To Know the Gospel is Different From Living it

Today

Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow? What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do, but doesn’t do it, sins.

James 4: 13-17

Commentary:

It is good to have goals, but goals will disappoint us if we leave God out of them. Do not make plans as though God does not exist, the future is in his hands. Christians make great claims but are often guilty of belying them with their actions. Professing to trust God and to being his people, they cling tightly to the world and its values. Possessing all the right answers, they contradict the gospel with their lives. It is not enough to talk the Christian faith, we must live it. What good is it if we claim to have faith but have no deeds? Genuine faith will inevitably produce good deeds.

God is trying to tell you something?

Now the word of the Lord came unto Jonah, the son of A-mit’-tai, saying, “Arise, go to Nin-‘e-veh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.” But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tar’-shish from the presence of the Lord, and went down to Jop-‘pa; and he found a ship going to Tar’-shish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tar’-shish from the presence of the Lord.

Jonah 1: 1-3

Commentary:

We know the story of Jonah and the fish, but what is God telling us? God told Jonah to do something, and he did not. What is God telling you to do? Are you listening? Jonah did not like the Assyrians and did not want them to receive God’s mercy. Are their people in your life you – for whatever reason – dislike, and you will not pray for them? If so, you are not doing what God tells you to do. Because of Jonah’s disobedience, God has shown us how he took non-believing sailors and made them believers. Jonah was in the fish for three days, Christ was in the grave for three days, and when they both came up they preached the Word. God wants us to be concerned for all his children, the ones that are saved and especially the lost ones.

Spread the Good Truth

Scripture: Matthew 28: 11-15

The Guard’s Report

While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble. So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.

Scripture Commentary: Jesus Lives

Jesus’ resurrection was already causing a great stir in Jerusalem. A group of women were moving quickly through the streets, looking for the disciples to tell them the amazing news that Jesus was alive. At the same time a group of religious leaders were plotting how to cover up the resurrection. They were bribing the guards to give a false report.

Today there is still a great stir over the resurrection, and there are still only two choices; to believe that Jesus rose from the dead, or to deny, ignore, or explain away the truth.

God gave Jesus authority over heaven and earth. With this same authority, Jesus still commands us to tell others the Good news and make them disciples of the kingdom.

Matthew Chapter 28

Be True in Your Repentance

The Lord

“Even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with your fasting and weeping and mourning.” Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity. Who knows? He may turn and have pity and leave behind a blessing – gain offerings and drink offerings for the Lord your God. Blow the trumpet in Zion, declare a holy fast, call a sacred assembly.

Joel 2: 12-15

Commentary:

God told the people to turn to Him, while there was still time. Destruction would soon be upon them. Time is also running out for us. Because we don’t know when our lives will end we should trust and obey God now while we can. Don’t let anything hold you back from turning to your Lord. Deep remorse was often shown by tearing one’s clothes but God didn’t want an outward display of penitence without true inward repentance. Be sure your attitude toward God is correct, not just your outward actions. Without God, destruction is sure. Those who have not personally accepted God’s love and forgiveness will stand before him with no appeal. Be sure to call on God’s love and mercy while you have the opportunity.

Spiritual Wealth

For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, holiness, faith, love, patience, and meekness.

1 Timothy 6: 7-11

Commentary:

When we look at TV or read an account of a great Egyptology find of artifacts of an Egyptian civilization we don’t always take into account the fact that the Egyptians thought they were taking the treasures they buried into the afterlife with them. We today can act the same way. We come into this world because God loves us, and we can go throughout life showing God how we love Him. One day we are going to leave here, so why not leave working for Our Lord Jesus Christ?

God gave Jesus as a sacrifice for us. Why be foolish, disregarding this fact, and live a life of foolishness, lust, and destruction? Put God in your life, let Him be in control, and Jesus will help you. We have needs to live here on Earth, but make sure you are pursuing needs and not wants. Money and materialistic values are not the path to true happiness, they are temporary. Being with Jesus is eternal. Even if we don’t have material wealth, we have spiritual riches from the fountain of God’s love and mercy.

Who is Weak in Faith, and Who is Strong?

Scripture: Romans 14: 1-4

Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgement on disputable matters. One man’s faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him. Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls, and he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

Scripture Commentary: it is important to take a self inventory to discover where our faith is weak and where our faith is strong

Who is weak in faith, and who is strong?

We are all weak in some areas and strong in others. Our faith is strong in one area if we can survive contact with sinners without falling into their patterns. It is weak in an area if we must avoid certain activities, people, or places in order to protect our spiritual life.

It is important to take a self inventory in order to find out our strengths and weaknesses. Whenever in doubt, we should ask, “Can I do that without sinning? Can I influence others for good, rather than being influenced by them?”

In areas of strength we should not fear being defiled by the world, instead we should go and serve God. In areas of weakness, we need to be cautious. If we have a strong faith but shelter it, we are not doing Christ’s work in the world. If we have a weak faith but expose it, we are being extremely foolish.

Ask yourself, “Am I so strong, I need only myself, or is Jesus my salvation, my Lord?”

Read the Entire Chapter:
Romans Chapter 14

Spread the Word And They Shall Know That There Hath Been A Prophet Among Them

For they are imprudent children and stiff hearted. I do send thee unto them; and thou shalt say unto them, thus saith the Lord God. And they, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear, (for they are a rebellious house) shall know that there hath been a prophet among them.

Ezekiel 2: 4-5

Commentary:

Are we today any different than the people of the time that God spoke to Ezekiel? I think not. Today, as then, we are not listening to God. We hear only the personality on TV and radio, not what God himself is saying. We are made from the dust of the earth, yet God chooses to plant within us his life and breath and to ask us to serve him, not ourselves. If we become open and obedient, God will fill our spirit and give us the power and strength to do His will.

God doesn’t expect us to understand everything about Him. He expects us to be willing and obedient servants. And to be faithful to what our spirit within us knows is true and right. We are not to be guided by worldly standards, in giving customers what they want. We are called to give God’s message to the people whether they will listen or not. Whether you reach one person or thousands, you are to carry God’s word to as many as you can. Do not look for personal gratification, look for salvation. God will not judge us for how well others respond to our faith, but for how faithful we have been to him.

Actively Honor the Lord

The Lord says: “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men.”

Isaiah 29:13

Commentary:

We as the people of this time claim to be close to God. But really we are just going through the motions. We slip into routine patterns when we worship and we neglect to give God our love and devotion. If we are to be people of Our Lord Jesus Christ, we must be obedient and worship him honestly and sincerely. We cannot be like the people of Judah, who sought advice from everyone but God.

When we are driven by fear, we tend to search everywhere for comfort, advice, and relief, hoping to find an easy way out of our troubles. God is the answer. When we have problems, it is good to seek help, but we must never bypass God. God’s purpose in judging us is not vengeance, but purging. He wants to correct us and bring us back to him. God does not punish us for our sins just to make us suffer, but to make those who are faithful better equipped for a faithful service. When you are building anything you need a firm base.

Do not honor God with only your lips, honor him by living a life that shows the love you have for him. Be that light that burns bright with compassion for your fellow human. Pray to God with all your strength and focus the Holy Spirit has given you. Pray for forgiveness, pray for understanding, and pray for thanksgiving.

God is Your Strength, Your Power and Your Purpose

Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulations, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. For as the suffering of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.

2 Corinthians 1: 3-5

Commentary:

When we are in need and no one can help us we turn to God. Why is that? We think we can do anything, fix anything, have all the answers. Then here comes along something we know we can’t fix and we call to God to fix it. Many think that when God comforts us, our troubles should go away. But if that were always so, people would turn to God only out of desire to be relieved of pain and not out of love for God.

We must understand that being comforted is receiving strength, encouragement from God to deal with our troubles. If you are doing God’s work, you can expect Satan to work against you, so be prepared. Remember, Christ suffered for you to comfort others. So back to the question of “Why is that?” Because God will see you through anything, He is your strength, your power, your only purpose, and He is your God.

Don’t Cut Yourself Off From God

Hear, O heavens! Listen, O earth! For the lord has spoken: “I reared children and brought them up, but they have rebelled against me. The ox knows his master, the donkey his owner’s manger, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand.” Ah, sinful nation, a people loaded with guilt, a brood of evildoers, children given to corruption! They have forsaken the Lord; they have spurned the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on him. Why should you be beaten anymore? Why do you persist in rebellion? Your whole head is injured, your whole heart afflicted.

Isaiah 1: 2-5

Commentary:

The people of Judah, just like us today, were sinning greatly and refused to know and understand God. God brought charges against them through Isaiah because they, just like us, had rebelled and forsaken the Lord. By these acts, they had broken their moral and spiritual covenant with God. As long as the people of Judah and us, continue to sin, we are cutting our selves off from God’s help and are isolating ourselves. When you feel lonely and separated from God, remember that God does not abandon you. Our sins cut us off from him. The only sure cure for this kind of loneliness is to restore a meaningful relationship with God by confessing your sins, obeying his instructions, and communicating regularly with him. When was the last time you talked to God? God’s line of communication is open 24-7-365, all the time.