April 9, 2019 -- Matthew 7:21-23 -- How is your heart?

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’  And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

Matthew 7:21-23 English Standard Version

Yesterday I was listening to a sermon by Sinclair Ferguson. He was preaching on these verses and the next passage about the Wise and Foolish Builder. He gave a striking illustration on these verses. He’d watched a program about a preacher who was very well-known and called “charismatic”. This preacher could cause people to babble, to fall over and bark like a dog. When the show was over he was going to watch the news but the newshour had passed and instead he saw a show about a hypnotist who could make people do strange things: babble, fall over and make animal noises. Suddenly this charismatic preacher and his activity was exposed as a hussle.

What is the point? Simply this: added to the confession of the Name of Jesus Christ one must also have an obedient heart. If the great things we do are done for our own reputation and ego, we are far from God. It is easy to go through the motions of being a Christian, even suffer and put up with hardships and still be far from God and cold towards Him. Against those who are openly rebellious and against those who seem to be followers of Jesus but are secretly rebellious in their hearts on the Day of Judgment Jesus will assert the right of God, which is to condemn such persons to hell.

Some of you may object at this point. Why would God save some people and throw others into hell? Shouldn’t He love everyone? Two things to ponder on that note. First, as long as we draw breath, we can respond to the Gospel. As long as we live, the Bible and the Spirit of God are testifying to us of the power of Jesus Christ to rescue us from hell. Now is the day of salvation. Now is the time to listen and give your heart and your commitment to following Jesus alone.

Second, when a man loves a woman and is married to her he loves her alone. He is being faithful to the bride of his youth. Those who have integrity commend him for his faithfulness and do not encourage him to break his vows. This man does not chase after other women, he does not look lustfully at other women, but he gives his heart and his mind, he eyes and his attention to his bride. He is commended for such devotion. Jesus calls His people His Bride. He gives Himself utterly in service to her and in making her pure. It is honourable that He saves His Bride and that His love is given to her alone. When the Day of Judgment arrives in its terrible glory, those who are the Bride of Christ will be given eternal life and joy in the Presence of Jesus.

Christ Jesus, Great King and Faithful Saviour, thank You for Your steadfast love towards Your people. Thank You for those whom You have given in our lives who call us to consider You and love You so that we are inspired to turn from our sins and yield our restless hearts to You alone. Thank You for Your Spirit Who holds us close to You and instructs us in the way of Truth. Oh Mighty King pour out Your Spirit on us so that we grow in love towards and obedience to You. Amen.

April 7, 2019 -- Galatians 2:20 -- Living for Jesus

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Galatians 2:20 ESV

It is a strange practice of some to wear a piece of jewelry that is a cross with a depiction of Jesus still on it. Crucifixion was a barbaric and intentionally cruel way of putting someone to death. It cannot be glamorized or romanticized. Jesus’ death by crucifixion was God’s just and full punishment of our sin upon the perfect Person of Jesus. He is the only One who lived a blameless life so that He could stand in our place and take the punishment for sin which we deserve.

Those who believe in Jesus Christ honor Him by putting to death whatever sin lingers in them. Intentionally. Persistently. Prayerfully. We put to death any lingering sin. The longer we are followers of Christ the more we hate sin. The longer we follow Christ the better we understand how wily sin is. The longer we follow Christ the greater is our understanding of His patient love as the Captain of our Salvation, teaching us the way of life and the strategies of battle. The longer we follow Jesus, the more precious to us is His Word. And the glory of Jesus is found in this: that we do not strive harder, try more or succeed in our own efforts, Jesus in His wisdom and love gives us His Holy Spirit Who strengthens us for battle, transforms our hearts so that we love the things of God more and more and know our enemy as well as better understanding how to disciple and discipline fellow soldiers of the cross.

Sundays are particularly precious to us. As believers we gather together and share our faith. We encourage one another and are encouraged the preaching of the Word. We notice those who are absent and pray for them. Intentionally desire to follow up with them so that they know they are missed, loved and part of something great: being soldiers in the Lord’s army. Death is defeated and new life is taking hold of us. And for those of us who recognize our failures and sins, we confess them. We exercise them out. We give thanks to God for His steadfast love that works so that we are being made holy, and ever more suited for His purposes.

Jesus, I admit my heart is cold. It can all seem so distant, so remote all that the Bible says You have done for me. Today in worship warm my heart. Today resuscitate this new life that You are giving me so that I will live, work, act and fight as Your faithful soldier. Amen.

April 6, 2019 -- Revelation 1:4-6 -- Reminders of Good News

John to the seven churches that are in Asia:

Grace and peace to you from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings on earth.

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 1:4-6 English Standard Version

One of the great joys of sharing our faith is the response of those around us. Recently I saw a movie with a young friend. It was an action and adventure movie. An alien died in a sequence of particularly intense action. On the way home my 12-year-old friend asked me: “When we die, do we have 5 minutes to remember all the good things that happened to us?”

Gently, and directly I told him, “No, I don’t believe it works that way at all.” And as I spoke I realized I had his full attention, “When we die we will face judgment for our sins.“

My young friend interrupted asking: “What if we have sinned so much we can’t be saved?”

It was a great joy to share the Good News: “At the cross, Jesus was punished for all our sins. Every. single. one. And His perfect life is credited to us. All we need to do is believe and follow Him.”

This young one let out a long breath and said: “That is really awesome.”

At that moment once again I realized how precious it is to share our faith. We see the glory of the salvation that is ours and we see from a fresh perspective.

Go ahead. Witness boldly. Remember it is God Himself Who has prepared the way by His Holy Spirit. Even if someone rejects the Good News, for now, you don’t know if the Spirit is working on a long game with the purpose of bringing that person to salvation. Retelling the story of salvation does indeed, refresh our own souls in the Good News of Jesus Christ!

King Jesus, Who is like You!?! Thank You for the greatness of the salvation that is available to all who believe in You. Thank You for the riches of the Word which spells out the great and wonderful promises of God. Thank You for the Holy Spirit Who teaches us and leads us in all truth. Forgive us for the times we wanted to tell someone about Jesus and hesitated or were afraid. Forgive us for our prayerlessness. Renew in us the joy of our salvation. Reopen the lines of communication between us and Your glorious Self. You have promised, Jesus, that heaven is open to all who believe, so with this in mind, bring us to our knees in prayer. Let this joyful knowledge of Jesus fill our thoughts and spill out into many conversations. Thank You for the times we can join with other believers in worship. Bless Your preachers and teachers, evangelists and missionaries who bring Good News. Amen.

April 3, 2019 -- Acts 4:33-35 -- Christianity is not socialism

And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.

Acts 4:33-35 English Standard Version

What is the difference between socialism and Christianity? A passage like this makes it seem that Christians are basically socialists. It is critically important that we, as Christians, are able to think and understand what we believe.

Socialists believe man is basically good.

Socialists believe in Utopia and that it is achievable by human effort.

Socialists believe that working together people can reverse our alienation from our nature and achieve a creative, pacifist, altruistic society.

Socialists believe that the right person in power can mobilize people and so work for good.

Christians, in sharp contrast, know socialism is a false religion.

Christians believe man is morally evil. Genesis 6:5 teaches us that the thoughts of each person and their every intention is evil—continually evil.

Christians realize how empty the concept of “Utopia” is. (BTW Utopia literally means: no where!) It is the High King of Heaven Who opens or bars the new heavens and the new earth.

Christians believe human efforts to reverse societal ills are meaningless. Margaret Thatcher famously quipped: “Socialism is a good idea, until you run out of other people’s money.” Only Jesus Christ can, by the power of His Word and Spirit, transform men and women so that our hands and hearts are no longer destructive in all we do.

Christians believe Jesus Christ is the only Man Who ever lived Who is perfect. He was perfectly obedient to His Father in heaven. He is the sacrifice that takes away the sin of the world. Those who are obedient to Jesus Christ find in Him the Captain of their Salvation and the Source of every good thought and action. So that for Christians we boast not in ourselves, but in Jesus Christ and all He works in and through us.

Human rulers will always fail. No matter the political stripe—liberal or conservative, block or green, federal or municipal—all people are inclined to evil and even those with the best intentions will falter and fail. Jesus taught us the pathway of truth and beautiful community when He taught us to pray: “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us”.

“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
 Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
    on earth as it is in heaven.
 Give us this day our daily bread,
 and forgive us our debts,
    as we also have forgiven our debtors.
 And lead us not into temptation,
    but deliver us from evil.

For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

April 1, 2019 -- I Corinthians 6:9-11 -- Don't be fooled!

9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

I Corinthians 6:9-11 ESV

When I was a child we loved to pull pranks and shout “April fools”. Mostly these were pretty innocent hoaxes and our poor exasperated teachers had much to put up with; our long-suffering parents would sigh and muster up a chuckle rather than muttering under their breath. All of us knew it was a game that would soon end. I remember clearly one teacher who declared, “All April Fool’s pranks and jokes, tricks and antics must be done by noon or they don’t count!” Wise teacher to get the April fools jokes all out of our system by lunch time.

What is very sad is that mature people, adults, are deceived—not just on April 1st, but completely deceived in their understanding of Who God Is. The Apostle Paul is urgently warning believers not to be fooled, not to make God into their own image. God will not tolerate sin of any kind. He is holy. He is too pure to look on wickedness. Those who are willfully ignorant in their actions and behavior and act as if God will put up with it are more than deceived, they are running headlong towards hell.

Why is God’s treatment of sinners so harsh? Because He has given all sinners, every single one of us, the opportunity to be cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ. Our sins are forgiven by Jesus’ accomplished work on the cross. To go back to old shameful ways is to drag down the reputation and honour of Jesus Christ. And the Father has declared: “This is my beloved Son, listen to Him”. When we want the blessings of God without yielding the obedience God rightfully demands of us we are toying with the utter perfect and holiness of God. He will not tolerate this and cannot allow this else He would be complicit with our sin.

The Spirit of God applies the work of Jesus Christ and makes us utterly new. The Spirit of our God reveals to each one of us the very places where we are fooling ourselves and are self-deceived. Today, listen. Today confess the sins you have allowed to linger. Today stop being a fool or fooling yourself. Remember you were plunged into the healing stream of God’s great forgiveness and love. Now, walk according to the will of God our Father and live as His holy people.

Get a prayer partner to help you.

Devour the Word. Read it. Listen to it.

Find someone who will hold you accountable so that you don’t fall into old sinful patterns.

Confess your sin to God and ask for His Spirit to raise you from old habits to new ways of holiness.

Stop being self-deceived.

God, Your wisdom and Your ways are not in-step with what the world calls wisdom. In fact, worldly people rush on as fools and lives as those who are self-deceived. You have given us wisdom in Jesus Christ. You have sealed Your wisdom to our minds and hearts through the Bible and the Holy Spirit. Let the fear of the LORD direct our living. The world will continuously shout at us what it considers true today, and parade the latest fad which though naked will be hyped as truth. Gracious God let the things of earth fade away so that our ears will hear the Spirit and above all din and cacophony of the world discern from the Word all that is True and Right and Holy. Let our Spirit-empowered living be a great witness to You, Faithful Father, and also bring glory to Jesus. Amen.

March 31, 2019 -- Acts 9:31 -- The right place for fear

So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace

and was being built up.

And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit

it multiplied.

Acts 9:31 English Standard Version

The “fear of the Lord”. That is an expression mentioned so often in the Old Testament. It is like the echo of belltower clock sounding the hour across a village. Already way back in Genesis 20:11 the expression is used. Through-out Deuteronomy and the Psalms the phrase resounds. Sounds loudly in the prophets. For those who think it is only an Old Testament term, know that it is found liberally sprinkled in the New Testament as well (Matthew 10:28; Luke 5:26; 7:16, 8:37; 12:5 etc). And in Revelation the Spirit of God is the Seven-fold Spirit (this is drawn from Isaiah 11:2-3a where the Spirit is revealed to be: the Spirit of the LORD, of wisdom, of understanding, of counsel, of might, of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD). Notice that the power of the Spirit revealed among believers is that He manifests the “fear of the LORD”.

What does it mean that believers “fear the LORD”?

Those who “fear the LORD”

~worship Him with reverence

~submit to the Bible and its authority above all other authority

~desire to know God better

~receive the counsel of the LORD

~know Jesus Christ as Jesus promised believers would receive His Spirit

~sin becomes more and more abhorrent to us and we turn from it and repent of it

~find the things of God to be a delight (this is from Isaiah 11:3)

If you do not find the things of God and His presence to be your delight, ask yourself this: am I really a follower of Jesus? Perhaps I should heed the warning of Revelation 2 “I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first” (Rev. 2:4). What a devastating condemnation.

Notice from our passage in Acts that the fear of the LORD leads to the comfort of the Spirit. The Old Testament background which instructs believers in “the fear of the LORD” also teaches us the seven-fold revelation of the power of the Spirit among believers (Isaiah 11:2-3a) which brings the result that believers delight in God.

Living God of Power and Glory, blessed be Your Name!

Lord Jesus Christ, thank You for the gift of Your Holy Spirit Who leads us in the fear of the LORD and the delight of knowing God.

This day, bless Your preachers and evangelists, Your chaplains and ministers of the Word so that the fear of the LORD will go out among Your people and worship will be transformed into the soul-refreshing wells of salvation and joy in Your Presence. Help Your people to walk in the fear of the LORD so that we will be salt and light in this world, but even more critically, so that we will bless Your Name and be kept in the path of righteousness for Jesus Name’s sake. Amen.

March 30, 2019 -- Proverbs 30:10-14 -- Scrutinized by the Light of Christ

Do not malign a servant to his master,
Lest he curse you, and you be found guilty.

11 There is a generation that curses its father,
And does not bless its mother.
12 There is a generation that is pure in its own eyes,
Yet is not washed from its filthiness.
13 There is a generation—oh, how lofty are their eyes!
And their eyelids are lifted up.
14 There is a generation whose teeth are like swords,
And whose fangs are like knives,
To devour the poor from off the earth,
And the needy from among men.

Proverbs 30:10-14 New King James Version

These verses seem rather enigmatic. It takes a bit of digging to understand what God, the Ruler over all the kings of the earth, is saying to His people.

Verse 10 helps the reader to understand what follows. A tale-bearer or a wicked snitch will not get the justice he is seeking. The LORD knows how to judge among His people and determine what is true and who is guilty. This truth governs the next four verses so that the Word can winnow the heart, removing what is chaff and useless and leaving behind the good.

Verse 11 reiterates the fifth commandment—honour your father and mother. In fact those who do not honour their father and who curse their mothers will be held guilty. This extends also to honouring those whom God has placed in authority over us. What a difficulty that can be. How our hearts need to be governed by the Spirit and the Word.

Verse 12 Translators often struggle to use the vulgar words which the original language uses. Here is an example. The immoral believe they are clean when in fact they are not washed of their own excrement (the translation we have uses instead the word “filthiness”). Indeed that is quite graphic. Immorality such as is celebrated in our generation is as if people are going out in public covered in their own feces.

Verse 13 touches on pride. It is great wickedness that blinds the boastful. We are familiar with such texts as: Pride goes before destruction. Why is this true? Our text gives wonderful imagery of why it is so: because people have lifted up their eyes so high they are not aware of the true condition of their steps nor their surroundings. They cannot get a read of what is really going on and therefore will trip and fall.

Verse 14 plainly shows the contempt of the rich for the poor. The entitlement of those who are rich without mercy means their teeth are swords dispossessing the needy. Even more forceful, their eye-teeth are fangs which are sharp cutting tools to relieve the impoverished of every last morsel. Consider a simple example: our current prime minister took a vacation worth over a hundred thousand dollars. The ethics commissioner charged him with several ethics violations. To my knowledge he has never repaid this money. Consider on the other hand how a Canadian citizen who had been on employment insurance may, when he has a new job, be reassessed by CRA and be found to have a $75 overpayment. This person will be hounded and charged interest until this small debt is repaid in full. The fangs of the rich are knives of injustice. The one who owed $75 is just as much in debt and rightfully ought to pay back this overpayment as should also the government official who was found to be in the wrong, repay his debt. However the weight of injustice is seen in the fact that the scales are unevenly weighted against the needy.

Now, the temptation of this passage would be to say: “Phew, good thing I am not like those people.” Instead, what the passage calls for is for each one of us to examine our hearts. Remember slides? They are dark little squares and the picture is almost impossible to make out until you hold it up to a bright light. This is a perfect illustration of the work of the Holy Spirit and the Bible. The Holy Spirit applies the light of Jesus Christ to the darkest corners of our life. In God’s light we see light and the picture develops of what we really are like. At that moment we can humbly confess our sins and find in Christ forgiveness full and free, or we can be confirmed in our evil-doing, choosing instead to continue as if nothing is wrong.

There is coming a day of full and final judgement. Jesus Christ will return with all His saints and holy angels and will judge every single person according to what he has done and the good he has left undone. Verses 5 and 6 are a sharp warning:

Every word of God proves true;

he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.

Do not add to his words,

lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar.

Tomorrow is Sunday. Plan on going to church. Submit to the light of Christ and find in him the healing refuge for your weary soul and sin-sickened heart. Not only will you avert the judgment of God’s wrath against your sin, you will find now that God is True, He is the Shield to all who take refuge in Him. He is our salvation and the joy of this life and the life to come!

God of wisdom and holiness, You are true and every man, every woman, every child is a liar.

Christ in Whose light we see light, we confess there are sins we are aware of in our life and so many more that lurk in the dark corners of our heart and mind beyond our own awareness. Who can stand in Your perfect presence? Forgive us the sins we know about. Help us to perceive and turn from the sins we don’t even know about.

Spirit of Truth and holiness, renew our hearts and minds so that we will long to be more and more like Jesus. Heal us from our propensity to wander away from God.

God, Faithful in all You do, bring us to church tomorrow. Those of us who know You, may we welcome those who do not usually attend church and who may therefore feel uncomfortable and out of their depth. By our welcome in Jesus’ Name may those who need you and those who know you walk together in renewed obedience to Jesus. Together may our hearts praise You and our words of confession be deep and true. Direct us in all holy living which is the greatest adventure and the highest blessing possible. Glory and honour, dominion and power belong to You Father, Son and Holy Spirit, now and forevermore. Amen.

March 29, 2019 -- Isaiah 46:8 - 11 -- Sure God is real? Yes!

“Remember this and stand firm,
    recall it to mind, you transgressors,
9     remember the former things of old;
for I am God, and there is no other;
    I am God, and there is none like me,
10 declaring the end from the beginning
    and from ancient times things not yet done,
saying, ‘My counsel shall stand,
    and I will accomplish all my purpose,’
11 calling a bird of prey from the east,
    the man of my counsel from a far country.
I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass;
    I have purposed, and I will do it.

Isaiah 46:8-11 ESV

How can God be real? The first objection is often made because people who appear to be good suffer. Remember that no one is good, not one. Every person sins in words, in thoughts, in action and in leaving good works undone. The second question related to “how can God be real?” is this: there is too much evil in the world. You can see it in the tyranny of rulers. You can see the evil in bloodshed and wars. (BTW there is great irony in this, many who ask it are evolutionists. Those who believe in evolution claim they do not actually believe in good nor evil, only in brute survival of the fittest. Pitiless time and chance govern all things. Yet all flesh, all men and women, are created in the image of God, the most godly right across the spectrum to the worst sinner, all of us bear the stamp of God on us so that good and evil tug against our conscience!)

This passage from Isaiah is so comforting. From the beginning God promised what would take place. Psalm 2 reminds us that rulers, for all their apparent power, will one day be thrown down. The prophets, like Jonah and Nahum, show how God is in charge of nations, even nations that refuse to acknowledge Him. The example is Nineveh. That warring, bloodthirsty, vicious nation had the LORD’s own prophet sent to them. They repented and believed. And they were spared. A few generations later Nahum predicted the fall of Nineveh and its defeat was catastrophic. The LORD told the end from the beginning.

The greatest promise of Scripture is that Jesus Christ would come: the Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world. No matter the violence, the upheavals, the destruction of the nations of Israel (the Northern Kingdom) and Judah (the two tribes torn away from Israel and remaining a kingdom under David’s grandson that continued for a number of generations separate from Israel) the Sovereign of Heaven and Earth kept His promise. Jesus came to this earth and by His blood we are cleansed from our sins.

When Jesus returns, all nations, all empires, all kings and paupers, all will be judged. All wrongs will be brought to justice. The Christian sees beyond the chaos of our days and the uneven dealings of corrupt rulers and knows it is King Jesus Who reigns. The Spirit of God guards and keeps believers so that we see the reign of Jesus as it is promised in Scripture. The Spirit of God allows believers to endure the suffering and hardships of our days with the clear and confident hope (not “I hope this or that will happen” but hope that is anchored in Christ Who is seated at the Father’s right hand—hope that is guaranteed) that they will see Jesus face to face. This world is not our final home or resting place. Our life and our future is bound up with Jesus Christ. Hallelujah!

O God our Father, great is Your glorious wisdom. Mighty is Your power. Gracious are You, in showing us the end from the beginning, enough so that our faith can be truly anchored in Jesus Christ. Thank You, King Jesus, for Your steadfast love shown towards ruined sinners. Thank You, Jesus our Saviour for taking away God’s wrath against our sin by bearing the punishment for our sin on Your own body and mind and soul. Thank You, Spirit of God, for the riches of Scripture. Thank You, Spirit of God for opening the promises of the Word to believers so that we can see this world and our circumstances with the eyes of faith and know the victory is guaranteed in Jesus’ Name. Give us, as believers, boldness to proclaim the Truth to our lost family members and friends. Help us declare Your goodness as long as we live. Amen.

March 28, 2019 -- John 14:6 -- Sure about heaven?

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.

No one comes to the Father except through me.”

John 14:6 ESV

This is a passage that is so familiar to many people. It is often read at funerals as a passage of assurance and comfort. I wonder something though. When this passage is read do those who hear it understand what Jesus is saying?

Let me ask a different question: How does one ‘get to heaven’? In response to this question many answers are offered:

~I have been good, so I hope the good I do outweighs the evil I do (it doesn’t)

~Whatever I’ve done isn’t as bad as what others do, like serial killers or politicians (you are just as guilty)

~I just expect in the next life there will be peace and fun times (this is a groundless hope without Jesus)

The words of Jesus are actually pretty shocking. The way to ‘get to heaven’ is through Jesus Christ alone. God has set the standard for entry into His holy presence and that standard is to have one’s sins fully cleansed. Any stain of sin, a lie, an impure thought, an episode of unwarranted or unrestrained anger, failure to honour God as His Name is due honour—any one of those sins just listed is enough to bar heaven’s gate against you.

Who then can enter heaven? In fact it is Jesus alone Who earned the right to enter heaven. He was without sin. He not only did everything commanded by God in the Law., more than this even, whenever an opportunity to do good was presented to Him, Jesus acted on it. As such, He was the sinless One. God the Father put on Jesus the sins of us all. At the cross Jesus took on Himself the punishment of God against sin. Those who believe in Jesus and follow Him have their sins washed away and by His holiness have the right to enter heaven. Those who believe in Jesus have His goodness, His righteousness credited to their account.

There is no other way to heaven. There is no other religion or god who can give access to the One True God. There is no other Saviour, but Jesus. And the Bible shows us this clearly. The Spirit of Truth, a.k.a. the Holy Spirit, shows us this in the written word—the Bible. The Spirit confirms all that Jesus says is true.

Jesus, Who is like You? A man might die for his child. A soldier might give his life in service to his country. But who gives himself to death for his enemies? Who offers kindness and forgiveness in the place of insult and scourging like You do, Lord Jesus. Therefore You are honoured and praised and Your precious Name is above every Name on earth and in heaven. Blessed as You. We believe, help us overcome any lingering doubts, so that our faith and our confidence rest on You alone. Amen.

March 26, 2019 -- Psalm 50:14-15 -- Defeating a "Prayer Buster"

Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving,

and perform your vows to the Most High,

and call upon me in the day of trouble;

I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.

Psalm 50:14-15 English Standard Version

Recently I wrote about “prayer busters”—things that hinder our praying. This morning’s text touches on one such “prayer buster”: a lack of gratitude. It is easy to call on God in desperate times. It is almost an unconscious habit to throw up a stream of “help me! God please help” when the crisis looms but what happens when the crisis is passed? Do you then turn to God and offer to Him the sacrifice of praise? When the Most High God has answered your prayer, do you stop what you are doing, take the time to glorify God and acknowledge the Living God of Power Himself answered you in His mercy?!

Why does this matter?

When we offer praise and glory to God in response to answered prayer, we recognize it is not our strength our giftedness that won the day, it is the LORD Himself Who showed us kindness.

When we thank God for His answers the work of Jesus Christ is revealed in our hearts. Remember that God hears us because of the accomplished work of Jesus. Our sins, which would keep us far from this Holy God, our sins have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ and by Jesus’ work we are called beloved sons and daughters of God.

When we thank God for His answers prayer is recognized as a conversation. There are two parties in prayer: one is the God Who listens and answers and the other is the person who speaks to God.

When we thank God for His deliverance our witness to the Great King of Heaven is enhanced. It becomes part of our testimony, as with the writer of this psalm, to tell others how God remembers His people. This psalm writer lived in a generation that ignored the Most High and acted as if He does not answer or care for His people or discipline and rebuke His people. The psalm-writer has seen the goodness of God and speaks of His greatness.

Blessed be Your Name O God of salvation! Thank You for answered prayer. Thank You for life. Thank You for this new day. Thank You for Your love that surrounds us so faithfully and such love most extravagantly shown to us in Jesus Christ. Thank You for the Scriptures which declare Your goodness. Thank You for the Holy Spirit Who teaches us Scriptures’ sacred truth and leads us in the way of life. Thank You for the gift of prayer, this conversation between the Most High God and believers. Increase our desire to speak with You and joy in hearing You in the pages of Scripture and answers to prayer until that great and glorious day when we shall see You face to face. Amen.

March 25, 2019 -- Proverbs 14:14 -- Halting Backsliding

The backslider in heart will be filled with the fruit of his ways,
    and a good man will be filled with the fruit of his ways.

Proverbs 14:14 ESV

Yesterday I heard a powerful sermon delivered by Rev. S. Richardson, of Faith Presbyterian Church, Tillsonburg. In Rev. Richardson’s sermon he quoted from Richard Owen Roberts. This morning I was digging around and found a sermon by Richard Owen Roberts. The sermon was on Backsliding. I am going to quote from Roberts’ sermon. It is worth reading the whole sermon and you can find it here: http://articles.ochristian.com/article542.shtml

The first question some of you may have is this: what is a ‘backslider’? I’ll let Roberts answer. “There you have it - a backslider is a person who once emptied of his own ways and filled with the ways of God, but who gradually allows his own ways to creep back in until he is all but empty of God and full of himself again.”

What are some signs that you are backsliding? The following quotations, points 1 - 5, are just a few of the main points and are taken directly from Owen’s article. It is that powerful!

1. Prayer ceases to be a vital part of a professing Christian’s life. It is grievous to realize that many churches have no public prayer meeting of any kind. More upsetting is the fact that many individual Christians have no regular stated seasons of private prayer during which they commune alone with God. How can a person be both Christian and prayerless?

2. The quest for biblical truth ceases and one grows content with the knowledge of eternal things already acquired. Almost all backsliders demonstrate a sense of satisfaction with the truth already in their possession.

3. Earnest thoughts about eternal things cease to be regular and gripping. In the early days of a person's new walk with Christ, the mind continually turns toward spiritual matters. When backsliding commences, the mind turns less and less toward heaven, God, eternity and holiness. In the earliest stages of the decline, spiritual thoughts may come frequently, but they are less gripping. As a person becomes more and more filled with his own ways, there will simply be less room for thoughts of eternity.

4. The services of the church lose their delights.

5. Pointed spiritual discussions are a source of embarrassment. The person on fire for Jesus Christ delights in every opportunity to talk about Him. No place seems inappropriate for vital spiritual conversation. When backsliding begins, the church seems like the best place to discuss religious matters.

What will stem the tide of this backsliding? What will bring the soul delight?

Be encouraged, child of God, if these words are convicting you. It means the Spirit of God is awakening you to the true condition of your heart and soul!

Pray. Ask the Spirit of God to re-awaken in you joy that can only come from the wells of salvation (Isaiah 12:3). Confess you backsliding. Admit to God specifically what areas of your life are crowding God out. Pray that you will know Jesus Christ. He is Desired One of all Nations. He is the Friend that sticks closer than a brother.

Spend time in the Word of God. Ask the Spirit of God to make the Word of God alive to you once again. When Jesus explained the Scriptures to the two men on the Road to Emmaus they said to one another “did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us…while he opened to us the Scriptures?” (Luke 24:32)

Meet with Christians whose walk you admire! Hebrews 10:25 reminds us to meet together with other Christians so that we can encourage one another, and all the more as we see the Day of Jesus’ return quickly approaching. Oh how our hearts beat faster within our souls at the thought of this!

Sing! The Psalms continually call the people of God to sing the Truth. Music has a way of getting into the very core of who we are and either bringing curses or blessings.

Give thanks to God. Count your blessings. Look and see all that God has done, is doing and in His Word has promised to do. Your heart will swell with wonder and awe and you will bless the Lord.

Today’s prayer is a song “Revive Us Oh Lord”

We've turned from Your ways
Lord Your fruit we've ceased to bear
We lack the power we once knew in our prayers
That gentle voice from heaven
We cease to hear and know
The fact that He has risen no longer stirs our soul

Revive us oh Lord
Revive us oh Lord
And cleanse us from our impurities
And make us holy
Hear our cry
And revive us oh Lord

Though we've been unfaithful
We have never been disowned
The spirit that raised Christ from the dead
Compels us to His throne!

Revive us oh Lord
Revive us oh Lord
And cleanse us from our impurities
And make us holy
Hear our cry
And revive us,

Revive us oh Lord
Revive us oh Lord
And cleanse us from our impurities
And make us holy
Hear our cry
And revive us 'oh Lord!

Revive us oh Lord
Revive us oh Lord
And cleanse us from our impurities '

Songwriters: LICCIARDELLO CARMAN D / CAMP STEVEN JOHN

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_qgpeHJ9a8

March 23, 2019 -- I Timothy 4:8 -- Work-outs in Faith

for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.

I Timothy 4:8 ESV

Recently I heard someone say “my body is my life-long project”. This is a person who struggled with periodic weight gain and weight loss. As the person talked it was obvious there were all kinds of fad diets and yo-yo dieting. What really grabbed me in this morning’s text is the thought that our spiritual health is our life-long project. Training in godliness is the project of our mind, our soul, our heart and our bodies. The athlete trains physically and mentally, the godly engage everything in every part of life bringing it all into submission to Christ.

The athlete has to overcome excuses for not training; the godly also have to overcome excuses for not training. The motivation for the godly is the awareness of Who Christ is.

The athlete has to be careful with his schedule so that he plans his training; the godly must also guard their schedule so that there is time for Bible reading, prayer, and reflection on the Word of God.

The athlete has to know the rules of her sport; so the godly must know the righteous rules God sets down for holy living.

The athlete willingly gives up certain activities in order to stay “fighting fit”; so the godly choose what to do and what not to engage in so that the heart and the mind, the soul and the reputation are fit for Jesus, the Captain of our Salvation.

The athlete trains in order to get a gold medal, or recognition in a sport; the godly train being coached by the Spirit Who directs us by the Bible with the life-long focus of one-day seeing Jesus Christ face-to-face and knowing Jesus will bring us to our Father in heaven. This is what sustains the godly in this life and motivates us for the life to come: Eternity in the presence of God, in Whose presence already now and infinitely more fully then, is complete and perfect joy.

Tomorrow is Sunday. Plan of going to church. Plan on busting through the excuses and inertia which for so long have kept you from God. Decide now that you will join in with the glad-heated who seek God and worship Him on Sunday and delight in Him all through the week.

God, the Joy of all who seek You, thank You that You reveal Yourself in the Bible. Thank You for the Spirit Who directs us in training for godliness. Thank You for Jesus Christ by Whom believers are new creatures, the old has passed away and the new has taken hold. Thank You that in Jesus each day is a new start, a new opportunity for training in godliness. Thank You that You, O Father, take ruined sinners and totally remake us in Christ. Thank You that as long as we have life and breath, Your Spirit can train us in godliness which has such value now in every way and leads to the blessing of eternity in glorious Presence of the God of Joy. King Jesus, reap the reward for which You came to earth: sons and daughters who belong to God. Amen.

March 22, 2019 -- Hebrews 8:1,13 -- Jesus the Final High Priest

Now the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven…

In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete.

And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.

Hebrews 8:1,13 ESV

Jesus is the High Priest—the last one ever needed. It is made clear in the last verse of our reading today. The Mosaic Covenant is obsolete. It is ended because Jesus Christ is the full and final sacrifice Who takes away the sins of the world. We still follow the Ten Commandments, because they are the Moral Law. The Ten Commandments show us the way of holy living, as followers of Jesus Christ.

Hebrews was written a few years before the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem. Even though Jesus Christ had come. Even though Jesus Christ had taken away the sins of the world. Even though Jesus Christ was the last priest ever needed. Still the Jewish people were sacrificing at the temple. Still the Levites and priests were going through the rituals prescribed in the Old Testament as if these were needed. Soon even the empty forms would be wiped away and there’d be no more temple, no more priesthood, no more sacrifices: these were becoming obsolete. Hebrews makes it clear why this is so: Jesus is the fulfilment of all of these things and the work of all these people.

The Jewish faith is obsolete. As it currently stands it is an insult to the work of Jesus Christ. They refused the very Messiah they had waited for all those centuries upon centuries. And the Jewish people today refuse the very Messiah they claim they await.

Today, pray for the Jewish people, that they will receive Jesus as the True Messiah, their long-awaited King.

Pray for the Jewish people, that they will not look backwards at all that was, but embrace Jesus Christ, Who is now seated at the right-hand of the Father—the very righteous One Moses foretold would come. Jesus Himself when He walked on this earth said to Jewish leaders, “If you had believed in Moses, you would have believed in Me, for Moses spoke of Me. (John 5:46).

King Jesus blessed are You. Our High Priest, thank You for Your sacrifice. Thank You that by Your accomplished work believers are called sons and daughters of the Most High God. Thank You Jesus, for Your Holy Spirit given to believers to lead us in all truth! Thank You for the rich truth of the Bible illuminated by the Spirit, the same Spirit Who inspired the original authors, so that we can know Your will. Thank You Jesus for Your love for all people, and Your special love for the Jewish people. This day, may the knowledge of Who You are, the Messiah of the Jews and the Gentiles, become ever clearer and ever dearer especially to the Jewish people. May the longing of every Jewish heart finally be fulfilled in You, Jesus. Amen.

March 20, 2019 -- Proverbs 19:3 -- Empty raging or fulfilled peace

When a man’s folly brings his way to ruin,

his heart rages against the LORD.

Proverbs 19:3 ESV

It is the fool who says in his heart “there is no god”. So the foolish person lives suppressing the knowledge of God. It is that very same knowledge of God which once-in-awhile pricks his conscience and pushes against the periphery of his self-awareness—denying the very God he is fighting against. This very same foolish person will, as we all do, encounter life’s challenges and troubles and at that moment he will become furious with the very God he claimed doesn’t exist. He is angry because he knew all along God does exist. His heart rages because his folly has caught him out. He rages because he was caught out—the very God he knew all along existed, Whose creation has built-in consequences and outcomes, this God has proven His Word true and the foolish man feels resentment and spite towards God.

A bit later in this very chapter of Proverbs one reads: “The fear of the LORD leads to life, and whoever has it rests satisfied; he will not be visited by harm” (verse 23). A man who fears the LORD lives desiring to please the LORD, he does not want any of his actions to betray that love he has for God. When troubles come, as they do to all people, it will not harm his faith in God or shake his relationship with Him. God reassures us: “we know that for those who love God all things work together for good” (Romans 8:28 ESV). This means health and sickness, plenty or poverty, war and peace, disaster and calm, all circumstances, life and death even, God works all things together for the good of those who love Him. His goodness will shine through no matter what. The fool rages because he is living, trying to deny this. The wise man looks to God and like a child who sticks up his hand to his father is confident that his father will take his hand and bring him through whatever a blustery storm threatens.

Even here, at the point of the fool’s raging, God shows His mercy. Jesus invites him: “Come to Me all you who are weary and burdened (who are raging and getting spent) and I will give you rest.” Jesus extends His hand, the hand that stilled the water and quieted storms, and says find peace in Me. What a glorious invitation. If you want to know how to walk in such peace, find a Christian whose walk with God you respect and admire and ask him about Jesus. If you need the raging to stop, speak with a Christian who you know and ask her to lead you to Jesus.

With the prophet Jeremiah and the long-ago hymn-writer we declare to You: Great is Your faithfulness, O God my Father. Thank You for giving to us Jesus Christ, the Rock of our Salvation and our Shield in every storm. Thank You, Spirit of the Living God, for making the truth of scripture white hot to our hearts as “yes” and “amen” on every page. Giver of Every Good Gift, we pray for our dear friends and family members who are raging against You and needing You more than ever. Help them to find their heart’s home in You. Give to us, who love You and trust in You, hearts that are sensitive enough to discern when a weary loved one needs to meet with You, Jesus. Thank You for the gift of this day. Thank You, Faithful God, for every reminder of Your nearness in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

March 8 2019 -- II Corinthians 1:8-11 -- Combating Lifeless Prayers

8 For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. 9 Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. 10 He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. 11 You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.

II Corinthians 1:8-11 English Standard Version (ESV)

Are you plagued by lifeless prayer? You want to pray, but it seems so, I don’t know, dull and small? Today’s reading is a powerful reminder of the great need for and the explosive power of prayer. Paul and his companions were so stretched and exhausted in the work of the Gospel and under so much persecution they despaired of life itself! Why would God allow this?

So that these men would rely on God alone.

So that those praying for them would know that God chooses to work through the prayers of His people.

So that all involved would know it was God Himself Who saved them and gave them the power they needed to endure. Their human strength had failed. When they triumphed then all their boasting would be in Him alone!

So that the community of faith would know the urgent necessity of prayer.

Perhaps so many of our prayers are lifeless because we do not see the needs others have, their desperate situation and urgent need for relief. Our love for our friends and family would drive us to our knees banging at the doors of heaven’s throne room of mercy and help IF we really understood others are relying on our prayers to God on their behalf.

Perhaps our prayers are lifeless because we are so self-absorbed. Our prayers will explode into life when we see the vast spheres of influence He gives us in Christ when we take our eyes off ourselves and pray, earnestly and truly pray, for others.

Perhaps our prayers are lifeless because we hear the needs, but do not tell others the victories. When we were in the pit of despair we asked for help. When the help arrived did we take the time to praise God and tell the other prayer warriors: “See what God has done for me! Listen to how God answered!” As prayers have been answered, those united in prayer would have ever increasing reasons to bless the Name of God.

Perhaps our prayers are lifeless because we do not truly see where Jesus is. King Jesus is seated in power next to God the Father. Jesus directs the life of believers by His prayers on our behalf. Jesus helps believers in response to their prayer by His Spirit and His Word. Jesus brings to bear our Father’s great love by pointing to His nail-scarred hands and feet and reminding His Father—for these I suffered, Father, so that You would receive the honour and glory and Your beloved children would be lifted from death to life.

O God, our boast is of You, all the day long. Give us ears to hear the cries of our friends and neighbours. Give us softened hearts so that we will pray with greater urgency and love. Give us clarity of sight so that we can discern Your answer to prayer. In all this, we pray, Lord Jesus Christ, may Your Name be praised. In all this, King Jesus, may our faith increase. In all this, we pray, that we may join together in giving thanks to You O God Who Hears Prayer, for all the blessings You have granted. Amen.

Note, I am on hiatus for Spring Break (March 9 - 19) so that I too may be refreshed and prepared afterwards to continue blogging for His glory

March 6 2019 -- Revelation 3:5-6 -- Too busy to not pray!

5 The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. 6 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

Revelation 3 English Standard Version

These are the words written centuries ago to the church in Sardis—a church that had a reputation of being alive, looking like they really followed Jesus—but in fact, were dead. The grace of Jesus Christ is found in these things: He sent a prophet, John to rouse them from their slumber; He is giving them ample warning; He promises He has already supplied all their needs by His Word and Holy Spirit so that they could conquer the inertia and deadness that was causing them such internal rot.

Those words, written to Sardis so long ago, have been preserved because we need to hear them as well. We need to wake up. We are called to walk in the New Life only Jesus can give. It is hard work.

Do you find yourself struggling to pray and keep a regular time of Bible reading? You are, unfortunately, not alone! The moment we make a commitment to do this, the battle is on. In his book, Prayer, O. Hallesby writes: “Instinctively and automatically it [our old, sinful nature] will mobilize all the reasons it can conceive of for not praying now: You’re too busy; your mind is too preoccupied; your heart is not inclined toward prayer…”

What a glorious image is given to us in Revelation 3. The one who conquers, fighting against his own sinful nature will have Jesus Himself stand and confess his name in the presence of the Father! It is almost too beautiful to contemplate! The woman who will not cave in to putting anything before Jesus, things like: social media, or friends, or family, work or money, but will give her first and best thoughts to Jesus Christ in prayer and scripture reading and lives her life in obedience to Him will hear Jesus say: “Father, welcome this daughter with the crown of life.”

Let me be clear, we do not, we can not earn our way to heaven! The work is always Jesus’ work. He lived a perfect sinless life. He was punished in our place. The sins we commit because of which we should spend eternity in hell have been placed on and punished upon the Person of Jesus. When the Father declared us guilty, Jesus stepped up and said, “I will bear their guilt and their punishment!”. And in exchange we receive His righteousness. What a glorious Savior!

Then why do we live for Him? Why do we strive to conquer our sinful, old nature? Because we love Him so intensely we desire to live for HIm and show Him our thankful hearts by our words, our thoughts, our actions and our refusing the old patterns of sin. What if we fail? What if we slip up? Confess it. Remember the context of our passage today. Jesus was warning a church that had gone off the rails and was not acting or living like Jesus-followers should live. So, in His mercy He warned them and called them back to Himself. That is the time we live in now—we hear Jesus’ warning and His invitation: “Come to me. Lay down the burdens of sin and the chains holding you down—leave behind your sinful nature.” In Jesus Christ we are new, a completely new creation—the old has passed away, and look, the new has taken hold.

One of my favorite pastors, Rev. Timmer, used to say: “My old, sinful nature was drowned at my baptism. But he is such a strong swimmer, I have to hold him down under the water again and again.” Our old nature will always lead us to sin. We use our freedoms for sin and evil only. We cannot chose what is right. So how is this scripture passage at all hopeful? If it is stirring your heart, and causing your soul to respond, then know this: Jesus’ words are for you. He is calling you to wake up and live for Him. He is also promising He will give you the strength you need, the Holy Spirit, so that you can make it, every step of the way.

Charles Wesley wrote the hymn “And Can It Be?”. The third verse reads:

He left His Father’s throne above—
So free, so infinite His grace—
Emptied Himself of all but love,
And bled for Adam’s helpless race:
’Tis mercy all, immense and free,
For, O my God, it found out me!

Refrain:
Amazing love! How can it be,
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?

C. Wesley, published 1738

God of infinite kindness and patience, with King David of old, we cannot help but pray: “who am I Lord? And what is my family that You should bring us so far?!” Though we sin a hundred times, Your forgiveness over reaches it a thousands times. Help us to walk in Your amazing love. Help us to set aside our schedules and our excuses and live for Jesus. Revive us so that what was dead can now be raised to life for the glory of Jesus Christ, our King. Amen.

March 5, 2019 -- Proverbs 3:1-2 -- Heart check up

My son, do not forget my teaching,

but let your heart keep my commandments,

for length of days and years of life

and peace they will add to you.

Proverbs 3:1-2 ESV

“I honestly don’t know why I just did that.” Ever say that to yourself? Perhaps you’d promised not to overeat and you find yourself at the family potluck eating your third dessert. “Why’d I just do that,” you wonder. Or maybe you’d said you were not going to join in with the office gossipy group and, technically you didn’t join in, but you didn’t object, and you didn’t leave when it started and you laughed at others with them. And you left the reputation bruising conversation feeling guilty saying to yourself “I wasn’t going to do that, why did I?!”. Maybe you’d wanted to get more organized but three days later the laundry is unfolded, the room isn’t cleaned and the dishes are still in the sink and you didn’t put out the trash for garbage day. So much for getting organized. “Why don’t I do what I say I’m going to do?”

The writer of Proverbs is calling us to go deeper. Examine your heart. The narrative that your heart tells is the script your thoughts and hands actually follow. With regards to overeating, perhaps you are telling yourself you deserve this, just this once. And you say the same later in the day. Finally the day is wrecked anyways, and you feel the familiar prompt: “go ahead, indulge and tomorrow, or next Monday will be different and the start of something new.”

The passage of scripture is teaching us to keep God’s commandments in our heart. The centre of our being, out of which flows all thoughts and actions, is our heart. By this text we invited to store up and ponder the commandments of God at the very source of our doing: in our heart. When the knives come out at the office, it is the commandments of God that guards you by having your conscience shout at you “Do not murder”. Jesus’ teaching reminds us that we are always to seek the good of others. So, when the knives come out at the office, call people on it. Or walk away. Let the words stored up in your heart guide your actions. This accords with the Word of God.

No one can do this perfectly. I know I’ll fail. There will be a few days of doing better and then failure once again. You have touched the nerve of the issue. At the centre of this whole teaching is not “try harder”. That is a recipe for discouragement, more failure and hardening in the pathway of sinfulness. Instead, note that the commandments add peace to your life. Christ Himself is our peace. Jesus is the Prince of Peace. What does this mean?

The commandments of God show us the rules for holy living. Since God made us, He has the right to determine how we are to live. The commandments show us how far we are from living as He directs. And with the commandments as our mirrors we go to God and cry out: “who will save me from this body of death?” Thanks be to God in our Lord Jesus Christ—in Jesus we have our sins, failings and shame completely forgiven. Jesus was punished at the cross for our sin. Jesus took our place. He also lived the perfect life, never sinned. The commandments of God were always stored up in His heart and always guided His every word, thought and deed. This right way of living is credited to us, to all who believe in Jesus Christ. What a glory and what a blessing can be ours.

So, what difference does this make? We go to God and thank HIm for this teaching, this truth that Jesus is our peace. In Jesus we become completely new. We no longer live for ourselves, we live for Him. As the hymn-writer teaches us to sing out: “O Jesus, Lord and Saviour, I give myself to Thee, for Thou in Thine atonement, didst give Thyself for me. I own no other Master, my heart shall be Thy throne. My life I give henceforth to live, O Christ for Thee alone.” (Thomas O. Chrisholm, 1917) Suddenly the mountain of laundry and the dishes piled up are not insurmountable. In each piece folded and every utensil washed, we are declaring our love for our Savior. We are in our daily living, giving ourselves in service to Him. Whether or not the family is grateful or ungrateful, whether or not you are thanked, your work is offered to Him Who is seated at the Father’s right-hand, King Jesus.

Again, will there be times we fail? Yes. Will there be times we don’t want to try? Of course. So what do we do? We bring this to our Savior. We do not forget His teaching that it is not our efforts that save us. We are saved by the accomplished work of Jesus Christ. He grew tired in His flesh, but never gave up. He was weary and without a permanent home or place to rest His head and despite this He served His Father without flinching. It was by the Spirit, given to Jesus without measure or limit, that Jesus was able to live so wholeheartedly and perfectly in obedience to the Father. It is the gift of Jesus to every believer, that we should have the Holy Spirit. In the strength of the Spirit we can serve, live, and obey sacrificially.

Blessed are You, O LORD, our Father. You give wisdom and You give life.

Blessed are You, King Jesus, our Life and our Peace.

Blessed are You, Spirit of the Living God, source of the believer’s strength and Giver of all good instruction.

At the start of this new day, give to us, Your true servants, hearts that treasure Your commandments. As these new inclinations of our hearts work their way into our thoughts and actions, let the glory of God shine out in all we do. Amen.

March 2, 2019 -- Proverbs 2:1-15 -- No easy believism

 My son, if you receive my words
    and treasure up my commandments with you,
2 making your ear attentive to wisdom
    and inclining your heart to understanding;
3 yes, if you call out for insight
    and raise your voice for understanding,
4 if you seek it like silver
    and search for it as for hidden treasures,
5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord
    and find the knowledge of God.
6 For the Lord gives wisdom;
    from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;
7 he stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
    he is a shield to those who walk in integrity,
8 guarding the paths of justice
    and watching over the way of his saints.
9 Then you will understand righteousness and justice
    and equity, every good path;
10 for wisdom will come into your heart,
    and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul;
11 discretion will watch over you,
    understanding will guard you,
12 delivering you from the way of evil,
    from men of perverted speech,
13 who forsake the paths of uprightness
    to walk in the ways of darkness,
14 who rejoice in doing evil
    and delight in the perverseness of evil,
15 men whose paths are crooked,
    and who are devious in their ways.

Proverbs 2 ESV

Notice the hard work it takes to gain wisdom. One must receive wisdom from an experienced believer in Jesus Christ. One must treasure up wisdom (which is contrary to the ways of the world). It takes great intentionality to make the ear attentive to wisdom, and it is hard-ground-bone-breaking work to soften the sin-gripped heart so that you will be seeking understanding. Notice the writer is telling the seeker: cry out for it, seek it like seeking silver, search it out. This is all active language.

One of my “guilty pleasures” is watching those weight loss shows. A very overweight person is given the chance of a lifetime to lose the weight. A personal trainer comes to help. A nutritionist gets involved. The family members are told to chuck all the junk food. The trainer pusher the person further than he’d ever thought he could go. The trainer helps the woman overcome the mental barriers that she’d set up. It is a great illustration of the overweight Christian. It is a harsh, but true portrayal of the one considering seeking God. We are lazy. We want to pray and instantly get what we prayed for. We want it all with no effort. I include myself in this brutal assessment!

My New Year’s resolution was/is to lose a pound a week and memorize one verse of scripture a day (reviewing the six memorized verses each Sunday in order to cement these verses to memory). There is no personal trainer. The trainer has not thrown out all junk food in the home. No host of the “Help Richard memorize Scripture and lose weight show” has gone to family and friends and said: “Stop placing temptations in his path”. I realize there is no easy path to achieving my New Year’s goals. Stil, they are worthy goals. I am currently not doing well in these goals. However, it is worth redoubling my efforts and pressing on. But if you see me, please encourage me!

In the same way, as we recognize our spiritual failings in searching out the highest, most important goal ever: to know Jesus Christ and the power of His resurrection—it is worth redoubling our efforts. The spiritual goal is not just to have us escape the fires of hell. The goal of knowing Jesus Christ means we find in Him a shield to guard our integrity. In Jesus Christ we find fullness of life, exactly as God created us to live it. By the Word and Holy Spirit, we are protected from the ways of cheating, of compromise—all of which are the pathway straight to the fires of damnation and hell. Hell is reserved for those who know God but live like He doesn’t exit. Romans 1 tells us every single person knows God—the creation declares His glory and His eternal attributes. No one has any excuse before God.

Knowing Jesus Christ does not mean we will never fail. It means we examine our lives against the mirror of His excellencies and grace and admit our failures to Him. We know our failures have been punished on His Person at the cross. So we search for His strength as we press on to know Him better. It is our growing desire to obey Him truly and love Him more fully. It is Jesus Himself Who is prompting us to seek Him. C.S. Lewis described God as: the hound of heaven chasing down the most reluctant convert.

Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.

Tomorrow is Sunday. Plan on going to a Bible-believing church. Find a friend to go with you. If you know a person whose faith you admire, get to church with her or ask to join him. Be prepared to struggle and wrestle for what is true and excellent. Anything worth having is worth fighting for. Know this: God has sparked in you this desire to know Him. How can I be sure? You have read this far. Do no doubt He will give you the tools you need and the strength to push through any obstacle.

God of Heaven—You are worth all the best efforts we can muster! You are excellent beyond all our imagining. You are greater than any picture we’ve ever had of Who You Are. We admit to feeling the pin-pricks of conscience. We know the promptings that irritate our hearts and spoil our comfortable sinfulness. Thank You that You will not leave us in the pig-slop of our sins and shame. Thank You for pushing us, giving to us the Personal Trainer called the Spirit of Holiness Who hounds us and chases us and encourages us to achieve the greatest goal ever: knowing Jesus Christ. Today, God of Kindness, if we hear You knocking on the door of our hearts, help us to respond to You. Let the seeker find. Let the sinner confess. May the lazy Christian get up and act in the way of wisdom. And let all of us, tomorrow in worship, welcome each one in Jesus’ glorious Name. Amen.

March 1, 2019 -- Psalm 27:14 -- Waiting

Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!

Psalm 27:14 ESV

I hate waiting. Right now I am in the place of waiting. My resume is out and in the hands of a number of potential employers…but things seem, to me, to be stalled out. I can be so impatient! How urgently I need the wisdom of this verse.

The sense of the Psalm is to wait with anticipation and eagerness. The sense of waiting here is that the LORD will unfold His purposes and those who did not waver in their waiting will be rewarded. What will be their reward? Great question. Look over Psalm 27. The prayer requests have been: to dwell in the house of the LORD; to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD; to inquire in His temple. Then the next stanza of the psalm intensifies the request: he will seek after the face of the LORD, he is asking that God will not hide His face from him.

How does one get strong and take courage while eagerly waiting for the LORD?

The Psalmist begins the Psalm 27 with praise. The LORD is my light and my salvation. Praise honours God. Praise magnifies God in our own hearts and minds so that we see the LORD in His rightful place, above all the storms and questions of our lives. And the LORD, in the glory and splendour of Heaven is willing to help, powerful to bring His grace.

The Psalmist prays to the LORD—The Covenant/Promise-Keeping God. Though his situation seems dire, the psalmist having praised God is assured of God’s ability, willingness, and desire to help and bring about the change needed in the life of David—the writer of this psalm.

The praise and prayer changes in the third stanza. Suddenly the psalmist isn’t so much seeking deliverance from enemies and troubles, he is asking to know God better. The enemies and threats have resulted in waiting which makes David reflect on the eager expectation of knowing God Himself. Not merely salvation from trouble, not just relief from enemies—in the middle of the storm, his prayers have become focused on something entirely new: to know God Himself better.

Our life’s purpose is not to be happy, or get rich. A life well-lived is not a life in which we have a wide circle of friends of perfect family life. Our life’s purpose is to know God and serve Him alone. This life is the waiting room wherein we learn either to love the Living God or we grow to hate Him and in our puniness try to rebel against Him.

Those who rebel against Him will be judged when Jesus returns. The price of rejecting the God of Glory is to receive the declaration of guilt. People are judged guilty for rejecting the God they know exists. The heavens declare His glory. People are judged for refusing to serve the King of Glory and offering their lives in service to the Devil. There is no neutral ground—one either serves God or one serves the Devil. To be judged guilty is then to be cast into hell with the Devil and all the demons. In hell the torment and punishment never ends. It is a frightening and terrifying prospect.

Those who have learned to wait on God, who desire to see His face and obey Him will be rewarded. Their heart’s desire will be fulfilled and at the judgment the Judge will declare: your sins have been punished upon the Person of Jesus Christ. You are therefore declared righteous, clothed in the goodness of Jesus Christ—enter into the rest of God! What a glorious day that will be.

Waiting for a job. Waiting for biopsy results. Waiting for justice. Waiting for healing of the heart. Waiting for enemies to be stilled. Waiting for anything ultimately is the training ground of the heart and mind—learning to eagerly expect God and thereby to break ranks with the Devil and serve the Living God of Might. For the LORD alone is worth the wait. In fact, in the waiting, He reveals Himself to us as Good, Loving, and Beautiful.

We confess, O God, we think ourselves to be so self-sufficient, until there is a cancer scare. Or our boss at work refuses to acknowledge our hard work. We are shaken by a small tear in our reputation or a financial set-back. Let the storms and trials of this life accomplish their important work: to cause us to turn to You and wait on You. Truly, King Jesus, give us the strength and courage we need to wait on You in joyful obedience. Let Your Word and Holy Spirit instruct us in this life so that for all eternity it will be our soul’s great rapture and bliss to know You better and better. Answer the deepest longing of our heart and soul, the longing we often don’t even realize is prompting all our restlessness and urgent dissatisfaction: the longing to know You, our Maker and King. Amen.

February 27, 2019 -- Luke 18:7-8 -- Will God find faith?

And will not God give give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?

Luke 18:7-8 ESV

This morning I was scanning some great quotations from many august scholars and great churchmen, luminaries of past decades and centuries. Words that might stir us up from our lethargy and waken the soul. The great soul-stirrer and luminary is Christ Himself. He taught us to pray without ceasing. He gave the parable of the unjust judge who refused to help a widow. Repeatedly she went to this judge until, finally, in exasperation, he grudgingly granted her request. The point Jesus made is this: we serve the Good Father, Giver of every good gift. Will we persist in prayer until He grants us what is just and good? Then the clincher: when the Son of Man returns, will He find faith on earth?

Jesus’ warning is this: the faith of many falters and will not persist. Prayer is evidence of our faith.

Prayer that is faithful looks to Jesus asking Him to keep His promises. Continue the work You began, Jesus, to seek and save lost sinners.

Prayer that is urgent sees the world through the lens of the Bible—ruined, hell-bent, sinners rushing towards the flames and never-ending punishment of hell—all getting there by dodging Christ, ignoring His nail-scarred hands. Urgently Christians pray that Jesus will stop them and reach them and teach them of His love so that they repent and find in Christ alone life that is full and free.

Prayer that is focused will not fail. Jesus promised: ask and you shall receive, seek and you will find, knock and the door shall be opened to you. By this teaching, coupled with what we read above, we are focused on believing what Jesus said and praying back to Him these promises and persistently asking until we see His answers. It is the glory of Christ to redeem sinners. It is the assured faith of redeemed sinners that prompts us to pray for the glory of Christ to be shown in the lives of those we love, in the lives of co-workers and friends, and in this world.

Prayer that is victorious is prayer flowing from the knowledge that God is not reluctant or impatient with those coming to Him. God is loving. God is willing. God is able to act and answer. He responds to the prayers of His people. The Spirit of God Himself lives in us. The Spirit of God prompts such victorious praying. The question is: are we praying? Do we listen to and obey the urging of the Spirit and the instruction of the Bible? Are we persisting in faithful prayer?

King Jesus forgive our lifeless prayers and our prayerless life! By Your Word and Spirit re-awaken in us a living, fiery passion that loves You and joyfully obeys You. Move us to prayer that is faithful, urgent, persistent and victorious—all that Your Word promises our conversation with You can be. Thank You, Jesus, that You have opened up to us the way to our Father in Heaven! In Him we have both mercy and justice. Thank You that You have our Father’s full attention and love and that You, Lord Jesus, bring to our Father all our needs and all our prayers, fumbling and feeble as they are. God of Glory move us from milk and baby foods, to hearty meals and the meat of truth that will fuel growing faith among Your people here on earth. Amen.