December 19, 2022 -- Proverbs 19:22-23 & Luke 19:1-10 -- A Journey to Christmas through Proverbs and Luke: the love of God which breaks down every stronghold of sin

What is desired in a man is steadfast love,
    and a poor man is better than a liar.
23 The fear of the Lord leads to life,
    and whoever has it rests satisfied;
    he will not be visited by harm.
Proverbs 19:22-23 ESV

He entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. 3 And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature. 4 So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way. 5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully. 7 And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” 8 And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.” 9 And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
Luke 19:1-10 ESV

Jesus took on human flesh. He exemplified the Proverb's picture of the wise man, who shows steadfast love. This love is a reflection of the Father’s steadfast, covenant love. Jesus in His dealings with Zacchaeus showed such love. Because of Jesus’ love, which mediates the Father’s from-before-the-creation-of-the-world love, Zacchaeus’ heart is exposed. He is prepared to be a poor man, rather than remain a thief and a liar. He is prepared to be poor for Jesus so that he can be rich in the grace which Jesus brings.

Zacchaeus then exhibits the fear of the LORD. He will replace what he has stolen. He will give his wealth to the poor, showing his heart has moved from greedy self-centredness to thankful generosity. Exactly what the Proverbs show a man who has life in Christ will do. Wherever sin’s stronghold had strangled a man or woman, that is the place where new life in Christ will most obviously shine out. The angry man will become a peace-maker. The gossipy woman will become a woman who knows how to hold her tongue and bring all needs and requests of those around her to God in prayer, for He alone can heal and save. A thief and embezzler will restore what he has stolen and will be generous.

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your Name! What the Psalmist said so long ago is proved true over and over again: “The LORD preserves all who love Him”. Thank You for the love You showed the sinner Zacchaeus, in gracing Him with Jesus’ ministry, You remind believers, however locked into sin we were, that the work of Jesus will break down every stronghold of sin until the sinner who rests in Jesus is made His captive saint. Spirit of God, help us to praise Jesus, so that our mouths will speak the praise of the LORD; all flesh, join in to bless the Holy Name of the LORD forever and ever. Amen.

(There are echoes of Psalm 145:20-21 in this prayer)

https://youtu.be/ogS5n0QtSm0

Casting Crowns “While You Were Sleeping”

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December 16, 2022 -- Luke 16:14-15 & Proverbs 16:4-5 -- Journey to Christmas through Proverbs and Luke: the heart exposed

The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all these things and they ridiculed Him. And He said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God.
Luke 16:14-15 ESV

The LORD has made everything for its purpose,
   even the wicked for the day of trouble.
Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the LORD;
   be assured, he will not go unpunished.
Proverbs 16:4-5 ESV

As the Gospel of Luke continues, the readings are getting us closer and closer to the cross of Jesus Christ. The hearts of hypocrites are being exposed. The entire world's need for the Savior is clearly demonstrated. The Pharisees were the elite, the religious ones and they attempted to imposed their will and their self-centred way of worship on all the Jewish people. They did not recognize Jesus when He walked among them. That is so achingly sad.

Already in the Proverbs the followers of God could be divided into two groups: those made for God’s purposes who were reflecting His glory and those who claimed to be followers of God and whose hearts are far away from Him. Hearts far from God may publicly claim Him, but are actually devoted to sex, or money, or drugs, or self-promotion, or alcohol, or pride or whatever sin has taken hold of their hearts.

Recognize this, the Bible is written for those who are followers of God. Those who openly hate Him will not be reading it. But those who think they are Christians will read the Bible and either be convicted of their sin and turn to Him in repentance, or they will be hardened in their sinfulness and will go to the day of trouble where their vacuous faith is exposed for the sham it is. Those who are truly Christians will by the Spirit’s presence in the heart be convicted of their sins. They will realize the closer they draw to Jesus, the more hateful sin is in their life. So sin will be continually confessed. Repented of. It is the on-going cleansing cycle fueled by the Spirit of God.

The more the Christian looks to Him, Jesus, he will find the Father’s love communicated through the saving grace of Jesus in the power of the Spirit. The precious word will help him remove the log of sin from his own eye so that he can tenderly help younger, weaker Christians grow in their fellowship with God.

Our Father in heaven You are ablaze with glory and magnificence. Your Word is convicting truth and it exposes the sin that needs to be excised. Spirit of God You, Whose very Name is Holy, purify us by the reconciling grace of Jesus Christ. Beautiful Savior, King of the Nations and Conqueror of our hearts and passions, blessed are You. Save us, Triune God, in the richness of Your mercy and love so that our lives reflect Jesus Christ and in Him we continually see the eternal spectacle of the Father’s great love and the Spirit’s profound comfort. By the salvation You bring into our lives, may others around us see Your splendor and then themselves be drawn to Jesus. Amen.

https://youtu.be/_xOdbaLPJ1E
Celtic Worship "A Child is Born"

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December 15, 2022 -- Proverbs 15:3,9 & Luke 15:1-2 -- Journey to Christmas through Proverbs and Luke: Sinners reclaimed

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

The eyes of the LORD are in every place,
   keeping watch on the evil and the good.

The way of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD,
   but he loves him who pursues righteousness.
Proverbs 15:3,9 ESV

Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”
Luke 15:1-2 ESV

The three parables in Luke end with what might be one of the most familiar and powerful of all of Jesus’ parables. The story of the Prodigal Son is much loved. The truth of the Proverbs is clearly on display in the life of Jesus. He kept watch on the evil and the good. The way of the wicked was an abomination to Him. The word “abomination” means vile, disgusting. The parables of Jesus always seem to turn things upside down.

Consider this. The Pharisees and scribes are the religious leaders of Jesus’ day. They were steeped in the Tanakh, that is, the Old Testament Hebrew Bible. Interestingly, perhaps horrifyingly, they did not recognize Jesus, the very Person to Whom the entire Old Testament pointed, when He stood before them. Like their forefathers, they were grumblers.

Who the people that were drawn to Jesus? Tax collectors, the people who had betrayed their own Jewish heritage, stole money from their fellow Jews along with the legitimate tax revenues they collected. People whose disgusting practices were hateful to God became intrigued by Jesus and were drawn to Him. Luke, inspired by the Spirit of God, records these incidents in chapter 15 and these parables to remind people God works among the most unexpected, those considered unworthy and nothing in the eyes of the world, in order to show His great mercy and steadfast love. No one can earn the grace of Jesus, one receives it when he turns recognizes the depths of his sinful uncleanness, turns from his sin, confessing it to Jesus. What healing there is in the Name of Jesus!

Our Father in heaven, honoured and blessed be Your Name! How patient is Your love and constant is Your mercy toward Your people. Jesus, honoured and blessed be Your Name. How great and unending the grace You give to ruined sinners who realize their for Your redeeming work. Holy Spirit, honoured and blessed be Your Name. Thank You for driving the deep and profound truth of Scripture into the inner chambers of our hearts and minds so that the comforts divine are given into the lives of believers. Triune God, this Christmas season, may many of our friends and family members, who do not yet confess Your Name, be drawn to You and learn of Your love, confessing their sinfulness and receive the Light of the World. Amen. 

https://youtu.be/5Vwu-t7QRaE
Lauren Daigle, Chris Tomlin "Noel"

Copyright © 2022 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

December 13, 2022 -- II Corinthians 13:14 -- Journey to Christmas carried by love, grace and comfort

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
II Corinthians 13:14 ESV

Remember the journey to Christmas through Proverbs and Luke. Read a chapter of each of these books daily and you’ll have completed Luke on Dec. 24th and Proverbs on the last day of December. These books show how the practical life (Proverbs) is imbued with the beautiful work of Jesus Christ (Luke).

While traveling to and from one of the prisons yesterday I had the wonderful opportunity to listen to Ian Hamilton speak about communion with God. He made extensive use of John Owen’s theological work. He quoted many passages from Owen, but this one stood out to me: “Assure yourself, there is nothing more acceptable unto the Father than for us to keep up our hearts unto Him as the eternal fountain of all that rich grace which flows out to sinners in the blood of Jesus.”

The point is this: believers are invited to meditate on God the Triune. Think about this. The Father’s love is an eternal fountain, a sweetness of refreshing love given to the believer. From before the foundations of world the Father chose to love you. Think about that. Do not be discouraged by your own waywardness and sinfulness, know the Father has set His love on You. Proof of His love is proclaimed to all the world at the cross of Jesus.

Jesus is the source of every grace in your life. Exactly as the blessing quoted II Corinthians declares it. Jesus mediates the love of God to the people of God. He does not earn you the Father’s love; no, that is a misconception. You were already loved by the Father, the work of the Son reveals this with such clarity. You are graced by the Father’s love in the work of the Son. The Spirit then gives you all comfort. As you reflect on the Father’s love and the grace given in Jesus Christ you are comforted in God’s goodness. Such meditations make you rise up and worship Him and serve Him with all you have and all you are because this fountain of the Father’s love communicates such sweetness to every part of your life.

Father in heaven, hallowed be Your Name. Thank You for the rich fountain of Your love which is continually poured out in Your great faithfulness. Jesus, praise and honour belong to You. Thank You for the vast quantities of Your grace which is given to all believers assuring people of the Father's eternal love. Spirit of the Living God, great and blessed are You, beyond all telling or explanation. Thank You for the profound comfort with which You drench believers so that every step of life in Christ is suffused with the fragrance of the gift of Jesus and resplendent with the love of the Father--the fountainhead of such goodness. Amen.

https://youtu.be/chLMSiozhL8

Wheaton College “Of the Father’s Love Begotten”

Copyright © 2022 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

December 12, 2022 -- Proverbs 12:17 & Luke 12:1-3 -- Journey to Christmas through Proverbs and Luke. Light.

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

Whoever speaks the truth gives honest evidence,
but a false witness utters deceit.
Proverbs 12:17 ESV

In the meantime, when so many thousands of the people had gathered together that they were trampling one another, he began to say to his disciples first, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. 2 Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. 3 Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops.
Luke 12:1-3 ESV

It makes sense that Jesus, Who is wisdom incarnate, should speak proverbs. He uncovers the Pharisees as false witnesses and hypocrites. No wonder they hated Jesus so intensely and already quite early on in Jesus’ ministry desired to kill Him (Mark 3:6).

Why was Jesus so open about the deceit of the Pharisees and then so pointed about the secret actions of the crowd gathered before Him?

• If a man would change his ways, he must first know how far off course he is.

• So that the crowds would know the sinfulness of the Pharisees and draw themselves to Jesus, the Way, the Truth and the Life

• So that the sinfulness which people thought was hidden or secret would be fully exposed and confessed. Moreover, it is interesting how sin is revealed in the life of the true believer. Not all at once, but as the Spirit applies the Word, the lamp is lit in the life of the believer and by its light more and more is revealed, to be confessed and repented of.

Christians interpret the times. Good is called evil and evil is called good by the leaders of our world. It is obvious the end is near and Jesus will return with all His Holy Ones. Now is the day of salvation. Now is the day to make yourself right with God by confessing your general sinfulness and confessing your particular sins. What mercy there is in Jesus, to reveal sins so that sinners can turn from all wickedness and acknowledge Him.

Our Father in heaven, hallowed and honoured be Your Name. Thank You for Jesus Christ, the Light of the Word, Who illuminates the darkness and reveals the profound need we have for such a Savior. Spirit of God strengthen us to know both the depths of our sins and the powerful cleansing that is offered in Jesus Christ. Work in us so that our lives are not spent comparing ourselves to this person or that, but comparing ourselves only to Jesus, so that the full extent of our need is revealed and the full weight of His glorious redeeming work is revealed to us and then in us. 

https://youtu.be/tWeXVnRm6R8
We the Kingdom "Light of the World"

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December 9, 2022 -- Proverbs 9:9-12 & Luke 9:57-62 -- Journey to Christmas through Proverbs and Luke

Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser;
    teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.
10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,
    and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.
11 For by me your days will be multiplied,
    and years will be added to your life.
12 If you are wise, you are wise for yourself;
    if you scoff, you alone will bear it.
Proverbs 9:9-12 ESV

57 As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 58 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” 59 To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” 60 And Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” 61 Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” 62 Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”
Luke 9:57-62 ESV

It is tempting to think, “If I were there when Jesus walked the earth I’d follow Him for sure!” Through-out the centuries and generations of the Old Testament wisdom called out for men to become wise and know the LORD. Some did. Many scoffed. To scoff is to mock or make fun of, or to look at someone like he’s crazy. The glory of God and the wisdom given through the power of the Holy Spirit was available in every age, is available in every age, but people prefer to scoff and the puny man utterly dependent on God for his very breath, would use that breath to mock the Holy One. It is madness to do so.

When Jesus Himself walked the earth, the very people who had waited many many long generations, praying for His arrival, whose forefathers made sacrifices first at the Tabernacle, and finally at the Temple in Jerusalem, such people did not recognize Him, the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world. The passage from Luke shows Jesus confronting people with their false ideas of Who He Is. They saw His peripatetic life but imagined if they followed Him they’d have a different life than His own disciples did. While the disciples went here and there with Jesus, they were expecting to stay home or to do whatever was normal for them and have Jesus too. He would be a warm blanket to cover them rather than the Captain of Salvation, leading them into the thick of battle. Jesus blasted to pieces their notions that following Him would be easy.

A wise man will calculate the way of life without the LORD and realize that is in fact the path of death. He will realize to fear the LORD means to hate the old paths and the life of ruin and dissipation and sin. There is before him the One Whom Hebrews describes as “better”. Jesus is better than the foolishness of a self-directed life devoid of wisdom or knowledge. In Jesus Christ one encounters true wisdom. In Jesus Christ one has knowledge of the Father, Who sent Jesus so that the world would know His great love. Whoever surrenders to Jesus Christ finds life that is full of obstacles, struggles, worldly losses, but is rich with the spiritual life, joy, and the knowledge of Him Who after death has the power to bring one to His Presence in eternity where the Prince of Peace shall rule as King and Friend forevermore. The Spirit of God speaks to the very innermost part of a believer, declaring “Abba, Father”. Such joy. Such blessedness belongs to the believer who abandons his own false ideas of Who Jesus Is or his narrow view of what God the Father does or does not accept and with complete surrender yields himself to the way of wisdom.

O GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT,
That which I know not, teach thou me,
Keep me a humble disciple in the school of Christ,
learning daily there what I am in myself,
a fallen sinful creature,
justly deserving everlasting destruction;
O let me never lose sight of my need of a Saviour,
or forget that apart from him I am nothing,
and can do nothing.
Open my understanding to know the Holy Scriptures;
Reveal to my soul the counsels and works of the blessed Trinity;
Instill into my dark mind the saving knowledge of Jesus;
Make me acquainted with his covenant undertakings
and his perfect fulfilment of them,
that by resting on his finished work
I may find the Father’s love in the Son,
his Father, my Father,
and may be brought through thy influence to have fellowship
with the Three in One.
O lead me into all truth,
thou Spirit of wisdom and revelation,
that I may know the things that belong unto my peace,
and through thee be made anew.
Make practical upon my heart the Father’s love
as thou hast revealed it in the Scriptures;
Apply to my soul the blood of Christ, effectually, continually,
and help me to believe, with conscience comforted,
that it cleanses from all sin;
Lead me from faith to faith, that I may at all times
have freedom to come to a reconciled Father,
and may be able to maintain peace with him against doubts, fears,
corruptions, temptations.
Thy office is to teach me to draw near to Christ with a pure heart,
steadfastly persuaded of his love,
in the full assurance of faith.
Let me never falter in this way.
The Valley of Vision, Puritan Prayers and Devotions: "The Spirit as a Teacher"

https://youtu.be/Pr2RG-xR2lA
Celtic Worship "Prince of Peace"

Copyright © 2022 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

December 8, 2022 -- Proverbs 8:32-36 & Luke 8:16-18 -- Journey to Christmas through Proverbs and Luke

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

“And now, O sons, listen to me:
    blessed are those who keep my ways.
33 Hear instruction and be wise,
    and do not neglect it.
34 Blessed is the one who listens to me,
    watching daily at my gates,
    waiting beside my doors.
35 For whoever finds me finds life
    and obtains favor from the LORD,
36 but he who fails to find me injures himself;
    all who hate me love death.”
Proverbs 8:32-36 ESV

“No one after lighting a lamp covers it with a jar or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a stand, so that those who enter may see the light. 17 For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light. 18 Take care then how you hear, for to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away.”
Luke 8:16-18 ESV

Remember that commitment, those of you who made it, to read one chapter of Proverbs each day and one chapter of Luke. The goal is to spend 17 minutes in a time of Bible reading, reflection and prayer—17 minutes is a about one tenth of the non-work screen time the average Canadian watches a day.

The Proverbs picture the one seeking wisdom as one excited for news about wisdom. Think of the times tourists stand at the gates of Buckingham Palace in London, UK, hoping to see the changing of the guards. Or think of a student who loves a professor’s class and waits at his door in order to be the first in line for his office time so he can ask questions. There is a warning: the way of wisdom is life; the lack of wisdom is death. The language is stronger, it is self-injury, and a love of death. Wisdom is life for the believer; and the lack of wisdom leads to more and more harm and ultimately death away from God.

Wisdom is light, in the Gospel of Luke. It is Jesus Himself. When one’s life has the Light of Christ shining out this light cannot be hidden. New life in Christ catches everyone’s attention. Just like a display of Christmas lights that decorate a house on a cold winter’s night, so the light of Christ shines out and makes people notice. The Light of Christ will clearly show your sins and require you to confess what is going on in your life. This is why some people would try and hide the light of which they might otherwise take hold. They do not desire the extreme transformation which Christ brings. For such people, who fool themselves into thinking they are something when they are not, try to hide the little light they and whatever light and knowledge they had will be taken from them. They will be thrown into the torment and eternal punishment of hell.

As Thou makest the outgoings of the morning and evening to rejoice, so lift up the light of Thy countenance upon us, and make us glad with the tokens of Thy love. Be Thou with us, O Lord, and let Thy grace follow us this day, and all the days of our life. Be Thou our Guide unto death, in death our Comfort, and, after death, our Portion and Happiness everlasting--Amen.
Benjamin Jenks (1646-1724)

https://youtu.be/D7E0jM0F3M8

King’s College Choir “Break Forth, O Beauteous Heavenly Light”

Copyright © 2022 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

December 7, 2022 -- Proverbs 7:1-5 & Luke 7:36-39 -- Journey to Christmas through Proverbs and Luke

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

My son, keep my words
and treasure up my commandments with you;
2 keep my commandments and live;
keep my teaching as the apple of your eye;
3 bind them on your fingers;
write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,”
and call insight your intimate friend,
5 to keep you from the forbidden woman,
from the adulteress with her smooth words.
Proverbs 7:1-5 ESV

36 One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee's house and reclined at table. 37 And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, 38 and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment. 39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.”
Luke 7:36-39 ESV

How is your journey to Christmas through reading the Proverbs and Luke going? Are you reading a chapter from each book every day? Notice the interesting parallel here between the two books here at chapter 7? The Proverbs warn against the adulteress. The contrast is between the wisdom of God and the adultery of the world. The believer is to be devoted to the Living God and seek Him only, that is the way of one who treasures up God’s commandments. The wicked are called adulteresses, they have exchanged wisdom for prostituting themselves out to other gods and other treasures.

When Jesus ate at the home of a Pharisee, a woman who had been sinner and wicked adulteress, repented, showing herself captured by wisdom. She anointed Jesus’ feet. She gave Him a great treasure, worshiping Him and declaring her devotion to Him, Jesus, Wisdom from on high. The Pharisee, who to the untrained eye was a wise man, showed himself to be an adulterer, even in the presence of Jesus Who should have been his intimate friend. This Pharisee shows his devotion to money, to worldly ways of thinking and to ignoring the commandments of God.

Jesus told the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace” (Luke 7:50 EV). How do you define faith? I listened to a sermon given by Richard Owen Roberts who noted faith is:

F -ocused on the future. An eternity with God because of Jesus Christ.

A - ctive obedience. Not mere words, but a live lived, poured out in service to Jesus.

I - ntimacy with God. The realization that through the Spirit one is near to God. Such intimacy is granted through the continual study of the Word of God and His works and prayer.

T - enacity (great determination in the face of opposition) to show one’s confidence in Jesus

H - ope that is anchored in the accomplished work of Jesus Christ, sustained by the presence of the Spirit in the believer and continually given as a gift by the Father.

Father in heaven, hallowed be Your Name, may Your Kingdom come and Your will be done here on earth as it is in heaven. Forgive us for the many times we have been wayward in our faith and neglecting wisdom. Like the Penitent Woman of Luke 7, may we return to the presence of Jesus, weeping over our sinfulness and crying with joy at the knowledge of His powerful forgiveness. Help us to lay down all the things we formerly treasured and give our lives, our possessions, our skills and our minds over to Jesus as an on-going sacrifice of praise. Glorious Father may Your teaching be the apple of our eye—something well-guarded and sensitive to any intrusion. Spirit of the Living God, increase our intimacy with the Word of God, the commands of God and this through the knowledge of Jesus Christ, Who is for us, wisdom from on high. Amen.

https://youtu.be/uYHpJnfy2lQ
Casting Crowns "Make Room in Your Heart"

Copyright © 2022 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

December 5, 2022 -- Proverbs 4:5-9 & Luke 4:1-3 -- A Journey to Christmas through Proverbs and Luke

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma: hear and obey Jesus!

Get wisdom; get insight;
do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth.
6 Do not forsake her, and she will keep you;
love her, and she will guard you.
7 The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom,
and whatever you get, get insight.
8 Prize her highly, and she will exalt you;
she will honor you if you embrace her.
9 She will place on your head a graceful garland;
she will bestow on you a beautiful crown.”
Proverbs 4:5-9 ESV

And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness 2 for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry. 3 The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.”
Luke 4:1-3 ESV

As you journey to Christmas through reading Proverbs and Luke, pay attention to details. Earlier in Luke it was noted that “Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and with man” (Luke 2:52). He received the instruction of His parents. He highly prized the teaching of the LORD His God and in the day of temptation Jesus was armed with wisdom. Even when He was hungry, and tired from fasting, and lonely after forty days in the wilderness, He has wisdom from on high which saw Him through the hard days of assault at the hands of the devil.

No doubt some readers will scoff and say, of course Jesus resisted temptation, He is divine. True. But He is also fully human. The same Spirit that rested on Jesus is the Spirit of wisdom given to all who believe. When a believer prizes wisdom he will be protected against the day of trouble.

Look at verse 6, the student of wisdom will not forsake her, that is, he will not lose her or leave her. Wisdom is to be courted and treasured, wisdom is to be pursued and wooed. When we read the Bible, we are not merely putting a check mark beside some duty we have to perform in order to make a distant deity happy. Not a chance! When we read the Bible, we are wooing wisdom and pursuing her, aware that God's blessing is poured out on those seeking His wisdom.

In our weaknesses and failures, we realize once again the greatness of the work of Jesus Christ, to be fully righteous, fully obedient to the Father, fully wise. What a glorious Savior He is. In the journey to Christmas, treasure Jesus and receive the garland of His grace to protect you against the onslaughts of the devil, your own flesh and the trials the world would hurl at you. Wisdom is a beautiful crown—one which, when we see Jesus in eternity, we will throw at His feet in adoration and thanks and worship.

Our Father in heaven, blessed and honoured be Your Name! May Your Word of Wisdom brace my heart and attitude so that in the powerful Name of Jesus I can resist temptation. Faithful Father, thank You for the joy of Christmas and the deep awareness that You truly do keep Your promises and equip believers with Your Spirit guarding them in all that is truly and good and holy. Forgive me for the laxity with which I have been attending to wisdom and stir up in me a strong desire for Your gift of wisdom. Help me to chase after wisdom with the ardor of a young lover chasing the woman of his dreams. Thank You, Father of all Compassion and Steadfast Love, Amen.

https://youtu.be/1DPBN7WzS4o

Copyright © 2022 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

December 3, 2022 -- Proverbs 3:11-12 -- A Journey to Christmas through Proverbs and Luke

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

My son, do not despise the LORD's discipline
or be weary of his reproof,
12 for the LORD reproves him whom he loves,
as a father the son in whom he delights.
Proverbs 3:11-12 ESV

If you are on day three of reading through the Proverbs and Luke, then you’ll encounter the genealogy of Luke 3. Many people sigh and struggle to read through the names in such lists. A few things to note when you read these lists.

• Think about faithful fathers and mothers who raised their children in the discipline of the LORD—that teaching what is good and right and redirecting children from wrong paths

• Though the wages of sin is death, God in His great mercy gave a faithful line of people from Adam and Eve to Joseph and Mary. His mercy is found in every generation. That is worth pondering.

• Every single generation God, by His Spirit, restrained the sinfulness of His people and guarded them for Christ. It is so today as well. The LORD our God is blessing His people because of Christ and guarding His people in the way of salvation. People are not saved because of their good deeds or kind acts, but because of the righteousness of Jesus Christ—He is the joy of every heart and the song of every redeemed soul.

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your Name. Thank You for Your great faithfulness to every generation. Thank You for fathers and mothers, granddads and grandmas, aunts and uncles, who showed the love God and modeled the way of salvation. Thank You for those in my life who are showing me the way of salvation. Mighty God, help me to be a believer with integrity who teaches peers and teaches the next generation the way of the LORD's discipline and the joy of living in His great love. May Your Name be praised, and Your glory declared in every generation and in ever greater measure until Jesus returns to bring His Spirit led people to Himself in eternity. Amen.

https://youtu.be/LmC421TzqcE (Alex Stephens “For God So Loved the World”

Copyright © 2022 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

December 2, 2022 -- Proverbs 2:1-5 -- Journey to Christmas through Proverbs and Luke

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

My son, if you receive my words
and treasure up my commandments with you,
2 making your ear attentive to wisdom
and inclining your heart to understanding;
3 yes, if you call out for insight
and raise your voice for understanding,
4 if you seek it like silver
and search for it as for hidden treasures,
5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord
and find the knowledge of God.
Proverbs 2:1-5 ESV

On this journey to Christmas through the Proverbs and the reading of the Gospel of Luke, remember to commit yourself to a minimum of seventeen minutes a day. It is a wonderful challenge, and the best part is, you will be building up a strong foundation for your walk with God our Faithful Father. If you haven’t started, start now. Pick up the Gospel of Luke and start reading, aim for a chapter a day and for a chapter a day in Proverbs.

Have you ever received a gift that was truly special? Perhaps one Christmas you received your grandmother’s engagement ring. It has three small diamonds. You remember when she wore it and how she loved her husband all the more for giving it to her when he proposed. Though in those long-ago-days when money was tight, he gave her that ring. In today’s dollars it might not be considered valuable but knowing how much it cost grandpa to give it, well, according to your heart it is priceless. It is part of your family history, your family story.

The Word of God is a treasure for all who receive it. Consider the context of these Proverbs. They are written to the people of God for instruction in life, for knowledge, understanding, and the fear of the LORD. All believers have this precious Word available to them. The Word of the LORD is neglected by many seated in the pews all around you. Some have it, like old jewelry, in a box, long forgotten, a treasure to be pulled out only on special occasions. But the Word of God is a treasure for every day. It is to be read with joy, searching out its pages for insight into the Holy One. It is to be shared with all you meet, like grandmother’s engagement ring, “Look at what I have!”.

LORD Jesus,
Give me a deeper repentance,
a horror of sin,
a dread of its approach;
Help me chastely to flee it,
and jealously to resolve that my heart
shall be thine alone.
Give me a deeper trust,
that I may lose myself to find myself in thee,
the ground of my rest,
the spring of my being.
Give me a deeper knowledge of thyself
as Saviour, Master, Lord, and King.
Give me deeper power in private prayer,
more sweetness in thy Word,
more steadfast grip on its truth.
Give me deeper holiness in speech, thought, action,
and let me not seek moral virtue apart from thee.
Plough deep in me, great Lord,heavenly Husbandman,
that my being may be a tilled field,
the roots of grace spreading far and wide,
until thou alone art seen in me,
thy beauty golden like summer harvest,
thy fruitfulness as autumn plenty.
I have no Master but thee,
no law but thy will,no delight but thyself,
no wealth but that thou givest,
no good but that thou blessest,
no peace but that thou bestowest.
I am nothing but that thou makest me,
I have nothing but that I receive from thee,
I can be nothing but that grace adorns me.
Quarry me deep, dear Lord,
and then fill me to overflowing
with living water.
"THE DEEPS" The Valley of Vision, page 134

https://youtu.be/DlnGvyZwKzQ
St. Bart's: Praetorius "Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming"

Copyright © 2022 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

November 30, 2022 -- Proverbs 1:8-10 -- Journey through Proverbs to Christmas

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

Hear, my son, your father's instruction,
and forsake not your mother's teaching,
9 for they are a graceful garland for your head
and pendants for your neck.
10 My son, if sinners entice you,
do not consent.
Proverbs 1:8-10 ESV

Remember the Advent Challenge? Advent is the period of four weeks before Christmas wherein Christians are encouraged to reflect on Jesus and the reason He became incarnate. That is, He was born of a woman so was fully human and was fully God. The challenge is to read through the Proverbs and read through the Gospel of Luke—17 minutes a day devoted to Bible reading and prayer.

When I worked for a car rental company, I had the name of the company emblazoned on my hat and my coat. The company insisted that when I was wearing their logo and name, I keep the rules of the road and meet with clients with all courtesy. Their name was involved in my actions. That is the point of the garland for the head or pendants around their neck for the believer. Wisdom is as obvious as these visible symbols and wisdom reminds the believer his conduct will impact the way people around him think about God and His followers.

When Jesus was twelve years old, He was in the temple. He sat among the teachers and leaders of the people of God. His questions and conduct were such that those who heard Him were amazed (Luke 2:47). He wore the garland of God’s grace on His conduct. Jesus’ parents were shocked that He was not among the friends and family heading back to Galilee after the Feast of Passover. Jesus reminded them of His work, to be in His Father’s house. He wore the garland of His Father’s grace. Mary treasured up all these things in her heart (Luke 2:51). Notice that Jesus didn’t stop there. He increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man (Luke 2:52). Jesus would resist evil and withstand all temptations, this confirmed His growth in wisdom.

Keep reading the Proverbs and the Gospel of Luke. Trust that God the Father will emblazon His Name and His love on your life and your actions through the power of the Holy Spirit so that you will shine Jesus Christ and His sacrificial love through all your life.

King Jesus, thank You for Your obedience to the Father, such that all Who believe in You know You to be the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world. Blessed Father, thank You for the gift of glory and love, Jesus Christ, Your precious Son, our Lord. Spirit, help us to confess our sins and ever more fully receive the assurance that Jesus’ wisdom and obedience are credited to all who believe in Him. Triune God, help us to grow in wisdom and in stature, in favor with You, O God, and with the people around us so that they will see the garland of Your blessing in every part of our lives. You, Righteous God, are the boast of our lives and the joy of our hearts and the strength of our hope. Amen.

https://youtu.be/6V0J9Rgsr7A Chet Valley Churches “Hark! A thrilling voice is sounding”

Copyright © 2022 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

Novembers 28, 2022 -- Journey to Christmas through the Proverbs -- Proverbs 1:8

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge;
fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Proverbs 1:8 ESV

12 “I, wisdom, dwell with prudence,
and I find knowledge and discretion.
13 The fear of the LORD is hatred of evil.
Pride and arrogance and the way of evil
and perverted speech I hate.
Proverbs 8:12-13 ESV

Will you get wisdom? Do you want to know the LORD? The instruction from the Proverbs is clear. Hate evil. This will immediately put you at odds with the world around you. Murder mystery shows explore the depravities of human nature which lead people to kill others. Movies celebrate wickedness and catechize the viewer in the seductive ways of the world which is ruled by the Devil (John 14:30 and Ephesians 6:12). The Devil is the master of disguise and seems to appear as an angel of light (II Corinthians 11:14).

The Gospel of Luke was written as instruction to Theophilus. Luke researched the life of Jesus and spoke with many eyewitnesses, and he compiled “an orderly account” (Luke 1:3) so that Theophilus could be confident that the material he was reading was accurate and portrayed Jesus. Getting to know Jesus, Who is the world's True Light (John 8:12), and studying Who He is, this will expose the Devil's disguises and keep the believer on the path of all that is wise.

It takes work to get yourself back into reading the Bible. Not just reading about the Bible. Not just devotionals, like this one, but actually taking the Bible into your hands and reading. The Word of God has been given by the Father to reveal Jesus, the True Wisdom from on High (I Corinthians 2:2-5). It is the Spirit of God Who reveals the wisdom of God to those who seek to know Jesus Christ. As you journey to Christmas, through the reading of Proverbs and the Gospel of Luke (17 minutes a day of reading, a tithe of average Canadian’s off-work screen time) pray that God the Father will give you wisdom to know Jesus Christ. This is the most important Christmas present you could give yourself and your family and co-workers and friends.

O Come, O Wisdom from on high, Who ordered all things mightily;
to us the paths of knowledge show, and teach us in its ways to go.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Immanuel shall come to you, O Israel.
Text: Latin, 12th Century, translation is composite
 

https://youtu.be/UH7asSGxAxA
Chris Tomlin “O Come Emmanuel”

Copyright © 2022 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

November 27, 2022 -- Proverbs 1:1-6 -- Jesus in the Proverbs: a journey to Christmas

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:

2 To know wisdom and instruction,
    to understand words of insight,
3 to receive instruction in wise dealing,
    in righteousness, justice, and equity;
4 to give prudence to the simple,
    knowledge and discretion to the youth—
5 Let the wise hear and increase in learning,
    and the one who understands obtain guidance,
6 to understand a proverb and a saying,
    the words of the wise and their riddles.
Proverbs 1:1-6 ESV

Shortcuts. That’s what everyone wants. It is the addict’s way of thinking. Just give me one book that will increase my holiness. The Bible. Um, I wanted a slim volume that I could read in an hour or so and become holy. I don’t want to work at it. Give me to the one treatment program so that my alcohol addiction will be done. After three or six months I’ll graduate and then be good. The problem is, three or six months of treatment is fighting 60 months or 180 months of hard addiction and the life patterns that go with it. You might protest, I don’t have addictions. Really. Anger. Gossip. Self-absorption. Gluttony. Trust in self rather than God. Thinking yourself better than this person or that one.

Look at the quiet way of wisdom. It is the path of wisdom, where day in and day out, formally and informally, one yields his life to the guidance of God. The proverbs and sayings take time to puzzle out. Re-read the passage. Listen to the words. Ponder what they mean in a world where a man will give forty hours to work. Even a job he hates, in order to gain money, striving to stay just ahead of his debts spent on toys and gadgets that hinder his steps of holiness. The average Canadian spends just over 21 hours a week on screen time, outside of work activities. That is half the hours of a full-time job. Yet the Christian believes he has no time for godly activities.

One beautiful reality about Jesus is summarized in Luke “the Child grew and become strong, filled with wisdom. And the favour of God was upon Him” (Luke 2:40 ESV). In a world with as many distractions as this one, in a time when hedonism was as common as it is now and godlessness reigned, Jesus submitted Himself to the way of wisdom. He grew strong. That is, strong in the LORD. He dedicated Himself to the Living God so that this man, Who never wrote a book while He walked this earth, became the single-most influential Man in all of history. His wisdom and humility remain respected today even by the godless, who call Him a good teacher.

Today, as you journey to Christmas, take up the challenge to tithe your screen time. Give 17 minutes a day to God. Read through Proverbs and the Gospel of Luke. (Seriously, I dare you, set a timer if you must. At the end of these four weeks note the changes the Spirit of God will bring into your life.) Fight the encroaching darkness with the Light of wisdom. Find Jesus. Be refreshed in His presence.

Faithful Father in heaven may Your Name be praised on earth as it is in heaven. Thank You for the glorious prize of wisdom, made flesh in Jesus Christ. Thank You that You chose to draw near to us, so that the blessed Name “Immanuel” God with us, is reality in Jesus Christ. Thank You, mighty God, for the Holy Spirit Who teaches yearning hearts the way of wisdom. Such powerful wisdom that defies all the darkness of this world and all exposes the broken promises of evil so that the radiance of Jesus Christ fills the imagination. Triune God, help us to change the pattern of our days so that You are our priority and joy. Spirit of God, move our conscience to give the time we have pledged for the reading of Scripture and prayer. Let such reading and prayer times change us so that the wonder and majesty of this Christmas will be for us more than tinsel and illusion, it will be for us the magnificence of deeper relationship with Jesus, the joy and crown of every true believer. Amen.

https://youtu.be/mrmMQdkBPwY

Michael Card “Immanuel”

Copyright © 2022 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

November 26, 2022 -- Philippians 3:20-4:1 -- Pursuing Jesus in all of life

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, Who will transform our lowly body to be like His glorious body by the power that enables Him even to subject all things to Himself. Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and my crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.
Philippians 3:20-4:1 ESV

Pursuing Eternal Values is the final virtue which rounds out the twenty-four character traits for daily self-examination. The opposite is pursuing temporal values. This much is obvious. When a man claims to bear the title of Christian, but he indulges in his old, sinful patterns, he is a hypocrite and a liar if he does not immediately confess his sins and repent and turn away from them. Recently I heard a speaker say, 'what you reward yourself with is what your heart truly craves'. So, if you have been acting like a Christian all day, then go and then as a self-reward you over-indulge, or watch porn, you are, in fact pursuing the world and ultimately death. Do not substitute the here and now, for the glory and wow of the New Kingdom.

The Eternal Values in view is a life that is bound up with Jesus. He is the Captain of Salvation (Hebrews 2:10). He is the man, so fully empowered by the Holy Spirit (John 3:34), that it is in His power to gift the Spirit to all who follow Him (John 16:7). Those pursuing eternal values, ask God the Father and God the Son for the Spirit so that their lives will be heaven-powered for the earthly-battles which inevitably will dog them. Ultimately, we live our lives for an audience of One, God Himself. All our griefs and victories, all our struggles and hopes, every joy and sadness, all these experiences and circumstances are used by the LORD our God to shape us so that we cry out to Him. Sometimes these are shouts of joy “Who is like You, O God, great and glorious, the Defender of the Weak?!”. Other times our cries are pitiable and out of helplessness we raise our voices to Him Who alone can save, “Lord, if You do not rescue me, I will go down to the pit” (II Timothy 4:18 and Psalm 88:1ff).

It is not in our power to go after eternal values. The desire to do so is evidence of the new life that is ours in Christ. The ability to do so is given by the Holy Spirit. The failures and pitfalls along the way are not fatal. The Christian confesses his sins. He seeks spiritual help from those who are more mature in the faith, and together believers continue living the greatest adventure possible: ever fuller life in Christ, empowered by the Spirit, lived to the glory of God, the Father, the Source of every good gift for the believer Who draws the believers closer to Jesus.

Our Father blessed be Your Name. May Your Name be celebrated on earth as it is honoured and adored in heaven. Forgive us, Faithful Lord, for our wayward and rebellious hearts. Do in us, as Scripture promises, transform our lowly bodies through the Savior Jesus Christ so that our bodies, souls and minds will be fully subject to Him. Let our lives grow in faithful devotion to You, Triune God, through the mighty presence of the Spirit. May our lives honour the parents and mentors, pastors and missionaries You sent out in Jesus' Name to find us and bring us to the Savior. Let these faithful ones cast their crowns before You in joy and love even as we, long for the day when those who, inspired by our mentorship for Jesus Christ, become our joy and crown, which crowns we will exuberantly lay before Your throne of glory and splendor. Teach us new depths of devotion and conformity to Your will as we here on earth as citizens of Jesus' Kingdom. Amen.

https://youtu.be/1IGP68i3JvU
Hark, the Herald Angels Sing (Chet Valley Churches)

Copyright © 2022 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

November 25, 2022 -- Proverbs 12:17 -- Living honestly in Jesus' grace

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

Whoever speaks the truth gives honest evidence, but a false witness utters deceit.
Proverbs 12:17 ESV

Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.
Ephesians 4:28 ESV

Honesty versus deceit. The one who is deceitful first must lie to himself, imagining himself hidden from the eyes of the LORD. The deceitful one having broken out against the clear evidence the God of all wisdom and power sees everything, then continues in his wayward practice of altering facts to make himself look better. The lines between reality and fantasy become blurred until he himself is so caught up in his lies that he cannot distinguish what is true and what is false.

The one who is honest has been confronted with the wisdom and power of the Living God. The one who has encountered Jesus Christ has met Him Who is Truth and Life and all the lies of his life and his guilt are exposed to him. Jesus’ work at the cross disarms the lies of the enemy, the lies of the world and the lies of one’s own inner self. As those set free from dishonesty and deceit, the Christian then lives in the power of the Spirit, striving to be honest, even when it hurts. The Christian is Spirit empowered to make amends, restoring what was stolen.

It is tempting to think the quotation from Proverbs is only suitable for courtrooms. One forgets all of life is lived before the Face of God. He sees all that His people do. It speaks volumes to God, all that believers leave undone. The Christian’s honest living is meant to bear witness to the people around him, and show the world, the Truth of Jesus. The Christian's honest living is meant to give glory to God and please His Father-heart.

O LORD, we acknowledge Thy dominion over us; our life, our death, our soul and body, all belong to Thee. Oh, grant that we may willingly consecrate them all to Thee, and use them in Thy service. Let us walk before Thee in childlike simplicity, steadfast in prayer; looking ever unto Thee, that whatsoever we do or abstain from we may in all things follow the least indications of Thy will. Become Lord of our hearts and spirit; that the whole inner man may be brought under Thy rule, and that Thy life of love and righteousness may pervade all our thoughts and energies and the very ground of our souls; that we may be wholly filled with it. Come, O Lord and King, enter into our hearts, and live and reign there for ever and ever. O faithful Lord, teach us to trust Thee for life and death, and to take Thee for our All in All. Amen.
Gerhard Tersteegen, 1731

https://youtu.be/w3xZ6V86ws4
The Things we Leave Behind - - Michael Card Poiema

Copyright © 2022 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

November 24, 2022 -- Isaiah 12:1 -- Thanksgiving to God our Father now and always

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

You will say in that day:
   “I will give thanks to You, O LORD,
    for though You were angry with me,
       Your anger has turned away,
       that You might comfort me.”
Isaiah 12:1 ESV

Thankful hearts. That is the character trait in focus for today. God the Holy One is right in judging people wicked and perfectly just in condemning all people to an eternity in hell. The violations of His goodness, love, holiness and mercy are heaped higher every day and this is reason enough for His wrath to fall. Yet He has shown mercy in Jesus Christ. 'That day' is the summary expression of Jesus’ righteous life, death on the cross, burial and ascension to heaven. The sins of the guilty were punished on the Person of Jesus at the cross and His righteous life was credited to all who believe. God has not only averted eternal punishment, but He has also comforted His people. Yes, thank Him!

Discontentment, or ingratitude, is the negative character trait which can infect believers. It is a sign the heart has wandered far from God and should be a loud-sounding alarm warning the believer to check his attitude and purify his heart. Discontentment is neglecting to express thanks to God for all His blessings. Discontentment is rehearsing all the wrongs you believe have been acted out against you, real or imagined. Ingratitude is forgetting that believers and unbelievers alike will suffer in this world, such that one complains about everything. Suffering is part of life in a fallen world.

Yes, today is Thanksgiving Day for our cousins in the United States of America (November 24, 2022). Surely the LORD our God has poured out great blessings on the lands of North America. It is a great reminder for all believers to give thanks to God and to set the tone of having thankful hearts every day of the year. Thankfulness dispels the gloom of the heart. Thankfulness tunes the heart so that it is ready to sing praises to God. Thankfulness flows from the lips and the life of the believer who knows he is in the grip of the Father’s great grace.

O MY GOD,
Thou fairest, greatest, first of all objects,
my heart admires, adores, loves thee,
for my little vessel is as full as it can be,
and I would pour out all that fullness before thee
in ceaseless flow.
When I think upon and converse with thee
ten thousand delightful thoughts spring up,
ten thousand sources of pleasure are unsealed,
ten thousand refreshing joys spread over my heart,
crowding into every moment of happiness.
I bless thee for the soul thou hast created,
for adorning it, sanctifying it,
though it is fixed in barren soil;
for the body thou hast given me,
for preserving its strength and vigour,
for providing senses to enjoy delights,
for the ease and freedom of my limbs,
for hands, eyes, ears that do thy bidding;
for thy royal bounty providing my daily support,
for a full table and overflowing cup,
for appetite, taste, sweetness,
for social joys of relatives and friends,
for ability to serve others,
for a heart that feels sorrows and necessities,
for a mind to care for my fellow-men,
for opportunities of spreading happiness around,
for loved ones in the joys of heaven,
for my own expectation of seeing thee clearly.
I love thee above the powers of language to express,
for what thou art to thy creatures.
Increase my love,
O my God, through time and eternity.
"Praise and Thanksgiving" The Valley of Vision: Puritan Prayers and Devotions. Page 26

https://youtu.be/9c7VaTjyuLA

Now Thank We All Our God hymn Westminster Abby

Copyright © 2022 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

November 22, 2022 -- Romans 12:16b-21 --The Christian's Work of Forgiveness

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

Never be wise in your own sight. 17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Romans 12:16b-21 ESV

Forgiveness is not for the weak or fainthearted. It is a character trait which reveals the depths of one’s trust in the Living God. He is powerful to avenge. He is able to make all things right at the end of the age. He will make all things right at the end of the age. It is to His glory to do so. The work of God in the life of the believer is to transform the enemy so that he is at last a brother or a sister in Christ, or having had every opportunity to repent, he will receive the full justice of God. 

Resentment adds fuel to the fires of separation. It is a restless poison that continually breaks community and simmers in the heart and clouds the mind. Resentment explodes in anger. It refuses to forgive. It does not trust God, believing one’s own puny strength is enough to repay the enemy. The result is more and more brokenness in the life of the resentful, vengeful person. The heart of such a person is closed to beauty, to goodness and shut up against the good gifts of the Living God, the Father, Who is the Source of every good gift.

Forgiveness is what mature Christians offer recognizing that God has forgiven each one in the powerful Name of Jesus. Sins are punished on the Person of Jesus. Christians remember Jesus’ words: “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” Matthew 6:14-15. You may recognize where this passage is found in Matthew, right after the prayer Jesus taught His followers to pray. The Lord’s Prayer, which includes the petition “forgive us our debts as we also forgive our debtors” requires the powerful work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer to make this forgiveness received and given a reality in the community of believers.

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come, Your will be done,
   on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
   and forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
Amen.
Matthew 6:9b-13 ESV, with the "amen" added

https://youtu.be/F756Mjxxrvc
I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day ~ Casting Crowns

Copyright © 2022 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

November 21, 2022 -- I John 5:1-3 -- Obedience Shows one's love for God and love for others

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.
I John 5:1-3 ESV

Obedience is the character trait in focus today. When one is “born again” or “born from above” he experiences an entirely new way of life, of thinking and seeing the world. The person who loves God gives evidence that he is born again. It is God the Father Who gives this new birth, He loved first, and all love is a response to His love. What is striking to me is verse 2 of the reading. Obedience to the commandments of God demonstrates our love for God and our love for His children. Every time we obey God's commandments we are in fact loving our neighbours as well. That is how the commandments are designed!

Disobedience is the obvious negative character trait. Those who are disobedient may appear to be Christians but are bargaining with God. The thought process may run along the lines of: “I’ll live the way I want all my life and at the last minute repent and get all the good stuff of heaven.” Those who are disobedient do not walk in the commandments of God, nor do they delight in Him Who gives such commandments. There is no grief in their hearts when it is revealed to them that they are violating God’s holy and just laws.

Obedience is the love response of the believer. Obedience is the evidence of a heart captivated by the mercy and goodness of God. Obedience includes appropriate submission to the authorities God has placed over you in your life. It is respecting bosses and completing the tasks and responsibilities they give to you. Obedience is necessary in the classroom. No entitled protests and self-aggrandizement here, instead, with eyes focused on God, asking, what should I learn here, how can my respect for my teacher be an influence for good and godly witness?

Obedience reminds the believer he is a child of God. Obedience reminds the Christian each act of service to God is in fact the most obvious way to love the people around her. Obedience within a church enables the community of believers to live in harmony with God and with one another.

Father in heaven, it is Your right to command obedience from Your people. You have chosen Your people in love from before the foundation of the world. You have preserved Your people, even when they were dripping with venom rebellious against You. You have given Jesus as the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world. Merciful Father, we confess how we chafe against the commandments You give. In light of all Your goodness and rich love it is evidence of how disobedient and vile our hearts really are, the fact that we question how much we should or need to obey. Renew a right spirit in us, so that we will show how much we love You by keeping Your commandments. Deepen our love for You and our capacity to love You as we seek to be obedient to You in every area of our lives. Amen.

https://youtu.be/px-eU1QjQiU

Shane and Shane “Psalm 51” Wisdom in the Secret Heart

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November 18, 2022 -- Proverbs 4:20-22 -- Listening to Jesus for vitality in all of life

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

My son, be attentive to my words;
incline your ear to my sayings.
21 Let them not escape from your sight;
keep them within your heart.
22 For they are life to those who find them,
and healing to all their flesh.
Proverbs 4:20-22 ESV

Being a listener. Not listening with the intention of waiting until the other person draws breath and then talking. Not being a boastful talker. Not being a one who hears and then turns away from doing what the Father commanded through earthly parents or divinely instituted authorities. Instead, being a listener is one who looks to God the Father and knows He instructs His children through parents and teachers, through authorities and ministers. Being a listener is one who expects to hear from God the Father, on the basis of Jesus’ accomplished work at the cross and keeping His commands through the power of the Spirit.

Being a listener is tuning one’s ears and one’s heart to know God as He reveals Himself. Being a listener is one who studies the Word to know God and listens to preachers who preach Him. Being a listener means one is discerning and able to distinguish the true teaching and preaching from false. Being a listener is training your heart to be silent before the LORD, and saying with young prophet in training, Samuel, “speak LORD, for Your servant is listening” (I Samuel 3:10).

Being a listener means becoming one who hears and studies the people around him. He wants to know what they believe, what they know, so that he can in know the other people well enough to engage in deep and honest conversation about the Living God. Being a listener is hard work. It requires the character traits of humility and patience. One who is a listener is one who is showing maturity in Christ.

Speak, LORD, for Your servants are listening.
Spirit of God, train us up in humility and patience so that we will mature in our ability to listen.
Speak, LORD, so that we will know Jesus Christ and follow the radiance of His glory.
Speak, LORD, so that we will find ever fuller life in Your Word and healing in knowing You.
Amen.

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