Shema!

THE CENTRAL PRAYER OF JUDAISM IS CALLED “SHEMA” AND CAN BE FOUND IN DEUTERONOMY 6:4-9, THAT STATES, “HEAR, O ISRAEL: THE LORD OUR GOD, THE LORD IS ONE. LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH. THESE COMMANDMENTS THAT I GIVE YOU TODAY ARE TO BE ON YOUR HEARTS.IMPRESS THEM ON YOUR CHILDREN. TALK ABOUT THEM WHEN YOU SIT AT HOME AND WHEN YOU WALK ALONG THE RO AD, WHEN YOU LIE DOWN AND WHEN YOU GET UP. TIE THEM AS SYMBOLS ON YOUR HANDS AND BIND THEM ON YOUR FOREHEADS. WRITE THEM ON THE DOORFRAMES OF YOUR HOUSES AND ON YOUR GATES.”

THIS PRAYER IS A DECLARATION OF BELIEF IN THE KINGSHIP OF GOD AND IS RECITED TWICE DAILY. THE COMMAND IS TO LOVE GOD, REMEMBER GOD’S COMMANDS AND TEACHINGS AND OBEY ALL OF THEM, AND THEN TO TEACH AND MODEL THEM TO ONE’S CHILDREN.

HOWEVER, ONE PART OF THE “SHEMA” IS THE IMPORTANCE TO HEED THE CALL TO “LISTEN AND OBEY.” IN FACT, THE WORD “SHEMA” MEANS “LISTEN” AND IMPLIES OBEDIENCE AND TAKING ACTION.

1 JOHN 5:3, “LOVING GOD MEANS KEEPING HIS COMMANDMENTS, AND HIS COMMANDMENTS ARE NOT BURDENSOME.” WE LIVE IN RADICAL OBEDIENCE TO WHAT GOD COMMANDS BECAUSE WE HAVE LEARNED THAT THERE IS JOY IN SUCH A DEPTH OF INTIMACY IN OUR ABIDING RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD. IT AWAKENS THE HEART TOWARDS A DESIRE NEVER TO OFFEND OR TO ABANDON.

JESUS EXPRESSES THIS PURSUIT OF RELATIONSHIP WHEN HE SAID, IN VERSE 27, “MY SHEEP HEAR MY VOICE!” JESUS IS SAYING THAT ONE WHO LOVES AND FOLLOWS HIM WILL LISTEN TO WHAT HE SAYS, OBEY, AND THEN DO WHAT HE SAYS. THAT IS “SHEMA” WHICH IS TO LISTEN AND OBEY.

AS IT IS CLEARLY STATED IN JAMES 1:22-25, “BUT DON’T JUST LISTEN TO GOD’S WORD. YOU MUST DO WHAT IT SAYS. OTHERWISE, YOU ARE ONLY FOOLING YOURSELVES. FOR IF YOU LISTEN TO THE WORD AND DON’T OBEY, IT IS LIKE GLANCING AT YOUR FACE IN A MIRROR. YOU SEE YOURSELF, WALK AWAY, AND FORGET WHAT YOU LOOK LIKE. BUT IF YOU LOOK CAREFULLY INTO THE PERFECT LAW THAT SETS YOU FREE, AND IF YOU DO WHAT IT SAYS AND DON’T FORGET WHAT YOU HEARD, THEN GOD WILL BLESS YOU FOR DOING IT.”

JESUS IS SAYING THAT IN ORDER TO BECOME HIS SHEEP YOU NEED MORE THAN JUST INTELLECTUAL KNOWLEDGE ABOUT WHO HE IS. FOLLOWING AFTER HIM AND BEING HIS SHEEP IS A GROWING AND DEEPENING COMMITTED RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS AND BECOMING TRANSFORMED INTO HIS LIKENESS.

THE SHEEP THAT TRULY HEAR THE VOICE OF THE SHEPHERD ARE CHARACTERIZED BY THEIR OBEDIENCE, RECOGNITION OF THE SHEPHERD, AND THEIR RADICAL ALLEGIANCE TO HIM.

THAT MEANS DENYING YOURSELF AND TAKING UP YOUR CROSS TO FOLLOW CHRIST. YOU ARE NO LONGER CONFORMED TO THIS WORLD BUT TRANSFORMED THROUGH THE RENEWING OF YOUR MIND. YOU HAVE BECOME A BRANCH CONNECTED TO THE VINE WILLING TO BE PRUNED TO BEAR MUCH FRUIT.

TO BE A CHRISTIAN IS TO CHANGE. IT IS TO BECOME RENEWED BY LETTING GO OF THE WORLD AND CONFORMING OUR LIVES TO GOD’S COMMANDS AND TEACHINGS.

IT IS NOT SIMPLY A MATTER OF CHOOSING A NEW LIFE-STYLE AS MUCH AS IT IS BEING A NEW PERSON CONFORMED TO THE IMAGE OF JESUS. TO BECOME THAT NEW PERSON IT IS A DAILY PROCESS OF PUTTING ON THE FULL ARMOR OF GOD TO BATTLE THE FLESH.

OUR PREDICAMENT IS NOT THAT WE ARE IN THE FLESH BUT THAT OUR FALLEN NATURE WANTS TO LIVE ACCORDING TO THE FLESH. THE CHRISTIAN LIFE IS THEREFORE A CONSTANT AND CONSISTENT PROCESS OF MATURING AND BECOMING MORE LIKE JESUS.

MY PRAYER FOR YOU TODAY IS THAT IF YOU PROFESS WITH YOUR MOUTH THAT JESUS CHRIST IS LORD THAT YOU WILL ALSO PROFESS HIM AS LORD WITH YOUR LIFE!

COLOSSIANS 3:1-17, “SINCE YOU HAVE BEEN RAISED TO NEW LIFE WITH CHRIST, SET YOUR SIGHTS ON THE REALITIES OF HEAVEN, WHERE CHRIST SITS IN THE PLACE OF HONOR AT GOD’S RIGHT HAND.

THINK ABOUT THE THINGS OF HEAVEN, NOT THE THINGS OF EARTH. FOR YOU DIED TO THIS LIFE, AND YOUR REAL LIFE IS HIDDEN WITH CHRIST IN GOD. AND WHEN CHRIST, WHO IS YOUR LIFE, IS REVEALED TO THE WHOLE WORLD, YOU WILL SHARE IN ALL HIS GLORY.

SO PUT TO DEATH THE SINFUL, EARTHLY THINGS LURKING WITHIN YOU. HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH SEXUAL IMMORALITY, IMPURITY, LUST, AND EVIL DESIRES. DON’T BE GREEDY, FOR A GREEDY PERSON IS AN IDOLATER, WORSHIPING THE THINGS OF THIS WORLD. BECAUSE OF THESE SINS, THE ANGER OF GOD IS COMING.

YOU USED TO DO THESE THINGS WHEN YOUR LIFE WAS STILL PART OF THIS WORLD. BUT NOW IS THE TIME TO GET RID OF ANGER, RAGE, MALICIOUS BEHAVIOR, SLANDER, AND DIRTY LANGUAGE. DON’T LIE TO EACH OTHER, FOR YOU HAVE STRIPPED OFF YOUR OLD SINFUL NATURE AND ALL ITS WICKED DEEDS.