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James 1

4/29/2012

James 1:12-15 “God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him. And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, “God is tempting me.” God is never tempted to do wrong, and He never tempts anyone else. Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.”

Wow! Our desires give birth to sinful actions and as that grows in us it gives birth to death. Choosing to live in sin and follow our sinful desires can lead to death even after we say we believe. Look how James starts this chapter off in verse 1; “This letter is from James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. I am writing to the “twelve tribes”- Jewish believers scattered abroad.”

We must be patient and be seeking to live a life that is like Jesus Christ’s. When we understand this and surrender our lives fully to Him not trying to hold on to the world we truly know Him and we have transformation in our hearts. We cannot say because we believe it is ok for us to deliberately do things that please us. It doesn’t matter if it is an addition or not, we must turn it over to God and seek and ask for more strength and understanding.

Chapter 1 verse 5 says, “If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and He will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.” It is very important to understand that we need to ask but it is also very important that we understand what it says in verse 6, “But when you ask Him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as uncertain as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind.”

Our desires are not an excuse to live how we want, when we give those desires up and we grow, the Spirit gives us every way out so we don’t do it. It is our responsibility to listen and choose what we do. The devil made me do it is bull, he tempts us or puts things in our path but we ultimately choose what we do. The devil tempted Jesus and Jesus went to God’s word, we are called to do the same so get in His word and ask for understanding and wisdom and then choose life by living in Christ. Salvation is a free gift that we don’t have to earn but we do have to take it (accept it). Amen

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Hebrews 12:1-2

4/27/2012

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Hebrews 12:1-2 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting Him, He endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now He is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.”

I was drawn to read this again and just love the part that says, “…let us strip off every weight that slows us down…” We need to take part in our walk with the Lord by learning what way of living is right and what way of living is wrong according to God’s word and then change how we live. God has given us all the tools we need and is faithful to guide us by the Spirit but we still need to step up and choose to make the change.

Do we believe that Jesus came to take our sins and bridge the gap to God? When we focus on Jesus and see His faith and how perfect it was we can surrender and follow Him. In Hebrews chapter 13 verses 13-14 it says, “So let us go out to Him, outside the camp, and bear the disgrace He bore. For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come.”

We can’t sit back and expect our lives to just be great, we are to live with our focus on Jesus knowing our home is yet to come. Our focus is so important because this world will tell us we are not good enough and we are not accepted but we are children of God and He accepts us for who we are. Live like Christ seeing the benefits of right living then be the example not the exception. Amen

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Hebrews 12

4/24/2012

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Hebrews 12:14 “Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord.”

It is so important for us to grow and learn all we can. We can’t just sit back and say I know Jesus, now He will take me home. We must learn and work on our faith knowing that there will be hard times and times when we are tired but that is when we can grow the best. When we work on our relationship with the Lord it cultivates and we develop character and our passion for what Jesus did and we desire to be like Him.

In verse 11 it says, “No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening – it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.” We need to know that what we go through can be used as something that sharpens our sword and keeps us aware of the world around us as we press forward toward Jesus joyfully seeking our new life.

Verse 12 says, “So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees. Mark out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong.” To me these are verses that inspire me to be better and not be satisfied with coasting because I said a prayer. We must be working and filling the Spirit in us so that our sinful desires become less and our desire becomes living like Christ doing nothing without the Father telling us.

As I look at God’s word I am amazed at the challenges He gives and the desire He has for us to follow Him not just use Him. He has chosen us to be bold warriors showing our love not people that just sit back and expect a ride on the narrow road. I like what it says in Hebrews chapter 12 verse 25, “Be careful that you do not refuse to listen to the One who is speaking. For if the people of Israel did not escape when they refused to listen to Moses, the earthly messenger, we will certainly not escape if we reject the One who speaks to us from heaven!”

We must work on being unshakeable and confident in what we know and believe about our Lord. And then stand up and share our life with others so they can see our transformed lives and know that Jesus is the way.

Look at verse 27, “This means that all of creation will be shaken and removable, so that only unshakeable things will remain.” I believe the unshakeable will be on the narrow road and the easily shaken, even believers, will fail to stand strong. It’s not about being perfect it’s about being focused on Him. Amen

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Hebrews 10

4/22/2012

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Hebrews 10:32 “Think back on those early days when you first learned about Christ. Remember how you remained faithful even though it meant terrible suffering.”

I really liked this reminder of a time when it was fresh in our minds, like a new relationship. Our faith should be growing everyday so we are more excited about what Christ did and our confidence is stronger than ever. When we first learn something we are excited to learn all we can about it, we need to realize we will never learn all we need to about our walk so we should seek His wisdom daily and develop our faith so we are bold and confident.

In verse 35 it says, “So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you!” Just knowing that should keep us excited, joyful and focused. When our minds are spinning and we get confused about this world we need to stop and remember His great sacrifice and know it will be alright. This growth should be done with people and not alone.

In chapter 10 verses 24-25 it says, “Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of His return is drawing near.”

This teamwork is a tool for us to grow and learn, when we see the importance of this our faith will get stronger and we will be the example that Christ is calling us to be. Then people will see our faith and notice that it is not just talk it is how we live, and it will open the door to share who Jesus is, and a seed will be planted. Always be ready to give a testimony but remember if your life doesn’t change people won’t see a reason to seek the Lord. Amen

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Hebrews 9

4/20/2012

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Hebrews 9:14 “Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered Himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins.”

See when we surrender our will and realize how amazing and helpful the blood of Christ is we can be free of our sinful nature. We can’t help our thoughts and desires but the Spirit that lives in us can help us deny our feelings and choose the truth. We need to remember that we will want to sin and seek self-gratification but that will never bring satisfaction to us. Only when we fill the Spirit and follow His promptings will we feel the full joy and peace we were made to have through Christ.

I love that it says, “…the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God.” If we want to stay focused on Christ we need to remember what He has done and then think of that before we react to the world.

We need to read these verses and remember them: Hebrews chapter 9 verses 27-28, “And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment, so also Christ died once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again not to deal with our sin, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for Him.”

Let’s eagerly wait for Him by learning to be different than the world and by letting the Spirit lead us in everything we do. Amen

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Hebrews 6

4/16/2012

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Hebrews 6:11-12 “Our great desire is that you will keep on loving others as long as life lasts, in order to make certain that what you hope for will come true. Then you will not become spiritually dull and indifferent. Instead, you will follow the example of those who are going to inherit God’s promises because of their faith and endurance.”

It is so important that we continually grow and learn so we are full of love. Love is what shows our faith and makes us different. People that don’t know Jesus don’t want our talk they want to see that “Christians” are different. When we love God and love people we do things because we can’t help it, the Spirit is leading us. We are called to continue to learn until we mature and then continue to learn until we die and join God in His place of rest.

Look at what it says in Hebrews chapter 5 verse 7, “While Jesus was here on earth, He offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry and tears, to the one who could rescue Him from death. And God heard His prayers because of His deep reverence for God.” He did everything that God wanted and He was obedient even through His suffering and His prayers were answered with joy.

Do we have a reverence for God or do we have a desire to please ourselves? We always feel God should do-do-do when we need to take the responsibility and show our faith by our actions no matter what our suffering might be. What I like about loving Jesus is that it is a relationship that continues to grow so we can better shine His light.

I love what Hebrews chapter 5 verses 13-14 say, “For someone who lives on milk is still an infant and doesn’t know how to do what is right. Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong.”

It is our responsibility to train and learn to know Jesus and live like Him, we can’t do that if we do nothing with our faith and we always drink milk. I pray that we all including me desire more than anything the maturity that God has called us to. Amen

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Hebrews 2

4/15/2012

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Hebrews 2:18 “Since He Himself has gone through suffering and testing, He is able to help us when we are being tested.”

We must realize this as we are dealing with the day to day crud that happens in our lives. Jesus knows the pain and knows trials so He has asked us to come to Him and release it to Him. This is so helpful when our days seem black and there is no light in the tunnel.

Look what it says in chapter 2 verse 10, “God, for whom and through whom everything was made, chose to bring many children into glory. And it was only right that He should make Jesus, through His suffering, a perfect leader, fit to bring them into their salvation.”

We must remember this and continue to grow as we seek to know more and live our lives to resemble Christ’s. We shouldn’t be worrying about the answers for everything we just need to realize that God’s will is perfect and we need to know who is in charge. Hebrews chapter 3 verse 6 says, “But Christ, as the Son, is in charge of God’s entire house. And we are God’s house, if we keep our courage and remain confident in our hope in Christ.”

This is clear that we have a responsibility to “keep our courage and remain confident.” The devil will constantly try and keep our heads spinning and our doubt alive, but when we grow in wisdom and righteousness our faith grows stronger. Verse 12 says, “Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God.” We must feed the Spirit in us and desire to understand more each day so we are confident and bold in what we do.

Verse 13 says, “You must warn each other every day, while it is still “today,” so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God.” We need to always see our relationship with Christ as active and alive and our belief will drive us to belong and we will do all we can to know when the devil is working on our hearts and filling us will selfish and impure motives. Our walk starts with belief but it must continue to grow until we love Him so much that we say not my will but yours.

Look at verse 14 which says, “For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ.” It is not over just because we step on the narrow road we must stay on the narrow road and that takes us loving God truly. Amen

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Titus 2

4/11/2012

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Titus 2:11-13 “For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed.”

We are called to be different and to glorify God in the way we live. It is an evil world that will continually challenge and tempt us because we know this. We should be ready for the attacks and never be surprised by what this world offers. It says, “…we should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God.” This takes studying and prayer so that we can grow in our understanding and our lives can continue to change to resemble Christ’s.

I love the fact that it states “devotion to God.” We all seek to be fully devoted but do we put the time in and devote ourselves to God? It is hard to let go of all the worldly things we devote to but that is why we are different. We die to ourselves and what this world shows us and we “devote” to honoring God. When we fill our hearts with the Spirit we can understand how important self-control is and how important patience is as we live every day to glorify Him.

We need to know that our example is so important because our failing helps the devil keep people from seeking. Jesus came for all people to know Him and love Him and follow Him. We need to repent and confess and then do all we can to learn from God’s word so we can show the love of Christ in all situations and in how we live. God is love and sent His Son to bridge the gap back to Him, and the Holy Spirit drives us back home when we surrender the control.

In Titus chapter 1 verse 15 it says, “Everything is pure to those whose hearts are pure. But nothing is pure to those who are corrupted and unbelieving, because their minds and consciences are corrupted.” Be pure and know the truth and be a warrior for Christ. Amen

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2 Timothy 3

4/7/2012

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2 Timothy 3:17 “God uses it to prepare and equip His people to do every good work.”

While reading today I just noticed verse 17 and I realized this is why it is so important to open God’s word and learn. In verse 16 we are told, “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realizes what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.”

There is nothing more important for us developing and growing to be like Christ. The first three words in verse 17 are, “God uses it.” Well that is why we need to open it and open our hearts so we can change.

As I looked at the beginning of the Gospel of John in chapter 1 verse 1 it says, “In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.” This should motivate us to be in the word and live by what it says. We have got to get our focus off the world and off ourselves and go to God as an open vessel. When we know the word we are comfortable in all situations to be an example and live it out.

Chapter 4 verse 2 says, “Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching.” If we as fully devoted followers of Jesus can’t open His word and learn how can we consider ourselves fully devoted? And if we aren’t excited about sharing our faith and celebrating true life how can we be fully devoted?

I want to pray for my growth and the growth of all believers that there be total focus and passion to learn to be like Christ. Think about chapter 4 verse 5 as you self-evaluate yourself. “But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don’t be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at telling others the Good News, and fully carry out the ministry God have given you.”

We need to make our walk real and active just as the word is. Amen

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2 Timothy 2

4/5/2012

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2 Timothy 2:22 “Run from anything that stimulates youthful lust. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts.”

We are called to be different and we need to continue to work with others that seek the Lord. The devil will pry and scheme to derail us from the narrow road and if we don’t have our tools sharpened and the people around us it will be hard.

In chapter 2 verse 15 Paul says, “Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive His approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and correctly explains the word of truth.” We as fully devoted followers of Christ need to be just that, fully devoted, never being satisfied with the knowledge we have. We need to correctly explain the word of truth and that takes study and asking, putting in the time to grow and build confidence.

In the book “not a fan” by Kyle Idleman he states this about calling ourselves Christian; “If you call yourself a Christian, by definition you are committing to follow Christ with every area of your life. It doesn’t mean you will follow perfectly, but you can’t say, I’m a “Christian” and then refuse to follow Christ when it comes to certain people or places or practices. We cannot coast our way through this world, after we accept Jesus as Lord and Savior we must begin our jobs as “bond servants” to Him and work on being all we can be to make a difference and be a light to this dark world.

2 Timothy chapter 1 verses 6-7 say, “This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you. For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love and self-discipline.” Once we hear, confess and repent our baptism starts our new lives in Christ and we need to learn and grow to be warriors for Him not just fans. Amen

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James 1

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