January 29, 2019 -- Proverbs 22:6 -- Invest in kids

Train up a child in the way he should go;

even when he is old he will not depart from it.

Proverbs 22:6 ESV

“According to Dr. Bronfenbrenner, this rat race is particularly incompatible with fatherly responsibilities, as illustrated by an investigation in the 1970’s which yielded startling results. A team of researchers wanted to learn how much middle-class fathers spend playing and interacting with their small children. First, they asked a group of fathers to estimate the time spent with their one-year-old youngsters each day, and received an average reply of fifteen to twenty minutes. To verify these claims, the investigators attached microphones to the shirts of small children for the purpose of recording actual parental verbalization. The results of this study are shocking. The average amount of time spent by these middle-class fathers with their small children was thirty-seven seconds per day! Their direct interaction was limited to 2.7 encounters daily, lasting ten to fifteen seconds each!”

Seven Promises of a Promise-Keeper. Colorado Springs, CO: Focus on the Family Publishing, page 116.

I wonder how things have changed since the 1970’s?

More women have entered the work-force.

More joblessness and economic uncertainty haunts today’s fathers.

More distractions are available—cable TV, video games, tablets, cell-phones, on-demand movies.

More children are in day-care.

More confusing data is being given by a government which directly opposes the Word of God in the areas of valuing life, marriage, family, and sexuality.

More than ever men need to be men in their homes. It is critical for a man to be present. It is godly for a man to love his wife, spend time with his children each and every day. The children need to see their father at meal times, at prayer times, rough-housing and listening.

If you are absent you train your children to be absent parents.

If you train up your children by TV and tablet, you are forfeiting your responsibilities and allowing the culture to shape the heart and minds of your most precious little ones.

The beauty of the word of the LORD is to promise healing in Christ. The hope of the Gospel is that there is time to have a great impact on your children for the King. Do not waste it.

LORD Jesus, thank You for faithful fathers and mothers. Thank You for grandmas and grandpas who are on their knees pleading for their family members to know You and walk with You. King Jesus, by Your Word and Spirit awaken Your people to our failings and areas of neglect so that we will be the people You have called us to be: coaching, teaching, training and delighting in the children You have given. Spirit of God, direct us as seniors, uncles and aunts, to know our role in helping shape the lives of vulnerable youth who are so desperate for male leadership and dependable adult interaction. Forgive us for the times we have valued retirement and selfish things above the call to community to which Your Spirit directs us. Thank You Father in heaven, that You love our children and grandchildren, You love the fatherless and the orphan. Amen.

January 27, 2019 -- Matthew 16:24-25 -- Minimum or Maximum?!

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.  For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

Matthew 16:24-25 ESV

C.H. Spurgeon described the minimum Christian this way:

The minimum Christian! And who is he? The Christian who is going to heaven at the cheapest rate possible. The Christian who intends to get all of the world he can — and not meet the worldling's doom. The Christian who aims to have as little religion as he may — without lacking it altogether.

The minimum Christian goes to worship in the morning; and in the evening also — unless it rains, or is too warm, or too cold, or he is sleepy, or has the headache from eating too much at dinner. He listens most respectfully to the preacher, and joins in prayer and praise. He applies the truth very judiciously — sometimes to himself, oftener to his neighbors

Ah, my brother, are you making this attempt? Beware, lest you find at last that in trying to get to Heaven with a little religion — you miss it altogether; lest without gaining the whole world — you lose your own soul. True godliness demands self-denial and cross-bearing — and if you have none of these, you are making a false profession! C.H. Spurgeon

The text set before today has a picture of glory and cost, of self-denial and wondrous privilege: following Jesus Christ wherever He may lead. It is in stark contrast to the objectives of the minimum Christian! Ultimately Jesus Christ leads us through-out this life, not in dribs and drabs, in minimal expressions and with allowances for laziness—no! He leads us from victory to victory through the maze of battles we face in this life. Jesus Christ leads us to Presence of His Father. Jesus Christ gives to His followers His Word so that we will know right from wrong. Jesus Christ gives us His Spirit so that our strength will not fail. Jesus Christ gives us the family of God—true brothers and sisters who care for us, pray with us, and have our back. This is the picture of the faith that would make the whole world jealous, wondering what is it that Christians have? It is so compelling.

Thank You, Jesus, for inviting us to follow You. Thank You for the assurance that Your cause will not fail. Forgive us for the times we have been minimal Christians and faint-hearted. Forgive us for the times we have known what is right and not carried it out. Thank You for Your victory at the cross, where all the punishment for our sins was poured out on You. What a Savior You are! What a glorious Lord. Renew our strength and our vow to deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow You. Amen.

January 26, 2019 -- Revelation 2:10b-11 -- Conquerors

Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.

Revelation 2:10b-11 ESV

These verses are found in a brief letter within Revelation which was sent to the people at the church of Smyrna. It was a church facing great trials and persecution. Here King Jesus, the Captain of their Salvation, gives words of encouragement through the Apostle John who saw the vision of Jesus and wrote this letter.

Remember these people at Smyrna are part of Jesus’ army. They are counted among the people of God. Jesus is encouraging them to stay the course, to continue to walk in His strength and His mercy. We have all seen people fall out of favour with their churches and abandon their walk with God. So how would these words be helpful?

Those hearing these words are encouraged to hear the what the Spirit says to the churches. Get hold of the Bible and know it. Read it. Love it. When we love a sport, we know all the rules and intricacies of the game. If we follow a television series closely we might even have the mug: “If Daryl dies we riot” (though I confess I have no idea what that means I saw this mug at a family member’s house). Sometimes without even thinking we make great commitments to all kinds of things, but not to the study of and the love of the Word of the Spirit.

Being faithful is a decision we make based on what the Spirit says. So that we face every circumstance, every trial, all wounds and suffering armed with this sure conviction—we are in Christ’s army and we will not be fighting for the devil nor aiding him by our words, actions or inaction. We will be true to King Jesus’ Whose banner waves over us. We follow Jesus the Captain of our Salvation wherever He leads for we know He has conquered even death itself.

Brothers and sisters, this means we must guard our thought life! “We have never committed a visible act of sin that has shamed us before others that was not first a shameful thought. We have never wronged another person without first wronging that person in our thoughts. What we habitually think will, sooner or later, manifest itself clearly in some visible expression of that thought.” (Gary Oliver)

Get to a bible-believing church. Get armed once again in the Word of the Lord. Spent time with Christians whose walk with God you admire. Do not let sin master you, rather, follow Jesus, your Master, and offer the parts of your body and your mind as instruments of righteousness.

King Jesus, thank You for these important words You have to the people of Smyrna and to us today. Thank You that by Your Word and Spirit we can indeed be conquerors over perpetual sins and habitual thoughts. Give into our lives true soldiers of the cross in whom we can confide, and with whom we can find holy encouragement. All glory be to You, Living God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

January 25, 2019 -- Colossians 1:15-20 -- Jesus and T.O.E. (Theory of Everything)

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. Colossians 1:15-20 ESV

Way back in 1992 Stephen Hawking published a book called: “A Quest for the Theory of Everything”. It is the quest that continues to haunt secular scientists and philosophers. In short T.O.E. is a single all-embracing picture of the laws of nature. For those who are utterly secular and deny the existence of God, the TOE will ever remain not only elusive, it is impossible to find.

Secular scientists think life arose from non-life—abiogenesis. This self-contradictory view is taken as true for those who believe in evolution.

Christians know that life came into being because God spoke it all into being and Jesus Christ is ever pictured as He Who created with the Father. Life was given and is sustained by the Author of Life.

Secular scientists cannot account for morality. Famously Richard Dawkins stated: “no purpose, no design, no evil, no good, nothing but pitiless indifference.” Oddly enough, such scientists would freely use the legal system if their university didn’t pay them. There is an expectation of purpose and good—the every things they claim to deny.

Christians know that creation was good. Adam and Eve rebelled against God and brought sin into the world. Jesus Christ, the sinless One, died in our place. He bore the wrath of God against sin. Therefore there is a place of reckoning. All deeds, all actions, all inaction will be brought to account before Jesus Christ. There is purpose. There is design. There is love and mercy, justice and goodness.

Secular scientists have no basis for assuming there is order in the universe. If life arose from non-life, what else might unexpectedly happen by random chance? This is why scientists are ever alarmist: global warming, global cooling, immanent ice-age to start again, climate change. There is no reason to expect any stability.

Christians have the great assurance that Jesus Christ governs all things well. We can study and learn, measure and understand because He designed all things with purpose and order.

Glory be to Your Name, Lord Jesus Christ. Thank You for the book of creation and the testimony of Holy Scripture. Vanquish my sin. Create in me a clean heart and a growing desire to serve you—which is the only source of joy for any person—the delight of serving You. Let my life be a light in the darkness of this secular age. Let this light shine like a light-house for those who are navigating the rocky shoals of hopelessness and pitiless indifference so that they can find their way safely to You, King Jesus. Amen.

January 22, 2019 -- Colossians 1:15 -- Jesus the Revealer

He [Jesus] is the image of the invisible God. Colossians 1:15 ESV

…in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. Hebrews 1:2-3a ESV

It is a difficult saying: Jesus is the image of the invisible God. You might be tempted to scoff. Consider this:

Jesus Christ is the “television set of God.” Right now as you read these words, there are actual

television waves bouncing all around you! You cannot see them or hear them, but they are there.

They are invisible, yet real. If you take a box called a television and turn it on next to you, those

invisible waves become visible. You will see a picture and hear sound.” Carlson & Decker page 20

What a helpful illustration. The Word of God helps us to know Jesus. And Jesus reveals the invisible God. The Spirit of God, Who carried men along and inspired them to write the Bible, is the very same Spirit who lives in you. When you turn to Jesus and obey Him, His Spirit leads and instructs you. The fruit of obedience is the great confirmation that we really are children of God. Jesus reveals to us the great love of our Father in heaven.

Faithful God, thank You for the revelation of Jesus Christ. Thank You that He is the visible image of You, the invisible God, Who lives in unapproachable light. Thank You, Spirit of God, for making the beauty of the radiance of Jesus Christ known to our hearts and to our senses by the wondrous Word. Amen.

January 20, 2019 -- Proverbs 20:9 -- Who is this Jesus?

Who can say, "I have made my heart pure;
I am made clean from my sin"?
Proverbs 20: 9 ESV

Are you a sinner? According to the Bible Adam and Eve were made in God's image. They were created good, that is to say, they were without sin. In the Garden of Eden they rebelled against God. Because every human is descended from Adam, and he was our representative in the Garden of Eden, all of us bear the sin of Adam. Until someone could take away the sin of the world, the blood of goats and sheep and bulls pointed to the need for a blood punishment. Sin is gory and messy and bloody and such sacrifices showed this again and again.

The Final Adam is Jesus Christ. He lived in perfect obedience to God our Father. When Pilate declared Him to be without sin, He was approved as the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world. That is, all who believe in Him, have their sins taken away and receive from Him the credit of His perfect obedience.

We cannot add to Jesus' work. We cannot make our hearts pure. We are sinful men and women. We lie to ourselves. We cheat others. Every sin imaginable lives in our hearts, lurks in the secret places of our minds. We cannot make ourselves presentable to God. That is the reason Jesus came.

He was sinless. At the cross God placed on Him our every sin. Jesus became sin for us and that sin was punished at the cross. No one gets away with sin. Either it was punished upon the Person of Jesus Christ at the cross, or we think we live well and can present ourselves to God as acceptable, in which case He will punish us for our sins.

This teaching is so contrary to the world. The world tells you: Love yourself more. Accept your failures. The Scripture tells your: listen to your conscience. Confess your sin. Turn to Jesus and live. The more you love and obey Jesus, the more you will understand your need for the Savior Who cleanses your heart from all sin.

Prayer ~

Jesus, Who is like You? While we hated You and despised You, You went to the cross, the perfect lamb of God, and stood in our place, bearing the just punishment of God against our sin. Spirit of God, keep me humble. Spirit of God, by the truth of the Bible show me again and again the extent of my sin and that I can do nothing to add to my salvation. It is Christ alone Who bore the punishment. Christ alone Who is perfect. Christ alone Who credits believers with His obedience all to the glory of the Father. Amen.

January 19, 2019 -- Proverbs 19:27 -- Return to Jesus

Cease to hear instruction, my son,

and you will stray from the words of knowledge.

Proverbs 19:27 ESV

Tomorrow is Sunday. Plan on going to a Scripture-believing, faithful-to-Jesus living church. The only way to grow in true faith is to be instructed in the Word of the Lord.

Earlier in this chapter we read:

"The fear of the LORD leads to life,

and whoever has it rests satisfied." (23)

In Christ we find our reason for living. In Christ we hate our sin more and more and find joy in Him Who is the Desire of all nations. We fear to offend Him, even as a husband who deeply loves his wife will not not do certain things--he fears offending her. He wants her to see and experience only his best. So we, as followers of Christ, fear to offend Him--He has given us so much, He loves us so deeply we give Him our all.

If you have neglected church, if you have strayed from instruction, here is your clear call to return. Welcome back. Come and be instructed. Come and find people who receive instruction and joyfully walk in the way of Jesus. Phone a friend if you are uncomfortable returning by yourself. Invite yourself to go with him or her so that you are not alone.

LORD of Life, thank You for the picture of Scripture, that You stand at the porch of Your house, scanning the horizon, to welcome back prodigal sons and daughters. Thank You that You have the words of knowledge and the gift of life given us in Jesus Christ. Thank You for Your Spirit Who speaks to our hearts teaching us that through Jesus Christ we can call You: Abba, Father. For those who are on the edge of decision whether or not to go to meet with Your people on Sunday, speak to their hearts of the open invitation You offer them. Father in heaven, help us, who regularly fill the pews each Sunday, to be warm and welcoming to each person whom You bring to church. Amen.

January 17, 2019 -- Ephesians 6:18 -- Pray

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

Brothers, pray for us.

I Thessalonians 5:25 ESV

We call ourselves men of God, but too often we are men of our own needs. All needs are met on our knees.

Even the church is aimless. Why? Because those who say they are men of God are so seemingly helpless to bring about change. They say they study the Word, but their wives and children see little evidence in their lives. Our prayer and study lives should have an immediate, ongoing effect on our families. They should be so moved by our love and mercy that they want to emulate what they see in us of the character and qualities of Christ.

Wellington Boone "Why Men Must Pray"

Thank You, O God, for the profound gift of prayer--that believers can speak with You, know You, worship You, and ask of You. By Your Word and Spirit bring us to our knees in true faith and great conviction. Spirit of God, as we study the Word and pray, let our lives reflect the love and mercy of our Father shown so clearly and extravagantly in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

January 16, 2019 -- Psalm 2:11-12 -- Jesus the King

Serve the Lord with fear,

and rejoice with trembling.

Kiss the Son,

lest he be angry, and you perish in the way,

for his wrath is quickly kindled.

Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

Psalm 2:11-12 ESV

Perhaps you are very familiar with this Psalm because of Handel's oratorio: "The Messiah". I love this setting of Psalm 2. The majestic challenge of this Psalm is for the people of the earth to quit their vain plotting and raging and acknowledge Jesus Christ as the LORD and serve Him.

The LORD of Glory preserved for Himself a people, the Jewish people, through whom He gave His laws, His promises and finally His Son--Jesus. Now Jesus--by flesh descended from King David--is the Eternal Son of God and by His descent from David the true King of both the Jewish people and the non-Jewish people. God's plan is one for the Jewish people and the non-Jewish people: acknowledge the Son.

Many people picture God as weak. As if He is pleading with the people and nations to obey. It is not so. He is the King All-Glorious and All-Powerful. He does not share His power nor compromise. As the One Who holds history in His hand, He shows the final end of all flesh: serve Jesus Christ alone as your King, or be swept away in His wrath to the agonies of hell.

The Jewish people must acknowledge Jesus as their Messiah. The cults, such as Muslims, Jehovah's Witnesses and Masons (and all others) which slander our King Jesus, will on the Day of Judgment be brought before the Terrible Throne of Justice and held to account for their blasphemies.

Blessed are those who take refuge in Jesus:

~Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” John 6:29

Thank You, Father in heaven, for showing us the King of Your own choosing--the Ruler of Nations--Jesus. Spirit of the Living God, help us to tear down any contrary teaching or any false hope we might be trusting in, so that our hearts may be fully dedicated Jesus Christ. Amen.

January 15, 2019 -- Romans 5:1-5 -- Courage

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

Romans 5:1-5 ESV

Courage is not simply one of the virtues,

but the form of every virtue at the testing point.

C.S. Lewis

Where is your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ tested?

How do you exhibit peace even in a world that hates God?

Where are you called to endure in faithfulness? Perhaps your marriage vows are strained and require great faithfulness of word and deed. Or maybe you must be faithful in your finances because it is tempting to spend foolishly on yourself rather than keeping commitments.

Know that our Father is truly our God because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Courage to live for Jesus is tested and tried in every part of our lives and God has given us fiery courage in the form of the Holy Spirit Who lives in every believer.

Forgive me Father, for the many times I have failed to honour You by my words or my actions. Forgive me for the times I have not spoken of my faith publicly. Thank You for the saving work of Jesus Christ, in Whom is all my hope and trust. Thank You, Father, for the gift of Your Spirit Who applies the healing work of Jesus and Who fortifies us for faithful, courageous service. Amen.

January 14, 2019 -- Proverbs 14:34 -- Righteousness Exalts a Nation

Righteousness exalts a nation,

but sin is a reproach to any people.

Proverbs 14:34 ESV

Recently I heard this: "Whatever god a nation serves, that will be the standard by which she makes her laws". The more I think about this in light of the reading from Proverbs, the more I think it is true. So I grieve for Canada.

Canada's most recent laws and rulings are in direct violation to righteousness. The ruling of the Supreme Court that bestiality is allowed, as long as there is no penetration, shows the depths of our sinfulness. Even other nations' headlined this despicable news.

According to our government's own website there are ninety-one boil water advisories (yes, you read that correctly, 91!!) among aboriginal and indigenous communities in Canada. That is a shocking state of affairs. Some of these communities suffered under this for a long time. Yet it does not seem to be a priority for our government.

Alberta's NDP government, September 2018, said that Christian Schools in Alberta cannot state God's authority supersedes human authority. What a reproach this is to our nation.

It is obvious that our nation is embracing the reproach of sin. As Christians we are:

called to fervent prayer for our leaders--may they repent

called to the Word and humble obedience--that godliness and

truthfulness from Christians will exalt our nation

called to confession of our own sins and complicity

called to hope, God is Sovereign and His purposes for history will one day be revealed

King of Glory, give to Your people, who have been made righteous through Jesus Christ, an ever greater measure of Your Spirit. Bless Your people living in the midst of the stench of decay, rottenness of sin and death of this world so that the followers of Christ may be the fragrance of Christ in every part of Canada and by our conduct and witness be ambassadors of life in His Name. Thank You for the leaders You have placed in local, provincial, territorial and federal government who are faithful to You and cause them to exercise the talents and abilities You have given them for blessing to our nation. Bless every Christian, in work, rest, recreation, play, and retirement--in whatever community wherever You have placed us so that we may shine for Jesus Christ. Amen.

January 11, 2019 -- Isaiah 55:8-9 -- Reaching to the heights of the LORD

For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.

For as the heavens are higher than the earth,

so are my ways higher than your ways

and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Isaiah 55:8-9 ESV

You do not read God in light of your experiences in this life; you read your experiences in life in the light of who God is.

J. Ligon Duncan III.

Many an athlete has this motto: "No pain, no gain". We understand that it takes resistance and weights, persistence and hard work, to conquer fat and build muscles. Yet, in our spiritual life we expect ease. As it takes great discipline in hard, persistent work to build physical health, so it takes great discipline in hard, persistent work to build spiritual strength.

God of Heaven You are immeasurably beyond our comprehension and knowledge. Thank You for revealing Your thoughts and Your ways in the Bible. Forgive us for the times we have neglected Your Word. Forgive us for the times we have tried to pull You down to our low expectations. Thank You for Jesus Christ, the best and greatest revelation of Who You Are. Thank You for the Spirit Who interprets Jesus through the testimony of the Bible so that we have a growing sense of Your magnificence, Your love, Your splendour, Your mercy and Your glory. Increase our hunger to know You better, deepen our thirst for the things of God so that we are driven to examine Your Word and believe ever more fully on Jesus Christ and in Him find our hunger sated and our thirst quenched. Amen.

January 10, 2019 -- Psalm 1:6 -- The LORD knows

...for the LORD knows the way of the righteous,

but the way of the wicked will perish.

Psalm 1:6 ESV

The LORD knows. What a glorious Name. If we are totally honest we must admit we hide so much of ourselves from others. The fact is, if anyone really knew us, heard our secret thoughts and saw the things we do when we think no one is watching--well, our friends would be shocked, and our family disown us.

The LORD knows. He knows all of our sins. He knows and heard all our secret thoughts. He knows our failures--every. single. one. The sins of every sinner were placed on Jesus Christ. He became sin for us so that we might become the righteousness of God. It is not that the righteous are doing good in and of themselves. That is impossible. We are righteousness in Jesus Christ. Our sins are vanquished. Our guilt and shame are taken away. And Jesus gives us a new life, one stamped with His full measure of righteousness.

The LORD knows. When Satan whispers and reminds us of our darkest secrets and sins we can respond--"You are right Satan. And there is more besides. You missed many of my sins. But the LORD knows!" The LORD Who knows has given Jesus Who is able to save to the uttermost reaches of our sinfulness.

The LORD knows. We are fluctuating. We are hot and cold. We are afraid God's mercy might run out. So the LORD has given to the righteous, those who believe in Him, the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God seals the blessings of God in each us so that we can never be snatched from the hand of God. I am so relieved: the LORD knows.

LORD of blessing and love, I can hardly look at You. I am so aware of the filth of sin that clings to me. How vast are Your mercies and how tender is Your compassion. I am grappling with the fact that You know me, You know Your people: sinful, wretched though we are. Awed that You have provided us the way of salvation in Jesus Christ. You have sealed this wondrous salvation to our souls by Your Spirit. Who, O LORD, Who is a God like You! Blessed be Your Name. Save me, O LORD Who knows, save me to the uttermost reaches. Amen.

January 7, 2019 -- Psalm 94:19 -- Jesus our Consolation

When the cares of my heart are many,

Your consolations cheer my soul.

Psalm 94:19 ESV

The consolations of the LORD cheer the soul. In the context of Psalm 94 the days are evil and trying, but the LORD blesses His people. These blessings, or consolations are: His discipline by which He keeps us in the right path, His teaching from His law; rest from the days of trouble and the knowledge that He will not forsake His people.

In Hebrews 6:8 Jesus is our Strong Consolation. In Jesus Christ we have this treasure: being rescued from the dominion of sin and adopted as daughters and sons. Even as some adopted children will rebel against their new parent, the conflict being this: to love the new parent feels like a betrayal against the very parent who abandoned them. So we too, as adopted children of God will sometimes act out and rebel, out of false loyalty to the world and our remembrance of our bondage to sin. Thanks be to God that the Spirit within us knows our struggles and our needs. He is the consolation of God placed within our hearts. The Spirit is the Consolation of God giving us the freedom and the blessing of learning to delight in our Father.

O LORD, if You have not been my help, my soul would soon have been lost in the land of silence and death. Jesus, You rise up for me against the wicked! Spirit of God, gift of the Father and Son, You are the great comfort of God, implanted in the deepest part of every believer. Thank You for bringing to mind the truth of God and bringing His consolation to cheer my soul. Amen.

January 2, 2019 -- Psalm 69:8 -- Jesus the Alien

I have become a stranger to my brothers,

an alien to my mother's sons.

Psalm 69:8 ESV

Jesus the alien. This word has taken on connotations of space men and so on. However, the word really means: stranger or someone from a different country. Jesus was an alien to his brothers and sisters because of His virgin birth. He was born of Mary and God is His Father.

Can you imagine the merciless mocking and cruel treatment He must have received from His siblings as He grew up? He did it to fulfill all righteousness.

In Christ not only are sins forgiveness, but God imputes to us His righteousness. We are under the rule of Christ--sin no longer has dominion over us. This makes us aliens, strangers to the people in the world around us. They are used to reveling in sin and do not understand why we keep back from joining in on deeds of darkness. In Christ we are aliens and strangers to the world and have a new family--the family of believers.

King Jesus, blessed be Your Name for all You have endured. Let all who love You live as aliens and strangers in this world even as we are beloved sons and daughters of our Father in heaven. Spirit of God, lead us by the Word into fullness of life. Amen.

January 1, 2019 -- I Corinthians 1:9 -- God is Faithful

God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

I Corinthians 1:9 ESV

What a beautiful truth for the start of 2019--God is faithful.

God the Faithful gives us day and night, and all four seasons.

God the Faithful rescues us from the tyranny of sin so that believers are now under the reign and rule of Jesus.

God is Faithful and this truth shines from every page of Scripture, as the Spirit of God reveals this light to us.

God the Faithful pours out the gifts of the Spirit into our lives so that we have everything we need in order to respond to Him in faithfulness.

God is Faithful--so that in Christ Jesus not only do we experience the forgiveness of our sins, but every act of Jesus' righteousness, and all His obedience offered while He was on earth is credited to those who believe in Him. My frail and flawed obedience is not the basis on which I am delivered, it is the goodness of Christ that our Faithful Father credits to our account.

God the Faithful will bring all of history to its rightful conclusion.

O God, Faithful and True, there is none like You! May our joy and our song all through 2019 be: God is Faithful!. Spirit of God, in every day of 2019 as we read the Bible and reflect on Jesus, may the Faithfulness of our Father in heaven jump out at us, grabbing hold of our hearts and imaginations so that our faith is deepened and our trust in Him made ever more sure. Amen.

December 31, 2018 -- Matthew 11:19 -- Jesus Friend of Sinner

The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds.”

Matthew 11:19 ESV

Jesus Friend of Sinners. What a precious name this is for those of us who know the depths of our sinfulness and the ever greater height, width, depth, and breadth of His grace. Those who meet Jesus and are His friends die to their sins and with Jesus rise to newness of life.

"The friend in my adversity I shall always cherish most. I can better trust those who helped to relieve the gloom of my dark hours than those who are so ready to enjoy with me the sunshine of my prosperity." Ulysses S. Grant

Jesus, thank You for befriending me, lost sinner though I was.

Jesus, thank You for sticking closer than a brother through trials.

Jesus, thank You for giving me Your Spirit so that I am instructed in the Word of life.

Jesus, thank You for the promise that all who believe in You are children of the Father in heaven.

Amen.

December 29, 2018 -- Psalm 2:6 -- Jesus the King

"As for me, I have set my King

on Zion, my holy hill."

Psalm 2:6 ESV

This is a Psalm applied to Jesus. He is the King Whom God the Father placed in Zion. There are two possible responses to Him: to serve the King or to join with the nations who so furiously rage plotting in vain together against Him. There is no middle ground. Christ is your King or He is the One you spend your life plotting and fighting against.

It is critical to understand that all flesh begins at the point of rebellion against the King, the anointed one of God. Unless the Spirit of God shows us our rebellion and by the Word convinces us who the True King is, we will be blind to our wicked allegiances and continue in our rebellion. As is His right the King will at the at Great Judgment cast the rebellious into hell and His servants will be given a place in the New Heavens and New Earth. What a day of rejoicing that will be.

Christians have no grounds for boasting. We did not discover the Kingship of Jesus. We did not choose Him--but He extended His scepter of power and gave us the Spirit Who conquered our hearts and convinced our intellect. Therefore all our boasting is in Him, the King of Glory Who shows Himself great and gracious.

King Jesus, it is not safe to follow You. As the Conquering King You lead us in this world by Your Word and Spirit so that people around us hate us because we love and serve You. No matter what happens to us, with the hymn-writer Chrisholm, we proclaim: "I own no other Master, my heart shall be Thy throne, my life I give henceforth to live, O Christ for Thee alone." Amen.

December 27, 2018 -- Ephesians 6:14-16 -- Jesus Himself is our Peace

For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.

Ephesians 2:14-16 ESV

Jesus Himself is our shalom--He Himself is our peace.

Jesus Himself is our peace--which means that Old Testament animal sacrifices have stopped. The blood of sheep and goats and bulls all pointed to the hideousness of our sin. Sin requires death. The animal sacrifices pointed beyond themselves and their blood testified to the coming One: Jesus our Shalom. Jesus' full and perfect sacrifice means the end of animal sacrifices because heaven has been opened up to believers. Those who believe in Jesus have their sins forgiven.

Jesus Himself is our peace--believers understand the sacrifice of Jesus does not appease an angry God, no! The God of Holiness and Justice sent His Son into the world to rescue people from slavery to sin and the curse of death. Jesus Himself is our peace with God.

Jesus Himself is our shalom, our peace so that all who believe in Jesus form the new humanity, people freed from sin and brought into the new family of God. Those who believe in Jesus are sinners, law-breakers, and the wicked--all of whom no longer identify themselves by their sins, but identify themselves as members of the family of God. He Himself is our Shalom, our Peace, because sin no longer reigns in our mortal bodies.

Father in heaven what extravagant love You have shown us in Jesus Christ--Jesus Himself is our Peace. Jesus, increase our faith so that we will more dearly love You and experience the peace which can only be found in You. Spirit of God increase our understanding so that by the Word we will know more and more of the Shalom of Jesus. Let our lives reflect Your glory Jesus, our Shalom. Amen.

December 26, 2018 -- Isaiah 9:6-7 -- Jesus the Prince of Peace

For to us a child is born,

to us a son is given;

and the government shall be upon his shoulder,

and his name shall be called

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Of the increase of his government and of peace

there will be no end,

on the throne of David and over his kingdom,

to establish it and to uphold it

with justice and with righteousness

from this time forth and forevermore.

The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.

Isaiah 9:6 & 7 ESV

Jesus Christ is the Prince of Peace. What a great title. Another Christmas is done. So many people had particular dreams and plans for how it should go, what they might receive and how they'd feel. With monotonous regularity such hopes are dashed. But not for those who look to Jesus.

Jesus is our Peace. He is the greatest gift God has ever given.

Jesus is our Peace. He is our sure hope for life that is full and joy-filled beginning right now and lasting into and through eternity.

Jesus is our Peace. Joy does not depend on circumstances, ease or suffering, plenty or want, rather joy is anchored in Christ Who has taken away the shame and reproach of sin.

Jesus is our Peace. He is bringing history to its rightful conclusion so that one day every eye will see Him and every knee will bow and every tongue confess Him Lord over all.

Jesus is our Peace. People cannot change the climate, end all war-fare, create utopia, cleanse the evil that resides in every heart. Only Christ can bring His healing peace to every wound in creation, peace among nations, peace arising from the expectation of the New Jerusalem, and peace that begins with a heart whose rebellion against God has been ended with forgiveness and renewal.

Jesus, You are the Prince of Peace. You are the Desired One of all nations. Blessed be Your Name. Through Your sacrifice we who believe are called sons and daughters of the Most High. Thank You, Spirit of God, for making this know to all who believe. Increase our peace. Increase our faith. Increase among us the awareness of the glory of God. Amen.