Read James 4:1-10.
“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” James 4:7.
There are battles within us. Most often, they are rooted in our personal desires. The devil is a strategist who entices our flesh by tempting us. He wants us to fall into the temptations he presents to us.
"Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak" Matthew 26:41.
Temptation is not yet sin, it is in the split-second decision that we can sin if we give in. Our desires are not sin either, it is when we cannot detach ourselves from it and see it as our source of fulfillment that it becomes a sin. It hinders our relationship from God. Sin is an illegitimate means to our legitimate needs. What do we do when we are faced with temptation?
WHAT TO DO WHEN FACING TEMPTATION:
1. Submit to God.
2. Resist the Devil.
WHAT NOT TO DO WHEN FACING TEMPTATION: Resist first.
Resisting is not the first step. Resisting first makes us fail. We need the grace of God when we resist. When we resist first, we focus more on “resisting” and in the things that we’re missing out on. The devil is an expert in this area. It is not our battle!
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” Ephesians 6:12 .
“So he said to me, "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty” Zechariah 4:6.
The grace of God comes to us as we resist when we humble ourselves and submit ourselves to God.
But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” James 4:6.
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding” Proverbs 3:5.
SUBMISSION TO GOD STARTS WITH A DECISION.
The world offers temptation as an instant solution to our needs, but in the long run, it will not be good for us. When we decide to submit to God, we face Him and turn our backs on the things that we seem to be “missing out” on.
SUBMISSION TO GOD IS LIVING A LIFE OF SURRENDER.
“Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded” James 4:8.
Living a life of surrender to God is allowing God to take the driver’s seat.
LIVE A SURRENDERED LIFE
Are we living a life of surrender? What do we do when temptation hits us?
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
GENUINE: Small yet Powerful
Read James 3:1-12.
“Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark” James 3:5.
There is power in the spoken word. Someone once referred to our tongue as a “concealed weapon” that each of us has. All we need to do is open our mouths and it can do damage.
A good gauge to measure the spiritual maturity of a person is by how he uses his tongue.
The words of a person can give you a clue of what kind of individual he is.
James says that the one who can control his tongue is considered perfect.
We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check. James 3:2.
The bible says that the tongue cannot be tamed (James 3:8). It is the most exercised and least controlled muscle in our body. With it, we can either build people up or tear them down.
“When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise”
Proverbs 10:19.
Proverbs 10:19.
There is a direct relationship between the heart and the tongue.
“But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart,
and these make a man ‘unclean’”
Matthew 15:18.
“For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality,
theft, false testimony, slander”
Matthew 15:19.
and these make a man ‘unclean’”
Matthew 15:18.
“For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality,
theft, false testimony, slander”
Matthew 15:19.
Sets Direction of your Life.
“When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn
the whole animal” James 3:3.
the whole animal” James 3:3.
“The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit” Proverbs 18:21.
Even the smallest of words set big directions. When we accepted Jesus into our lives, we declared that “He is LORD.” When we get married, we say “I do.” What we speak to our children also sets them to a direction. The words that we speak become reality. Words set a direction in the heart.
Can bring Destruction.
“Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark” James 3:5.
“The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man's inmost parts” Proverbs 26:22.
“With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be” James 3: 9-10.
What are our motives when we open our mouths to speak? A few, seemingly insignificant words can destroy friendships, marriages, ministries or the church.
3. It needs Dependence on God.
All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man,but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness.Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be” James 3:7-10.
No man can tame the tongue, but it does not mean that it is untamable. Only the Spirit of God can tame the tongue. In order for our tongue to be tamed, the spiritual heart must be changed. A changed heart leads to a changed language. A new heart produces a new tongue. Only God can change a person’s 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.
“Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life” Proverbs 4:23.
Our salvation does not automatically change the way we live. Discipleship and dependence on the Holy Spirit is needed. When we depend on the Holy Spirit on our Christian walk, we bear the fruit of the Spirit.
GODLY SPEECH REVEALS GENUINE FAITH.
“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.
Monday, August 24, 2009
GENUINE: Evidence of Faith
Read James 2: 14-26.
“As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead” James 2:26.A genuine Christian can be recognized, not by how much of the Bible he knows, but by how much of the Word of God he applies in his life. Faith and works are meant to go together.
The apostle Paul wrote that the righteous will live by faith (Hebrews 10:38). He made it clear, once and for all, that salvation is by the grace of God and that we have done absolutely nothing to gain it.
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” Ephesians 2:8-9.
“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him” Hebrews 11:6.
But what kind of faith pleases God?
Paul’s letters complement the epistles of James in stating that evidence of faith must be shown in our actions.
“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” Ephesians 2:10.
3 KINDS OF FAITH:
Dead Faith.
“But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?” James 2:20 (KJV).
People with dead faith are those without any lifestyle change. If there is no lifestyle change, there is probably no heart change. We need to be able to express our faith in what we do.
Head Faith.
“You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that –and shudder”
James 2:19.
James 2:19.
Demons believe that there is only one God. They believe in the Trinity. They believe in the deity of Jesus Christ. They believe that Jesus Christ died and was risen from the dead and through which we are saved. But Demons are NOT saved! Coming to church and knowing the bible does not make one a Christian. There must be internal change that lead to external change.
Genuine & Saving Faith.
“You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made by what he did” James 2:22.“You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone” James 2:24.
Are we really working out our faith? Is being a Christian a statement or a reality in your life? Our faith must be seen in the way we treat our spouses and in the way we lead our homes. Our faith must be able to withstand temptations and our tongues must be used to glorify God.
The moment we declare that we are Christians, we put ourselves under the scrutiny of other people. Are we living the Word? Do we use our lives to make an impact on people and our community?
“In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven” Matthew 5:16.
FOR GOD’S GLORY, NOT OUR GLORY.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
GENUINE: Hearing and Doing
Evidence of Faith – “How we live.”
“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 this 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.
Some people can immediately tell the real from the fake. Bank tellers can immediately identify fake bills because they are so used to handling real bills.
Only God can tell if our faith is genuine or not. It is impossible for anyone to be saved apart from God, this is why we must show others that we are saved in the way we live our lives so that we can lead them to Jesus Christ.
FAITH IS PROVEN BY OUR RESPONSE TO THE WORD
BENEFITS OF THE WORD OF GOD:
1.The Word saves us.
“Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you”
James 1:21.“Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ” Romans 10:17.
It is important that we fill our minds with the Word of God because what we fill our minds with is what we will live by. It takes a while to fill our reserves that’s why we must make it a habit to get into the Word. The Word of God is effective in getting rid of all the filth and temptation.
Faith is more than just knowing the Word. Faith is how much of the Word has been applied in our lives.“I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you”
Psalm 119:11.“How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word”
Psalm 119:9.
2. The Word gives freedom.“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says”
James 1:22.
“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 1:25.
“I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts”
Psalm 119:45.
Psalm 119:45.
“If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free”
John 8:31a-32.
John 8:31a-32.
3. The Word gives blessings.
“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 1:25.
James 1:25.
“Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful” Joshua 1:8.
“He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers”
Psalm 1:3.
Psalm 1:3.
It is important that we meditate on the Word of God and apply it in our lives because the bible says that it is through obedience that we prosper. Prosperity is not limited to finances. It also pertains to family, church, friends and health. Prosperity is the ability to enjoy life to the fullest and the key to living an abundant life is when we let the Word of God affect our lives.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God”
John 1:1.
John 1:1.
“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” John 1:14.
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