January 10, 2025 -- Philippians 1:12-13 -- Suffering and the reputation of Jesus and memorization

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

I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the Gospel so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ.
Philippians 1:12-13 ESV
 
When Paul was confronted by Jesus on the Road to Damascus and converted, before he received back his sight something was foretold that is quite striking. Ananias, the servant of the Lord who was to pray for Paul so that his eyes would be opened, was told “For I will show him (Paul) how much he must suffer for the sake of My Name” (Acts 9:16 ESV). Today’s verses bear out the suffering of Paul, but also show that suffering is for Jesus Name’s sake.
 
Look how these two brief verses capture both Paul’s willing obedience to suffering for Jesus’s Name sake and how such suffering is used for good. He had been arrested on trumped up charges. He was sent from Caesarea to Rome—shipwrecked along the way not to mention other sufferings—yet at every moment of his life and through whatever was happening to him all these things became a testimony to the grace of God. Even as he is suffering many were converted. They see Paul’s steadfast commitment to Jesus. This is still happening. Through his imprisonment the soldiers of Caesar’s own household are becoming Christians. While he was a prisoner, Paul could still preach the Gospel and welcome those who brought food and gifts to supply his needs. All these events become times where the guards heard the Gospel. They saw how believers’ commitment to Jesus prompted them to go to prison and care for Paul. The impact on the imperial guard is huge. In fact, at the end of this letter, Paul will write “all the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar’s household” (Philippians 4:22 ESV).
 
The message of these verses ought to encourage your heart. The strength of the Good News of the Gospel proves to be greater than suffering, chains, and prison. You can see why Bible memorization is important. You might wonder, as you suffer, does God really see me now? Does what I’m going through matter to Him? Yes, it does! God knew of all of Paul’s suffering and used it for His glory. In the same way, God uses every moment of your suffering for His glory, as you rely on the Spirit He is increasing your progress in holiness, and through it all Jesus is more real to you and Jesus is, through the way in which you endure suffering, becoming more real  to all who meet you.
 
Father in heaven thank You for the work of Your Holy Spirit, Who sustains me when I suffer. Thank You for the glory of Jesus, in Whom is life, life which is proved ever more glorious through suffering. Holy Spirit, help me to memorize so that the truth of Who Jesus Is and how He helps His weary children when they suffer will carry me through all my troubles. As with Paul, so now today, let whatever suffering I am going through be used to bring others to Jesus. Amen.
https://youtu.be/9zGbdg1YCYY?si=_neOwgmJru1wakg- Afflicted Saint to Christ Draw Near
 

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January 7, 2025 -- Philippians 1:9-11 -- Help! Memorization is so hard

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

And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more with knowledge and all discernment so that you may approve what is excellent and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that come through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. Philippians 1:9-11 ESV
 
When you begin memorizing Scripture, you’ll have to repeat it over and over again. (And then when it is memorized, review it regularly to keep it lodged in memory). This act of repetition plants Scripture deep into your heart. You’ll find yourself rehearsing it. Thinking about it. You might also, however, find yourself resisting it and fighting against memorization. Our sinful nature is strong and pushes against any increase in holiness.
 
I’ve heard people say, “I just want what I want”. Such people communicate that they are helpless, whatever it is they think they do. I know that is a crock of hooey. When the same people are in a courtroom, before the judge, suddenly their language changes, their desires change and their hope for a better outcome change. It is the fear of the judge. On a greater scale, the Day of Christ is the Day of Judgment for all the people of the earth. When He returns everyone who ever lived and whoever is then currently living will stand before the judgment throne of God. How you live now matters. Live with a reverent fear of Jesus.
 
Memorizing Scripture is one proven way to be filled with the fruit of righteousness. As you memorize, you realize the great gifts and blessings that are already yours in Jesus Christ and you choose to receive them, choose to live your life in accordance with those blessings. Jesus Who is the Judge, is also He Who became a man, lived out every command of God perfectly so that by His righteousness we are called righteous. This is granted to those who believe. Guarded in the heart of those who leave wicked ways and choose to walk in step with the Holy Spirit.
 
I have set before my Sunday Chapel group the challenge of memorizing Philippians. I know how hard this is. If you are discouraged by your poor memorization skills, if you have stopped, start again, let me encourage you to pick up from wherever it is you left off. Begin from that point and start memorizing again. Put one or two verses on a recipe card. Carry them with you. When you eat, review the texts. When you wait in line at the drive-through, review them. You will find the more you practice, the greater will be your capacity to learn the Word. Even if you memorize one or two verses a week, you are far ahead of what you’ve been doing before. Okay, go on, get memorizing.
 
Father in heaven, with the Psalmist we declare “^Your Word have I hidden in my heart that I might not sin against You”. By Your Spirit Who lives in us, help us to memorize the Word, to be directed by the Word and to have it change our thought patterns. As the Word reveals wicked attitudes, thought patterns, and actions, we humbly ask You to remove these and plant in us all that which is consistent with our confession of Jesus Christ. Thank You, Mighty Father, for the gift of Jesus Christ and His righteousness. Amen.
^Psalm 119:11
 
https://youtu.be/PNww8F6G9U8?si=5wW22X4h2voPQ9y7 Make My Life a Prayer to You
 

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January 6, 2025 -- Philippians 1:9-10 -- Approving what is excellent

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

And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ…
Philippians 1:9-10 ESV
 
Sinclair Ferguson notes “Almost two thousand years after they were written these pages continue to speak with a freshness and power. Our situation and circumstances differ from those of these early Christians; but in the message they received we hear the voice of the Spirit of God addressing us still today” (Sinclair Ferguson, Let’s Study Philippians. 2010 reprint, page xvi). That is so true. The prayer Paul prayed for those dear to him Philippians really does resonate still today.
 
What is he praying for? That the people’s love abounds in these ways: love for God. Love for one another. That love is not reckless but corrected on the one side by knowledge and on the other side by discernment. Love with no definition or guidance is not love, it is excess and leaves a trail of brokenness in its wake. Knowledge of God and of His people directs love towards those who are willing to receive it without being manipulative or using it for gain. Love with all discernment means that love is spoken in both affection and correction. Love includes both discipling and discipline.
 
Knowledge and discernment both help the believer follow Jesus Christ in what is excellent. There are many good things to do. Social justice. Feeding the hungry. Housing the homeless. Care for the addicts. Extending hospitality. Going to church. What is excellent though? It is not doing things for their own purposes but living with the clear, Christ-centred view that one day Jesus will return and anything that was done for self-purposes, for humanistic purposes, for virtue-signaling will be worthless. When Jesus returns those who are pure and blameless are the ones who have served others knowing they served Jesus Himself. Guided by the knowledge and discernment of His Spirit they carry out their acts of love both within the fellowship of God and then outward to the world in need working in partnership for the Gospel (cf v.5 & 6).
 
How is memorization going for you? Are you setting a goal? I am, two months in, struggling to be accurate, to achieve a 90%+ accuracy in reciting chapters 1 & 2 of Philippians. My memorization buddy was so encouraging. He is done Philippians, and he is now working on memorizing I Timothy. (And he started after I did!) Why am I not discouraged? Because of the love that abounds between brothers in the faith. He encourages me and I encourage him to keep this up. Second, I have memorized more than if I’d just given up. Third, I can see the practical benefits of memorization. It is a good use of my time. The word is more alive. I can see connections between various books of the Bible that I’d not seen before I started memorizing. Keep going. Memorize as you’re able to do so.
 
God our Father thank You for Your Word. Thank You that the Spirit has preserved it through all these centuries so that it is as fresh and applicable today as the first moment it was written down. Spirit, help us to gain a fuller knowledge of the word and greater discernment in applying it. Let the Word be so living and powerful that we desire to know and memorize it with the full confidence that in so doing, we will grow in our fellowship with and obedience to Jesus our Lord and Savior. Amen.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClVpKTBCk8k&list=PLRzXk0dA1rXoRemTv1nLXlzJ0GG9kZbsl Phil. 1:1-11 Song
 

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January 5, 2025 -- Philippians 1:8 -- The Love of Jesus and Participation in Church

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

For God is my witness how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus.
Philippians 1:8 ESV
 
What is the most important indicator of a growing and vital Christian? According to David Guretzki, President of Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, “Personal prayer and Bible reading are vital, but the top predictor of growth in the faith is…regular church attendance.” He goes on to explain “Going to church requires an intentional act of leaving home in anticipation of hearing from God’s Word. It’s praying and hearing others pray, even if we’ve neglected to do so in days prior…going to church is a way to walk against the grain of society. A way to do something different from what everyone else is doing” (Faith Today, January/February 2025, Volume 43, No. 1, page 16).
 
Paul’s word to the Philippians shows that being part of a congregation makes you part of a people who love one another so deeply that missing them creates a longing to see those people again. Gathering with God’s people deepens our love for Jesus and that in turn deepens our love for the people who also love Him. It is the affection of Christ Jesus that governs all our interactions as we gather with God’s people.
 
Today is Sunday. If you haven’t already decided to do so, I urge you to go to church. Meet with God and meet with His people. Be prepared for the Spirit of God to increase your connection with Jesus Christ. Be open to the fact that the Body of Believers will awaken in you a holy desire to know God better.
 
O God our Father, ever so faithful in love toward Your people; by Your Spirit stir us up so that we are prepared to go to church. With the affection of Jesus Christ increase our love for You. Strengthen among us the love that comes from Jesus Christ and is directed outward to other believers. Jesus demonstrated His love toward You, Father by His obedience in His earthly life, and His love was approved effective for us by His cleansing His sacrifice on the cross. Love that is guarded in us by His Spirit. Love that is kept secure for us in heaven because of Jesus’ resurrection and then His ascension to the place of power at the right hand of our Glorious Father. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/ojHxW3zMGyU?si=4awCj9dRo_c2kNOg Behold, What Manner of Love
 

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January 4, 2025 -- Philippians 1:7 -- Memorization: Keep Going!

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

It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart for you are all partakers with me of grace both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the Gospel.
Philippians 1:7 ESV
 
Perhaps, if you are starting this year off by joining me in memorization, you are finding yourself getting stuck. You are pushing against the laziness of the flesh...or maybe you aren’t and memorization is undone. Or, you are fighting against the desires to do something, anything really, rather than memorize. Boy, oh boy, do I get it. However, putting the word of God into your heart helps you:

• to fight temptation. Jesus quoted scripture to defeat Satan’s temptations (Matthew 4:1-11)

• to guide you in the purity that is yours in Christ (Psalm 119:9)

• to teach you the way you should go (Psalm 119:33-35)

• to direct you decision-making (Psalm 119:105)

• to keep you following Jesus when hard trials come to you (Psalm 119:86-88)

 
Note in today’s brief text how Paul emphasizes the deep connection between believers. Even though he is in prison, he writes the Philippians, emphasizing the partnership they have in Christ. He tells them how they share in grace. When one part of the body (that is the imagery the Bible uses to describe the people who make up community of believers) suffers, everyone suffers. When one part of the body rejoices, the whole body rejoices.
 
Paul’s imprisonment is a reminder to the church at Philippi that there is a cost to believing. They are reminded that their prayers and financial support mean they are bound up with Paul. You know the expression “guilt by association”, right? Paul is facing serious charges. The people of Philippi could be implicated and themselves investigated. But they pray for Paul. They provide financial support. As the letter progresses you learn how their support has impacted Paul so that he was able to continue in his missionary work, even from his imprisonment. They are partakers of grace; they are united with Paul in suffering and in the defense of the Gospel. They will soon hear that though Paul is in chains for the sake of Jesus Christ, the Good News of Jesus and His salvation is reaching into previously unreachable places.
 
Father in heaven thank You for the beauty of Your Word and the effectiveness of it. You promised that Your Word goes out with power and accomplishes all You intend for it. By Your Spirit’s blessed presence in our lives, help us to memorize Your Word so that we will be stronger in our service to You and more equipped to fight every temptation while standing firm for Jesus in every trial. Thank You, Jesus, that wherever You call us to follow You, You will always supply our needs so that the Gospel will go out with power and Your people will be built up, prepared for eternity in Your presence. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/ClVpKTBCk8k?si=OdzWY2CTrwiSBu8X Philippians 1:1-11 Memorization Song
 

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January 2, 2025 -- Philippians 1:6 -- A glorious future hope that impacts your daily life

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

And I am sure of this, that He Who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
Philippians 1:6 ESV
 
What blessed assurance Paul conveys to the believers at Philippi. First, Paul is confident in God’s blessing of salvation. Salvation is not merely being saved from the wrath of God and punishment in hell. It includes the great privilege of being called His servants. The life we live is lived under the watchful eye of the Father in heaven. Second, there is a goal. The Spirit of God is given to believers. The Spirit works in believers to guard them in this salvation. As the Spirit works in believers, He fills them with joy in believing. Sin is becoming hateful in believers because of the blessed presence of the Spirit. And all this continues until the day of Jesus Christ.
 
The Day of Jesus Christ is the day of judgment. Sinners will be confirmed in their rebellion against and hatred of God and cast into hell. Believers will experience the completion of the Spirit’s work—the original sin which we carried through our connection with Adam and Eve, as their descendants, will be vanquished. The work of Jesus as the Second Adam, our righteous representative before the Father, will be perfected in us and our very nature will be transformed. Those who are guarded in Christ by the Spirit will, at the appearing of Jesus, never again be able to sin. The Father’s goal of making His children holy in Jesus Christ will be completed.
 
As believers memorize the Word, the truth of it burrows deeper into the mind, deeper into the imagination with the result that the life of the believer is ever changing, becoming more Christ-like. The expectation of future, perfect holiness, coupled with the joy of belonging to God and the glory of being in His Presence, inspires believers to long to be more like Jesus now, today.
One aid for memorization is singing scripture. In the link below you’ll hear Philippians 1:1-11 put to music. In fact, the whole letter, for the ease of memorization, is divided up into 11 brief musical sections.
 
Glorious Father thank You for the future that awaits believers in Jesus Christ. Thank You for the present work of the Spirit in us and among us. Mighty God, help us to become more familiar with Your word, more desirous of being obedient to Your command to meditate on the word. Lord Jesus thank You for the transformation to greater holiness and obedience Your righteousness is bringing, right now, into the heart, life and mind of those who follow You. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/ClVpKTBCk8k?si=s8WEtGtgRTNTq95S
Philippians 1:1-11 Memorization Song
 

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December 31, 2024 -- Philippians 1:3-5 -- Who is your partner in the Gospel?

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

 I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, 4 always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.
Philippians 1:3-5 ESV
 
Who is the most steady influence for good in your walk with God? Who has helped you so that their prayers and encouragement could be called a partnership in the Gospel? One reason Paul was so thankful to the Father for the members of the Philippian congregation was their genuine interest in Paul’s ministry. Some background is helpful. This is the first church planted in Europe. While Paul was in Philippi, some quickly responded to his missionary work among them. Afterwards, they were faithful in providing for his needs.
 
When a brother or a sister is a strong encouragement, it is evidence of God’s grace and peace given to you (as indicated in the opening blessing communicated at verse 2). His Spirit brings such encouragers into your life. Have you thanked God for them? Are there people whose young walk with God needs support and mentorship? Ask the Spirit to direct you so that if you are called to be that mentor, you will be faithful in fulfilling your duties of care.
 
If you have been tracking on memorization, it is day four and you will be five verses in. If you are ambitious and good at memorization, then memorizing five verses a day means you might already be at verse 20, where Paul is commending the Philippians for their prayers on his behalf and his hope that through their prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus he will not be at all ashamed (but you can read this yourself if you haven’t memorized this far yet).
 
Back to memorization. Do not get discouraged if the process of memorization is slower than you’d expected. If you are not used to memorizing, let me assure you it takes some retraining of the brain. How do I know you can memorize? You know the names of many of the members of your work group. You remember the rules of the company. You know the names favorite teams and players. A good friend of mine is chapters ahead of me in memorization. This is a wonderful encouragement for me to keep going and reminder it is very possible to memorize. Happy New Year y’all.
 
God our Father thank You for those whom You have placed in our life. Thank You for the partnership in the Gospel they provide so that Jesus Christ and His benefits are proved to be precious to us. Thank You for their prayers, mentorship and encouragement. 2025 stands open before us with so much potential. Faithful God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit lead us into a deeper and fuller relationship with Jesus Christ so that the Father is ever more perfectly revealed to us. Spirit lead us to those whom we can mentor so that they will grow in maturity in the Gospel and one day soon they themselves will become mentors for the partnership in the Gospel. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/Z5SARNm0M8A?si=lMHkXl9uVmGsTyjs God of Every Grace
 

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December 30, 2024 -- Philippians 1:3-4 -- Memorizing for growth in obedience and holiness

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

I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy…
Philippians 1:3-4 ESV
 
Paul is praying for the Philippians with great, persistent enthusiasm whenever he thinks of them. They made themselves a fixture in his life. They sent financial support to him. They sent Epaphroditus to him to encourage him. Paul called Epaphroditus their messenger and minister to his needs. No wonder Paul kept them in his prayers. Reading this chapter and memorizing it would be a great way of expanding your own prayer life. It is instruction on how to pray, what to pray. Praying as you are instructed in the Word and directed by the Spirit of God Who inspired the Word for the edification of all believers which brings holiness to fruition in their lives.
 
Cue cards are a great way to memorize. Use recipe cards. They are a great size to write out a few verses of scripture. You can keep them in your pocket and through-out the day use them for memorization. When you are in line at Tim Horton’s, review those memory cards. When you are at the check out at a store, review the cards. Before you watch a movie, commit to reviewing the cards a few times. When you are at the gym lifting weights, put in your earbuds and listen to the whole chapter of the Bible so that you’ll hear the context of these verses and learn them. Hearing the whole in context prepares you to memorize the next verses and to do so as one already more familiar with them.
 
James urged believers “For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like” James 1:23-24 ESV. How many of us want to be blessed by God, but do not bother to obey Him. We look into the mirror of His Word and promptly forget all we’ve seen. Dear friends, in 2025, what you read in the Bible put it into practice. Memorize the Word.
 
Glorious Lord of Life and Source of Strength, You have brought us safely through the watches of the night. Thank You. Now, as the day breaks and responsibilities are set before us, govern us by Your Spirit through the Word so that our will and our work conform to Jesus—the Captain of Salvation and our Pattern of Righteousness. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/ZxFz27IVTSg?si=WhZA3xGqxt2M9uyX Rushing Wind + Make My Life a Prayer to You
 

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December 29, 2024 -- Philippians 1:2 -- Privileged to Call God our Father

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

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Philippians 1:2 ESV
 
There are fourteen words on this little text. If your goal for 2025 is to memorize one verse a day, well, this is the verse to start with. There are, of course, shorter verses. If you want to memorize two verses in one day, you could always go to the ever-popular choice: “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing (I Thessalonians 5;16-17). When you decide to memorize, pick one translation of the Bible. I’d highly recommend you use the translation that is read from the pulpit at your church. When you hear the Bible read, it confirms what you are learning. You are taking in the cadence and structures of the translation making it part of your thought-life.
 
Look at today’s verse. Grace is a heaven-sent gift. If the word “grace” is used at all in our world today, it is used as a reference to pray. As in, ‘let’s say grace’. But the word is fuller, richer and far-reaching in meaning. It is the love of God extended to you through Jesus Christ and includes His merciful forgiveness, His patience, His work in you and the goal of bringing to completion the salvation He has begun in you. Peace signifies that God’s anger against your sin is ended because Jesus has been punished for your sins at the cross. You now are dressed in His righteousness. Peace means you are a member of God’s family and as such live at peace, an intentional peace, won through the work of Jesus Christ.
 
The source of grace and peace is from God our Father. Look at that little pronoun our. Through Jesus Christ He is your Father and mine. What privilege is granted to the believer. Because we have Him as our One Father there must be every effort made among us to live at peace together. How we live bears witness to the sincerity of faith and commitment to the Gospel.
 
Jesus is named the Lord Jesus Christ. If He is your Savior (because that is what Jesus means: He saves you from the penalty of your sins) then He must be your Lord as well. There is no sense in saying Jesus saves me, but I don’t follow Him. It is impossible. In the Bible salvation is turning away from sin and following Jesus Christ. Christ is not Jesus’s last Name. It is the word which means He is anointed. In the Old Testament men were anointed to the office of priest, or of king, or of prophet. No man held more than one such office. Jesus is the fulfilment of every office: Prophet, Priest and King. He is The Anointed One.
 
ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, Who hast given unto us Thy servants grace, by the confession of a true faith, to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity, and in the power of the Divine Majesty to worship the Unity, we beseech Thee, that Thou wouldest keep us steadfast in this faith, and evermore defend us from all adversities; Who livest and reignest One God world without end. Amen.
“Trinity” Divine Service Book for the Armed Forces, 1950, page 39
 
https://youtu.be/9jKC9vXwiRM?si=JCpGA8lomEXY4fLm “I Am Not My Own” Getty Music
 

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December 28, 2024 -- Philippians 1:1 -- Suggestion for a New Year's Resolution

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

Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus,
To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons:
Philippians 1:1 ESV
 
The New Year is just around the corner. Perhaps you’ve decided to ditch New Year’s resolutions. Or maybe, you are, right now, considering whether or not to make any. Let me make a bold suggestion: decide that this year you’ll memorize Scripture—methodically and intentionally working through passages of the Bible.
 
Why? Here are a few reasons:

• “I have hidden Your word in my heart that I might not sin against You” Psalms 119:11. The Word of God directs your living and warns you against the sins that are crouching nearby ready to pounce on you.

• When Jesus was tempted by Satan, He quoted Scripture. So that is a pattern for us to follow as well in defeating the attacks of the enemy.

• What else do you use to fill up time? Dead scrolling through various media platforms? Watching endless bad movies? Gaming? As Christians memorize, they can declare, “How sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth” Psalm 119:103

Late in November I spoke to a friend about my decision to memorize Scripture. I was going to start with Philippians. He decided to do so with me. (Even as I write this, I am amazed and humbled, and thankful for his reply). TBH, he is already done Philippians, and I am struggling to master the first two chapters. What is the point? I am sixty verses further along than if I hadn’t started at all. And he has learned of his capacity to store up Scripture in his heart!  I find that these passages, which I must review, a lot, have now taken hold of my heart. At various times throughout the day I will be thinking about them, my mind is working on memorizing and I see the inestimable value of the Bible as it applies to daily life.
 
If you were to memorize about 5 verses a day, well then, in 5 years you’d have memorized the whole New Testament. If you memorize a verse a day, you’d be way farther ahead in your memorization of Scripture than you are now. If you memorize a verse or two a week, you’ll train your brain for memorization. It is not a contest. Memorizing is a wonderful way to know God better; His word is the gateway to knowing Him.
 
The passage for today reminds believers that they are saints through the accomplished work of Jesus Christ. Paul will be addressing some serious issues among the people of Philippi, but he does so aware that their righteousness is not their own but is anchored in Jesus. He is our source of unity. His Spirit fills us so that we are not content to wallow in our sins, but because of His salvation it is our ardent desire to break free and walk in the fullness of life which is already ours in Christ Jesus, and this to the glory and praise of God.
 
Father in heaven, thank You for the past year with all its joys and sorrows, its lessons and losses. All that has happened, happens today, and will happen in 2025 take place under Your watchful, Fatherly care. Blessed be Your Name. A New Year is about to begin, guide Your people through it by Your Spirit so that Jesus Christ will be enthroned in our hearts. Direct us by Your Spirit so that He will work in us both to will and to work for Your good pleasure. Amen.

P.S. that final sentence of prayer is from Philippians 2:13, another benefit of memorizing Scripture is that it begins to influence your prayer life.
 
https://youtu.be/-44GH3NhdIA?si=DqiDcDOwAtLMr2tF I Asked the Lord that I Might Grow
 

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December 26, 2024 -- Matthew 6:9-15 -- Make your list and check it twice

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

Pray then like this:
“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
10 Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
    on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread,
12 and forgive us our debts,
    as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,
    but deliver us from evil.
14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Matthew 6:9-15 ESV
 
The words of the Lord’s Prayer are so familiar. People can usually recite it unison, even if they have not darkened the doorway of a church for a very long time. When people are about to pray it together, the only questions are: is this prayed in the King James version with Old English; are we praying debts and debtors or trespasses and trespassed against us?
 
Why consider this prayer? Step 8 requires the addict, the Christian seeking to live his life according to the Bible, to clear his slate of all offenses and wrongdoing which begins this way, “I make a list of all the people I have harmed and become willing to make amends” (Overcomers Workbook, page 138). The gathering of names happens simultaneously with prayers seeking to yield one’s heart to God so that once the list is made the heart is submitted to God. Then one will be filled with holy courage to go through the next step of meeting with others and making amends.
 
The Lord’s Prayer is one of the most basic teachings, one of the most familiar, and one Jesus’s teachings which are easiest to ignore. Rather than humbly confess, many Christians fall back on their so-called rights or argue about all the ways in which others have hurt them rather than looking to Jesus through Whom all our offenses have been punished. He bore the punishment for our wrongdoings upon His Person at the cross. He is our peace. He is our reconciliation.
 
When King David slept with the wife of his friend Uriah, one of the best Generals, then when Bathsheba was found to be pregnant by David, and David had Uriah killed, to whom did David cry out for forgiveness? It was to God. First and foremost, David confessed his sin to God the Holy One. Though David had sinned against Uriah, sinned against Bathsheba, sinned against the servant (who when David spied her on the roof and lusted after her that brave faithful servant said, “isn’t that Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah, the Hittite”? II Samuel 11:3 ESV). David sinned against his wives. David sinned against his nation, the people for whom he was supposed to be a leader in virtue and righteousness. Yet, to whom did he confess? David, when confronted with his sin cried out: “Against You, You only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that You may be justified in Your words and blameless in Your judgment” Psalm 51:4 ESV.
All our sins, wrongdoing, inaction at the times we know the good we should do and don’t do it, or our incomplete doing of the good we know we ought to be doing, all moral failure, all infidelity, all of it is first committed against the great, majestic, holiness of God. Sin is a sign of the corruption that still grips the heart of Christians.
 
It is precisely why Paul wrote “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God Who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure” Philippians 2:12b-13a. When the totality of God’s gracious forgiveness which has been granted to you in Jesus Christ masters your mind and humbles your heart, you are then prepared to meekly ask the forgiveness of the people you’ve offended. It is important to note the meek are not doormats. Those who are meek have by the Spirit’s power one of the attributes of Jesus, Who described Himself as meek. That is, having great power, but cultivating gracious kindness towards others so that they are not bowled over by power but won over by mercy.
 
Whether or not the other person forgives you ultimately is not the point. You are prepared to make amends. You have released the anger, dug up the root of bitterness and let go of your right to exact revenge. You are prepared to let God’s cleansing forgiveness forged in you by His Spirit purify you. So when you actively begin making amends the person or people to whom you are preparing to make amends can either forgiven or not forgive you, you have yielded yourself to God and acted according to His commands. In fact, by doing this, what you are praying in the Lord’s Prayer, that most basic teaching, you are seeking to put into practice.
 
Father in heaven I confess my prideful will needs to be conquered by Your salvation which Your Spirit is still working out in every area of my life. Spirit of God conquer my will and put steel in my spine so that with the courage of Christ I will not be at all ashamed in my fellowship with Jesus nor in my interactions with others. Spirit work out the Father’s will and good pleasure in me so that in obedience to Jesus I will, as far as it depends on me, live at peace with everyone. Applying in every situation the reconciling peace granted through Jesus Christ, on the basis of Whose work I pray.  Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/px-eU1QjQiU?si=Y4ceDaIEssiHnkEi Psalm 51 Shane and Shane
 

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December 24, 2024 -- Romans 12:17-21 -- Unlocking past offenses and opening up to forgiveness

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

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 12:17-21 ESV
 
In his landmark book Respectable Sins, author Jerry Bridges notes there are sins among Christians which do not receive the urgent attention that they must have. For example, discontentment, or anger, or thanklessness and so on. It is a reminder that sin is not considered as hideous and wicked as it ought to be among the people of God. Polite Christians who regularly fill the pews Sunday after Sunday are horrified by murder, or by great acts of violence, but seem to have come to terms with “lesser” sins.
 
The passage today, yes, it is the same one as was studied yesterday, points out the fact that sin is evil. The acts of word, thought and deed do violence to the holiness of God. The gauge of sinfulness is not how much it did, or did not, affect the people around us, the true measure of sin is how offensive it is to the holiness of the Living God. The trespasses regularly committed and constant inclination to choose wrong rather than clinging to what is right are evidence of how shriveled our souls truly are. These are signs that the Spirit has much work to do to bring believers into the fullness of the life that is ours in Christ.
 
I put to you one area of great neglect is that of making amends. Where former offenses and words and actions have negatively affected others, rather than making them right, there is a great tendency to act as if nothing has ever happened. People are civil, good enough. But all too often what is missing from the community of believers is the evidence of the newness of life that is ours in Christ by which the Spirit prompts believers to be reconciled in every case of offense.
Excuses are often made. “It’d be opening a can of worms and right now things are good”. Or “Let sleeping dogs lie”. The fact is, true righteousness requires that, as far as possible, as much as it depends on you, live at peace with others. Where the Spirit of God has led you to know there is brokenness within relationship, person to person, or family to family, or individual to church, or leadership resentments, such lingering unrepaired relationships sour worship, hinder church growth, and worst of all, grieve the heart of God our Father.
 
First things first. Ask the Spirit of God to give you a heart that is right before God, one that is humble and willing to examine the person or people, or perhaps lists of people, to whom you need to make amends. Starting there will likely put a halt to allowing “respectable sins” which linger among the people of God from continuing to grow and bear bitter fruit.
 
The glorious Good News of Christmas is that God, in full compassion and mercy, sent His Son Jesus to reconcile a people to Himself who in every possible, any conceivable, every wicked way have offended and violated His holy majesty. Jesus stepped into the messes humanity made, makes and will make, and brought reconciliation is every instance of offense against God. There is full hope, true and lasting forgiveness made possible by Jesus’s incarnation. Reconciliation between God and people. Reconciliation between people among themselves. Reconciliation even within the quiet of one’s own heart, where the storms of life too often result in horrible self-talk and painful alienation from God. Jesus’s beautiful title, related to today’s study is: “Prince of peace”.
 
Father in heaven, I confess this is a huge area of my life that I really don’t want to look at. I’d rather let bygones be bygones. All the while I admit to You from the darkest corners of my own heart, that I nurse resentments against others while expecting them to just drop all accusations and wrongs they hold against me. What a confused and helpless people we really are. Thank You, Father in heaven, that You have through Jesus Christ overcome every evil, so that it was punished to the fullest extent on the Person of Your Beloved Son. Thank You, Father, that through Jesus we can be fully reconciled to You and to one another. Spirit of God, break down every stubborn wall of resistance and every argument we make against the command to be make peace in every case of offense. Prince of peace, by Your Spirit, through the powerful Word, rule in our hearts this day. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/Pr2RG-xR2lA?si=Yax_leUPqW8MmOsN “Prince of Peace”
 

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December 23, 2024 -- Romans 12:17-21 -- Making Amends

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

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 12:17-21 ESV
 
Those who are following the Overcomers material now move from asking God to place positive character traits them to Step 8. Here the commitment reads as follows: “I make a list of all the people I have harmed and become willing to make amends” (Overcomers Workbook, page 135). Now look at the passage from Romans once again. Now look Step 8 (yes, I’ll wait, just do it).
 
As those who are transformed in Christ, moved from being bent on evil and twisted by the effects of it, your new life so thoroughly transforms your outlook that it becomes your urgent desire for others to experience the same freedom in Christ you now have. The motivation for making amends is directly linked to your life in Jesus Christ. The Spirit places in you positive character traits, renewing your heart and mind so that you are more like Christ. As the people belonging to Jesus, you long for others to know the freedom and peace you have as a committed follower of Jesus.
 
Now, the Spirit will bring to mind people you have not thought of in a long time. People who you’ve actively tried to avoid. People who wounded you. People who you wounded. People you robbed. People you cheated to get away with your addiction. People who you betrayed as you allowed sin to reign in your mortal bodies. It will be overwhelming. It is so hard to face the mountains of hurt you have caused others in your life. It is much easier to nurse your own bitterness and resentment. To do so is to let the new life that is yours in Christ shrivel up. Do not go there.
 
Trust first, that God has placed in you new character traits. He is making you more and more like Himself because He has adopted you as His beloved child. Second, He has, through the reconciling work of Jesus, completely forgiven you. He remembers all your sins. He knows more of them than you’ve ever been able to remember. Sins you committed. Good you meant to do and left undone. Doing what is good, while leaving unattended that which is best. Letting your life be ruled by your feelings rather than what He commands. Yet God has chosen to set aside the remembrance of all your sins in view of Christ, upon Whose person He has punished them.
 
Third, in view of His great forgiving love, you are now moved by the goodness of God to help others find the freedom that comes through the Gospel of peace. You are prepared to face their anger, their bitter “what took you so long” sarcastic reproaches, their disappointment. Why? Because the way forward will be freedom that can only be found in complete obedience to Jesus. That is what Romans 12 commands and Step 8 invites you to do.
 
Making this list does not mean you have to drop everything and start right now in making amends. Writing down the names of people you’ve harmed will lead you to the humble awareness that you have caused a lot of damage. You will realize how freely, how perfectly and how fully God has forgiven you. He does not keep a list of your sins. By making such you will likely find the Spirit of God regularly leading you to pray.  You will know your ability to move forward in this Step can only be achieved through the great and gracious power of God. That is the point.
 
 
Father in heaven, thank You for the full, great and free forgiveness You have granted me through Jesus Christ. Help me to make a list of people I’ve harmed. As I do so, send Your powerful, gracious Spirit to hold me together. To remind me of Your past graciousness which leads me to this present moment of desiring to extend Your grace and love to others in my life. Keep me in the moment, so that I don’t get ahead of myself, but slowly, deliberately and conscientiously, I allow You to work through this process for the greater healing in my relationship with You, with others and even within my own mind and heart. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/SHd2zQQsHUw?si=UjEAZsyRReSCUnr1 O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
 

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

December 21, 2024 -- Philippians 1:27-30 -- How do you conduct yourself when suffering?

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

Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, 28 and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. 29 For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, 30 engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.
Philippians 1:27-30 ESV
 
Paul is writing to the Philippians from his prison cell. He is encouraging the people of this local congregation to do what he is modeling for them, namely, not to be frightened in anything by their opponents. Why? Standing steadfast in the faith while facing trials and temptations and tests is a clear sign to those who oppress you, persecute you and would seek to bring you down that your strength is found in Jesus Christ. You follow Jesus not only when things are going well for you; no! You follow Jesus Christ when your life is in the vice-grip of struggle and sorrow because you know that believing in Jesus Christ is linked to suffering.
 
Face it, life is suffering. It can be poor health. Unmet expectations in your family life. The unexpected death of a loved one. Financial hardships. Difficulties with your peers. Those are standard. But add to this being a Christian as you face standard hardships. You know your burdens increase because people are watching you as you walk through those difficult times. They’re waiting to see if you really are a follower of King Jesus through it all, or if your faith is hollow, empty words.
 
Notice how suffering has two directions. Your enemies who see you enduring for the sake of Jesus Christ are warned that their judgment is sure if they do not repent and believe in Him. That is one direction of good faithful suffering. Second, you endure suffering and find that all you believe about Jesus is true. That is the other direction, your head knowledge becomes deeper understanding, and your own heart is strengthened, and faith grows.
 
It is important to add, what you do publicly and what you do in private must also be consistent. How you conduct yourself through good times must be consistent with your pattern of life in suffering.  Your manner of life, your outlook and your confidence in Jesus, must not waver. Christ Your King is equipping you for fullness of life in Him every minute of every day—He has granted you His Spirit. The promised Helper Who lives in you. Who directs you in the word. Who reminds you that all the promises of God are: “Yes” and “Amen” through Jesus Christ, Who is the Faithful Witness. Your ability to endure is itself a gift of God as you submit yourself to His will.
 
O LORD GOD, when Thou givest Thy 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 yieldeth the true glory; through Him that for the finishing of Thy work laid down His life, our Redeemer, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Prayer of Sir Francis Drake, April 19, 1587; Divine Service Book for the Armed Forces, 1950

https://youtu.be/9zGbdg1YCYY?si=4SYG2-rNFWtFIdTz “Afflicted Saint, to Christ Draw Near”
 

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December 20, 2024 -- Galatians 6:1-3 -- Temptations and victory in Jesus

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

Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. 2 Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. 3 For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.
Galatians 6:1-3
 
In the last two studies focussed trials and tests. Today it is on temptations and the victory that is yours through Christ. Temptations are different from trials (which are common to all people) and tests (which are administered by God for the refining of faithfulness) because these are Satan’s devices designed to lure you away from God.
 
Notice how contagious temptations are. You are cautioned, your desire to help someone who has been caught, or overtaken, or captured by a sin, can be the exact point where you become tempted. Distracted by the sin the other struggles against, you yourself can become tempted to sin. Here is an example of this. Police do a drug bust and find lots of drugs and money. The work of police is to enforce the laws of the land and to bring criminals to justice, where, if the system is functioning well, those caught in sin are rehabilitated. However, a police officer in the pursuit of duty might be tempted by the wads of cash and take some. What was purposeful and proper work becoming a place of great temptation and becoming in the sin being fought against.
 
You who are in Christ Jesus are already God’s beloved sons and daughters. The Devil, unable to mount an assault against heaven, will then seek to hurt and wound God’s image-bearers. He will strike out at the Christians he can reach as his way of getting at God. The Bible describes you as the “apple of God’s eye” (Psalm 17:8). You are precious to God, as precious as eyes which humans instinctively and reflexively guard. The only way for temptations to overtake you is to go, eyes wide open, after them. Reflexively stepping back if the person you seek to help is refusing to repent and turn to God.
 
The passage gives several warnings.

• First, there is a warning against pride. While helping others, if you think you are impervious to the same temptations, you will find yourself to be sadly mistaken and will perhaps wind up falling to the same temptations.

• Second, the law of Christ is given not to spoil your fun or make life burdensome. The law of God is the pathway of a fruitful life, one filled with holy adventure and fullness of life lived according to the purpose of God. Temptations from Satan are like those in Eden, where the Devil makes you question the goodness of God and His commandments.

• Third, the restoration of the fallen one must be carried out in a spirit of gentleness. Earlier, in Galatians 5, Paul wrote about the fruit of the Spirit. Gentleness is a character trait of the Holy Spirit, given to men and women who are led by the Spirit and fight spiritual battles in prayer and as the Word directs.

• Fourth, do not isolate yourself. When you are tempted and struggling against sin, go and find fellow Christians and admit your temptations, your moral failures and your sin so that you can be restored. This is an allusion to “whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire” Proverbs 18:1; the more you isolate yourself, the more you will be propelled into the grip of temptation.

Finally, dear brothers and sisters, know it is the purpose of God to lead His children in sanctification—that is, into increasing holiness by the work of the Spirit. Jesus’s work at the cross is the only act of supererogation (not only fulling the whole requirements of the law but actually superseding it so as to make the grace and blessings of God available to others). When you need His forgiveness and blessing, in the strength of the Spirit fight against your own sinfulness and cry out to Jesus. He will reconcile the remorseful to the Father. He will lead you deeper into the blessedness of being a beloved son or daughter of God. Sin loses its appeal in His presence. In His presence there is fullness of joy.
 
Jesus, guard me by Your Spirit so that I will be faithful in my obedient walk with You. When I am confronted with fellow Christians who have become entangled in sin, keep me humble and by Your Spirit equip me to be a holy, well-protected ambassador of Jesus to bring the one entangled in sin to your throne of grace and mercy. Father in heaven, thank You that in Your presence is fullness of joy. The Devil would refute that and tempt me to self-pity and isolation. Dear Father in heaven, break through the hissing whispers of the enemy so that I will hear Your voice in Scripture and know it is You Who call Your beloved children to faithfulness and fullness of life that is rich with adventure and blessing through Jesus. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/A5Ka5YlK6wc?si=IEGMzAnNgshVM6sL Joy, Joy —David Phelps
 
 

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December 19, 2024 -- II Corinthians 12:7-9 -- A test is different than a trial

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

So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
II Corinthians 12:7-9 ESV
 
What glorious visions and instructions Paul must have received from the Lord Jesus Christ. Earlier in the chapter he described being caught up into heaven where he saw visions and received instructions too wonderful to tell. Note his incredible honesty here. Those visions could have become a source of boasting and something which would feed his conceit. Conceit is vanity or self-love. However, the Lord Jesus Christ, in His great purposes and for the strengthening of the man Paul, but also for the good of the men he mentored and the various gatherings of people he served, allowed Paul to face a difficult test.
 
The nature of the test is not described. The point is that a Christian man or woman will realize there are circumstances, people, events and so on which God has uniquely suited to test you for faithfulness to Him. The “thorn in the flesh” is not this or that single thing that will be the same for all people. No. Tests are events or circumstances that any believer, by the leading of the Holy Spirit, will experience in his own life and as he experiences it the believer will understand what is happening is God’s refining work. It is a test for faithfulness.
 
Note that Jesus has Satan on a leash. The Devil harassed Paul, and it must have been terrible and hard, but the Devil can not go further in harming Paul. Why was this trial allowed? Paul was incredibly gifted. An evangelist winning souls for Christ. A mentor. A teacher. A gifted Old Testament scholar. A healer. Used mightily by the Holy Spirit to write so many books of the New Testament. Paul, by his own confession, was given to conceit. What the Devil intended for evil, to break Paul down, God was using for good, to keep Paul from conceit.
 
But even more than this, by this test, Paul was driven to prayer. The man who is always praying for others, now had to pour out his heart to God in urgent, longing prayers for himself. He was taught how much he himself needed God for every moment of his life. This test for faithfulness is “an open book test”. Those were my favorite in school. You’d have an exam in front of you, but you could use the textbook of the class to drill down and give answers. Paul had the whole Old Testament as his open book as he endured this testing. He knew Abraham had been tested for faithfulness. He knew David’s running from King Saul was a test for faithfulness. God never abandons His own. He will, however, refine them, shape the, and prepare them for His desired ends: that His people grow in holiness. When you experience testing, go to the Bible. Read.
 
A test like what Paul endured is different than a trial. Trials are common to all people. It is what happens when life happens. You are in a rush and you get a flat tire. You are planning a wonderful outdoor event, and unexpectedly it rains. These are things everyone experiences. A test is sent by God, tailored by God, so that the believer is transformed. These are for Christians to grow. For Christians, who like Paul, learn to pray more deeply, seek God more humbly.
Tests reveal character flaws. Tests reveals where one is self-reliant rather than wholly God dependent. Tests show how much or how little one is given to prayer. Tests chisel away sinful patterns and traits. Tests show the limitless grace and mercy and love of God.
Let me explain. If you let your child do whatever he wants, there is a problem. What if he is playing near the street and is unaware of the dangers of stepping into traffic? What if your child is playing in the shallow waters in an area where there is a strong undertow? Wouldn’t you warn your child? Yank him out of danger? The tests of God are his perfect means of boxing Christians in so that they learn of greater dangers that are lurking nearby, while keeping them from ultimate destruction.
 
Paul realized his weakness is the point of greatest receptivity to the power, love, and blessings of God. He boasts in his weakness because that is the very place he is most open to all that God is teaching Him. He is most aware of the power of Jesus Christ. he realized the Spirit of God is present, enabling him to pray, planting in him positive character qualities. Tests are also training grounds by which the Father, through the help of the Spirit within, prepare the believer for greater opportunities for obedience and service to Jesus. It is a preparation for a promotion in grace and service.
 
Father in heaven thank You for the rich salvation that is already mine in Jesus Christ. Thank You for bringing me into Your family through Jesus work of salvation. More than this even, thank You for the fact that Your people will be brought to completion and perfection. When I am presented with a test, direct Your Spirit to sustain me, and by this testing cause me to receive positive character qualities and by this to grow deeper in faith and obedience to Jesus. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/9zGbdg1YCYY?si=HPpTevfyumbUwU0G “Afflicted Saint, to Christ Draw Near”
 

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

December 17, 2024 -- Psalm 59:16-17 -- When trials come, and oh boy, they will...

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

But I will sing of your strength;
    I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning.
For you have been to me a fortress
    and a refuge in the day of my distress.
17 O my Strength, I will sing praises to you,
    for you, O God, are my fortress,
    the God who shows me steadfast love.
Psalm 59:16-17 ESV
 
The word but is a coordinating conjunction. It is a word that signals there is a contrast in what follows from what was presented before it. The previous verses spelled out the trials of the man of God who was faced with many enemies. These enemies hated him because of his love and devotion to the LORD of Hosts—that is, the God Who is in charge of heaven and earth and angel armies.
 
Trials are common to all people. Pouring rain on your wedding day. Missing connecting flight and getting stranded at an airport. A postal strike that delays the cheque you were expecting so that you can’t afford something you need. The Psalmist is leading the child of God in the proper response to the trials of life. It is what Step 7 confesses: “I humbly ask God to place healthy character qualities in me” (Overcomers Workbook, page 123).
 
Rather than venting his anger and expressing fury, the Psalmist turns to God. He chooses to sing to God, in fact the phrase “I will sing” is repeated and made emphatic “I will sing aloud”. In effect he is asking God to let the voice of praise to drown out the discontent and frustration which might lead to sin. God is the fortress of His people. Though the enemies rage and the troubles of life pelt the walls of this refuge, His people are safe within His protection.
 
The promise is confirmed in Jesus Christ, “I know My Own and My Own know Me” (John 10:14a). A little bit later Jesus notes He gives His followers eternal life, and His Father has given these people to Jesus. No one and nothing can snatch the people of God from the Father’s hand (cf: John 10:27-30).
 
A few lessons can be drawn from this.

• Trials are common to all people. God-haters and God-lovers will both alike have trials in their lives.

• Christians realize these common-to-all-people trials are used by God the Father to draw His people closer to Himself.

• How you handle such trials might lead others to see the impact Jesus has on your life. So the potentially frustrating trial become instead a point for witness to the goodness of God.

• Trials open your heart to God the Father. When trials come, and they will come, you cry out to God, asking Him to refine your character and by His Spirit give you all you need to endure them and become more like Jesus.

 
Teach me, Father in heaven, to receive and implement in my life
the teaching of the psalmist, so that in every trial I would cry out:
But I will sing of your strength;
    I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning.
For you have been to me a fortress
    and a refuge in the day of my distress.
O my Strength, I will sing praises to you,
    for you, O God, are my fortress,
    the God who shows me steadfast love. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/DV-V4xZMQx0?si=2RgzQ7iorA987RjC Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing
 
 

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

December 16, 2024 -- Mark 6:30-34 -- Facing triggering troubles and refining fires

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

30 The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. 31 And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. 32 And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves. 33 Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. 34 When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things.
Mark 6:30-34 ESV
 
What triggers you? Say life is going on as usual and a few things happen all at once and you get furious. Or you get overwhelmed, and you justify a quick return to sin. You shop to make yourself feel good (with money you don’t have); or you gamble for the thrill of it and crash afterwards. You know your pattern of self-soothing wrong doing. Why mention this?
 
I urge you to ponder Jesus and His life. Remember He is truly human and truly divine. He walked this earth as a man and never once sinned in thought, word, or deed. Now consider this triggering time. If you have a couple of minutes, read Mark 6:14-44. Jesus had sent out His apostles two by two to prepare the way for His arrival at various towns. His dear cousin John, having been imprisoned, was killed by Herod, and the news just reached him. As the news reached Him, His disciples returned, filled with stories they wanted to share. No doubt He was ready to grieve. The passage noted Jesus was ready to go to a desolate place. That is shorthand for a place away and a place for intimate prayer before His Father in heaven. He didn't have time to eat. Meanwhile, the crowds ran towards Jesus to be taught, healed, and to see the spectacle that Jesus is. Then these crowds, staying long, were hungry and needed to be fed. The disciples were unsure what to do. They pressed Jesus to find a solution. The point in all of this? Jesus could have been triggered. At this time, humanly speaking exhausted, overwhelmed, tired, grieving, perhaps tempted to be frustrated with His disciples’ lack of faith and annoyed by the helplessness of the crowds demanding so much of Him.
 
Jesus though completely, fully human, that is, as human as you are and I am, never sinned. All His grief, all potential frustration, all temptation to an angry outburst, all exasperation with the hapless disciples knocking about and any other emotions, which if left unchecked would be a highway to sinful action, all of these He willingly rejected that He would, as the passage notes, have compassion on the people and serve them.
 
Step 7 requires the Christian to pray (daily, or as many times a day as is needed!) “I humbly ask God to place healthy character qualities in me” (Overcomers Workbook, page 124). The same Spirit given to Jesus in His humanity is the Spirit Who by command of the Father and the Son fills you. Life in Christ is possible because His Spirit is the connecting lifeline Who makes living for Jesus possible. Your triggers and flashpoints, your daily potential frustrations and unexpectedly overwhelming situations are all be used as teaching moments where the Spirit of God shows You the pathway of obedience to Jesus, so that the fruit of righteousness is exhibited to the people around you, who then will see: Jesus is real. They’ll be questioning: “How can you go through all you’re going through and still be sane?”
 
Answer: It is the fullness of life that is mine in Christ. It is the Spirit of God Who is using every circumstance of my life, good and bad, hard and sad, to produce in me the purity of faith that is like pure gold having been made pure by the refining process of trials. The goal of God is not your comfort. God’s purpose is to make you holy, as He is holy. Such holiness enables the follower of Jesus to bring honour to God in every circumstance of life and has the added benefit of bringing the believer to the place of joy knowing that whatever trial you are going through is being used by God the Father to perfect you.
 
Father in heaven, I confess how much and how greatly I fear refining trials. I just want to pull away when circumstances are too hard, go somewhere and nurse my wounds. Or worse, do whatever I think will make me feel better, but will be worse for me than ever. I need You. Please keep me from sliding back into old ways and wicked patterns. Father of all mercies, place the fruit of the Spirit in me so that I can patiently endure all that is happening with the complete, unshakeable confidence that I am being refined like gold, made pure and blameless for the day of Christ. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/qyUPz6_TciY?si=FrJ2WewT2qu3Iwao “Though You Slay Me” Shane and Shane
 

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December 15, 2024 -- Proverbs 14:13 -- Question: what kind of fruit is your life bearing?

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

The backslider in heart will be filled with the fruit of his ways,
a good man will be filled with the fruit of his ways.
Proverbs 14:13 ESV
 
When a Christian desires to follows Jesus Christ, that new desire is evidence that the Spirit of God has taken hold of the heart and is giving new impulses which are in keeping with the new life that comes through the Gospel. Jesus was approached by the Rich Young Ruler who began his question by addressing Jesus as “Good Teacher”. Jesus stopped him right there observing, “No one is good except God alone” (Luke 18:18-19 ESV).  Ah, do you see the problem? Old Testament and New Testament no man or woman or child is good.  Then, how can a good man be filled with the fruit of his good ways?
 
The point Jesus is making is first, He is God. He is fully human and by the work of the Spirit in His humanity He walks in perfect harmony with the will of His Father in heaven. He is good. Second, He is the source of good. If one is not in step with Jesus, one can’t be good. In the Old Testament, sacrifices pointed to the goodness of God which is given through Jesus Christ. He would be One sacrifice to take away sinners’ guilt and the punishment they deserve. Third, it is by faith in God that the goodness of Christ is applied to the life of the believer and kept in the believer by the Holy Spirit. Finally, if the Rich Young Ruler were really interested in the goodness of Jesus, He would have  acknowledged Jesus's power to give him true joy, and in view of that joy left his love of money and replaced it with a love for Jesus, the treasure greater than any evaluation or ability to price.
 
As believers follow Jesus Christ, their lives are transformed. They are granted the righteousness of Jesus. The old life with its patterns of sin and former willing cooperation with evil are being dismantled. For this reason, those who find victory in Jesus Christ pray “I humbly ask God to place healthy character qualities in me” (Step 7, Overcomers Workbook, page 123). It is a heartfelt admission there is no good in me that is “naturally occurring”. Any good found in me must find its source in my union with Jesus Christ—the Captain of Salvation. The struggle is real. It is constant. The Devil hates Jesus, but unable to attack Jesus directly, seeks to tear at and kill those who are becoming more and more like Jesus.
 
The Bible is filled with examples and illustrations of the “fruit” that is granted to believers. For example, there is the fruit of righteousness (Philippians 1:11). There is the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). There are examples of bitter fruits as well, for those who refuse to walk with God. Those who know God exists, but refuse to follow Him, are clearly identified by the root bearing poisonous and bitter fruit (Deuteronomy 29:18). Face it, your life will always bear fruit, clear evidence of Who or what you are following. Those who run with the Devil bear fruits like: maliciousness, attitudes of disobedience to parents or authorities, gossip, bitterness, murderous thoughts and so on. Those who follow Jesus Christ will bear good fruit, evidence of the life of Jesus in Whom they are united to God and to other believers.
 
Father in heaven, I humbly ask You to remove from me the root of bitterness. Renew in me a desire to know Jesus and follow Him. By Your Spirit’s presence, plant in me the goodness of Jesus so that my life will bear good fruit to the praise and glory of God.  Amen.

https://youtu.be/PNww8F6G9U8?si=sZF4B8KAA3NmgTnL
Make My Life a  Prayer to You

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

December 13, 2024 -- Proverbs 13:6 -- Sin overthrows the wicked, righteousness guards the believer

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

Righteousness guards him whose way is blameless,
but sin overthrows the wicked.
Proverbs 13:6 ESV
 
What does sin do? Sin twists the sinner, contorting him to fit its malicious, hell-sent purposes. Acting in step with what is immoral or wrong or contrary to the will of God works death in the one who walks that way. It is a silent killer. Its effects aren’t easily detected early on, but the cumulative layers of evildoing will one day hit like a widow-maker heart attack.
 
Righteousness is a word that is repeated so often in the Bible. It is the attribute of God which reveals He always acts with perfect justice and perfect love. Those who believe in Jesus Christ receive the fruit of righteousness through His accomplished work. Believers are set apart from non-believers by this one critical attribute, the perfect obedience of Jesus is credited to them and sealed to them by the Holy Spirit.
 
Believers have the righteousness of Jesus which prompts them to bring glory and praise to God. Confidence in Jesus prompts the believer to continually pray Father in heaven, take away my character defects, my sins, and my constant inclination to sin and renew a right spirit in me. David prayed, “You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in Your bottle” Psalm 56:8. These restless tossings and those fountains of tears are a sign of repentance. Believers who sinned cry out to God, ill at ease with themselves, until God has restored them. Beware of the horrible state of becoming so comfortable with your wickedness that you can commit them and not experience a twinge of conscience. It means you are being overthrown by your own sinfulness, so blind to it that you can’t see how it is killing you.
 
Desiring to walk in the ways of God is clear evidence you are a beloved son or daughter of God the Most High. Confessing to God every time you have stepped from the path of righteousness is a clear sign that the work of Jesus is being applied to your heart. Finding that life in Christ is the only life worth living is evidence that the righteousness of Jesus is guarding you. The Spirit is healing you so that Jesus's righteousness is life and peace and joy as you grow closer to Him..
 
In God, Whose word I praise, in the LORD, Whose word I praise,
in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me?
I must perform my vows to You, O God; I will render thank offerings to You.
For You have delivered my soul from death, yes, my feet from falling,
that I may walk before God in the light of life.
Amen.
 
Today’s prayer is Psalm 56:10-13 ESV
 
https://youtu.be/ZYkZE8AogDE?si=C153aabXybn7mtMm God of All My Days
 

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