Faith and deeds
14What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? 15Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. 16If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? 17In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
18But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.
James 2:14-18
This passage is a challenge to me to go and do. To put my faith into action, and use the gifts God has given me. So one day, I can stand before God, and have him say to me...well done good and faithful servant.
27Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
James 1:27
Did you know?
Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
1 Corinthians 3:16
10 I seek you with all my heart;
do not let me stray from your commands.
11 I have hidden your word in my heart
that I might not sin against you.
Psalm 119:10-11
Faith through love
The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.
~Galatians 5:6
21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Matthew 6:21
Actions speak louder than words
Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.
1 John 3:18
Do not love the world
15Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.
1 John 2:15-17 NIV
The believers share their possessions
32All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. 33With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all. 34There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales 35and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need. Acts 4:32-35This brings me back to kindergarten and the lessons to share my toys. What we have been given is not really ours to keep. We are supposed to share. Share the gospel, Jesus, love, grace, peace, and other tangible possessions. I think part of being the body of Christ is reaching out to those around us, and loving out of an overflow.
What is given
"For the Lord did not give us a spirit of timidity, but of Power, of Love and of Self Control"
2 Timothy 1:7
We have been given a spirit of power, love, and self control? I don't think you'd guess that from my life. Self Control?? seriously, I wish I didn't oversleep every day, turn on the TV when I'm bored or wanting to avoid doing something. I guess these are all thing I know, that you probably would not. There are things I guess I do have self control with...there are a lot of times where I bite my tongue...but I guess the point is, we've been given these gifts, but how often do we accept them? Do we accept them only in certain areas of our lives? Are we willing to accept them knowing that the full gift might take some work before being fully matured?
6But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. 10For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs
1 Timothy 6:6-10
It is so hard to admit but really money does not lead to happiness. We think it does, but ultimately it causes greed and selfishness. I think Jon Weece said on Sunday that money is mentioned close to 2000 times in the Bible. He knows how we are tempted. I think I have to remind myself daily that it is Kingdom cash to be used for God's glory and not my own.
The MOST important Choice
You can make this choice by loving the LORD your God, obeying him, and committing yourself firmly to him. This is the key to your life. …"
Deuteronomy 30:20 NLT
I'm so thankful that God has given us a choice to love Him. It's a real relationship, not a dictatorship. Yet, part of me wishes that it wasn't a choice, because I think of so many people who have not yet or might not ever choose our Lord. It's not only about the concern of their eternal salvation, but about their well being and hope here on earth. I would like everyone to have the confidence in Christ Jesus that I do. To know that no mater what I've done in my past or will do in my future I am loved. Whatever trial or pain that I'm going through I can endure with the hope of a more fruitful future. My experiences good and bad have been, are, and will be used to help encourage others and give them hope and the show the in their lives.
To our health
A peaceful heart leads to a healthy body; jealousy is like cancer in the bones.
Proverbs 14:30 NLT
hmm....I wonder if this is why I feel feverish lately...I was so jealous last week...I think that has subsided, but I'm still feeling sick...is my heart not at peace yet? I'm guessing not. Is this verse to be taken literally? Maybe, maybe not, I suspect that varies on your situation and how it is revealed to you.
Fill
He will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy.
I am at a loss right now, my mind is a mess of random thoughts, yet blank. I like this verse it is hopeful, though I am not sure if I am understanding this out of context.
In the beginning
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
2 Now the earth was [
a] formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
Genesis 1:1-2
I heard this last night as TSB from Brad Stone and thought it was great. God hovered over the chaos when the world was created, and He is still and always will be, hovering over our madness today.
godly jealousy?
Joshua said to the people, "You are not able to serve the LORD. He is a holy God; he is a jealous God. He will not forgive your rebellion and your sins.
Joshua 24:19I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him.
2 Corinthians 11:2I want to know and understand how jealousy can be godly...The first verse makes me concerned and overwhelmingly
grateful for Jesus Christ! I'm so glad to have not lived in the old
testament times. The jealousy I experience, the feelings of being left out and overlooked, and the desire to be
acknowledged...I wonder if their intensity is only fractions of what our God feels. Is this what it means that He's a jealous God? That He wants us to reciprocate the love, affection, and attention that half the time we don't even realize it's there? I hate this feeling of jealousy, so intense and consuming...no wonder God sent Jesus to save us and be our mediator. I pray that I allow the patience and grace through Christ Jesus to take away these feelings in me, to renew my spirit.
Living Water
9The Samaritan woman said to him, "You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?" (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.[
a])
10Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water."
11"Sir," the woman said, "you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? 12Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his flocks and herds?"
13Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."
John 4:9-14
Prayerful, Fearless declaration
Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.
Ephesians 6:19-20
I would venture to guess that only about 5% of the words that come out of my mouth are Spirit given. Words that are spoken direct to someones heart in clarifying the gospel of Christ Jesus. I hope that I'm wrong, and desire to think that more than 5% of words in my conversations are such...but I talk a good amount, so who really knows. I've prayed for a boldness of such since, well as far back I can remember is 2001, so 6 years! Let's say it's been an ongoing challenge for me. I have noticed some improvements, but I still desire to be more fearless in my
proclamations of the gospel and frequently meditate/reflect on this verse.
Scrub a dub dub
7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.Psalm 51:7There is a great song that goes well with this song:
What can wash away our sins?
What can make us pure again?
Nothing but the blood,
oh nothing but the blood of Jesus.
Through the cross Christ took the action of our sin and the consquence. Leaving us washed, clean, pure, and free.
16-18Make this your common practice: Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed. The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with. Elijah, for instance, human just like us, prayed hard that it wouldn't rain, and it didn't—not a drop for three and a half years. Then he prayed that it would rain, and it did. The showers came and everything started growing again.
James 5:6 MSG
Bottom line...we need to stick together and be honest with each other. So often we come to church hidden behind forced smiles, and we answer "fine" when someone inquires about how we are. Let's just be honest with each other and stand united. Life happens best in true biblical community. A cord of 3 strands is not easily broken.
“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.”-
Deuteronomy 6:4-5This is the first and greatest commandment. Everything else comes out of loving God with all that we have and all we are. Out of love comes a responsibility and a commitment to Him. To follow him and obey Him. He wants us to love Him above and before anything else because apart from Him there is nothing else.
