Category: Bible

Blot out my sins Lord

March 29, 2025

Psalm 51 is a classic Psalm that talks of repentance and humility before God. It is a Psalm of truth and honesty before God and seeking forgiveness.

In my study Bible it tells me this is a psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba. 

David had done the wrong thing and he was confronted with God’s words by the Prophet Nathan. Rather than get defensive and try to discount what he had done, David confesses and seeks forgiveness.

In verses 7-11 we see this…

Psalm 51:7-11 NLT – Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. [8] Oh, give me back my joy again; you have broken me- now let me rejoice. [9] Don’t keep looking at my sins. Remove the stain of my guilt. [10] Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. [11] Do not banish me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me.

David not only wants and seeks forgiveness, but he wants a new clean heart with a loyal spirit. He wants a clean heart and loyal spirit so he will not sin again.

Earlier in the passage we see that David admits his sin and acknowledges his sin is ultimately against God…

Psalm 51:4 NLT – Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. You will be proved right in what you say, and your judgment against me is just.

When I read Psalm 51, I begin to understand what true repentance looks like. David acknowledged his sins and asked for forgiveness, and he also wanted God to make him faithful so he would not sin again.

When David asks for a new heart and a loyal spirit he was asking for the strength, desire and grace to be truly faithful to God. He wanted to be pure and blameless in His eyes.

David was not perfect, far from it, but God still described Him as a man after His own heart (1 Samuel 13:14, Acts 13:22). David wanted his sins blotted out and to sin no more.

Daily servant prayer for prayer beads

March 26, 2025

Here is another prayer I put together for my prayer beads. I thought I thought I would share it.

My heart in this one is to be a living sacrifice to God and then doing the things like prayer, Bible reading and serving that help us to live it out.

Praying using Scripture helps us both to pray and meditate on God’s Word. Two things that definitely help us to be living sacrifices.

Cross

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

Invitatory bead

Romans 12:1 NLT

[1] And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice-the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.

Cruciform 1

Matthew 16:24 NLT

[24] Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.

Weeks beads 1

Lord, help me to take up my cross daily and follow You (x7)

Cruciform 2

Psalm 1:1-3 NLT

[1] Oh, the joys of those who…  [2] …delight in the law of the LORD, meditating on it day and night. [3] They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.

Weeks beads 2

Lord, help me to read and meditate on Your Word every day (x7)

Cruciform 3

Philippians 4:6 NLT

[6] Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.

Weeks beads 3

Lord, help me to spend time with You in prayer each day (x7)

Cruciform 4 

1 Peter 4:10 NLT

[10] God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.

Weeks beads 4

Lord, help me to serve You each day by using my gifts to serve others (x7)

End Cruciform

Matthew 6:9-13 KJV

[9] Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. [10] Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. [11] Give us this day our daily bread. [12] And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. [13] And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

End Invitatory

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

End Cross

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

A new cross to wear

February 24, 2025

I purchased a new cross to wear around the neck recently. Most of the crosses I have only had an empty cross as most protestant people do.

When I was a new Christian in the late 80s and early 90s, many people said that Jesus is not on the cross now, so why do you have a crucifix? At the time it made sense so I purchased a plain cross.

Lately I have been reminded afresh of Jesus’ sacrifice for me. I have been meditating of His death on the cross for my sin and the lengths He was willing to go to for me.

While looking for a new cross to purchase I found the cross above. It has the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove. Something about it appealed to me straight away.

As I have dwelt on this I was reminded afresh that our salvation is a triune effort of God. The Father sent the Son, the Son died on the cross for our sins, and the Holy Spirit draws us to Jesus and gives us the new birth.

The following verses paint a picture for us…

John 3:16-17 NLT – For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. [17] God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.

Romans 5:8-11 NLT – But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. [9] And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. [10] For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. [11] So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.

Titus 3:4-7 NLT – When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, [5] he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. [6] He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. [7] Because of his grace he made us right in his sight and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life.

As we can see from the above verses each member of the trinity played their part in the salvation process. It was a triune effort – the Father sent the Son, Jesus died for us, and the Holy Spirit gives us a new birth and new life in Him.

So this is why I wear my new cross. It is a reminder of what God – the Father, Son and Holy Spirit – has done in saving me.

If you are interested you can find one here for only $1.50!

The most important question

February 20, 2025

Mark 8:27-29 NLT – Jesus and his disciples left Galilee and went up to the villages near Caesarea Philippi. As they were walking along, he asked them, “Who do people say I am?” [28] “Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say you are one of the other prophets.” [29] Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?” Peter replied, “You are the Messiah.”

In today’s Gospel reading Jesus asked the disciples two questions. Who do the people say I am? And who do you say I am?

Over the years I have spoken to a lot of people about Jesus. In these conversations I have heard many different opinions on who people think Jesus is. Some have said He is a good moral teacher. Some others have said a prophet who spoke God’s message. While some said the leader of an ancient religion.

To me the most important question in this life is the one Jesus asked to His disciples. “Whom do you say I am?” I believe it is the most important question because it determines our eternal destiny! If we think Jesus was just a teacher, prophet or a leader of an ancient religion, we miss who He really is.

Jesus is the Messiah (Mark 8:29). He came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10). He came to show us what God is like (John 14:9). He came to die on the cross for our sin and ransom us for God (Mark 10:45). Jesus is the Son of God (Mark 1:1). Jesus is the King of all kings and the Lord of all lords (Revelation 17:14). He is the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6) and the only way to the Father in heaven (Acts 4:12).

Today I want to ask you the same question that Jesus asked His disciples, “Whom do you say that I am?” Who is Jesus to you? It is my hope and prayer that you agree with Peter’s response to Jesus’ question.

For more information please visit my finding salvation page.