Love & Respect for God

Posted on September 1, 2024September 7, 2024 by Pastor Mark

The command to love the Lord our God with all we are holds nearly everything in common with the command to fear the Lord our God.

When you go through the scriptures and study the Fear of the Lord, you percieve it from two perspectives.

First is our perspective as the created and it makes sense. God is Eternal, Almighty and is our Maker. Respect is therefore more due Him!

The second perspective is God’s which we can only know so far as He allows it with our imaginations. But by God shaping the earthly creation after His likeness, we see that our respect for God is a much an expression of our love and adoration for Him as it is for a husband from his wife. To say you love a man and yet do not respect him is as transparent a lie and could be told – and so it is in our relation with God our Maker.

The Fear of the Lord is to wisely percieve who you are in realtion to the Creator and respect it.

Continue reading→

The weight of the Command

Posted on August 25, 2024August 31, 2024 by Pastor Mark

As human beings I think it is an obvious truth that in all reality we don’t do anything for any duration of time with ALL OUR HEART. The effort alone would be daunting as well as physically, mentally and emotionally draining.

As such, I believe if we ever to really focus on the meaning and scope of the 1st and greatest command, it would leave us with an overwhelming sense of discouragement. This is because it is quite impossible for any human being to keep this command for the same reasons stated above.

So how can it be done? Well believe it or not, the gospel teaches us that the first step in keeping any command is being cogently aware and completely convinced in our own INability to accomplish it!

Continue reading→

David asks – what am I waiting for? Hope in God!

Posted on August 21, 2024August 25, 2024 by Pastor Mark

In these last Davidic Psalms from Book I of the greater book of Psalms David sets forth some wisdom by way of introducing a truth and then illustrating it through an event in his life.

As always context is king and in paying close attention to it, we draw much more truth from these psalms that one my otherwise.

Continue reading→

The Spirit & the Kingdom

Posted on August 18, 2024August 24, 2024 by Pastor Mark

One day a scribe asked Jesus what is the greatest commandment of all.

Jesus said that to Listen to God with the intent of obeying out of our deep reverence for Him, to love Him with all we are and to love our neighbor as ourselves were the greatest commands of all.

The scribe readily agreed and added that such was greater than all sacrifices and burnt offerings.

Jesus replied to him, “You are not far from the Kingdom of God”.

Today we began to explore these commands, the heart behind them and the way the Holy Spirit enables the keeping of them that we might be partakers and participants in God’s kingdom!

Continue reading→

Dwell in the land and feed on His Faithfulness

Posted on August 14, 2024August 16, 2024 by Pastor Mark

This brief run of Davidic Psalms in from Book I contain, laments, wisdom literature and even prophecy (an oracle). They touch on the most vulnerable and sometimes unfair aspects of life. Throughout the encourage an approach to difficulties and adversity which while not denying our troubles, looks to God in faith and hope for Him to BE our answer.

One of the most practical and useful bits of wisdom found in these chapters is to dwell where God has planted you, keep your attention on doing good – not on if others are being good to you, and in the place God planted you, you will experience the faithfulness of God!

Continue reading→