July 15, 2019 -- Daniel 3:1, 4-6 -- Who is God?

King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits and its breadth six cubits…And the herald proclaimed aloud, “You are commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, that when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, you are to fall down and worship the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. And whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace.

Daniel 3:1,4-6 ESV

Yesterday our preacher at Mt. Zion here in Moncton, NB, was a divinity student named: Tim Collins. He did an awesome job explaining this text. What really stood out for me, among other things, was this statement he made: “I am not sure how one commissions a god”. We might chuckle at foolishness of the ancients. A king who sets up a god and people who are naïve enough to bow down. Collins made a great point that shows the relevance for us today.

Consider the idol our own government has set up. While purporting to be a federal government, ruling all the people and respecting all kinds of people and their practices, yet the requirement to apply for federal funding has this despicable basis:

Employers from the not-for-profit, public and private sector may apply for wage contributions under the Canada Summer Jobs initiative.

Private sector employers must have 50 or fewer full-time employees across Canada to be eligible. Full-time employees are those working 30 hours or more per week.

To be eligible, the core mandate of the organization must respect individual human rights in Canada, including the values underlying the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (Charter) as well as other rights. These include reproductive rights and the right to be free from discrimination on the basis of sex, religion, race, national or ethnic origin, colour, mental or physical disability, sexual orientation or gender identity or expression.

The attestation is required for the application to be considered complete and eligible for assessment.

Note: That an organization is affiliated with a religion does not itself constitute ineligibility for this program.

https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/services/funding/canada-summer-jobs/eligibility.html

This is reprehensible. Believers in our Lord Jesus Christ, who are faithful to the Word of God cannot apply for federal funding where the requirement is to endorse the murder of children, let alone the other stipulations which elevate disordered sexuality to the point where even Christian values are required to be subservient to it. If you spend a bit of time thinking about it, you realize, this is how a government today commissions a god. The Canadian government has set up a god by mandating a belief system contrary to the rule of God—the very rule of God which once governed our land. For the Christian the Word of God and allegiance to Jesus Christ supersedes all these false gods.

How then shall we live as Christians?

Pray for our government—that Christian MP’s and MPP’s will be heard. Pray for bold Christian advisors to our government who will speak against the errors of commissioning these false gods. The glorious highlight of Daniel 3 is the confession of Nebuchadnezzar that God is true.

Pray for fellow believers and for yourselves, that we will be able to stand against these draconian regulations. In Daniel 3, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego defied Nebuchadnezzar’s decree. They were thrown into a fiery furnace, but God spared them. Yet before they knew whether or not the LORD would spare they, they made this declaration to the king: “…our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image you have set up” (Daniel 3:17-18).

Live in obedience to Jesus Christ. This is the most potent witness to the world around us. When a non-Christian sees the follower of Jesus Christ living joyfully, boldly, and thankfully in a world that is in rebellion against God, it is such a powerful witness to Christ our King. Remember the words of Daniel 3:17, “we serve” it is an on-going action, faithful service to the Living God, day in and day out, week in and week out.

God of Glory, You spoke through the prophet Isaiah, witnessing to Your majesty when You declared:

“To whom then will you liken God,

or what likeness compare with him?

An idol! A craftsman casts it,

and a goldsmith overlays it with gold

and casts silver for its chains.

He who is too impoverished for an offering

chooses wood that will not rot;

he seeks out a skilled craftsman

to set up an idol that will not move.

To whom will you compare me,

that I should be like him? says the Holy One.

Lift up your eyes on high and see:

who created these?

He who brings out the their hosts by number,

calling them all by name,

by the greatness of His might,

and because he is strong in power

not one of them is missing.

There is no power, no authority, no might, no dominion that is anywhere that is in Your league or even comes close to Your greatness. Sovereign of Heaven and Earth thank You for the men and women who serve in government here in Canada who acknowledge You alone as Lord. Thank You for their dedicated service. Everlasting God, You Who give power to the weak, strengthen us to live as faithful servants of Jesus Christ in this difficult day and age. Rule us by Your Word and Spirit. Amen.

quotation: Isaiah 40:18-20; 25-26 ESV

July 14, 2019 -- Romans 6:20-22 Whose Slave are You?

For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.

But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed?

For the end of those things is death.

But now that you have been set free from sin

and have become slaves of God

the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end,

eternal life.

Romans 6:20-22 English Standard Version

The passage is, in many ways, offensive to those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ. It is offensive because such persons likely do not see themselves as “slaves of sin”. Our world has this concept of neutrality. We can see the world without bias. That is a lie. All of us have a starting point. All of us have our own compass that guides our thinking. In this brief passage, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Paul is taking direct aim at the lie of neutrality.

There are many people today who do not attend church, do not claim a personal relationship with Jesus Christ as the King of their lives, and yet, they believe they will enter heaven. Why? Such people claim many excuses, you’ve heard them, things like:

My good deeds outweigh my bad deeds

God is love and He wouldn’t throw me into hell

There are many people far worse than I am

If you are not all-in for Jesus and serving Him, you are a slave of sin. You have no claim on God, no claim on His righteousness, you are caught up in the tangled webs of your sins and the lies you tell yourself have no impact on God. You are ‘free from righteousness’. God is under no obligation to save you, help you, or bring you into His heaven. The result of being free from righteousness and embracing your own way of life apart from God is death and hell.

Conversely, God in His great mercy, provides freedom from sin for those who are slaves of sin. At the cross on Calvary the penalty for our sins has been fully paid upon the body and mind, soul and life of Jesus. He stood in our place. Those who confess their sinfulness; those who realize they are not “neutral” with regards to sin and wickedness are released from the kingdom of darkness are brought into the kingdom of God and of His Son. The Spirit of God then rules our hearts and minds, our hands and our souls so that we are slaves of God.

Wait—I don’t want to be a slave—I can hear many protesting right now. The fact of the matter is all of us are slaves. We are either slaves of sin or we are slaves of God. There is no middle ground. There is no neutral place. It is not my opinion, it is the Word of God that teaches me this difficult truth. And life experience shows me the reality of it. When I set out to do the right thing, it never ceases to amaze me (and shame me) how quickly and easily I compromise! All any of us needs to do is think of our New Year’s Resolutions—they’re usually knocked down and forgotten quicker than we’d care to admit. We are slaves.

For the Christian, it is the power of God which is restraining our unbridled sinfulness. He rules us by His Word and His Spirit. We are changed from the inside out. In the light of Christ and the high standard He sets for holiness, we see how far we miss the mark of right living. And thanks be to God, we confess our sins and acknowledge our wrong-doing and the righteousness—the holy-living of Jesus—is credited to our account.

As slaves of God He brings the fruit of sanctification—the life of holiness takes hold of us and sin becomes more and more distasteful to us. Sanctification means we grow to admire, love and follow Jesus more whole-heartedly. We begin to see clearly the demarcation between being a slave of sin and being a slave of God and the later is the only way of hope and peace and joy!

This is a difficult teaching. However, if the Spirit of God is giving you a sense of dissatisfaction with your life and an awareness of the power of sin in your life, if you are tired of lying to yourself about how good you are, speak with a Christian friend. Know God is reaching out to you and showing you a new way of life. Jesus Himself says of His followers: “I no longer call you slaves…but I call you friends” (John 15:15). Oh, it is my prayer, that all of you reading this devotion today may find this great joy—being the friend of Jesus.

King Jesus, thank You for the power of the cross. Thank You that You have paid for all my sins! Thank You, Merciful Father in heaven, that You declare men and women, youth and children to be Yours by the power of the cross. Thank You Father in heaven for the gift of Your Holy Spirit—taking the Word and by it wrestling our consciences to the ground until we hate our slavery to sin and become Your slaves. Thank You Jesus, that You call the slaves of God Your friends—for when You walked this earth in Your flesh You lived as the slave of God and did so perfectly and with great joy and perseverance. Jesus, Captain of Salvation, there are many friends, many family members who are lying to themselves and think they are “okay” while in fact they are dead to the things of God and slaves of sin. Break the power of sin, Great Jesus. Help these people who are dear to me, become slaves of God and Your friends. Amen.

July 13, 2019 -- Acts 20:1-4 -- You--make disciples for Jesus

After the uproar ceased, Paul sent for the disciples, and after encouraging them, he said farewell and departed for Macedonia. 2 When he had gone through those regions and had given them much encouragement, he came to Greece. 3 There he spent three months, and when a plot was made against him by the Jews as he was about to set sail for Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia. 4 Sopater the Berean, son of Pyrrhus, accompanied him; and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy; and the Asians, Tychicus and Trophimus.

Acts 20 English Standard Version

According to the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus’ final words were the Great Commission. Jesus commanded His followers to make disciples of all nations. What I so appreciate about Luke’s record of Paul’s ministry is that Paul is always making disciples. He is always teaching others the way of the Master. Such disciples accompany him on his trips. They receive encouraging letters. They pray with him. They join him in his ministry efforts. In all his life and work, he is always bringing people with him who see the reality of his faith and his passion for Jesus.

While reading a back-issue of Christian Renewal I came across this awesome, penetrating quotation:

I find that every church I go to is talking discipleship and disciple-making

as a core value - but I somehow don’t see it. It is what I call a preferred value

rather than an actual value, much like evangelism is in many church

situations. It’s what we are supposed to do - rather than what we do, and I

guess it is because our culture of individualism sees it as a program rather

then a lifestyle of sacrifice and inconvenience.

Christian Renewal April 19, 2019 “Talking a Good Game”, page 5

We are ALWAYS making disciples in one way or another. We are either discipling others in sin and rebellion against God or we are teaching them the joy of obedience. In our rebelliousness we talk about movies, we speak of sports, we analyze our fav TV show endlessly and talk politics and economics, we recruit for our clubs—but we studiously do not talk about Jesus. Not wanting to be offensive to the people in our world we offend the King of Glory. In our work and play, in our social times and school times, do we talk about Jesus? If not, we are discipling for evil, rather than good. All of our life is sacred, it is to be consciously lived in the presence of Christ our Saviour.

Do not embark on a program of disciple-making—let it be how you live. In all your life, work and play, social times and structured times, in sickness and in health, retirement and school times live as a disciple-maker. Here are some suggestions to carry this out:

Ask God: Who have You placed in my life as a potential disciple? I recall a woman who was diagnosed with cancer. She committed this to God and said: “Because of this cancer I’ll meet people I wouldn’t normally meet, help me to witness for You.” As a result, in the oncologist’s waiting room, she invited a couple to church (and they came). She witnessed to her doctor, who was so surprised that she was calm in the face of death—because, she testified, Jesus has defeated the power of the grave!

Commit to God that you will continue your activities with that person (golf, running, coffee visits, meals, whatever it is) and you will speak of God in very conversation. You will shine the light of Christ always.

Expect God will bring into your life someone to disciple and teach. We live in a culture of lonely people—we have cell phones and instagram, Facebook and Zoom, you name it, there are hundreds of ways to connect, and many, many people in our lives are hungry for real friends who talk about things that matter. Be that friend. Intentionally involve that person in various aspects of your life and meet regularly.

Be prepared to be surprised in this wonderful way—the more you share your faith in God and the joy of serving Him, the more you’ll delight in your faith in God and the deeper will be your joy in serving Him.

Sovereign LORD of Heaven and Earth—thank You for choosing me to be Your child by the blood and grace of Jesus Christ. Send Your Spirit to me so that disciple-making will be for me a way of life; send Your Spirit ahead of me so that the person, or people, You intend for me to disciple will be obvious to me. As I pray this, I may feel too old, or too young, too inexperienced or too shy or in some other way unusable as a disciple-maker—but I know this: You chose the foolish things of this world, the weak ones so that no one will boast in their own strength but will boast in Jesus Christ alone whenever and wherever there is victory. Therefore I know this: You chose me to be Your witness and a disciple-maker. In my life, King Jesus, reap the reward of Your suffering all to the glory of our Father in heaven. Amen.

July 12, 2019 -- Numbers 12:3 - - Meekness or Weakness

Now the man Moses was very meek, more than all people who were on the face of the earth.

Numbers 12:3 ESV

The original language in which this verse is written is: Hebrew. The word “meek” is actually used two times in a row. Since the Hebrew language does not have an exclamation point, the doubling up of a word means it is emphatic. The context and remainder of the sentence confirms this, that Moses is more meek than all the people who were on the face of the earth. What an unusual word: “meek”.

Recently I was reading something written by Eric Liddell, the British Olympic Champion of 1924 who refused to run his best competition race, the 100 meter, because the Olympic trials were to be held on a Sunday. Instead, he then registered for the 400 meter trials because these were not held on a Sunday. His biography is the basis of the movie: “Chariots of Fire.” Liddell was also a very well-known missionary to China.

Liddell sketched out a wonderful, simple way to distinguish what it is to be meek. When reading his bible he asked himself what is the difference between “meekness” and “weakness”? Here is what he wrote:

What is the difference? Both may be kind and gentle. Is the difference the element of fear?

Meek—kind and gentle and fearless.

Weak—kind and gentle and led by fear.

Meek—is love in the presence of wrong.

Liddell “Sermon on the Mount: For Sunday School Teachers”

That’s a great aid in discerning what meekness is. I found this very helpful. There are many instances in my life when I am faced with the wrong and it is tempting to get angry—as if a show of anger or temper will help me get my way. But to be kind and gentle, fearless and to speak in love in the presence of wrong, what divine power that has.

In the Beatitudes, Jesus taught: “blessed are the meek”, also written as “blessed are the poor in spirit”. Here meekness is to be filled with the knowledge of Jesus Christ and His victory over our sin, His punishment in our place for all our wrong-doing, and humble willingness then to serve Him in every place and every situation we find ourselves in so that Jesus is lifted high and His Name is credited.

Sometimes I have thought being meek is like being a doormat to everyone in every situation. No way. It is the holy boldness in Jesus Name to stand up for the right in the presence of wrong with and to do so with gentleness and kindness and without fear. Jesus is our Captain. Jesus has our back. Jesus will bring us to the place of Victory whether or not in that particular moment we were able to win the day, by our holy meekness we were able to guard the reputation of Jesus, making His reputation great in our own eyes and before the watching eyes of the world.

Holy Jesus, enable us to walk in meekness before the majesty of Your greatness and live out meekness in every situation You place us in. Remind us that the circumstances of our lives are not happenstances or accidents, but You know all things, direct all things so that we will grow in grace and the people around us will be presented with the glory of Who You Are by how we act. Jesus, forgive us for our willfulness. Forgive us, King Jesus, for the times we have been weak, rather than meek. As the Lord of our lives we ask You to direct our words and actions by Your Spirit living in us and the instruction of the Bible so that in all things we will bring praise and credit to our Father in heaven. Amen.

July 11, 2019 -- Acts 9:10-19 -- Most Unlikely Convert

10 Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” 11 And the Lord said to him, “Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, 12 and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.” 13 But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem. 14 And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name.” 15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. 16 For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” 17 So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized; 19 and taking food, he was strengthened.

Acts 9 ESV

Name the most unlikely convert in your circle of family or friends. Think of the person you know who is most unlikely to become a Christian. What are the chances this man or woman or youth would ever yield to the grace and glory of Jesus Christ? Humanly speaking: no chance. But our passage today shines with the radiance of Jesus Christ and the power of His Kingdom.

In our reading today Ananias is presented as a faithful believer. He has been commanded to pray for Saul (who, one day would be known as Paul the Apostle). Saul killed Christians. Threw Christians in prison. He would be the most unlikely convert ever, certainly as far as Ananias was concerned. Yet God took hold of Saul’s heart and changed him from a man who inflicted suffering on Christians to a man who one day would willingly suffer for the Name and the glory of Jesus, his King.

There is surely a person in your life who needs to know Jesus. A person who, like Saul (Paul) is resisting God and violent in his attitude towards believers. Pray for that person. God’s power and His salvation is greater than all that person’s sin. Be persistent in prayer for the person whom the Spirit has placed on your heart. Pray, knowing if your stubborn and rebellious heart can be conquered for Jesus then so can the life and heart of the one for whom Jesus has commanded you to pray.

King Jesus, as I read the Bible, increase my faith. Help me to see You and know You more fully as the Son of God, full of grace and truth. Give me a greater measure of Your Spirit so that I will pray faithfully and persistently for that person whom You have placed on my heart. God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit let Your glory rise on new believers like the dawn of a new day. Amen.

July 10, 2019 -- John 14:18-19 -- Does the world hate you?

If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.

If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own;

but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world,

therefore the world hates you.

John 14:18-19 ESV

To whom are you accommodating your words and actions and behaviour? If you are trying to be more and more like the world, the devil would have no reason to threaten you and tempt you from this path of destruction. If you are trying to be more and more like Jesus, walking in obedience to His Word in the power of His Spirit, the world will hate you. Do not be surprised by the onslaught of troubled heaped up against you by the world.

So, the first issue is this—follow Jesus Christ. Know that the consequence of obedience to Jesus will be hatred by the people of this world. They will question you, mock you, and find you bewildering. They will try to undercut you at work. They will speak evil behind your back, or perhaps to your face. Christians around our world are facing: job loss, imprisonment, death, daughters being kidnapped and married off in order to force their renunciation of Christianity. Closer to home, those who are masquerading as Christians will be exposed as frauds when they tell you “tone it down” or “stop being so radical for Jesus, you are causing a scene.”

Then notice Jesus’ words of great assurance: “I chose you out of the world.” If we are out of step with the world, it is a blessing to know that Jesus chose us. If we are privileged to suffer for Him that means by His Word and His Spirit He will give us the strength and the grace we need to withstand the hatred of the world. When we fail and recognize our failings, Jesus will also intercede with the Father on our behalf, pleading His sacrifice to cover our sins. And His righteousness to be applied in the place of our sinfulness. What a glorious Saviour.

If today is a particularly tough day, know the Jesus is praying for you. Remember Your Father in heaven is guarding you as the apple of His eye. Find a Christian friend to pray with if things are difficult. Jesus will never leave you or forsake you, He has chosen you as His own.

King Jesus, thank You for the protection You give: Your cleansing blood, Your righteousness and Your prayers on our behalf at the Father’s right hand in heaven. Armed with such beautiful knowledge and deep assurance, give us the bold confidence we need to be Your representatives in this world. Give us the quietness of spirit and peace to see others around us who might be struggling in their faith and in Your precious Name, Captain of Salvation, may we stalwart encouragers and prayer warriors on their behalf. Amen.

July 7, 2019 - - Numbers 16:1-5

Now Korah the son of Izhar, son of Kohath, son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab, and On the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men. 2 And they rose up before Moses, with a number of the people of Israel, 250 chiefs of the congregation, chosen from the assembly, well-known men. 3 They assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron and said to them, “You have gone too far! For all in the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the Lord?” 4 When Moses heard it, he fell on his face, 5 and he said to Korah and all his company, “In the morning the Lord will show who is his, and who is holy, and will bring him near to him. The one whom he chooses he will bring near to him.”

Numbers 16:1-5 ESV

In the book of Numbers many rebellions are recorded. The people of Israel, newly delivered from Egypt, rebel against the LORD and grumble because He is feeding them manna and they wanted meat, like they had when they were slaves in Egypt. Moses own sister and brother rebel against Moses and so they rebel against the LORD. The spies, sent to spy out Canaan—the Land of Milk and Honey which the LORD had promised on oath to give to His people—ten of the twelve spies rebelled against God and said the land’s people are giants and too mighty to be conquered. So, our reading this morning is just part of the long list of rebellions against the rule of God.

Why does this matter?

Well, when I read this I am tempted to say, “Okay, LORD, deal with Your people and wipe them out. Pay them back for their sins.” What does Moses do? As with every other time the people rebel, he prays. He falls on His face and intercedes for the people who are rebelling. Moses, though just a man, weak himself, is a forerunner of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the Perfect Leader, the Captain of our Salvation, Who ever lives to pray for us.

This passage is a strong reminder for us to check the rebel-uprising in our own hearts. How easily we grumble and complain against God and His anointed. Though we have been delivered from the chains of our sin and bondage to the addictions of our sinful lusts—instead of humble, awe-filled thanksgiving and gratitude, we are found complaining.

What does this teach us?

Sin has so infected our thinking, our intuition and every part of our being, that we cannot live without a master. We will either be Mastered by Jesus Christ and by His Spirit be brought completely under His rule, or we will be mastered by the devil and the tyranny of our own lusts, the world, and the wicked philosophies of this world. There is no neutral position.

What we can take away from this?

Why does Scripture record all these rebellions? To highlight the mercy of God. He is slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love, full of compassion. As often as we recognize our sin and repent of it, so often does He show mercy and forgiveness. It is the glory of God to rescue the very people who know that their sins are constantly trying to drag them away from Him. The humble in spirit, the people who know their own hearts well enough to know their rebelliousness are the ones rescued and saved. The proud, the people who refuse to recognize their haughty rebellion against God are the very ones who will, at the Day of Judgment, be cast into hell.

Today is the Day of Salvation. Today is the day to hear the voice of God, knowing full-well the full measure of sinfulness that keeps washing over you and cry out: “Jesus, have mercy on me, a sinner.” In the New Testament one of the emotions most often credited to Jesus is this: compassion. He will have compassion on the one who cries out to Him for rescue. Hallelujah! What a Saviour.

Blessed Jesus, it is very tempting for me to come to you, resume in hand, boasting of what I think I have accomplished. The reality is, the very best I can do is no better than used, pus-filled bandage, a sight of horror, spreading infection, and disgust. Great and Glorious are You, Jesus, Healer of the Soul; Victor over sin and death, conqueror of evil. Forgive me, yet again. By Your Spirit and the Bible, enable me to live for You with all I have and all I am. Jesus, be the Master of my life, every part of my life: finances and politics, work and play, morning and night, rest and activity, social times and when I think I am alone. Jesus, Intercessor, bring me, cleansed and healed into the presence of the Father, for Whose glory and great praise You have rescued ruined sinners and returned lost sheep. Direct me and rule me, so that all rebellion against You, Living God, is finally thrown down. Be Thou, Lord Jesus, my vision and highest joy. Amen.

July 8, 2019 -- Joel 2:12-13 - - Repentance

“Yet even now,” declares the Lord,
“return to me with all your heart,
with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;
and rend your hearts and not your garments.”
Return to the Lord your God,
for he is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love;
and he relents over disaster.

Joel 2:12-13 ESV

Yesterday I had the privilege of hearing seminary student John Nymen preach in Woodstock, NB. It was a blessing to hear him as he preached from this text (and his sermon included verse 14 as well). Nymann quoted Thomas Watson and his work: “Repentance”. Here is what Watson said of repentance:

The two great graces essential to a saint in this life are faith and repentance.

These are the two wings by which he flies to heaven.

Faith and repentance preserve the spiritual life

as heat and radical moisture do the natural.

In order to “rend one’s heart” and turn from sin, one must acknowledge he has sinned. Nymann noted [and I am following my hastily scribbled notes made from his sermon as he was preaching so this is as accurate as I can get it]:

Sin is in us—we are prone to hate God and our neighbour…

all sin is actually against God Himself, our sin goes directly against

the Being of God Himself. He is love. Love is not part of His character,

it is Who He is. When we do not show love, we sin against His very Being.

God is merciful. When we do not show mercy towards another,

we sin against the Person of God.”

It is the Word of God brought to light in our heart and imagination by the Spirit of God which together make us aware of the full extent of our sinfulness. Then, aware of our sin and our guilt before God we turn to Him with unclean hands and heart.

Imagine a little child on the playground. She has been on a swing and suddenly motion sickness grabs hold of her. She falls off the swing hitting her head as she is throwing up. She is covered in blood and her own vomit. She trustingly turns to her mother to make her clean. Our sins are stains grosser and worse than vomit and blood. Yet, God invites anyone who hears this invitation from our text in Joel to turn away from their sins and come to Him, stained and gross as they are. Jesus, Precious Jesus, has the cleansing power to wash away our sins and make us clean within.

How can I be sure God will accept me and not turn away in disgust? Listen to the attributes of God given by God Himself through His prophet Joel:

Return to the LORD your God,

for he is gracious and merciful,

slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love”

Ah, what a glorious God we serve. No only do our sins get acknowledged, but they find a healing remedy in Jesus. As the prophet Isaiah said, “though your sins be like scarlet, they shall be white as snow…if you are willing and obedient” (Isaiah 1:18). Willing to acknowledge your sins. Obedient to the invitation of God to turn to Him, hating your sin and desiring to turn from it and follow Jesus.

Thank You, God, for the gift of Your Word. Thank You, that in it, You Who created us, show us how to live so that we can fully live out all that You made us to be: those who glorify God and delight in Him forever. Blessed Jesus, thank You for the cleansing and healing work of the cross—the very place where our sins are punished upon Your Person and Your holy life is credited to our account. Spirit of God, let this be our story and our song—marveling at the new life which is ours in Christ and winging our way to heaven with faith and repentance. Amen.

July 5, 2019 -- Psalm 25:1 -- What is your soul?

To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul. Psalm 25:1 ESV

Oh, guard my soul, and deliver me! Let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you. Psalm 25:20 ESV

Jesus asked:

For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?

Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? Matthew 16:20 ESV

How often do you think about your soul? It is such an abstract concept for so many of us. Something I read recently helped to make the concept of the soul more concrete to me. The Scottish theologian Henry Scougal (1650 - 1678) wrote:

The worth and excellency of a soul

is measured by the object of its love.

from “The Life of God in the Soul of Men” H. Scougal

When no one is looking or listening in, what is it you love? What do you think about many times during the day? This will give you a pretty good sense of what your soul is lovingly fixed on.

The psalmist realizes how his soul is prone to wander and begins his psalm, inspired by the Spirit, to write: “to YOU, I lift up my soul, O LORD.” At the start of the day, at the beginning of any endeavour, I offer my soul to God. Notice the soul is lifted. It is delivered from low and measly thoughts and brought to the glories of the presence of God—at the invitation of Christ Who has cleansed us by His blood.

As the psalm continues, and the writer acknowledges the challenges of the day, the battles engaged in, and the temptations of his own heart and the enemies gathered around him, he pleads with God: “guard my soul and deliver me!” It takes the very power of the Spirit of God to break the chains of sin that would bind our soul to worthless loves that would drive us from the most excellent, great and extravagant love of God. I can imagine this prayer being repeated often in a difficult day or when someone is keenly aware of his inattention to God: “guard my soul and deliver me!

Sin has trained our thoughts and been allowed so much leeway do not be surprised at the despicable objects of your soul’s loves. It might be harboring bitterness against others. Your soul might love the idea of hard, mean revenge against someone who has hurt you. Your soul might love an ideal image of who you might be, shaped by the ideals of this world. You can fill in the blank. What is the object of your soul’s love?

Today, when you are aware of an unworthy object of love, join with the psalmist and lift up your soul to the LORD—the Sovereign of Heaven and Earth—magnificent in power and worthy of praise.

Today, when your soul goes back to the old objects of lust and contemplation, go to prayer: “LORD, guard my soul and deliver me!” Pray this. Plead this as often as is necessary. Remember sin is persistent. It has had free reign in some areas of your life and only now is caught in the Light of Christ.

Today, know this: your soul is of inestimable value. The Spirit of God awakens your soul to know Jesus Christ so that your mind and body are enlivened by faith to see Jesus as the greatest Person, the highest good to which our soul can be lifted.

God of Compassion and Tender Mercy, I confess the worthless thoughts that so often crowd my thinking.

God of Holiness send Your Spirit to cleanse my heart and mind and soul of all the filth that threatens to be hoarded there which obstruct the view of Your excellencies.

To You, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I lift up my soul.

Spirit of God, guard my soul. As often as I become aware of the distracting things and lesser things inviting me to take my attention from Jesus, guard and deliver me!

O God, the Joy and Life of all who believe, increase the capacity of my soul to love You more nearly and purely until this life is no more and my mind, body and soul will never again be troubled by sin or temptation, and You Triune God will be all in all. In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen.

July 4, 2019 -- I Peter 2:9-10 -- Who do you think you are?

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

I Peter 2:9-10 English Standard Version

Edward T. Welch writes:

The church changes our identity. Notice the difference between “I’m Jim. I’m an alcoholic” and “I’m Jim. I am part of the body of Christ. I am part of ‘a royal priesthood, a holy nation. a people belonging to God’ (I Peter 2:9).” For those who have put their faith in Christ, it is Christ himself who unites us and defines us—not race, financial status, hobbies, interests, or particular problems. Our family—those closest to us—are those who have put their faith in Jesus Christ. When our core identity is “alcoholic,” “drug addict,” or “sex addict,” we are saying that our problem defines us, and our church consists of the people who share that particular problem.” ADDICTIONS: A Banquet in the Grave—Finding Hope in the Power of the Gospel Edward T. Welch, page 250

Notice that in Christ we are utterly remade, completely new. We are His chosen people. Washed by the blood of Jesus Christ, His perfections are credited to our account. Therefore we put away sin and malice and evil and foul-talk and whatever is unholy so that as His redeemed community we may declare the praises of Him Who called us out of darkness into His wonderful light.

Perhaps you are like me in this: I have tried to change ten times, thirty times, a hundred times, times without number. And I shake my head and think: “You can’t teach this old dog new tricks.” This is why the Sovereign LORD has placed us in community. Together we encourage one another. Together we bend our knees at the throne of grace where Jesus Christ is seated, the very King Who laid down His life for us. He will hear our cries. He will encourage His people and use the community of faith so that no man or woman is left behind to battle in sorrow alone. Though we may fall one hundred times, God will, in Christ, raise up a Spirit-led brother or sister who will take our hand, help us up for the hundredth time plus one and point us to the cross, where mercy and love flow mingled down.

Why are things only changed by prayer? Michael Green has written on this: “If we do things for God without praying, he cannot afford the risk of allowing us to succeed. For we would get proud and would be hardened in our conviction that activism, not dependence on God, is the way for Christians to serve the Lord” (Michael Green, I Believe in the Holy Spirit, page 22). As a child I remember when a new ice cream shop was set up just a few blocks from our house. I wheedled and pleaded. I asked and begged. The coup de grâce was the argument made to my dad (himself a fan of ice cream treats) “Dad, if we walk to the ice cream place and walk back, then we are getting a treat AND getting exercise.” I still remember the wonderful taste of that delicious ice cream. I smile whenever I drive past that particular ice cream place! What is my point? We are persistent in asking for the things we want. God invites us to pray. He will teach us holy persistence. To learn to think His thoughts after Him. To realize who we are in Christ and to learn to ask persistently and urgently so that our desires are honed to be more in line with Christ and our attention is focused on the Giver of every good and perfect gift.

Finally, in our passage, notice the exalted place of community. “Royal priesthood, holy nation, chosen people”—all of these expressions show a rich and varied community committed to Jesus Christ and warmly encouraging one another. We need each other. We need brothers and sisters in Christ to encourage us, leading us to the Word of God, praying with us when our words fail us amid circumstances that are overwhelming…and, well, we need people who love us enough to kick us out of our slothfulness and self-pity when such seem to rule the day. We need people whose struggles are so different from our own so that they with a blessedly strong, naïve, child-like faith, they take our hand and lead us to Jesus. “Look” they cry with wonder and conviction “Jesus will help you!”

Remember this, we have been lifted from death to life by Christ. We are a forgiven people. As such we declare His praises and in the declaration of such praises our hearts soar and rejoice in God our Mighty King and Father. If you are having trouble sounding the trumpets of praise and having your heart delight in such glories, call a friend, or go to a fellow Christian and say: “I need your help. Pray with me, until the glories of who I am in Christ revive my soul.”

Whether or not I feel Your excellencies, You are Great and Wondrous beyond imagining, God Who lives in unapproachable light.

Spirit of the Living God, take hold of my heart and prompt me to prayer that is courageous and persistent. I dare ask this because Jesus Himself promised You would be given to believers. I believe. Help me overcome my unbelief. Help me withstand the onslaught of depression or sorrows that threaten to flood my heart and mind, white waters splashing and washing through my thoughts and drowning out my aspirations. Spirit of God, lead me to the Rock that is Higher than I, stronger than the flood waters and raging, frothing currents and set me where He is. Spirit of Mercy, bring to mind prayer-warrior friends and fellow Christians who I can call, who, prepared by Your grace will pray with me and for me until I know who I am in You, O Jesus: part of a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, called out of darkness into Your wonderful light so that I may proclaim the excellencies of Your mercy, love and grace. Amen.

July 2, 2019 -- Matthew 11:20-21 -- Cursed or Blessed where do you stand?

Then he began to denounce the cities where most of his mighty works had been done, because they did not repent. “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.”

Matthew 11:20-21 ESV

Strange words. Difficult to understand. Jesus was denouncing Jewish towns where He’d performed His miracles. Chorazin and Bethsaida were villages that along with the whole of the Jewish people were supposed to be awaiting the Messiah, the Anointed One, of God to appear. Yet, when by miracles and His powerful preaching He showed Himself to be that very long-awaited and anticipated Messiah, they did not accept Him!

Tyre and Sidon were Gentile towns. They were not expecting a Messiah, certainly not in the sense that a faithful Jewish man or woman would be awaiting Him. Yet, as we read on in Matthew there are some Gentiles, non-Jewish people, who hear of the miracles and believe! (See Matthew 15:21ff where a woman from the district of Tyre and Sidon approaches Jesus on behalf of her daughter for healing!)

We are far removed from the days when Jesus walked the earth. How can we be sure of Who He Is?

First and foremost: Jesus rose from the dead. More than 500 people witnessed this (I Corinthians 15:1ff). If His resurrection where a lie, the Romans or the Jewish leaders who hated Jesus would just need to produce His body and all such stories would end. They couldn’t. He arose victorious—Hallelujah!

Second, the Bible bears witness to Jesus. It remains the top selling book of all time. Why? Because it is true. John 20:31: “these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”

Third—the Spirit of God bears witness to the fact that Jesus is fully the Son of God and the Son of Man. Jesus is 100% God and 100% human. Only God could bear the punishment of the Father’s just anger poured out against sin and only a human being—one with flesh and blood and a soul like Adam, our representative in the Garden of Eden who fell into sin—could be our representative bearing the punishment for the sin of all humanity. I Corinthians 2:10ff shows us the work of the Spirit—the Spirit of God reveals the deep things of God. Those who are materialists, people who have chosen not to accept there is any power like God’s power will—no matter how much evidence there is piled up in front of them—refuse to believe.

Friends, though we are far from the times when Jesus walked on the earth, we have advantages they do not! We have the Bible. We have the testimony of the Holy Spirit. We know the resurrection is true. God cannot lie. What He has promised He has given and all who believe in Him are not under the woes, the condemnation, which Jesus pronounced on unbelievers. All who believe in Jesus Christ will, by the Spirit of God, feed on the Word and grow in understanding and faith. It begins with “God, I believe.” And as we believe the fruit of this is joy-filled obedience. For there is no god, no authority, no blessing to be found anywhere else than in Jesus Who brings us as beloved sons and daughters into the presence of God the Great and Glorious.

Jesus, thank You for revealing Yourself to us—down through the ages and centuries! Thank You for the beautiful testimony of Who You Are, given in the Bible and preserved by the Spirit. I think of the words of the hymn writer, Horatio Spafford: “My sin, oh the bliss of this glorious though, my sin not in part but the whole is nailed to the cross and I bear it no, praise the Lord, praise the Lord, oh my soul!” In view of the vast mercy You have shown in forgiving my, forgiving our, sins—let us all then walk in obedience to You. Strengthen us for such obedience. Bring us into fellowship with other believers who also find great joy in You. For our friends and family members who do not yet know You and are therefore under the curse of woe for their rebellion, Jesus, bring them to Yourself in love. Let the words of my lips and the testimony of my life be used to bring many to the glorious knowledge of Who You Are. Amen.

July 1, 2019 -- John 5:19 -- The Miracles of Jesus

So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.”

John 5:19 English Standard Version

There’s a book which had been sitting on my shelf for a long, long time. It is one I tried to read so many times and each time I’d get a little ways into it and then put it down and eventually, even though it remained unread, I’d just re-shelf it. For some reason it grabbed my attention as I set up my study here in Moncton. And this section on miracles stirred my imagination. So, what follows is an excerpt taken directly from the C.S. Lewis sermon “Miracles” preached in St. Jude’s on the Hill Church, London, Nov. 26th, 1942.

Lewis preached—based in part on John 5:19:

“Our Lord took a body like ours and lived as a man in order that those who had refused to recognize Him in His superintendence and captaincy of the whole universe might come to recognize from the works He did here below in the body that what dwelled in this body was the Word of God.”

St. Athanasius On the Incarnation

There is an activity of God displayed throughout creation, a wholesale activity let us say which men refuse to recognize. The miracles done by God incarnate, living as a man in Palestine, perform the very same things as this wholesale activity, but at a different speed and on a smaller scale. One of their chief purposes is that men, having seen a thing done by personal power on the small scale, may recognize, when they see the same thing done on a large scale, that the power behind it is also personal—is indeed the very same person who lived among us two thousand years ago. The miracles in fact are a retelling in small letters of the very same story which is written across the whole world in letters too large for some of us to see. Of that larger script part is already visible, part is still unsolved. In other words some of the miracles do locally what God has already done universally: others do locally what He has not yet done, but will do. In that sense, and from our human point of view, some are reminders and other prophecies.

God creates the vine and teaches it to draw up water by its roots and, with the aid of the sun, to turn that water into a juice which will ferment and take on certain qualities. Thus every year, from Noah’s time till ours, God turns water into wine. That, men fail to see. Either like the Pagans they refer the process to some finite spirit, Bacchus or Dionysus: or else, like the moderns, they attribute real and ultimate causality to the chemical and other material phenomena which are all that our senses can discover in it. But when Christ at Cana makes water into wine, the mask is off. [cf John 2:1-11] The miracle has only half its effect if it only convinces us that Christ is God: it will have its full effect if whenever we see a vineyard or drink a glass of wine we remember that here works He who sat at the wedding party in Cana.

C.S. Lewis continued and pointed out that in the miracle of feeding the thousands, Jesus multiplied fish and bread. Each year in our rivers and streams, lakes and oceans there is a tremendous fecundity among sea creatures which displays God’s gracious power in providing for hungry people.

Bread—here too the corn or the wheat necessary comes from a small seed, which planted—in a sense to us it seems to die and is buried—it germinates and produces abundant life. Scientists can explain the chemical reactions. Men can till the soil and plant and wait. Specialists can determine which crops require particular nutrients in the soil. But the gift of life is God’s to give and He gives mankind grains with such generosity and abundance.

God of extravagant generosity and blessed abundance, I confess too often I am somnambulating through life. I reach for the bread in my cupboard and do not marvel at Your gift of wheat and the processes of life needed so that water and sunlight, soil and seed blessed by Your goodness make possible this provision of daily bread. It is easy for me to read of the miracles of Jesus, like turning water to wine at Cana and thinking—what a glory God shows there—all the while neglecting the fact that You, Father, have done this same miracle year after year. Awaken my soul to what You are doing in the world around me so that I will see Your many works and bless Your Name. Amen.

And, to Canadians across this beautiful land, Happy Canada Day. Have you ever sung, or read the fourth stanza of our National Anthem? Robert Stanley Weir, a Quebec judge and poet, penned what has become our beloved anthem. How I wish we would sing the fourth stanza far more often! Here it is:

Ruler supreme, who hearest humble prayer,
Hold our dominion, in thy loving care:
Help us to find, O God, in thee,
A lasting, rich reward,
As waiting for the Better Day,
We ever stand on guard.

Refrain

            God keep our land, glorious and free!
            O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
            O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

June 30, 2019 -- James 4:13-15 -- What will tomorrow bring?

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”—yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”

James 4:13-15 ESV

This week Carolyn and I experienced a very clear demonstration of this text—and were once again made particularly aware of this “If the Lord wills, we will live”. We had experienced some difficulty with our car. For a day or two (know that June 24 to June 26 we drove from Ingersoll, Ontario, through Toronto, Montreal and on to Moncton, over 1,600km) we’d experienced a bit of roughness and weird jimmying when we drove. It would start and suddenly stop. In order to get a New Brunswick licence plate and driver’s licence, you need to get a safety check-up and sticker for your vehicle.

We arrived in Moncton. Two days later, just as Carolyn was about to drive the car back from the grocery store parking lot, the morning of our car appointment, she noted the driver’s rear tire was slightly soft. By the time we arrived at the KIA dealer it was very low. In fact, the mechanic doing the safety pulled a two inch screw from the tire! He exclaimed “The tire pressure, when I had it on the hoist, was 4 psi—and the manufacturer’s recommended psi is 34!” He went on to say he was amazed the tire didn’t roll off the rim and bring much more ruin and devastation. Or that the tire didn’t blow somewhere along the way.

We were protected. The mechanic kept the screw and showed us the wear on the head of the screw. Where and how it had been damaged and nicked as it protruded from the tire—he suggested it had been in the tire for a while! How sobering.

“If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” Indeed it is so true. The Lord willed for us to be safe here in Moncton. By the same token we could have faced a blown tire and the loss of our lives. We were reminded to live our lives aware that we (all of us) are one breath and one heartbeat away from eternity.

Our lives are not our own, we were made in the image of God and our hearts and minds long to worship. We will worship Jesus Christ, the One Who takes away our sin, and by the testimony of the Spirit in the Bible brings us to know God as our Father in heaven. Or, we will worship things, lies, money, ourselves, anything but the Majestic Sovereign of Heaven and Earth. Such as these will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven. When the Lord wills it, we will all face the moment of death. Now is the day to turn to Jesus and find in Him the soul’s reward—joy in the knowledge of our Creator, King and Comforter.

Today is Sunday, get to a bible-believing church. Get spiritually fit and prepared for the day that inevitably will come: the day when you will meet the Lord.

Spirit of Truth—help us to put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness and wonder the Word of God—the Bible—so that we will know Jesus Christ and the power of His salvation. Help us to be hearers of the Word, moment by moment aware of the fact that our lives are lived in Your presence, Great God of Wonder. Your glorious existence is not dependent on whether or not we believe in You—You are, forever past, forever more, God Who rules all You have created. To you, all flesh will give an account. Spirit of Truth, help us who believe in Jesus to grow in our joyful trust in Him; help those who are far from Him to open their eyes and see the Shepherd of their soul standing near, ready to lift them from death to life. Thank You, great and glorious God for the preachers and evangelists, ministers and missionaries who are declaring Your word today. Praise and honour, glory and dominion, power and majesty belong to You, Triune God, now and forever more. Amen.

June 29, 2019 -- Revelation 15:3b-4 -- Clarity of Vision

Great and awesome are your deeds,

O LORD God the Almighty!

Just and true are your ways,

O King of the Nations!

Who will not fear, O Lord

and glorify your name?

For you alone are holy.

All nations will come

and worship you,

for your righteous acts have been revealed.

Revelation 15:3b-4 ESV

Recently Carolyn and I moved to Moncton. Things went quite smoothly, thanks be to God! Only one minor glitch was revealed when I opened my file cabinet. Since the file cabinet does not lock, I used packing tape to seal the drawers shut. Good thing. It must have been upended at one point or another and many of the papers and receipts and filed items got all jumbled together. What a mess to sort out. There were so many things I could throw out—things I had no idea I still had, coupons long expired, obsolete instructions for computers I no longer own etc, etc, etc.

As I read this powerful passage from Revelation—surrounded by the mess of files still being sorted strewn across my office floor—I realized something. We often cart around so much. Our minds are cluttered with details, fears, angers, burrs of lingering bitterness filed away ready to resurface if the wrong person crosses our pathway. Our lives are stuffed with things, hoarding piles of things we wonder whether or not we will need at some indistinct time in the future. We are surrounded with the clutter of our lives. In sharp contrast we read this morning of the hosts of heaven. Shorn of all such encumbrances and freed from all that is not worthy or excellent their eyes and minds, hearts and souls, hands and voices thundered praise to the LIVING, ALMIGHTY KING of the Nations.

The now-acclaimed master decluttering guru of the moment is touted to be Marie Kondo—KonMari. She invites people who are striving to clear up some of their life’s stuff to ask of each item: “Does this give me joy?” It is a nice, earthly philosophy. But it falls so far short of the splendor of our passage and the de-junking of our lives which is so necessary. As Christians we should ask of all the things in our life: “Does this clarify, or obstruct, my view of the glory of God?”

One day we shall all be gathered before the regal and dreadful majesty of the LORD on High and those whose lives were wilfully cluttered and defiantly distracted by things they chose to pursue in this life will fall before Him in terror mixed with praise and acknowledge Jesus as the Lord of All to the glory of the Father. Thereafter they will be cast into the Lake of Fire—the pitiless purging of hell where the torments will never cease. Those who know Jesus and ever sought to clarify their vision of His beauty will also fall in terror mixed with praise and acknowledge Jesus as the Lord of all to the glory of their Father in heaven and shall be welcomed to the unparalleled joys and wonder of eternity in the Presence of Him Who Is Holy, Wondrous, Excellent and Great.

Great and amazing are Your deeds, O LORD God the Almighty!

Thank You for this glimpse of praise which fills the heavens.

Thank You for this insight which clarifies our life’s work and mission: to honour You in all things.

Forgive us for the accumulated clutter of our lives and minds.

Spirit of the Living God, purge from us all that is not holy, all that is not true.

Spirit of Truth, lead us in the way of obedience to Jesus Christ here, right now, so that our lives with great anticipation will be fixt on that moment when faith finally becomes sight and we see Him Who is the Beloved: Jesus Christ. Amen.

June 27, 2019 - - Jude 17-23 -- Building up holy faith

17 But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. 18 They said to you, “In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.” 19 It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit. 20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. 22 And have mercy on those who doubt; 23 save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.

Jude 17-23 ESV

These words are not the ones I’d expect. Think about it. The end times are discernable by such things as these: there will be scoffers and lustful people pursuing their sins and Christians are not first of all to refute them but in view of the times we are to draw closer to Jesus Christ!

When you are confronted with the evil of our days you are to continuously build yourself up in your holy faith! Run to Jesus! Do you think you have in yourself the strength to stand against the devil and the hosts of hell, the world and its divisive people? No way! In fact, our own hearts are inclined to evil as well. We need to fall on Jesus and like a trusting child hold His hand in faith. Our holy faith, our confident trust in Jesus, is the only way in which we can see through the evil of our times and know God more nearly and more dearly as our faithful Father and glorious protector.

Building ourselves up in our holy faith means we are praying in the Spirit. What does this mean? It means knowing the Bible, knowing the promises of God as they are spelled out for us in the Bible, we pray these back to God. We recite what He has promised so that we will not be caught and entangled in the webs of this world’s evil, but by the Spirit have the faith-given ability to see God and chart our path to Him. For example as you read promise-filled passages such as these, pray:

Our Father in heaven, hallowed (blessed and honoured) be Your Name.

Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Matthew 6:9-10

Jesus said, I am the Good Shepherd. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. John 10:11,27-28

As you read the Bible, learn the promises of God—His majestic power to save, His willingness to save His people, His faithful love for a people such as we are who waver and stumble—note these, pray these, hold these precious truths up before your soul.

Keep yourself in the love of God. Spend time with Christians. Let Christians—who, in the strength of the Spirit know Jesus as their Saviour and trust the Father in heaven as their Father—be your closest friends and advisers. Guard your eyes and your mind from evil—recognize video games, movies and TV shows, talk shows, Facebook and social media as distributers of the world’s porn for the mind seeking to pollute the soul. Instead, dear Christian—go to God. Listen to godly music. Sing hymns and spiritual songs. Listen to sermons. Read Christian biographies.

Wait for the mercy of the LORD—Jesus is returning. The trumpet blast declaring His return on the clouds of heaven will soon sound! Know that Jesus will take His own to the Father and the ungodly, the wicked, the ones who delight in evil will be cast into the terrors of hell. Wait for the mercy of the LORD with great anticipation and joyful singing.

And, from this place of strength, steeped in the promised of God, sustained by the Spirit and the Word, looking to Jesus’ impending return, save those who are aware they are being burned by the fires of evil in this world. There are people who are awakened by the Spirit of God so that they see the condition of their soul and understand the wickedness of our sin—to such—pluck them from the fires of evil. Disciple them. Show them the way of salvation in Jesus. Do not trust your own strength in this! Know that your own heart harbors wickedness that is readily awakened by keeping company with the wicked—even a wicked person who desires to find Jesus. Therefore, hate sin! Know your own inclination to evil and sin. Pray without ceasing as you reach out to others who are becoming aware of the destructive burning of sin upon their life and mind, flesh and soul and all the while hold onto Jesus with childlike faith.

I don’t know if you have ever held a new-born baby. I don’t know if you have ever held in your hands the wonder of new life—perhaps a puppy, or a kitten. New life fills us with wonder and joy. It is the creative act of God that makes our soul sing. When a sin-blackened soul is awakened to the power of Jesus Christ is born from above—made clean by the blood of the Lamb of God—that is new life like no other. In the presence of one newly born from above our soul sings in wonder at the blessedness of God and His never-ending faithfulness!

Build yourselves up in your most holy faith! You will be at odds with the things of and the ways of the world, but your heart and mind, soul and life will be filled with wonder—gobsmacked awe at the greatness of God.

Great God of Wonder and new, resurrection life—keep us from being enthralled by the things of this world. The work of salvation which You have begun in us by Christ, see to completion by Your Word and Spirit. Forgive us for our pyromaniac tendencies, toying with sin and being willingly hypnotized by its wanton destruction. Forgive us for thinking we can contain our sins to a limited part of our lives. Put out the fires of sin and remove the brush and bramble that would sustain unholy fires within us. Let us joyfully build ourselves up in our most holy faith day after day so that the blessedness of eternal life wells up within us and overflows to every part of our lives for the glory and honour, praise and blessing of Your Name. Amen.

June 26, 2019 -- Acts 9:1-9 -- The Fear of the LORD and His Holiness

But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 3 Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. 4 And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” 5 And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 6 But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” 7 The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. 8 Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. 9 And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

Acts 9 ESV

Before the apostle Paul had this experience of God’s power, he was Saul. He had an idolatrous view of God and that is what he served—he did not serve the true God, he served his human-sized, view of God. Our idols take up our thoughts, our time, our money and our life. We pursue them vigorously and without thought to the consequences and without reference to the One, True, Dreadfully Splendid LORD of Heaven and Earth.

Edward T. Welch, though speaking of addictions, has the powerful, scriptural antidote to idolatrous sinful ways. It is the holiness of God coupled with the fear of the LORD:

One of the problems with the perspective that addictions are a disease is that

it leaves no room for this kind of fear of the Lord. A god who helps us to be

strong in the face of illness is not the same as the God whose holiness reveals

our sin, who shows us our desperate need for a mediator, restores our relation-

ship with him, and empowers us to live as holy children.

Holiness is key. Without the knowledge of our Father’s holiness and our

response of reverence, everything about God becomes ordinary. God’s

works are viewed as just a little better than the actions of good people.

Edward T. Welch “ADDICTIONS: A Banquet in the Grave” page 167

The Road to Damascus calling of Saul shows us the dreadful majesty of God. Saul’s idolatry was crushed by the vision of the weighty splendour of God. Saul the idolater, confronted with the holiness of the LORD, becomes Paul the apostle, who lived in the fear of the LORD—God is extraordinary and worthy of all our worship and praise.

For us to be broken of our idolatry, we must encounter the dreadful majesty of the LORD and of His holiness. Knowing He sees us, our public persona and private actions, transforms our living from living from ourselves to living in the Presence of the Holy LORD—Who, through Jesus Christ, has become our Father.

LORD of heaven and earth—by the powerful presence of Your Spirit and the instruction of the Word—help us to see Jesus as worthy of all our praise and all our dedication. Spirit—break down every idol we set up in our lives and cast out every foe which we set up in our heart and opposes Your reign in our lives. Awesome and glorious is Your Name. Amen.

June 23, 2019 -- Titus 2:11-15 -- Jesus our Blessed Hope

11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, 12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, 13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

15 Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you.

Titus 2 English Standard Version

Jesus is the grace of God in flesh. He has come and taken away our punishment. We knows what it is to be tempted and yet He has never fallen to temptation. He has withstood it so that in Him believers are trained to renounce worldly passion and sins. Our inheritance as sons and daughters of God is immediate. Those who believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior—who renounce their sins and claim Him alone for their salvation—are declared forgiven for all time. And the Spirit of God continues the work of bringing heart, mind and action into obedience to Jesus. It is the Spirit of God Who purifies us and stirs up in us a desire to live for God. This is not boring—living for God is the soul’s great adventure. It is the challenge for which we were created, to live in defiance of the rot and corruption of this age and shine like children of the Sovereign King of heaven.

Gathering for church is a joy! We join with other believers who are looking forward to, longing for, and delighting in the great Truth that Jesus will return. For now we, believers, in Jesus Christ, are the clear evidence of the truth of God’s work and word.

Get to a Bible-believing church. Don’t just go to any gathering of people—like those who are accommodating to the whims and immorality of this age—rather, find those who are distinct from this age who show themselves to be longing for the Kingdom of God rather than the fading, tawdry, things of this world. For Christ our King is resplendent with glory and He is revealing the unimaginable splendour and majesty of our Father in heaven.

God Our King, we entrust ourselves to You through the glory that is ours in Christ and the surety of the Word.

God source of all grace, life and hope, we entrust ourselves to You—renouncing the things of this world.

God in Whom we have confidence in the blessed hope of Jesus’ return in glory, we entrust ourselves to You, asking that You will increase our faith, deepen our joy-filled obedience, and help us to declare these things to all around us. Amen.

16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

Galatians 5 ESV

There is a Christian myth that change is an event rather than a process;

that it is more like a light switch that is turned on than a battle that must

be engaged. For some reason we tend to think—wrongly—that immediate

liberation from the slavery of addiction is more glamorous than the

gradual process of taking a little bit of land at a time. Such expectations

have implicitly encouraged addicts to tell great, though fabricated,

stories of liberation instead of simply being honest about their struggles,

and finding in that honesty something highly praiseworthy.

from: Edward T. Welch “ADDICTION: A Banquet in the Grave” page 113

Welch is speaking specifically of the battle addicts face in pulling themselves away from their addictions. I believe his description is a powerful picture of the call all of us have in Christ to put to death our old nature and to grow in the strength of the Spirit. Our text this morning highlights the works of the flesh and the inordinate pull it can have on our desires and our thoughts and our actions. Remember this Spirit is the very same Spirit Who empowered Jesus to live in perfection and endure suffering and temptation and gain the victory. We have the very Spirit of God living in us.

Our LORD Jesus Christ paid for all our sins. He has rescued us from death and from the punishment our sins so deserved. He took the punishment in our place. And Jesus Christ gave us His righteousness. This means that our sinful actions and sinful life have been exchanged and in its place we are clothed in Jesus Christ, given the record of His good and holy living. So when we sin we are, in effect taking off our royal robes, the signs we are sons and daughters of God—The High King of Heaven, our Father—and we are putting on the dung and mud soaked rags of our past sinfulness.

We all sin. There is no one who is perfect and without sin—except Jesus. To act as if we are sinless is to make a lie of our great need for the Saviour. But we are not to stop at the fact we sin. We are to hate our sins. We are called to speak of our battles and cry out and ask for help so that temptations do not sweep us away. We begin by asking God for His help. We reach out to brothers and sisters in Christ in the faith so that we may encourage one another and grow in grace. Most of all, we must be honest about our struggles so that we receive the help we honestly need.

Remember this great and glorious truth: God sees us. He sees our public persona. He sees us when we think no one is looking. He sees our heart. He sees our attitude. He has provided us the cleansing and saving refuge of Jesus so that as often as we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will cleanse us from all unrighteousness. And, as our passage from Galatians teaches us, we then no longer offer the parts of our bodies, or our mind, or our attitude to sin. We do, instead, bring our minds, our thoughts and our attitudes in submission to Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit.

God of victory and love—thank You for the great and glorious gift of Jesus Christ. We ask You, this day, to give us Your Spirit in ever greater measure so that we will walk in the way of Jesus. Bring the increase of and continual ripeness of the fruit of the Spirit within us. Cause us to be sensitive to the needs of our brothers and sisters all around us as we struggle together against our sins. May we be open in our encouragement and acts of love and support as fellow soldiers of the cross of Christ. Thank You that the victory against sin and death has already been won in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

June 18, 2019 -- II Corinthians 7:1 -- Cleanse yourself from defilement

Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.

II Corinthians 7:1 English Standard Version

Here are some the promises:

We are the temple, the dwelling place, of the Living God (6:16)

Now is the day of salvation (6:2) that Christ and all His benefits are available to all who call on Him

We are, in Christ, a new creation, the old has passed away the new has come (5:17)

If the tent of our body is destroyed, because of the work of Christ we have a home in heaven (5:1)

Into our hearts God is pouring the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus (4:6)

When we forgive someone we do so for the restoration of the fellowship and the sake of Christ (2:10)

Just these six promises alone are enough to motivate us to put away sinful deeds and thoughts. (The Bible is rich and overflowing with so many promises of the mercy, kindness, and love of God which are balanced by His justice and terrible wrath which remind us NOW, TODAY is the day of salvation. Today, if we hear His voice we must not harden our hearts. Today leave your sin and follow Jesus.) These six promises show us the extravagant goodness of God to all who believe in Jesus and follow in His ways.

Ah, the confession of sin is so difficult. We want to look like we have this holy living thing in hand. We want to look good in the eyes of others.

The pious fellowship permits no one to be a sinner.

So everybody must conceal his sin from himself and

from the fellowship. We dare not be sinners. Many

Christians are unthinkably horrified when a real sinner

is discovered among the righteous. So we remain alone

in our sin, living in lies and hypocrisy. The fact is that

we are all sinners!

Edward T. Welch “ADDICTIONS: A Banquet in the Grave—Finding Hope in the Power of the Gospel”

But thanks be to God through our Lord Jesus Christ—we may confess our sins. We are told to confess our sins and so cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit. God is working out holiness in us. Those who believe in Jesus Christ are declared to be justified, their sins have been punished in the Person of Jesus and such believers are set free to follow God. The next step is sanctification—that is, the process of being made holy. Sin is being vanquished and hunted down in the life of the believer.

So often an accusation is made against Christians that they are “hypocrites.” They claim to be holy but act in such sinful ways. The fact is: Christians have their sins punished—Jesus stepped in and said to His Father “I will take the punishment for their sins.” And the sins Christians commit we are to hate. We are to confess. We are to remove ourselves from sin and learn to grow in the holiness that is ours. Christians are not sinless—yet. That beautiful sinless state is given in eternity. Christians know they are sinners who are forgiven again and again because of the mercy of Christ. It is imperative, then, that Christians confess their sins and acknowledge their great need for on-going transformation.

This is why confession is such a huge part of the Christian life. Christ has come so that we are free to confess our sins. Christ has come so that Christians, we who still, regularly, fail in relationships and wound others, can find reconciliation in the powerful presence of the Holy Spirit Who takes the Word of God and the Work of Jesus and applies this remedy in every relationship and every place we need for healing. We just need to ask. We as believers and followers of Jesus must work to cleanse ourselves from every defilement of unforgiveness. And we do so in the fear of God. We are aware of His dreadful majesty. We are aware He holds the power of life and death, heaven and hell. We do not toy with the things of God, but urgently, in view of our allegiance to God as Sovereign King, we make effort to do the hard work of reconciliation.

Great and Glorious is the forgiveness You have won for us, Jesus. Blessed are You. Terrible in beauty are the nail scars at Your hands and feet, blessed is the spear wound at Your side. We know God has emptied all His righteous anger against sin on You and You have endured it so that we are called the God’s beloved sons and daughters. Spirit of God, help us to cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit so that in us You will bring holiness to completion in the fear of God! For the glory of Jesus’ Name and to the honour and blessing and praise of the Father we pray this. Amen.

June 17, 2019 -- John 4:10 -- Living Water

Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.”

John 4:10 ESV

What an amazing Name for Jesus—Living Water. Our souls thirst for him. We try to satisfy the longing of our hearts with so many different things. God made us in HIs image. We are made to long for Him. Sin interferes and thwarts that longing. Sin seeks to lure us to the desert of evil. The glutton eats rather than seeking Jesus. The alcoholic turns to booze instead of Living Water. The angry person is never at peace because of the burning, yearning of the soul that needs Living Water Who brings peace. Sin is just sand, and grit. What is promises it can never deliver.

This Name for Jesus: “Living Water” and the rich reward He brings comes at the greatest cost. When Jesus was on the cross, bearing the punishment for our sin, He cried out: “I thirst.” Crucifixion is so brutal. Those who suffered it had a raging, unbearable thirst. God punished Jesus in our place, pressed down on Him so that He Who is Living Water cried out: “I thirst”. What a point to ponder. Stop and think about this. The deep, deep love of Jesus. What grace and glory.

When you face temptation to sin, remember the sacrifice of Jesus. We have not suffered to the point of death in resisting our temptations. When you face familiar sins, remember Jesus is Living Water, He alone can supply the desire of your soul. Stand fast against sin. Call on Jesus’ Name and call Him “Living Water.”

Jesus, send Your Spirit so that the new life that is ours in Your Name keeps us from sin.

Living Water so satisfy our thirsts that Your presence and Your glory is all we seek.

Amen.