Tag: christianity

Our Sunday will be Coming! Our Sin, Suffering, and our Salvation: Have We Lost Our Grief over Sin? Psalm 38

Psalm 38 New American Standard Bible 1995

Prayer of a Suffering Penitent.

A Psalm of David, for a memorial.

38 O Lord, rebuke me not in Your wrath,
And chasten me not in Your burning anger.
2 For Your arrows have sunk deep into me,
And Your hand has pressed down on me.
3 There is no soundness in my flesh because of Your indignation;
There is no health in my bones because of my sin.
4 For my iniquities are gone over my head;
As a heavy burden they weigh too much for me.
5 My [a]wounds grow foul and fester
Because of my folly.
6 I am bent over and greatly bowed down;
I go mourning all day long.
7 For my loins are filled with burning,
And there is no soundness in my flesh.
8 I am benumbed and [b]badly crushed;
I [c]groan because of the [d]agitation of my heart.

9 Lord, all my desire is [e]before You;
And my sighing is not hidden from You.
10 My heart throbs, my strength fails me;
And the light of my eyes, even [f]that [g]has gone from me.
11 My [h]loved ones and my friends stand aloof from my plague;
And my kinsmen stand afar off.
12 Those who seek my life lay snares for me;
And those who seek to injure me have [i]threatened destruction,
And they devise treachery all day long.

13 But I, like a deaf man, do not hear;
And I am like a mute man who does not open his mouth.
14 Yes, I am like a man who does not hear,
And in whose mouth are no arguments.
15 For I [j]hope in You, O Lord;
You will answer, O Lord my God.
16 For I said, “May they not rejoice over me,
Who, when my foot slips, would magnify themselves against me.”
17 For I am ready to fall,
And my [k]sorrow is continually before me.
18 For I [l]confess my iniquity;
I am full of anxiety because of my sin.
19 But my enemies are vigorous and [m]strong,
And many are those who hate me wrongfully.
20 And those who repay evil for good,
They oppose me, because I follow what is good.
21 Do not forsake me, O Lord;
O my God, do not be far from me!
22 Make haste to help me,
O Lord, my salvation!

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

As I was preparing my presentation for Good Friday, I was reading the Psalms.

I eventually got to reading David’s disquieting words from Psalm 38 and there was my profound reaction to a reaction by David that leaped off the page at me.

His reaction was over his sin, and when I read it, I thought deeply about how we view sin in our lives.

I know how we often view sin in other people’s lives, many times being quick to highlight it, even quicker to cancel its relevance, or quicker to condemn them.

My concern is not about sin found in other people, but for us to consider what happens within our own hearts, souls and spirits when we sin in our own lives.

King David in and throughout the Old Testa­ment had his fair share of suffering.

That’s clear from Psalm 38, ­described as “a psalm of David.”

He speaks often of being wounded and filled with pain.

Friends and neighbors abandon him. Enemies hate him and accuse him.

Even his own family dynamics turns against him as his son Absalom kills his brother and gathers an angry army against his father to over throw him as King.

Many are sick and tired of all the intrigue emanating from his throne room.

Many do not believe he is not the least bit worthy of such a high office as a King.

Some want to kill him.

It’s “because of my sin,” he says.

And he’s painfully right.

Not every sin leads to a particular suffering.

And not all suffering is from particular sins.

But rebellion against God’s ways does unleash a torrent of suffering into our human experience. So David the sinner suffers, and from the very throne of his self inflicted suffering he cries out to God. Maybe you know what that’s like.

We are no different in our own ways making questionable choices, decisions and getting people all hopping mad, consistently questioning our motives.

God certainly knows all about His creation’s sinfulness. (Genesis 3)

Jesus certainly knows having in these last days of his own life witnessed the fickleness of the human heart and soul, limitless depths of human depravity.

It’s all profoundly expressed there in Psalm 38.

Perhaps Psalm 38 was rolling through Jesus’ heart and soul in Gethsemane.

Yes, this psalm is about sin.

And no, Jesus himself never sinned.

But he did suffer enormously – echelons more than anyone else in all history.

He suffered because the full weight of all the sins of the world, including my sins and yours, were laid on him. He carried that immense burden to the cross.

One cannot imagine the measure of weight of all that sin upon his shoulders.

The silent anguish, the pounding heart, the failing strength, the pained cry of forsakenness—it’s all right there in Psalm 38, and it was all there on the cross.

But that was not the end. From his own suffering, Jesus cried out to God.

And his cry was heard. On the third day, God raised him from the dead.

Jesus had won the ultimate victory over sin.

Yes, we still sin.

And we still suffer.

But sin no longer has the power to separate us from God. Jesus saw to that!

Have we lost our Psalm 38 Grief over our own Sins?

2 Corinthians 5:20-21 New American Standard Bible 1995

20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

I am wondering where that attitude toward sin has gone in our westernized interpretation of “Christian” culture – where sin is dismissed all too easily.

The Sheer Horror of Sin Has Not Changed one bit

Hebrews 13:5-8 New American Standard Bible 1995

5 Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,” 6 so that we confidently say,

“The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid.
What will man do to me?”

7 Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the [a]result of their conduct, imitate their faith. 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

Regardless of how the world feels, or refuses to believe about God and sin, the way God feels about it has not changed and we should expect, will never change.

It seems as if the church has slowly been adopting worldly attitudes toward sin.

Instead of living out our call as “Ambassadors”, calling people to repentance, and reconciliation, it is as if we give people justifications for continuing in sin.

Yet, the way God sees sin is still the same.

He hates it.

He hates it because it destroys you and also because it drives a wedge in your relationship with him because he is a holy God. 

I want to be clear, I am not saying we become judges of people in the world.

We need to spare no amount of personal effort and suffering to share the gospel with them and to allow the Holy Spirit to convict them of their sinful condition.

We also shouldn’t expect people in the world to react like David did over his sin.

But, for those in the church, it is a different story.

We have God, we have the Word of God and we have the Spirit of God, so our personal mindset towards sin should radically differ from those in the world.

Instead of focusing on what people in the world are doing first, instead of our cancelling everyone left and right, I am saying we start by calling the people in the church to repent because we all need to change our attitude towards sin. 

Psalm 38 questions to ask yourself about our own Sin

As I stated earlier, I don’t want this to be a focus on someone else.

I want you to ponder about yourself.

Here are some questions that are introspective.

Ask them of yourself, as I am doing the same thing.       

  • When was the last time you felt guilt over sinful behavior?
  • When was the last time you grieved over sin?
  • When was the last time you felt burdened because of sinful actions you had taken?

Think on these questions for a moment, but go to the micro level.

So often we think of the big sins, maybe adultery or some kind of fornication, but we miss the little things such as how we love our neighbor or harbor anger towards someone – up to and including the worst kind of anger against “self.”

When was the last time your heart was anguished over those “insignificant” sins that are just as destructive?

I don’t know the answer to these questions in your life, I do not have all the answers about myself, but I know if we are not careful, the attitudes the world displays toward sin can become the attitude those in the church display towards it as well.

Key Motivators for Changing Your Attitude toward Sin

1. Because You Love Him

John 14:12-15 New American Standard Bible 1995

12 Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father. 13  Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.

15 “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.

Could it be that part of David’s anguish and grief over his sin was because he knew God and loved him?

I think so.

After all, the Bible called him a man after God’s own heart.

When you love God, then you know how much sin hurts him and if you love the Lord, why would you want to hurt him? 

I have colleague and I can see the disappointment that wells up in their eyes when they do something that they feels lets so many people down.

They are devastated over it.

For those of us who claim to love Jesus, we simply cannot continue to have casual attitudes towards sin in our lives.

Again, I am not saying we become judges of others; I am saying we become too harsh a judges of ourselves.

2. Because You Know Him

1 John 3:1-8 New American Standard Bible 1995

Children of God Love One Another

3 See [a]how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. 2 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. 3 And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

4 Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness. 5 You know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin. 6 No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or [b] knows Him. 7 Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; 8 the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil [c]has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.

If you claim to know God, then sin cannot be an ongoing part of your life.

These verses are not saying you will never sin.

These verses are saying you don’t live to sin or for sin.

When you do sin, your response becomes like David, one of grief and a call to repentance. This happens because you know him and are in fellowship with him. When that fellowship is broken, you quickly seek to repent and restore it.

3. Because His Life Is in You

Since God’s life is in you, in the person of the Holy Spirit, and you have been born of God, this should change your attitude toward sin.

If your attitudes towards sin are growing lukewarm, then maybe you need more of God’s Spirit working in your life. Remember, he has not changed, nor has his attitude toward sin. If yours has, then we know exactly where the problem lies.

Psalm38 Final Thoughts

This devotion is not about judgment or condemnation.

This devotion is really about a call to holiness.

We must be holy because God is holy.

For those who don’t know what that means, holiness is not a state of perfection.

Holiness is when you are set apart for God’s use.

When we are walking in holiness, we see sin the way God sees it and we see people the way God sees them. 

I can’t say where, when, or how the church got off course, but the remedy is simple.

Return to your first love.

It is mu personal belief it’s long past the time we should suffer for Christ as Christ suffered for us to rekindle that love for Jesus we had when we first got saved, that deep passion that sought to please him in every area of our lives.

When we get back to that place, then our attitudes towards sin will change. Not only will we turn away from it, but we will grieve over it should we fall into it.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 13 New American Standard Bible 1995

Prayer for Help in Trouble.

For the choir director. A Psalm of David.

13 How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever?
How long will You hide Your face from me?
2 How long shall I take counsel in my soul,
Having sorrow in my heart all the day?
How long will my enemy be exalted over me?

3 Consider and answer me, O Lord my God;
Enlighten my eyes, or I will sleep the sleep of death,
4 And my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,”
And my adversaries will rejoice when I am shaken.

5 But I have trusted in Your lovingkindness;
My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.
6 I will sing to the Lord,
Because He has dealt bountifully with me.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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The Veil Was Torn: Our Long Awaited Reunion with Our God. Matthew 27:51

Matthew 27:50-54 New American Standard Bible 1995

50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. 51 And behold, the [a]veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook and the rocks were split. 52 The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the [b]saints who had fallen asleep were raised; 53 and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they entered the holy city and appeared to many. 54 Now the centurion, and those who were with him keeping guard over Jesus, when they saw the earthquake and the things that were happening, became very frightened and said, “Truly this was [c]the Son of God!”

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Welcome, beloved readers to this blessed gathering where we come together to draw nearer to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

We are all united here today, not by chance, but by the divine will of God and His love that binds us together, a love so truly profound that it was manifested in the most extraordinary sacrifice known to mankind.

Our focus today is on the heart of our faith, the crucifixion and resurrection of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

We’ll be looking at the momentous events that took place in Matthew 27:50-51.

The scripture reads as follows:

And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split.

These two verses, though brief, carry a weight of significance that continues to shape our faith and our lives.

They speak of the moment when salvation was secured, not by our own works, but through the cross.

They tell the story of a world forever changed by the resurrection of Christ.

And, they serve to remind us of the scriptural promises fulfilled through these miraculous events.

In the words of the esteemed Charles Spurgeon,

“The Lord gets his best soldiers out of the highlands of affliction.”

This quote, my dear brothers and sisters, is a reminder that our faith is often forged in the hardcore crucible of trials and tribulations. But let us not forget, it is through these very hardcore trials we are all drawn closer to the cross, to the sacrifice made by our Lord, and to the promise of resurrection and eternal life.

As we embark on this sacred reflection, let us bow our heads in prayer.

Heavenly Father, we come before You today with humble hearts, thankful for the sacrifice of Your Son, Jesus Christ. We ask that You open our hearts and minds to the profound truths found in Your Word. Fill us with Your Holy Spirit, that we may gain a deeper understanding of Your love, Your sacrifice, and Your promise of eternal life. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

Matthew 27:50-51 Amplified Bible

50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud [agonized] voice, and gave up His spirit [voluntarily, sovereignly dismissing and releasing His spirit from His body in submission to His Father’s plan]. 51 And [at once] the veil [of the Holy of Holies] of the temple was [a]torn in two from top to bottom; the earth shook and the rocks were split apart.

Have you every pondered the reason that the first verse after Jesus’ death in three of the four gospels is the fact that the temple veil, curtain, tore in two?

Why is this so significant?

How does this apply to all believers today?

We are going to spend time studying the value and wonder of our great and victorious Savior whose death tears down the veil and makes us His own again. 

What Was the Veil?

When we first hear of the word veil, we may think about a bride or just simply a covering.

This curtain was established in the times of Moses.

It was intentionally placed to divide the holy of holies in the temple of God (The Tabernacle then). 

Exodus 35:25 says, “Every skilled woman spun with her hands and brought what she had spun—blue, purple or scarlet yarn or fine linen.”

The veil was in the temple where God dwelled among the Israelites.

The veil was the divider inside between the holy place to the holy of holies.

Only a high priest once a year could enter the holy of holies.

The veil was the physical symbol of separation caused by our sins.

The veil was said to be 60 feet high.

This would not have been easy to get to the top to tear down.

Behind the veil sat the Ark of the Covenant and the Mercy Seat. The veil concealed the Presence of God. Two cherubs were woven into the veil.

The High Priest’s Privilege 

One time a year during Yom Kippur, one high priest would be selected to go into the holy of holies.

This was a great honor.

It could be a moment of life or death, as they would literally tie a rope around his ankle in case he were to pass away while in the presence of God. 

The priest offered sacrifices and gifts on behalf of the people to reconcile them to God. We know that based on the book of Hebrews that Jesus is called our High Priest. He fulfilled this task of Passover as our sacrificial Perfect Lamb of God. 

One Temple, One Way

There was one temple found in Jerusalem.

As we ponder this thought, that meant that there was only one veil.

One sin caused separation from God.

One veil symbolized that divide.

And one Savior Jesus came and made one way to heaven. 

John 14:6 says, “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

We have such a great hope today in Christ.

We do not have to be distanced or feel the need to hide in our shame.

Jesus has unveiled our faces, He has taken away the separation of sin and brought us all into His presence again.

He has sent us the Holy Spirit.

We now are Christ’s temples.

When He is in our hearts, we have security of heaven. 

1 Corinthians 2:1-11 New American Standard Bible 1995

Paul’s Reliance upon the Spirit

2 And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the [a]testimony of God. 2 For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. 3 I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, 4 and my [b]message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith would not [c]rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.

6 Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature; a wisdom, however, not of this age nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away; 7 but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory; 8 the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory; 9 but just as it is written,

“Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard,
And which have not entered the heart of man,
All that God has prepared for those who love Him.”

10 [d]For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. 11 For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God.

Understanding how the Old Testament is leading up to the New Covenant amazes us.

We gain a greater appreciation and understanding of our Savior’s completely intricate, yet straight forward plan of salvation.

We are reaffirmed that He has delivered us and we are His forever.

We are His bride and we are united with our Groom.

He has called us His own, given us the right to be co-heir’s with Him forever. 

Intersecting Faith and Life:

How does knowing the veil was torn for you remind you of the great length Jesus went to in order to save you from your sins?

How does this compel you to live out of that confidence – the cross be our glory.

Salvation Secured Through the Cross

The cross, a symbol of our faith, stands as a testament to the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.

It is at the cross where we see the full extent of His love, a love so profound that it led Him to lay down His life for us.

This act of love, this sacrifice, is the bedrock of our faith.

It is the assurance of our salvation.

The cross is not just a symbol of death, but of life.

It is through the cross that we have been given the gift of eternal life.

Jesus, our Savior, bore our sins on the cross.

He took upon Himself the punishment that we deserved.

He paid the price for our sins, a price we could never pay.

This is the love of our Savior, a love that secures our salvation.

Jesus Yields His Spirit

Matthew 27:50 Amplified Bible

50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud [agonized] voice, and gave up His spirit [voluntarily, sovereignly dismissing and releasing His spirit from His body in submission to His Father’s plan].

Now, let us turn our attention to the moment when Jesus yielded up His spirit.

This was not a moment of defeat, but of victory.

It was at this moment that the power of sin and death was broken.

Jesus, in His death, conquered death itself.

He secured our salvation, not through His death alone, but through His resurrection.

His resurrection is the assurance of our own resurrection, the promise of eternal life.

Our Long Awaited Reunion with God

Matthew 27:51 Amplified Bible

51 And [at once] the veil [of the Holy of Holies] of the temple was [a]torn in two from top to bottom; the earth shook and the rocks were split apart.

The veil of the temple, torn in two from top to bottom, is a powerful symbol of what Jesus accomplished on the cross.

The veil separated the Holy of Holies, the most sacred part of the temple, from the rest of the temple.

Only the high priest could enter the Holy of Holies, and only once a year.

The tearing of the veil signifies the breaking down of the barrier between us and God.

Through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, we have been given direct access to God.

Hebrews 4:15-16 Amplified Bible

15 For we do not have a High Priest who is unable to sympathize and understand our weaknesses and temptations, but One who has been tempted [knowing exactly how it feels to be human] in every respect as we are, yet without [committing any] sin. 16  Therefore let us [with privilege] approach the throne of grace [that is, the throne of God’s gracious favor] with confidence and without fear, so that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find [His amazing] grace to help in time of need [an appropriate blessing, coming just at the right moment].

We are reunited with God.

We can approach Him with confidence, knowing that we have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus.

The earth quaking and the rocks splitting is a testament to the power of Jesus’ sacrifice.

It is a reminder that His death was not an ordinary death.

It was a momentous event that shook the world.

The cross, the yielding up of Jesus’ spirit, the tearing of the veil, the quaking of the earth and the splitting of the rocks – these are not just events that happened two thousand years ago.

They are truths that continue to shape our lives today.

They are reminders of the love of our Savior, a love that secures our salvation.

They are the assurance of our faith, the promise of our eternal life.

So, let us hold fast to these truths.

Let us confidently live in the light of the cross, in the assurance of our salvation.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 24 New American Standard Bible 1995

The King of Glory Entering Zion.

A Psalm of David.

24 The earth is the Lord’s, and [a]all it contains,
The world, and those who dwell in it.
2 For He has founded it upon the seas
And established it upon the rivers.
3 Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord?
And who may stand in His holy place?
4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
Who has not lifted up his soul [b]to falsehood
And has not sworn deceitfully.
5 He shall receive a blessing from the Lord
And [c]righteousness from the God of his salvation.
6 [d]This is the generation of those who seek Him,
Who seek Your face—even Jacob. [e]Selah.

7 Lift up your heads, O gates,
And be lifted up, O [f]ancient doors,
That the King of glory may come in!
8 Who is the King of glory?
The Lord strong and mighty,
The Lord mighty in battle.
9 Lift up your heads, O gates,
And lift them up, O [g]ancient doors,
That the King of glory may come in!
10 Who is this King of glory?
The Lord of hosts,
He is the King of glory. Selah.

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My stinky sweaty dirty feet and your stinky sweaty dirty feet: Our Praying to Humbly Serve as Jesus did on this Maundy Thursday. John 13: 12-17

John 13:12-17 New American Standard Bible 1995

12 So when He had washed their feet, and taken His garments and reclined at the table again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? 13 You call Me Teacher and Lord; and [a]you are right, for so I am. 14 If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you. 16 Truly, truly, I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master, nor is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Would you let Jesus wash your feet?

It is such a close, personal and an intimate act for someone else to wash them.

And it can be a deeply embarrassing one as well – who wants to submit their dirty, stinky sweaty feet to anyone else – who wants to offend anyone so much?

Isn’t it hard then for us to imagine lifting our filthy toes to the King of Kings?

None of us are the least bit worthy of his kingly care and royal attention; yet in Christ’s perfect love, he gives us nothing less.

Does your human heart struggle like mine to serve others humbly as Jesus did?

Matthew 20:24-28 New American Standard Bible 1995

24 And hearing this, the ten became indignant with the two brothers. 25 But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. 26 It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, 27 and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His [a]life a ransom for many.”

On the Thursday before his crucifixion, Jesus ate with his disciples in an upper room and taught us what it means to love and serve.

John 13:4-5 tells us Jesus got up from the supper table, removed his robe, then he slowly wrapped a towel around his waist, and he poured water into a basin.

Then, he knelt down, took water into his hands, he looked up at them, he began gently washing disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him.

We see a precious act of humble servant ministry modeled for us in this scene.

This was a household servant’s job, yet Jesus taught that to lead, teach, and sacrificially love others, we must take on a servant role with a servant’s heart.

John 13:14-17 New American Standard Bible 1995

14 If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you. 16 Truly, truly, I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master, nor is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.

“If we know these things, we are blessed if we do them.”

It is such a radically different question we need to ask ourselves today as well.

Well, what is your best considered response? Do we actually authentically, know these things, truly want to know any of these things in these 21st century days?

We must understand what Jesus did for us to love and serve others well.

Fully God, Jesus didn’t cling to his divine privileges,

Philippians 2:5-6 New American Standard Bible 1995

5 Have this attitude [a]in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be [b] grasped,

“but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” (Philippians 2:7-8).

Jesus welcomes us through his grace and mercy, forgives our sins by his work on the cross, and washes us clean once and for all.

Then, daily, we get to walk with God in a brand new life as a follower of Christ.

As we learn his love, Jesus gives us the capacity to love and serve as He did.

Jesus wanted to ensure His disciples understood He was Teacher, Messiah, Savior, and Lord.

Soon, he would send them to tell the world the Good News that washed in the blood of Jesus Christ we could be made right with God once and for all.

He calls us to share this hope as his disciples today.

After washing His disciple’s feet, Jesus gave them a mandate, or commandment to follow when interacting with people.

The word “command” comes from the Latin word mandatum. 

A shortened form of this word is “maundy,” where we get the term “Maundy Thursday.” 

On this important day, he told his disciples (and us),

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another” (John 13:34).  

“By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35)

May this Holy Week remind us that we have a story to tell as we love and serve.

We get to testify how Jesus saved us and the difference he makes in our lives.

Like Jesus demonstrated, humbly serving others requires us to set aside status and position to love as He did.

From the most lavish to mundane, there are ways we can serve one another every single day.

A humble Christ-like posture and a willing heart are all it takes to respond to the needs around us.  

Consider spending unrushed time with a friend or family member.

Try cleaning up a mess you didn’t make.

Think of ways to bless someone or give above and beyond a typical donation, benevolence, or offering.

Serving might be costly, inconvenient, or messy at times.

It may even stretch us out of our comfort zones or require steps of faith.

Time and resources are precious, but as we learn to view them as gifts from God, sharing them with our neighbors becomes even more and more joyful.  

Look around you this week.

What is one act of service you can do that you feel is beneath your status or position?

How can you otherwise humble yourself like Christ – to love and serve others in your home, church, workplace, your neighborhood, and in your community?

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Dear Lord, I am not worthy to be washed clean by you. Yet, as my King, you took the role of humble servant when you took my place on the cross. Teach me your love for others. Lead me to serve humbly. On this particular day that we call “Maundy Thursday,” teach me your mandate to love one another as you love me. It doesn’t always come naturally to me. Lord, you know that person I struggle to love today and those areas of service I tend to avoid. You know how stingy I can be with my time, money, and things. Help me to notice and listen to people this week and respond with Christ-like love and generosity. Make me aware of the needs in my church and community and stir my heart to act. With the love you have shown me, teach me to love others with a servant’s heart like yours. In humble servant Jesus’ Name, Amen

Psalm 103 New American Standard Bible 1995

Praise for the Lord’s Mercies.

A Psalm of David.

103 Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And all that is within me, bless His holy name.
2 Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And forget none of His benefits;
3 Who pardons all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases;
4 Who redeems your life from the pit,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion;
5 Who satisfies your [a]years with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.

6 The Lord performs [b]righteous deeds
And judgments for all who are oppressed.
7 He made known His ways to Moses,
His acts to the sons of Israel.
8 The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness.
9 He will not always strive with us,
Nor will He keep His anger forever.
10 He has not dealt with us according to our sins,
Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
So great is His lovingkindness toward those who [c]fear Him.
12 As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
13 Just as a father has compassion on his children,
So the Lord has compassion on those who [d]fear Him.
14 For He Himself knows [e]our frame;
He is mindful that we are but dust.

15 As for man, his days are like grass;
As a flower of the field, so he flourishes.
16 When the wind has passed over it, it is no more,
And its place acknowledges it no longer.
17 But the lovingkindness of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who [f]fear Him,
And His [g]righteousness to children’s children,
18 To those who keep His covenant
And remember His precepts to do them.

19 The Lord has established His throne in the heavens,
And His [h]sovereignty rules over [i]all.
20 Bless the Lord, you His angels,
Mighty in strength, who perform His word,
Obeying the voice of His word!
21 Bless the Lord, all you His hosts,
You who serve Him, doing His will.
22 Bless the Lord, all you works of His,
In all places of His dominion;
Bless the Lord, O my soul!

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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A Prayer of Praise for the Fearless Righteousness of Jesus This Holy Monday. Matthew 21:12-16

Matthew 21:12-17 New American Standard Bible 1995

Cleansing the Temple

12 And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves. 13 And He *said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer’; but you are making it a robbers’ [a]den.”

14 And the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them.  15 But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that He had done, and the children who were shouting in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they became indignant 16 and said to Him, “Do You hear what these children are saying?” And Jesus *said to them, “Yes; have you never read, ‘Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies You have prepared praise for Yourself’?” 17 And He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, and spent the night there.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

We know a lot about Palm Sunday and Good Friday, but what is Holy Monday?

On Holy Monday, Jesus went back into Jerusalem and cursed a fruitless fig tree, wept over the city, and in a fit of great anger entered. then cleansed the temple.

Ponder this succession of events, the King of the World comes in riding on a donkey in humility to repeated shouts of the most joyous Hosanna on Sunday.

Then, the very next day, in complete contrast to the previous day, our great Rabbi, High Priest, enters the temple the next day and turns over the tables.

Holy Monday reminds us of the true mission and the worthiness of our Savior.

He was faultless, he was sinless a perfect model of praise and worship and here the people had taken His house of worship and made it all about selfish gain.

In thinking about all of the legalism and hypocrisy the Pharisees had been partaking in, it mightily grieved a normally calm and evenly collected Jesus.

His people were supposed to love God with all of their heart, mind and soul and strength and to love Him, but He was instead betrayed, ignored as Messiah and would be chosen over a murderous criminal to take the cross a few days later.

There is a clear verse in Ephesians 4:26 that says, “Be angry and do not sin. Don’t let the sun go down on your anger.”

Jesus was righteously angry, but his actions were not sinful.

It is hard to believe because we often like to take the love and compassion of Christ while ignoring His holiness and sovereignty.

Ponder this, He has gone into the place that was supposed to be His home, where God resided in the Holy of Holies, and observes the people were more interested in making a business out of His home-an obviously corrupt business.

They were taking advantage of God for personal gain.

They made it a place of robbery under the guise of righteousness.

They took away the attention and purpose of the Lord, and they prevented the people from connecting with Him and placed a unrighteous barrier in the way. 

We see this in the time when Moses brought the Ten Commandments down the mountain, and the Israelites had crafted the golden calf to worship as an idol.

Moses broke the commandments and went back up the mountain a second time.

As we pray about the righteousness of Jesus, we can thank Him for His holiness and his gift of forgiveness to those who believe in Him.

We, too, have made His house about selfish gain.

We have sinned against Him, and we deserve His wrath eternally.

Yahweh Tsidkenu: “the Lord Our Righteousness”

Jeremiah 33:14-18New American Standard Bible 1995

The Davidic Kingdom

14 ‘Behold, days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will fulfill the good word which I have spoken concerning the house of Israel and the house of Judah. 15 In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch of David to spring forth; and He shall execute justice and righteousness on the earth. 16  In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will dwell in safety; and this is the name by which she will be called: the Lord is our righteousness.’ 17 For thus says the Lord, ‘[a]David shall never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel; 18 [b]and the Levitical priests shall never lack a man before Me to offer burnt offerings, to burn grain offerings and to prepare sacrifices [c] continually.’”

Do we ever find the book of Jeremiah too difficult to read?

It has many bleak passages about judgment and exile for God’s people, who relentlessly disregarded their covenant Lord.

The people were constantly unfaithful to their faithful God, Yahweh.

Today’s reading is set within that dreary context, but the content of the chapter is anything but depressing.

Though confined in the court of the king’s guard (see 32:2; 33:1), Jeremiah proclaims a bright future for the people of Judah.

God promises a future of healing and health, of forgiveness of sins, and the rebuilding of Jerusalem. The city will be restored for all nations to see, and it will be called Yahweh Tsidkenu, “The LORD Our Righteousness.”

Tsidkenu stems from the Hebrew word tsedek, meaning “stiff,” “straight,” or “righteousness.”

It occurs more than 1000 times in the Old Testament, translated variously as “right,” “righteous,” “righteousness,” “just,” “justify,” “declared innocent.”

It appears here in Jeremiah chapter 33 as Yahweh Tsidkenu, “The LORD Our Righteousness,” or “The LORD Our Righteous Savior.”

In this prophecy of restoration, we catch a brief but an exceptionally promising glimpse of “a righteous Branch from David’s line,” one through whom we are justified, declared innocent, made right with God through a coming Messiah.

Knowing that Jesus is your righteousness, live righteously today and always.

Gatekeeping the Love of Jesus

Matthew 21:15-17 English Standard Version

15 But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant, 16 and they said to him, “Do you hear what these are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes; have you never read,

“‘Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies
    you have prepared praise’?”

17 And leaving them, he went out of the city to Bethany and lodged there.

Just one day prior, Jesus had entered the city of Jerusalem on a donkey’s back and had been received with much acclaim. But not by everyone. The chief priests and Pharisees had no desire to welcome Jesus. They wanted Him dead.

Why?

Among other things, Jesus claimed to be “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6a, NLT).

The only path to God.

The religious leaders believed this to be blasphemous because the only path to God they knew was through keeping the Law. Jesus’ very existence threatened their authority and all the religious rules they loved to lord over other people.

Then we come to this day of Holy Week.

Jesus arrived at the temple and saw the outer courts filled with merchants selling sacrificial animals at prices only the wealthy could afford.

Even worse, because the outer courts were the only spaces where gentiles were allowed to enter and pray, all such opportunities for them to worship God were gone.

In His righteous anger, Jesus overturned the tables and drove the merchants out, declaring, “My Temple will be called a house of prayer” (Matthew 21:13, NLT).

Then we read:

“The blind and the lame came to him in the Temple, and he healed them. The leading priests and the teachers of religious law saw these wonderful miracles and heard even the children in the Temple shouting, ‘Praise God for the Son of David.’ But the leaders were indignant” (Matthew 21:14-15, NLT).

This moment in the temple was a visible representation of everything Jesus had come to do — tear down every barrier that exists between us and God so literally anyone could approach Him.

But even seeing the healing miracles Jesus performed, the leaders still didn’t get it.

Rather than bending to the authority of Jesus, they chose to continue in their way. They were gatekeeping the sacred for purposes of their profit and benefit.

It’s here I pause and reflect: Have I been guilty of gatekeeping Jesus? Deciding (whether consciously or not) whose righteousness, who is worthy of His love?

While I’ve never been accused of sacrifice price gouging, I wonder how many people I’ve written off as being “too far gone” for God to save them.

How often have I looked the other way instead of acting with compassion?

How many opportunities have I missed to remind someone they’re loved by the righteous God of the universe?

How many times have my words or actions unintentionally reconstructed the very barriers Jesus came to demolish?

How many times have yours?

How many times have we decided the righteousness of God is not enough and severely discounted, severely misrepresented God’s righteous love for us all?

May this day of Holy Week remind us the love of God is for everyone.

No gatekeeping required.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Dear Jesus,

We praise You for Your righteousness this Holy Monday. We could not be obedient to the law. We failed miserably. We could not even keep one command. However, You came, and in your faithfulness to Your Word and to us, You gave us new life and hope. As we reflect on Your anger that was perfect and righteous, help us to take our sin seriously. Enable us to be intentional to think about the ways that we have sinned against you by sins of omission and sins of commission. 

We have not followed You. We have turned to our own fleshly ways. We have committed spiritual adultery against You as our Groom. Please forgive us. Please help us not to stay there. Give us the conviction by Your Spirit, the foundation of Your Word, and the support of community to propel us into lives that fully honor You. Help us to look more like You, Jesus. Thank You for turning the tables that day. For giving us an eternal reminder that You flip our legalism and our deceptions on the ground and everything is leveled by the cross. All have sinned and fall short of Your glory. All deserve death and hell. But You came in Your holiness, and Your righteousness became our own. Thank You for Your great mercy on us. Thank You for being righteous for us and then placing it upon all who believe in Your name. Amen.

Psalm 16 New American Standard Bible 1995

The Lord the Psalmist’s Portion in Life and Deliverer in Death.

A [a]Mikhtam of David.

16 Preserve me, O God, for I take refuge in You.
2 [b]I said to the Lord, “You are [c]my Lord;
I have no good besides You.”
3 As for the [d]saints who are in the earth,
[e]They are the majestic ones in whom is all my delight.
4 The [f]sorrows of those who have [g]bartered for another god will be multiplied;
I shall not pour out their drink offerings of blood,
Nor will I take their names upon my lips.

5 The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and my cup;
You support my lot.
6 The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places;
Indeed, my heritage is beautiful to me.

7 I will bless the Lord who has counseled me;
Indeed, my [h]mind instructs me in the night.
8 I have set the Lord continually before me;
Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
9 Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices;
My flesh also will dwell securely.
10 For You will not abandon my soul to [i]Sheol;
Nor will You [j]allow Your [k]Holy One to [l]undergo decay.
11 You will make known to me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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“For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? will a man give in exchange for his soul?” Matthew 16:24-26

Matthew 16:24-27 New American Standard Bible 1995

Discipleship Is Costly

24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. 25 For whoever wishes to save his [a]life will lose it; but whoever loses his [b]life for My sake will find it. 26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 27 For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and will then [c]repay every man according to his [d]deeds.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Peter had extraordinarily strong emotional ties to Jesus.

How could Jesus even talk of leaving and dying?

Didn’t Jesus know that Peter needed him?

Peter pulled Jesus aside because Jesus wasn’t talking like someone who had the world by a string.

But Jesus saw the world differently.

Losing life for the Lord’s sake was better than holding on to life in this world.

Peter needed a hardcore verbal slap in the face.

Jesus saw what Peter could not see: Satan was standing in Jesus’ way to bring Peter to the Father.

Like a cold glass of water thrown in the face of a sleepy person, Jesus had to rigorously, vigorously awaken Peter to kingdom things.

Peter was holding on to his life too hard without suffering for Jesus’ sake.

The cross was the only way to bring Peter to God.

By letting go of his life, Jesus gains for us eternal life.

Jesus was training Peter to lose his life for Jesus so that Peter could have a life that really honored God.

What are you, your heart and your soul holding on to for your own sake?

Maybe it’s time to give permission to your heart and your soul to finally let go of your worldly life so that Jesus can give you a true life that truly honors God?

Markers of Spiritual Growth and Maturity

Psalm 15 New American Standard Bible 1995

Description of a Citizen of Zion.

A Psalm of David.

15 O Lord, who may [a]abide in Your tent?
Who may dwell on Your holy hill?
2 He who walks with integrity, and works righteousness,
And speaks truth in his heart.
3 He does not slander [b]with his tongue,
Nor does evil to his neighbor,
Nor takes up a reproach against his friend;
4 In [c]whose eyes a reprobate is despised,
But [d]who honors those who fear the Lord;
He swears to his own hurt and does not change;
5 He does not put out his money [e]at interest,
Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things will never be shaken.

You would think the desire of every believer in Jesus Christ is to strive for spiritual maturity.

I can’t say for certain this is true of every believer, but at least I can hope.

If you are going to strive for maturity – and I trust this is your desire – doesn’t it make sense to know what it looks like?

After all, the old saying goes, “if you aim at nothing you will hit it every time.”

For this reason, I want to suggest for you a target.

The target is simply five questions that will help measure how you are doing in terms of your spiritual maturity.

These questions are in no manner meant to be judgmental, but hopefully they will become stirring, eye-opening as we seek to continue to grow as believers.

What Does Mature Mean?

Philippians 3:15-16 New International Version

Following Paul’s Example

15 All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. 16 Only let us live up to what we have already attained.

The word for mature here means complete in all its parts, full grown, of full age, or fully developed. The reference here is connected to the development of your Christian character. Looking at verse 15 closer leads to the first question.

1. Do You Have the Right Perspective in Life?

Spiritual maturity is about having the right perspective in life, and the way you think is evidence of your maturity in Christ.

Your outlook regarding the situations in life you face speak volumes as to whether you are approaching them from a place of maturity or immaturity.

However, it is not just about looking at life situations with the right mindset.

You must also view yourself from the right perspective.

This requires you to not just think about what you do, but who you are in Christ.

Too often in life we have the tendency to define ourselves by what we do.

It is very common to ask someone, especially when you first meet them, “What do you do for a living?”

While this is a good conversation starter, sometimes we can’t get past defining the conversation or ourselves in this fashion.

If you are going to have a mature perspective, you need to define yourself not simply by what you do, because that can change.

You need to define yourself by who you are in Christ, because that doesn’t change.

This doesn’t mean you have achieved all you are in Christ, but it does mean you are striving toward it.

The more you begin to see yourself and begin to define yourself the way God sees you, the more maturity you are developing.

2. Are You Holding on to the Progress You Have Already Made?

Philippians 3:15-16 New Living Translation

15 Let all who are spiritually mature agree on these things. If you disagree on some point, I believe God will make it plain to you. 16 But we must hold on to the progress we have already made.

This question comes from Philippians 3:16, “Only let us live up to what we have already attained.” 

Another measure of your maturity focuses on not just how you have developed in the past, but how you will continue to develop in the future.

Spiritual maturity is about learning and continuing to learn.

Growing and continuing to grow.

In other words, there is always going to be more maturity ahead of you.

If the ultimate goal is to be conformed into the image of Christ, we all have a long way to go.

That’s why in this life we are always striving but never arriving.

Maturity recognizes the progress you have made, holds onto it, and at the same time strives to continue forward.

3. Who Are You Choosing to Follow?

Philippians 3:17-18 New Living Translation

17 Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example. 18 For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ.

Paul gives an interesting instruction in verse 17.

I am not sure how often we think about this, but the people you choose to follow point to your level of spiritual maturity.

Who you choose to look up to as a role model or example to follow speaks volumes to how you are developing in your walk with Christ.

Paul encouraged the Philippians to follow his example and the example of others that live like he does.

This forces me to ask you the question, who are the people you are following?

The measure of the role model is not what they say, but how they live.

In short, their character absolutely matters.

To take it a step further, a person’s title or position does not automatically deem them worthy of being an example or a role model.

However, their character does.

Be careful who you choose to follow and make sure you consider those who truly display godly character.

If you are spiritually mature, you will stop making excuses for people’s lack of character and start holding them accountable for it.

This is real evidence of spiritual maturity.

4. How Do You Spend Your Time and Where Do You Devote Your Focus?

Philippians 3:20-21 New Living Translation

20 But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. 21 He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control.

You might be wondering what this has to do with spiritual maturity.

Quite possibly this could have everything to do with it.

Because as a believer you are a citizen of heaven, this means you have a sacred duty, a moral and an ethical obligation to the place where your citizenship lies.

When an Olympic athlete competes, they represent their country of citizenship.

They usually count this as an honor and for this reason they train hard because they always want to give their absolute best effort and do their country proud.

We are citizens of heaven, which means when we go out into the world and live, we represent heaven, and we too always need to ensure we are giving our best effort so that we can give all glory and honor unto God as His representative.

2 Corinthians 5:12-21 New Living Translation

12 Are we commending ourselves to you again? No, we are giving you a reason to be proud of us,[a] so you can answer those who brag about having a spectacular ministry rather than having a sincere heart. 13 If it seems we are crazy, it is to bring glory to God. And if we are in our right minds, it is for your benefit. 14 Either way, Christ’s love controls us.[b] Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life.[c] 15 He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.

16 So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! 17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

18 And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. 19 For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. 20 So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” 21 For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin,[d] so that we could be made right with God through Christ.

For all of this to happen you must make sure that you are not getting entangled in earthly pursuits that only distract you from what God has called you to do.

In the time God has given us on this earth he has a purpose and plan for our life.

This means you must be selective in what you put your energy behind and make sure your goals, desires, and whatever you choose to pursue align with heaven’s goals and desires for your life.

The more you mature, the more you can make sure this becomes your primary focus, allowing you to block out all those other things that can distract you.

As you measure your maturity, consider closely how you will spend your time and what you focus on.

These two things will be big clues as to whether you are operating in spiritual maturity or not.

5. Do You Contend for the Unity of the Body of Christ?

Philippians 4:1-3 New International Version

Closing Appeal for Steadfastness and Unity

4 Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, dear friends!

2 I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. 3 Yes, and I ask you, my true companion, help these women since they have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life.

When Paul was writing his letter to the church in Philippi, there was one bad situation he had to address.

There seemed to be a disagreement between two of the women in the church.

These women were prominent in the church, which is why their disagreement was causing a problem.

These women were considered dear friends, companions, women who contended with Paul for the cause of the gospel.

He called them co-workers, whose names are in the book of life.

Paul pleaded with them for unity.

Currently the church is filled with many disputes and divisions of various kinds, but where do you stand? Are you contending for the unity of the body of Christ? 

This was not only Paul’s plea, this was also Jesus’ prayer (John 17:21), so this is not something to be brushed aside or taken lightly.  

A person who is fighting and contending for the unity of the body of Christ is operating in spiritual maturity.

However, if a person is always divisive, destructive, or disagreeable, then they are not operating with God’s heart in mind and are clearly spiritually immature.

All I can say is please don’t be that person.

Concluding Thoughts – Spiritual Growth and Maturity

Matthew 5:13-16 New American Standard Bible 1995

Disciples and the World

13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how [a]can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.

14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a [b]hill cannot be hidden; 15 nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a [c]basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

As I bring this to a close, how did you do with those questions?

Remember this is not about judgment but about trying to help us all become more mature in our walk with Jesus Christ.

My prayer is that the cry of our hearts would always be in this direction.

When it is, we are aligning with God’s desire and hopefully always growing and continuously imitating Christ, becoming the mature believers he wants us to be.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 24 New American Standard Bible 1995

The King of Glory Entering Zion.

A Psalm of David.

24 The earth is the Lord’s, and [a]all it contains,
The world, and those who dwell in it.
2 For He has founded it upon the seas
And established it upon the rivers.
3 Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord?
And who may stand in His holy place?
4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
Who has not lifted up his soul [b]to falsehood
And has not sworn deceitfully.
5 He shall receive a blessing from the Lord
And [c]righteousness from the God of his salvation.
6 [d]This is the generation of those who seek Him,
Who seek Your face—even Jacob. [e]Selah.

7 Lift up your heads, O gates,
And be lifted up, O [f]ancient doors,
That the King of glory may come in!
8 Who is the King of glory?
The Lord strong and mighty,
The Lord mighty in battle.
9 Lift up your heads, O gates,
And lift them up, O [g]ancient doors,
That the King of glory may come in!
10 Who is this King of glory?
The Lord of hosts,
He is the King of glory. Selah.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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Moving Towards Spiritual Growth And Maturity. Philippians 3:15-21

Philippians 3:15-21 New International Version

Following Paul’s Example

15 All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. 16 Only let us live up to what we have already attained.

17 Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do. 18 For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things. 20 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

This devotion seeks to explore how we hope to live out Christian maturity, to imitate Christ, and influence others towards righteousness, by establishing a character deeply rooted in God’s truth and love.

Today, we’re going to turn our hearts and minds to the inspiring words of the Apostle Paul in Philippians 3:15-21.

This passage brims with wisdom, with challenges, with the Apostle’s heartfelt plea for us to imitate maturity through Christ, to manifest the message of the cross, and to motivate others towards righteousness.

But how do we do this? How do we live out these lofty ideals in our day-to-day lives? How do we align our actions with our beliefs, our hearts with our words?

Charles Spurgeon, the great British preacher and theologian, once said, “A good character when established is not easily overthrown.”

This is the essence of our pursuit – a character thoroughly established in Christ, unshakeable, and unwavering, rooted in the firm foundation of God’s truth and love.

Mimicking Maturity through Christ

In the passage we’ve read, Paul urges us to think as mature believers.

But what does it mean to be mature in Christ?

It’s not about age or experience.

It’s about a connected, deep, intimate relationship with Jesus, a relationship that transforms us from the inside out.

It’s about allowing the Holy Spirit to work in us, molding, shaping us into the image of Christ. It’s about growing in His wisdom, in understanding, in love.

James 1:4-6 New International Version

4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.

When we look at Jesus, we see the perfect example of maturity.

He was fully God, yet He chose to become fully human, to live among us, to experience our struggles, our pains, our joys.

He showed us what it means to actually love unconditionally, to forgive without limit, to serve without expecting anything in return.

Mark 10:35-45 New International Version

The Request of James and John

35 Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do for us whatever we ask.”

36 “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked.

37 They replied, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.”

38 “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said. “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?”

39 “We can,” they answered.

Jesus said to them, “You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, 40 but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared.”

41 When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John. 42 Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 43 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Paul calls us to imitate this kind of maturity.

He’s not asking us to put on a show, to pretend to be something we’re not.

He’s asking us to genuinely strive to be like Christ, let His character become our character, His values become our values, His priorities become our priorities.

This requires effort, discipline, and perseverance. (James 1:4)

It requires us to constantly examine our hearts, our motives, our actions.

Psalm 139:23-24 New International Version

23 Search me, God, and know my heart;
    test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 See if there is any offensive way in me,
    and lead me in the way everlasting.

But the reward is worth it.

As we grow in maturity, we experience a deeper, richer relationship with God.

We experience a greater sense of peace, joy, fulfillment.

But how do we imitate Christ’s maturity?

How do we grow in our relationship with Him?

Moving Towards Spiritual Maturity

First, we need to spend time with Him.

Just as we can’t become close friends with someone without spending time with them, we cannot become mature believers without spending time with Jesus.

We need to read His Word, to pray, to worship, to meditate on His truths.

We need to listen to His voice, to seek His face, to bask in His presence.

Second, we need to obey His commands.

Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my commands.”

Matthew 22:34-40 New International Version

The Greatest Commandment

34 Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’[a] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[b] 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Obedience is not a burden, but a joy.

It’s not a duty, but a privilege.

It’s not a way to earn God’s love, but a response to His love.

As we obey Jesus, we show our love for Him.

We show our trust in Him.

We show our desire to please Him.

Third, we need to serve others. Jesus came not to be served, but to serve.

He washed His disciples’ feet, a task reserved for the lowest servant.

He fed the hungry, healed the sick, comforted the brokenhearted. He loved the unlovable, forgave the unforgivable, welcomed the unwelcome. As we serve others, we follow Jesus’ example. We show His love, His compassion, His grace.

Fourth, we need to share the gospel. Jesus came to seek and save the lost.

Luke 19:1-10 New International Version

Zacchaeus the Tax Collector

19 Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. 4  So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.

5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.

7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.”

8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”

9 Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

He spent His earthly life proclaiming the good news of God’s kingdom, calling people to relationship, repentance, offering forgiveness, promising eternal life.

He commissioned His disciples to go and make disciples of all nations.

Matthew 28:16-20 New International Version

The Great Commission

16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

As we share the gospel, we fulfill Jesus’ commission.

We extend His invitation.

We bring hope to the hopeless, light to the darkness, life to the dead.

Romans 15:1-13 New International Version

15 We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. 2 Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up. 3 For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.”[a] 4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.

5 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, 6 so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

7 Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. 8 For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews[b] on behalf of God’s truth, so that the promises made to the patriarchs might be confirmed 9 and, moreover, that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written:

“Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles;
    I will sing the praises of your name.”[c]

10 Again, it says,

“Rejoice, you Gentiles, with his people.”[d]

11 And again,

“Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles;
    let all the peoples extol him.”[e]

12 And again, Isaiah says,

“The Root of Jesse will spring up,
    one who will arise to rule over the nations;
    in him the Gentiles will hope.”[f]

13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Remember, mimicking growth, maturity through Christ is not about perfection.

It’s about progress.

It’s about moving forward, step by step, day by day.

It’s about growing, changing, transforming.

It’s about becoming more and more like Jesus, until one day, we see Him face to face, and we become like Him, perfectly mature, perfectly whole, perfectly His.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 15 New American Standard Bible 1995

Description of a Citizen of Zion.

A Psalm of David.

15 O Lord, who may [a]abide in Your tent?
Who may dwell on Your holy hill?
2 He who walks with integrity, and works righteousness,
And speaks truth in his heart.
3 He does not slander [b]with his tongue,
Nor does evil to his neighbor,
Nor takes up a reproach against his friend;
4 In [c]whose eyes a reprobate is despised,
But [d]who honors those who fear the Lord;
He swears to his own hurt and does not change;
5 He does not put out his money [e]at interest,
Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things will never be shaken.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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A Prayer for Healing and Wholeness This Easter Season. Psalm 107:19-20

Psalm 107:17-22 New American Standard Bible 1995

17 Fools, because of [a]their rebellious way,
And because of their iniquities, were afflicted.
18 Their soul abhorred all kinds of food,
And they drew near to the gates of death.
19 Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble;
He saved them out of their distresses.
20 He sent His word and healed them,
And delivered them from their [b]destructions.
21 Let them give thanks to the Lord for His lovingkindness,
And for His [c]wonders to the sons of men!
22 Let them also offer sacrifices of thanksgiving,
And tell of His works with joyful singing.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Have you ever asked yourself if can you or you will ever be healed or whole?

Life has a way of breaking you down.

Piece by piece, no peace by absent peace, sin has an insidious way of destroying you from the inside out.

When we take the time, and we dare ourselves to look at our world and the mess it is in, and even our own personal lives, this side of eternity can feel hopeless.

Corrie Ten Boom, a holocaust survivor who lost her father and sister in a concentration camp, said, “If you look at the world, you’ll be distressed. If you look within, you’ll be depressed. If you look at God, you’ll be at rest.”

As I looked up verses on healing and wholeness, I came across this verse in Psalm 107:20. “He sent his word and healed them.”

When I saw “He sent his word,” I was reminded of John 1:14, which says,

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

Jesus is the Word that John is referring to here. Sometimes, the Lord doesn’t change our situation because He wants to change us. He wants us to depend on Him and to rely on the truth about His character and His promises in His Word.

In Exodus 15:26, the Lord refers to Himself as the Lord who heals you.

No one is beyond healing.

But we also must acknowledge that this is not heaven.

We live in a fallen world, and on this side of eternity, we will never be fully whole, but in Christ, we are enough because He is enough.

He is sufficient.

Yet, He can still heal, restore, and make whole, but it has to be His will, in His way and in His timing. 

One thing we can cling to is truth!

John 8:32, it says, “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

So if you’re struggling because you’re believing sins lies, if you know the truth, the truth will set You free. God’s Word also transforms us (Romans 12:2).

Appreciating the Word of God Sent From Psalm 107

Psalm 107 New American Standard Bible 1995

BOOK 5

The Lord Delivers Men from Manifold Troubles.

107 Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
2 Let the redeemed of the Lord say so,
Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the adversary
3 And gathered from the lands,
From the east and from the west,
From the north and from the [a]south.

Four dramatic stories of reversal and rescue make up the heart of this psalm.

These are hard, perilous circumstances: lost in the desert, locked up in prison, afflicted and near death, and perishing at sea.

In all of the situations in the Psalm, God unhesitatingly, directly and decisively, acts in powerful, life-giving, life transforming ways to rescue and restore.

If we think or believe that our lives are beyond help or rescue, we are wrong.

God guides us into the desert, to springs of water, out of the desert, breaks our chains, opens prison doors, speaks words of healing, and calms the stormy sea.

We may go down, even stay down for awhile, but God will always bring us back.

Whatever it takes, however long it takes, by all means necessary, God can do it.

Many readers and students note that the stories in this psalm remind them of Jesus’ ministry.

1 John 1:1-4 New American Standard Bible 1995

Introduction, The Incarnate Word

1 What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life— 2 and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us— 3 what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. 4 These things we write, so that our joy may be made complete.

John 3:16-17 New American Standard Bible 1995

16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His [a]only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.

Jesus comes to connect, to relate, refresh, to rescue, deliver, free, and restore.

He feeds the hungry and provides living water, releases people from chains of disability and illness, rescues people from the grave, and calms the stormy sea.

The gospel Jesus indelibly proclaims is the good news of God’s steadfast love.

In all that Christ does, we see all of God’s love in ceaseless, continuous action.

We may not have stories like these to tell, but all have the story of Ephesians 2: we were dead in our sins, following the ways of this world, deserving of wrath.

But even though we were unable to utter a simple cry for help, God—out of his steadfast love and mercy—He rescued us all through the work of Jesus Christ.

Jeremiah 17:14 New American Standard Bible 1995

14 Heal me, O Lord, and I will be healed;
Save me and I will be saved,
For You are my praise.

Do we acknowledge this?

Do we believe this?

Do we believe we can be healed and made whole?

Do you believe that you can be healed and made whole?

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 30 New American Standard Bible 1995

Thanksgiving for Deliverance from Death.

A Psalm; a Song at the Dedication of the House. A Psalm of David.

30 I will extol You, O Lord, for You have lifted me up,
And have not let my enemies rejoice over me.
2 O Lord my God,
I cried to You for help, and You healed me.
3 O Lord, You have brought up my soul from [a]Sheol;
You have kept me alive, [b]that I would not go down to the pit.
4 Sing praise to the Lord, you His godly ones,
And give thanks to His holy [c]name.
5 For His anger is but for a moment,
His favor is for a lifetime;
Weeping may last for the night,
But a shout of joy comes in the morning.

6 Now as for me, I said in my prosperity,
“I will never be moved.”
7 O Lord, by Your favor You have made my mountain to stand strong;
You hid Your face, I was dismayed.
8 To You, O Lord, I called,
And to the Lord I made supplication:
9 “What profit is there in my blood, if I go down to the pit?
Will the dust praise You? Will it declare Your faithfulness?

10 “Hear, O Lord, and be gracious to me;
O Lord, be my helper.”
11 You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;
You have loosed my sackcloth and girded me with gladness,
12 That my [d]soul may sing praise to You and not be silent.
O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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“Thy Will Be Done! O’ Lord, Amen!” What are we Missing? Matthew 6:10

Matthew 6:9-13 New American Standard Bible 1995

9 “Pray, then, in this way:

‘Our Father who is 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 [a]our daily bread.
12 ‘And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 ‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from [b]evil. [c][For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.’]

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Can You Miss God’s Will?

Matthew 6:10 New American Standard Bible 1995

10 ‘Your kingdom come.
Your will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.

The fear of missing God’s will is enough to paralyze any Christian.

But here’s the question: can a Christian miss the will of God for their life?

Could you somehow go your entire life being outside of God’s good plan for you?

It seems that the Bible teaches that, yes, you can miss God’s will.

It also teaches that no, you can’t miss God’s will.

We Can Miss God’s Will If …

The way to miss God’s will is really simple: ignore the Bible.

In the Bible God has told us exactly what we should do when it comes to making decisions.

First, we should determine if our decision goes against anything clearly spelled out in the Bible.

The Bible is clear that fellowship with other believers is necessary for our Christian growth.

If taking a job will cut you off from fellowship with others, it’s not God’s will for you to take the job.

Second, we should ask God to give us wisdom. 

James 1:5–6 says: “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting…”

Getting wisdom from God isn’t a mystical, super-spiritual experience.

It means asking God to help us think clearly and biblically about the decision in front of us.

When we ask for wisdom we should believe God is going to give it to us.

God isn’t trying to hide his good will from us.

He wants to help us understand the right way to walk.

Third, we should ask the opinion of others. 

Proverbs 15:22 says, “Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed.”

This is so gloriously simple.

Finding God’s will for your life is as simple as asking others to pray for you on the matter and then asking the opinion of those other, godly Christians.

Lay the situation out before them, and then let God speak to you through their counsel.

You Can’t Miss God’s Will If…

If we heed the counsel of scripture, we won’t miss God’s will.

So here are 3 signs you are following God’s will for your life, and for each point we will also see the signs that will be present when we are about to miss God’s will for our lives.

1. When You Are Obeying God’s Commands and Seeking to Glorify Him, You Are Following God’s Will for Your Life / When You Are Not Obeying God’s Commands and Choosing Not to Glorify Him, You Are Missing God’s Will for Your Life

1 Thessalonians 4:1-8 New American Standard Bible 1995

Sanctification and Love

4 Finally then, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to [a]walk and please God (just as you actually do [b]walk), that you excel still more. 2 For you know what commandments we gave you [c]by the authority of the Lord Jesus. 3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from [d]sexual immorality; 4 that each of you know how to [e]possess his own [f]vessel in sanctification and honor , 5 not in [g]lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God; 6 and that no man transgress and defraud his brother in the matter because the Lord is the avenger in all these things, just as we also told you before and solemnly warned you. 7 For God has not called us for the purpose of impurity, but [h]in sanctification. 8 So, he who rejects this is not rejecting man but the God who gives His Holy Spirit to you.

According to these verses, if you want to follow God’s will for your life, it will all start with obeying God’s commands.

Notice the emphasis Paul puts on us to do what we “ought” and “walk and to please the Lord.”

We are to follow the “instructions” of the apostles which Jesus gave them (which is the word of God).

God’s will is that we be sanctified. God has called us to live holy lives.

Therefore, it is reasonably safe to say that when we are obeying God’s word we are following God’s will.

2. When You Are Choosing to Sacrificially Love Someone, You Are Following God’s Will for Your Life / When You Are Running from Sacrificial Love, This Is a Sign You Are Missing God’s Will for Your Life

God always leads us to love.

How we express this love will look differently depending on each situation.

Sometimes God will lead you to commit to someone more so you can love them in a greater way.

Sometimes God will lead you to let someone go because that is what is best for the both of you.

The key to real love is to put that other person above any selfish desires of your own. 

Notice what Jesus said in John 15:12-17. It states:

John 15:12-17 New American Standard Bible 1995

Disciples’ Relation to Each Other

12 “This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are My friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you. 17 This I command you, that you love one another.

Notice that Jesus actually “appointed you that you should go and bear fruit.”

What is that fruit that he has called us to produce?

That we love one another as he has loved us.

You will recognize what path is God’s will for your life by choosing the path of sacrificial love.

3. When You Are Being Joyful in the Lord Regardless of What Doors God Is Sovereignly Opening and Closing in Your Life, This Is a Sign You Are Following God’s Will / If You Are Resenting God Because You Do Not Like What God Is Doing in Your Life, This Is a Sign You Are Missing God’s Will

When it comes to following the will of God for your life, often what is more important than “what” you choose to do is “how” you choose to do it.

In other words, the details and events that occur in our lives are often outside of our control and fall under the “sovereign will of God.”

But how we go through these events and experiences that God brings into our lives will truly be determined by the choices we make and don’t make when we choose to follow God’s Spirit or not.

You will know you are following God’s will for your life by your attitude towards the things that are out of your control. 

As 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 states, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

So whether you choose to relate that person, place or thing or not, whether you are single or get married, whether you stay at that job or go work somewhere else – the single most important variable in the equation of following God’s will for your life is whether or not you are choosing to humble yourself, surrender your will, to glorify and honor the Lord by remaining joyful in him at all times.

God will open and close certain doors in our lives and this is out of our control.

But God desires that no matter what happens, we go through it all with him in a spirit of prayerful submission and joy.

Lord, Teach Us to Pray …

Matthew 6:5-13 New American Standard Bible 1995

5 “When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners [a]so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. 6 But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.

7 “And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. 8 So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.

9 “Pray, then, in this way:

‘Our Father who is 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 [b]our daily bread.
12 ‘And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 ‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from [c]evil. [d][For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.’]

By the model of prayer that Jesus gives us here, what this prayer teaches us is God isn’t trying to hide his will, or trying to trick us into making a bad decision.

Go away to your “prayer closet,” your “private place” your “war room” where God alone knows exactly what is going on, God alone knows what needs to be.

Pick up your Bible, and in no uncertain terms, fully engage the Word of God!

If we evaluate our decision by scripture, ask for wisdom, and then ask the opinion of others, we are doing what the will of God requires of us, for us.

He promises to guide us through that process.

Often, our prayers can be focused on the chaos of the “street level” of our lives.

We are concerned about health, finances, relationships, and decisions.

Jesus does not deny the chaotic troubles of this world, but by this Lord’s prayer, he invites us all to see the world also from God’s perspective as he teaches us to pray that God’s kingdom will come, and that God’s will may be accomplished.

We don’t need to seek a subjective, mystical, spiritual feeling when it comes to decision making.

Don’t get me wrong; sometimes God gives us peace about a decision, and that’s an authentic blessing when God knows we truly need it above all other things.

But that’s not always the case.

Sometimes we might not feel one way or another about a decision.

In general, feelings are a very bad barometer of the truth.

A feeling of peace can come from God, but it can also come from a lot of other things, like a glass of wine or a good nap.

Plus, what exactly constitutes the “right” feeling when it comes to a decision?

Is it peace? Or maybe joy? Or a sense of rightness?

The Bible doesn’t tell us what we’re supposed to feel about our decisions.

Instead, it tells us how to make biblical, God-honoring decisions.

So, if you have a big decision to make, don’t freak out.

2 Timothy 2:14-15 New American Standard Bible 1995

An Unashamed Workman

14 Remind them of these things, and solemnly charge them in the presence of God not to wrangle about words, which is useless and leads to the ruin of the hearers. 15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.

James 1:19-24 New American Standard Bible 1995

19 [a]This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear,  slow to speak and slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all [b]that remains of wickedness, in [c]humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls. 22 But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his [d]natural face in a mirror; 24 for once he has looked at himself and gone away, [e]he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was.

Instead, go to the Word, study it and ask for wisdom, and get others involved.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 20 English Standard Version

Trust in the Name of the Lord Our God

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

20 May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble!
    May the name of the God of Jacob protect you!
2 May he send you help from the sanctuary
    and give you support from Zion!
3 May he remember all your offerings
    and regard with favor your burnt sacrifices! Selah

4 May he grant you your heart’s desire
    and fulfill all your plans!
5 May we shout for joy over your salvation,
    and in the name of our God set up our banners!
May the Lord fulfill all your petitions!

6 Now I know that the Lord saves his anointed;
    he will answer him from his holy heaven
    with the saving might of his right hand.
7 Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
    but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.
8 They collapse and fall,
    but we rise and stand upright.

9 O Lord, save the king!
    May he answer us when we call.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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Being Prosperous: The Business of Easily Shipwrecking Your Own Faith. 1 Timothy 1:18-20

1 Timothy 1:18-20 New Living Translation

Timothy’s Responsibility

18 Timothy, my son, here are my instructions for you, based on the prophetic words spoken about you earlier. May they help you fight well in the Lord’s battles. 19 Cling to your faith in Christ, and keep your conscience clear. For some people have deliberately violated their consciences; as a result, their faith has been shipwrecked. 20 Hymenaeus and Alexander are two examples. I threw them out and handed them over to Satan so they might learn not to blaspheme God.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

To experience an actual shipwreck would be one of the scariest experiences a person could go through.

When we hear of diverse ships being stranded at sea, starting to sink, or having mechanical issues, we hold our breaths deeply until people are safely rescued.

Psalm 107:23-32 New Living Translation

23 Some went off to sea in ships,
    plying the trade routes of the world.
24 They, too, observed the Lord’s power in action,
    his impressive works on the deepest seas.
25 He spoke, and the winds rose,
    stirring up the waves.
26 Their ships were tossed to the heavens
    and plunged again to the depths;
    the sailors cringed in terror.
27 They reeled and staggered like drunkards
    and were at their wits’ end.
28 “Lord, help!” they cried in their trouble,
    and he saved them from their distress.
29 He calmed the storm to a whisper
    and stilled the waves.
30 What a blessing was that stillness
    as he brought them safely into harbor!
31 Let them praise the Lord for his great love
    and for the wonderful things he has done for them.
32 Let them exalt him publicly before the congregation
    and before the leaders of the nation.

The apostle Paul knew very well the first hand experience of being shipwrecked probably better than anyone.

“Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea…” (2 Corinthians 11:25 NIV)

Three times he was shipwrecked!

And yet, he survived to tell the story.

While most of us can only imagine such an ordeal, I’m afraid others of us may end up going through something just as terrible—the shipwreck of faith.

For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.  – (Hebrews 6:4-6 NKJV)

Drifting away from our relationship with Jesus is a very serious situation that requires serious action.

We are in constant danger of reaching a place, in the open sea of life, where we will completely abandon our faith and outright reject the Lord.

There is an interesting line, in 1 Timothy 1:20, that mentions a couple of men by the names of Hymenaeus and Alexander—men to whom Paul “handed over to Satan.”

Now, I don’t know about you, but I never want to be “handed over” to Satan!

The context of the passage is that Paul recognized two grave things that these men had allowed to happen—two things that basically shipwrecked their faith.

When Paul warned Timothy to “fight the good fight with faith and a good conscience,” he was outlining two necessary things for the Christian walk.

Unfortunately, Hymenaeus and Alexander had rejected these and been expelled from Paul’s leadership in order that they would learn a hard lesson.

Following the example of these men, here are 2 ways to shipwreck your faith:

1. Reject

In a world where everyone is encouraged to embrace “whatever feels right,” there is an extreme danger of being mislead toward ideas that are contrary to the Scriptures.

These ideas plague our culture, our homes, and even our churches.

Eventually, they may lead a person to outright reject faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me.” (Luke 10:16 NKJV)

Belief and the acceptance of Jesus as the only true God is foundational to the Christian faith.

Any other ideas that try to distort this truth are ideas that can lead to shipwreck.

It is crucial to our faith we trust in the finished work of Christ on the cross and not try to add or take away from it.

2. Ignore

When our conscience becomes hardened to the point that we no longer hear or heed the voice of the Holy Spirit, our faith becomes like a splintered ship, tossed against the rocky shore, useless and abandoned.

The Holy Spirit’s role is “God in us.”

When we enter into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, His Spirit comes to reside.

John 14:23-26 New Living Translation

23 Jesus replied, “All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them. 24 Anyone who does not love me will not obey me. And remember, my words are not my own. What I am telling you is from the Father who sent me. 25 I am telling you these things now while I am still with you. 26 But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.

He guards, guides, and directs us in the way we should go.

Without His navigation, our faith will surely be shipwrecked. It is of utmost importance that we remain in step with Him and listen to His still, small voice.

If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. (Galatians 5:25 NKJV)

Paul’s charge to his protégé Timothy was to remain strong in the battle, steady on the open seas, and faithful in the Lord.

He knew that temptations would come—temptations to reject and ignore the only God and Savior, thereby risking the shipwreck of his faith.

For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe. (1Timothy 4:10 NKJV)

Is your faith strong?

Is your faith battling a raging category 5 storm all around you? (Mark 4:35-41)

Is your faith taking, hit an iceberg on the water and is sinking like the Titanic?

Is your faith already sunk to the very deepest depths of the very deepest oceans?

Psalm 38:8 New American Standard Bible 1995

8 I am benumbed and [a]badly crushed;
I [b]groan because of the [c]agitation of my heart.

Psalm 143:3 New American Standard Bible 1995

3 For the enemy has persecuted my soul;
He has crushed my life to the ground;
He has made me dwell in dark places, like those who have long been dead.

Do you believe you place 100% of your trust in your God?

Consider well all the scars you privately carry where only God can find them.

What triggers those scars to come to the forefront of your heart and soul?

How fast are you triggered?

How fast do you lose focus?

Now, about how you uncharacteristically act out in response to those moments?

Then why does your faith teeter on the very brink of being shipwrecked by any crisis as Job’s wife did when she commanded of her husband to “curse God?”

Job 2:9 New American Standard Bible 1995

9 Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die!”

I have seen so many, too many, Christians that let the worlds circumstances continually beat them down, pound their souls, destroy their faith in the Lord. (Listen to the deep depths of emotion of the captives coming from Psalm 137)

Even in such times, the bible tells us that God is there through it ALL! not some.

Psalm 34:18 New American Standard Bible 1995

18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted
And saves those who are [a]crushed in spirit.

Authentically, Realistically, consider how fragile your faith in God actually is!

Job 1:4-5 New American Standard Bible 1995

4 His sons used to go and hold a feast in the house of each one on his day, and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. 5 When the days of feasting had completed their cycle, Job would send and consecrate them, rising up early in the morning and offering burnt offerings according to the number of them all; for Job said, “Perhaps my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” Thus Job did continually.

Today’s prayer is that we would continually assess the fragility of our faith, always trust in the Lord no matter what the circumstance is………Be Blessed!

Proverbs 3:5-8 New American Standard Bible 1995

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight.
7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;
Fear the Lord and turn away from evil.
8 It will be healing to your [a]body
And refreshment to your bones.

Trust in the Lord with all of your heart!

Lean not on your own understanding!

In all your ways acknowledge Him!

Do not be wise in your own eyes!

(Reverently) Fear the Lord and turn away from evil!

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new 2 Corinthians 5:17.

He will make your paths straight!

It will be healing to your bodies!

It will be healing to your souls!

It will be refreshment to your bones!

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 23 New American Standard Bible 1995

The Lord, the Psalmist’s Shepherd.

A Psalm of David.

23 The Lord is my shepherd,
I [a]shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside [b]quiet waters.
3 He restores my soul;
He guides me in the [c]paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.

4 Even though I walk through the [d]valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no [e]evil, for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You [f]have anointed my head with oil;
My cup overflows.
6 [g]Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life,
And I will [h]dwell in the house of the Lord [i]forever.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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Responding to Hard Circumstances: A God-Centered vs. A Man-Centered Perspective. Matthew 16:21-23

Matthew 16:21-23 New International Version

Jesus Predicts His Death

21 From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.

22 Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!”

23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Hard circumstances surround us about as much as air.

From a flat tire on a rainy day, to opposition from friends, to family scuffles, to grave illness, and more, we will not remain insulated from difficulty.

And our responding to the inevitable can make all the difference.

On one end, we can, by God’s grace, respond with God at the center so as to honor him.

On the other, we can respond with self at the center so as to send ourselves into a whirlpool of error and anger.

None of it is easy.

At times, we can get into patterns where unbiblical responding becomes second nature (or first).

If you have struggled like I have to maintain a God-centered perspective in struggles, you may need a biblical mirror held up to help facilitate change.

Here are a few adjustments we might need to make in our perspective as difficulty hits:

  1. Instead of thinking, “My circumstances are overwhelming,” I should think, “God’s grace will be sufficient for me in these circumstances.”

“And He has said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.’ Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

If the first thing that hits us in difficulty is the magnitude of the situation’s overwhelming-ness, I may have a lower than required view of Almighty God.

Even more, I might have a nearsighted view of his sustaining grace.

  1. Rather than asking, “Why can’t these difficult people love me more?”, I should ask, “How is God loving me right now?”

“For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives” (Hebrews 12:6).

Becoming a Christian is an incredible thing.

The moment we bow the knee in faith to Jesus Christ, God the Father considers his wrath towards us quenched at the cross.

From then on, God perpetually deals with us as children (Hebrews 12:5-8).

That includes hard stuff.

God loves his children so much, that he will see to it that they are continually shaped through his loving discipline.

  1. Instead of asking, “What’s wrong with these people and circumstances?,” I could ask, “What’s wrong with my thinking about God?”

“You thought that I was just like you” (Psalm 50:21).

For better or worse, our idea of God influences all we think and do.

This is especially true in hard circumstances.

A different theology than what we profess may become clear in our less noble moments.

If I find myself chafing under difficulty, that could mean that, in those moments, my concept of God is something like a divine butler who should deliver my demands upon request.

  1. Rather than identifying how an individual is offensive to me, I should identify what about me is offensive to God.

“Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?” (Matthew 7:3)

Turning the spiritual mirror towards myself can quickly strangle the flesh in struggle.

It’s a complete perspective change in my responding; from an external focus to internal; from fleshly to spiritual; from hypocrisy to repentance.

It’s a change from looking for utopian circumstances to becoming more like Christ. It’s a shift from a man-centered to a God-centered mindset.

  1. Instead of asking, “Why does so-and-so need to make this difficult for me?”, I should ask, “How is God conforming me to Christ through this difficulty?”

“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son” (Romans 8:28-29).

Often the reason we respond wrongly to struggles is because we have an anemic understanding of biblical sanctification.

We fail to grasp how lofty, comprehensive God’s transforming plans are for us.

For the believer, everything between regeneration and glorification is about doxological sanctification.

Whether a disagreement with a family member or the apostasy of a friend, let us always ask, “How does God want to make me more like Christ through this?”

  1. Rather than asking, “What do I want to be different about this situation?”, I should ask, “What about my wants needs to be different?”

“What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members?” (James. 4:1).

What we easily forget is that conflict and struggles are big opportunities.

Though not easy, they are God-given occasions to reveal previously hard-to-see corners of our hearts.

Why is that an opportunity?

Because I am often blind to those deeper sins of motivation.

So, in hard situations I should be asking questions about my heart and its lusts; my sinful ruling desires; my object of worship in those moments.

What wants need mortifying?

  1. Instead of thinking, “Whose counsel can I seek to support what I want?” I should ask, “What godly leaders in my life should I consult about this?”

“Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you” (Hebrews. 13:17).

Counsel shopping is a favorite pastime of the erring human race.

Especially when it comes to trials, I can justify selectively searching for input.

But God’s word is clear.

Biblically qualified church leaders are put in place to guide the souls of the saints. 

Their calling to faithfulness over expedience proves valuable for us in these times.

  1. Rather than asking, “Why are these people and circumstances often so difficult?”, we should ask, “Why am I often responding with grumbling and unthankfulness to difficulty?”

“[I]n everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

This is not advocating an empty, directionless gratitude in difficulty for self-actualization purposes.

Rather, it is a God-glorifying recognition of his goodness and worth in all things.

Reasons always exist to thank God.

  1. Instead of fixating on why someone is doing what they are doing, I should fixate on the sovereignty of my good God over the circumstances.

“In the day of prosperity be happy, but in the day of adversity consider— God has made the one as well as the other so that man will not discover anything that will be after him” (Ecclesiastes 7:14).

When we frequently flare up at man in struggles, there’s a chance that we are failing to see the grander truth of God’s sovereignty in it. We are functional atheists, seeing things far more through the lens our wants than God’s glory.

  1. Instead of thinking, “My idea of what could be done here would be so much better,” we could think, “In what way am I thinking that I know better than God on how to execute his sovereign plan for the world?”

“Will the faultfinder contend with the Almighty? Let him who reproves God answer it” (Job 40:2).

It’s one thing to affirm the sovereignty of God.

It’s quite another to practice it when difficulty hits by trusting him.

We have to ask ourselves if, even inadvertently, we might be proposing to God that his sovereign plan is sub-par compared to our own.

In some sense, that is what we are saying with every act of complaining.

We could be enacting a brief coup d’état on God.

  1. Rather than asking, “How can I escape this situation and make it easier for me?”, we ought to ask, “What opportunities is God giving me to serve others in this?”

“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).

During difficulty, nothing is easier than planning our escape.

Our energy and planning easily go there.

But, a soul-shift may be needed.

Perhaps in our modern-day convenience mentality, we assume that God’s green light to serve others is only when it perfectly fits into our schedule.

However, during his days of utter difficulty, Christ maintained his impeccable servant demeanor.

It’s not that his struggles came and then he responded with, “Ok, I will settle for serving people in this.”

Instead, his difficulties were the very platforms for serving others, and all the way to the cross.

  1. Instead of looking for a way out of inconvenient situations, I could look for ways to submit to my loving Lord.

“Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).

There is nothing wrong with wanting a trial to end.

But if our heart demeanor is always in “make-this-easier-for-me” mode, then we are worshiping an idol – we are opposing His Majesty’s lordship.

Christ demonstrated this immaculately.

His earthly ministry was fundamentally one of God-pleasing submission (Matthew 26:42).

While there will likely be deep excruciating situations in which we will have to submit to God, at no time will we have to submit to the degree that Christ did in the work of our redemption.

  1. Rather than looking for that ideal situation built around my wants I should look to please and glorify God regardless of my wants.

“Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him” (2 Corinthians 5:9).

This is the heart of worship.

Regardless of external circumstances, we resolve internally to fear God.

At the end of the day, it comes down to the fact that I am not God and he deserves my worship.

  1. Rather than worrying about who is against me, I can rest that the Chief Shepherd walks with me.

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4).

His Majesty does not carelessly send me into struggles.

He is compassionately leading me through them as he walks with me.

Few circumstances reveal our need for a deeper God-centered perspective than struggles.

By his grace, we can re-align our worship by seeking to respond to them in a way with God and his purposes at the center.

In doing so, we will be comforted by God’s redemptive purposes in our circumstances.

Though we don’t know all the reasons for the battles, we do know that God loves his children so much, that he will never settle for blessing them with anything less than conformity to Jesus Christ until glory.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 23 New International Version

Psalm 23

A psalm of David.

1 The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
2     He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
3     he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
    for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk
    through the darkest valley,[a]
I will fear no evil,
    for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
    they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me
    in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
    my cup overflows.
6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me
    all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
    forever.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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