September 23, 2024 -- James 1:12-15 -- The Power to Fight Life-Controlling Sin

Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.
James 1:12-15 ESV

What do you think about when you are not really thinking anything at all? It is an excellent challenge for you. Over the course of the day, if you’ve caught yourself day-dreaming or doing your work on automatic, as soon as you realize you’ve done so, figure out what it was you were thinking about. Overcomers, Christians who are involved in the 12-Step program which the Canadian Bible Society produces, are encouraged to do just that. Examine their thought life.

The first of the Twelve Steps is: “I admit I am powerless over (put your sin or addiction here), and it is controlling my life.” The passage in James makes a distinction between trial and temptation. Think of the trials that the Heavenly Father gives you in this way. Compare them to a parent giving a child trial. A parent walks a child to school each day for the first week of school. Then on Monday of week two the parent says, “Okay, now you can walk to school by yourself”. The little one is given an age-appropriate trial: to walk to school. Unbeknownst to the child, mom is just a block behind, making sure the little one has help (if that is necessary). Your Faithful Father in heaven gives you such tests for faithfulness; evidences that you are growing in age appropriate ways. You have every opportunity to turn to Him and cry out for help.

Temptations are something utterly different. That little one going to school may be enticed to take a forbidden detour into the store. That is something mom and dad have already instructed their child is inappropriate. Or friends going along the same path to school may propose visiting another friend’s house along the way. This temptation may lead the little one to be late for school, or even absent for the first class.

Your temptations are the evidence of the life-controlling issues that are weighing you down. You may be a people-pleaser, unwilling to take a stand for Jesus. You may be one who struggles to stay on task, always seeking your own fun or pleasure at the expense of the work that is required of you. You may be one who is pulled to other life controlling issues: food, anger, resentment, drugs, alcohol, sex, gossip, (you can insert your own life-controlling sin here in this list).

It has been made plain to me through prison ministry that many of those who are or were incarcerated have been required to truly examine their sinful behaviors in order to bring them to Jesus so that their thoughts will be made captive and destroyed. There are many Christians who in their naivete act as if there are no life-controlling sins that have a hold on them. They might not even recognize the pride which makes them say things like, “I am not like those people”.

Exposing this life-controlling issue, this sin, which inclines your heart away from God, is the important first step. By acknowledging it, you are seeing the work of the Holy Spirit, Who is making your conscience function exactly as it should act. The conscience has been set up by God the Father to be one of the guardians of your soul. Confessing your life-controlling sin to Jesus brings this sin under His great forgiving power. Repenting of this sin, that is, expressing the desire to turn from it, brings the power of the Holy Spirit to bear on your life so that recognizing that sin, you will not allow it to lure you into greater sinful acts. You might say, “I’ve tried it all before” and failed. True. You may have. What is different this time is the strength of God coupled to your weakness. He is All-powerful. He delights to brings to His sons and daughters His life-giving salvation.

ALMIGHTY GOD, we confess that we have sinned against You in thought, word and deed. We do earnestly repent, and are heartily sorry for our misdoings. Have mercy upon us, O God, after Your great goodness. Forgive us all that is past and grant us Your grace to stand firm against temptation and sin. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Based on the Prayer in “Divine Service Book for the Armed Forces” page 6

https://youtu.be/CmNXeReZqAg?si=efWZ5uKXAnty0e-f “Be Still My Soul”

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September 21, 2024 -- Romans 7:21 -- Powerless against sin?

So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lives close at hand.
Romans 7:21 ESV

Among the many privileges of prison ministry one stand out joy is the opportunity I have to teach a Christian 12-Step program called: “Overcomers”. As you may be aware Alcoholics Anonymous started as a Christian response to the sin of alcoholism. However, to accommodate men and women of different faiths, or of humanists, the material was changed from Christian to material that can be used by all people. The Overcomers material is a nod to the original work of AA. That material has been reworked to assist Christians in their walk toward a life free from addiction and this by the power of Jesus, in Whom alone all our strength is found.

Step One: “I admit I am powerless over the issue controlling my life”. Do you see how that is taken directly from the word of God? Paul expressed this exasperation. Earlier in this same chapter he exclaims: “I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate” Romans 7:15 ESV. Sin is life controlling. It is expressed in addictions like pornography, alcoholism, sexual addiction, promiscuity, profanity, anger, gluttony, gossip, greed, drug use and every other vice that Scripture describes as sinful.

The concept of Jesus as your rescue story will be crazy talk to you if you do not acknowledge the chains that bind you and the sins that leave you incapable of taking control of your life. The good news is not good news until you are able to see the depths of your depravity, the lengths to which you are going deeper into more wickedness. You will not seek help until you realize your blindness to your own condition. It is the gift of the Spirit of God to awaken your soul so that you cry out to Jesus acknowledging this helplessness you experience in your fight against sin.

Interestingly, it is among church-going fellow Christians where this can be hardest sell. Many Christians think, since Jesus has taken hold of their life, they are not really so bad anymore. They are blinded to the depths of their need for Jesus. This is foolishness. The flesh is hostile to God. The desires of the heart are still bent and wicked. What is required is a constant submission of one’s will, desires, thoughts and actions to the Spirit of God Who leads you to Jesus, in Whose life you die to sin and in Whose resurrection you rise to newness of life. Through Jesus you are clothed with His perfection (He lived completely without sin from conception to His death on the cross, therefore He is the One punished in your place for your sins.) So, Jesus’s sinlessness is credited to the believer. That is the one-time fact of justification.

However, the believer, like Paul expressed it in Romans 7, experiences an on-going battle against the flesh. After receiving the justification, the "Not-guilty" verdict of God the Father, the Christian needs to grow in holiness. This on-going activity is called "sanctification". The victory one receives is found in Jesus only. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us” (I John 1:9-10 ESV). What freedom there is in confession. You can acknowledge the hopelessness and helplessness you experience every day as the same parade of sins bogeys over your mind and heart. The Spirit making you aware of such sins, humbles you and fills you with hope, knowing that as you confess such sins and your powerlessness against them, the more you are emptied of sin and scrubbed of your baked in pride so that the life-giving resurrection power of Jesus takes hold of your heart.

Today, Father in heaven, today all over again, I confess how much I need You in my battle against the flesh, against my wayward thought-life, and against the persistent sins that seem to choke the life out of me. Thank You Father in heaven, for the inexpressible gift of Jesus, the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world. Spirit of God, give me bold confidence infused in holy hope that as often I as confess my sin, the Savior’s reconciling blood is applied to the fullest measure. Triune God, I admit I am powerless over the sin controlling my life. Lift my eyes to where Christ is seated at Your right hand so that I will know in the deepest part of my guts that He is One, the Only, Mediator between me and You, Dearest Father, Who as the Spirit testifies to my spirit, this same Jesus is praying for me. King of Glory, to my weakness and powerlessness bring the strength of Jesus work and the empowerment of the Spirit’s presence in my life—bring this to bear in me so that I will walk as a forgiven Christian, offering my life in thankful service. Amen.

https://youtu.be/H5rysOYt6Dw?si=P8ruZNu6BfJzJJ4X I Need Thee Every Hour

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September 20, 2024 -- Psalm 141:3-5 -- Fighting by Prayer

Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth;
     keep watch over the door of my lips!
Do not let my heart inline to any evil,
     to busy myself with wicked deeds
in company with men who work iniquity,
     and let me not eat of their delicacies!
Let a righteous man strike me—it is a kindness;
     let him rebuke me—it is oil for my head;
let my heart not refuse it.
Yet my prayer is continually against their evil deeds.
Psalm 141:3-5 ESV

In Psalm 121 it is the LORD Who is the guard, or the keeper of the righteous. In our reading today the noun guard has the same root as the verb guard or keeper in Psalm 121. The point is, it is the LORD Himself, Who by His Spirit, guards the words of a man’s mouth. The next line is an appeal to God to ‘keep watch”. Here an entirely different verb is used. It is an echo of Exodus, where the LORD reveals His Name to Moses. “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin” Exodus 34:6-7a ESV. What is the point? The LORD keeps His steadfast love as the guard over our lips. In view of His greatness and His mercy, our lips are shut to vulgar talk, to resentment and curses, even when we ourselves have been unjustly cursed or are in the company of wicked men. The Spirit of God seals the believer’s heart with the goodness of Christ’s accomplished work so that the Father’s love is in view, rather than the wickedness of men.

When a man, or a woman, has been so sealed that the goodness and redeeming love of Christ has captured his heart, it is at that point the wickedness of hearts out of alignment with God’s goodness and purposes are exposed. Likely one of the least acknowledged doctrines is the total depravity of the heart. It is all too common to believe in one’s own innate goodness. That is a lie from the pit of hell. Unless you realize your own heart, the seat of emotions and the source of thoughts is itself inclined towards evil, you will not know how much you need the Father in heaven to have a vigilant guard at the ready to stop your mouth from speaking evil and applying His steadfast love so that your lips will not contemplate the wicked words of others and get resentful, but will instead, constantly move speaking the steadfast love of the LORD.

The psalmist David realizes how easily a man, even a man like himself described as a man after God’s own heart, can be led astray into sin. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, Paul wrote “Bad company corrupts good character” I Corinthians 15:33 NKJV. Instead of blaming the wicked advisors and the general moral turpitude of the time, David’s urgent prayer is for the LORD’s work in his life to keep him free from corruption. Here is how the LORD works.

The LORD will provide wise advisors. A righteous man may strike me. It will take strong actions to bring my life back into line with all that is godly and pure. Rather than resent the man of God (or saintly sister appointed by the LORD) who is carrying out His purposes to restore the wayward, David welcomes it.

The one who is humble, teachable, will not require a smack across the unguarded lips, but will be changed by a rebuke, a stern warning. This too is the blessing of God so that those who are contrite of heart will be turned to God.

Note as well this Psalm is a prayer. There is great power in prayer, not because of the eloquence of the praying, nor because of the righteousness of the one engaged in it, but the power in prayer comes from the Prayer-hearing God. He couples His power to our weakness and promises to our frailties so that His glory and mercy shine through in our lives.

Prayer is also a powerful weapon. Ephesians 6 teaches the believer that spiritual armour—the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes bearing the readiness to share the Gospel of peace, the shield of faith and the helmet of salvation—all these are fastened to the believer by prayer. Prayerlessness is leaving yourself defenseless. Psalm 141 is a prayer. It is most powerfully fulfilled in Jesus Christ—in Whom is all the believer’s righteousness and protection, given so fully and graciously by the Father in heaven.

Finally, the Psalmist's prayer is against their evil deeds. By prayer such evil men and wicked persons may be changed from the inside out, becoming fellow followers of Jesus. That is the great hope and prayer of our lives, to see the people around us becoming men and women over whom the LORD exercises His love and vigilant care.

O LORD, I call upon You; hasten to me!
Give ear to my voice when I call to You!
Let my prayer be counted as incense before You,
    and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice!
My eyes are toward You, O LORD, my Lord;
in You I seek refuge; leave me not defenseless!
Psalm 141:1-2, 8 ESV

Note, the expression O LORD, my Lord—the first is all in capitals, emphasizing the divine Name of God Who keeps His promises, the second use of the Name Lord refers to Him as the Master of the one who is praying.

https://youtu.be/yxCb6l3jkis?si=coKxYX52_6Fb7ZTS “I Am Not My Own” Getty Music

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September 18, 2024 -- II Peter 1:2-4 -- How Can I be a Christian when I struggle with such thoughts? Read on!

May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ our Lord.
His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.
II Peter 1:2-4 ESV

Notice that the corruption of the world so infests believers that they are filled with sinful desires. Sometimes believers groan and cry out to God, though they are believers in Jesus Christ, yet they still feel the pull of sin and its deadly attractions. It is exhausting. It can lead the devoted believer to question whether or not he is truly saved. There are so many people around him who act as if sin has no hold on them. There are so many fellow believers who never speak of the cesspools of sin in which they swim.

Sometimes in our world today, preachers teach that believers are tempted, but withstanding temptations means the believer has not sinned. That is in fact false. The very inclinations believers have towards sin are in themselves sinful. Every desire, every attraction, every thought against God, even our self-loathing against such (which shows that our conscience is awakened by the Spirit of God) is sin. Listen to a classic, historic interpretation of the sinfulness of Christians.

114 Q. But can those converted to God obey these commandments perfectly?

A. No. In this life even the holiest have only a small beginning of this obedience.1 Nevertheless, with all seriousness of purpose, they do begin to live according to all, not only some, of God’s commandments.2

1 Eccles. 7:20; Rom. 7:14-15; 1 Cor. 13:9; 1 John 1:8-10
2 Ps. 1:1-2; Rom. 7:22-25; Phil. 3:12-16
(This Q and A is from the Heidelberg Catechism, written in 1563 to help believers understand the Christian faith, how it differs from Roman Catholic theology)

Now, re-read II Peter 1:2-4. Jesus’s perfect righteousness is applied to us—you who struggle with thoughts that are contrary to your new life in Christ. Jesus’s salvation is all the brighter because His Spirit is applying Jesus’s perfection to believers. The fact Jesus walked this earth as a man, sinless from conception to His death on the cross, so that He is the One and Only sacrifice which takes away the sin of the world. So, even the fire-hose of endless evil thoughts that flow through your mind at all hours and can even flood your dreams are themselves drowned out by the cleansing blood of Jesus!

Today’s devotional is directly influenced by Matthew Mason, his lecture at the ICP Catalyst Conference, the link is below. The credit for this devotion belongs to him. I was so inspired by his teaching and my soul needed it so much. Mason quoted Martin Luther, “True repentance does not debate over what is a sin or over what is not a sin. Instead, it simply lumps everything together and says everything is pure sin within us. There is a plain, certain despair within us over everything we say, are, and do. But then the Gospel says remember where the true satisfaction of God’s wrath upon sin is to be found. The suffering and blood of the innocent Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world.” (If you listen closely, as Mason speaks this quotation, when he refers to Jesus as the innocent Lamb of God his voice quivers, full of emotion, as he contemplates the magnitude of God’s great grace).

II Peter 1:3 teaches believers have been granted, in Jesus Christ, all things that pertain to life and godliness. Knowing Jesus. By the power of the Spirit, crying out for forgiveness. When the thoughts of your heart are evil—bless God that His Spirit has shown you what is evil. The wicked man sins without a prick of conscience. He devours sin, wipes his mouth, and says I have done nothing wrong (Proverbs 30:20). By contrast, the believer declares with Paul, “Who will save me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” Romans 7:24-25a ESV. Today's prayer is directly from the Bible, Psalm 32. Read it, in view of all you have just read and all you have received in Jesus Christ.

A Maskil of David.

32 Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven,
    whose sin is covered.
2 Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity,
    and in whose spirit there is no deceit.

3 For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away
    through my groaning all day long.
4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;
    my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah

5 I acknowledged my sin to you,
    and I did not cover my iniquity;
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”
    and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah

6 Therefore let everyone who is godly
    offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found;
surely in the rush of great waters,
    they shall not reach him.
7 You are a hiding place for me;
    you preserve me from trouble;
    you surround me with shouts of deliverance. Selah

8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
    I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
9 Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding,
    which must be curbed with bit and bridle,
    or it will not stay near you.

10 Many are the sorrows of the wicked,
    but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord.
11 Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous,
    and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!

https://youtu.be/KKo3T0j9qqo?si=AhKPAopDz5hKQIKF “Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone)”

https://youtu.be/s44ijdqz8pU?si=4nnHJ3VGpNlvMt53 Matthew Mason ICP Catalyst Conference

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September 17, 2024 -- II Corinthians 2:14 -- What's that smell?

But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere.

II Corinthians 2:14 ESV

Have you ever stood in an elevator with a man who smoked and who has just popped a breath mint? You can smell the stench of the cigarettes emanating from his clothes while at the same time catch the scent of the breath mint. Or perhaps you’ve been in church and sat behind a woman who has liberally used her new perfume. Depending on which way the fan is blowing, you might find yourself sitting in a steady stream of a strong smell. Interestingly, the woman doesn’t smell herself nor realize how strong the perfume is. The man in this illustration believes a small mint masks what is stronger and reeking from him.

By the same token how you live in Christ is obvious to the people around you. You may believe you’ve got the fragrance of Christ about you, but the people near you only smell insincerity. You can not fool the people who know you best. What you really are will be so obvious to people around you, even if you don’t realize it yourself.

Think of the famous question at a job interview: “I’ve heard your strengths, now what weakness do you bring to this job?” At this point a man will stutter, and pause, stumbling because our weaknesses often are not immediately apparent to us. A wise man, with a smirk, might suggest: “Let me call my wife, she knows them all too well”. While we might laugh at that, the fact is, our weaknesses are obvious to the people around us.

Dear fellow believer, this brief passage ought to remind you of the need you have for hard, true accountability. Who in your life comments on your walk with God? Who comments on where you are strong, where you are weak, where you are hypocritical and where your words match your actions? Ask the Spirit of God to show you, as you read the Bible, what sins you need to confess. Pray for the Spirit to give you a fellow Christian with whom you can speak openly, honestly, applying the Word of God to both expose your sins and then to confirm the forgiveness that is so richly yours in Christ. Do this so that your walk with Him fits what you say about Him.

ALMIGHTY GOD, of Whose righteous will all things are, and were created: You have gathered our people into a great nation, and sent them to sow beside all waters, and multiply sure dwellings on the earth. Deepen the root of our life in everlasting righteousness. Make us equal to our high trusts, reverent in the use of freedom, just in the exercise of power, generous in the protection of weakness. With all Your blessings, bless Your servant Charles III, our King, with all the members of the Royal House. Fill his heart and theirs with such loyalty to You, that his people may be exalted by their loyalty to him. To our legislators and councillors give insight and faithfulness, that our lays may clearly speak the right, and our judges purely interpret them. May wisdom and knowledge be the stability of our times, and our deepest trust be in You, the Lord of nations, and the King of kings, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

DIVINE SERVICE BOOK FOR THE ARMED FORCES, 1950, page 16

https://youtu.be/yxCb6l3jkis?si=T-bNQQrN06S79ZMT “I am Not My Own”

September 16, 2024 -- Acts 28:30-31 -- Declaring Jesus anytime, anywhere

He lived there two whole years at his own expense, and welcomed all who came to him, 31 proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance.
Acts 28:30-31 ESV

At the beginning of Acts Jesus prophesied that His followers would be His witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the earth. When the Holy Spirit was given at Pentecost representatives from 15 nations and regions heard of and believed in Jesus Christ. As the Acts of the Apostles continue the reader sees how Jesus’ words are fulfilled. Even in the most unlikely circumstances. Philip is led to meet an Ethiopian as he is traveling from Israel back home. The man believes. Paul, the one spoken of in today's text, is on house arrest, living at his own expense in Rome. Just prior to his arriving in Rome, he had been shipwrecked. The whole company of the ship were spared and arrived at Malta. Where many heard Paul and believed in Jesus Christ.

Now, though under house arrest, for two whole years, Paul preached the Gospel. No doubt the guards assigned to him for the duration of his house arrest also came to know Jesus Christ and the power of His salvation. If not, they could not get away from his tireless preaching. What is the point of this?

First, those who are united to Jesus Christ will speak of Him wherever they are and whatever their circumstances. Second, even when it seems a believer is under the worst circumstances possible, that man or woman can be used by the Spirit of God to proclaim Jesus Christ to others who are also in dire circumstances.

While visiting a prison last week a newcomer joined in. Here is the background. Two years ago he’d set up an appointment to meet with me. He was too embarrassed to keep the appointment and I never did meet him or know who he is (I’ll call him Dave). Two cells away from that man, another man also incarcerated, would faithfully attend my bible studies. For the purposes of clarity I’ll call him Ed (not his real name). Ed realized Dave needed to speak with a Christian minister. So, for two years, though he himself was incarcerated, Ed urged Dave to set up a visit with me. Ed went through a very dark period and was nearly sent away from the prison; even when that painful circumstance was inflicted on him and he had no idea what was next, whenever the opportunity presented itself, he spoke to Dave, kindly, still encouraging him to meet me.

Dave relented. He attended the bible study. The day he attended, by the grace of God, I had an extra 45 minutes available to me to meet. (Usually, as soon as the bible study is done, I have a 5 to 10 minutes to meet anyone who wants to talk with me and then the prison staff has to tell the men to leave so that he can attend to other duties and I have to leave as well). On this day in question, no one else wanted to stay and talk. Just Dave. That meeting was a divine appointment. We talked. We prayed. And the Spirit of God softened this man’s heart.

Third, trust God. Even if you speak the Good News about Jesus Christ, it may well be that you do not meet that man or woman again. Trust that the Spirit is using you to spread the Gospel and that the Spirit will continue to bring other men and women into the life of that person until, by the mercy of God, that man is brought safe into the fold of Jesus.

Finally, pray. Ask God to stimulate in you an urgent desire to share the Gospel. Ask the Holy Spirit to make you sensitive to the opportunities that are all around you at work, or school, or among family or your circles of influence. A Christian is never somewhere by accident. Wherever you are, God the Father has a purpose for you and for those around you. Proclaim Jesus Christ with boldness.

Merciful Father in heaven, thank You for the people You appointed to teach me about Jesus! Spirit of the Living God, motivate me to act and stir up within me a holy boldness so that I will tell others about Jesus Christ. Lord Jesus Christ, draw me closer to Yourself in ever greater intimacy so that through Bible reading and prayer, busy times and quiet ones, day and night, I will by the eyes of faith see You more clearly. Amen.

https://youtu.be/n9c-efcFTJU?si=5b67pAVj5xsguO2w “Tell Out My Soul”

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September 14, 2024 -- Proverbs 14:2, 26-27 -- The Fear of the LORD is a fountain of life

Whoever walks in uprightness fears the LORD,
     but he who is devious in his ways despises him.
In the fear of the LORD one has strong confidence,
     and his children will have refuge.
The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life,
     that one may turn away from the snares of death.
Proverbs 14:2,26-27 ESV

The expression “the fear of the LORD” is used almost two dozen times in the Proverbs. Variants, such as is found in verse 2 where the verb is slightly different in the Hebrew but translated as fear into English, increase that number substantially. In Isaiah 11 the prophet speaks of Jesus when he declared “and his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD” (Isaiah 11:3). Obviously this expression of the fear of the LORD is something that Christians must consider, meditate on, and implement in their lives. Why would one delight in the fear of the LORD?

At the beginning of Proverbs the fear of the LORD is explained as the beginning of knowledge. When a believer credits the word of God in the power of the Spirit of God then his own opinions and former beliefs are put away in favour of pursuing the LORD. One no longer says, “I believe this, I am okay with that” as if the Bible were a smorgasbord where one can pick and choose items to believe and others to leave. No, the fear of the LORD leads the believer to bring his whole life into submission to God. Actively subduing the areas of his heart and mind that are still rebellious.

The LORD, with His Name all in capital letters, points to the personal Name of God. His Name by which He revealed Himself to Moses and the prophets. He is everlasting. He is self-existent. He is the Source of life and of every blessing. That is why such submission to the LORD is vital. He is the anchor in the storms of life, the only Source of true life and happiness.

Back to Proverbs 14, whenever someone lies in word or deed, or manipulates others for their own gain, they are despising the LORD. Remember, these words are written for Old Testament believers. Pagans don’t read these words. Unbelievers don’t mine the Bible for truth. Believers are supposed to read these words and by them be warned. To walk in uprightness is to confess all sin, turn from it in repentance and follow Jesus.

The fear of the LORD leads to strong confidence. The Psalmist wrote

The LORD is my light and my salvation,
   whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life,
     of whom shall I be afraid?”
Psalm 27:1 ESV

The LORD of heaven and earth, Who by the accomplished work of Jesus, believers call Father, is stronger than all bullies, all jailors, all despots and all false judges. Believers fear the LORD, putting all their confidence in Him because they realize it the LORD Who can, after one has died, cast him into hell or bring him into His majestic presence for all eternity. Such confidence in the LORD leads a believer’s children and children’s children to long to know the LORD.

A quick but important note here, Jesus is described as having descendants, though He never married, never had children the way in which we think of having descendants (Isaiah 53). The point of the prophecy is that Jesus has countless children, believers, whom He brings to His Father in heaven. In heaven there will neither be marriage or sexual intercourse. These gifts are for the earthly existence. Spiritual descendants, those who believe in Jesus Christ through your witness, are even more truly your children than those which are born to you. Spiritual descendants will still be spiritual descendants even in eternity.

What do people fear in our world? Climate change? Not having enough likes on a post? Once you start the list of fears in this world, it grows and grows. Those who fear the LORD have only one fear. Remember as well that Isaiah called the fear of the LORD delight. So, putting one’s fear and delight in Him is the fountain of life. All other fears are subjected to the fear of the LORD. When one realizes the LORD is in charge of all things through all eternity, then no other fear can rule you. Even death, which people seek to avoid, but are running head long to it by their own destructive behaviours, even death loses its sting because Jesus Christ has conquered death and the grave and all who believe in Him have everlasting life.

GENERAL INTERCESSION

O GOD, Who art mindful of Thy people everywhere; reveal Thy mercy unto all men, and remember in Thy great good will, those for whom we now make intercession. Remember Thy Church which Thou hast purchased of old; and let all the ends of the earth see the salvation of our God. Remember our nation which Thou hast established; give wisdom and power to Thy servants upon whom Thou hast laid the burden of authority, especially the King and his counsellors and all judges; and unite the whole body the commonwealth to promote the peace and welfare of the world. Remember all the persecuted and afflicted; strengthen the weak, confirm the strong, instruct the ignorant, deliver the oppressed, heal the sick, relieve the needy that hath no helper; and lead us all by the waters of comfort, and in the ways of righteousness, to Thine everlasting rest; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

DIVINE SERVICE BOOK FOR THE ARMED FORCES, 1950, page 21

https://youtu.be/NjOGX5zT8KU?si=iDtZikhDK-vcyrvd “The Lord is My Salvation”

Copyright © 2024 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

September 13, 2024 -- Genesis 3:1-7 -- Hear Him!

Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made.
He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” 2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, 3 but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” 4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.
Genesis 3:1-7 ESV

The lie of the serpent, Satan, is so blatant in this temptation, yet it is a lie that works over and over again. In order to see how blatantly wrong, grossly misleading his lie is, you need to recall the earlier chapters. Genesis 1:26 the Triune God declared “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.” Now consider verse 27: “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him”. The repetition sears into the brain of the reader that God Himself has made Adam and Eve in His image. They are like God. In Genesis 2, before Eve was created, Adam was exercising his dominion over creation by naming the livestock and the birds of the heavens and the beasts of the field. As he did so, he realized there was no creature like unto him, created in the image of God. No other creature bore the unique stamp of God’s love and was created for fellowship with the LORD of heaven. Okay, you have this background. Now look at Satan’s lie at Genesis 3:5, when you eat of the forbidden fruit you will be like God, knowing good and evil”. See the lie? They were already like God. As close as ever could be because that IS how God made them.

Now, armed with the information on the image of God which is given in the previous two chapters, you can see how the lie of Satan is exposed as absolutely wrong. Adam and Eve are already in the image of God. Adam and Eve. They were created to walk with God in the cool of the evening. Adam and Eve were created for life which stretched on and would allow for constant growth in the knowledge of God, ever more delight in Him, and greater understanding of what it meant to be made in His image. Satan caused them to doubt the generosity of God and His goodness towards them. It is his most familiar, most often used tactic.

Jesus’s disciple, Peter, though having walked with Jesus for three years was still susceptible to the lies of Satan which started in the Garden of Eden. When Jesus was arrested, Peter and John stood in the courtyard of the place where Jesus was being tried. A young servant girl asked Peter “were you with Him?” He vehemently denied it. He was prepared to identify with the enemy, doubting God's good and holy intentions for him. So, he betrayed Jesus, rather than stay true to the One in Whose likeness He was made and Whose fellowship he enjoyed. All of us can see how easily we fall. We fail.

Be encouraged, dear fellow Christians, this same Jesus, risen and ascended to heaven, has given us His righteousness. He has poured out His Spirit so that “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness” (I Peter 1:3a). In fact, Peter goes on to write that this divine power, to which is added the God’s very great and precious promises, you escape “the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire” (I Peter 1:4).

Sinclair Ferguson makes the point that the people of God might be deceived by what their eyes see, or are led by their feelings. However, the one sense which must be cultivated is the sense of hearing. The people of God hear the word of God. The people of the Savior listen to His voice. Think of Jesus’s words “The sheep hear His voice, and He calls His Own sheep by name and leads them out” (John 10:3). Believers reading the Word of God hear the voice of Jesus.

Believers when they are out in the world, tested and tempted, must recall the Word of God and His very great and precious promises. Those precious promises expose the lies of the enemy. His Word destroys the fictions we tell ourselves, and show how ridiculous the incessant catechism of the world is. A constant, spewing narrative that strives to dictate what is current, what is fashionable, what matters. It is an endless treadmill going nowhere but to hell. Believers hear the voice of Jesus, over the crashing waves of life’s wild restless sea. Believers hear His invitation to defy evil and not be fooled by the lies of the world and the temptations of the Devil, instead hearing His voice, returning again and again to Him. Jesus' voice is discerned in the Bible, from start to finish, it is His instruction in His very great, very precious promise of life.

IN THE MORNING

O LORD, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, Who has safely brought us to the beginning of this day; defend us in the same with Thy mighty power; and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger; but that all our doings may be ordered by Thy governance, to do always that which is righteous in Thy sight; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

THE DIVINE SERVICE BOOK FOR THE ARMED FORCES, 1950, page 32

https://youtu.be/In-MtdNjF44?si=LmjBSaJDFBtBCuXN “Jesus Calls Us O’er the Tumult”

Copyright © 2024 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

September 12, 2024 -- John 20:11-16 -- The Risen Jesus called a Gardener

But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. 12 And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. 13 They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” 14 Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher).
John 20:11-16 ESV

One of the great blessings of my job is the opportunity I have to listen to bible teaching as I drive to and from various prisons. In the last five days I drove around 1100 KM, so there was a lot of time to delight in hearing other preachers. Sinclair Ferguson noted the double meaning in this passage. The author of the Gospel of John often employs “misunderstanding”, or double-meanings to direct his readers to see something deeper than what is going on in the ordinary events.

Jesus was crucified. Buried in a tomb. On the third day He arose. Mary had joined a company of women looking for Jesus presuming He was still dead. He had risen. She couldn’t comprehend this. When Jesus appeared to her she thought He was the Gardener. Amazing. One the surface, that makes sense to our modern ears. There are groundskeepers or gardeners at cemeteries. But remember Who Jesus Is.

Jesus is the second Adam. The first Adam sinned. Adam was representative of the whole human race at the Garden of Eden. His initial work was to extend the Garden of Eden through out the whole earth. He was the original Gardener. He failed. He sinned. He was thrown out of the Garden of Eden.

Jesus is the New Adam. He is our representative in righteousness. He lived His entire life in whole-hearted obedience to God and therefore at His death, He became the perfect sacrifice for the sins of the whole world. He had no sins for which He should die. Therefore, Jesus, is the New Adam and all who are united to Him in faith know Him as their righteous representative before the Father in heaven. In Christ, we are made alive. Then, Jesus also takes up the original Adam’s task. He is the Gardener. He will bring the blessings of Eden, the blessings of walking with God, to believers one by one, until all the earth is the New Eden. The glory of the original Eden was close communion with God, enjoying His nearness and love. In a very real sense Mary's misunderstanding was accurate: Jesus is the Gardener—the New Adam, Who can actually fulfil God’s first creation mandate to make all the world a place where the Father can meet with His people and bring to them the delight of His presence..

Those who are united to Jesus have had their lives upended and the ruin of their hearts transformed. What once was a barren waste, seeking pleasure like a banquet, while instead eating the sand and dirt of sinful living. Now  the life of a Christian is a garden, made beautiful in Jesus, so that our lives abound with blessings and the goodness of belonging to Jesus. In Jesus were are now His sent-ones, gardeners, who see the ruin in the lives of others around us and we cry, “Let me bring you to Jesus, He will make all things new, holy and beautiful”.
 

PRAYER FOR GUIDANCE AND BETTERMENT OF CHARACTER

ALMIGHTY and Everlasting God, by Whose grace Thy servants are enabled to fight the good fight of faith and ever prove victorious; we humbly beseech Thee so to inspire us, that we may yield our hearts to Thine obedience and exercise our wills on Thy behalf. Help us to think wisely, to speak rightly, to resolve bravely, to act kindly, to live purely. Guard us in body and in soul, and make us a blessing to our fellows. Whether at home or abroad may we ever seek the extension of Thy Kingdom. Let the assurance of Thy presence save us from sinning. O Lord our God, accept this prayer for Jesus Christ’s sake. Amen.

Divine Service Book for the Armed Forces, printed 1950, page 28

https://youtu.be/Jcl6WSNVcHM?si=QrE8v3YbNTvlD6Sd Christ the True and Better Adam

Copyright © 2024 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

September 11, 2024 -- Psalm 124:8 -- Opening Worship

Our help is in the name of the LORD,
     Who made heaven and earth.
Psalm 124:8 ESV

This brief text is very familiar to many Christians of the Reformed tradition. For almost 500 years it has been part of a responsive reading at the very start of worship. Many people will recognize it when it is printed out (in a bulletin) like this:

Minister: Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ,
     in Whom do you find your help?

PEOPLE: Our help is in the Name of the LORD,
     Maker of heaven and earth.

This responsive reading is called the votum. That is, a prayer for help, an entreaty from one who knows his own neediness as he stands before the All-Powerful, and All-Knowing God. Worship is a conversation between the believer and the LORD of Heaven and Earth. Worship is the act whereby the believer acknowledges all his life, from beginning to end, is in the hands of the Sovereign God.

Psalm 124 is a brief Psalm that emphasizes how small and helpless people really are. There are forces in history, enemies presently that hover all around, and yes, there are threats to believers even from within the community of faith. Many people who claim to be Christians shelter among believers, only the Sovereign LORD can weed out the wicked from the godly. So, it is the LORD Himself Who delivers His people from all their foes, threats, and enemies.

Note also how the minister intentionally asks the people of Jesus Who their help is, and the people respond with the Name: LORD. When the Old Testament Name of God is used in this way, with all capital letters, it is an expression of the Name which God has given Himself. LORD is expressed as: Who Was and Who Is and Who Is to Come. He is everlasting. He is the promise-making, promise-keeping God. The liturgy intentionally links Jesus to the Holy Name of God. It is a weekly reminder that the Father is God; the Son Jesus is God; the Holy Spirit is fully God. This triune God, He alone is the source of every blessing in your life.

Today’s prayer is Psalm 124

If it had not been the LORD who was on our side—
    let Israel now say—
2 if it had not been the LORD who was on our side
    when people rose up against us,
3 then they would have swallowed us up alive,
    when their anger was kindled against us;
4 then the flood would have swept us away,
    the torrent would have gone over us;
5 then over us would have gone
    the raging waters.

6 Blessed be the LORD,
    who has not given us
    as prey to their teeth!
7 We have escaped like a bird
    from the snare of the fowlers;
the snare is broken,
    and we have escaped!

8 Our help is in the name of the LORD,
    who made heaven and earth.
Psalm 124 ESV

https://youtu.be/CmNXeReZqAg?si=Sdx3cQsM8h2ypVMV “Be Still My Soul”

Copyright © 2024 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

September 9, 2024 -- Acts 14:1-7 -- Zeal for Jesus and heretical counter-zeal

Now at Iconium they entered together into the Jewish synagogue and spoke in such a way that a great number of both Jews and Greeks believed. 2 But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers. 3 So they remained for a long time, speaking boldly for the Lord, who bore witness to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands. 4 But the people of the city were divided; some sided with the Jews and some with the apostles. 5 When an attempt was made by both Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, to mistreat them and to stone them, 6 they learned of it and fled to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the surrounding country, 7 and there they continued to preach the gospel.
Acts 14:1-7 ESV

Notice in this passage there are two kinds of zeal. First there is the zeal of the believers. But the passage also reveals the counter-zeal of the unbelievers. (BTW: zeal means eagerness, enthusiasm, joyful commitment to a cause.) Paul and Barnabas can’t help but preach and teach others about Jesus. Their holy zeal incited many Jews and Greeks to believe in Jesus Christ. Those who had become believers are zealous for Jesus and therefore their bold, joyful faith immediately puts them at odds with those who are zealous unbelievers.

The unbelievers are equally committed to a cause. Their cause is the destruction of anything that smacks of zeal for God. They have a counter-zeal. A reckless disregard for all that is holy and good and honourable. When a Christian preaches the audience is never neutral. There will be a zeal for Jesus that is created and encouraged to further growth, or a counter-zeal stirred up causing the wicked one to grip even more tightly to the rage and hatred that naturally occurs in the unconverted human heart.

Recently a dear friend, who’d previously been zealous for God, fallen away and by his own account had wandered in paganism, returned to God. He knew the depths of his recent depravity. He returned to God the Father compelled by the Spirit’s prompting and he began confessing his sins so that he received the merciful forgiveness so richly provided in Jesus. He can't stop talking about the goodness and mercy which God the Father showed him. Some fellow Christian recoiled at his zeal. They were sure he was too enthusiastic, too crazy for Jesus. There is a common pressure among Christians to be a “normal Christian”, that is, one who is not offensive to others, not too enthusiastic, too strongly guided by the Bible, so that one can be well-received among pagans. It is not possible.

Look at the Jewish people in verse 2, they’d walked the way of the Old Testament, expecting even longing for the time of Jesus. The sad fact is when Jesus arrived and His heralds proclaimed Him, they were content to side with Gentiles (whom they’d normally despise). Jews who were supposed to be dedicated to God and ready for His Son instead opposed God’s Son. That is the counter-zeal of wickedness. It leads to blind rage.

Dear fellow believer, where are you compromising with the world? Where are you allowing yourself to be a little less Christian, less zealous, so that people around you won’t be offended? Jesus rebuked the congregation at Laodicea because they were lukewarm. He warned them He’d vomit them out of His mouth, Revelation 3:16 (it is a sign of terrible judgment). In zeal for His Father’s glory and zealous for the joy of rescuing believers from hell and the clutches of the Devil, Jesus scorned the shame of the cross and became the Saviour of the world. The only response the Christian can offer is holy, life-long, in-all-areas-of-life-obedience that is zealous and infused with thanksgiving to Jesus.

Majestic Father Your holy angels never cease to cry out: “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, Who Was and Who Is, and Who Is to Come”. The accomplished work of Jesus should evoke from us equal life-long, enthusiastic praise but we humbly confess how easily our attention wanders and our hearts grow cold to the mighty splendors of Your salvation. Thank You for the beautiful Word of God, still warm with the breath of the Spirit. Thank You for the work of Your Spirit by Whom we realize the depths of our coldness and the insipid murmurings of praise. We confess how lukewarm we have been. Oh, we confess it. We hate it. Reignite in us a zeal for Jesus that touches every part of our hearts, minds, souls, and actions. Amen.

https://youtu.be/DV-V4xZMQx0?si=axnv7Fyl94uZfeeQ Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing

Copyright © 2024 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

September 8, 2024 -- Acts 2:5-13 -- The Spirit equips you to shine for Jesus

5 Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. 6 And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. 7 And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? 9 Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, 11 both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” 12 And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13 But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.”
Acts 2:5-13 ESV

Dearly loved people of God, you probably recognize this text. It is from the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit was poured out on the church. About 120 men and women received the Holy Spirit. The work of the Holy Spirit is to lead the people of God to Jesus Christ and His work accomplished at the cross. The Holy Spirit seals this work to the heart of believers so that they are kept in the merciful-love of God which was so beautifully demonstrated in the life, crucifixion, resurrection and ascension of Jesus.

A few things to note here. Jesus when He was engaged in His public ministry sent His followers ahead into various towns and villages so that they’d be prepared for His coming. At Pentecost, men and women from fifteen different regions, cities, islands and nations heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ preached in their own language. The gift of tongues was given so that Jewish foreigners could hear the Good News of Jesus in their own language. When they went back to Cyrene and Rome, Crete and Egypt, and the other eleven nations, cities and territories they’d be like the disciples in Jesus’ earthly ministry days that is, they'd be sent out for the purpose of preparing their region for the arrival of the preachers of Jesus.

The implication for you today is, I believe, that as you go to church and hear the Good News preached, the Spirit of God is equipping you in the salvific work of Jesus so that you too can go in Jesus’s Name. As you live among the various people in your circle of family, co-workers, and friends you make Jesus known to them.

Someone, a visitor to our home, recently said to me, “I could never do what you do”. (By this she meant going into prisons and leading Bible Studies). I thought to myself, you don’t have to do this. You were never called to do this. However, this same woman had a difficult neighbour who for nine years made being a neighbour a miserable thing. So, our visitor friend explained she’d determined to make things right and win her neighbour over. After nine years this was accomplished. Think about it, over those nine years the mercy of Jesus was revealed by the Spirit’s persistent work in the life of this faithful woman. The Spirit has a task for each and every believer so that Jesus will be preached and your lives will be exactly the preparation an evangelist or preacher can use so that the Gospel of Jesus will take hold in the life of the hearer.

Go to church. Read your bible. Prepare to be equipped. Then go, share Jesus, wherever it you are, in whatever situation you are. Trust that the Spirit has uniquely prepared you for holy service.

Our Father in heaven thank You for Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Redeemer-King. Blessed Father and Holy Son, thank You for the magnificent Spirit through Whom believers see Jesus with the eyes of faith and understand Who He is through the gift of the Bible. Send us, Spirit, to the places where You have prepared people to hear of Jesus. Give us boldness, Spirit of God, and confident assurance that You have put us as witnesses for Jesus in exactly the right places so that He will be made known. Thank You, Triune God, for all those who spoke to us and demonstrated to us the love of Jesus; now, work in us so that our lives shine with the glory of Jesus so that many others will believe in Him. Amen.

https://youtu.be/Atc3AHLNp-0?si=BoQU96ccs7JDTz0g Christ the Sure and Steady Anchor

Copyright © 2024 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

September 6, 2024 -- I Corinthians 6:9-11 -- God's incredible power to forgive

Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
I Corinthians 6:9-11 ESV

Verse 11 states “and such were some of you”. It is easy to look at this list and go, “Phew, I am not one of those people”. The list misses murders, and those who hate their parents, Sabbath breakers, and meddlers, and gossips (as well as many other sins). What is Paul’s point? I’m going to quote Mez McConnell, himself a victim of terrible childhood abuse at the hands of his step-mother:

     Many people struggle with the thought of a loving God
     sending people to hell. Yet, these same people have no
     problem with paedophiles, rapists and the like going to
     hell. That’s not a problem.

     That would be justice.

     But God doesn’t differentiate between sinners. Sin is
     lawlessness and we all fall into that category. That’s a
     bitter pill to swallow. Here’s an even more bitter one.
     Some paedophiles and rapists will be in heaven. They
     will get to enjoy the glories of living with God for eternity.
     And some of their victims will be worshipping Jesus side
     by side with them. Even more incredibly, they will be
     there with them.

     I mean, that is just scandalous! thee is a verse in a famous
     hymn that says, “The vilest offender who truly believes,
     that moment from Jesus a pardon receives.” For many
     years I refused to sing that verse. I refused to believe
     that God would do that to me. That there was still an
     opportunity for my abuser to go to heaven.

     There was no way that I would accept any of this ever.

     Ever.

     Until I had a complete change of heart.

     What I’ve learned as a pastor is that God saves anybody
     and everybody He chooses. He doesn’t ask for my opinion.
     He doesn’t ask for your opinion. We don’t get to decide who
     is worthy and who is not.
Mez McConnell “The Creaking of the Stairs”, 2021 reprint, page 157

                             
O Lord God, Who inhabits eternity,
The heavens declare Your glory,
The earth Your riches,
The universe is Your temple;
Your presence fills immensity,
Yet You have of Your pleasure created life,
and communicated happiness;
You have made me what I am, and given me what I have;
In You I live and move and have my being;
Your providence has set the bounds of my habitation,
and wisely administers all my affairs.
I thank You for Your riches to me in Jesus,
for the unclouded revelation of Him in Your Word,
where I behold His Person, character, grace, glory,
humiliation, sufferings, death, and resurrection;
Give me to feel a need of His continual saviourhood,
and cry with Job, ‘I am vile’,
with Peter, ‘I perish’,
with the publican, ‘Be merciful to me, a sinner’.
Subdue in me the love of sin,
Let me know the need of renovation
as well as of forgiveness,
in order to serve and enjoy You for ever.
I come to You in the all-prevailing name of Jesus,
with nothing of my own to plead,
no works, no worthiness, no promises.
I am often straying, often knowingly opposing Your authority,
often abusing Your goodness;
Much of my guilt arises from my religious privileges,
my low estimation of them,
my failure to use them to my advantage,
But I am not careless of Your favour or
regardless of Your glory;
Impress me deeply with a sense of Your omnipresence,
that You know my path, my ways, my lying down, my end.
from: VALLEY OF VISION "God the Source of All Good"

https://youtu.be/C6yqC2sWcRc?si=kgfos3GPbAO2MIXw “To God Be the Glory”

Copyright © 2024 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

August 30, 2024 -- Proverbs 30:5 -- God's Word: His command and His promise

Every word of God proves true;
     He is shield to those who take refuge in Him.
Proverbs 30:5 ESV

Where the English reads word the original Hebrew language has a few different nouns which have all been simply translated as word. It can be word, as in, this is the word of the LORD though it is His prophets who speak it. They do so as His ambassadors and as such these words carry the weight of the High King of Heaven Himself. In today's verse the original language word carries the underlying sense of both command and promise. Those who receive His word as a command and pattern their lives according to it, find He does exactly as He promises.

Look at the lives of various prominent men and women in the Bible who faced incredible hardships and yet walking in obedience to Him knew God as their shield of protection. Ruth, the Moabitess, left her peoples and all she knew and though widowed followed her mother-in-law from Moab (thus leaving her pagan life) going to the land of Israel. She walked according to the promises of God as Naomi her mother-in-law taught her. She was shielded by God’s goodness and given a place among the people of God. Stephen, the first New Testament martyr, was described as a man full of grace and power. He was filled with the wisdom of God. Saul, the killer of Christians before he became Paul the disciple of Jesus, was there overseeing the stoning-to-death of Stephen. As he was dying Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of Jesus (Acts 7:55) and thus shielded by the word of God with his dying breath, as his final statement, prayed for the forgiveness of his persecutors. Even as he was dying he took refuge in God His shield and under that shelter found courage and holy boldness to pray.

Stephen’s prayer certainly was uttered as one obedient to the word, where word means the command and promise of God. Interestingly, Saul would later be rescued from the dominion of darkness and brought into the kingdom of Light, where glorious Son of God rules His saved people by His gracious word. Interestingly, Saul, later named Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit wrote “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them” (Romans 8:14). Surely Paul as he penned those words he must have remembered the time he approved the martyrdom of Stephen and as he watched the man dying, nevertheless heard Stephen pray the blessing of God’s forgiving mercy be applied to all his persecutors. In a beautiful answer to Stephen’s prayer uttered with his life’s final breaths, Saul, one of the most prominent persecutors becomes a trophy of Jesus’ grace.

For Ruth and Stephen, and in the lives of the people once-sinners-now-by-grace-saints which the Bible records, you see how the word—the commands of God and the promises attached to it—shielded them. They encountered heavy and hard trials. Yet those hardships proved to be light and momentary in the view of God’s great salvation. Dear fellow believer, obey the commands of God and trust His promises are "yes" and "amen" in Jesus Christ.

Who is like You, O God of mercy and love? There is none in the farthest reaches of the cosmos, nor anywhere else in all creation who can even approach Your greatness, Your splendor, Your majesty and power. You alone are God and Your commands and promises are true and all-together lovely. Thank You for the accomplished work of Jesus Christ through Whom we are reconciled to You and to one another and set at peace within our own mind and hearts. Blessed be Your Name, Jesus, as You with the Father, give to us the strengthening Holy Spirit to live in us til this life’s fierce warfare shall cease. Guide us, Almighty God, that we may walk according to Your commands and live in the glorious light of Your promises fulfilled. Amen.

https://youtu.be/rmmJ900eL2s?si=1SDt-ErSaPFTDASL “Give Me Jesus”

Copyright © 2024 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

August 29, 2024 -- Psalm 119:114 -- The Word of Life

You are my hiding place and my shield;
     I hope in your word.
Psalm 119:114 ESV

Why bother reading the Bible? A representative of the Canadian Bible Society sent me these results, from a recent Cardus Research survey. 40,000 people were surveyed. These folks were drawn from the general population and were people aged between 8 - 80. The comparison is between those who read the Bible 1x a week for 15 minutes versus those who read it 4x a week. For those who read 4x a week:

• feeling lonely drops 30%

• anger issues drop 32%

• bitterness in relationships drop 40%

• alcoholism drops 57%

• feeling spiritually stagnant drops 60%

• viewing pornography drops 61%

• sharing your faith jumps 200%

• discipling others jumps 230%

No wonder the psalmist praises God calling Him his hiding place. When the world and the accompanying peer pressures encroach upon the soul, God Himself is the security of His children. He brings the most satisfying relationship anyone could ever enjoy. God is the shield of His people—when memories of old sins haunt, the forgiveness of God given in Christ shields the soul so that there is no need to take comfort in the bottle or the needle.

The Word of God upholds the believer (Ps 119:116) and His word brings light into the life of His people (Ps.119:130). Funny, isn’t it, how people will follow all the latest fads for food, for vitamins, for exercises that make fitness claims to the effect that hard work will be eliminated. You'll achieve phenomenal fitness—but those same easily influenced people will not take 15 minutes a day to absorb the Word of God which has a proven track record for dramatic improvements in every area of life.
 

O THOU who art the Light of the minds that know Thee, the Life of the souls that love Thee, and the Strength of the hearts that serve Thee; help us so to know Thee that we may truly love Thee; so to love Thee that we may fully serve Thee; Whom to serve is perfect freedom; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Divine Service Book For the Armed Forces, 1950, page 43

https://youtu.be/my90e3a_nlM?si=lMIJsrstBLqlESH2 “Speak, O Lord”

Copyright © 2024 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

August 28, 2024 -- Romans 7:18-19 -- Wretched sinners filled with the knowledge of amazing grace

For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.
Romans 7:18-19 ESV

The first question that must be addressed is to ask what Paul is describing here? Is Paul writing as a man who is not a Christian, or is he writing of the experiences he has as a Christian? A non-Christian would not be arguing that nothing good lives in him. Think about it. Many non-Christians, when asked if they’ll go to heaven, believe if their good deeds outweigh their bad deeds, therefore they reason God will be kindly disposed towards them. He won’t. In the Old Testament, a particularly godless period in Israel’s history is recorded in Judges. The key phrase that describes the faithlessness of the people is “everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25). It is the same wickedness that exists today, whereby people speak of your truth and his truth and her truth, denying ultimate Truth which is found in God alone. So, Paul is describing his life as a Christian. It is a difficult text. How are Christians any different than non-Christians then? 

R. C Sproul (1939 - 2017) was a theologian, philosopher and gifted teacher. He noted “In one sense, life doesn’t begin to get complicated until one becomes a Christian. When we are born of the Spirit we are born anew into a fierce struggle between the old man and the new man” (Pleasing God. 1994 reissue, page 150). When a believer is gripped by the grace of Jesus, his old life is revealed as wicked, sinful and rebellious against God. Even a man’s best intentions are prideful and selfish. Salvation is not a little light renovation of the soul, it is the complete demolition of one’s old nature and the conquering of every sinful inclination.

Are you finding it difficult to live for Jesus?

• Then take heart, the Spirit of God has awakened your conscience and is leading you in the way of salvation.

• Right and wrong will be revealed as very different. Even mostly right and right will be discernable because of the Spirit’s presence in your life.

• Keep reading the Word of God so that you will be instructed in the new life that is yours in Christ.

• The Word of God will reveal compromises in your life, areas where sin has a strong grip on you. That is why Scripture is compared to a light and a lamp (Psalm 119:105). Confess the sin that has been revealed and ask for forgiveness, seeking the strength of the Spirit to turn from those wicked ways.

• Spend time in prayer, ask the Spirit of God to direct your living so you will be prepared when temptations come your way.

• Know that friends with whom you used to spend time with, who are not Christians, will question your choices and hate your newfound way of life. Even if you don’t say a word, your old associates will know you are condemning their evil practices. Expect strong push back and pressure to return with them to sinful ways.

• When you face trials like those, rejoice, because each one is a confirmation that you belong to Jesus Christ. You have been counted worthy to suffer for His Name’s sake.

Father in heaven, with Paul, as each one of us sees the tide of faithlessness and sins that still swirl around within, frustrated and confused cry out “I am a wretch! Who will save me from this body of death?”  As Paul did in his day, so in our day and in each life also, help us to hear Your Spirit’s testimony deep within, offering this glorious response “thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord”! Yes, Merciful Father, thank You for the perfection of Jesus, credited to every believer so that His righteousness is the clothing of faith. Bless Your people so we are strengthened in this daily battle to live for Jesus, and are empowered by Your Spirit so that we do not grow weary in doing good. Amen.
(Quoted in this prayer is Romans 7:24-25)

https://youtu.be/eXp6XXBPiCg?si=xPB4uakUaRgRvjv4 Soldiers of Christ, Arise

Copyright © 2024 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

August 27, 2024 -- Proverbs 27:3 -- Preparing for the provocation of fools

A stone is heavy, and sand is weighty,
    but a fool's provocation is heavier than both.
Proverbs 27:3 ESV

Have you ever seen people filling sandbags and piling them high against a coming flood? I’ve seen it on TV as people are preparing for the accompanying high tides of a hurricane or others preparing for rivers that are at flood stage. The sand is heavy. The bags are heavy. The work of stacking them is heavy. Yet people know this work is necessary in order to protect their house.

To understand this proverb you need to understand the Bible’s description of a fool. The fool says in his heart there is no god (Psalm 14:1). The fool and his destructive ways of life are so intertwined you can’t separate the fool from his self-destructiveness (Proverbs 27:22). The fool will oppose God even rejecting the offered mercy of God (Proverbs 26:24-25).

Why does this matter? It explains the hardships and challenges a Christian will face as he follows Jesus in this life. A Christian will walk in the wisdom of the Word and be guided by the Holy Spirit. A Christian will respond to the love the Father has shown by seeking to be gracious to the people all around. The fool will push back. The fool who hates anything to do with God and unable to touch God Himself will then hate the one who follows Jesus.

The Bible is warning you, dear fellow believer, to be prepared for the heavy cost you must bear of following Jesus. You will have to fight your own flesh and laziness. You will have to face people who subtly undercut you and seem to be friendly, all the while they are calculating how to hurt you. You will face people in authority who enact laws that are opposed to all that the Bible teaches and such provocation requires that you are prepared. Here are some examples that might help you prepare for the work of living in a world that is filled with fools.

• You have done a project at work and a coworker steals the credit for it. Trust God to vindicate you (Psalm 43:1).

• A classmate, or coworker, discovers you are a Christian and begins to tease you mercilessly. This is heavy provocation indeed. Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you (Romans 12:14). Why? So that they may be won to Jesus Christ and you will have turned an enemy into a fellow soldier of the cross of Jesus.

• You know there will be consequences for speaking against the agenda of those who wickedly promote a non-biblical sexual agenda that mutilates children, do not be afraid to confess Jesus. Those who are ashamed of Jesus in this life the Son of Man will be ashamed of when He comes in His glory (Luke 9:26).

• Trust that God has placed you in such a difficult circumstance so that His glory and His love will either win the non-Christian to Christ, or confirm his condemnation (John 16:8).

Dear family of God, you have been drenched in the forgiving love of God, reconciled to the Father through the work of Jesus Christ. Therefore, in the strength of the Spirit, protect the household of God and live boldly for Jesus. Be prepared to protect the honor and glory of the Church of which belongs to Jesus, that means you will be prepared for every provocation confident the Triune God sees and has His holy purposes for you.

O LORD God, when You give Your servants to endeavour any great matter, grant us also to know that it is not the beginning but the continuing of the same until it be thoroughly finished, which yields the true glory; through Him that for the finishing of Your work laid down His life, our Redeemer, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Prayer of Sir Francis Drake on entering the Cadiz Harbour, April 19, 1587

https://youtu.be/z-yJ3xMVUDI?si=1H0Yj6ihGg1MxUJM “Whate’er My God Ordains Is Right”

Copyright © 2024 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

August 26, 2024 -- Romans 3:21-26 -- Amazing Grace (reprint from April 25, 2024)

But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
Romans 3:21-26 ESV

You might already be very familiar with verse 23, but look closely at verse 24, sinners are justified by God’s grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. There is a double emphasis here. Grace is unmerited favor. It is not earned. So, the word grace itself already communicates the fact it is God’s loving, patient disposition toward His people. So grace by definition is a gift. However, Paul can't help himself. He underlines it. He calls the justification of sinners God's grace as a gift. It is His divine choice to be show His people good will, instead of the punishment and wrath they so richly deserve. Grace is the profound kindness of God which draws believers back from their sins and by His Spirit working brings brings them back to Himself. Grace is God’s blessing poured out into every of the life of each one of His people.

When you know the kindness of God and even so have chosen to rebel, and the Spirit makes you aware of your sinfulness, so that you turn from it and run back to God. More importantly, God receives you back! That is grace.

When you review all your sins, know all your weaknesses, and realize there isn’t anything in you that could ever commend you to God, yet the Word of God teaches you He has set His love on you. That is grace.

When you strive to do good, and your work and words fall short, but the Spirit teaches you that God is not frowning in heaven, but by the blood of Jesus Christ you are wearing the good works of Jesus as your mantle, that is grace.

Grace is the blessing of God, given constantly, steadily, unstintingly, on your life.

Grace is communicated to you by the Spirit’s powerful presence in your life, through the preaching of the Gospel, and the Lord’s Supper and baptism. Grace is communicated to you where there is Christian discipline unto repentance exercised in your local Christian church.

Our Father in heaven may Your Name be honoured and adored forever—on earth as in heaven above. Thank You for the free gift of Your amazing grace given to Your people through Jesus Christ. Father in heaven let Your Spirit hold us by the spout where Your grace continually pours out and the kingdom of Christ is all about us. Amen.

https://youtu.be/ZoJz2SANTyo?si=or9lzjYx117FgnpI Soweto Gospel Choir — Amazing Grace
Copyright © 2024 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

August 25, 2024 -- Isaiah 40:25-31 -- The powerful LORD God and His humble, much loved people

To whom then will you compare me,
    that I should be like him? says the Holy One.
26 Lift up your eyes on high and see:
    who created these?
He who brings out their host by number,
    calling them all by name;
by the greatness of his might
    and because he is strong in power,
    not one is missing.

27 Why do you say, O Jacob,
    and speak, O Israel,
“My way is hidden from the LORD,
    and my right is disregarded by my God”?
28 Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
    the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
    his understanding is unsearchable.
29 He gives power to the faint,
    and to him who has no might he increases strength.
30 Even youths shall faint and be weary,
    and young men shall fall exhausted;
31 but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength;
    they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
    they shall walk and not faint.

Isaiah 40:25-31 ESV
 

In the past, whenever I have read these verses, I usually focused on the last three verses and found great comfort in them. Oddly, doing so undercuts the meaning of the whole. It adds to pride instead of doing what the passage is designed to do, which is increase humility. “There are two things that are suited to humble the soul of men, a due consideration of God, and then of ourselves. Of God, in his greatness, glory, holiness, power, majesty, and authority; of ourselves, in our mean, abject, and sinful condition.” (John Owen Sin and Temptation. ed. J. M. Houston, 1995, page 17). The passage from Isaiah begins with the greatness and majesty of God. He is all-powerful. He is the source of life for all things in His creation. He is all-wise, notice that His understanding is unsearchable. You can never get to the end of all the things God knows. He will never say, “I didn’t know that”. Amazing! This requires a full stop. Due consideration. Knowing the LORD of Glory. (In fact, for a fuller sense of this, and to get the smack in the fact impact that is intended read Isaiah 40:9 to 24).

Now look at the state of humanity. Those who are in the prime of life, young men, grow weary. Life eats away at their strength. Those who are supposed to be vigorous have yielded their lives to sin and are emptied of all power. Those who are youthful have exchanged power for addictions. Those who are wearied from the battles of life can’t hold a sword against the powers of darkness for another second. When one has truly assessed his own condition then humility takes hold of the heart. It is at that moment a wise man turns once again, unfilled to the LORD, knowing that He alone is the source of forgiveness, of power and wisdom.

As New Testament Christians reading these verses, it is obvious that by the Spirit’s inspiration the prophet Isaiah has Jesus in view here. He is the One appointed by God the Father, to reveal the way in which true and lasting renewal takes place. Those who confess their sinfulness and the soul-weariness it has brought upon them will find in Christ Jesus the forgiveness of sin and the righteousness that allows one to stand up again, confident in His victory and alive with the power of the Holy Spirit Who continuously applies Jesus’s victory to him.

To wait upon the LORD is a term that means to braid, or to fix, like a net. So that catch will not flow through gaps too wide to capture the intended fish. When one waits on the LORD, he braids the knowledge of God into every part of life, head knowledge, heart knowledge, actions and words. The braiding of the LORD into every part of life (through prayer, Bible reading, and time with fellow believers) keeps the believer humble, able to receive the blessings which God has intended to give his weary people. The haughty, or proud man, doesn’t realize the gaping holes in his life. These huge gaps allow the blessings of the Mighty One to pass through his life and not affect him. The humble man, awed by the splendor, the power, the might, and the loving-kindness of the Living God, have so yielded themselves to Him that their lives , repaired by waiting on Him, receive the constant flow of His blessings. They are able to acknowledge, all my strength, all my hope, all my life is in Jesus.

Prayer

O LORD You are very great. Language almost breaks down because superlatives themselves are too simple, too ineffective to describe Your Mighty power which is beyond great. The Exodus showed the most powerful men of Egypt, when facing Your plagues claimed there is more power in Your pinky than there is in all of great strength of that once-powerful land. Even that is giving too much credit to Egypt. Isaiah noted the stars fit within the span of Your hand. You never need the advice of humans. Empires that rise before you last mere seconds, though many tribes of the earth had groaned under their fleeting power. You alone are God. You are beyond comparison; yet in wondrous consideration of the neediness of man, You stoop to their weakness, revealing Yourself. Therefore Your mercy and grace are even greater and higher and all the more excellent, for Your love reaches to Your people. Triune God, this Sunday, fill the thoughts of your people with the knowledge of Your greatness; then by Your Spirit’s power lead Your humbled people to the mercies of Jesus Christ, so that the weariest among us, will be renewed in hope, faith, and love. Amen.

https://youtu.be/MUZD0hgtSgE?si=Cw8TDSOo3R50zEI6 “All Creatures of Our God and King”

Copyright © 2024 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

August 23, 2024 -- I Timothy 1:15-17 -- Sinners who find healing

The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
I Timothy 1:15-17 ESV

It is tempting to read these words and half-heartedly affirm, yes, Paul was the worst of sinners. He was a murderer. He fought with the other apostles. He was angry with Mark. There are various sins that can be cited. The problem is I am pretty sure that is not how the passage is supposed to be read. Notice how the pronouns change. Paul received mercy, literally he received the forgiveness that is found in Jesus. The first time Jesus’s Name is used in these verses, His title Christ is mentioned first. This emphasizes He was anointed, sent by the Father as the Messiah, to accomplish the task of living in full obedience to Him. As the Christ He is the second Adam, the representative of those who will be deemed righteous through faith in Him. As the Christ He is the perfect Prophet, Priest and King—all the Old Testament offices are perfectly fulfilled in Him. Second mentioned is His personal Name, Jesus, which means He saves His people from their sins.

Paul noted he is the foremost of sinners. He is not claiming that his sins are the greatest on record. It is not a competition. When Paul looks to the Christ, he sees the One Who in every way lived perfectly in service to the Faithful Father in heaven. Paul, the more the Spirit showed him his life, realized with every glance how far he continuously fell short of the standard of this kind of perfection. He was not comparing himself to all other sinners, he was comparing himself to the One Who is the measure and standard for all people. Anything less than the perfections of Jesus will disqualify a man, a woman, or a child from eternity in the wondrous Presence of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.

Thus Paul is an example to those who were to believe in Jesus for eternal life. Now the emphasis is on the saving work of Jesus. The mercy of God is perfectly displayed in Jesus. Ruined sinners, those who see the perfections of Jesus and in contrast with Him realize how truly vile their actions are the very ones to whom the mercy of God can be poured out. It is open to all. Just like Paul received mercy, so can you, having recognized your sin, casting yourself on Jesus’ saving kindness, receive forgiveness full and free.

What is the evidence of a heart that has been transformed? It is praise to God. Paul regularly breaks into songs, those are poetic expressions of love directed to God. After he has been inspired by the Holy Spirit to make profound theological statements which capture the beyond description greatness of God’s merciful kindness, his heart just overflows so that he can’t help but bless God in words that flow like music. Better than a final-second-touchdown-breaking-a-tie-so-that-the-underdog-team-wins-the-Superbowl is the cheering that breaks out from the soul that knows, in the guts realization, God has plunged his sins into the depths of the seas and has given him forgiveness full and free.

God of Mercy, sometimes I can barely lift my eyes to You. What Paul writes is too awesome to contemplate. Can it really be for me? I intimately know my own heart’s inkiness and horrible stains so long carefully, afraid-others-might-find-out-hidden from others sin. It seems too good to be true that You would, as You did for Paul, cancel the debt and bring life-healing forgiveness. Increase my faith in Christ Jesus. Help me to read the trustworthy statement that deserves full acceptance so that I will gasping with awe grasp hold of this extravagant gift of Your healing, saving, wondrous love. Mighty God, for those among us who have known this salvation for a long time, let it be new and rich for us, all over again, so that with enthusiasm and humble joy we will rejoice with those who are taking hold of this salvation for the first time

https://youtu.be/HLzEhE6Fe1g?si=Spw6IxwfQiqnxDh0 “I’m Healing” lyrics are included below

Verse 1
Jesus you see me
And God you really know me
You bring compassion
As sunlight greets the morning
Verse 2
Jesus you’re with me
You said you’d never leave me
Settle my heartbeat
As quiet slows the evening
Chorus
The sweetness of your presence My soul’s remedy
The sweetness of your presence
Clears the air I breathe
The sweetness of your presence
Covering my sleep In the sweetness of your presence
I’m healing
Tag
Oh I’m healing
Verse 3
We’ve had our history
Together through the hard things
You tend to my trauma
With nurture of a mother
Bridge
Oh I open up my heart to yours
Oh I’ll open up my heart (come in lord, come in)
Oh I open up my heart to yours
Oh I’ll open up my heart (come in lord, come in)

Copyright © 2024 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.