Jas 2:13 For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.
If we show no mercy- we will receive no mercy.
If we show mercy- we will receive mercy.
We are judged with mercy and without mercy and it depends upon us which we will receive.
Much like the Lord's teaching prayer- we are forgiven only as we forgive.
We cannot expect to treat others horrifically and be shown mercy, we just can't. We can't expect to be mean, to be spiteful, to be selfish, to be demanding, to be ornery, to be all that is contrary to love and then expect to receive love.
So many say that God forgives us- even the most horrible among us- but they forget to say that God forgives us and expects in us a change. True repentance brings true change, yes?
How awful do we view men who beat women? We find it appalling how many women will say over and over again that the man didn't mean to do it, that he's sorry and he'll change- only to have him turn around and do it again. We want these women to leave the abusive men don't we? Also, the woman who abuses the man- and do NOT make the mistake of thinking this doesn't happen it does more than we care to imagine. We make judgment calls and yet forget to judge ourselves in our own sins. Our sins we view as lesser offenses and not so appalling. I'm NOT advocating having anyone stay in an abusive relationship but I think we need to realize how often our relationship to God is shaped in the same vein- an abusive relationship.
We offend God over and over and He forgives us, allowing us to remain with Him over and over. Yet in our Lord's teachings we know that there has to be true repentance, yes? A true seeking of forgiveness, right? A growing in grace and knowledge of the Lord.
Yet how many people reading this right now have sins that so easily beset them? How man people consider themselves wretched people because they only seem to fail over and over again to meet the high standard of perfection set?
We KNOW God's word tells us we must forgive to be forgiven, that we must show mercy to receive mercy. Even as we might be caught in a web of our sins, tangled in sins that seem to be thorns in our sides that only go deeper and deeper the more we try to remove them, we MUST show others compassion, forgiveness, mercy. What we find incredibly hard to forgive in ourselves we must forgive of others. Where we fail to give mercy to our own failings we MUST show mercy to others in theirs! Just because we fail to receive from ourselves or from others, does NOT mean we should fail to give.
These are GOD'S WORDS-
1Pe 4:8 And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.
This mercy we are told to extend to others if we have hope to receive mercy means so much more than we can truly imagine.
Jas 2:13 For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.
We need to receive mercy desperately, and as such we MUST show mercy towards others in all things.
Please Lord, help us stop abusing You in our sins, help us to show mercy and forgiveness to others in big things and in all the many small things. Help us Lord without You we are lost.
In Your love!!!!!!!
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Law of liberty
Jas 2:10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
Jas 2:11 For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.
Jas 2:12 So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.
Judged by the law of liberty. The law of freedom.
Definition:
1. liberty to do or to omit things having no relationship to salvation
2. fancied liberty
a. licence, the liberty to do as one pleases
3. true liberty is living as we should not as we please
True liberty is LIVING as we should NOT as we please.
The law of liberty. The law of our freedom exists. We live everyday with laws that are supposed to be geared towards keeping our physical freedom, don't we? Here in the United States we call it the land of the free and we do that because for the most part we are free- aren't we? No dictating ruler can snap their fingers and enslave us, right? It's a criminal act to take away our freedom unless we break the law, a law set up to keep us safe and respectably living among others, yes? So we know what it is like to have our freedom threatened and yet we know what it's like to have our freedom protected- it all depends on which side of the law you want to be on, doesn't it? If you want to break the law the law becomes a law of bondage, a law of restriction. If you want to keep the law it is a law of freedom, of protection.
The law of liberty, the law of freedom. The whole law. The moral law of God - the Ten Commandments, the Ten Laws.
A person who robs someone might proudly say at least they didn't kill someone, but it doesn't make them any less guilty of robbery. A person who commits adultery might proudly say at least they didn't rob someone, but they are still guilty. A person who hates God might say at least they don't kill, steal, or commit adultery, yet they are still guilty. Are you getting the point here? We might never steal, kill, commit adultery, lie, covet, take God's name in vain, worship any other God, honor our mother and father, bow down to statues, but we feel it's perfectly fine to worship God on a day of our choosing - that God will most certainly overlook that broken law because in essence we are worshipping Him on a day, just not the seventh. We honestly believe that God is more than willing to bend this one law that He's left a lot of leeway in this law for us to interpret it as we desire. Do we believe that God meant we could steal little unimportant things and it's okay, just so long as we don't steal important pricey things? No, we don't believe that for a moment. Did God mean it's fine to not honor your parents on occasion just so long as you honor them the majority of the time? You get where I'm going with this, God made His laws without being wishy washy. God gave us these laws as a rule of living in Him, living how He expects us to live. The covenant He made was one of love, and the realization that it'd be impossible for us to keep His perfect law of liberty brought with it- forgiveness, for when we would fail to obey. Our Savior kept this perfect law of liberty, He fulfilled it in ALL ways without faltering in a single point. And it's because of His life of perfection that we too can claim a life of perfection- through HIM. We must rely upon Him in ALL things. We must honor that perfect law of liberty, giving respect to God's moral laws in all ways and when we fall short we need to ask for forgiveness and cling to the only one who can forgive us, our Savior.
Jas 2:10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
Jas 2:11 For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.
Jas 2:12 So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.
There is no patting ourselves on the back for keeping most of the laws of God. There is no reward for picking and choosing what we find acceptable as a law and what we don't. The same moral law that gives us the command not to murder - which we ALL really can comprehend without any faltering- is the same moral law that gives us the commandment to worship God -setting aside the seventh day for worship. There was a reason God grouped those ten moral laws together, a reason we can try to pick apart to fit our own agenda but in the end it is ONLY God's agenda that matters, not ours. God never meant for those laws to separate. In fact Jesus grouped them into the laws of loving God and mankind.
Mat 22:36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
Mat 22:37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
Mat 22:38 This is the first and great commandment.
Mat 22:39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Mat 22:40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
Jesus knew that out of love for God the first four of the ten moral commandments would be kept, just as He knew that the last six of the ten moral commandments would be kept if we love our neighbor as we would be loved. He said- ON THESE TWO COMMANDMENTS HANG ALL THE LAW AND THE PROPHETS.
Can you imagine truly LOVING God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind? Also can you imagine truly loving others and YOU desire to be loved? The same respect, the same caring, the same kindness, the same thoughtfulness and understanding you long for- loving others that way- loving ALL others that way?
Just imagine it, how wondrous it must be!
Why in the world would God EVER want to do away with His moral law? Why? There is absolutely NO reason in heaven or earth that God would want to do away with His moral law, none. God created the PERFECT moral law- a law without flaw, a law of liberty. Yes, He did make a law that was done away with- a ceremonial law, but NEVER did He do away with His moral law and it really astounds me that people think He did away with His moral law, it's just so incredibly hard to comprehend why He would ever do away with His moral law, or why He would even want to.
Only those who believe in the freedom to break laws, only those who truly feel free when they are breaking laws- are the ones who can comprehend it because they do not want to love God with all their minds, their souls, their hearts and they most assuredly do not want to love others as they would be loved.
By the grace of our LORD and SAVIOR may we be HIS FULLY! Loving God with all our heart, souls, and minds!
In His forgiving love!
Amen.
Jas 2:11 For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.
Jas 2:12 So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.
Judged by the law of liberty. The law of freedom.
Definition:
1. liberty to do or to omit things having no relationship to salvation
2. fancied liberty
a. licence, the liberty to do as one pleases
3. true liberty is living as we should not as we please
True liberty is LIVING as we should NOT as we please.
The law of liberty. The law of our freedom exists. We live everyday with laws that are supposed to be geared towards keeping our physical freedom, don't we? Here in the United States we call it the land of the free and we do that because for the most part we are free- aren't we? No dictating ruler can snap their fingers and enslave us, right? It's a criminal act to take away our freedom unless we break the law, a law set up to keep us safe and respectably living among others, yes? So we know what it is like to have our freedom threatened and yet we know what it's like to have our freedom protected- it all depends on which side of the law you want to be on, doesn't it? If you want to break the law the law becomes a law of bondage, a law of restriction. If you want to keep the law it is a law of freedom, of protection.
The law of liberty, the law of freedom. The whole law. The moral law of God - the Ten Commandments, the Ten Laws.
A person who robs someone might proudly say at least they didn't kill someone, but it doesn't make them any less guilty of robbery. A person who commits adultery might proudly say at least they didn't rob someone, but they are still guilty. A person who hates God might say at least they don't kill, steal, or commit adultery, yet they are still guilty. Are you getting the point here? We might never steal, kill, commit adultery, lie, covet, take God's name in vain, worship any other God, honor our mother and father, bow down to statues, but we feel it's perfectly fine to worship God on a day of our choosing - that God will most certainly overlook that broken law because in essence we are worshipping Him on a day, just not the seventh. We honestly believe that God is more than willing to bend this one law that He's left a lot of leeway in this law for us to interpret it as we desire. Do we believe that God meant we could steal little unimportant things and it's okay, just so long as we don't steal important pricey things? No, we don't believe that for a moment. Did God mean it's fine to not honor your parents on occasion just so long as you honor them the majority of the time? You get where I'm going with this, God made His laws without being wishy washy. God gave us these laws as a rule of living in Him, living how He expects us to live. The covenant He made was one of love, and the realization that it'd be impossible for us to keep His perfect law of liberty brought with it- forgiveness, for when we would fail to obey. Our Savior kept this perfect law of liberty, He fulfilled it in ALL ways without faltering in a single point. And it's because of His life of perfection that we too can claim a life of perfection- through HIM. We must rely upon Him in ALL things. We must honor that perfect law of liberty, giving respect to God's moral laws in all ways and when we fall short we need to ask for forgiveness and cling to the only one who can forgive us, our Savior.
Jas 2:10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
Jas 2:11 For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.
Jas 2:12 So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.
There is no patting ourselves on the back for keeping most of the laws of God. There is no reward for picking and choosing what we find acceptable as a law and what we don't. The same moral law that gives us the command not to murder - which we ALL really can comprehend without any faltering- is the same moral law that gives us the commandment to worship God -setting aside the seventh day for worship. There was a reason God grouped those ten moral laws together, a reason we can try to pick apart to fit our own agenda but in the end it is ONLY God's agenda that matters, not ours. God never meant for those laws to separate. In fact Jesus grouped them into the laws of loving God and mankind.
Mat 22:36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
Mat 22:37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
Mat 22:38 This is the first and great commandment.
Mat 22:39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Mat 22:40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
Jesus knew that out of love for God the first four of the ten moral commandments would be kept, just as He knew that the last six of the ten moral commandments would be kept if we love our neighbor as we would be loved. He said- ON THESE TWO COMMANDMENTS HANG ALL THE LAW AND THE PROPHETS.
Can you imagine truly LOVING God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind? Also can you imagine truly loving others and YOU desire to be loved? The same respect, the same caring, the same kindness, the same thoughtfulness and understanding you long for- loving others that way- loving ALL others that way?
Just imagine it, how wondrous it must be!
Why in the world would God EVER want to do away with His moral law? Why? There is absolutely NO reason in heaven or earth that God would want to do away with His moral law, none. God created the PERFECT moral law- a law without flaw, a law of liberty. Yes, He did make a law that was done away with- a ceremonial law, but NEVER did He do away with His moral law and it really astounds me that people think He did away with His moral law, it's just so incredibly hard to comprehend why He would ever do away with His moral law, or why He would even want to.
Only those who believe in the freedom to break laws, only those who truly feel free when they are breaking laws- are the ones who can comprehend it because they do not want to love God with all their minds, their souls, their hearts and they most assuredly do not want to love others as they would be loved.
By the grace of our LORD and SAVIOR may we be HIS FULLY! Loving God with all our heart, souls, and minds!
In His forgiving love!
Amen.
Friday, December 30, 2011
Jesus said... Joh 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
One day in seven, yet on all those days, on each of those seven days - ALL the commandments must be followed. The fourth commandment tells us to set aside the seventh day as our Sabbath. Can we keep the fourth commandment on those other six days? I cannot actually keep the Sabbath on any other day than the commandment requires but… on the other six days I can REMEMBER to keep the Sabbath day that will be coming. Not a single day should go by that we aren't keeping all of God's commandments and that includes the fourth commandment. The fifth commandment calls for us to honor our mother and father- so does this exempt the parentless from having to keep that commandment? It's impossible for them to, right? Or is there such a thing as a 'heart keeping' of ALL the commandments that we don't want to really think too much about? People can come up with plenty of loopholes. Others can say they honor the eighth commandment and do not steal- and yet perhaps they've not had an opportunity to steal- are they still keeping that commandment without the opportunity to break it?
Keeping the heart of the law given to us- is obeying it in all things, it's a constant acceptance of the moral laws of God and an understanding that when we LOVE God we are keeping His commandments. When we love our fellow man - every single one of them even those we believe we have a right to despise the most- then we are keeping God's commandments.
Jesus' life was a living testament to how we are to live- us following in His footsteps.
Do the standards you possess on a daily basis reveal your position as a follower of Christ? Can a person assess your six day weekly life outside of the Sabbath keeping and know you are Christ's?
We are to love God and have no other God's before Him. People can't necessarily see that love of God. They might just think you're a good person. We aren't to have any idols, we aren't to worship statues of stone or otherwise, so people can't see us bowed down before a giant statue of God outside our house- it can't exist. Not taking God's name in vain, not using God's name senselessly isn't something a person will necessarily notice in you- it's not a prerequisite to conversations to do so. Honoring your mom and dad, well people generally are nice to their parents and honoring them isn't a strictly Jesus ordered command- even atheists will honor their parents. Not murdering, stealing, committing adultery- well most people do NOT broadcast this sort of behavior, right? We expect people in our society not to kill or steal, it doesn't mean they are Christ's because they choose not to kill, steal, or commit adultery. The same goes for lying and coveting, even pagan practitioners will say lying and coveting are wrong. All these commandments kept are not necessarily kept because a person loves God. However… choosing to set aside a whole DAY for God, the day HE chose for us to set aside for HIM, this can't be interpreted any other way can it? Can an atheists set aside a day of worship for GOD? No, not and remain an atheist. Can a pagan set aside a day to worship GOD and NOT appear to be God's? No. To set aside a day to worship GOD is to reveal your belief in GOD for ALL to see. I'm not talking setting aside an hour or two for God on a day He hasn't chosen, but setting aside an entire day to worship God, the day God chose, the seventh in our weekly count of seven days in a week.
This is something we need to contemplate a bit- our love of God in keeping HIS laws of love.
We keep them always, we don't set aside certain commandments on certain days. We don't set aside keeping the fourth commandment on the first through sixth days of the week. We live our lives towards keeping that day of worship, that commandment is always a part of our lives all seven days a week just as all the others should be.
Exo 20:3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
Exo 20:4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:
Exo 20:5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
Exo 20:6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
Exo 20:7 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
Exo 20:8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
Exo 20:9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
Exo 20:10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
Exo 20:11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
Exo 20:12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
Exo 20:13 Thou shalt not kill.
Exo 20:14 Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Exo 20:15 Thou shalt not steal.
Exo 20:16 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
Exo 20:17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.
Mat 5:18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
Praise God for His perfection, for His righteousness, for His grace, for His mercy, for His love in all these things.
Forgive us undeserving ones Lord, please, forgive us.
In You Lord!
Amen
Keeping the heart of the law given to us- is obeying it in all things, it's a constant acceptance of the moral laws of God and an understanding that when we LOVE God we are keeping His commandments. When we love our fellow man - every single one of them even those we believe we have a right to despise the most- then we are keeping God's commandments.
Jesus' life was a living testament to how we are to live- us following in His footsteps.
Do the standards you possess on a daily basis reveal your position as a follower of Christ? Can a person assess your six day weekly life outside of the Sabbath keeping and know you are Christ's?
We are to love God and have no other God's before Him. People can't necessarily see that love of God. They might just think you're a good person. We aren't to have any idols, we aren't to worship statues of stone or otherwise, so people can't see us bowed down before a giant statue of God outside our house- it can't exist. Not taking God's name in vain, not using God's name senselessly isn't something a person will necessarily notice in you- it's not a prerequisite to conversations to do so. Honoring your mom and dad, well people generally are nice to their parents and honoring them isn't a strictly Jesus ordered command- even atheists will honor their parents. Not murdering, stealing, committing adultery- well most people do NOT broadcast this sort of behavior, right? We expect people in our society not to kill or steal, it doesn't mean they are Christ's because they choose not to kill, steal, or commit adultery. The same goes for lying and coveting, even pagan practitioners will say lying and coveting are wrong. All these commandments kept are not necessarily kept because a person loves God. However… choosing to set aside a whole DAY for God, the day HE chose for us to set aside for HIM, this can't be interpreted any other way can it? Can an atheists set aside a day of worship for GOD? No, not and remain an atheist. Can a pagan set aside a day to worship GOD and NOT appear to be God's? No. To set aside a day to worship GOD is to reveal your belief in GOD for ALL to see. I'm not talking setting aside an hour or two for God on a day He hasn't chosen, but setting aside an entire day to worship God, the day God chose, the seventh in our weekly count of seven days in a week.
This is something we need to contemplate a bit- our love of God in keeping HIS laws of love.
We keep them always, we don't set aside certain commandments on certain days. We don't set aside keeping the fourth commandment on the first through sixth days of the week. We live our lives towards keeping that day of worship, that commandment is always a part of our lives all seven days a week just as all the others should be.
Exo 20:3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
Exo 20:4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:
Exo 20:5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
Exo 20:6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
Exo 20:7 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
Exo 20:8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
Exo 20:9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
Exo 20:10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
Exo 20:11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
Exo 20:12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
Exo 20:13 Thou shalt not kill.
Exo 20:14 Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Exo 20:15 Thou shalt not steal.
Exo 20:16 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
Exo 20:17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.
Mat 5:18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
Praise God for His perfection, for His righteousness, for His grace, for His mercy, for His love in all these things.
Forgive us undeserving ones Lord, please, forgive us.
In You Lord!
Amen
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Love thy neighbor
Jas 2:5 Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?
Poor of this world.
We lament our poorness don't we? We spend days, nights, weeks, months, years of our lives wishing and longing to be rich- or at least richer than we are so we don't have to scrimp and save, barely getting by. So much of our time is spent longing for more than we possess. So much time Satan steals from us as he insinuates that our poorness in worldly goods is something to be ashamed of, something to fix, something to abhor, something to hate. Yet we are told by God that the POOR are chosen to be RICH in faith- and HEIRS of the KINGDOM, the poor who LOVE HIM have this promise. The rich who love God will also be heirs and yet very few rich people even feel they have a need of God. Very few rich people will see God's kingdom…
Luk 18:25 For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
Rich men have such an awesome responsibility to help the poor that it becomes incredibly overwhelming. They lose sight of the point where they should help even if it means losing their own riches and becoming poor themselves.
Hath not God chosen the poor of this world.
Rich in faith.
Heirs of the kingdom promised to them that love him.
Jas 2:6 But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats?
Jas 2:7 Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?
But people despise the poor and being poor. When a person is poor it is a sign of failure- failure to be more than poor. The poor really are despised- and under a guise of pity people might help them a bit, yet that fear of being poor themselves rears its ugly head all too often. You'll get so many people saying they do not despise the poor at all yet the majority of those would not give up all their riches and become poor- to become like those they say they pity. They despise them and do not want to be like them, they despise the idea of being truly poor.
People who belong to God are oppressed by others, those others blaspheme the name of God. We cannot be like them we just can't! We cannot despise the poor, we cannot have respect of people on the level that the earthly do, on the level that our natural person strives to do.
We only have hope through CHRIST, ONLY THROUGH CHRIST!
Jas 2:8 If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:
Jas 2:9 But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.
The ROYAL LAW according to Scripture…
Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
Lev 19:18 Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.
Mat 5:43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
Mat 19:19 Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Mat 22:39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Mar 12:31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.
Rom 13:9 For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Gal 5:14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Fulfilling the royal law.
If we do NOT love our neighbors then we are respecting people in the sense we are judging them and we are sinning.
Oh to love others as we would be loved…treat others as we would be treated. We are given so many incredible reasons NOT to love others by the things they say and do to us. No matter how horrific we are to LOVE them. It is this seemingly impossible feat that we are to accomplish and we ONLY can do this through the GRACE of our LORD, through HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS, HIS LOVE!
Please Lord, Please….
Poor of this world.
We lament our poorness don't we? We spend days, nights, weeks, months, years of our lives wishing and longing to be rich- or at least richer than we are so we don't have to scrimp and save, barely getting by. So much of our time is spent longing for more than we possess. So much time Satan steals from us as he insinuates that our poorness in worldly goods is something to be ashamed of, something to fix, something to abhor, something to hate. Yet we are told by God that the POOR are chosen to be RICH in faith- and HEIRS of the KINGDOM, the poor who LOVE HIM have this promise. The rich who love God will also be heirs and yet very few rich people even feel they have a need of God. Very few rich people will see God's kingdom…
Luk 18:25 For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
Rich men have such an awesome responsibility to help the poor that it becomes incredibly overwhelming. They lose sight of the point where they should help even if it means losing their own riches and becoming poor themselves.
Hath not God chosen the poor of this world.
Rich in faith.
Heirs of the kingdom promised to them that love him.
Jas 2:6 But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats?
Jas 2:7 Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?
But people despise the poor and being poor. When a person is poor it is a sign of failure- failure to be more than poor. The poor really are despised- and under a guise of pity people might help them a bit, yet that fear of being poor themselves rears its ugly head all too often. You'll get so many people saying they do not despise the poor at all yet the majority of those would not give up all their riches and become poor- to become like those they say they pity. They despise them and do not want to be like them, they despise the idea of being truly poor.
People who belong to God are oppressed by others, those others blaspheme the name of God. We cannot be like them we just can't! We cannot despise the poor, we cannot have respect of people on the level that the earthly do, on the level that our natural person strives to do.
We only have hope through CHRIST, ONLY THROUGH CHRIST!
Jas 2:8 If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:
Jas 2:9 But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.
The ROYAL LAW according to Scripture…
Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
Lev 19:18 Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.
Mat 5:43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
Mat 19:19 Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Mat 22:39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Mar 12:31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.
Rom 13:9 For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Gal 5:14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Fulfilling the royal law.
If we do NOT love our neighbors then we are respecting people in the sense we are judging them and we are sinning.
Oh to love others as we would be loved…treat others as we would be treated. We are given so many incredible reasons NOT to love others by the things they say and do to us. No matter how horrific we are to LOVE them. It is this seemingly impossible feat that we are to accomplish and we ONLY can do this through the GRACE of our LORD, through HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS, HIS LOVE!
Please Lord, Please….
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Help us not to be partial towards others
Jas 2:1 My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.
Jas 2:2 For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment;
Jas 2:3 And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool:
Jas 2:4 Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?
We judge all too often based on sight, and it's so incredibly hard not to do that isn't it? I know all too often I'm guilty of looking upon a person and based on their outward appearance I imagine them to be a certain type of person. The woman that dresses skimpily- she's obviously an immoral person, right? The boy with the jeans hanging off his rear with his hair spiked and big hoop earrings stretching out his earlobes, why he's obviously a rebellious youth - a troublemaker. The girl with the pink hair and chains crisscrossing her body is obviously disturbed and also a troublemaker. And you know what, maybe my presumptuous thoughts are way off the mark but aren't these people TRYING to portray a certain image? Seriously, don't those who blatantly dress and groom themselves in certain ways desiring to appear in a particular manner do so because they WANT us to view them like that?
I believe we have to be wary and yet NOT judging if that makes sense.
If a person who lives on the streets without access to bathing facilities and without access to decent clothing and such approaches us automatically we tend to be leery of them, yet God would have us treat ALL men equally- even those who appear like gangsters, like gang members, like prostitutes, like pimps, like thieves, thugs, and simpletons, etc. ALL men treated equally- sounds like our constitution doesn't it, but truthfully God would have us NOT judge that outward appearance. While we are wary and not eager to throw ourselves into situations that might be dangerous, we MUST have faith in God that He will protect us or allow us to endure a trial for our faith, no matter what.
If we only cater to those we imagine are of equal or greater stature than ourselves then we are doing the exact opposite of what Jesus taught us. Jesus went to ALL classes of people without prejudice and we are to do the same.
Maybe we don't often find ourselves in situations that make us choose between an upper class or lower class person - as society judges, but when we do we HAVE to ask ourselves who needs us to be more compassionate- the one who has much or the one who has little?
May God bless us and help us to live as He would have us live and treat others as He would have us treat them. Help us NOT to be partial in ourselves- judging wrongly based upon sight as man judges. Help us Lord to judge as God would have us judge- all through HIS grace! Through HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS! HIS AMAZING LOVE!
Amen.
Jas 2:2 For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment;
Jas 2:3 And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool:
Jas 2:4 Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?
We judge all too often based on sight, and it's so incredibly hard not to do that isn't it? I know all too often I'm guilty of looking upon a person and based on their outward appearance I imagine them to be a certain type of person. The woman that dresses skimpily- she's obviously an immoral person, right? The boy with the jeans hanging off his rear with his hair spiked and big hoop earrings stretching out his earlobes, why he's obviously a rebellious youth - a troublemaker. The girl with the pink hair and chains crisscrossing her body is obviously disturbed and also a troublemaker. And you know what, maybe my presumptuous thoughts are way off the mark but aren't these people TRYING to portray a certain image? Seriously, don't those who blatantly dress and groom themselves in certain ways desiring to appear in a particular manner do so because they WANT us to view them like that?
I believe we have to be wary and yet NOT judging if that makes sense.
If a person who lives on the streets without access to bathing facilities and without access to decent clothing and such approaches us automatically we tend to be leery of them, yet God would have us treat ALL men equally- even those who appear like gangsters, like gang members, like prostitutes, like pimps, like thieves, thugs, and simpletons, etc. ALL men treated equally- sounds like our constitution doesn't it, but truthfully God would have us NOT judge that outward appearance. While we are wary and not eager to throw ourselves into situations that might be dangerous, we MUST have faith in God that He will protect us or allow us to endure a trial for our faith, no matter what.
If we only cater to those we imagine are of equal or greater stature than ourselves then we are doing the exact opposite of what Jesus taught us. Jesus went to ALL classes of people without prejudice and we are to do the same.
Maybe we don't often find ourselves in situations that make us choose between an upper class or lower class person - as society judges, but when we do we HAVE to ask ourselves who needs us to be more compassionate- the one who has much or the one who has little?
May God bless us and help us to live as He would have us live and treat others as He would have us treat them. Help us NOT to be partial in ourselves- judging wrongly based upon sight as man judges. Help us Lord to judge as God would have us judge- all through HIS grace! Through HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS! HIS AMAZING LOVE!
Amen.
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Unspotted from the world
Jas 1:27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
Pure religion is revealed in our actions.
We can try all we want to convince ourselves and others that being a follower of God, our Creator, doesn't mean 'living' a certain way, but all we are doing is lying to ourselves and others.
Men of God do behave differently then men of the world and they always have.
Right here in this verse we are told that a man of God will keep himself UNSPOTTED from the world. The only way to remain unspotted is to realize that you can live a spotted life. The world offers us a spotted life. And our Bible - the word of God- tells us what the various worldly spotting consists of.
Read this passage-
Tit 2:1 But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine:
Tit 2:2 That the aged men be sober...
Be sober- not drunkards- being a drunkard is being spotted by the world.
Tit 2:2 ...grave,
Being serious- not being serious is being spotted by the world.
Tit 2:2 ...temperate,
Not being temperate means being unable to control your lusts, your passions. It also means not having a sound mind- this is being spotted by the world.
Tit 2:2 ...sound in faith, in charity, in patience.
Those who are NOT sound in faith, those who have NO charity, those who possess no patience these are those who are spotted by the world.
Tit 2:3 The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers
We cannot be liars.
Tit 2:3...not given to much wine
We cannot be drunkards.
tTit 2:3 teachers of good things;
We must be teaching GOOD things, not evil things.
Tit 2:4 That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,
Tit 2:5 To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.
Tit 2:6 Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded.
Tit 2:7 In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity,
Tit 2:8 Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you.
Tit 2:9 Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again;
Tit 2:10 Not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.
Tit 2:11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
Tit 2:12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world
We must be UNSPOTTED from the world!
Tit 2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
Tit 2:14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
Tit 2:15 These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.
Tit 3:1 Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work,
Tit 3:2 To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.
Tit 3:3 For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.
Tit 3:4 But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,
Tit 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
Tit 3:6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;
Tit 3:7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
Tit 3:8 This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.
Tit 3:9 But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain.
Tit 3:10 A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject;
Tit 3:11 Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself.
These are just a couple of chapters in the Bible where we can find a message on how we are to live our lives. No where are we told that we can live as we please filled with evil ways, deliberately committing ungodly acts over and over and over again and expect that we will be saved in those acts. Forever we have to give our lives to our Savior, constantly we have to give our lives to God and pray to overcome the evil that plagues us- never accepting the evil, never calling the evil good, never believing that our sin doesn't matter. Satan would have us give up, he pounds away at us wanting us to despair of ever being the godly person, the unspotted person we are to be. We cannot despair! We must live in hope of being transformed by our Savior into the person He desires us to be and we have to live constantly surrendering our lives to Him, constantly seeking forgiveness and grace.
Please Lord help us live unspotted from the world, help us to live with love in our hearts - loving others who have had misfortunes befall them. Please Lord live in us! Clean our hearts, our lives! Please Savior, save us - all through YOUR mercy, YOUR grace, YOUR amazing LOVE!
Amen.
Pure religion is revealed in our actions.
We can try all we want to convince ourselves and others that being a follower of God, our Creator, doesn't mean 'living' a certain way, but all we are doing is lying to ourselves and others.
Men of God do behave differently then men of the world and they always have.
Right here in this verse we are told that a man of God will keep himself UNSPOTTED from the world. The only way to remain unspotted is to realize that you can live a spotted life. The world offers us a spotted life. And our Bible - the word of God- tells us what the various worldly spotting consists of.
Read this passage-
Tit 2:1 But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine:
Tit 2:2 That the aged men be sober...
Be sober- not drunkards- being a drunkard is being spotted by the world.
Tit 2:2 ...grave,
Being serious- not being serious is being spotted by the world.
Tit 2:2 ...temperate,
Not being temperate means being unable to control your lusts, your passions. It also means not having a sound mind- this is being spotted by the world.
Tit 2:2 ...sound in faith, in charity, in patience.
Those who are NOT sound in faith, those who have NO charity, those who possess no patience these are those who are spotted by the world.
Tit 2:3 The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers
We cannot be liars.
Tit 2:3...not given to much wine
We cannot be drunkards.
tTit 2:3 teachers of good things;
We must be teaching GOOD things, not evil things.
Tit 2:4 That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,
Tit 2:5 To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.
Tit 2:6 Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded.
Tit 2:7 In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity,
Tit 2:8 Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you.
Tit 2:9 Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again;
Tit 2:10 Not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.
Tit 2:11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
Tit 2:12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world
We must be UNSPOTTED from the world!
Tit 2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
Tit 2:14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
Tit 2:15 These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.
Tit 3:1 Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work,
Tit 3:2 To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.
Tit 3:3 For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.
Tit 3:4 But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,
Tit 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
Tit 3:6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;
Tit 3:7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
Tit 3:8 This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.
Tit 3:9 But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain.
Tit 3:10 A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject;
Tit 3:11 Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself.
These are just a couple of chapters in the Bible where we can find a message on how we are to live our lives. No where are we told that we can live as we please filled with evil ways, deliberately committing ungodly acts over and over and over again and expect that we will be saved in those acts. Forever we have to give our lives to our Savior, constantly we have to give our lives to God and pray to overcome the evil that plagues us- never accepting the evil, never calling the evil good, never believing that our sin doesn't matter. Satan would have us give up, he pounds away at us wanting us to despair of ever being the godly person, the unspotted person we are to be. We cannot despair! We must live in hope of being transformed by our Savior into the person He desires us to be and we have to live constantly surrendering our lives to Him, constantly seeking forgiveness and grace.
Please Lord help us live unspotted from the world, help us to live with love in our hearts - loving others who have had misfortunes befall them. Please Lord live in us! Clean our hearts, our lives! Please Savior, save us - all through YOUR mercy, YOUR grace, YOUR amazing LOVE!
Amen.
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Living the word of God
Jas 1:23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:
Jas 1:24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
We are surrounded by mirrors. Every house has a mirror, every bathroom has a mirror, we have big mirrors and tiny hand held mirrors. Maybe I'm being presumptuous, I'm sure there are a lot of homes without mirrors but not in the United States. Our stores have mirrors, restaurants have mirrors, etc. Barring a mirror there are many reflective surfaces that surround us all the time.
Watching clips from the show Survivor after the contestants are sent back to a camp if they are put on the jury, it's very common for each person returning from the game to the camp to be shocked at how they appear when they get their first real glimpse of themselves in a mirror. They're amazed at how they look and mostly NOT in a good way. They've become so used to viewing themselves daily- several times a day- that to go without access to a mirror is a huge deal to them.
We DO look into reflective surfaces all the time and yet when we go away from the mirror and set about our business do we fully recall our appearance? Some will be quick to say they do but truthfully if they really remembered -would they have to look at themselves so often?
What are we doing when we look into the mirror? What are we expecting to see? We are appraising our appearance aren't we? We are judging whether or not there are imperfections we need to fix-aren't we? Hair that needs to be brushed just so. Dirt on a face that needs to be washed. Teeth that need to be brushed. Blemishes that need to be noted and tended. We are trying to look a certain way aren't we? We call it respectable, decent, well groomed and so on and so forth. We are trying to look our best. A lot of people look into mirrors to put make up on their faces to alter their natural appearance. People style their hair this way and that and they do it hoping it will look good. Some people look in mirrors and are disgusted with what they see- some honestly, genuinely disgusted and others using self-delusion believing they are disgusting when in truth they are not. Mirrors can be good things, showing us things we might not otherwise see that need seeing. Mirrors don't always have to be used for vanity, right?
Looking into a mirror and seeing our natural faces we look at them and then we walk away and we no longer are face to face with ourselves having to see ourselves, examine ourselves. We can begin to imagine we are better than what we appeared in that mirror- right? We don't have to see ourselves any longer and see the truth of our appearance. When we don't see ourselves we can imagine so many other things about ourselves, yes? Some might want to forget what they look like, some might want to forget the imperfections in themselves.
Someone who only hears but does not obey the word of the LORD, is like a person who doesn't want to be face to face with the reality of themselves, their sinfulness.
One who hears the word of the LORD and then does what the word tells them to do is like someone who leaves the mirror and remembers exactly what they saw there, forgetting nothing - it's as if they continue looking into the reflection of themselves so they don't forget what they are seeing. They want to see their imperfections so they can understand that it is God who is great, not them.
Jas 1:25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
When we look into the WORD of God we are free to believe in Him, free to have faith, free to love, free to be saved by the grace of our Lord. If we continue to believe in the word of God, NOT FORGETTING the word, we are blessed. If we follow the word of God- actively- then we are blessed in what we do.
We cannot allow ourselves to be stop at hearing the word of God, hearing, ever hearing and NEVER making the word of God real in our lives. It isn't easy making the word of God real in our lives- it involves suffering the death to self that we naturally rebel against. Is it any wonder the majority of people would rather hear and not do.
May we forever and always be hearers and doers of the word of God no matter the pain it brings, no matter what trails, what temptations, whatever it is we are called to face. May we forever continue to grow in the grace of the LORD. Please Lord, help us to be doers of Your word ALWAYS, help us, please we are lost without You.
In Your amazing love!
By YOUR GRACE!
Amen.
Jas 1:24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
We are surrounded by mirrors. Every house has a mirror, every bathroom has a mirror, we have big mirrors and tiny hand held mirrors. Maybe I'm being presumptuous, I'm sure there are a lot of homes without mirrors but not in the United States. Our stores have mirrors, restaurants have mirrors, etc. Barring a mirror there are many reflective surfaces that surround us all the time.
Watching clips from the show Survivor after the contestants are sent back to a camp if they are put on the jury, it's very common for each person returning from the game to the camp to be shocked at how they appear when they get their first real glimpse of themselves in a mirror. They're amazed at how they look and mostly NOT in a good way. They've become so used to viewing themselves daily- several times a day- that to go without access to a mirror is a huge deal to them.
We DO look into reflective surfaces all the time and yet when we go away from the mirror and set about our business do we fully recall our appearance? Some will be quick to say they do but truthfully if they really remembered -would they have to look at themselves so often?
What are we doing when we look into the mirror? What are we expecting to see? We are appraising our appearance aren't we? We are judging whether or not there are imperfections we need to fix-aren't we? Hair that needs to be brushed just so. Dirt on a face that needs to be washed. Teeth that need to be brushed. Blemishes that need to be noted and tended. We are trying to look a certain way aren't we? We call it respectable, decent, well groomed and so on and so forth. We are trying to look our best. A lot of people look into mirrors to put make up on their faces to alter their natural appearance. People style their hair this way and that and they do it hoping it will look good. Some people look in mirrors and are disgusted with what they see- some honestly, genuinely disgusted and others using self-delusion believing they are disgusting when in truth they are not. Mirrors can be good things, showing us things we might not otherwise see that need seeing. Mirrors don't always have to be used for vanity, right?
Looking into a mirror and seeing our natural faces we look at them and then we walk away and we no longer are face to face with ourselves having to see ourselves, examine ourselves. We can begin to imagine we are better than what we appeared in that mirror- right? We don't have to see ourselves any longer and see the truth of our appearance. When we don't see ourselves we can imagine so many other things about ourselves, yes? Some might want to forget what they look like, some might want to forget the imperfections in themselves.
Someone who only hears but does not obey the word of the LORD, is like a person who doesn't want to be face to face with the reality of themselves, their sinfulness.
One who hears the word of the LORD and then does what the word tells them to do is like someone who leaves the mirror and remembers exactly what they saw there, forgetting nothing - it's as if they continue looking into the reflection of themselves so they don't forget what they are seeing. They want to see their imperfections so they can understand that it is God who is great, not them.
Jas 1:25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
When we look into the WORD of God we are free to believe in Him, free to have faith, free to love, free to be saved by the grace of our Lord. If we continue to believe in the word of God, NOT FORGETTING the word, we are blessed. If we follow the word of God- actively- then we are blessed in what we do.
We cannot allow ourselves to be stop at hearing the word of God, hearing, ever hearing and NEVER making the word of God real in our lives. It isn't easy making the word of God real in our lives- it involves suffering the death to self that we naturally rebel against. Is it any wonder the majority of people would rather hear and not do.
May we forever and always be hearers and doers of the word of God no matter the pain it brings, no matter what trails, what temptations, whatever it is we are called to face. May we forever continue to grow in the grace of the LORD. Please Lord, help us to be doers of Your word ALWAYS, help us, please we are lost without You.
In Your amazing love!
By YOUR GRACE!
Amen.
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