August 21, 2020 -- John 6:60-66 -- The Flesh is of no help

60 When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” 61 But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offense at this? 62 Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? 63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 64 But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) 65 And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”

66 After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. 

J0hn 6:60-66 English Standard Version

The flesh is no help at all those startling words Jesus spoke are as true today as they were when they were first spoken. How do we understand the magnificence of creation? A secular scientist who does not acknowledge the glory and power of God will seek answers to origins with no reference to Him Who Is All-Powerful. Frankly, the flesh is of no help at all. When one is bound up in humanistic ways of thinking their words are of the flesh and lead to death. When one is trying to interpret the splendors of all God has set into motion without reference to God, their ideas are nonsensical.

The flesh is no help at all when one is trying to sort out government regulations with regards to worship. Laws are promulgated which not only curtail freedoms but deny the central requirement Christians have to worship the Living God. It is baffling to me that so many churches are still not open for public worship so that people cannot gather together. We are commanded to gather together. Jesus promised where two or three are gathered, there He is in the middle of that gathering (Matthew 18:20). It seems to me our government, federal and provincial, are running on fear and seeking to control people through fears. The humanistic way of thinking leads to death. We are commanded to gather and worship—the flesh is no help at all when trying to interpret what God demands of His people.

The flesh is no help at all when seeking to understand our times. We are called to turn to Jesus. Notice in the text how many people left off of following Jesus. The way became so difficult. They didn’t sign up for that. It is so in our day as well—this pandemic has separated wheat from chaff—people willing to endure for Jesus Christ. In our land we have a government applauding abortions right up to the ninth month, exporting the violence of abortion and funding it in other lands. Medical assistance in dying is touted as compassionate. While our ethics impaired Prime Minister staggers from one scandal to another know this, the flesh is of no help at all. As one new friend put it to me yesterday, “If the churches aren’t going to be open during these troubled times, there is no point in opening their doors when all is well”.

Jesus proclaimed no one can come to Him unless it is granted by the Father. All across our land may the doors of our churches be thrown wide open so that those who long for the Savior, those who perhaps for the first time in their lives realize the flesh is of no help at all will finally be able to run to Jesus. May these confusing times result in a revival across our land, so the glory of the LORD will cover Canada from sea to sea to shining sea, and people from the various tribes and languages and cultures of this great land will stream together to worship Him!

Mighty Father in Heaven, thank You for the people You have given to Jesus Christ for the glory of His Name and the victorious exclamation of “Amen” on His work. Forgive us, O LORD of All Power, forgive us for our times of cowering in fear and leaving our churches shut up. Forgive us for leaving people at the mercy of a government’s scandalous acts of intimidation in these plague-filled times. Cause Your church to rise in the strength of the Spirit Who gives life in Jesus’ Name. Jesus, our Sure Hope in these bewildering times, gather in Your people by Your Word and Spirit so that we may know the protection of our Father in Heaven.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyIR4N5EFt8&list=RDW-U4Rv_d_Ws&index=6

August 19, 2020 -- John 6:47 -- Awesome and Awe-filled Everlasting Life

Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life.

John 6:47 English Standard Version

That seems too simple, doesn’t it? Believe in Jesus and whoever believes in Him has eternal life. Right now. Eternal life that begins now, will not be defeated by death, and stretches throughout eternity. The verb to believe is used about 100 times in the Gospel of John. It is the work of believers, to put their trust and whole confidence in Jesus Christ. So sure is this promise that Jesus uses the emphatic expression truly, truly. The double use of truly (some translations have “amen, amen” which is also accurate) underscores how sure this promise is.

Believing in Jesus means our lives reflect our confidence in Him. We tell others. We ask questions about Who He is. We desire to know more. We find the things of God sweet and good. It does not mean we are perfect. I was listening to a wonderful sermon by A. W. Tozer where he noted Christians are not morally better than others. Christians are those who are drawn to Jesus Christ. As we are drawn to Him we are indeed, transformed and changed. But look at the evidence of history. Paul and Barnabas had such a row that they had to go their separate ways. Euodia and Synteche, sisters in the Lord, had to be called out for their disagreements. Those are just two examples. Scripture is filled with stories and examples which prove we are not morally superior to anyone else, we are those who are been called by the Father and given to Jesus for the glory of His Name and are guarded in this new life by the Spirit.

Thanks be to God He has made the way clear for us to be healed in Christ. Thanks be to God the way is not shut against us when we sin. He has given us His Spirit so that we will be convicted of our sins and drawn back to the way of salvation. We are neither lawless Christians who serve our own purposes nor are we driven merely to keep laws for their own sake. We are born again, so that our souls hunger and thirst for the Living Jesus. This is what distinguishes us from all others. We confess our sins as the Spirit points them out to us. We turn from them, learning to hate them and trusting the Spirit will continually root out all that is not holy, all that is not true.

It is beautiful as well that Jesus emphasizes eternal life. He is the Living Bread, the True Bread from heaven. Those who believe in Jesus have life, now, it is ours. And death will not be able to hold us down. The grave is already defeated. In fact, death and the grave will serve one last purpose for us who are in Christ, it is the final resting place for our sin. Death and the grave will affirm Jesus’s victory at the cross. When, after our death, we rise to new life in Christ we will not be able to sin, we will be free from sin and its contaminations. This is what it means to know Jesus as the Bread of Life. This is what it means to partake of Him. What joy and blessing is ours now already.

Jesus thank You for the wonderful gift of life which has taken hold of us! Thank You for the rich and glorious promise that our new life has already conquered death. Direct us by Your Word and Spirit so that we will conform more and more to Your will and Your ways thus bringing glory and praise and honour to our Father in heaven. Amen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7TFuqp97cs

August 18, 2020 -- John 6:35 -- What can truly satisfy?

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whomever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.”

John 6:35 English Standard Version

Endless hungers that are unsatisfied and a plaguing thirst that cannot be sated, these are the judgments of God on the wicked. Consider these words “You shall eat, but not be satisfied, and there shall be hunger within you” (Micah 6:14 ESV). You see this in our world around us. Though fortunes are being lost, there are food trends, expensive and crazy.

If you look up food trends, you’ll see all kinds of mash-ups of various cultures and traditional foods—despite the fact that much of the world is hungry. You can read of the newest mixes of drinks, even though countless many lives have been ruined and are being ruined by alcoholism. There is a restless longing hunger and endless thirst for new things. What is fashionable this week becomes so yesterday as this restlessly hungry and bored world seeks rushes in a different direction to fill its hunger in new ways.

In sharp contrast Jesus is the Person in Whom our souls are satisfied. Those who follow Him no longer chase the latest crazy food fad nor move discontentedly and idly from one thing to the next. He is the soul’s great desire, He is the One in Whom our hungers find themselves satisfied. In Him we learn to be content, whatever our circumstances, because He is our soul’s joy and our life’s crowning pleasure.

This is so intimately linked with what we considered yesterday. What is the work the Father has given us to do? It is to believe in Jesus, the One Whom He, the Father, sent. Many of us have spent so much time chasing after pleasures and friends and worldly things that we have trained our tastes for anything other than Jesus and His Word. Little wonder, then, that it is work to taste and see that Jesus truly is the Bread from heaven that satisfies. The restless, bored, thirsty searching which never seems to be satisfied is only ever fully satisfied in Jesus Christ and knowing Him. Truly, it is so sweet to trust in Jesus. Truly it is the most excellent way to take Him at His word and spend our lives learning to believe Him, trust Him, love Him more and more.

Jesus, Your words are familiar to many of us, and almost too simple. How can it be that we can step off the treadmill of endless yearnings and restless unfulfilled longings and find true satisfaction in You? Jesus, send Your Spirit to teach us this way of being filled and delighted in You. Jesus, have Your Spirit so lead us that we are equipped to do the work of believing the Father in heaven sent You and in You our lives find their purpose. Many of us turn unfilled to You again, fill us up, Lord Jesus, so that all our life and hope, all our joy and longings are fixed on You. Amen.

August 17, 2020 -- John 6:28-29 -- The Only Work Jesus Gives Us

Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?”

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

John 6:28-29 English Standard Version

Who is Jesus? Depending on who you ask, you’ll receive a lot of different answers. A follower of Mohammed will say Jesus is a lesser prophet than Mohammed. A Jehovah’s Witness will say Jesus is a created being and he is actually the Archangel Michael. A Hindu would say Jesus is worthy, along with the millions of other gods in their pantheon, of respect perhaps even worship. Some use Jesus’s Name as a swear word. There are people today who think of Jesus as a good teacher, but he was helpless in His challenge to the political system that ultimately put Him to death.

Who did Jesus claim to be? Jesus identified Himself as the One sent by God. Jesus is the One Who perfectly reveals God the Father. The crowd assembled there in front of Jesus had been fed by Him. They knew He was some sort of prophet. They were looking for the prophet to tell them how to serve God. The implication, in the context, is how to serve God so that they can get what they want. What Jesus tells them is to deny themselves.

Jesus’s answer is surprising then, and now. The one who desires to obey God has this one task which is to believe in Jesus, Whom the Father sent. This is huge. Understand that what a person believes impacts how he behaves. What one believes in the depths of his being will be translated into words and actions.

It is work to believe in Jesus. It is work to read the Bible and understand what it says of Jesus in contrast to all the clamoring voices and clashing opinions out in our world today. It is work to go to church and hear the word preached and explained. It is work to constantly pray to Jesus asking Him for His Spirit to open the heart and mind so that it is prepared to learn more about Jesus. It is work to gain a real understanding of Jesus, one which is radically at odds with what the world believes of Him.

The point is the work of believing in Jesus is the work of faith. It is the purpose for our existence. Believing in Jesus is the only way sin is de-fanged and removed from us. Believing in Jesus the way in which we start to truly know the Father and the Son and the Spirit as One God forever blessed and glorious.

Jesus, I believe. Give me all the help I need to believe. Jesus, send Your Spirit into every part of my life so that I will understand more fully Who You are and more truly believe You have been sent by the Father. Spirit of God, make the Bible rich and alive for me so that as I read it, I will desire to read more and more of it in my quest to know and more fully believe in Jesus. Amen.

August 16, 2020 -- John 6:18-21 -- Footprints on the waves

The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing.  When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were frightened.  But he said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” Then they were glad to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.

John 6:18-21 English Standard Version

Many of the disciples were experienced fishermen before Jesus called them to Himself. That is an important piece to remember when reading this story. They knew the weather. They knew how to handle themselves. But, fellow believers, even in the areas we are more experienced, we will experience great challenges and difficulties. God our Father uses every circumstance in our life to train us in holiness and trust. If we are relying on ourselves, we have misplaced our faith.

Commentaries on this passage, and study bibles with good footnotes, will point to a Psalm that seems to be echoed here. It is Psalm 77:

Your way was through the sea,

your path was through the great waters;

yet your footprints were unseen.

You led your people like a flock

by the hand of Moses and Aaron.

Psalm 77:19-20 ESV

God the Great opened the Red Sea for His people Israel, when they were caught between the powerful army of Pharaoh his chariots and army and the impenetrable Red Sea. The God of Creation opened the Red Sea so that His people could pass through safely. Steeped as they were in the Old Testament, the disciples would know that passage well and remember the events to which it referred.

Now Jesus’s disciples were facing the terrors of another sea and it threatened to overwhelm them. Jesus walked on the water. He proved Himself greater than the storm, more powerful than churning tumultuous waters and stronger even than their fears which had overtaken them. He showed Himself to be God the LORD, even as the people in the Old Testament were saved by the LORD, so would the LORD save His people. That is our confidence today also, He will use all circumstances in our life to expose our haughty pride and bring us to our knees in awareness of our utter need for Him to be King of our lives and Him alone the Sovereign.

Where are you experiencing fears that threaten to overwhelm you? Where are you recognizing you are out of your depths and beginning to panic? Jesus Christ is our salvation. He is greater than the storms of our lives and more powerful than any circumstances. Beleaguered, weary people turn to Jesus. He is our peace. He is our salvation. He is Master of such storms so that we take our eyes off ourselves and our pride is smashed to the ground and we learn humble reliance on Him.

Today’s prayer is based completely on Psalm 77. May the LORD our God give us victory in the places where we most need it, so that for us, Jesus is all in all.

I cry aloud to You, Living God,

aloud to You, and You will hear me.

In the day of trouble I seek You, Mighty LORD;

in the night, tired and worn I continually stretch out my hands appealing to You.

Then Your Spirit stirred me to remember Your past faithfulnesses to me.

I will remember the deeds of the LORD and ponder all your work.

What god is great like You, O LORD my God?!

When the waters saw you, O God,
    when the waters saw you, they were afraid;
    indeed, the deep trembled.
 The clouds poured out water;
    the skies gave forth thunder;
    your arrows flashed on every side.
 The crash of your thunder was in the whirlwind;
    your lightnings lighted up the world;
    the earth trembled and shook.
 Your way was through the sea,
    your path through the great waters;
    yet your footprints were unseen.
 You led your people like a flock
    by the hand of Moses and Aaron.

Amen.

August 13, 2020 -- John 6:15 -- Subjecting our will to His

Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.

John 6:15 English Standard Version

Jesus had just performed the miracle, what is referred to as a sign in John’s Gospel, of feeding five thousand people. With the gift of five barley loaves and two small fish from a young boy in the crowd, Jesus gave thanks to His Father and broke the bread and fish. The entire crowd ate and there was an abundance of left-overs which indicated all the people had eaten their fill. It is a sign that confirmed Jesus is sent by the Father. It is a sign that confirms Jesus is Who He says He Is.

The people who had just eaten misunderstood the sign. They were expecting a Messiah, a King, who would be political. They expected Jesus would conform to their expectations. The problem is human expectations are base and sinful. People then and people today, we are so bound up in our sins and selfishness, lusts and self-centred desires we cannot see things the way God intended.

Jesus withdrew. More than this, there is an emphasis that is easy for us to miss, Jesus withdrew again. He went up to the mountain to pray, as was His habit. Luke in His Gospel makes this clear. Frequently Jesus would spend time in prayer, even the whole night in prayer. Jesus’s desire was to be directed by His Father in heaven in all things. Jesus would, in His humanity, seek to do the will of His Father in heaven. By His times in prayer, the times He delighted in speaking to and listening to His Father, Jesus put the things of this world into their proper perspective.

Dearly loved children of God, how we need this lesson. As those who are washed by the blood of Jesus so that our sins are forgiven, how much we need to learn to delight in spending time with God our Father. So often we are presented with choices and opportunities that seem golden and perfect for the taking and we are prepared to pursue them. But we do not withdraw and spend time with our Father in heaven. The gentle prompting of the Spirit is ignored, the same Spirit Who would drive us to ask: “Father, is this Your will for me?” We do not search out the Word of God and rely on the Spirit of God to quench our wanton desires and deflate our egos. We wind up in places or situations which make us cry out: “God, how did I get here?!” The simple answer is that we did not withdraw again, to a place by ourselves and spend time with our Father in heaven.

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 This is what Jesus so beautifully demonstrated. He would seek out His Father’s will. He would spend time in prayer. He would withdraw from the clamoring people, remove Himself from the demanding circumstances and allow the Spirit which was given to Him without measure, to direct Him in bringing His deepest needs, joys, sorrows and thoughts before His Father in heaven.

As Jesus taught us, by example and instruction, so we pray Father in heaven, hallowed, praised and blessed, be Your Name. Your Kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. We pray, Father, let Your will be done in our lives also. Jesus is for us the Way and the Truth and the Life. Spirit instruct our hearts, fill our imaginations with the wonders of what a fuller life in communion with the Father would look like. Spirit direct us so that we, like Jesus and based on the exalted position His redeeming work has given us, will withdraw again and again, to lonely and quiet places so that we can delight in our Father in heaven. Amen.

August 12, 2020 -- John 6:2 -- Liver quiver or arrow straight service

And a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick.

John 6:2 English Standard Version

Crowds were following Jesus because He was doing amazing things. If you think about it, that is no different than people going to a Cirque du Soleil performance. The acrobatics are beyond description. The sounds and costumes and constant activity grip the mind and fire the imagination. And then one goes back to ordinary life. Sure you may tell a few friends, but the experience fades away.

It is the warning carried in this short verse today. Why are you following Jesus? Is it for performance? Do you expect that He will heal you? Do you expect He will manage your finances? Do you imagine He will somehow thrill you?

When Jesus began to teach this fickle crowd, many of them drifted off They wanted signs. They wanted the miraculous. What they didn’t want is transformation. They didn’t want the Savior, Who in Himself is altogether excellent, beautiful and worthy of praise. Jesus asked Peter and the disciples if they were ready to abandon Him as well. Listen to the answer. “Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life,” (John 6:68 ESV). What a beautiful truth. Where else would we go, but to Jesus?!

In contrast to “Cirque du Soleil” or a sporting event—Jesus changes His followers from the inside out. Each day is given in faith-filled service to Him. Each moment an opportunity to learn of Him, praise Him, teach others of His glory and offer the ordinary tasks of our day as a chance to bless those He has put in our lives. Those captured by Christ find in Him their hope and joy, their life’s great reward.

King Jesus with those first disciples and Your followers through-out the ages we declare: “You have the words of life, to whom shall we go?” Fill us with Your Spirit so that our days will be transformed in dedicated service to You, praise to You, and blessing to the people You have placed in our lives. Father in heaven, gather in the full measure of the people You have entrusted to Jesus our Savior. Let Your renown and splendor echo across this earth. Amen.

August 10, 2020 -- John 6:1 -- Faithful

After this Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias.

John 6:1 English Standard Version

Details matter in the Bible. It seems like a near pointless piece of information that Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee—but consider this, where Jesus goes, who He meets, and those who receive His teaching, these are not haphazard events or coincidences. In Luke, when Jesus was asked to stay in Capernaum, He declared: “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the others towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose” (Luke 4:43). Through-out His earthly ministry, Jesus was directed by the Spirit of God and Jesus went to the places determined by the Father so that He could make the Father known to all whom He had given to Jesus.

Jesus’s disciples went with Him. They were being mentored by Jesus. They were learning as well that the Father in heaven is purposeful in all He does. The Spirit of God will direct believers to the people who need to know the Savior. What seems like random events to us are in fact used for the glory of Jesus Christ. They were learning to make the most of every opportunity in service to God.

Many of you know that I have been a volunteer police chaplain for many years. I have not served in that capacity for a few years now. Last year I thought I might begin again, but realized the timing was not right. So I have not been involved with it for a year now. On the holiday Monday I went to PEI. We have what is known as an “Atlantic Bubble”, which means residents of the four Atlantic provinces can freely move about. After crossing the Confederation Bridge from NB to PEI, I learned there is a border check! It was a surprise to me.

At the border check I noticed the car ahead of us had Quebec license plates and it seemed the people were in process of being denied entry into PEI. So the peace officer who was assigned to speak with us was already a bit frazzled by dealing with a carload of angry people. When he came to speak with me and my traveling companion, my passenger did not have I.D. which would identify him as a resident of Moncton. So we were denied entrance. The peace officer led us to a waiting area where we met a police officer. This police officer approached with some trepidation, knowing we might be irritated at being denied entrance. The Spirit prompted me to mention chaplaincy.

So, when the officer approached, I was at ease. I told him I realize his job probably has him encounter many frustrated and angry people. I appreciate his work and wanted him to know, as someone who has served as a volunteer police chaplain, he is appreciated and supported in his work. His shoulders relaxed. He smiled. We talked about ten minutes on chaplaincy, which he’d never heard of, and exchanged business cards. Though we were not able to visit PEI, I realized what had happened is that God brought us to the right person at the right time for His purposes. My friend and I had a wonderful teaching moment—we learned that what we plan to do can easily be overturned by what the Spirit is planning. The question is: will we be open to what the Spirit is doing and to whom the Spirit is bringing us?!

LORD of heaven and earth, thank You for the greatness of our salvation, applied to us in the majestic work of Jesus Christ. Father in heaven, thank You for the way in which You direct our lives, in the great sweeping events as in the details. Keep us humble, O God our Father, and alert, to all the opportunities You give us for holy service. Thank You for those You have placed in our own lives who recognized the meeting as a divine appointment and taught us of Jesus Christ. Thank You for those who have been faithful along the way, and prompted by the Spirit continued to sharpen us and bless us for holy service. We bless You and thank You that our lives are in Your hands, Triune God of all blessedness. Amen.

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=may+those+who+come+behind+us+find+us+faithful&view=detail&mid=6215F2FD8A04AB5839766215F2FD8A04AB583976&FORM=VIRE0&ru=%2fsearch%3fq%3dmay%2bthose%2bwho%2bcome%2bbehind%2bus%2bfind%2bus%2bfaithful%26cvid%3d9761954c916046cda3b30c50a78ebd50%26FORM%3dANNTA1%26PC%3dASTS

August 9, 2020 -- John 17:6-19 -- Richard preaching via Livestream

This morning I will be preaching at Mt. Zion Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, 10 AM Atlantic Daylight Time (9 AM EDT).

The link is available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zanMrRHhGW0

July 26th’s AM sermon is available immediately at this link, and the service begins at 13:40:

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

Have a blessed Sunday Shalom. Richard

August 8, 2020 -- John 5:46-47 -- Beauty

For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?

John 5:46-47 English Standard Version

How old is the earth? Approximately 5780 years old. Count up the genealogies in the Old Testament and major historical events by their dates and this is what you arrive at.

When did cancer and sickness and death enter creation? God made the heavens and the earth and all of creation was declared good. When Adam and Eve rebelled against God then they brought death and judgment into the world. So, there was no cancer, no death before the Fall into sin

Dinosaur bones have marks of cancer on them, didn’t the dinosaurs live millions of years before Adam and Eve? No they did not. Dinosaurs, along with all land-dwelling creatures were created on the sixth day of creation. Dinosaurs and humans walked together on the earth. Dinosaur bones show signs of cancer because of the Fall.

All of us, as we examine the world around us, have a frame of reference, a point of view, or a bias against which we weigh all the information we take in. Jesus clearly gave to His followers His frame of reference: God created the heavens and the earth in six days and on the seventh day He created the Sabbath as a delight and a day of rest. This is what Moses wrote in the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible. If we believe Moses, what Moses wrote in the Pentateuch we have the same frame of reference as Jesus Christ.

The Spirit of God inspired Moses to write the first five books of the Bible. The Son of God was there, at creation, and it is recorded that by Him and through Him all things were created. Jesus the Incarnate One, testified if anyone believes the writings of Moses, then they will believe in Jesus Christ—Who is the confirmation and the fulfillment of those writings. Jesus was not ignorant of science. He was not a backwards bumpkin unaware of the intricacies of God’s handiwork. He affirmed creation. He knew the smallest atom and the greatest nurseries of stars are God’s handiwork. It is the glory of God to conceal things and the glory of kings to seek them out (Proverbs 25:2). What a glorious God we serve!

When we contemplate the marvels of creation and the beauty God has packed into this world, it makes sense we break out into a hymn of praise. Gerard Manley Hopkins wrote the poem “Pied Beauty”. It is quoted below. There are some odd words, I have included a definition for some of them. There are accents, which we are not used to seeing in our language, which are used for emphasis when reading out loud. This particular poem was likely written in 1877 or so, but not published until 1918, about 20 years after his death. Enjoy.

Glory be to God for dappled things –

   For skies of couple-colour as a brinded cow;

      For rose-moles all in stipple upon trout that swim;

Fresh-firecoal chestnut-falls; finches’ wings;

   Landscape plotted and pieced – fold, fallow, and plough;

      And áll trádes, their gear and tackle and trim.

All things counter, original, spare, strange;

   Whatever is fickle, freckled (who knows how?)

      With swift, slow; sweet, sour; adazzle, dim;

He fathers-forth whose beauty is past change:

                                Praise him.

dappled means spotted or having patches

brinded means patchy or streaked patterns

stipple means with dots and specks

The heavens declare Your glory, O God. The earth is filled with Your majesty, God of Mighty Power. Who will not praise You, O King of kings and LORD of Lords?! Thank You for revealing Yourself in Your Word—the written word and the Living Word Jesus our Savior. Thank You, God of splendor, for the work of Your Spirit Who reveals You to us so that our hearts sing, our minds have much to contemplate and our souls find their richest comfort and reward in knowing and serving You. Let the knowledge of Your Name reach to the ends of the earth, draw many sons and daughters to Yourself in love so that Your praises will echo and rebound across the earth. Amen.

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=Let+all+things+now+living&ru=%2fsearch%3fq%3dLet%2ball%2bthings%2bnow%2bliving%26qs%3dn%26form%3dQBRE%26sp%3d-1%26pq%3dlet%2ball%2bthings%2bnow%2b%26sc%3d6-19%26sk%3d%26cvid%3d3C390F02C6A34D1DB247E6F5FD863B06&view=detail&mid=5E382570FA23F1234A005E382570FA23F1234A00&&FORM=VDRVRV

August 7, 2020 -- Joshua 24:15 -- Setting the Course

And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

Joshua 24:15 English Standard Version

Choose this day whom you will serve. As your feet hit the floor, reconfirm the decision to honour God by your words and your actions, the way you treat others and the response you give when others mistreat you. Set the course of your day every morning and make adjustments through-out the day to confirm your commitment to serve the LORD, to honor Him in all things.

We are infected by the culture around us. How many of us welcome strangers into our homes (Hebrews 13:2) as was commanded? How many of us are advocating for prisoners, who through this whole Covid-19 have been denied basic human rights: family visits, spiritual care, even in some cases access to mail sent to them?! If not advocating for prisoners, how about remembering them—in urgent prayer as Hebrews 13:3 commands. Is the marriage bed undefiled (Hebrews 13:4). Adultery is common in our culture. Celebrated even. How sad. So many of our churches have been torn apart by unfaithfulness. Are you guarding your eyes and examining your heart so that you continually choose to serve the LORD in all your thoughts and actions? This current crisis has led to the government giving away billions and billions of dollars in Covid-19 relief. And now it is evident many people have taken this money who were not eligible for it. No doubt many Christians who were not eligible for this money have also taken it. We are called to keep our lives free from the love of money (Hebrews 13:5). How many Christians spend vast amounts of time dreaming about retirement or hoarding money, or buying up lottery tickets, rather than giving generously for the work of Jesus as is the command of the Word?

If we, with Joshua and many saints through-out the ages, declare but as for me and my house we will serve the LORD how often do we examine our own commitments to Him? The church is not a sanctuary for saints who never sin, it is a hospital for hopeful people who knowing their great sinfulness turn to Jesus Christ again and again. Broken, weary, ruined, wounded Christians who re-affirm their desire to serve Jesus turn to Him again and again and find in Him their great reward. When we, together, affirm this day me and my household will serve the LORD, the healing of Jesus Christ rolls like an incoming tide across our parched land.

John Newton, who near the end of his life penned the well-loved hymn “Amazing Grace” wrote:

Although my memory’s fading, I remember two things very clearly:

I am a great sinner and

Christ is a great Savior.

Indeed, when we daily commit to declaring As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD we are setting the course of our days and the whole direction of our lives in Jesus Christ Who is the Way, the Truth and the Life.

Spirit of the Living God, show us where our lives are swerving from dedicated and true service to the LORD. Spirit of God, strengthen us to confess it, to confront our patterns and to commitment ourselves anew in our declaration as for me and my house we will serve the LORD. Thank You, King Jesus, for Your great saving work. Thank You Jesus, our Savior and LORD, for disarming the devil and his accusations and giving us life. Thank You, Father in heaven, that it was Your great and glorious purpose to seek and save those who were lost. Triune God, blessed and mighty, great is your grace and vast is Your love. Honor and glory, praise and dominion belong to You now and forever more. Amen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wx6hGFIEjz8

August 6, 2020 -- John 5:45-46 -- Proficiency in The Word

Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one who accuses you: Moses, on whom you have set your hope. For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me.

John 5:45-46 English Standard Version

One thing is becoming clear to me as I learn French-there is a great distinction between hearing and understanding versus forming sentences and speaking in such a way as to make yourself understood. One, the former, is more passive. The other is active and requires a good vocabulary, an ability to seamlessly blend grammar rules and correct verb forms and noun and pronoun agreements as well as still pronouncing the words correctly and not slipping into English pronunciation of French words. To gain proficiency in French requires work. One must constantly read. One must constantly rehearse. One must constantly practice.

It seems the Jewish people of Jesus’s day knew the Old Testament passively. They knew the words. But they did not constantly practice them. They did not rehearse them with the expectation of seeing the One Who would be the fulfilment of them. When Jesus appeared, they were unprepared. Though they held Moses in high regard—the completely missed the point of Moses’ message—to recognize the final Prophet—Jesus Christ. The whole Old Testament refers to Him.

In your study of the Bible, are you becoming proficient in recognizing Jesus Christ? Are you learning Who He is and articulating His greatness, explaining why you believe so that others understand? We are called to believe in Jesus Christ and we are to declare Him. Moses wrote of Jesus. The disciples, followers of Jesus told of Him. We are Christians called to hear and obey Him. We hold out Good News to a world that is Covid-19 panicked, lost in its unbelief and unable to save itself.

Are you constantly reading the Bible in order to know Jesus better? Are you constantly rehearsing His promises and living with the expectation that Jesus will soon appear with all His holy ones? Are you explaining to the people around you, especially in these confusing Covid-19 times, why you are following Jesus and have every confidence for the future which is bound up in Him? Are you constantly practicing what Jesus commanded so that what you believe is being worked into every part of your life and evil has no foothold?

Blessed Jesus, the Living Word, You are Great and Beautiful to contemplate. By the presence of Your Spirit in us, help us to know You better. Spirit of Truth, let the written word burn into our hearts a vibrant and glorious understanding of Jesus, the Living Word. Prompt us to seize every opportunity to speak of Him, defend Him before this world—a world of people who have so many false ideas of Him. Give us a holy and joy-filled fluency in speaking of You Jesus! Father in heaven, may Your purposes for us be accomplished as we bless and honour Your Name by serving Jesus, Whom You sent as Your Interpreter and Radiance of Your Glory. Amen.

August 5, 2020 -- John 5:37-40 -- Stuttering or Fluent Faith

And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen, and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent. You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.

John 5:37-40 English Standard Version

One of the common questions around here, in New Brunswick where I live, is this Do you speak French? When I was in High School in Ontario, I took French classes. For some reason I thought my French would be ready to spring into action the moment I needed it. Yeah, no. When I mention to people around here that I am being tutored in French, they speak the one or two sentences they know in French. It is the upper limit of their ability to express themselves. When confronted with a man who speaks French, my inadequacy in the language is immediately apparent. Embarrassingly, when I respond to someone who claims to speak French and their ability to speak French is even less than mine, there is an immediate awkwardness. The proof, or lack thereof, is in the speaking.

Jesus is making this point with regards to our knowledge of Him. The people in front of Him claim to be spiritual. They claim to search the Bible. They claim they know God. Yet, when Jesus, Who is God and was sent by the Father, stood before them they had no clue as to His identity. They were unable to understand the message, the Word from heaven! Jesus was with the Father from eternity (John 1:18). Jesus was sent by the Father (John 3:16). Jesus was the long-promised One, Whom the Old Testament writers, inspired by the Spirit of God spoke of, promised, prophesied concerning and longed for. If the people in front of Jesus were really as proficient in the Bible as they claimed, they would be receiving Jesus, delighting in Him and blessing their Father in heaven.

It is the same today. There are lots of people who claim to know the language of heaven. They claim they know the Bible. But their inadequacies are expressed and obvious the moment they are questioned in any way about Who Jesus Is. He is the Word of God. He is the One Who has eternal life. He is the One Who makes the Father known. He is the One in Whom we find our soul’s greatest joy.

Our prayer today is from Jeremiah

Learn not the way of the nations,

nor be dismayed at the signs of the heavens

because the nations are dismayed at them,

for the customs of the peoples are vanity.

A tree from the forest is cut down

and worked with an axe by the hands of a craftsman.

They decorate it with silver and gold;

they fasten it with hammer and nails

so that it cannot move.

Their idols are like scarecrows in a cucumber field,

and they cannot speak;

they have to be carried,

for they cannot walk.

Do not be afraid of them,

for they cannot do evil,

neither can they do good.

There is none like you, O LORD;

You are great and Your Name is great in might.

Who would not fear You, O King of the nations?

For this is Your due;

for among all the wise of the nations

and in all their kingdoms

there is none like You. Amen.

Jeremiah 10:1b-7 English Standard Version

August 4, 2020 -- John 5:35-36b -- White hot service all for Jesus

He [John the Baptist] was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. But the testimony that I have is greater than that of John.

John 5:35-36a English Standard Version

Who is it that “makes your liver quiver”? Perhaps you are a fan of David Platt and his sermons. Maybe you like the dynamism of Paul Washer and the way you leave his preaching, worn out and convicted. Voddie Baucham, from whom I draw the expression “makes your liver quiver” might be the mellifluous preacher of your choice. It is so easy to chase after this preacher or that speaker or want to drink in all the teachings of another missionary-evangelist. Note carefully the compliment Jesus gave concerning His cousin John and the qualifier.

Jesus acknowledged the powerful preaching of John the Baptist. What a great description: a burning and shining lamp. He was white hot and bright in his preaching. People flocked to him. They traveled a great distance to bask in his light. Remember well, the earlier teaching of the Gospel of John. John the Baptist, when Jesus was gaining popularity, greater than his own, rejoiced and said: “He must increase, I must decrease.” It was for this reason Jesus affirmed the work of John. John the Baptist knew his work was to point people to Jesus Christ.

The qualifier Jesus gave is the testimony I have is great than that of John. Fickle as we are, too often we just want a preacher to tickle our ears and make us tingle for a while. We are all about the experience. John the Baptist pointed people to Jesus. John the Baptist pointed people to the one who is greater, in Whom there is forgiveness—remember he declared: “Look, [there is Jesus] the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). John the Baptist declared he rejoiced to hear the Bridegroom’s voice, that is, Jesus’s voice.

The testimony of Jesus is greater because He is the Only One in Whom there is forgiveness of sins.

The testimony of Jesus is greater because He is the Only One Who reveals the Father perfectly.

The testimony of Jesus is greater because He is Only Way, Truth and Life—no one can reach the One True God without Him.

The testimony of Jesus is greater than all because the Father sent Him, the Spirit bears continual witness to Him and the Bible speaks of Him alone as the Interpreter of Who God Is.

If the preacher, teacher, leader, evangelist, speaker or missionary you are listening to does not leave you with a greater love for Jesus and a deeper desire to follow Him—then run. Go find a real burning and shining lamp—one whose only desire is to make Jesus known.

Blessed Jesus, as You taught "This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent” help us to live, grow, learn that glorious truth and invite others into relationship with You. Blessed Jesus, thank You that You bring us into relationship with our Father in heaven. Blessed Jesus, thank You for the Spirit poured out Who leads us into greater understanding of the Bible and deeper, fervent, shining love for You. Amen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhhYIZJj6rk

August 2, 2020 -- John 5:28-29 -- Resurrection Life Now

Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.

John 5:28 English Standard Version

What is the good that we must do? What is the good that demonstrates we are those who will rise up in Christ to resurrection life that will stretch into eternity? The greatest good we must do is this: believe Jesus is the Son sent by the Father. Our work is to believe in Him. There is an immediate result that will happen in consequence of that decision. The one who believes in Jesus will be led by the Spirit to love God with all we have and all we are and to love our neighbour as we love ourselves.

Can anyone do this perfectly? No. We are aware that even our best works and sweetest intentions are tainted with evil. However, it is the accomplished work of Jesus Christ applied to us which lifts us from doing evil works that will be judged to becoming those whose works are credited to Jesus’s account.

Recently I was watching someone explain to her friends she was on a diet. She was counting calories and intended to lose a lot of weight. As she went back to the buffet for a third helping, the raised eyebrows of her friends prompted her to note, okay, today at the buffet I’ve used up my calories count for every day into next week. It is a sad joke with a poignant point. That woman wanted to be slimmer, but she did not believe she would ever be slimmer. What she did flowed from her commitment to remaining heavy.

What we do flows out of us based on what we think. If we believe ourselves to be children of the Lord of Heaven and Earth, then our actions, our words and the ways we restrain ourselves in obedience to Jesus will reflect our deep commitment to Him. Those are the commitments and the actions of believers who do good.

Blessed Jesus we honour You and praise You as the One Who perfectly revealed the Father. We bless You, Father in heaven, for Your persistent grace and love. We bless You, Spirit of Truth, for leading us in the way of Jesus Christ. Triune God, transform our will and our thoughts so that we will find all our delight in glorifying You and delighting in Your forever. Amen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0gu0nOaFsI

August 1, 2020 -- John 5:25 -- Jesus the Firstfruit of the Great Harvest

Truly, truly, I say to you an hour is coming and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.

John 5:25 English Standard Version

When you read through John’s Gospel, you will see the expression “the hour” quite frequently. It is the culmination of God’s redemptive plan. Already before there was a creation it was the design of our Father in heaven to seek and save sinners (Ephesians 1:3-5). Just stop and think about that for a minute. The hour is the unfolding of that salvation plan, fulfilled when at the cross Jesus declared: “it is finished”! No more could our sins be held against us by the devil. We have a Redeemer-King Who triumphed over the devil, over sin, over the grave and even over death itself.

The resurrection of Jesus Himself is proof enough that Jesus is trustworthy and true. However, He added another sign—the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. This was fulfilled in part when at Jesus’ death, “…behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. The tombs were also opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many. (Matthew 27:51-53). Can you imagine, hearing Jesus was raised from the dead, rumours of His great resurrection, and then seeing your father, who had died, standing there raised from the dead?!

Jesus is the firstfruits—He is the sign of a great harvest of believers raised from the dead and brought to life (I Corinthians 15:23). By the way, this is why those raised from the dead did not appear until Jesus Himself appeared raised from dead—they were those who were proof and evidence of His resurrection, the confirmation of His glory and the fulfilment of sign promised in our text today. Even more than this, they are the evidence that in Jesus’ victory over sin, death and the grave would be applied to saints through successive ages and generations until Jesus Himself appears at the Day of Judgment.

Today, all who hear the voice of Jesus through the reading of the bible and believe because of the powerful presence of the Holy Spirit in their lives, we are made alive. We are brought already now from death to life. We do not fear death or the grave because Jesus Christ is our life and our resurrection—and in His glorious Name we have a Father in heaven Who keeps us safe. It is our joy and our song to serve God with all we have and all we are.

Blessed Jesus at Your Word, at the sound of Your voice, we are gathered all to hear You. Let our hearts and souls be stirred. You are the joy of our souls and the sure hope anchoring our lives to all that is good and holy. Spirit of the Living God, lead us in the way everlasting. Blessed are You, Triune God, forever blessed and glorious. Amen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhbTXFHv5Uc

July 19, 2020 -- John 5:21 -- The Holy Spirit: the permanent guest

For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will.

John 5:21 English Standard Version

Perhaps you have heard this old saying, which is credited to Benjamin Franklin: Guests, like fish, begin to smell after three days. Hearing this we might chuckle awkwardly and self-consciously, because we have both been guests and have had guests over to our homes. Basically we can be kind and patient for a limited amount of time and then we are ready to cut loose and be ourselves and when our guests tap-dance on our last nerve we get frayed and snap at them.

Notice what Jesus is promising here. When the Father raises the dead—which He does in Jesus Christ—the Son will raise the dead and give life. In we rise from the deadness of our sin and rise up as a new creation, forgiven and free from the punishment that our sins deserved. Such sins have been fully punished in and on the Person Jesus Christ. So that life He gives us is the very presence of the Holy Spirit.

The very presence of God lives not in our home, but in our most intimate inner self. We can’t keep up appearances with the Spirit. Instead, we will very soon show our weaknesses, our flaws and our defects and our great need for His presence. That is the point. When the Son of God gives us new life, we will see in ourselves all the things that are leading us back to sin, back to the arms of the devil and the gaping maw of hell.

The Spirit of God is not afraid or intimidated or too weak. The Spirit of God is given precisely because we need His help. In order for us to live full-out in salvation, we need to have the worst of ourselves exposed, brought to the healing presence of the Spirit Who cleanses us, every part, from the inside out.

Jesus, Resurrection Power and Life, thank You for the gift of the Holy Spirit. We confess how much we want to hide and hold onto our old selves—forgetting that we were on the express trip to sin, hell and heart-ache, and death. Thank You for the new life You bring and guard in us by Your Spirit, the Helper. Blessed are You, Triune God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXDGE_lRI0E

July 18, 2020 - John 5:19 -- Sabbath Delight

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.

John 5:19 English Standard Version

When taking separately a small strand of scripture, such as this verse, it is easy to forget the context. The broader context is Jesus defending the work of healing a man who had been an invalid for 38 years healing him on the Sabbath. The Jewish leadership was accusing Jesus of working on the Sabbath and so breaking the commandments. If Jesus broke the commandments, then He could not be the Lamb without blemish, the One Who would take away the sin of the world.

In responding to this accusation, we need to understand how Jesus answered. First, Jesus limited Himself to doing exactly what the Father did on the Sabbath. Babies are born on the Sabbath. God brings life, even on the Sabbath. Even as a man who had suffered for 38 years is now experiencing new life, so Jesus does the work He sees His Father doing, giving new life, even on or perhaps especially on the Sabbath.

The Father calls on people to exercise their faith on the Sabbath. This man had to believe Jesus and take Him at His word, trusting that Jesus had truly healed him, whether or not he felt the healing first. Believing in Jesus and believing himself to be healed, he had to get on his feet on his own for the first time in 38 years. The Sabbath is very much like that. We trust our Father in heaven has forgiven us in Christ. We trust our lives are not our own but belong fully to Jesus. By the power of the Spirit we are called to exercise our faith in view of all Jesus has done for us.

The Father is demanding that man’s allegiance is first, last and always to Him. We are not to be bound by regulations which violate our walk with God. We are not to honour culture, taboos and man-made laws where they are in violation of God the Father’s work of bringing new life. The Sabbath was created as a sanctuary in time where believers renew their delight in the Living God.

Blessed Jesus, thank You for Your mighty healing work. Spirit thank You for awakening our faith to all that our Father in heaven has given us in Christ—the Father’s beloved Son, our Saviour. Spirit of God may our lives be lived within the glorious boundary lines of doing only what we know our Father commands us to do. Strengthen us for service in Jesus’ powerful Name and direct us into such service for the sake of bringing to Jesus the glory due Him. Amen.

July 15, 2020 -- John 5:18 -- Knowing King Jesus above the counterfeits

This is why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.

John 5:18 English Standard Version

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, we need to know our bible very well and constantly internalize its Truth. A statement such as this disarms so much of the false teaching of our age. Consider for example: Muslims and Jehovah Witnesses—both of these heretical groups blaspheme the glorious Person of Jesus Christ.

Muslims are taught, in the Qu’ran (also written as Koran), that the Gospels are good and worthy for instruction. The Qu’ran states people of the Book (that is what Muslims call Jewish people and Christians) must believe what their book teaches. Great, then their own Qu’ran is internally inconsistent with regards to Who Jesus Is. We need not fear what they teach for the Word of the LORD stands forever. In fact, in conversation with Muslims, Christians can use this point of contact to share our exalted view of Jesus, Who is all-glorious and magnificent.

Jehovah’s Witnesses are grossly inconsistent. They believe God, Jehovah alone is God. Then they have this crazy translation in John 1 that the word was with God and the word was a god. Wait. This means they acknowledge two gods. They are required to twist Scripture in bizarre ways in order to make their false doctrines fit their own translation of Scripture. Isaiah 45:5 states: I am the Lord, and there is no other, besides me there is no God. So, the question a Christian needs to ask the JW is this: How can there be two gods? Either God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit One Being expressed in Three Persons or you are faced with something inconsistent like the JW’s believe that there is God and a god vying for divinity.

Why does this matter? As believers we read Genesis to Revelation and we believe in God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit as He reveals Himself. We are people of the Book, that is we are guided and directed by the Spirit of Truth Who moved men to write Scripture so that we would know the God of radiant splendour Who makes Himself known in its pages. The more we read and learn, the more wonderful to our minds and souls is the Truth of Who Jesus Is. How He, by His atoning work, brings us as dearly loved sons and daughters to our Father in heaven.

Mighty God of Wisdom and Truth, by the powerful Presence of Your Spirit within us, let Your Word become more dear and precious to us day by day. Spirit of Truth, guide us in all truth so that we will go out with boldness and tell others of Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our Confession. Amen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05jKxv8ApuI&list=RDGMEMMib4QpREwENw3_jAc0YgNwVMUV8bv4QuDtM&index=5

July 14, 2020 -- John 5:6 -- Freedom

When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?”

John 5:6 English Standard Version

What a strange question. The man had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. Our natural response might be to snort and say, well of course this man wanted to be healed. Who wouldn’t want to be healed and whole once again? But the question is correctly shows us the wickedness of the human heart.

Imagine Jesus looking at you and asking, “Do you want to be healed?” As a woman who struggles against gluttony and overeating—do you really want to be healed? Are you prepared to battle this addiction in your heart and life? As a man who struggles with pornography, do you want to be healed? Will you ensure that your heart, mind and eyes are engaged in the necessary battle to stay pure and safeguards are in place on your electronic devices?

Do you want to be healed? Think about a sin that might have a stronghold in your life: anger, jealousy, sexual promiscuity, alcohol, lying, stealing, drub abuse, laziness, discontent, or whatever sin it is that tears at your relationship with God and with others. Many of us have been wallowing in our sins for a long time unprepared to hear the healing word of Jesus and get up and walk into newness of life. Worse yet, having been healed, how many of us go back to our sins, toying with them, acting again and again as if victory over our sins is beyond our grasp.

After a car accident I was afraid to drive the highways. It was debilitating. This lasted years. Many times I prayed that the LORD our God would give me the courage and grace I needed to drive on highways, rather than bound in fear always having to stay on secondary roads and secondary highways. Once, after such a prayer for healing, the Spirit impressed on me this question: “How will you know you are healed unless you drive the highway, exactly as you’ve prayed to be able to do?!” Thanks be to God He healed me and I was able to travel without fear. How many of us live in strongholds of sin, even though the Spirit, the Helper, has opened the doors to freedom and given us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ?!

Father in heaven, thank You for giving us Jesus Christ-Who not only took on Himself the punishment for our sins, He gives us victory over them. Thank You, Lord Jesus for Your healing grace. Father in heaven and Sovereign King Jesus, thank You for the Spirit of God given to us in great measure. Thank You for the Spirit, the Helper, Who opens prisons doors and sets those captive to sin free! Break the chains of our sins and where such chains are broken help us to walk freely in newness of life. Amen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGYjKR69M6U