June 6, 2026 -- Proverbs 12:12 -- Contrasted root and fruit

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

Whoever is wicked covets the spoil of evildoers,
but the root of the righteous bears fruit.
Proverbs 12:12 ESV
 
A friend of mine gave me a parallel bible. On each page, for every chapter and verse of the bible, there are four versions set side-by-side. Why mention this? Well, the New International Version, the King James Version, New American Standard Bible and Amplified Bible all translate this single verse in different ways. The ESV footnote attached to this verse reads: “The Hebrew of this verse is very difficult”. The first part of the verse is especially difficult, though the contrast between the wicked and the righteous is obviously highlighted.
 
Various commentaries on this passage note that whatever one is grounded in, whatever is one’s life root, that is what will produce the fruit in your life. The wicked love lies, manipulation and oppose the costly ways of God. Wickedness bears the fruit of longing for more wickedness, greater indulgences in it. More excesses. The wicked man is jealous of evildoers, and he'll amend his way and his life will yield the fruit of ever bolder perversion.
 
Contrast this with the root of the righteous. In John 15 Jesus is the root and believers are grafted into Him. His Spirit supplies the life of the righteous so that they can endure (so the NIV). The Spirit Who connects the believer to Jesus, enables that formerly wild, wicked branch, now grafted into Jesus “yield fruit” (so the KJV and NASB). The man or woman grafted into Jesus “yields richer fruit” (so the Amplified Bible).
 
When the Father, Master Gardener, takes you, a wild, wicked shoot, from the realm of evil, and grafts you into the righteous root, that is Jesus, you will bear fruit that just and honourable. Such righteous fruit-bearing will be evident in your relationship with God and with other people. You will shrink back from the former pleasures associated with your sinful past. I was recently asked, by a young man, “Do you, as a mature Christian, who has long believed in Jesus, still wrestle with sin?” What a plaintive, but honest question. Yes, I wrestle with sin.

The fact is, the believer, grafted into Christ will probe his own heart, examine his motives, and ask a question like that. A believer grafted into Christ will see the old patterns of sin that threaten to pervert the coursing lifeblood of Christ’s righteousness. A believer grafted into Christ will be a man, or a woman, constantly drawn to confession. Any and every impurity despised. Any hindrance to growth, as soon as it is uncovered, by the Spirit, by Scripture reading, by the wise council of a friend, or through the word as it is preached, will cause the righteous to cry out to God. His urgent plea will be:
 
Faithful Father, purify me once again. As You promise in the Word, by Your Spirit’s ingrafting and healing work, cause me to bear the fruit of righteousness that is inevitably produced through union with Jesus. Do this for Your honour glory, O God my Father. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/BXWvis6Xk1w?si=RwTNchb4R2N-adL8 Jesus, Thank You
 

Copyright © 2026 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

June 4, 2026 -- Proverbs 12:6 -- Powerful Words: destructive or healing?

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

The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood,
but the mouth of the upright delivers them.
Proverbs 12:6 ESV
 
There is nothing which seems more insubstantial than speech, a mere vibration in the atmosphere which touches the nerves of hearing and then dies away. There is no organ which seems smaller and less considerable than the tongue; a little member which is not even seen, and, physically speaking, soft and weak. But the word which issues out of the lips is the greatest power in human life.[1]
 
How are you using your words, face to face, or in your texts, or your posts?
 
I urge you to ponder, meditate on the amazing word of God, which has the power to heal you.
 
“I have loved you with an everlasting love;
therefore I have continued in faithfulness to you.” Jeremiah 31:3
 
“Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” Matthew 11:28
 
Let the love of God, His sweeping compassion, and His tender mercies fill your thoughts. Then, as one who is filled to overflowing with His goodness, let your tongue be the soothing, healing agent of God’s blessing directed out to others.
 
Prayer:
“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable in your sight,
O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.”
Psalm 19:14 ESV
 
https://youtu.be/qr8QoQKmXfk?si=lBQg9U2t-m0Bya9G “Let the Words of My Mouth”
 
[1] Robert F. Horton, “The Book of Proverbs,” in The Expositor’s Bible: Psalms to Isaiah, ed. W. Robertson Nicoll, vol. 3, Expositor’s Bible (Hartford, CT: S.S. Scranton Co., 1903), 388.
 

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June 3, 2026 -- Proverbs 12:5 -- What's your cover? Your inside?

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

The thoughts of the righteous are just;
the counsels of the wicked are deceitful.
Proverbs 12:5 ESV
 
You can’t judge a book by its cover, you know that old familiar saying, right? The outside of the book may not give you the real sense of the book itself, what it is about. That is comparable to the inner life of any person. Whatever is inside a person, whatever governs his thought-life and motivates his actions, is beyond you. Only after you’ve observed a man over days and weeks and maybe months, will his true character shine out.
 
The thoughts of the righteous will be expressed in all areas of life. How does the man interact with authority, especially when the actions of that authority are unjust? Will he be a man of integrity? How does the righteous man handle his money, treat his friends, speak of his God? Over the course of time, as you read the man’s actions (to use the metaphor of a book and its cover) you begin to know the man’s inner life.
 
The wicked are deceitful. What is promised doesn’t necessarily come to fruition. What is given with one hand is taken by the other. The fullest extent of one’s wickedness is discovered in one’s relationship to God and his relationship to the people of God. Does the person have the appearance of goodness or virtue, but does in fact dishonor God by his words or by the evidence that his allegiance truly is self-ward instead of God-honoring?
 
Praise God that all our righteousness is found in Jesus. Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, if you realize there is deceit in you, or you discover ways in which you’ve been doubling down, instead of confessing your wrongdoing, confess it. Our Father in heaven welcomes those who are humble of heart and shows mercy to those who confess their sins. Let the Spirit of God direct you in this.
 
O God, my Father, in Christ You have called sinners to repentance. In Christ You have sought out lost sheep who have wandered from the thoughts of righteousness and the path of just actions. By the work of Your Spirit in me, give me the courage to confess my sin and the strength to renew my walk in faithfulness. Amen.
 
Casting Crowns - Jesus, Friend of Sinners

 

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June 1, 2026 -- Matthew 12:30 -- Nobody can be neutral like Switzerland

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

Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.
Matthew 12:30 ESV
 
If you want to blow up a political party loudly proclaim your compassion for the other candidate and sympathy for some of his convictions. If you want to get people riled up at work explain in the break room why you know life is precious in God’s eyes, from conception to natural, unaided death. Boom! That’s abortion and Medical Assistance in Dying all in one sentence messing with people’s worldly values.
 
Those two incendiary conversation starters will cause firestorms among the hearers. It’s like that with Jesus. When you hear His voice, no neutral reply is even possible. Indifference or inaction are signs you are against Jesus. Neutrality is like taking His good words and tearing them up right in front of Him.
 
Why mention this? I wonder, how often we as Christians are far too passive in our reception of the Word of God? The sermon has been preached, and believers are not rushing to implement the word, by confessing sin, caring for a neighbour, getting radically reconnected with an estranged Christian brother or sister. Or opening their homes to the pregnant, scared young woman rejected by her boyfriend and now considering abortion.
 
Glorious Father in heaven, thank You that You have never, ever been neutral toward Your elect. From before the creation of the world, You have chosen us in love. Your gift of Jesus is the unarguable, magnificent display of Your active, constant, steadfast love worked out in all of history. Your gift of God the Spirit is the vital lifeline that proves You have equipped Your people with everything necessary for life and godliness. Forgive us, Father of Mercies, for our recalcitrant hearts and stubbornly immoveable minds. By the Spirit of Power blow up every stubborn resistance in us and renew in us such a zeal for Jesus that it will be obvious to all around us that we are submitted to and actively serving Jesus and like fishers of men and women, gathering in those appointed for life. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/jWHssWNwu5s?si=nlZ9bOpPn80PoEv8 Rushing Wind
 

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May 30, 2026 -- Proverbs 12:2 -- Are you a sin-o-phobe?

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

A good man obtains favor from the LORD,
but a man of evil devices he condemns.
Proverbs 12:2 ESV
 
Who is the good man? As a New Testament Christian reading this, we know the good woman, the good man, is one who has been made aware of his great sinfulness. His absolute need for cleansing, accomplished by the blood of Jesus, is something he is constantly aware of and that which he meditates on, and this humbles him. Such a person receives favor from the LORD—that is, he is accepted by the LORD, he receives the blessings of God, the Spirit of the LORD lives in him and restrains his sin. This restraint of sin is urgently necessary. The whole book of Proverbs is written for believers, read by those instructed in the LORD, so that they will be warned, prepared to renounce sin, hate it, and return to God.
 
A man (or woman) of evil devices does not recognize thought patterns that are destructive and displeasing to God, instead, he indulges them. A human heart where even a small foothold is yielded to sin, that little territory of sin will lead to the establishment of headquarters where sin becomes a virus factory, sending infection into all the thoughts and actions of that person’s life. Sin blinds the sinner to its motives, its self-aggrandizing, and its hardening effects. All these streams of infection lead to rebellion against all the ways of God.
 
Have you ever met a germophobe? You might hand him a cookie, but he’ll refuse to eat it because you didn’t wash your hands before you picked up that cookie. He is so disgusted by uncleanness, that he sanitizes a doorknob before handling it. I wonder, dear fellow believer, are you a sin-o-phobe? That is what is pictured here. Sin, even the thought of acting sinfully, ought to elicit from you a gut-level revulsion.
 
Father in heaven, I confess how easily I neglect the filthiness and nastiness of sin and its effects. I do not ponder the fact that the washing away of sin and its effects could only be accomplished at the cost of Jesus’ priceless blood. You did not spare Your own Son but crushed Him in my place so that Your anger against sin would be turned away. Spirit of God, as I reflect on this, this vast treasure-store of grace beyond my deserving, yet in love applied to me, renew in me a holy zeal to be the saint you make me to be in Christ Jesus. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/TxC16duiHvQ?si=m_8OPCBXP13AmLYd O Lord, My Rock and My Redeemer
 

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May 29, 2026 -- Proverbs 12:1 -- How open are you, really?

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

Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge,
but he who hates reproof is stupid.
Proverbs 12:1 ESV
 
The word discipline here means correction, or instruction in a better way. If you are held to account for your actions, it means some person is willing to face you (and your potentially angry reaction) to keep you from going down a wrong path that leads to death. The ability to receive admonition is closely connected to the knowledge of God.
 
Reproof is correction that leads to life. Here like the first line of this proverb, we encounter someone who loves a friend enough to call out destructive behavior. But this time the criticism despised. The one called out is stupid. That word stupid is rarely used in the Bible. It is found in Psalm 49. There a stupid man, like the fool, will die, leaving their wealth to others.
 
Are you humble enough to listen when someone corrects you? Even if the person who is calling you out doesn’t do so in a loving way? It is hard to screw up the courage to tell someone what they’re doing is wrong. Every single one of us is called to be humble before Jesus. He alone is perfect. He alone is our standard. We are called to be holy as He is holy. When we examine our lives we are not comparing to someone who is slightly better than us, (or if we want to make ourselves feel better, we compare ourselves to someone we think is below our standards). No, we compare ourselves to Christ. That way, not one of us can boast. No one comes out of that comparison looking good. So, in gratitude overwhelmed by the mercies of God, we receive correction and instruction so that in all things Christ is adored.
 
O LORD,
I confess I am wise-in-my-own-eyes stubborn. Let Your word drill down and show me the mess of sin churning within me. Give me the grace necessary to hear and receive correction. By Your Holy Spirit, make me more fruitful and more spiritual in all my activities so that Jesus is honoured and adored through my humble service to Him and all this to the glory of God, my Father. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/Pr2RG-xR2lA?si=ABrAqYR8TqYtyKxw Prince of Peace

 

Copyright © 2026 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

May 27, 2026 -- Proverbs 11:23 & 31 -- God restrains wickedness, rewards righteousness

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

The desire of the righteous ends only in good,
the expectation of the wicked in wrath.
If the righteous is repaid on earth,
how much more the wicked and the sinner!
Proverbs 11:23 & 31 ESV
 
Desire is complicated. It is the longing of your heart; sometimes you know what is driving your longings, often though, you have no idea what is driving your ravenous desires because its root causes remain unexamined. Desire can be for food, or lusts, or things, or money, or community…the list is nearly endless. The question is, what governs your desires? The righteous man or woman, submitted to the God the Creator, yields all desires to the will of God. The righteous realize untamed desires are ruinous.
 
The wicked are ready to follow every desire to its logical conclusion. Thanks be to God that men and women are not as fully wicked as they could be. God restrains the wicked from fully carrying out their schemes. You read of this in several places. The outstanding example of God’s restraint of wickedness is the tower of Babel. God confused the language of those builders, restraining them from the full measures of pride and wickedness (Genesis 11:1-9). Already here on earth the wicked experience the wrath of God, which is His just and righteous, properly-measured-out anger against sin.
 
The wicked are repaid on earth now because their lusts and desires can not be satisfied. Their cravings are like fire which never says enough. It is a fire that consumes their body, mind and finally their soul. If a wicked person takes hold of the object desired, the question that immediately follows, “Is this all I get?” It can never be enough. So, lust and desire are inflamed, goaded on to greater depths of depravity.
 
How are the righteous repaid on earth? They know that whatever God ordains for them is right and best. They are confident in good times. In troubled times the righteous rejoice, thanking God that they are counted worthy to suffer for the sake of Jesus Christ. The righteous have the rock-solid confident the Holy Spirit is using every circumstance in their life to prepare them for fuller fellowship with Jesus now, and perfect fellowship with Him in eternity.
 
Father in heaven, thank You for Your great love which designates us to live in close communion with You, our Father, Savior and Comforter. Thank You for thwarting our worst cravings, restraining the madness of lingering sin which would cause us to run from You. Blessed be Your Name for the rewards You already confer on the righteous, for the joy of Your presence, the fullness of Your love, the depths of Your mercy, the hope of eternity in Your presence and so much more. As we reflect on such things, deepen our devoted service to You, and increase our capacity to hate sin, and love You more. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/BP0dtwXWQ_M?si=rJWKAFzmS1pyKO9e He Will Hold Me Fast
 

Copyright © 2026 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

May 26, 2026 -- Proverbs 11:27 -- What is it you are diligently seeking?

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

Whoever diligently seeks good seeks favor,
but evil comes to him who searches for it.
Proverbs 11:27 ESV
 
There is no such thing as a ‘basically good’ person. All people are bent toward evil. The natural inclination of the heart is towards wrongdoing. Our free will is always oriented towards the freedom to doing wrong. When a man, or a woman, has been rescued from the present evil age by the glorious work of Jesus Christ (Galatians 1:4) he can never be indecisive about evil and good. He remembers the overflowing, vile, wickedness that drove him and the clutches of evil that choked him. Knowing he is rescued in Christ, he will diligently seek good.
 
To diligently seek good means to pursue God first thing in the morning, and reaching out to Him as your final thought at night. To diligently seek good means you are using your time, money, skills and efforts to remain in God’s good graces. God isn’t going anywhere. So, why do we have to strive to remain in His good graces? Our tendency is to drift. We can strain against the very bonds of love that keep us from running back to our sins at the very first sign of frustration.
 
When God the Father grabs hold of You, He has the power to sustain you in the way of life. The Spirit, send by God, will sanctify you so that your past is conquered and you are given the righteousness of Christ. The question is, as a saved man, or a saved woman, how will you live?
When one gets lazy in his all-out-effort of seeking the good that comes from God, that person will inevitably begin to consciously move towards compromise, toying with sin, and old patterns of life. So, the instruction of Proverbs is a powerful reminder to recommit ourselves to diligently seeking God’s favor.
 
God of Great Salvation, by the powerful presence of Your Spirit within us, teach us once again that the testing of our faith produces steadfastness, and steadfastness effects in believers the completion of faith. We confess our lack of wisdom, and at the start of this day, plead with You for the wisdom that comes from above, asking You will give it to us in generous measures so that we will grow up, maturing in Christ, Who is our Savior and the Captain of Salvation. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/o-ImfnUqWxg?si=iXOGj-ekVOn3eGf3 All Praise to Him
 

Copyright © 2026 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

May 25, 2026 -- Matthew 13:33 -- Spirit fueled transformation

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

33 He told them another parable. “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened.” Matthew 13:33
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2025)
 
Leaven is yeast, the active ingredient that worked into dough, causes the whole lump of dough to rise; the proportion for bread is something like 9 grams of yeast to 120 grams flour. That relatively tiny amount of Kingdom leavening is enough to make the whole Christian completely, internally changed. Notice that the Kingdom of Heaven must be worked into the people of God. When leaven is added to the dough, the dough is allowed to rise, and then it is kneaded, it is worked all through. That is hard work. Carolyn and I like watching some baking shows, where contestants are competing against one another to become the best baker. Each week the bakers are presented with challenges. Bread week is always fun. You see the contestants using all kinds of methods to work the dough. Some use mixers. Others punch it down with their fists. Others roll the dough, fold it, and slap it against the tabletop. It looks violent.
 
Too often our view of the Christian faith is all sentimentalized. It is like a sappy mental picture of Christians earnestly listening to the Gospel preaching and afterward going home and implementing all they have been taught. They don’t imagine it is hard work. But this parable, and many other lessons in the Bible, ought to disabuse you of that sentimental hogwash. Consider the Spirit’s work in you, kneading all the leavening throughout your life, as you read these examples:

• As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another Proverbs 27:17. When iron is doing its work, sparks can fly! It is hard work.

• Let a righteous man strike me—it is a kindness; let him rebuke me—it is oil for my head; let my head not refuse it. Psalm 141:5

• We can go on and on—think of Jonah, on rough seas, in the belly of a whale, sweltering in the hot desert sun before the LORD taught him and softened his heart.

If we are going to have the word of God truly penetrate us, allowing it to get past our defenses, our self-assurance, or our smug proudly held wrong beliefs, we need to have the lies crushed out of us. We need the Spirit of God, like a strong-armed baking woman, to knead us and work Jesus’ teaching into every part of our heart, mind, and soul.
 
I give thank to You, O LORD, with my whole heart; though You are seated on high, You care for Your lowly people. Father in heaven, by Your Spirit’s presence in me, fulfill Your purpose for me. Let the steadfast love You have shown me in Christ transform me in every way according to Your glorious goal for working out in me the fullness of Your salvation. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/y3gWwGDGgVA?si=RlA0SE0hXPCsHkm- Take My Life and Let it Be
 

Copyright © 2026 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

May 20, 2026 -- II Corinthians 7:1 -- Bringing holiness to completion

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

Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.
II Corinthians 7:1 ESV
 
That word fear can mean being afraid of, but Paul’s use of it is like the fear of a man, who loves his wife and therefore has decided he will not look at another woman lustfully for fear of insulting his own wife or compromising their relationship. It is a healthy fear that sets boundary lines which preserve the good and keeps out defilement and sin.
 
In Chapter 6 Paul has spelled out the promises of God—we are God’s temple, He is our God and we are His people; He is our dear heavenly Father. Knowing these promises are for you and for me, we fear to touch, look at, engage in anything that violates or makes dirty, our relationship with God.
 
In Paul’s day there was an expression, “to corinthianize”. It meant to take someone who is innocent and debauch them, make them as dirty as the sexualized culture around them. Ouch. You can see that is precisely what is happening in our culture today. Secular schools emphasize sex education, even at the earliest grades, while skills such as math and reading and art and physical education are pushed aside.
 
As Christians, delighted in the glorious blessings of God, we avert our eyes from the defilements of our culture. We debrief ourselves from the stains of daily life in a world that is filthy with sin. We do so by confessing our sins. We do so by holding ourselves accountable to fellow believers, who have the right to ask us if we are too entangled in any aspect of the culture, rather than being fully integrated into our Christian faith and pure unto Jesus.
 
What an expression! Bringing holiness to completion; we do not merely make a start at serving God and ridding ourselves of sin, we go all in for Jesus. Heart, mind, soul, and hands are committed to refraining from evil to serve Jesus and this to the glory of God. Why? Because God loved us first. Because God has given us all things necessary for salvation. A little holiness is delightful, the more of it the Spirit brings to us, the more we are filled with the Spirit and with the blessed joy of this new life and we hunger and thirst for more.
 
Father in heaven, teach me, all over again, teach me the joy of a life dedicated to Your holy service. By the presence of Your Spirit stir up in me a zeal to hate sin more and being cleansed of it, to have greater capacity to bring holiness to completion. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/U8zWzw_Cc2o?si=TilQS9W103TDT5qj Take Shelter
 

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May 19, 2026 -- I Corinthians 15:58 -- Wholehearted service. To what? To whom?

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

Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
I Corinthians 15:58 ESV
 
This new day stretches before you. Death has been defeated. Christ, our Savior, has taken away God’s curse against your sin. Jesus has opened the way to life. In Jesus’ resurrection power, we are called to live out our Christian faith with boldness.
 
Paul notes first off; this means Christians are steadfast resolved in our hearts and minds to serve Jesus.  Serving Jesus is not decided on a case-by-case basis depending on the circumstances. We will serve Jesus. It has been decided already, we will obey Jesus and live for Him, not matter what the day brings. Next, we are immoveable; stubbornly prepared to serve Jesus rather than being swayed by the impulses and temptations of the world. Finally, we are always abounding in the work of the Lord; that means that we will do all that is required of us, and this with joy. We are not parsimonious (ungenerous) in our work, or sullen in our attitude. No way! We are abounding in the work of the Lord knowing He has supplied and is supplying all our needs.
 
“Wait”, you might be protesting, “I don’t experience this!” Okay. Have you dedicated yourself fully in service to God, or are you 75% God’s and 25% serving yourself and your needs? Look at your life and consider what kind of fruit you are bearing. If you are selfish, worldly, or toying with being okay with your peers six days a week and one day a week appearing to be Christian, then you are not fully trusting in Jesus.
 
It is good to sort this out now, before Jesus returns. If your conscience is tweaked now, then turn to God in prayer, asking Him to reveal where you are holding on to stuff. Pray He will show you what has priority in your life, it will be something you love or more than you love for God.  If you protest God is demanding too much, then be warned, the coldness that is taking over your heart is a sign you are drifting far from God.
 
Dear brothers and sisters, those who are steadfast and immoveable, abounding in the work of the Lord, serve God with all the strength, hope and love He gives you. At the end of this day, I am sure you won’t have been able to out-give God.
 
Our Father in heaven, forever blessed be Your Name! Thank You for the life You have given us in Christ, our Savior-King. Thank You for the Holy Spirit Who is clearing out the junk in our lives, the stuff which we used to treasure in place of honouring You! Help us to be evermore devoted to, and zealous in, our service to You. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/9zGbdg1YCYY?si=QhFfSl-UmQOPs-k9 Afflicted Saints, to Christ Draw Near
 

Copyright © 2026 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

May 17, 2026 -- Proverbs 11:24 -- Are you a giver?

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

One gives freely, yet grows all the richer;
another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want.
Proverbs 11:24 ESV
 
What are you expecting when you give to God? Do you expect that because you’ve given something God has an obligation to bless you? Funny isn’t it, how manipulative our thinking and giving can be? Believers give freely to God in their time, tithes, while offering their talents in service to others because of the extravagant blessings God has already poured out into their lives. Think of these blessings.

• Jesus has borne the wrath of God against our sin upon Himself, at the cross.

• The Spirit applies the forgiveness of Jesus as often as we confess our sins (and there are so many of them).

• The Father loves you as a son, a daughter. You are His and He is faithful to you, even when you’re faithless.

• The greatest riches of this life are not money, or things, it is knowing Jesus Christ. Through Jesus one knows the Father and lives in fellowship with the Father and the Son through the presence of the Holy Spirit.

• Life here is a fleeting, passing vapor; but those who live in the love of the Father now, know that eternity in His presence stretches before them.

• The promise is that in His presence there is fullness of joy (Psalm 16:11).

 
To withhold giving to the needy, or tithing to the church, or caring for the people whom God has placed in your sphere of influence is a sign of a heart that is shriveled. Only a heart untouched by the blessings of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit can withhold blessings. Those who know the Father are open-handed in their giving.
 
Father of Glory, Source of every good blessing, thank You for the gift of Sunday. Thank You for this day of rest where Your people gather to praise You; joined together by the Holy Spirit, cause us to delight in the richest blessings You secure to us in Christ. Spirit of God, in light of the extravagant blessings which are ours in Jesus, help us to be generous of heart, of wallet, and of time. Direct Your preachers, evangelists, and missionaries to preach the Word with power. May those among us who are regular church goers welcome the newcomers who You have called to Yourself in love through Your blessed Son, our Savior, Jesus. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/T6V_fc5a3nY?si=KzdIXsUjYWYDKlw_ Safely Through Another Week
 

Copyright © 2026 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

May 15, 2026 -- Proverbs 10:23 -- Is your life a joke?

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

Doing wrong is like a joke to a fool,
but wisdom is pleasure to a man of understanding.
Proverbs 10:23 ESV
 
Here’s a quotation attributed to the 1980’s and 90’s pop star, Madonna: “Why did I want to break all the rules, because the rules didn’t make sense”. In her heyday, she was considered the cutting edge of radical. What makes me laugh now is that much of her music is “elevator music” or muzak—the background noise at malls and public places. I remember almost spitting out my morning coffee when I heard some of Madonna’s music played at the nursing home of  my 90’s something aunt. At that moment I realized, for all her planned wickedness and flaunting of rules, Madonna is a has-been. Long ago overtaken by successive waves of the next, and the new.
 
Wisdom, however, is never trendy, but is always a pleasure to one steeped in it. Those who are trained up in wisdom are not garish in their youth, nor laughed at as a has-been in their senior years. Those who walk in wisdom carry about them the freshness of life well-lived. Those who are filled with understanding have hope for life beyond this life. They lead others in the right path. For a man or woman of understanding, it becomes obvious to the observer that the public life and the private of that person is consistent. It is honourable.
 
Wisdom and understanding are not naturally part of the human heart. People are born with every sinful inclination and wayward impulse. It is the work of the Holy Spirit to break the ingrained bent toward evil and open a heart up to the reconciling work of Jesus. No one can white-knuckle his way to a new life. It wells up in the heart of a person who belongs to Jesus. It is like cool, refreshing water available to all who live in the desert wastelands of our culture.
 
O God our Father, thank You for the blessing of Your great love, shown to us through Jesus.
O God the Spirit, thank You for opening in my soul a well of living water, from which the rich fountain of Christ’s blessings flow and overflow in my life.
O God my Savior, thank You for the fullness of life, the joy and pleasures which accompany living for You. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/0nnkkra4FwY?si=rtC4pKYrdtqQMVDI Psalm 150 Praise the Lord
 

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May 14, 2026 -- Psalm 145:3-4 -- The Greatness of the LORD

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

3  Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised,
and his greatness is unsearchable.
4  One generation shall commend your works to another,
and shall declare your mighty acts. Psalm 145:3–4
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2025)
 
The Hebrew language is almost breaking down in its effort to express the magnificent power, glory, and praiseworthiness of God. That three-fold repetition of “great” highlights the grandeur of the LORD. The more one explores the greatness of God, the more one studies the Scriptures and the more one learns of the effulgence of our Creator-God so much more that person is driven to commend Him to the next generation.
 
What is your life’s goal? Money? Sex. Appearance? Cars? Friends? Toys? Gaming? Drinking? Hobbies? All of these can be Devil inspired distractions which would draw the attention of the believer away from contemplating God. The reason the LORD is not great to the mind of the pagan, or the lukewarm Christian, can be traced to the lack of time spent searching out the LORD’s greatness.
 
For this Psalmist his life has the one goal that his generation will entrust to the next generation a sense of the weight of Who God is. Life is focused on passing the baton to the next generation, so that each generation is saturated with exploring the goodness, the glories, the greatness of God. No other task is even close to the importance of that task.
 
Think of it. God regularly declares: I am the God of Abraham, of Isaac, of Jacob (cf: Exodus 3:6; 15-16; Luke 20:37; Acts 7:32 et al). The point is being made that patriarchs and matriarchs, for all their humanness and faults, had one life-long focus, to know God and make Him known.
The greatest evidence of the splendid, lovingkindness of our God is displayed at the cross of Jesus. His beloved Son, crushed in our place, so that our sins are atoned for. Jesus’ great glory is revealed at the cross, at His death, His burial, resurrection, and ascension to the Father’s right hand. He Who rescues us from death, also has the power to protect His people for life unto eternal life. What a mighty God we serve.
 
O LORD, You fulfill the desire of those who fear You;
and You hear our cries and You save Your people.
O Glorious LORD, You preserve all who love You,
and we confess with trembling the warning of Scripture:
all the wicked You will destroy.
Our mouths will speak the praise of the LORD,
let all flesh bless His holy Name forever. Amen
(Prayer based on Psalm 145:19-21)
 
https://youtu.be/r1vjP0fHrSY?si=kEhsuXWxmoSjZP6N Praise to the Lord, the Almighty
 

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May 13, 2026 -- John 10:27-30 -- Known by the Shepherd

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

27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. 30 I and the Father are one.” John 10:27-30 ESV
 
Dear readers, thank you for your patience. There has been a break in preparing these devotions. Over the last 12 days I have been in Ontario. My ailing father passed away May 10th. What follows is a brief portion of the meditation I offered yesterday, at his funeral.
 
Two things I’d like to highlight. First, that our Good Shepherd knows His sheep. He knows their weaknesses. He knows their every inclination to wander from Him. He knows their sinfulness. It is not natural for us, as people, to submit ourselves to the authority of others. We want to rule our own hearts and lives. The problem is, we don’t know enough of God, the world and the wiles of the Devil to be able to govern ourselves wisely. Even so, rebellious as the heart can be, Jesus intentionally shepherds those He knows. He graciously goes after the lost. Binds up their wounds. Rescues them from the mouths of predators. Defends them from all attacks. All the while knowing even as He is defending them, they are likely to run off, and He will have to rescue them again.
 
The second thing I’d like to highlight is that Jesus gives His sheep eternal life. This world is not all there is. God has planted in all of us a longing for life beyond this life. God has given to each one of us a sense there must be more. Those who know the voice of Jesus, are known by Him and follow Him already now have the gift of eternal life.
 
Eternal life, begun here and now, takes on its fullest, and most exciting form in the world to come. Our life here on earth must end, so that the body which has known sin, obeyed its rebellious impulses, will be laid to rest. When the person who has died is raised to life in the new heavens and the new earth that glorified body will have no possibility of sinning ever again. Life eternal is filled with joy because the soul of the believer is joined to the new, glorified body, and sin will never ever again be part of the equation of the relationship between the Shepherd and His beloved sheep.
 
O my great High Priest,
pour down on me streams of needful grace,
bless me in all my undertakings,
in every thought of my mind,
every word of my lips,
every step of my feet,
every deed of my hands.
Thou didst live to bless,
die to bless,
rise to bless,
ascend to bless,
take thy throne to bless,
and now thou dost reign to bless.
O give sincerity to my desires,
earnestness to my supplications,
fervour to my love. Amen.
excerpt from: “After Prayer”, Valley of Vision, page 277
 
https://youtu.be/pN4tPkX0MG0?si=ZQ7ffi7KOjV3F9NC The Lord’s My Shepherd
 

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May 1, 2026 -- Proverbs 10:11 -- What's your mouth spewing?

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

11  The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life,
but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence. Proverbs 10:11
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2025).
 
Who are the righteous? They are men and women made righteous in Jesus Christ. They are righteous because the Holy Spirit guards within the believer the righteousness of Christ. The new life that is ours in Christ wells up in us—which is why it is described as a fountain. Believers think of Christ, love Him, meditate on Him, are in awe of all that the Father gives to them because they belong to Jesus. The more the believer thinks on such things, the more he can’t help but sing to Jesus, and speak to others of them of His greatness.
 
No matter what the wicked says, even in flattery or kind words, their words are violent. There is no middle ground. One is either a believer captivated by Jesus Christ, or else he is in the grip of hell and every word is hot with the breath of violence. There is no middle ground.
 
Recall the cautionary words of Jesus:
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven,
but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day
many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast
out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And
then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ Matthew 7:21-23 ESV
You can have the appearance of godliness, you can do things that seem mighty, all the while be gripped in the thrall of violence.
 
How is a true Christian distinguished? How do you know if you are truly Christ’s?

• Jesus fills your thoughts when you’re not thinking of anything at all.

• The word is precious to you, because it is the word of life that flows in you, welling up to that glorious fountain of eternal life.

• You pray. Not for things. You pray for more of Jesus. You pray for your friends and family to know Jesus. You pray, because it is communication with Jesus, Who is the source of all righteousness in you.

• You hunger and thirst for righteousness. You know, you have a wonderful, filling breakfast, but at lunch time you are hungry all over again. That is the experience of the Christian, the righteousness of Jesus satisfies the soul, then having imbibed, one is ready for more of Jesus.

 
Father in heaven, thank You for the love You shower on us and in us through the reconciling work of Jesus Christ. Faithful Savior, blessed are You and great is the water You give welling up to eternal life. Spirit of the Living God, keep me close to Jesus, I know I am prone to wander; I know my track record. Spirit of God, melt the stubborn streak, break down every lingering resistance, create in me a thirst for true righteousness found only in Christ and lead me to drink deeply of the well of salvation. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/DV-V4xZMQx0?si=upN9qIpxTZ5mgTld Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing


 

Copyright © 2026 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

April 28, 2026 -- Proverbs 10:8 -- Distinguishing the babbling fool from the wise of heart.

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

8  The wise of heart will receive commandments,
but a babbling fool will come to ruin. Proverbs 10:8
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2025).
 
According to Scriptures, the heart is the spring of life (Proverbs 4:23); the place from which you make decisions. It is either governed by the Lord of Glory through the power of the Holy Spirit; or your heart is governed by the father of lies. There is no middle ground. The Bible is clear on this point—and it is quite offensive to many people. It is tempting to think someone has “a good heart”, when in fact a person can not have a good heart unless he is reconciled to God through the blood of Jesus Christ, and believes in Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit. By Bible definition, an unconverted person’s heart is impure having set up in itself a throne of hell.
 
In the original language babbling fool is an idiom, an expression, which can be translated as: a prattling fool, or a chattering fool. When you see various translations like that, you know that the original language is rich in meaning that is hard to capture in just a word or two. The point is, a fool only likes to hear himself talk. He is like a babbling brook (Proverbs 18:4), which makes so much noise nothing can be heard over it.
 
The wise of heart are humble. Teachable. Ready to confess sin. Open to the commandments of God. Why open to the commandments of God? Because it is God who made us. It is God Who knows what will lead you to fullness of life, or what will lead you to death and hell. The commandments of God are given to believers, so that their obedience to the commands is an expression of life-long gratitude to God for His rich salvation in Christ.
 
Father in heaven, giver of wisdom and truth, I confess how much I babble and chatter, instead of being still, yielded to You, as God the Source of All Good. Spirit of the Living God, teach me quietness of heart, open my ears to hear the word of life. Open my heart, pouring into the place of decision-making, more and always more of the Word until my own foolishness is completely displaced by the weight of wisdom received. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/VphMpFKb0o0?si=zFMSCRBgh5HR_8ao There rings through the Clouds
 

Copyright © 2026 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

April 26, 2026 -- Matthew 13:23 -- What's the condition of your heart?

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23 As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”
The Holy Bible: E S V (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2025), Matthew 13:23.
 
You know, perhaps, that there are four kinds of soil in Jesus’ parable. Hard path, where ravenous birds take away the seed, the Word of Truth. Rocky soil and thorny soils, where persecution or the cares of this world kill the sprouted seedling. But what happens when the seed, the Word of Truth, hits good soil?
 

• The Word of Truth is so pure, it is barely recognizable to you at first; but soon becomes precious, desired.

• The Word of Truth is so new to you, it is hard to understand how it could truly, powerfully bless. But as you ear, as you see, as you open your heart, you find yourself drawn to it.

• The Word of Truth is so foreign, it requires dying to oneself. It is utterly, fully different from all the offerings of the world, all those things that you sampled, tried, and now bind you.

• The Word of Truth is freely offered today and widely sown on your heart. Will you receive it from the Hand of Him Who loves you? He demonstrated His love when He left the splendor of heaven to give you such freedom from slavery to sin, greater grace that you can open your heart, finally are able to open your eyes, as you open your ears and the new life in you is found to be infinitely greater than the confines and chains of worldly pleasures.

• The Word of Truth is so powerful that it will produce good fruit in you. You will find your capacity to love the Sower increases exponentially. Those around you will see love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control Through your testimony others will believe in Jesus. As the seed grows and bears, you will be able to discern how truly wicked and unclean this generation really is.

• The Word of Truth will captivate your soul, thrill your mind, lead you to hunger and thirst for righteousness and so be filled; you will hunger and thirst with greater maturity and longing, and still be filled. The cycle will continue and the thirtyfold blessings become sixtyfold blessings and ever increase.

 
Father in heaven, great and glorious is Your Name. Thank You for the accomplished work of Jesus Christ, through Whom we are reconciled to You. Thank You for the work of the Holy Spirit, Who plows up the hardened soil of our hearts. We confess the times we’ve shut our ears, closed our eyes and refused to understand the Word of Truth. Thank You for the persistence of Your love, the greatness of Your salvation, and the tenacity of the seed’s power to grow in us. Thank You for giving us what many prophets and righteous people in the many centuries before Jesus, longed to see and desired to hear. Thank You for this new life in Christ. Oh, Spirit of the Living God, let the seed, Jesus’ Word of Truth, be fruitful in us, and this to the greater glory of God our Father. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/YnBCuv7hfHA?si=cXIDH2OOaDqybl-P Speak, O Lord
 

Copyright © 2026 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

April 25, 2026 -- Proverbs 10:2 -- What do you treasure?

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

Treasures gained by wickedness do not profit,
but righteousness delivers from death. Proverbs 10:2
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2025).
 
If you have stolen something, how can you enjoy it? You’re always looking over your shoulder to see if anyone notices what you have isn’t really yours. If it isn’t really yours, your conscience will bother you. If your conscience keeps annoying you, like that irritating sound attacking your eardrums when you haven’t buckled your seatbelt, you’ll either have to put your conscience to death or confess and deal with your wickedness. If you keep that thing, or money gained by wickedness it will lead you to so idolize it that God will be pushed out of your life, replaced by your love of ill-gotten gain.
 
The righteousness which is in view is practical. Do you know the story of Zaccheus? He was a crooked tax-collector and freely stole from his fellow citizens, taxing excessive amounts of money. When Jesus took hold of his heart, he vowed to repay, four times what he’d taken, and to give half of his money to the poor (see Luke 19:1-10). Zaccheus’ former, deeply held love of money is pushed out of his life; he now has a kingdom focus, rejoicing in the treasure of Jesus.
 
Listen to what the LORD declares as true treasure:
The LORD is exalted, for he dwells on high;
he will fill Zion with justice and righteousness,
and he will be the stability of your times,
abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge,
the fear of the LORD is Zion’s treasure. Isaiah 33:5-6 ESV
What is the treasure of the believer? It is salvation, given through the reconciling blood of Jesus Christ, poured out on the believer, through the work of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit reorients the life of the believer so that justice, righteousness, abundance of salvation, wisdom and knowledge, all governed by the fear of the LORD, are the richest treasures stored up in the believer—treasures that rust, moth and thieves cannot steal. What is your treasure?
 
Father in heaven, I confess I have often considered money, possessions, things, as the greatest treasures of this life. Your Spirit opened my eyes to the truth that the greatest treasure ever is Jesus Himself. As the Spirit keeps me connected to Jesus, the life of justice, righteousness, wisdom, knowledge flow from me, all unified by the holy, precious, fear of the LORD. I confess how I have greedily neglected such beauty and riches for earthly treasures and pleasures that can not last nor ever satisfy. Teach me the glorious profit that is found in Jesus and His righteousness. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/LOuw3rLY7Zg?si=4q3VhJM6t65yRcP6 Blessed Assurance
 

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April 24, 2026 -- Proverbs 10:1 -- Where you headed?

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

10 The proverbs of Solomon.
A wise son makes a glad father,
but a foolish son is a sorrow to his mother. Proverbs 10:1
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2025).
 
Suddenly, starting here at chapter 10, the style of writing changes. Instead of longer sections of teaching, there are quick, one verse proverbs. Commentators and theologians point out that these proverbs are not laws, nor are they promises. Proverbs are general principles. These proverbs give insight into the contrasts between those who are followers of God over against those in bondage to the evil one.
 
Such a series of proverbs serve as a warning which will encourage the disciple of Jesus to lean on the power of the Holy Spirit. In the New Testament, passages like Hebrews 2:1 warn the Christian not to drift from what they’ve heard. Every day there are temptations to make small compromises, take little shortcuts, neglect whole-hearted devotion to the Living God. In no time at all, such little-seeming accommodations to evil will land you in the realm of foolishness.
 
As a minister who visits in prisons, it is frequently the case that a man will sigh, and with a heavy heart say, “I wish my dad would say he is proud of me”. The now incarcerated man has learned obedience through what he has suffered and is attending classes to learn the fear of the LORD. Even so, it is often the case that his reputation is so fixed, his father despairs of any change and a mother grieve as one with no hope. His former, feeble attempts at change have all fallen to the ground. It is at that point I meet men who sincerely long to change.
 
By the grace of God, it is possible to make a lasting change, to go from foolishness to wisdom. It is possible to be rescued from the kingdom of darkness and be brought by the compassion of the Father into the Kingdom of the Son He loves. If you have been foolish, today is the day to repent. If you have been a sorrow to your godly mother, now is day to choose to change course. Do so before your character is so fixed and your pathway to destruction hard-wired into your brain. God is the One Who rescues fools and makes them wise. God is the One overturns the wisdom of the world and calls those who seem irreparably damaged so that they will in Christ become dearly loved sons and daughters, who gladden their Heavenly Father’s heart.
 
Sanctify me in every relation, office, transaction and condition of life,
that if I prosper I may not be unduly exalted,
if I suffer I may not be over-sorrowful.
Balance my mind in all varying circumstances
and help me to cultivate a disposition
that renders every duty a spiritual privilege.
Thus may I be content,
be a glory to Thee
and an example to others.
from TO BE FIT FOR GOD. The Valley of Vision, page 254
 
https://youtu.be/DV-V4xZMQx0?si=5yq_YY-AjW4LlpSk Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing
 

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