"He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy. Blessed is the man who always fears The Lord, but he who hardens his heart falls into trouble." Proverbs 28:13-14 (NIV)
This Proverb of Solomon is one of several that deals with man's relationship to God. While we all commit sins, those in good standing with God will admit that they have sinned. He who conceals his sins through lies and deceit is not a wise man and he will be in trouble with God.
Sin should not be covered up or lied about. It is better to confess ones sins unto The Lord, and to ask for forgiveness and help in avoiding them in the future. There will be a price to pay for being less than truthful. God does not expect us to be perfect, but He does require that we are truthful and honest with Him about our behavior. When we mess up, we should "fess" up.
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Grace Filled Christian Conversation
"Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone." Colossians 4:5-6 (NIV)
The Apostle Paul encourages believers to be careful in the way that they act and speak so that they would not turn people off from Christianity.
Some people will make judgements about all Christians based upon what they see and hear from one or two Christians. We should speak with grace, spiritual & wholesome (Godly), fitting & sensitive (appropriate), purposeful & complimentary (helpful), kind & gentle (considerate), and truthful & thoughtful (Christ-like). We should make sure that our walk and our talk reflect good Christian behavior and conversation. We need to be like salt, we should be a purifying influence in a decaying world.
The Apostle Paul encourages believers to be careful in the way that they act and speak so that they would not turn people off from Christianity.
Some people will make judgements about all Christians based upon what they see and hear from one or two Christians. We should speak with grace, spiritual & wholesome (Godly), fitting & sensitive (appropriate), purposeful & complimentary (helpful), kind & gentle (considerate), and truthful & thoughtful (Christ-like). We should make sure that our walk and our talk reflect good Christian behavior and conversation. We need to be like salt, we should be a purifying influence in a decaying world.
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Blessed Is He Who Perseveres Through The Storms
"Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him." James 1:12 (NIV)
While discussing the benefits of Christian living, James said that the believer who maintains his faith even while being severely tested, will be blessed to receive the gift from God of eternal life.
As long as we never let go of our belief and faith in God, and focus on our guaranteed victory at the end of our trials, we will receive eternal life as God has promised. There is a crown awaiting those believers who faithfully endure the storms of this life.
While discussing the benefits of Christian living, James said that the believer who maintains his faith even while being severely tested, will be blessed to receive the gift from God of eternal life.
As long as we never let go of our belief and faith in God, and focus on our guaranteed victory at the end of our trials, we will receive eternal life as God has promised. There is a crown awaiting those believers who faithfully endure the storms of this life.
Monday, June 4, 2012
Out Of The Mouth Flow The Issues Of The Heart
"The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks." Luke 6:45 (NIV)
In The Sermon on the Mount as recorded by Luke, Jesus taught His disciples and the crowd of people that had gathered around them that whatever is within a man's heart is what will come out of his mouth, be that good or evil.
If we listen long enough to what people say, they will generally tell us what they really think and feel. We know that people can lie and intentionally deceive others with their words. However, if we let them talk long enough, the will reveal their true colors. Which is a good reason to observe their behavior to see if their actions are consistent with their words.
In The Sermon on the Mount as recorded by Luke, Jesus taught His disciples and the crowd of people that had gathered around them that whatever is within a man's heart is what will come out of his mouth, be that good or evil.
If we listen long enough to what people say, they will generally tell us what they really think and feel. We know that people can lie and intentionally deceive others with their words. However, if we let them talk long enough, the will reveal their true colors. Which is a good reason to observe their behavior to see if their actions are consistent with their words.
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Teachers Will Be Judged More Strictly
"Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly." James 3:1 (NIV)
James warns that teaching and preaching should be taken very seriously and not entered into lightly, because they will be held to and judged by a higher standard. False teachers will be judged more strictly.
While this clearly applies to pastors and preachers, it also applies to teachers in general, especially religious teachers. If you are in a position to provide instruction to others, be very careful about what you say. This is especially true if you teach, lead, guide, or direct children (parents for example). Leading the youth and young adults astray has very serious consequences. (Matthew 18:6; Mark 9:42; & Luke 17:2) Remember that children learn what they see, so we should be careful regarding what we do in front of children. We would not want a child to stumble into sin following our example.
James warns that teaching and preaching should be taken very seriously and not entered into lightly, because they will be held to and judged by a higher standard. False teachers will be judged more strictly.
While this clearly applies to pastors and preachers, it also applies to teachers in general, especially religious teachers. If you are in a position to provide instruction to others, be very careful about what you say. This is especially true if you teach, lead, guide, or direct children (parents for example). Leading the youth and young adults astray has very serious consequences. (Matthew 18:6; Mark 9:42; & Luke 17:2) Remember that children learn what they see, so we should be careful regarding what we do in front of children. We would not want a child to stumble into sin following our example.
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Our Deeds Will Follow Us Even After Death
"Then I heard a voice from heaven say, "Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on." "Yes," says the Spirit, "they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them." Revelation 14:13 (NIV)
John, the disciple whom Jesus loved, recounted and out of body experience in which things beyond earth were revealed to him. He was told by angels and by The Holy Spirit to write what he saw and heard. He was told that those who die believing in Jesus Christ will be blessed. They will be given rest from their earthly labor, and they will be rewarded for their works which were obedient to His word.
This revelation of John was revealed to him after he saw images of the anti-Christ, and there are those who believe that this blessing is only for the martyrs who will be killed for refusing to be branded with the mark of the beast. Others believe that this blessing applies to all who die believing in Christ. Either way, it is clear that we will all have to give an account of our stewardship (Matthew 12:36; Romans 14:12; Hebrews 4:13; & 1 Peter 4:5) and it is clear that Jesus, The Christ, will judge each of our thoughts, words, and deeds (John 5:22; John 5:27; Romans 2:16; 1 Corinthians 11:32; 2 Timothy 4:8; Hebrews 4:12; and Revelation 20:12-13) and our future rewards will be based upon what we did to give God glory.
Friday, June 1, 2012
Read The Bible Then Do What It Says
"Do not merely listen to 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 a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it, he will be blessed in what he does." James 1:22-25 (NIV)
Continuing in his discourse on Christian behavior, James tell them that just reading The Word of God alone is not enough. They have to read it, remember it, and put it into practice in their daily lives. By doing so they will be blessed.
The same applies to us today, just reading The Bible is not enough. It is possible to read The Bible and not understand the main point. There was a course offered by the English Department when I was in college at UCLA entitled "The Bible As Literature" which analyzed the syntax and style of the written words in The Bible, totally ignoring any religious significance or implication. The Bible records in Acts 8:26-36 that an Ethiopian eunuch was reading from the book of Isaiah and did not understand what he was reading until Phillip explained it to him. Just reading The Bible is not enough. It should be read prayerfully by believers who are seeking to know Him better. We must apply what we have read to our daily lives. If after you read The Bible there is no change in your behavior, your thoughts, your speech, and your actions, then you just read a good book without knowing that it is The Good Book about the good news of the gospel.
Continuing in his discourse on Christian behavior, James tell them that just reading The Word of God alone is not enough. They have to read it, remember it, and put it into practice in their daily lives. By doing so they will be blessed.
The same applies to us today, just reading The Bible is not enough. It is possible to read The Bible and not understand the main point. There was a course offered by the English Department when I was in college at UCLA entitled "The Bible As Literature" which analyzed the syntax and style of the written words in The Bible, totally ignoring any religious significance or implication. The Bible records in Acts 8:26-36 that an Ethiopian eunuch was reading from the book of Isaiah and did not understand what he was reading until Phillip explained it to him. Just reading The Bible is not enough. It should be read prayerfully by believers who are seeking to know Him better. We must apply what we have read to our daily lives. If after you read The Bible there is no change in your behavior, your thoughts, your speech, and your actions, then you just read a good book without knowing that it is The Good Book about the good news of the gospel.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)