Be a Doer of the Word…

James 1:22 (NIV)

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says!

Our Verse of the Day has been read and heard many times. The Holy Spirit has been encouraging us to be in the Word and studying it; and I believe this is His call to “do what it says”. All the reading and studying in the world is not going to replace action and putting the Word into practice. I am reminded (and convicted) by what Jesus said as He concluded His “Sermon on the Mount” recorded in the Gospel of Matthew:

Matthew 7:21-29 (NIV)

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons, and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does NOT put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at His teaching, because He taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.

In the context, it is those who do the will of the Father that will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. And the words of Jesus have taught us the will of the Father. When asked, “What must we do to do the works God requires?” Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the One He has sent.” (Cf. John 6:28-29) Indeed, this is the teaching we are to put into practice – the exercise of putting our complete trust and faith in Jesus. But then, in order to grow in our faith, there are disciplines that we will follow to bring us to maturity in Christ. We should take root in a local assembly in order to be equipped for ministry. We should exercise our spiritual gifts through good works so that we are putting His teachings into practice. This is how faith becomes effective and productive! (Cf. 2 Peter 1:8) As the Apostle James reminds us:

James 2:14-18 (NIV)

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.

It is important for us to be active in our faith and engaged with those around us. Jesus made it clear that when we serve others, we are serving Him. For Jesus said, “Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.” (Cf. John 12:26) Remember, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Cf. Ephesians 2:8-10) Yes, we have been saved to serve; and we need to be where Jesus is and serving as Jesus would. For we are His Body in the world! We serve with the same grace that was shown to us as we proclaim the light of truth through the Gospel. This is what I believe it means when James tells us to get busy and serve! If our faith does not activate us to be serving others, it is essentially no faith at all and we deceive ourselves if we think otherwise.

My friends, let us be about the Father’s business! There is a world around us that is broken and hurting … searching for the same answer that we have received by grace through faith. The opportunities are not hard to find. The question is whether we are looking for them. Maybe it is time for us to be more intentional. To be sure, we should always share Jesus with our words; but as we all know, our actions will always speak louder than our words. So, I pray we will “be” Jesus to all those who need Him more than ever before. Yes, Lord, challenge us each day to be where you are….

So Now You Know…

Have a Blessed Day!

For the Word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. ~ Hebrews 4:12-13

The Way of Faithfulness…

Psalm 119:30 (NIV)

I have chosen the way of faithfulness; I have set my heart on your laws.

Our Verse of the Day affords us a simple, yet powerful message. The decision to be faithful –faithful to God and to one another is always individual. God has created each of us with a personal will that allows us to choose according to the dictates of our own hearts. So, we are challenged to thoughtfully consider our decisions before we make them, as well as the commitments we have determine in our hearts to fulfill. It brings to mine other verses that I believe are applicable: “I have hidden Your Word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” (Cf. Psalm 119:11) And, “To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.” (Cf. 1 Samuel 15:22)

The Psalmist gives us, perhaps, the most vital key to exercising the wisdom we need to apply for both short-term and long-term decisions. Actions are essentially the output or engagement of the thoughts of our hearts. And so, what we set our hearts on ultimately determines what we will do. If we set our hearts on the laws of God … His Spirit-inspired Word (the expressed will of God), then we will discern the right choices available to us. Why? Because we will have the knowledge needed to exercise our personal wills in a manner that produces correct decisions for our lives. And, again, our choice to be obedient will be manifested by our conduct. What we ultimately do will always be the expression of the inclination of the thoughts of our hearts. And therein lies the tension … the internal conviction that arises when we do not set our hearts on the will of God and surrender to Him….

Here are some other Scriptures that might bring some additional insight on this subject:

1 Chronicles 28:8-9 (NIV)

“So now I charge you in the sight of all Israel and of the assembly of the Lord, and in the hearing of our God: Be careful to follow all the commands of the Lord your God, that you may possess this good land and pass it on as an inheritance to your descendants forever. “And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve Him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands every desire and every thought. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever.

Jeremiah 31:31-34 (NIV)

“The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was like a husband to them,” declares the Lord. “This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,” declares the Lord. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will they teach their neighbor or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,” declares the Lord. “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”

James 1:22-25 (NIV)

Do not merely listen to (or read) the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to (or reads) the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard (read), but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.

My friends, we know the will of God has been expressed in His Word, but it is up to us to align the inclinations of our hearts and to surrender ourselves to His revealed will! The difficulty here for us is that no one truly has the capacity to change their own heart. It is God who changes the heart and conforms us to the image of His Son. It is the merciful gift of His Spirit and grace that draws us to Christ Jesus so that we can be filled with the power of His anointing! And, as we have learned, “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness.” (Cf. 2 Peter 1:3) Even so, as believers, we will experience a continual spiritual battle for our minds because thoughts determine behavior; and the thoughts of our hearts must be brought captive to the Word of God at all times. “For the Word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” (Cf. Hebrews 4:13) Yes, we need to be reading the Word … studying it … knowing what it instructs … and applying it to our hearts.

A simple short verse can awaken us once again to the choice of faithfulness! I feel so strongly about the message it imparts. God has been unfailing in His faithfulness to us! (Cf. Psalm 89) So, if we want to be faithful to God, then we will have to discipline ourselves and our thoughts through the light and wisdom of His Word. If we want to be effective and productive in the Kingdom of God, we will have to be students of the Word of God. If you get a moment this week, I would encourage you to read 1 Corinthians 2. I believe you will find it applicable to the general discussion here. If we want to live as Jesus did and be conformed to His image, then we will need to have His mind. And Paul asserts we do have the mind of Christ because His Spirit imparts His thoughts to us as believers. It is my prayer that we will reflect on this truth more deeply. Amen.

So Now You Know…

Have a Blessed Day!

Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well. It gave me great joy when some believers came and testified about your faithfulness to the truth, telling how you continue to walk in it. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth. ~ 3 John 2-4

Humbly Accept The Word…

James 1:21 (NIV)

Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the Word planted in you, which can save you.

Our Verse of the Day takes another look at the spiritual disciplines that are paramount to our profession of faith and that lead to the obedience that comes from faith. This ‘active’ believing, if you will, plays a critical role in our fellowship with God; abiding in Him so that we are able to accomplish the good works He ordained in advance for us to do. (Cf. Ephesians 2:10) So I would like us to see them in the surrounding context:

James 1:18-25 (NIV)

He chose to give us birth through the Word of Truth, that we might be a kind of first-fruits of all He created. My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. Do not merely listen to (or only simply read) the Word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says! Anyone who listens to the Word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.

It is apparent that the study and practice of the Word of God is what will cleanse us from our natural, sinful human condition. It will reveal the moral filth in our lives. “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Cf. Hebrews 4:12) The Word of God will direct us in our thinking and manifest itself in changed behavior. Without it, we are essentially lost in the forest of life … without a compass or guide for direction. I know we have looked at these other Scriptures before, but I think they are applicable to our theme:

Psalm 119:9-11 (NIV)

How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.

2 Timothy 3:13-17 (NIV)

But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Matthew 7:23-25 (NIV)

Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.

My friends, it is my prayer that we will humbly accept the Word of God into our inner beings. I pray that we will allow it to change the intents of the thoughts of our hearts … so that we might be changed. The Word of God is the power of God to reveal His will and to equip us to obey it. And we must realize that bible study and meditation require intentional time and significant effort on our part. But if we will commit to do the work and to delight in His Word, I believe the difference it will make in our fellowship with God is beyond compare! So, I pray for each of us to make it a habit to be in God’s Word each day – finding out what it says, applying it to our hearts, and then putting it into practice.

So Now You Know…

Have a Blessed Day!

Praise be to you, Lord; teach me your decrees. With my lips I recount all the laws that come from your mouth. I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches. I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word. ~ Psalm 119:12-16

Happy Father’s Day!

Ephesians 6:4 (NIV)

Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

Our Verse of the Day shares some great advice for fathers regarding their relationships with their children. It is offered in the context of other types of relationships (i.e., with spouses, parents, neighbors, employers, etc.). And I would like to review it with the New Living Translation (NLT) for added perspective: “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord.” Notice the slight variations on how the original words are translated. The term “exasperate” means to irritate and frustrate intensely … to the point of anger. So, fathers are admonished not to create such a provocation by their actions or their words. Then we are afforded a contrast … an alternative … to avoid creating such a situation. The adverbs “instead” or “rather” indicate a preferred alternative or substitute in place of the previous action. Paul indicates that the way to avoid provocation to anger is to raise children under the training (discipline) and instruction of (that comes from) the Lord.

As fathers, our focus in leading and parenting … how we treat our children and raise them to be loving people … must originate in the Word of God. If we do not train, discipline, teach, and instruct according to the percepts revealed to us by God the Father, our children are going to become frustrated in life to the point of resentment, bitterness, and anger. Indeed, the failure of parents to utilize the Word of God as our resource, counsel, and guide for instruction will essentially lead to profound frustration and exasperation in our children as they begin to learn the meaning and purpose of life. This is why fathers (parents) are instructed to “direct our children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it. (Cf. Proverbs 22:6)

Deuteronomy 4:5-9 (NIV)

See, I have taught you decrees and laws as the Lord my God commanded me, so that you may follow them in the land you are entering to take possession of it. Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding to the nations, who will hear about all these decrees and say, “Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.” What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the Lord our God is near us whenever we pray to Him? And what other nation is so great as to have such righteous decrees and laws as this body of laws I am setting before you today? Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them.

Deuteronomy 11:16-21 (NIV)

Be careful, or you will be enticed to turn away and worship other gods and bow down to them. Then the Lord’s anger will burn against you, and He will shut up the heavens so that it will not rain and the ground will yield no produce, and you will soon perish from the good land the Lord is giving you. Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth.

Psalm 78:1-8 (NIV)

My people, hear my teaching; listen to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth with a parable; I will utter hidden things, things from of old— things we have heard and known, things our ancestors have told us. We will not hide them from their descendants; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, His power, and the wonders He has done. He decreed statutes for Jacob and established the law in Israel, which He commanded our ancestors to teach their children, so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children. Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget His deeds but would keep His commands. They would not be like their ancestors— a stubborn and rebellious generation, whose hearts were not loyal to God, whose spirits were not faithful to Him.

Fellow fathers and men, we have a responsibility to raise our children in the training and instruction of the Lord. It is a distinct assignment given to us by Father God: to be spiritual priests over our homes! Yes, we are to be providers. Yes, we are to be protectors. And, yes, we are to be priests over our children. And it follows that if we desire to obey and fulfill our roles, we must know and follow the teaching of the Lord for ourselves. For how can we teach the Bible to our children if we ourselves do not read it and understand what it instructs? And further, how can we train our children to live in faith if we ourselves to do not walk by the Spirit in truth before them? It is said that actions speak louder than our words, so we must realize that how we conduct ourselves must be consistent with what we profess to believe. Indeed, our children will know us by the fruit we produce … Kingdom fruit that will last and glorify our Father in heaven. Amen.

So Now You Know…

Have a Blessed Day!

Proverbs 22:6 (Self-Amplified)

Train up a child … yes train up all of your children … in the way they should go … the right way … in the Way, the Truth, and the Life (Cf. John 14:6); because even when they become old, they will not depart from their training … they will not stray beyond reach from the instruction you instill in them while children. It will continue to resonate within their hearts. It will continue bring conviction to their inner beings. They will be restless when they do not live according to the Truth. They will come to see the Light of God and His wisdom in Jesus Christ. Yes, do not neglect to teach your children … be diligent to disciple them and to instruct them in the Word of God. For God has declared that His Word that goes forth shall not return to Him void; rather, it shall accomplish what He desires … what pleases Him. It shall prosper in the thing for which He sent it. (Cf. Isaiah 55:11)

What Is Required?

Micah 6:8 (NIV)

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

Keeping with the theme of our response to God and His offer of salvation to the world, this Verse of the Day from the Old Testament addresses the same theological concept. God has made known to us His Being. He has revealed His Way, His Truth, and His Life through His Son, Jesus. The salvation offered by God requires a response to this revelation … a response to Jesus! And God has made it clear that He expects His creation to respect and revere His Son.

Micah declares: “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” And the Prophet Isaiah admonishes: “Wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight; stop doing wrong. Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.” (Cf. Isaiah 1:16-17) Both prophets have expressed the heart of God and His will for our conduct … our response to Him. The Apostle James reasoned:

James 2:14-24 (NLT)

¹⁴What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? ¹⁵Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, ¹⁶and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do? ¹⁷So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless. ¹⁸Now someone may argue, “Some people have faith; others have good deeds.” But I say, “How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.” ¹⁹You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. ²⁰How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless? ²¹Don’t you remember that our ancestor Abraham was shown to be right with God by his actions when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? ²²You see, his faith and his actions worked together. His actions made his faith complete. ²³And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” (Cf. Genesis 15:6) He was even called the friend of God. (Cf. Isaiah 41:8) ²⁴So you see, we are shown to be right with God by what we do, not by faith alone.

And we should just simply look at what Jesus taught in this regard:

Luke 6:43-49 (NLT)

⁴³“A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. ⁴⁴A tree is identified by its fruit. Figs are never gathered from thornbushes, and grapes are not picked from bramble bushes. ⁴⁵A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say (and do) flows from what is in your heart. ⁴⁶“So why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t DO what I say? ⁴⁷I will show you what it’s like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then follows it. ⁴⁸It is like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against that house, it stands firm because it is well built. ⁴⁹But anyone who hears and doesn’t obey is like a person who builds a house right on the ground, without a foundation. When the floods sweep down against that house, it will collapse into a heap of ruins.”

Here is the message that I see in our Verse of the Day: Put Faith into Action! Make it genuine! We can talk about ministry for others, but doing ministry is what matters. It is our faith-informed response to our salvation! Indeed, in view of God’s mercy, we should offer ourselves as living sacrifices – holy and pleasing to God. (Cf. Romans 12:1) As Paul explained to believers in Ephesus: “We are God’s workmanship. He has created us in Christ Jesus to do the good works which He planned and prepared for us long ago.” (Cf. Ephesians 2:10) Yes, faith is about “doing” the works of God … not for merit or His favor to receive salvation; rather, to demonstrate our “response” to His mercy and redemption. So, I pray that we will truthfully be about the Father’s business in 2023 … preparing ourselves daily in prayer and bible study to be “vessels for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.” (Cf. 2 Timothy 2:21) Amen.

So Now You Know…

Have a Blessed Day!

Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says! ~ James 1:21-22