James 4:17
(NAS) Therefore to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin.
(NIV) Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins.
In reading this last verse of Chapter 4 of James You end this chapter with "Therefore...." or "Anyone, then..."
The reference to these in the verses before are saying that all boasting about the future
as in "I will do this or that..." is wrong because we are like a vapor. This is arrogance. :14 How do we know what our life will be like tomorrow?
:16 "You boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil."
Yes, Father, we are like vapor. Vapor lasts but for moments. But I really do not have the reality or sense of that driving me.
My heart desires to have my real home, heaven, constantly influencing and impacting my life; to know my life here is a vapor and to yield to Your promnptings and leading without hesitation or fear or doubt.
I am amazed at your patience and longsuffering toward me. I know You know the number of times I have not followed Your Holy Spirit's promptings or done what I knew was the right thing to do in the moment and it was sin....yet because of the blood of Jesus Christ shed on the Cross for me, You do not count it against me and You would never ever bring it up to accuse me. You simply continue to love me where I am at.
Your love for me is THE most amazing thing.
In thinking of verse 17 especially makes me to realize even more the importance of doing what I know is the right and good thing to do and to also obey promptly when the Holy Spirit speaks to me. It is not about me....it is about Your desire to bless someone or to meet a need so that their heart may turn toward You whether they are a lost person or believer. I may not feel like doing what is the "good" thing to do or want to take the time to do it or have a clue why You are leading me to do something but You still want me to do it.
You very clearly here point out to Your children that "to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, it is sin."
Doing the right thing is an opportunity to do something that is excellent, noble, and praiseworthy (no matter how small a thing) to bring honor to Your Name. And not only that, our life on this earth is like a vapor so it makes it even more important to do that right thing in the moment. Now is the time to do it.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Saturday, April 24, 2010
A Greater Grace
James 3:5 (NAS) The Spirit (capital S) which He has made to dwell in us jealously desires us.
:6 But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, "God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble."
Verse :5 is an interesting scripture. Reading the NAS version caused me to be in wonder that the Holy Spirit "jealously desires us". The word "desires" means to long for; to pursue with love, and has the idea of yearning in it.
Think of that! The Spirit of the Most High God longs for me, desires me, He wants ALL of me! Father, help me to hold that in my heart, the fact that You consder me so desirable!
And also that He feels the same about each of His children....help me to remember how HE thinks about them so that I do not taint others view of them.
Looking at the various translations, some do not capitalize spirit therefore referring to
our own spirit rather than the Holy Spirit.
Both translations have meaning for me.
James 3:5 (NIV) Or do you think the Scripture says without reason that the spirit He caused to live in us envies intensely?
(JEB) Do you suppose the scripture speaks in vain when it says that there is a spirit in us which longs to envy?
In Chapter 4 James is speaking of wrong motives (lust, envy, etc) and seeking one's own pleasures, even in prayer. The results being conflicts and quarrels.
In :4 he states that friendhsip with the world is hostility toward God, and therefore an enemy of God.
Our flesh and pride tend toward the earthly emotion of envy and self seeking pleasures causing strife.
4:6 But He gives a greater grace.....(I liked this)
It seems to me, that these verses Father, after speaking of peoples' doublemindedness, are telling them that there is a greater grace through which they will be exalted.
The best kind of pleasure and joy come through a heart of humility.
You point to Your grace because You want us to know that You provide us the grace to humbly be content and not allow envy, strife or jealsousy to rule us.
Humbling ourselves enables gratitude and thanksgiving to flow from our hearts for what You have given to us and how You provide for us. Our eyes are not on what we do not have but on Your love that has provided our needs and even the pleasures we do enjoy.
Humility is so necessary in our walk with You and You are the only one who can grow us in this beautiful and rare gift. This will bless the Body of Our Risen Lord.
:6 But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, "God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble."
Verse :5 is an interesting scripture. Reading the NAS version caused me to be in wonder that the Holy Spirit "jealously desires us". The word "desires" means to long for; to pursue with love, and has the idea of yearning in it.
Think of that! The Spirit of the Most High God longs for me, desires me, He wants ALL of me! Father, help me to hold that in my heart, the fact that You consder me so desirable!
And also that He feels the same about each of His children....help me to remember how HE thinks about them so that I do not taint others view of them.
Looking at the various translations, some do not capitalize spirit therefore referring to
our own spirit rather than the Holy Spirit.
Both translations have meaning for me.
James 3:5 (NIV) Or do you think the Scripture says without reason that the spirit He caused to live in us envies intensely?
(JEB) Do you suppose the scripture speaks in vain when it says that there is a spirit in us which longs to envy?
In Chapter 4 James is speaking of wrong motives (lust, envy, etc) and seeking one's own pleasures, even in prayer. The results being conflicts and quarrels.
In :4 he states that friendhsip with the world is hostility toward God, and therefore an enemy of God.
Our flesh and pride tend toward the earthly emotion of envy and self seeking pleasures causing strife.
4:6 But He gives a greater grace.....(I liked this)
It seems to me, that these verses Father, after speaking of peoples' doublemindedness, are telling them that there is a greater grace through which they will be exalted.
The best kind of pleasure and joy come through a heart of humility.
You point to Your grace because You want us to know that You provide us the grace to humbly be content and not allow envy, strife or jealsousy to rule us.
Humbling ourselves enables gratitude and thanksgiving to flow from our hearts for what You have given to us and how You provide for us. Our eyes are not on what we do not have but on Your love that has provided our needs and even the pleasures we do enjoy.
Humility is so necessary in our walk with You and You are the only one who can grow us in this beautiful and rare gift. This will bless the Body of Our Risen Lord.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Orphans
John 14:18
"I will not leave you as orphans. I will come to you."
This really grabbed my heart today.
In John 14:16, Jesus is comforting the disciples and speaking about giving us the Holy Spirit.."I will ask the Father and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever.."
Father, You will never leave us or forsake us..You are always with us...You will never
abandon us.
"Let not your heart be troubled nor let it be afraid." John 14:27
"This is pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father, to visit orphans and widows in their distress.." James 1:27
Jesus cares deeply for the orphans and He will come to them.
"I will not leave you as orphans. I will come to you."
This really grabbed my heart today.
In John 14:16, Jesus is comforting the disciples and speaking about giving us the Holy Spirit.."I will ask the Father and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever.."
Father, You will never leave us or forsake us..You are always with us...You will never
abandon us.
"Let not your heart be troubled nor let it be afraid." John 14:27
"This is pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father, to visit orphans and widows in their distress.." James 1:27
Jesus cares deeply for the orphans and He will come to them.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Sprinkled Blood
Hebrews 10:19,20
19 Since therefore, brethren, we have confidence to enter the Holy Place by the blood of Jesus,
20 by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is His flesh...
You've been speaking to me about the blood of Jesus, the new and living way.
That "new" way is "sprinkled blood."
Sprinkled means "serving to purify; appointed to purify."
A new way is a way that has not been done before.
A living way brings life, true life to me. This way vibrates with life and vitality.
Webster says vitality means "the peculiarity distinguishing the living from the non-living)." Whew! Big difference!
First of all, You have given believers in Jesus access to go right on in, to go right up to the throne of THE Creator of the Universe and everything in it.
This is possible by Christ's blood that was spilled for the forgiveness of sins. This blood was appointed by You, Father, to purify which is to "free from guilt or moral or ceremonial blemish; to free from undesirable elements."
This blood that purifies us also speaks.
Hebrews 12:24 And to Jesus, mediator of a New Covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel.
Gen 4:10 And He said "What have you done?" The voice of your brother's blood is crying to Me from the ground.
So here we see that blood speaks.
What did Abel's blood say? According to the scholars, it cried out for vengence.
And Your word says that Jesus' blood says better things.
1 Peter 1:2 (verse :1 leads in with .."who are chosen") according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, that you my obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood;...
So before You, I have a continual cleansing....as you transform my mind, will, and emotions to Your will.
What also came to my mind was that the accuser of our soul seeks to accuse us day and night (Rev 12:10) before our God.
We have been washed in the blood of Jesus and are continually sprinkled with it in such a way that in whatever the enemy is accusing us of before You, Father, You see the sprinkled purifying blood which declares the better thing for us:
Pure! Holy! Without blame!
The price for sin has been paid once and for all.
Thank You Father for welcoming and embracing me at Your throne!
19 Since therefore, brethren, we have confidence to enter the Holy Place by the blood of Jesus,
20 by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is His flesh...
You've been speaking to me about the blood of Jesus, the new and living way.
That "new" way is "sprinkled blood."
Sprinkled means "serving to purify; appointed to purify."
A new way is a way that has not been done before.
A living way brings life, true life to me. This way vibrates with life and vitality.
Webster says vitality means "the peculiarity distinguishing the living from the non-living)." Whew! Big difference!
First of all, You have given believers in Jesus access to go right on in, to go right up to the throne of THE Creator of the Universe and everything in it.
This is possible by Christ's blood that was spilled for the forgiveness of sins. This blood was appointed by You, Father, to purify which is to "free from guilt or moral or ceremonial blemish; to free from undesirable elements."
This blood that purifies us also speaks.
Hebrews 12:24 And to Jesus, mediator of a New Covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel.
Gen 4:10 And He said "What have you done?" The voice of your brother's blood is crying to Me from the ground.
So here we see that blood speaks.
What did Abel's blood say? According to the scholars, it cried out for vengence.
And Your word says that Jesus' blood says better things.
1 Peter 1:2 (verse :1 leads in with .."who are chosen") according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, that you my obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood;...
So before You, I have a continual cleansing....as you transform my mind, will, and emotions to Your will.
What also came to my mind was that the accuser of our soul seeks to accuse us day and night (Rev 12:10) before our God.
We have been washed in the blood of Jesus and are continually sprinkled with it in such a way that in whatever the enemy is accusing us of before You, Father, You see the sprinkled purifying blood which declares the better thing for us:
Pure! Holy! Without blame!
The price for sin has been paid once and for all.
Thank You Father for welcoming and embracing me at Your throne!
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Sacrifice of Praise
Hebrew 13:15
Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that confess His name.
The Message says it this way:
Let's take our place outside with Jesus, no longer pouring out the sacrificial blood of animals but pouring out sacrificial praises from our lips to God in Jesus' name.
Father, I love this passage. Through our Lord Jesus and through Him alone are we able to praise Your name and call You Lord!
The Message clarifies and unites this verse with the preceding verses, which speak of Jesus going outside the camp.
His sacrifice outside the city gates on the Cross, made us holy. Blood no longer has to be shed to satisfy God's wrath against sin.
Now, instead of our own way of offering sacrifices, from within we bear the fruit of pure and thankful praise, confessing Him as Lord.
A "sacrifice of praise" means what? Are we sacrificing anything when we praise You? In reality, no sacrifice can be compared to Jesus' sacrifice which stands alone for the redemption of mankind. It is the ultimate of sacrifices.
Webster says sacrifice can mean:
1. an act of offering to a deity something precious; especially : the killing of a victim on an altar;
2. destruction or surrender of something for the sake of something else
Looking up in the Greek, "sacrifice" in this verse means victim.
Jesus was the victim offered on the altar.
But as believers and Your children, we ourselves are not victims. Blood no longer has to be shed. We, now, are able to bring to Your altar something else that blesses You.
We can offer our own sacrifice to You, which has everything to do with the Cross of Jesus.
"Let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that confess His name. " ( Yes, You say "continually").
And as Webster explains it a sacrifice can be the destruction or surrender of something for the sake of something else.
When You are teaching us the price Jesus paid on the Cross to bring us to You free of sin, thankfulness and praise flow out of our heart to Your altar and it is pleasing to You.
Sometimes the will of the flesh has to be surrenderd in order for us to flow in the continual praise. Sometimes our emotions must be destroyed by the acknowledgement of what we know is Truth according to Your Word.
A sacrifice of praise is not about what we think we can produce for You. It flows continually from within our hearts because of what Jesus has already done for us at the Cross.
Thank You, Father, for Jesus.
Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that confess His name.
The Message says it this way:
Let's take our place outside with Jesus, no longer pouring out the sacrificial blood of animals but pouring out sacrificial praises from our lips to God in Jesus' name.
Father, I love this passage. Through our Lord Jesus and through Him alone are we able to praise Your name and call You Lord!
The Message clarifies and unites this verse with the preceding verses, which speak of Jesus going outside the camp.
His sacrifice outside the city gates on the Cross, made us holy. Blood no longer has to be shed to satisfy God's wrath against sin.
Now, instead of our own way of offering sacrifices, from within we bear the fruit of pure and thankful praise, confessing Him as Lord.
A "sacrifice of praise" means what? Are we sacrificing anything when we praise You? In reality, no sacrifice can be compared to Jesus' sacrifice which stands alone for the redemption of mankind. It is the ultimate of sacrifices.
Webster says sacrifice can mean:
1. an act of offering to a deity something precious; especially : the killing of a victim on an altar;
2. destruction or surrender of something for the sake of something else
Looking up in the Greek, "sacrifice" in this verse means victim.
Jesus was the victim offered on the altar.
But as believers and Your children, we ourselves are not victims. Blood no longer has to be shed. We, now, are able to bring to Your altar something else that blesses You.
We can offer our own sacrifice to You, which has everything to do with the Cross of Jesus.
"Let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that confess His name. " ( Yes, You say "continually").
And as Webster explains it a sacrifice can be the destruction or surrender of something for the sake of something else.
When You are teaching us the price Jesus paid on the Cross to bring us to You free of sin, thankfulness and praise flow out of our heart to Your altar and it is pleasing to You.
Sometimes the will of the flesh has to be surrenderd in order for us to flow in the continual praise. Sometimes our emotions must be destroyed by the acknowledgement of what we know is Truth according to Your Word.
A sacrifice of praise is not about what we think we can produce for You. It flows continually from within our hearts because of what Jesus has already done for us at the Cross.
Thank You, Father, for Jesus.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Out to Jesus
Hebrews 13:12-14
Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered outside the gate.
13 Hence, let us go out to Him outside the camp bearing His reproach.
14 Here we do not have a permanent city, but we are seeking the city which is to come.
I love these scriptures. To me they have such power and proof of Jesus' complete authority and fulfillment of the Law.
The O.T. law required that the flesh and refuse of the sin offering be taken outside of the camp or city gates and burned.
Hebrews 12:29 says that "our God is a consuming fire."
Consume means to "completely destroy, to do away with."
Yes, that is what happened to my Lord's body.
And Isaiah 53:10 says "But the Lord was pleased to crush Him, putting Him to grief";
it was Your good pleasure to pour out all Your wrath on Your Holy Son for me. His body was totally consumed and Your wrath against man's sin was satisfied because Jesus became the perfect eternal sin offering..."by the grace of God He tasted death" (Hebrew 2:9) for me and the world.
So the Hebrews writer tells me to go out TO Jesus where He is --outside the camp--bearing His reproach.
Bearing His reproach meaning out TO Jesus from WHERE?
From the mind set of the world.
From seeking the approval of man and the conformity to his thinking.
From religion as a duty.
Away from keeping a set of rules to gain God's approval.
Away fron hesitating to stand up for the truth when no one else agrees with me.
Away from the sin that entangles.
"Out to Jesus " to me, Father, is "coming" to Jesus and having my "heart strengthened by grace" (Hebrews 13:9). To remember that He, My Savior, is my perfect, burned, entirely consumed sin offering today and always.
You Father, consumed Jesus in such a way as to make me a clear, unhindered path to Your throne. That now one such as I may come confidently, fearlessly, boldly to Your throne to recive mercy and grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:16)
Going out TO Jesus will cause us to bear His reproach. Am I willing to bear His shame, contempt and abuse as He did for me?
Can I do that? Only by His abounding grace and to keep seeking the city which is to come.
Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered outside the gate.
13 Hence, let us go out to Him outside the camp bearing His reproach.
14 Here we do not have a permanent city, but we are seeking the city which is to come.
I love these scriptures. To me they have such power and proof of Jesus' complete authority and fulfillment of the Law.
The O.T. law required that the flesh and refuse of the sin offering be taken outside of the camp or city gates and burned.
Hebrews 12:29 says that "our God is a consuming fire."
Consume means to "completely destroy, to do away with."
Yes, that is what happened to my Lord's body.
And Isaiah 53:10 says "But the Lord was pleased to crush Him, putting Him to grief";
it was Your good pleasure to pour out all Your wrath on Your Holy Son for me. His body was totally consumed and Your wrath against man's sin was satisfied because Jesus became the perfect eternal sin offering..."by the grace of God He tasted death" (Hebrew 2:9) for me and the world.
So the Hebrews writer tells me to go out TO Jesus where He is --outside the camp--bearing His reproach.
Bearing His reproach meaning out TO Jesus from WHERE?
From the mind set of the world.
From seeking the approval of man and the conformity to his thinking.
From religion as a duty.
Away from keeping a set of rules to gain God's approval.
Away fron hesitating to stand up for the truth when no one else agrees with me.
Away from the sin that entangles.
"Out to Jesus " to me, Father, is "coming" to Jesus and having my "heart strengthened by grace" (Hebrews 13:9). To remember that He, My Savior, is my perfect, burned, entirely consumed sin offering today and always.
You Father, consumed Jesus in such a way as to make me a clear, unhindered path to Your throne. That now one such as I may come confidently, fearlessly, boldly to Your throne to recive mercy and grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:16)
Going out TO Jesus will cause us to bear His reproach. Am I willing to bear His shame, contempt and abuse as He did for me?
Can I do that? Only by His abounding grace and to keep seeking the city which is to come.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Temporarily Here
Hebrews 11 Father, makes my heart so want to have the reality of this earth being such a temporary place that it constantly changes my life.
The book "Safely Home" by Randy Alcorn did that in me also. It opened my eyes to the fact that this life is extremely temporary and all about allowing God to complete the work that He created us for, our specific purpose for being here. We don't always know the extent of what that means but our journey with You Father, will lead us on the right path.
After all,Your word says in Is 6,7;"all flesh IS grass; the grass withers and the flower fades..." This truth and the reality of it is that our bodies here on this earth are like a breeze and then they are gone.
My being a "temporary thing" is not a truth that is easily grasped nor one that the flesh receives willingly. Is it one that I truly "know" within?
In reading through Hebrews, we see that the saints of old had their eyes on their permanent home and not the one here on earth. That was a key focus and necessary to endure the things they had to endure.
They were were tortured, stoned, sawn in two, tempted, put to death with the sword, destitute, afflicted, and ill-treated. They were mocked, scourged, put in chains and imprisoned. Heb 11:36-37 Yet THEIR eyes were fixed.
Heb 12:1 Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.
The words in verse 1 are very interesting and helped me to understand the importance of what we are "seeing" and fixing our eyes on.
Race can mean any struggle, contest, or battle.
Endurance means steadfastness, constancy; for instance "a N.T. man who is not swerved from his deliberate purpose and his loyalty to faith and piety by even the greatest trials and sufferings."
Also it means a patient, steadfast, waiting for.
Entangle means "skillfully surrounding i.e. besetting". In looking at the word more closely its origin comes from words meaning "well done and fixed, established in place."
So being entangeld in something means we are stuck, really fixed in place and as one translation (CJB)puts it "..the sin which easily hampers our forward movement."
Wow. I don't want to be stuck, fixed or established in one place. In our relationship with you Your love, grace, and Word keeps us moving forward.
Just as the O.T. saints had their eyes fixed on the promise, You encourage us to go on "fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith,..."
There is no other way.
Moses in Heb 11:27 faced the fury and wrath of the king of Egypt and it did not stop him leaving that country because "as seeing Him who is unseen" he was able to lead Your people out.
No struggle, battle, or fear will intimidate us to waver from what we know is Your will when our eyes are fixed on the resurrected Christ, Our Lord.
Jesus says in Rev 1:17,18...
"Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore,..."
Help me to "know" and to "see" my eternal home, in Your presence Father and that of
Jesus forevermore.
The book "Safely Home" by Randy Alcorn did that in me also. It opened my eyes to the fact that this life is extremely temporary and all about allowing God to complete the work that He created us for, our specific purpose for being here. We don't always know the extent of what that means but our journey with You Father, will lead us on the right path.
After all,Your word says in Is 6,7;"all flesh IS grass; the grass withers and the flower fades..." This truth and the reality of it is that our bodies here on this earth are like a breeze and then they are gone.
My being a "temporary thing" is not a truth that is easily grasped nor one that the flesh receives willingly. Is it one that I truly "know" within?
In reading through Hebrews, we see that the saints of old had their eyes on their permanent home and not the one here on earth. That was a key focus and necessary to endure the things they had to endure.
They were were tortured, stoned, sawn in two, tempted, put to death with the sword, destitute, afflicted, and ill-treated. They were mocked, scourged, put in chains and imprisoned. Heb 11:36-37 Yet THEIR eyes were fixed.
Heb 12:1 Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.
The words in verse 1 are very interesting and helped me to understand the importance of what we are "seeing" and fixing our eyes on.
Race can mean any struggle, contest, or battle.
Endurance means steadfastness, constancy; for instance "a N.T. man who is not swerved from his deliberate purpose and his loyalty to faith and piety by even the greatest trials and sufferings."
Also it means a patient, steadfast, waiting for.
Entangle means "skillfully surrounding i.e. besetting". In looking at the word more closely its origin comes from words meaning "well done and fixed, established in place."
So being entangeld in something means we are stuck, really fixed in place and as one translation (CJB)puts it "..the sin which easily hampers our forward movement."
Wow. I don't want to be stuck, fixed or established in one place. In our relationship with you Your love, grace, and Word keeps us moving forward.
Just as the O.T. saints had their eyes fixed on the promise, You encourage us to go on "fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith,..."
There is no other way.
Moses in Heb 11:27 faced the fury and wrath of the king of Egypt and it did not stop him leaving that country because "as seeing Him who is unseen" he was able to lead Your people out.
No struggle, battle, or fear will intimidate us to waver from what we know is Your will when our eyes are fixed on the resurrected Christ, Our Lord.
Jesus says in Rev 1:17,18...
"Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore,..."
Help me to "know" and to "see" my eternal home, in Your presence Father and that of
Jesus forevermore.
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