.
He will swallow up death forever;
and the LORD God will wipe away tears from all faces,
and the reproach of his people he
will take away from all the earth
for the LORD has spoken.

Isaiah 25:6-8 ESV

The Day of the LORD will be a terror for those who hate Him and are rebellious against the LORD. All the earth will be judged.

For those whom the LORD loves, His chosen ones, He will spread a feast. Death will be defeated. Our ancient enemy, the veil of death which was God curse upon sin, will be lifted.

As a follower of Jesus Christ I know that death does not have the final victory. As a follower of Jesus Christ I long for the day when Jesus Christ will return with all His holy ones and great feast will begin--death thrown down and Jesus' feast of victory celebrated.

God of Victory and Feasting, we confess it is all too easy to focus on all that is wrong and unjust. Tender Father Who will wipe every tear from our eyes, by the power of Your Holy Spirit fill our thoughts with this glorious vision of Isaiah. Hold before our hearts and minds the fact that Jesus Christ has conquered sin and death. We commit to living for You, Jesus, without fearing the sneering of others or the persecution that will follow. In our lives, in our words and in our actions, be glorified Tender Father, Jesus the Victor, Spirit of Truth. Amen.

May 29, 2018 - - Hebrews 12:22-24 Worship

But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.
Hebrews 12:22-24 NKJV

When we gather for worship--in our homes with our families, in prayer times with others, in the sanctuaries of our churches--we are surrounded by the saints of God.

R.C. Sproul recalled a time he spoke to a gathering of 30 people who were in a church hall that could accommodate 800 - 1000 people. To the 30 people gathered there he said:
     I am always frightened when I speak and intimidated and particularly when speaking to an audience this large. And they laughed. Then I took them to Hebrews and I reminded them that they when we assemble together for corporate worship, like now, we are in House of the Lord. The author of Hebrews tells us we are not assembling at the feet of a mountain that can be touched by human hands, but in the mystical communion of the saints. We are transported, as it were, into the heavenlies so that every time we come together in solemn assembly as Christians in corporate worship we are joined by the saints of the past, the spirits of just men that have been made perfect; that we enter into the Holy Place where Christ is and where the angels are. And that happens every time the people of God assemble for worship. Do you see your great-great-grandmother? Jesus? Martin Luther? See God? No. No. No. But they are there. 
Suppose you came to church and the veil was lifted, like for Israel. You see worship in heaven. Would it be any different than how you normally worship God?
If you saw Christ, high, and lifted up and saw elders and angels singing, "Worthy is the Lamb" and you are invited to participate. What would your worship be like?
One glimpse would transform our worship forever.
We'd understand why it is we are worshipping.
Americans are the most informal people on the face of the earth. When we are entering into the Presence of the Living God we are like Babe Ruth who when he entered into Buckingham Palace said, "Hi King!"

Blessed be the LORD, my rock,
who trains my hands for war,
and my fingers for battle;
He is my steadfast love and my fortress,
my stronghold and my deliverer,
my shield and he in whom I take refuge,
who subdues people under me.
O LORD, what is man that you regard him,
or the son of may that you think of him? 
Blessed are the people whose God is the LORD!
Prayer is Psalm 144:1-3, 15, ESV

May 28, 2018 - - Ephesians 2:10a Under Construction

For we are His workmanship... Ephesians 2:10a ESV

As I was out running this morning saw this sign: Construction. The road is torn up. The sidewalks are gone. Only the folks on the job site could possibly know what needs to be done. Realized it is that way with my life. To look at it my life is all torn up. No job. No ministerial credentials. Not physically fit. Yet God has His Spirit at work in me so that my life will conform more and more to Christ. I am in turmoil and yet my soul is at peace in Him. He will complete the work according to His perfect standard.

Help me to realize, God my Father, that the snapshot of me today is not the final portrait. Give me the faith I need during this construction time as the Spirit works out all things for good in my life according to the purposes and plans You mapped out in Christ. Amen.

May 24, 2018 - - Matthew 24:12-13

And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.
Matthew 24:12-13 ESV

How do we know we are in the end times? Our brief passage offers two profoundly simple answers: 1. lawlessness increases and 2. the love of many grows cold.

It seems so evident that lawlessness is increasing in our world. Our news programs, even our games, and newsfeed are filled with violence. Basic civility seems to be absent from so many conversations. That line: "the love of many grows cold" rings so true. It is painful to read and contemplate.

Who can survive and how? The words of I Corinthians 1:6ff are so beautiful and reassuring:
          even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among
          you--so that you are not lacking in any gift as you wait for
          the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will sustain you
          to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God
          is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of
          his Son, Jesus Christ.
The same God Who leads us in the way of salvation through Jesus Christ pours out His Holy Spirit so that Christians see their sinfulness, confess their sins, and are renewed in the desire to walk in love. God is faithful and He will keep us until the end of time when all peoples of the earth will be judged.

Soften my heart, O God of faithfulness and mercy, so that I will grow in love for You and grow in love for those You have placed in my life. Forgive my waywardness and sin. Forgive me for the times I have contributed to lawlessness and lovelessness by my words, deeds, and forgive me for the times I did not speak against or act against lawlessness or lovelessness. Spirit of God, increase my capacity for obedient living unto Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of all true believing. God of Majesty, Father, thank You that You sustain and guard Your people in these end times, that You are faithful and loving. Blessed be Your Name! Amen.

May 23, 2018 - - I Thessalonians 2:1-6 Cowardly or Bold

For you yourselves know, brothers, that our coming to you was not in vain. But though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we had boldness in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much conflict. For our appeal does not spring from error or impurity or any attempt to deceive, but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts. For we never came with words of flattery, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed—God is witness. Nor did we seek glory from people, whether from you or from others, though we could have made demands as apostles of Christ.
I Thessalonians 2:1-6

Whenever and wherever we speak the Gospel, we are to be bold for Jesus. It can be very tempting to gauge the response of the audience and temper our reply according to how the Word is received.

A. N. Martin had a very good into this. The quotation that follows is specifically for preachers, but I believe all of us as Christians can benefit from what he writes.
               the apostle could say, conscious that the ministry of the
               Gospel was a stewardship as stewardship is predicated
               on the *approbation of God, as stewards responsible to
               keep in trust that which has been given to him. Not to
               alter it not to reshape it, not to refashion it and he says
               in that consciousness so we actually speak not as
               pleasing men. Now, if in our speaking there are certain
               men that are pleased, fine! But he said in speaking our
               aim is not to please men, but it is to secure the good
               pleasure of this God, Who tries our hearts, who knows
               every secret winding of every desire and motive, every
               glance at someone whose wrath you may fear and who
               causes you to hold back that sentence that you know
               would nail them to the pew. He proves your heart and He
               knows whether you’re being a good steward of the
               message given or you’re being a spiritual coward and a
               poor steward of the Living God.
              [*approbation: approval, praise]
                       ~from Lecture: "Deliverance from the Fear of Men

If you think this makes a Christian too harsh, too rigid, read on in I Thessalonians 2 where Paul describes his ministry as gentle as a nursing mother.

Father, forgive us for the times we have been cowardly in speaking the truth in love. Forgive us for the times we have blunted the Good News about Jesus in order to win the approval of others or by blunting it have tried to lessen the disapproval we anticipate receiving from the audience. We desire to declare the Gospel of God in the power of the Spirit in such a way that people will both hear the truth and see how dear they are to us.  In our lives, Lord, be glorified and by our testimony and obedient godly living gather in many people to the glory of the Kingdom of Light, the Kingdom of the Son You love, our Savior and King--Amen.

May 21, 2018 - - I Peter 5:8 Can you tame the lion of sin?

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
I Peter 5:8 NIV

While watching the T4G videos for 2018, I heard Matt Chandler give this great illustration. 
May of us treat sin as if it were a lion we have tamed. I was watching a TV show about animals that have attacked humans. There was a shampoo commercial where a woman was supposed to lie down on the back of a big male lion. You know, the kind with a huge mane. The lion attacked the woman. The trainer, in an interview afterwards, expressed surprise.
"Really man" Chandler exclaimed to his TV, "a lion is an apex predator! What were you expecting?"
Says the trainer to the camera: "I received this lion as a cub. Hand-feeding it, training it, working with it from early age."
Matt interjected "Really dude, it is a lion--all its instincts are honed to kill."
So it is with sin. Many of us toy with sin, we feed it, train it, tell it when to rest. We are shocked when it turns on us and consumes us. That is the nature of sin. We can NEVER control it. We are deluding ourselves if we let sin live.
[I'll include the link to Matt Chandler's talk.]
We read "set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct." 
I Peter 1:13-15 ESV
At the cost of Jesus' blood, we are the property of God. By the power of the Spirit we are given the great task of slaying sin and rooting out evil and living in holiness, wholly dedicated to the glory of God. There is no greater adventure.

Our lives pass quickly, O LORD, but Your Word remains forever. As the people chosen in Christ and made holy by Your Spirit, forgive us for the times we have toyed with sin or attempted merely to control or tame it by our own power. As sin wages war against our soul, help us to gain the victory in Christ Jesus, the Captain of our Salvation. May the world around us see our good deeds and glorify God~in Jesus' Name we pray. Amen.

T4G.ORG

Citizens of Heaven: In the World But Not Of - Together for the Gospel

How do we live morally without falling into moralism? Matt Chandler argues that Christians must live in …

May 18, 2018 - - John 15:16 Fruitful living

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. John 15:16 ESV

How do we know if we're driving too hard in a way that God never sanctioned? ... Take a look at these life-draining motivations and see if any resonate with you:
~External pressure without internal conviction
~The need to impress
~The need to save face
~The need to gain acceptance
~The fear of rejection
~The need to fill a gap God didn't ask you to fill
~The need to postpone conflict
~The need to compensate for shortcomings in another
area of life
So, how do we discern the difference between un-appointed busyness and God-ordained fruitfulness? Jesus taught us to look at the fruit. Pause here for a moment and look over your shoulder at the busyness of this past year. Has all of you output left you with an increased sense of expectancy and wonder?
From: "Your Sacred Yes" Susie Larson, pages 35 - 37

Father in heaven, thank You for choosing us in Jesus' Name. Thank You for giving us life in Jesus so that we can bear fruit that brings you glory. Forgive us for the times we do things, tasks and activities which You have not called us to do. By Your Holy Spirit give us the ability to wait on You before answering with a gracious "no" or a "sacred yes". Thank You for the promise that though the righteous falls seven times they will rise again in the strength of Your forgiving grace and love. Renew the strength of Your weary servants so that we will live fruitful lives wherein You establish the work of our hands for us to the praise of Your great Name! Amen.

May 17, 2018 - - Psalm 84:9 The Strong Shield

Behold our shield, O God;

look on the face of your anointed!

Psalm 84:9 ESV

When a Christian sins--and we all sin--the just anger of God falls on His anointed. The Word "anointed" is Messiah. Jesus is our Messiah. The Messiah Jesus shields us from the anger of our Holy Father by pointing to His accomplished work on the cross. We are free because He took the punishment we deserved. He is our shield.

What a glorious prayer! What a great hope: "behold--God our God--look at the One Who is shielding us: Your beloved Son, our Saviour, Jesus". As we contemplate this, our joy grows and our desire becomes this~to conform more and more to the will and way of God.

Spirit of the Living God, plow up the soil of my heart and remove the tangled weeds of sin. Dig out the long runner roots of those same weed which are often deeply buried and hidden from my understanding. Sift out the seeds of the weeds of sin. Spirit of God, in the confidence of the accomplished work of Jesus, the anointed One, help me to confess my sins. Renew in me these lush plants: serving God in the joy of my salvation along with increasing the desire to please the heavenly Father by thought, word and deed and all of this in Jesus' Name. Amen.

May 16, 2018 - - Jeremiah 1:4 & 5

Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying:

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,

and before you were born I consecrated you;

I appointed you a prophet to the nations.

Jeremiah 1:4 & 5 ESV

Yesterday I was listening to a sermon on-line and the preacher made this interesting statement: "Prophets never had an enviable office". A prophet is someone set apart by God who speaks the Word of God to the people. Their lives are dedicated to following the LORD and their obedience is a sign to the people to whom they have been commissioned to preach.

Consider these prophets.

Jeremiah-the call of the LORD was so heavy on him and his heart so compassionate for the people he prophesied to that he often lamented.

"Oh that my head were waters, and my eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night..." Jeremiah 9:1

The LORD told Ezekiel that his wife, who was described as the delight of his eyes, would die and he was not to weep or mourn for her. That night she died. Ezekiel 24:15ff

Daniel, the faithful prophet of God, prayer-warrior and trusted advisor to King Darius, was thrown into a pit filled with hungry lions. God spared him (Daniel 6:1ff) however, Daniel lived with the fact that fellow advisors and leaders hated and betrayed him.

Jonah tried to run from God. He was swallowed by a great fish. He spent three days and nights in the belly of the fish, and was vomited onto the shore of the very place he had tried to run away from. Smelling life fish vomit he went out and preached to a nation that hated his own people...and they listened to the malodorous prophet!

Following Jesus will mean we WILL experience hardships. Our lives are not our own. Yet we have a greater treasure than any earthly treasure: God Himself is our shield and very great reward. Jesus gives life full and abundant. The Spirit of God guards us for God until we see Him face to face. There is no greater adventure and no more complex wrestling and no deeper joy than belonging to God.

God our Shield and Very Great Reward--there are many times when the promises of the Bible seem to be at odds with the reality of our lives. By the standards of the world we experience heartbreak and sorrows, troubles and loss. Give us faith, so that with the prophet-apostle Paul we can say: "For me to live is Christ and to die is gain." Jesus, Merciful King, be for Your people what is promised is the Scripture: "eternal pleasure at the right hand of the Father" and our "Strength and Song". Let the light and momentary, but very complicated and real, struggles of our lives be set in contrast with the glories of eternity and pour out Your Spirit to sustain us. In our lives, LORD God, be glorified. Amen.

May 15, 2018 - - Luke 4:42-44 God's grace to the overwhelmed

And when it was day, he departed and went into a desolate place. And the people sought him and came to him, and would have kept him from leaving them, but he said to them, "I must preach the good news of the Kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose." And he was preaching in the synagogues of Judea.

Luke 4:42-44 ESV

Jesus was perfect in all His ways. He was fully obedient to His Father in heaven. He did not succumb to the pressures of the will of people and what they desired of Him. How much more do we, weak and foolish people as we are, need to learn how to say no to people and things so that we may obey God above all else.

Beware of taking on excessive responsibilities—God will give you enough strength to take on the will of God but

not enough strength to take on what everyone else thinks you should do! There is a simple little word your fallen nature learned as a child and now as an adult under the impulse of grace you need to say: “No!” To say “no” in the Holy Ghost is essential to having physical and emotional health in your later years.

From: A. N. Martin

Father in heaven, in Christ You have brought believers from death to life. We are Yours, bought at the great and precious price of Christ's suffering, death and resurrection. By the power of Your Spirit, Who instructs us in the Scripture, help us to offer our minds, bodies, will and actions as instruments for righteousness. We confess, we are often so weary, so overwhelmed by our "to do" lists and the lists of things not done. Spirit of God, move us to speak a firmly gracious "no" to the things which would hinder us from carrying out the will of God. Strengthen us for obedient joy in Jesus' precious Name. Amen.

May 14, 2018 - - Acts 4:11-12 Jesus the Only Way to God

This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.

Acts 4:11-12 ESV

In our world it is common to consider Jesus a great moral teacher. He is considered to be one among many great leaders this world has produced. He is one way to God. For those who believe the Bible, this claim doesn't stand up. Jesus is the Only Saviour, the Only way to God.

Yesterday, our guest preacher, Rev. Chad Vandixhoorn gave four crystal clear reasons to hold this biblical claim: Jesus alone is the only Saviour, the Only Way to God.

1. Remember to diminish the claims of Christ you have to deny all the Bible.

2. Remember to diminish the claims of Christ you must deny the Great Commission

   (Matthew 28:19-20).

3. Remember to diminish the claims of Christ means you yourself have no salvation.

4. Remember to diminish the claims of Christ in order to make yourself more comfortable

    before your peers means you are denying Jesus as Peter did in the courtyard.

Spirit of the Living God, lead me

     to love Jesus more dearly

     to follow Him more nearly

     and to declare His Name clearly.

Blessed be Your Name Father, Source of all Good.

Blessed be Your Name Jesus, our Salvation.

Blessed be Your Name Spirit of God, Revealer of Truth.

Amen.

May 12, 2018 - - Mark 6:31 A Strong Warning to Preachers

And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.

Mark 6:31 KJV

This is particularly for preachers and for the leaders and congregations caring for them and praying for them!

In the midst of a long, unbroken stretch of labour the same affliction may be looked for (affliction of mind and body, exhaustion) as the bow cannot always be bent without fear of breaking it, repose is as needful to the mind as sleep to the body. Our Sabbaths, the LORD’s Days are days of toil, and if we do not rest upon another day we shall break down. Even the earth must rest lie fallow and rest and have her Sabbaths and so must we. Hence the wisdom and compassion of our Lord when He said to His disciples ‘Let us go into the desert and rest awhile.’ What?! When the people are fainting? When they are like sheep up upon the mountains without a shepherd? Does Jesus talk of rest? When Scribes and Pharisees like grievous wolves are rending the flock—does He take His followers on an excursion to a great resting place? Does some red hot zealot denounce such atrocious forgetfulness of present and pressing demands? Let him rave on in his folly. The Master knows better than to exhaust His servants and to quench the Light of Israel. Rest time is not waste time. It is economy to gather fresh strength…”

from: Spurgeon "Lectures to His Students"

Perhaps the worship times in many denominations have collapsed into merely one a Sunday, down from three or two a Sunday, because preachers, ignoring the warning to rest are too exhausted and lacking the blessing of rest cannot gather the strength needed to prepare two or three excellent sermons a week. No wonder congregations rail against two services as they are munching dry straw in one sermon as it is.

May the LORD refresh His preachers.

May the LORD call His people to pray for their preachers and call them to account in terms of rest and refreshment, so that they can gather strength for the critical work of preaching.

May 2, 2018 - - Mark 6:31 Jesus' care for the whole person

And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.

Mark 6:31 KJV

What tenderness our Savior Jesus showed to His disciples. He mentored them with great care, and here we see His concern for their physical well-being. As Christians we are called to develop our whole person: mental, spiritual, physical, and emotional.

Vance Abner has this wonderful, insightful saying:

             If you don't come apart for a while

                   you will come apart.

Al Martin, typical of his dry witty style, in his lectures on the physical and emotional health and vigor of pastors (and Christians) cautions:

            Some lazy hireling may use what I have said as justification

            to become a ministerial hedonist, an ecclesiastical sluggard

            and a clerical parasite. But this is his abuse of what I have said.

King Jesus, Captain of Salvation, thank You for the biblical witness to Your care for the soldiers under Your leadership. Direct us, by Your Word and Holy Spirit, to live for You as we grow in mental, physical, emotional and spiritual health. Thank You, Father in Heaven, that You have knit us together in such a way that we can experience healing and restoration in areas where we have not been faithful in caring for ourselves. As Your faithful soldiers of the cross, Jesus, help us as believers to care for one another in every area of well-being. Amen.

May 1, 2018 - - Luke 1:76-78a The person forgiveness reveals.

And you, child,

will be called the prophet of the Most High;

for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,

to give knowledge of salvation to his people

in the forgiveness of their sins

because of the tender mercies of our God...

Luke 1:76-78a

Sometimes you can read a passage over and over again and not see something significant in it; and on another reading of it, something will strike you in a new and fresh way. That happened with me today. I have read this passage from Luke so many times. It is the song of praise of Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist. John the Baptist was the last Old Testament prophet before Jesus would make Himself known.

What would be the clear revelation of Jesus? What would prepare people to receive the Messiah, known as Jesus the Saviour? It would be in the fact that John preaches forgiveness.

It says in Proverbs 18:19

"A brother offended is more unyielding than a strong city,

and quarreling is like the bars of a castle."

We have all seen it: the folding of the arms, the tightening of the lines around the mouth, the eyebrows gathering in wrinkling wrath and a heart that becomes hard like a stone. This is what an offense does.

The Most High God has opened the only way to forgiveness. On the person of Jesus all our sins have been punished. There is no outstanding debt among believers, but the on-going debt to love. It is in forgiveness, offered and received, that the world sees Jesus Christ most clearly and beautifully.

God of Tender Mercies, I confess I have often crossed my arms and hardened my heart against offenses real and imagined. Forgive me, O God. Blessed be Your Name, Jesus, as it is in Your Name forgiveness is received and applied. Spirit of God, melt my hard-heart and open my arms in the embrace of forgiveness so that the world will see the glory of Jesus Christ to the honour and praise of our Father in Heaven! Amen.

April 30, 2018 - - I Corinthians 4:4

For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me.

I Corinthians 4:4

A defiled conscience will take away all your joy in the Word of God. There are two sins in particular which steal the joy of reading the Word and mar our relationship with God: pride, which keeps us from humble confession; secret delight in sin.

The apostle Paul, guided by the Holy Ghost, wrote these words of our text. He examined his heart and was prepared to confess anything and everything so that his walk with God would be pure and joy-filled.

God has revealed Himself in Jesus by the Spirit and the Good News of the Bible which has been made precious to you. The only reason God chose you--He Who already knew all our sins (we are often surprised by our sinfulness and what we are capable of)--He knew it all and loved us. It is not the people who think they are fine and pretty good whom God calls to Himself, it is people who are aware of the stench of their sins and the foulness of their lives, to them He gives the Saviour Who alone takes away the stain and stench of sin.

Those who have experience the wonder of God's cleansing are the very ones who can say: "I am not aware of anything against myself". Our conscience is clear before God and others because we confess our sins to God and confess our wrong-doings against those to whom we have committed them.

God, Judge of all, it is so easy to pray the Lord's Prayer and not really say it with conviction. By memory we pray "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us" all the while harboring bitter memories of all the wrongs committed against us. Open our hearts, O King of Mercy, to confess our sins to You and to one another. Humble us, God before Whom no one is pure, so that in confession and forgiveness we may find real and deep community with You and each other. Jesus the Word promises You break down the dividing walls of hostility; walk among us and accomplish that great work! Amen.

April 28, 2018 - - Psalm 1:1-2 What is the purpose of Bible-reading and prayer?

Blessed is the man

who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,

nor stands in the way of sinners,

nor sits in the seat of scoffers;

but his delight is in the law of the LORD,

and on his law he meditates day and night.

Psalm 1:1-2 ESV

As Christians we are called to read the Word of God and to think it over, chew on it mentally, let it have its effect on our minds, our actions and our very soul. Pray Holy Scripture back to God. Thank Him for the riches of the Holy Scripture and the profound help and guidance He gives us through it.

Consider these incisive words from Al Martin:

devotional assimilation and exercise of prayer

must find concrete expression in an increasing

ethical conformity to the will of God, if not

they [devotions and prayer] have degenerated

into mystical thumb-sucking...you're having a

spiritual experience that makes you feel good

but does not make you a better man for it.

O LORD my God, thank You for opening the gates of heaven through the work of Jesus Christ. Thank You for the riches of Holy Scripture and the gift of prayer. Spirit of the Living God, bring believers to their knees in meditation, wonder and praise. As You have purposed, O God, let the Holy Scriptures and our prayerful meditation on it change us from the inside out so that our will and our works conform more and more to Jesus, the Captain of our Salvation and the joy of our soul. Amen.

April 27, 2018 - - Psalm 138:2 What has God exalted above all things?

I will bow down toward your holy temple

and give thanks to your name

for your steadfast love and faithfulness,

for you have exalted above all things

your name and your word.

Psalm 138:2 ESV

As far as sports go, it is an interesting time of year. Hockey teams are vying for the Stanley Cup (sorry Leafs, next year?!). Soccer is on. Basketball. Baseball has started. And so on, and so on. Each team is pushing for the trophy of its league and the honour which accompanies it. There are parades and ceremonies and people striving to touch or kiss the coveted trophy held up by the winning team.

Yet, the Bible gives an entirely different view of what is precious and praiseworthy. Above all honours, all ticker tape parades, all things--God has exalted the Name of Jesus and God has exalted His Word--the Holy Scripture.

Jesus has the highest honours as the One Who lived a sinless life, perfect in every way. He endured torment and suffering unimaginable and remained obedient to His Father. In His suffering Jesus took our place, bearing God's curse against sin, so that all who believe in Jesus are set free from God's curse against sin.

The Word, Holy Scripture, is exalted because it is the only, true, reliable witness to the finished work of Jesus.

Think about it for a minute. If you had the Stanley Cup in your house, you'd take every opportunity to boast, shout about it, and tell all your friends. You have something dearer, greater, costlier: the Word of God. Declare the greatness of the Word. Tell everyone about the Name of Jesus--the only Name by which men, women and children are saved from the curse of death and hell and raised to new life.

Blessed be Your Name, Lord Jesus Christ. Thank You, Father in heaven, for revealing to the world Your extravagant love, displayed with such splendour in Jesus Christ and documented in Holy Scripture. Spirit of the Living God, nurture in all believers an ever greater love and esteem and reverence for Jesus and His Word. Steady the steps of believers so that we turn from sin, repenting of evil and with all joy and humble obedience walk in the way of Holy Scripture to the honour and glory of Jesus' Name. Amen.

April 26 - - Matthew 6:6 Brief Instruction on Prayer

But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father in heaven who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Matthew 6:6 ESV

Prayer is to be exercises at set times each day. It is to be a holy habit that we guard zealously.

This nugget of wisdom was recently given to me:

          "He who prays alone on impulse

          will soon have no impulse to pray."

Father, Rewarder of those who seek You, send us Your Spirit so that we will be drawn to faithful prayer. Father of mercy, grant us a greater intimacy with Jesus Christ, in Whose Name we are called "sons" and "daughters" of the Most High God. Amen.

April 25, 2018 - - Ephesians 6:18 Prayer

praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints

Ephesians 6:18 ESV

In reflecting on these words, Elder Al Martin noted:

     It is amazing what God can do with a man

     of relatively limited gifts

     who is filled with faith and

     with the Holy Ghost and prayer.

There is no other way to succeed in the work of God, other than to pray. Pray not just when you feel like it but when you hit your limit, when you hit the wall and do not feel inspired anymore: pray earnestly. The second word for prayer in the passage is: supplication. That means to beg--repeatedly and urgently. Whatever it is that the Holy Ghost has put on your heart, pray for it and keep asking.

God Who hears the prayers of His people, thank You for the gift of Your Holy Ghost. Thank You that Your Spirit prompts us to pray, giving us a passion for people and situations where prayers are urgently needed. Forgive our laziness in praying. Forgive the times we go channel surfing instead of going to our knees. Thank You, for the fact that You hear our prayers because of the accomplished work of Jesus Christ, our Saviour and our King. Give us faith to see Your answers to our prayers. And seeing such answers may our hearts magnify Your Name and our lips praise You. Amen.