August 23, 2019 -- Psalm 119:2 -- Somebody Testify

Blessed are those who keep his testimonies,

who seek him with their whole heart…

Psalm 119:2 English Standard Version

The testimonies of God are the word of the Creator of Heaven and Earth which teach us right from wrong. His Word is the true testimony about how things are. We live in a strange time where people talk about “your truth” and “my truth” but refuse to acknowledge there is “the Truth”. In many ways this secular doublespeak is so dangerous.

The secular emphasis on “your truth” and “my truth” is actually a deceptive, calculated lie. Should a Christian speak of “the Truth” as Jesus Christ—this is immediately derided and mocked. The secular person will not allow the Christian to publicly acknowledge the Truth. It matters not. Whether or not anyone else acknowledges it, the Truth is always true. However, what is exposed is the world’s own illogical stance on truth and non-truth.

When the lie is promoted as truth in our radically secular society, then strange and twisted things happen. In March of this year the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal ordered Mr. Whatcott to pay $55,000 to a B.C. politician, Morgane Oger, who is biologically male, but identifies as female. The reason given by the tribunal, according to the write up of the Vancouver Sun, is “The three person tribunal ruled that Whatcott had discriminated against Oger based solely on her gender.” You can see the link to this article below. Now that is highly ironic. What is “her gender”? Oger’s chromosomes will declare something biologically. Medically Oger is susceptible to things like “prostate cancer” but never uterine cancer, so medically Oger must be treated as a male.

It gets stranger. In what are basically campaign type speeches, on August 22, our Prime Minister declared he is proud of the fact he is exporting Canadian values, such as feminism. That is more than incongruous since this is the same government that is promoting gender confusion. So what is the meaning of the word “feminism” in our day and age? Isn’t that the promotion of one gender above another?

Add to that the bizarre fund the government has set up for Women’s Entrepreneurship. Announced on August 19th of this year, the federal government has earmarked hundreds of millions of federal tax dollars will be spent to promote women business ownership. You can see the link below. The material all shows cisgender women (women who seem to be biologically female and pictured as confident, and content in this identity). My question is: “What if a transgendered person were to apply?” More importantly, what if a man were to apply, saying according to my truth, this is discriminatory completely in favour of one particular gender construct?” How does the current “your truth” and “my truth” being equally valid apply in that hypothetical situation?

At issue is the fact that the Living God, Who by right of His having created all things, He alone is the Arbiter of Truth. Therefore His testimonies—His determinations of right and wrong—these stand firm through the ages and the vicissitudes of our tumultuous age. No wonder then that the Psalmist expressed the fact that those who keep His testimonies are blessed.

They are blessed because they know right from wrong.

They are blessed because they know Him Who loves them.

They are blessed because truth does not have be re-measured every month, or biannually.

They are blessed because they can give their whole hearts to Him and know He will keep them in perfect peace on the path of salvation

They are blessed because there is the eternal promise, fixed in the heavens, that Jesus Christ is true (John 5:36) and He is the Truth and the book of the Revelation of John emphasizes that Jesus is ‘the Faithful Witness’ (Revelation 1:5). Therefore, those who give their lives in service to Him will not be told six months from now or a decade from now or a century from now “sorry, the truth is altered or changed because of this new thing”. Those who serve Jesus Christ know He is True and they will never be ashamed before God for their wholehearted service in the Name of Jesus.

Blessed Jesus, You are the Truth and You teach us all truth. By the powerful presence of Your Holy Spirit help us, as believers, to love the Bible more and more. Direct our living in this world so that all those around us can see the beauty and the blessedness of walking according to the testimonies of the Bible. As Christians together seek God the Father through their obedience to His testimonies, may the world around us encounter Your magnificent Truth. Amen.

https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/anti-gay-activist-ordered-to-pay-55000-to-b-c-trans-activist-in-fight-over-hateful-flyer

https://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/107.nsf/eng/home

August 21, 2019 -- Psalm 119:1 -- What laws should we keep?

Blessed are those whose way is blameless,

who walk in the law of the LORD!

Psalm 119:1 English Standard Version

The One Who created the heavens and the earth is communicating to us, those reading this Psalm. And the Lord of Glory speaks through this Psalm to all who believe in Jesus, His Words are crucial if we want live in the blessings of His creation. Walking in His laws is the pathway of the life.

Which laws? Well, in the Old Testament there are laws for the nation of Israel, there are laws for ceremonial observances and there are moral laws. In the Old Testament times a person reading this would be called to keep all the laws in all these categories. However, as New Testament Christians we read this knowing the accomplished work of Jesus Christ.

In Jesus Christ the ceremonial laws for sacrifice are done. Christians no longer keep the Passover and the Day of Atonement, the Feast of Weeks and the Unleavened Bread. In Christ Jesus we have the Lamb of God Who has taken away the sin of the world. All those Old Testament practices pointed to Him and His Work.

In Jesus Christ we have the true descendant of King David. He is our King. We do not keep the old laws of Israel because those were for a particular nation to preserve the people and the line of David until Jesus came as the final, everlasting King. This King Jesus has given us His rule for life as citizens of His Kingdom in the New Testament.

So for us, as New Testament followers of Jesus Christ we keep the Ten Commandments and Jesus summarized them in this way: we are to love God with all we have and all we are. We are to love our neighbour as we love ourselves.

To be blameless does not mean we will be without sin. What it means is when the mirror of the 10 commandments are held up before us we know the extent of our sins. We realize how much we need Jesus to cleanse us from our sins and we have in these laws the pathways of thankful living. This is what it is to lead a blameless life.

To fully appreciate Psalm 119 the reader has to understand God makes Himself known to us. The Infinite stoops down and reveals Himself to the finite creature—us. The Infinite shows us the wisest and the most joy-filled way of living in His world.

Creator of the Heavens and the Earth, God of Glory, our Father—help us to delight in Your law as the path of thankful living. Thank You that Jesus has fulfilled all the law’s demands and that in Him we have the credit of His righteousness. Let our lives so shine for Jesus that the people around us will see Jesus in us. By Your Spirit living in us, make us bold to be witnesses for Jesus, our Saviour and King! Amen.

August 20, 2019 -- Ephesians 4:1-2 -- Worthy Faith Walkers

I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love…

Ephesians 4:1-2 English Standard Version

No doubt we can all name the exceptions to this command of Paul. “You don’t know my particular circumstances, Paul, or you’d have written in the Bible—except for that day in August 2019 when you, Richard, will endure such frustration that letting off a little steam won’t matter at all.” Even as I write this I can’t keep from smiling and realizing how lame that sounds.

First off, Paul is writing as a prisoner whose sentence is unjust. A governor and a king (Acts 26:30-32) both declared Paul had done nothing worthy of death or imprisonment. Though his accusers did not relent of their false accusations, Paul had been declared innocent. The only reason his imprisonment continued was because he’d appealed to Caesar for justice against his accusers. Yet, Paul was modeling what he was commanding, to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which he’d been called and he showed great humility and patience and continued to declare the love of God to any and all who would listen to him. He wrote to churches, from his prison cell, hoping to encourage the saints in holy service.

Secondly and infinitely more importantly, Jesus is the example. Jesus is the Victor over sin and death. He went before the courts and never once lost His temper. He was more innocent than Paul ever could be—for Jesus had never in His life sinned. And when He was falsely accused He could have said “I don’t need to submit to this!” So why did He?

Jesus was our representative. He served as the new Adam. Where Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden and chased temptations bringing all of humanity under the curse of sin Jesus, in a sin-sickened world, remained steadfastly loyal to God. Therefore He is the Only One Who can stand in our place and bear the punishment of God against our sins. Jesus is the second, greater Adam, in Whose Name the curse of sin and its punishment are lifted for all who believe in Him.

No one—not one single person ever has endured what Jesus endured. No one ever has had as great an excuse to be arrogant or rude. Yet He, the innocent man, withstood all the assaults of evil men and false accusations and a broken court system.

So great is His salvation that to the wronged and to the wrong-doer, He extends the way to peace and reconciliation. No wonder the people of God have declared through the ages “Hallelujah! What a Savior!”

Weak and weary sinner, raise your head and look to Jesus. Find in Him the refreshment that soothes your fevered head and restores Your soul. Find in Jesus the way of salvation, full and free which turns this world upside down.

Source of the wells of the salvation, we ask You: cleanse us from the inside out. Wash away the sin and festering wrong-doing that brings rot to our bones. Jesus, Who has taken away the sin of the world, remove our sins far from us and give us the new life promised in the Bible. Thank You that no sin is so great it is beyond Your healing, thank You that no sin is so small You ignore it leaving us impaled by it, helpless and conscience-smitten. Lead us, captives to Your mercy, in triumphal procession on the ways of life and healing so that the world around us is blessed by the blessings You pour into our lives. Amen.

August 17, 2019 -- II Corinthians 3:2-3 -- Big Impact

You yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written on our hearts, to be known and read by all. And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the Living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts..

II Corinthians 3:2-3 English Standard Version

Everything you do has an impact on the lives of those who are closest to you. I remember so clearly the time I let “it” slip. A swear word. Our young son was nearby and seemed to be absorbed in some activity or another. I didn’t mean to swear in front of him—in fact, normally I do guard my tongue much better than that. After holding my breath and looking in his direction, he hadn’t seemed to change his level of concentration nor was there a break in his level of actively playing. Phew, crisis averted—or so I thought.

Carolyn and I were shopping a few hours later and our little boy, just a toddler, was seated in the grocery cart in front of us. For whatever reason he decided to call out to the people he met in the aisles. From his perch in the cart: “Hello” he called. And when he had their attention he added the swear word he learned that very morning! Oh, how humiliating. He received a reaction from people and that seemed to prompt him all the more. At that moment he was not a complimentary letter reflecting our parenting skills!

Our passage this morning reminds us that the words we speak, the actions we take, the routines of our day, the way in which we work, the way in which we treat others—everything about us declares our allegiance to Christ—or our drifting from complete faithfulness to that allegiance. When we are careless, it can be at that moment our children, or those over whom we have a lot of influence, can be most impacted. It is so important that the words of our mouth and the actions which flow from our heart display the grace of God to the people around us.

Equally important is how we handle our failures. Inevitably we will make mistakes. Our temper will flair. Or our attitude will be less than kind. Whatever sin we commitment this too is important: “If we mess up, we need to fess up.” That act of confession will have a very big impact on the lives of those around us. Our willingness to admit our wrongs is such a sharp contrast to the world around us, where people will backpedal, obfuscate, or blame others rather than admit their sins. Therefore confession honours the work of Christ. We reveal our need for Him and the glorious impact of His work in us.

With the Psalmist I pray, “create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” Forgive me, God of steadfast love, for the ways in which I sin and wander from dedicated commitment to Your ways. There are times when I see my wrong-doing magnified in the lives of those whom I love. Forgive my sin. Polish me so that I will be a better, clearer reflection of Who You are. Fill me with the courage I need to make things right with the people whom I have wronged. Thank You for those who have a holy influence on our lives. Blessed are You, God of Love. Amen.

August 15, 2019 -- Proverbs 21:12-13 -- He Who Hears Prayer

The Righteous One observes the house of the wicked;

he throws the wicked down to ruin.

Whoever closes his ear to the cry of the poor

will himself cry out and not be answered.

Proverbs 21:12-13 English Standard Version

This morning I joined with my friends in the chapel service and we cried out to the LORD, The Righteous One. For the last number of weeks it is a joy to preach Thursday morning chapels at Harvest House Atlantic here in Moncton. A number of the folks who attend the chapel are in treatment for addictions. There are a number of rules that must be kept so that HHA the rehab area is safe for all who are seeking relief in Jesus. Well, 5 men, all at once, broke the rules. They knew the consequences. The conditions for living in the House are all spelled out in advance. They are regularly repeated. So this morning the chapel was tough as it was obvious there were empty seats representing those who are out. The remaining men of the house and others who attended the chapel felt the weight of grief. What on earth could I say? What comfort could I possibly bring? Let’s be honest, I have nothing in my toolkit and nothing of myself which would be of any use. The only hope is that which is found in Jesus.

I have been preaching on prayer—leading the men and women on this bible study since so many of them are very new Christians—it is important for them to know how to take up a conversation with the Living God and know He hears and answers. This morning there was such a longing for the God of Mercy to answer the prayers of His people and bring what only He can deliver: peace and comfort.

One of the texts that is part of this preaching series is this one, Proverbs 21:13. God hears. God knows the cries of the poor and the afflicted. In fact, God raises up men and women in Christ who have the resources to help, spiritually, financially, emotionally, and so on according to the gifts He gives us by His Spirit. And if these who are rich in the LORD close their ears to the cry of the poor, they too will cry out and they will not be heard.

At this service one of the men testified how God has set Him free—God heard his cries for help.

I realized what an indictment this verse is against many of our middle class and rich Canadian Christians and their churches, and I include myself, how often we have heard someone cry out and perhaps had thoughts like: “Well, Salvation Army can help” or “She got herself into that mess, let her get herself out.” Forgetting how often we have been the recipients of amazing grace at the hands of other believers sent to us in Jesus’ Name.

This verse is a tremendous comfort for all gathered this morning. They were reassured as we cried out to God, as we prayed together, He was definitely hearing us. He was bringing to bear all the resources of heaven. And, those gathered at chapel this morning acknowledged this—whether or not they have any money—they have the capacity for kindness towards others who are feeling broken. They have the ability to pray with or to pray for those who are in need. That is, in fact, the most powerful weapon of all.

Today, Righteous God—Who sees the rich and poor, the well-fed and needy, the proud and the humbled—we are asking for these five men who are bearing the consequences of their actions. Bring them to the place of true repentance and healing in Jesus Christ. Today, Merciful God, we freely admit we are one step, one sin, one temptation away from joining those who were expelled and we have no strength except that which You bring in Jesus’ Name. Faithful Father, pour out Your Spirit so that each of praying before You now will be given the strength we need to believe on Jesus and to act in keeping with this confession of His Name. In the strength of the Spirit let sin be hateful to us and compassion for stumbling brothers and sisters mark our thoughts and responses to their cries. Make us aware of this great fact: when we were lost in our sins and crying out in the poverty of our dereliction—You heard us, You answered us, You provided the Rock of Refuge we needed in Jesus. As we remember what we were and who we now are in Christ, let us be an army on our knees pleading for others and prepared to use up whatever resources You give us in order to bring many sons and daughters to glory. Amen.

August 14, 2019 -- Romans 6:21-23 God's Pensioners

20-21 As long as you did what you felt like doing, ignoring God, you didn’t have to bother with right thinking or right living, or right anything for that matter. But do you call that a free life? What did you get out of it? Nothing you’re proud of now. Where did it get you? A dead end.

22-23 But now that you’ve found you don’t have to listen to sin tell you what to do, and have discovered the delight of listening to God telling you, what a surprise! A whole, healed, put-together life right now, with more and more of life on the way! Work hard for sin your whole life and your pension is death. But God’s gift is real life, eternal life, delivered by Jesus, our Master.

Romans 6:21-23 The Message

For those of you who read these devotions on the regular basis you’ll immediately notice the language is so different today than the language of the bible translation which is usually posted. The Message is the translation done by Eugene Peterson—it is a modern translation that seeks to capture the idiom of the language—the stark originality of the underlying Greek. Normally the English Standard Version is the “go-to” version for these devotions. The ESV is a translation that seeks to be more of a word for word translation.

What is striking today is the contrast between the former way of life for Christians and the new life that is ours in Christ. The former way of life is a dead end. The person who is not living for Jesus is earning this pension: death. The Christian and the non-Christian both work hard in life. Both have to pay bills. Both have to make choices. Both have to be in various relationships with family and neighbours and friends, juggling the complexities of hurts and joys these bring. You get the idea, but only the Christ-follower has fullness of life now: the delight of knowing God now and the eternal life which begins now and is real life.

This “real life” is honouring to Jesus in these ways. The Christian’s sins have been punished on the body of Jesus at the cross. He voluntarily took the place of the Christian in receiving God’s punishment. So there is a freedom for the Christian to know death is done with and eternal life is started here now. Those who are living a dead end life, are about to receive a pension in hell where they’ll be wishing for death that will never come, such persons can not honour Jesus by their living because with Jesus it is all or nothing. Either you are wholly submitted to Him and leave the dead end ways of living, or you are under Satan’s thumb. You can’t be ‘sort of Christian’. You can’t serve more than one Master—none of us can.

“Real life” is honouring to Jesus in that the Christian is not perfect, still sins—but sin is becoming more and more hateful. The Christian confesses his sin to God and is forgiven. Jesus takes the life of the Christian and prays to God the Father on his behalf saying: ‘Father, credit to him My perfection, as I lived in holiness before You on the earth, credit him with that holy living, because You have punished all his sins when You punished Me in his place.” You can see what freedom Christians enjoy to live for God and to live free from the fear of punishment and the fear of what happens after we die.

The real life is one where Jesus’ honour increases and the Jesus follower focuses less and less on himself and his own accomplishments. The Jesus follower knows all his possessions are gifts from God the Father, given because of the work of Jesus. The Jesus followers knows that his circumstances, when they’re easy they are for God’s glory. When the circumstances of life are tough, these are still for the benefit of believers given so that believers are stretched and have greater capacity to know God and trust Him. Our lives are not meaningless, our suffering is never lost—it is used of God for holy ends and reasons that we know nothing of now will be revealed to us in eternity—so real life now is filled with confident hope no matter what happens here God is working in the life of the children He loves.

Thank You God our Father that in the trenches of our every day existence You know us completely. Thank You God for the work of Jesus which is applied to those who believe in Him 100% as their Savior and Lord. Spirit of the Living God continue to conquer our hearts for the glory of Jesus and toss out every inclination to sin. As Jesus-followers we ask for those who do not love Him as we do—show them the emptiness of sin living and its pension of death and hell—so that while there is still time they may turn from their sin, and instead anchor their life in Jesus. Thank You, God, for the men and women you put in our lives who clearly show a love for You and show that a life of following-Jesus is truly a delight. Amen.

August 13, 2019 -- Genesis 3:8-10 - - Fully Known

And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.”

Genesis 3:8-10 English Standard Version

Adam and Eve sinned. They ate the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil and realized they were sinners, realized they were naked, realized for the first time ever: shame. God their Creator knew all of this Nothing was hidden from His sight. In so many ways this is laughably-sad. Think of the times you’ve played “Hide and Seek” with a young child. You can see her feet sticking out from under the bulging curtains where she thinks she is well-hidden. Or you can hear the barely suppressed giggles of your grandson from behind the couch. They are not fooling anyone—their location is obvious to all.

So it was, and infinitely more: the LORD God had witnessed Adam and Eve rebel against Him. He knew they listened to lies rather than reject the words of the Father of Lies—all the while Adam and Eve were sated by the good produce of the Garden, they’d had the luxury of walking with God and being naked before each other and not ashamed. God saw all their sin and knew their folly in trying to hide from Him. Yet He still pursued them.

He went after them in the Garden of Eden in order to confront them with their sin and show them their need for the Saviour and to show them His tender mercy. Such mercies which would sustain them until the Day of Salvation.

 Our secular world accuses God of being an ogre. Those who think they know the LORD God have so many slanderous thoughts against the Merciful One. Recently I heard a quotation from J. I. Packer, and it was such a sweet antidote to poisonous, fatally flawed words about God:

There’s a difference between knowing God and knowing about God. When you truly know God

you have energy to serve him, boldness to share him, and contentment in Him…there is

tremendous relief in knowing that His love to me is based at every point on prior knowledge

of the worst about me.

J. I. Packer In God’s Presence (2000)

This is to the glory of God, this is the wonder of Genesis 3: sin doesn’t triumph. The loving-kindness of God triumphs. He Who knows the absolute worst about us, our darkest secrets and our vilest thoughts and our great fears—He Who is terrible in beauty and awesome in splendor and lives in fiery, unapproachable light—He fully knows us and rescues us from the death sentence of our sins and brings us to new life. Widely yet His mercy flows.

Don’t let your knowledge of God be the half-truths of our rebellious world. Do not settle for the lies the devil tells about the LORD God. Dive into the Bible. Read. Drink deeply of the refreshing well-waters of salvation and know this Glorious, Merciful God for yourself. Receive the gift of being fully known by God and fully loved by God Your Father. Unconditionally accept Jesus and be made new and completely clean.

Ah, Who is a God like You, forgiving our iniquity and passing over the transgressions of Your children? Who is a God like You—delighting to show steadfast love and having compassion on us, again, and again, and again. Thank You Faithful Father, that You have rescued us from the clutches of hell and have saved us from ourselves—through the inestimable cost of the blood of Your Own Son. Spirit of God move us from our hiding places and prompt us to look up to the Presence of our Merciful Father. Amen.

August 12, 2019 - - Psalm 14:6 -- Delivered from Shame

You would shame the plans of the poor,

but the LORD is his refuge.

Psalm 14:6 English Standard Version

Shame. The mere mention of the word makes many shiver with fear—what if people knew… (and you fill in the fears and insecurities that bring the spectre of shame’s appearance which would haunt you). According to Psalm 14 it is the evil doer who would raise the possibility of shame. It is the evil doer who seeks to gain power over the anointed and beloved of the LORD.

Shame would drive us into hiding. The more we hide it the greater its power is over us. How is the LORD the refuge in a world that uses shame to sell beauty products (you don’t want people to see how old you really are) and cars (you don’t want your car to be less than what that person is driving) and pet food (are you really going to feed your beloved family member that inferior pet food?! Do you even love your faithful companion?!).

Shame over our failings and sins is even deeper. It makes living in true community nearly impossible. If others knew me as I know myself, who would love me?

How could the LORD possibly be the refuge of the poor?

The LORD our God knows our shame. He knows our public self and He knows and sees what we do in secret. Nothing is hidden from His gaze. He has seen it all. He knows the conversations your brain has with your guilt-riddled heart.

The LORD our God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to take on Himself the punishment for all our sins—those sins all people know about and the hidden things we hope no one knows about. Be assured of this: we can’t be blackmailed by the devil because the LORD already knows the worst about us and He has provided the way of salvation.

The LORD our God sent His Spirit to put us into true community—we live side by side with other men and women who are just as needy as we are and who themselves have a refuge in the Saviour, Jesus Christ. All of should be able to name the moment our sin and shame were washed away—it was the moment Jesus cried out on the cross “It is finished!” (John 19:30). Those words alerted the hosts of hell and their evil-doing leader the Father of Lies that he has been completely disarmed. All our sins, every wrong-doing that deserved punishment are now stamped by God: paid in full.

Those who are loved by God and covered by the blood of Jesus Christ are not subject to the devil’s smear campaigns—”You?! A Christian—don’t make we laugh” he hisses “I know what you did!” In response the Christian boldly replies: “Devil—you don’t know the half of it, and Jesus paid it all!”

For these reasons God is the refuge of the poor. He has claimed us. He calls us beloved. He calls us saints in Christ and for the sake of His accomplished work. He gives us His Spirit to live in the heart and conscience of the believer, the Spirit Who speaks to our weary souls: “Abba, Father” in reference to God at the darkest moments when we need this the most. The Spirit binds us together, as those who know the depths of our sins and the deeper grace and forgiveness of God and proclaim His great love and grace.

Who is like You, O God of Glory?! You delight to show mercy and forgive the sins of Your people. You have given us the Mediator, Jesus Christ, in Whom we have a Defender and Prayer-Warrior. Who shows such tenderness like You do?! You give us the Spirit against the moments the enemy would seek to trample us down in dust, the Spirit lifts our eyes to heaven so that we can see the Father of prodigal sons and daughters running to embrace us and shelter us in His radiant love. Father in heaven, Giver of Every Good Gift, teach us every day again, to live in real, deep community with one another. Banish shame. Fill us with the joy of thanksgiving filled obedience to all You command. Amen

August 11, 2019 - - Psalm 119:7 - - A Renewed Taste for the Things of God

I will praise you with an upright heart,

when I learn your righteous rules.

Psalm 119:7 English Standard Version

Yesterday while we were at the Moncton Market my daughter’s attention was caught by a particular grouping of jams and jellies. The woman who made them encouraged Elayna to try one. The one Elayna chose was a pink jelly that was made from the petals of orange daylilies. You read that correctly—daylily flowers! It was so good and a surprise. The jam maker noted that there are many flowers that are edible. Some edible flowers likely are familiar to us, like chives and roses, but others which are also edible might surprise us: daylilies and echinacea.

Strange isn’t it, our diet is such an important part of our lives. Yet it is so easy to become caught in a routine and eat poorly or mindlessly much on things that are unhealthy for us because we have not taken the time to explore the myriad of other options that are out there. Healthy foods might take a bit of work to find, but once we do we discover it is good to eat and beneficial. If a friend prepares a new recipe for us which includes healthy foods, we can be inspired to try these ourselves and so find ourselves reinvigorated for taking steps towards better eating.

The Psalmist is noting that the righteous rules of the LORD are many and varied and beneficial. When the Psalmist mines the Word of God for ways of showing his devotion he finds his heart soars with new reasons for praise. When the Word of God is examined closely, the beauty of it changes his thoughts and taste buds. Suddenly it is sweet and good, in a whole new way of deeper obedience, to follow the LORD. It makes sense. He Who made the heavens and the earth and created us for life in this beautiful creation would know what paths are right so that we can enjoy creation and the Creator to the fullest.

Today is Sunday. Plan on going to church—learning to savour the goodness of the LORD through His Word and His righteous rules.

God of All Creation, great and glorious are Your works. Thank You for the mysteries and wonders of Your creation and the delight in learning more about creation so that through it we learn more about You! Forgive us for slouching along in our misconceptions of Your radiance and forgive us for shrinking from Your righteous rules which are the pathway of life. By the powerful presence of Your Spirit renew in us a holy zeal to learn more about You. Increase our holy hunger for the things of God. By Your Word and Spirit show us in Christ we have the Bread of Life and the Living Water which wells up in us to eternal life. Amen.

August 9, 2019 -- Revelation 5:9-10 -- What to do when you don't want to pray

Worthy are you to take the scroll

and to open its seals,

for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God

from every tribe and language and people and nation,

and you have made them a kingdom and priests to serve our God,

and they shall reign on earth.

Revelation 5:9-10 English Standard Version

Yesterday it was my privilege to lead the chapel service. I have the opportunity to lead, each Thursday morning, chapel at the half-way house called, Harvest House Atlantic. I began to wonder who really is getting more out of it? For example, yesterday a group of about 25 gathered. It was a tough morning for many of them. Some are newly released from prison. Some are newly freed from drug addictions. Some are in the rehab program. Some in the basic life skills program. Some are homeless and needing shelter. The question I posed was: what do you do when you don’t feel like praying? The answer I?!: start naming reasons you are thankful to God. So I challenged them: “What reasons do you, gathered here today, have to be thankful? Name these reasons for being thankful to God.”

Let’s face it, that was a challenge for the group in front of me, but even more it was a challenge to me, to my middle-class comfortable world. It is tempting to be cynical and wonder “what reasons could this group have to be thankful?” I am surrounded by men and women who, in the eyes of the world have so little. I held my breath, wondering what would pour out of their mouths?! What reasons do they have for giving thanks?

There was only the briefest pause, long enough for me to hold my breath and think the thoughts I just related to you. I almost broke into the silence to offer reasons for thanksgiving—but at that moment, before I could say a thing, that small group broke forth with answers, humbling me before our Father.

One man exclaimed: “Thanks for the breathe in my lungs.”

Quietly a ball-cap-wearing tattooed brother added: “Another day sober.”

An older woman, trembling with emotion: “A mama on her knees praying for me and never letting up.”

Somewhere someone add: “the glory of a the sunrise.”

“The beauty of the sea splashing against the rocks in Cape Breton” sighed another poetically. He had just, for the first time, seen the powerful sea crashing against the shore on a three day vacation—for that city boy it was a place of wonder and awe.

“Accountability” nodded one with affected gangster slang, trying not to be too vulnerable, but wanting to show he is broken, grateful, amazed—he explained: “brothers here who won’t let me go.”

Then the truth of those words from Revelation 5 became so real to me—there will be people ransomed by the blood of Jesus Christ from every tribe and every people and every language and socio-economic group. Yesterday morning these men and women were priests to me—reminding me of the goodness of God that reaches to the places of our deepest need and showing Himself to be faithful.

Today I have many additional reasons to be thankful to God.

What reasons do you have for thankfulness? Come on, name them. Make a list. Let this list of reasons for thanks move your heart to worship and pray to God. You will see He is worthy of all honour and praise.

Forgive me, oh King of great and vast mercies, for my small view of the work of Jesus Christ. Forgive me for imagining a kingdom populated with people just like myself, rather than looking to You and seeing all manner of people from every strata of society and every place who are touched by Your incredible goodness. Thank You for the blood of Jesus Christ that has ransomed sinners and brought us together into one family. Spirit of God, stir me to songs and prayers of praise and thanksgiving—for the glory of Jesus and the honouring of HIs Name. Amen

August 8, 2019 -- Mark 8:27-30 - - Who do YOU say Jesus is?

27 And Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” 28 And they told him, “John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.” 29 And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Christ.” 30 And he strictly charged them to tell no one about him.

Mark 8:27-30 English Standard Version

This is the most critical question Jesus asks: “Who do you say I am?” He is speaking to His twelve followers, each of them left their jobs and their homes to follow Him in His ministry. All their assets, all their family, all their time was wholly devoted to Him. They trusted Him completely for their sustenance, learning from Him and being made into disciples who in turn would disciple others.

The Scottish Theologian John Duncan wrote in the late 1800’s “Christ either deceived mankind by conscious fraud, or He was Himself deluded and self-deceived, or He was Divine.” Those are the options you have when confronted with the question “who is Jesus?”

If Jesus deceived others by fraud He would not be worthy of admiration or worship.

If Jesus was Himself deluded, He would be worthy of our pity, but He would not be called a great moral teacher. A deluded man is not an icon for adoration.

If Jesus is Who He said He is: Divine, the Son of God and the Son of Man—then the question remains so relevant today: Who do you say Jesus is?

This is an urgent question because Jesus taught at the end of time He will return with all His holy angels and He will judge the nations. We will face Jesus when we die, or if He should spare our lives until His return we will see Him return in glory and call everyone to account.

We cannot point to any good deeds we have done in order to impress Him. We cannot hope our good deeds outweigh our bad deeds. Even our best works are as unclean, used menstrual cloths. That is graphically gross, Isaiah 64:6 is the text that refers to our best deeds or righteous acts as dirty as menstrual cloths.

It is a strong description, so viscerally gross, but also has profound implications. A woman’s monthly menstrual cycle always has the potential for life. When her body bleeds, then the potential for life for that month was unfulfilled. So it is with us, we have the potential for life, but we are always unfulfilled in doing the good we are called to do. What hope is there? Answer is found in your response to the question: Who is Jesus?

Jesus has become our Saviour, Who rescued us from the tomb and in Him we have life and have it to the full. His sacrifice on the cross means our sins are forgiven. His holy life means that we are credited with His right living and He has already been punished for our sins. Therefore, in view of His sacrifice, in view of the holiness that has become ours through faith—we believe and we live for Him in thankfulness. We are not earning anything, we are using the gifts He has given us in order to honour Him, bless Him and thank Him. Our whole life, all our possession, our time and our family, all we have and are belongs to Him.

Who do YOU say Jesus is?

With the ancient church we praise You, Mighty God, singing and shouting:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

Who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms!

Jesus You are Who You revealed Yourself to be: the Son of God, the Son of Man and the only Rescuer of sinful, fallen people. Let our lives, let our witness, let our words and actions be continual and direct proof of Your Lordship to the world around us. Jesus, by Your power, by the direct question You asked, bring our “as yet unsaved” friends and family to a deep and real relationship with Yourself. Amen.

The quotation in the prayer is Ephesians 1:3

August 7, 2019 -- Philippians 3:13b-14 -- What is the Prize of Your Life?

But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead. I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:13b-14 English Standard Version

One tangible way in which the move to Moncton has benefited me is the renewed commitment to jogging and getting physically fit. So, a couple of times a week I strap on the running shoes and take an early morning jog. Recently I have been varying my route and find the challenge keeps me focused. This morning I took a fairly familiar route. Here is my mistake: I mistook familiar for easier. Because I’d taken this route faithfully for the first month, going back to it I assumed it’d be easy. No matter what 6 km is 6 km—just because I know the way doesn’t mean it will require less focus, or less energy or effort.

The goal of the Christian’s life is to know Jesus Christ. God calls us upward—out of the death-spirals of this culture and away from the maddening crowd’s conformity to the things that lead away from God. It is easy to mistake the familiarity of the upward call for ease. We forget the effort it takes to truly engage in pursuing the goal of knowing Jesus. Let me explain.

One of the best ways of pressing forward into the upward call of God is to read the Bible. Yet it is the easiest thing to neglect. Because we are somewhat familiar with the Bible, we guess it is easy. It doesn’t require our focus, taking thought and time to move away from the distractions of life and get to a place and space where our minds can really concentrate on what we are reading and Who is the great prize of our lives.

Or consider prayer—again—this is the great gift of God for building up our relationship with Him. Yet we can mistake familiarity with prayer as something that is therefore easy. It is not. The moment we begin to pray, the phone will ring, or a text message will come in, or your spouse will need help with something. As with Bible reading, so with prayer—take the time, away from the rush of the day and clamour of the urgent and speak with and listen to the Living God. This is what it looks like to press forward, straining against the mundane and ordinary things which would pull us from a growing, soul-enriching, walk with God.

Remind me this day, Living God, that You are the Prize of the soul and the abiding Joy of the believer’s life. With the Psalmist I sigh: “Oh, that my ways may be steadfast in keeping Your statutes!” By the powerful presence of Your Spirit, renew my zeal and commitment to spend time reading the Bible and speaking with You. Even as I am praying this, I feel the pressure of the day’s demands and the edges of my thoughts are already drifting to other projects and things. Spirit of Wisdom and Power, revive my heart and imagination as I contemplate Jesus Christ and all He did, and is doing for His followers. Spirit of Glory, fill my thoughts with the future, the prize of eternity knowing God better and more fully in the new heavens and the new earth. Amen.

August 5, 2019 -- Luke 24:32 -- Wonder increasing

They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?”

Luke 24:32 English Standard Version

The context for these words is the day of Jesus’ resurrection. The news of His resurrection was just starting to filter through the ranks of disciples. Jesus had appeared to the women, but no one else. Then Jesus appeared to two who were walking on the Road to Emmaus. Though the two of them were kept from recognizing Jesus, Jesus explained to them how the Old Testament, every part of it, pointed to Him and His work, life, death and resurrection. The story of Jesus caused the hearts of these men to “burn within them”. They were so excited about what they heard it was like a cleansing fire.

The world is so hungry for stories, movies, and “event” shows. But just as soon as they’re aired, they’re passé. Think how even the names of some past very popular movies can make your eyes roll at the mention of them: Saturday Night Fever, Harry Potter, Avatar, just to name a few. There is, however, one story which never gets old. There is one narrative that explains how all things hold together. The telling of which gives meaning to our present and hope for our future. That is the grand story of Jesus Christ—in Him we live and move and have our being. His is the story of wonder, His is the power and the glory.

Today I am thankful for all those men and women in my life who told me the story of Jesus. Sure, there were preachers who spoke with such awe and power that Jesus’ Name was lifted up as glorious. But God used ordinary men and women for great influence. My parents read the Bible to our gathered family each evening at supper time. There is one catechism teacher who, himself, though he was not dynamic, even so when he spoke of the work of Jesus, my heart burned within me. I am thankful for Sunday School teachers with their flannelgraph figures who were patiently teaching this rambunctious kid the Good News.

There really are only two options. The foolish world would teach this. Nothing coalesced. Nothing exploded and suddenly became something. Logic is in the sewer with that—nothing is both nothing and something at the same time as nothing creates something. Then that lifeless nothing become something somehow by chance organized itself into stars and planets and solar systems and from lifelessness suddenly, inexplicably life arose. And against all logic and defying all sense, single celled scums gained information at the level of DNA until pond scum evolved and constantly, from nowhere and without divine help, inexplicably increased in DNA information until it became people.

The option I embrace with awe: the God of Wonder Who exists outside of creation and time created the heavens and the earth. He created it perfect. Adam, in the Garden of Eden, rebelled against God and this good creation fell into bondage to sin. The curse of God is lifted by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and the undoing of bondage to sin has begun. My heart burns within me to share it—when Jesus returns then sin will be no more. There will be new heavens and a new earth. The possibility of sin and evil will be completely ended and God will be all in all and our capacity to delight in Him will be so vastly increased that He will be all our joy. How my heart yearns within me!

O God, You are the God of All Hope and All Peace in believing. Let Your Spirit continue to burn away the lies and false stories we’ve been told until the brilliance of Jesus Christ and His radiance is all I see. Fill our vision, O God of Terrible Splendour, until all else is revealed as tawdry and passé. You, Father, Son and Spirit, are the One True God, in service to Whom is all life and freedom, wonder and joy. Amen.

August 4, 2019 -- Psalm 78:3-4 -- Awe and Wonder at the Splendour of God

things that we have heard and known,
that our fathers have told us.
4 We will not hide them from their children,
but tell to the coming generation
the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might,
and the wonders that he has done.

Psalm 78:3-4 English Standard Version

That word “wonder” is used 79 times in the Bible. It is used fifteen times in the Psalms and four of those fifteen times right here in Psalm 78. When we are communicating our faith in Jesus Christ to the next generation, will they catch a sense of His glory because we speak with awe? Does the power of God spark surprise and admiration in your heart?

Yesterday I was reading an article on the germination of pine seeds. The article was scientific and technical so that I could only catch about 50% of what I was reading. What captured my imagination is that the seeds of this particular variety of pine tree need the heat of fire to open the cones so that the seeds are released. Then, when the seeds are scattered, they can lay dormant for years, centuries even! They will only germinate when the conditions are right. Some seeds get buried very deep and when a fire sweeps through the forest and burns up the debris of the forest floor and burns away layers of mature trees and shrubs and smaller plants, then the seed will germinate. It stirred such a sense of astonishment in me—the LORD of Heaven and Earth created seeds to “know” the right time to germinate.

Jesus used the parable of scattered seed to represent the Kingdom of God. The Word of God is scattered far and wide: as parents tell the story of Jesus, as Sunday School teachers proclaim Good News, as friends speak of Jesus over coffee. The seeds of the Kingdom are generously poured out and at the right moment, when the conditions are appropriate, the Spirit of God will cause that seed to germinate and bring to life the knowledge of the glory of God in the heart of a new believer.

The heavens declare the glory of God.

Even seeds are tiny witnesses to His majestic foresight and planning.

The man whose heart is filled with wonder declares the majesty of God to his children.

The woman whose soul knows Jesus speaks His goodness to the next generation.

What has surprised your heart and filled your imagination with awe as you think of God?

Tell someone.

Do not be discouraged if that person doesn’t respond immediately. Trust God to know when conditions are right for the seed of the Gospel to break out and germinate.

Your way, O God, is holy! What god is GREAT like our God?!

We will not hide Your deeds from our children. We will not deny this generation the opportunity to marvel at the power of Your salvation. We will declare the greatness of Your love. Our mouths will speak of Your renown. You give Your attention to the tiniest details needed for the seed of the Word to germinate. Let us scatter the Good News of the Kingdom far and wide, bearing the seeds of the knowledge of Your glory to the ends of earth. Bring honour to Your Name, O God. Let Your might and dominion, Your splendour and Your immense majesty spark holy awe in our hearts and imaginations bringing us as captives to Your throne of mercy until that great day when we see You face to face. Amen.

August 3, 2019 -- Romans 7:14-15 -- What are you moving towards?

14 For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. 15 For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.

Romans 7:14-15 English Standard Version

What is it you want? Seems like a straightforward question, doesn’t it? Many of us can name the things we want. Many of us have financial goals and goals for our work, goals for our hobbies and so on. Perhaps you have experienced this strange anomaly: you know what you want but you are doing things which are contrary to your stated goals.

James K .A. Smith notes that what we say we want is often at odds with what our core desires are. However, we are always moving towards our goals. Smith writes:

To be human is to be on the move, pursuing something, after something.

We are like existential sharks: have to to move to live. We are not just static

containers for ideas; we are dynamic creatures directed to some end. In

philosophy we have a shorthand term for this: something that is oriented

toward an end or telos (a “goal”) is described as “teleological.”

James K.A. Smith You Are What You Love page 8

Paul is expressing this sense of knowing intellectually what he wants, having had his heart and mind captured by Christ, Jesus is his goal and his heart’s desire. And yet he acknowledges his flesh is pulling on him, his old, sinful goals, are at war within him. For the apostle Paul the resolution is found in Jesus Christ alone. All his soul’s deepest longings are met in knowing Jesus. By putting the Word of God into the depths of His heart—bringing it to the core of who he is—He is moving towards Jesus the Hope and Joy of his soul.

We are intellectual and we are heart-driven. We are driven by the longings of our heart; it is those longings that need to be examined. If we have a goal and we find we are constantly veering away from that goal, we need to do a heart check, asking: what it is I really want? What it is I am really worshiping at this time? The good things I want to do I am not doing—why not? The answer is clear—we are off course because we haven’t placed Jesus as the highest good and the greatest desire of our hearts. Whatever is on the throne of our hearts, that is what we’ll move towards. If we do not examine our lives, we may well find we are rushing headlong to ruin.

Tomorrow is Sunday. Get a heart-check and plan on getting spiritually fit.

Jesus, I confess—in agreement with Your Word—it is possible to look so good on the outside, and yet, inside be sin-filled, with maggoty, rotting, crawling evil. By Your Word and by Your Spirit help us to perform a heart examination, so that like Paul in Romans we will make an honest assessment of our goals and of where we are actually heading. By Your Word and by Your Spirit correct our course. Thank You for Sundays, for days of worship and family in the faith who encourage us in all that is excellent and good and holy and true. Amen.

August 2, 2019 -- I John 1:1-3 -- What is 'fellowship'?

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— 2 the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— 3 that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.

I John 1:1-3 English Standard Version

That weird word “fellowship” is used twice in our short text. What does fellowship actually mean? John the Apostle is writing to believers who have these things in common: they are reading John’s letter, they are receiving information about Jesus Christ, how His life, death and resurrection have caused believers in Jesus to be called sons and daughters of God. This is such a huge topic, such a big part of who we are that Christians, when we gather, can’t help but talk about Jesus, the blessing of belonging to Him, their latest bible reading and the glory of knowing the Creator of the Universe.

Fellowship is when two or more believers get together and talk about God. Fellowship happens when believers tell one another of the great things going on in their lives and the struggles they have staying true to Jesus. Fellowship means the believers pray, right there, on the spot, for each other. And our passage reminds us these elements of Christian fellowship lead us into deeper contact, communication and relationship with God, our Father and with Jesus Himself. The Holy Spirit uses these times of meeting together to increase our knowledge of God, deepen our love for God, whet our hunger for more of God in our lives and increase our desire to serve Him.

If this sounds dead boring to you, it is because the Spirit of God has not yet grabbed hold of your heart and your imagination with all the wondrous things Jesus has done. Believe me, there is no greater adventure, no higher joy and no more sustaining hope than knowing God and His love poured out for us in Jesus. I challenge you today, find a friend whose faith you admire, and ask him about his walk with God. Call a friend who obviously knows Jesus and talks with Him and ask her to explain to you why this faith she holds is so important to her. That is fellowship. And that is tremendous blessing.

God, Creator of the Heavens and the Earth, the vast universe and the complexities of DNA, thank You for the gift of the Bible by which we get to know Who You Are. Thank You for the Spirit of God Who helps us read and begin to understand. Thank You for the Spirit Who brings various people into our lives who shine the light of Jesus. Thank You, God of Wonders, that Jesus is the evidence of Your lasting love for and grace to us ruined sinners, such as we were (and such as some of us reading this still are). Spirit of God, make us bold enough to ask our friends why their faith means so much to them. Let our coffee times and get togethers become weighted with talk of Your glory Mighty God. Stir in us a faith that is living and growing in knowledge of and love for Jesus. Amen.

August 1, 2019 -- Ephesians 5:7-8 - - Walking in the Light

…for at one time you were in darkness,

but now you are light in the Lord.

Walk as children of light

Ephesians 5:7-8 English Standard Version

This morning I was flipping stations as I was listening to the radio. I just caught the last little bit of a preacher’s talk. I don’t know who it was but I really appreciated this illustration he gave. He noted when he walks into a nice restaurant with his wife often the light level is a bit lower. It is ‘ambiance’. The waitress hands him a menu, and his eyes haven’t adjusted from the bright outside light to the lowered light level so in the restaurant it seems he can’t see a thing. He wants to ask: “Turn up the light so I can read the menu!” After a couple of minutes his eyes adjust and he can read the menu. Then he made the point so beautifully—our eyes can adjust to whatever level of light we are in; so we also can adjust our actions accordingly to whatever light or darkness we are walking in.

The devil would have us lower the light level. “Just a bit darker” He is whispering: “No problem really. Not much of a compromise.” But the Bible calls us to live as children of light—those who have put off the deeds of darkness. Christians delight in the things of God. We want to walk in the light because we remember the shameful and sinful things we did while we were caught in the darkness. Since Jesus has rescued us from the darkness of our sins, we want to walk in the light of His love and forgiveness.

Here is a very familiar hymn, loved by many (and I believe it is in over 300 different hymn-books!) which wonderfully describes walking in the light of Jesus and His Word.

When we walk with the Lord
in the light of his word,
what a glory he sheds on our way!
While we do his good will,
he abides with us still,
and with all who will trust and obey.

John H. Sammis 1887

God of Majesty, the Bible describes You as the One Who lives in unapproachable light. What glory and splendor belong to You alone. Blessed are You. Thank You for making known to simple people such as we are, the glory and weight of Your brilliance. Thank You for drawing us up out of the darkness and bringing us into the light of Jesus. Thank You, Spirit of God, that You guard us in the way of Jesus and by the Word increase our joy-filled trust and obedience. Amen.

July 30, 2019 - - Revelation 2:1-7 - - Remember Your First Love

“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: ‘The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands.

2 “‘I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. 3 I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name's sake, and you have not grown weary. 4 But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. 5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. 6 Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.’

Revelation 2:1-7 English Standard Version

What a blessing it is to hear other preachers preach! Today I listened to Sinclair Ferguson as he explained the passage above. Quite simply he unpacked the words of Jesus so clearly and beautifully. The three points I list below are his and I am still thinking on them with pleasure. This reflection is based squarely on Ferguson’s work and sermon—I have included the link below, and if you have 31 minutes I strongly urge you to listen to it.

This issue in this letter to the Ephesians is: love. At verse 4 Jesus accuses them: “you have abandoned the love you had at first”. Ferguson noted that when couples come to him for counseling, those who say their love has died he advices three things—in fact—the advice is exactly the advice from this passage for Christians whose love for Jesus has grown cold: remember, repent, renew.

When a couple feels their love has gone cold, they need to remember the things that brought them together in the first place. Infinitely more so, the believer who no longer loves Jesus with his whole heart, soul, mind and strength needs to ask: “What first drew me to Jesus?” And in remembering the fact that all our sins have been washed away, our love for Jesus is rekindled.

Repent. That is the condition Jesus placed on the Ephesians—a powerful church that had planted many other churches in the region. Unless the people of the church of Ephesus turn away from their sin of pursuing any other love than Jesus will turn out the lights of that church. It is His right to do so. He will not allow HIs sanctuary to be used as a place for infidelity.

Renew. Walking with Jesus is not about head-knowledge. It is not signing a pledge card, once and treating that like a ticket good for a ride on the glory train to heaven. In fact, Jesus is inviting them to find victory over their malaise and walk in newness of life with Him. He is the One Who holds the key of life, the One Who receives believers to eternity and He alone is the One in Whom is fullness of joy.

Historical footnote: the church in Ephesus died. Jesus did exactly as He said He would—He removed from them the light of His glory. He will not walk among a loveless people. What a stark warning for us today.

Remember Who Jesus is and all He has done and is doing. There is no greater love possible!

Repent of any sins or activities which draw you away from your love for Jesus.

Renew your walk with Him—read the Bible, listen to good preaching, spend time with believers whose walk with God you admire.

It was a great pleasure for me to listen to Ferguson—but even he would say it’d be wrong to stop there—once again the most important question any of us should ask ourselves is this: Do I love Jesus more than any one, any thing or any activity?

Jesus, the hymn writer penned these precious words: “My Jesus, I love Thee, I know Thou are mine. For Thee all the follies of sin I resign. My gracious Redeemer, my Saviour art Thou, if ever I loved Thee my Jesus it is now.” Spirit of the Living God, bring to heart and mind all the blessings of Jesus Christ and His glorious work so that I will repent of any waywardness and be truly, deeply, renewed in my love for Jesus. Let this love grow and increase, burning ever brighter until by His power I see our Father face to face. Amen.

Hymn “My Jesus I Love Thee” was written by William Featherstone circa 1864

https://www.monergism.com/topics/mp3-audio-multimedia/00-new-testament-sermons-book/revelation/chapter-revelation/revelation-0

Jully 29, 2019 - - I John 3:4-7 - - What are you practicing to perfect?

4 Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. 5 You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. 6 No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. 7 Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous.

I John 3:4-7 ESV

We know the phrase “practice makes perfect”. The issue set before us in this short passage is this: “what are you seeking to perfect in your life?”

Some of us, no doubt, are perfecting our lawlessness as we store up angry and bitter thoughts against someone else.

Others among us might be honing our skills in gossip and backstabbing.

A few of us might be quick with anger and making this our daily target practice.

Maybe others are more subtle in their lawless ways—we’re hiding our sins, imagining that the One Who formed the eye somehow doesn’t see what we’re doing. (As if!)

In contrast to the practice of lawlessness and sin, Jesus has come to break the patterns and practices of sin and give us new life. Those who are made new in Jesus practice righteousness. That is a $50 theological word which I’m sure scares a lot of people. Basically, by way of negative definition, righteousness means that the orientation of our heart is not towards our own ego, our world or towards evil. Righteousness, by way of a positive definition, means that the deepest love of our heart is focused on Jesus Christ.

Though some of us practice kindness we see we fail at it and rather than be discouraged, like little toddlers we waddle over to God our Father and asked for His forgiveness.

Some of us try to change our rages and fits of anger and what we have found is that the fuel which used to make us people living in powder kegs and giving off sparks, well, that fuel is gone from us. And we have been changed from the inside out. Don’t get me wrong, there are still sparks and evidences of the old patterns and practices, but the orientation of the heart and the will, the thoughts and actions are fixed on Jesus.

As Christians we don’t see the Lord of Heaven and Earth as an unreasonable, angry, and mean ruler. Instead, we see Him as One Who loved us so much, He allowed His Own Son to be punished in our place so that we could have access to His throne room. In fact, our Father, has propped open the door of the storehouse of heaven by His powerful Spirit so that every time our old practices and bad habits begin to nudge their way forward, the Spirit of God gives us a prick of conscience and in light of all we have in Jesus, we would rather turn to Jesus than have all the useless things of this earth. These things are, ultimately useless, because when we die we cannot take anything with us.

The only thing that follows us from the grave is what our heart practiced on earth. And then, after we die and find ourselves in the presence of God, at that very moment from the overflow of the heart, the mouth will speak.

Now, Lord Jesus, by Your prayers on our behalf, may it be as is promised in the Bible. We ask that the Father, Who loves us and by Your sacrifice has given us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, will comfort our hearts and establish them in every good work and word. Amen.

(This prayer is based on the blessing found in II Thessalonians 2:16-17)

July 28, 2019 -- Luke 17:3-6 -- You'll be surprised by power

Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, 4 and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.” 5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” 6 And the Lord said, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.

Luke 17:3-6 ESV

Currently I am reading a book by Jay Adams about Christian forgiveness. It is an excellent reminder of the command of Jesus with regards to forgiveness. Though I am just in the early chapters, I have been very impacted by these words:

But for now, two things may help: First, remember how many times each day Jesus forgives you.

Second, if you’ve really forgiven, it isn’t the seventh time, it isn’t the fifth, it isn’t even the second.

It is always the first.

Adams From Forgiven to Forgiving page 25

Unless we have a clear idea how many times, every day, every hour God forgives us in Christ we will have no sense of the fact that we are more sinning against God than ever we are sinned against by others. That is so humbling.

Then the apostles’ surprised, honest response makes so much sense: “Lord, increase our faith!” I am thinking they are asking for greater faith to be able to forgive. What they may not realize is how their spontaneous prayer actually applies.

First Jesus tells them all they need is a tiny bit of faith—like a small mustard seed. It is not great faith that acts on this, forgiving others is evidence of the smallest bit of faith.

Second, it is the work of God in us to help us, by this small faith, to see our own sinfulness and then to understand how much we have been forgiven therefore how much we ought to forgive.

And, we have so many things backwards. We are impressed by the possibility of faith being able to move a rooted tree and making it fly to the sea—and some spend much time thinking that is the thrust of the passage—let my faith teleport things! That is misguided. The real impressive and powerful point is that forgiving others is greater, more powerful, requires more of the Spirit than merely uprooting trees.

Today, ask the Spirit of God to show you how much you have been forgiven, how much you are being forgiven.

Then ask the Spirit of God to lead you in the path of obedience so that you forgive others—fully, freely, as if each request is the first time they have asked for it.

God, I confess, to my way of thinking, such forgiveness as You require is more impressive and has greater grandeur than the vast swirling masses of stars in the Milky Way. Thank You for the great and glorious forgiveness that is mine in Christ! I can not begin to comprehend the full extent of it. Spirit of God, in view of the glory of Jesus Christ, I surrender myself to You—work in me and through me faith so that I will be a Christian who forgives as fully and as freely as I have been forgiven. Bring to mind anyone whom I need to approach about any unforgiveness lingering in my heart. Spirit prompt me to holy boldness to work for reconciliation—even as Christ Who for the joy set before Him endured suffering, even the cross and scorned its shame—so let me scorn my own pride and be a forgiven Christian who, in Jesus’ Name, forgives. Amen.