Receive The Word And Do The Word

"Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be ye doers of the word, and not hears only, deceiving yourselves."
James 1:21, 22 (NKJV)

What would happen if you needed to wash some clothes and you put the clothing into the washing machine but did not use any laundry detergent?  The results would not be what you intended because you wanted clean clothes not just wet clothes.  What if you instead put the detergent into the machine and even turned the machine on but never put in your dirty clothes?  Again, you would have a problem.  Many times we have failed to succeed in something because while we may have taken one step or done one thing we have neglected something else.

In James we see two things, we must receive the Word and we must put it into practice; first you take in God's Word and then you do something with it.  That is simple enough, but there are also two potential problem areas.  The first is if we don't know what the Bible says and the second is if we don't act on what we know.  You can't use what you don't have and you can't do something that you don't know about.  James talks about receiving the Word of God but he first mentions laying aside something else.  To receive the Word we often also have to reject things that are not in line with God's Word.

We must receive the Word and do the Word; we need to learn more about Who God is and who we are in Christ.  We need to find out what belongs to us in Christ and what God's plan is for our life.  When we learn these things and then put that knowledge and understanding into action it will change our life!  This is how we can make an impact for God in the world and help people around us.  Wherever we are in our walk with God we need to do what we know to do and continue to grow in our relationship with God and our knowledge of His Word.

First Things First

"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you."
Matthew 6:33 (NKJV)

As far as I know most people put their socks on first and then they put on their shoes, that is pretty normal.  But what if you reversed the order, what if you put your shoes on first and then tried to put your socks on?  The result would be a mess, which is why people put on their socks before their shoes.  This is just a simple example of something we see all around us in our natural life and it is also something that applies to our spiritual life.  There are some things that need to be put before some other things or there will be problems.  An easy way to understand this is with what we call priorities.

Everyone has priorities, choices about some things they do first before they do other things.  Sometimes our priorities are dictated by natural circumstances, like the shoes and socks, and sometimes our priorities are just our choice.  We all make decisions about what things are important to us and we make those things priorities.  But if we put the wrong things first, negative consequences can result.  For Christians we must keep our relationship with God, His plan for our life, and spending time with Him through His Word and prayer a priority.

We are all busy and have a lot to do; this makes priorities vital for our success.  We might feel pressured from things we need to do and allow that to create a priority in our life.  People can make demands on us and we might allow that to create a priority for us.  But if we don't keep first things first, if we don't keep God's plan and our relationship with Him first, then it will show up in the rest of our life.  Personally I have found over and over again that if I put God first, then everything else works out well.  Let's all make the decision to keep first things first and keep our relationship with God, His plan for our life, and spending time with Him through His Word and prayer our top priority.

Light For Your Path

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."
Psalm 119:105 (NKJV)

When things are dark you need some light. Have you ever been out walking in a field or in the forest when it got dark?  I have had that experience and there comes a point where you can't see where you are going unless you have something to light the path you are on.  You could just keep going forward the way you think you should go and hope for the best, but that is not a very wise thing to do.  Many people have gotten lost in places like a forest because they traveled in a direction that they thought was right only to realize later that they had made the wrong decision.

Some things are good for giving light and some are not.  Things like a flashlight or a candle will give you light while a chair or a pillow will not.  Having a chair or a pillow would help to make you more comfortable in the place where you are, but they will not help you get to where you need to go. Some people don't really have any light or direction for their life but they do have some things that make them feel comfortable and even secure where they are now.  But without having any actual light you may be comfortable somewhere but still in the wrong place.

God's Word will give us light and direction for our lives.  There is so much wisdom we can get from the Bible in places like Proverbs, in reading stories about men and women of God, and by looking at the life of Jesus.  The Holy Spirit will speak to us through God's Word to show us what to do and the Holy Spirit will remind us about what the Bible says to help guide us in life.  If you need wisdom and direction in your life, in any area, I would encourage you to spend time reading and studying God's Word.  God's Word will give us light for our path and direction for our life.

A Full Understanding Of God's Will Is Needed

"For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;"
Colossians 1:9 (NKJV)

It is one thing to know what to do and another thing to know how to do it.  For example, you might buy something at a store that requires you to put it together once you take it home.  You have seen the item in the store so you have an idea what it is supposed to look like.  You take your purchase home and open the box only to discover that there are no instructions for putting your item together.  You know exactly what you need to do, put your purchase together, but you don't really know for sure how to do it, there are no instructions.  This would certainly be a problem.

One thing that people ask me over and over is about how to find the will of God for their lives.  This is a good thing to want to know because as children of God we should want to please God and do His will.  But, knowing what God wants you to do is just the first step.  Once you know what to do you then also need to know how to do it and even when to do it; you need the wisdom and spiritual understanding that is referred to in Colossians 1:9.  The good news is that God not only wants us to know His will but He also wants to help us see how to do what He asks and also the best way to do it.

We may know what to do but we also need to have the full understanding of God's will to know how and when to best do it.  We have the written Word of God, the Bible, and as Christians we have the Holy Spirit living in us.  Sometimes the way we know how to do what God wants us to do and the way He wants us to do it is simply through seeing what the Bible says and sometimes it comes to us through the direction of the Holy Spirit.  Ask God to reveal His will to you through His Word and by the Holy Spirit and trust God for the wisdom and spiritual understanding about how to carry out His will.

The Lord Of The Work Or The Work Of The Lord?

"But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone?  Therefore tell her to help me.  And Jesus answered and said to her, Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things.  But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her."
Luke 10:40-42 (NKJV)

In Luke 10 we read about Jesus being invited into Martha's home.  Martha had a sister named Mary who was also there with Jesus, but these two sisters acted differently towards Jesus.  Martha was busy with serving while Mary was sitting at Jesus feet listening to what He said.  Martha became more focused on the serving than on Who she was serving.  In fact, verse 40 says that Martha was "distracted with much serving".  Martha then complained to Jesus trying to get Him to make Mary help her with the serving but Jesus said Mary had chosen something good, hearing the words of Jesus.

In the past I read this story and thought that Jesus was not being fair, Martha was doing all the work and Mary was just sitting there.  But, I failed to pay attention to the part about Martha being distracted with her serving and Mary listening to Jesus.  When I finally considered that I understood the point to the story.  It was not about one person being forced to do all the work while the other person did nothing.  The story is about one person who was more focused on listening to Jesus and another person who was more focused on serving Jesus.  Sadly the same thing happens to many Christians today.

It is easy to get so busy serving God that we forget about just sitting and listening to Him.  If we get more focused on the work of the Lord than we do on the Lord we are working for we have a problem.  While we are called to serve God and do good works that service and those good works have their roots in our relationship with God.  To be successful in our life and what we do for God it all starts out with our spending time with Him and then serving Him.  Don't get so busy serving God that you lose focus on your relationship with God; the Lord we serve is more important than the work we do for Him.

The Highest Standard

"The entirety of Your word is truth, and every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever."
Psalm 119:160 (NKJV)

In the United States there are many kinds of courts and there is a court called the Supreme Court, which is the highest ranking court in the land.  The job of the courts is to interpret the laws that have been made and if someone does not agree with a decision a court has made they can appeal that ruling to a higher court and if necessary go all the way to the highest court, the Supreme Court.  The Supreme Court has the ability to overrule all lower court decisions.  Once the Supreme Court makes a decision it is final because it is the highest ranking court.

This same principle is seen with God's Word, it is our highest authority.  God's Word is the highest standard we can and should live by.  The truth we find in God's Word outranks and overrules everything else.  No matter what we see or hear in life God's Word has the highest rank.  As Christians, as believers in Jesus Christ, we must make God's Word our highest standard.  No matter what others say, no matter what others do, no matter what experiences we have had, we must always go back to find out what God's Word has to say.

To know what God says we have to know His Word, the Bible.  In Psalm 119:160 it tells us that God's Word is truth, God's Word is the highest truth.  We may face problems and difficulties in life but we can overrule the truth of these situations with the higher truth of God's Word.  If we apply the time tested principles we find in the Bible our lives will benefit from it.  If we take what God has said in His Word and we live by that then we will live a life that is superior to anything else.  Read and study the Bible for yourself and no matter what comes in life allow God's Word to be your highest standard.

Rooted And Built Up In Him

"As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him, and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving."
Colossians 2:6, 7 (NKJV)

The most important part of any plant is the root, without a good root system a plant will die.  You can pull the leaves off of a plant but if the root is strong the plant will still survive.  Roots absorb water and minerals from the soil to help the plant grow, roots give plants stability, and roots even store extra nutrients for future use by the plant.  Most of the time you don't see the roots of a plant but if the root is not healthy that will eventually be seen on the visible part of the plant.  A plant will not live very long if it is separated from its roots, everything a plant does is connected to its roots.

In Colossians 2 Paul talks about being rooted and built up in Jesus.  We have already received Jesus and now our walk, our life in Him, is connected to our roots in Him.  We know that our life is hidden in Christ and that He is our life (Colossians 3:3, 4) and that the life we now live we live by faith in Him (Galatians 2:20).  A strong, successful Christian life is one that has a strong connection to its roots.  Our life will never develop and grow the way it should if we do not take advantage of the life that comes from our roots in God.  Everything we do depends on our being rooted in God through Jesus Christ.

How do we develop a strong spiritual root system?  It all starts with maintaining our connection to God in a daily, living relationship with Him.  We need to focus on drawing our life, strength, and stability from God though His Word and through spending time with Him in prayer; there is no substitute for this.  We can be busy for God, we can do all the right things, we can say all the right words, but if our relationship with God is not strong it will show up in our life.  First of all, no matter what is happening in life, maintain a strong root system in God and then you can do great things for God.

The Location Of Your Treasure Shows The Location Of Your Heart

"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
Matthew 6:21 (NKJV)

Everyone has a treasure of some kind.  While they probably do not have an actual treasure chest or a locked box with money, jewels, or some other valuable thing inside there is something that they treasure.  The first and most obvious treasure someone could have would be money, jewels, or something else of significant financial worth.  There are many things that people value and treasure, many different things that people put their time and effort into because they consider those things to have great value.  The question is if what we value really is valuable.

Jesus said in Matthew 6 that our heart will be in the place where our treasure is.  You could turn this around to say it another way, you will value and invest in what your heart is connected to.  What we put our time, effort, and financial resources into shows what we believe in and care about, it shows where our heart is.  If we really believe in something we will commit to it.  Jesus recommended that we make eternal investments, that we put our time, effort, and financial resources into things that have eternal value.

Are the things we use our time for, put our effort into, and spend our money on things that are of eternal value or just a source of temporary pleasure?  Of course God wants us to enjoy our life, to have our financial needs met, and to be able to have leisure time to spend with family and friends.  But will what we do today mean anything in the perspective of eternity?  Are we investing our time, energy, and financial resources in promoting God's Kingdom and helping others?  The answer to that shows where our treasure is and that reveals where our heart is as well.

Are You Living Like A Mere Man?

"I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?"
1 Corinthians 3:2, 3 (NKJV)

The church in Corinth had some real problems.  In Paul's first letter to the Corinthians he addressed several issues that the people in Corinth were dealing with.  This is a good letter for us to read because some of the problems they had are the same problems that we have today.  What is interesting to take note of is what Paul pointed out in 1 Corinthians 3 as being their main problem.  This was really the root of all of the things they were dealing with; the Corinthians were carnal, they were ruled by natural things and not spiritual things.  Paul said that the people in Corinth were behaving like mere men.

When Paul told the people at Corinth that they were carnal people he meant that they were more focused on natural things than they were on spiritual things.  Jesus said in John 17:14 that He and His disciples were not of this world and in John 18:36 that His Kingdom was not of this world.  This same thing is true for us today as Christians, we may live in this world but we are really connected to a heavenly kingdom and this is why we cannot allow ourselves to be dominated by natural desires and this world system that we live in.  As born again new creations in Christ we are to live by a different standard.

If we allow ourselves to be ruled by the culture and things of this world then we will live like ordinary, unchanged people.  Too many believers never grow and develop spiritually and then they make excuses for their actions by saying things like "Well, I'm only human" or "This is just the kind of person that I am".  But we are more than just a natural human being, we are a new creation in Christ and that is how we must live.   Find out who you really are from God's Word and don't just allow natural influences to keep you living like a mere human.  Step into the reality of who you are in Christ and live like the spiritual person God intended you to be!

Fresh, Daily Manna Is The Best

"Then the Lord said to Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you. And the people shall go out and gather a certain quota every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in My law or not."
Exodus 16:4 (NKJV)

When Israel traveled through the wilderness from Egypt to the Promised Land God supernaturally provided daily food for them that they called manna.  God gave instructions that the people should go out every day to gather some manna.  God also told them to gather twice as much on the sixth day so that they could rest on the Sabbath, that was the one special exception.  This was one way that God tested Israel to see if they would obey Him and do His Word.  Unfortunately the gathering of manna was one of the areas where Israel did not follow God's commands and they had problems because of it.

Again and again in their journey from Egypt to the Promised Land God took care of Israel.  God was there to give them what they needed when they needed it and the daily manna was a good illustration of this.  It says in Exodus 16:16-18 that each one gathered according to their need and while some gathered more than others each person had what they needed with no lack.  Some people disobeyed and tried to keep some of their manna for the next day.  But the manna they kept from one day to the next ended up stinking and was full of worms; they needed fresh manna every day.

There is a great lesson we can learn from this; just like Israel had to go every day to get the manna to meet their needs we must to go to God every day to get what we need.  If we don't go to God daily then we will lack the daily provision that God wants to give us.  Too many Christians do not have a regular time with God through reading His Word and in prayer and their life reflects this.  We all face challenges each day and God is ready to help us and give us the strength, encouragement, wisdom, and guidance that we need.  To be truly successful in life we need fresh, daily manna from God. Go to God today to get what you need!

Whose Business Are You Busy With?

"For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies."
2 Thessalonians 3:11 (NKJV)

People's lives today are very busy.  It seems that there is more going on in people's lives today than ever before, and often what keeps us busy is being connected with other people.  Whether it is texting, talking, or using social media it seems that most people want to be connected to someone else as much as possible to see what is happening with everyone else.  This is not necessarily a bad thing, but how much do we really need to know about someone else compared to just being busy with what we need to do in our own life and with the responsibilities that we have?

Relationships are an important part of life but like anything else we can go overboard with them.  We need to be connected with good people who will help us do the things we need to do but we first of all need to take care of our own life and the things God has for us to do.  Some people are so focused on what others are doing that they really don't pay enough attention to the things they need to do in their own life.  Or, they are so caught up in seeing things happening in other people's lives that they become envious or maybe even critical about what the other person is doing.

This is the kind of thing that Paul was talking about in 2 Thessalonians 3, people who were so consumed with what others were doing that they were not working themselves; Paul said these people were "busybodies" living in "a disorderly manner".  In other words, these people were busy but not with what they needed to be busy with.  If we become preoccupied with all the actives that are taking place in the lives of others we can lose the focus that we should have on God's will for our own life.  We should maintain the right kind of relationships but keep our attention on what God wants us to do in our own life and on His plan for us.

What Is Faith?

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."
Hebrews 11:1 (NKJV)

Faith is an important part of the Christian life.  We are saved through faith (Ephesians 2:8), we live by faith (Galatians 3:11), and without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6).  From these verses we can see that faith is important, but what is faith and how does it work?  If we are saved through it, we live by it, and faith pleases God then we need to know what faith is and how to use our faith.  Faith is just taking what the Bible says, accepting it, and acting like it is true; we act and speak about a situation based on what the Bible says about it, that is faith.

Faith means that we put our trust, focus, and confidence in what God has said in His Word.  We don't trust in our own abilities, we don't focus on our circumstances, and we don't put our confidence in natural things.  When we are in faith about something we will be at peace and rest in our hearts even if we still have questions in our head.  We can put our trust and confidence in what God has said in His Word while still not completely knowing or understanding exactly how God will do what He said He would do, that is faith. 

When we are in faith about something we are really just saying that we know God will help us with what it is that we need and everything is not just left up to us.  God may give us an idea about something we can do in the situation but that does not mean we are trying to do it on our own, our focus is on what God has said not on what we can do.  Faith is not based on our actions but our actions must be in agreement with what the Bible says.  Faith is not a mystery, faith is believing what God says and then acting on that and saying that, that is faith.

Simple, But Easy?

"But He said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God."
Luke 18:27 (NKJV)

Most of us don't like it when things get complicated and difficult; usually the simpler things are the better.  But, just because something is simple does not mean it is easy.  For example, it is simple to say that we will start eating right and exercising, that is what many people decide at the start of a New Year.  However, most people who make that decision don't follow through with it.  Saying something and wanting to do it is simple, but it's not so easy to actually do it.  It is also simple to say that we should just do what God tells us to do, but is that always the easiest thing?

The Bible tells us we need to be a doer of the Word, a very simple statement that is not so easy to do.  How about walking in love?  It is simple to say that we need to do this but it is not so easy to do when you deal with people who are not always so kind and loving towards you.  This is not to say we should be discouraged and throw up our hands saying that there is no way to please God and to do what He says.  On the contrary, God tells us things that are simple and, although they may not always be easy, they are possible to do and He will help us to do them. 

Most people are only looking for what is easy but that is not always the best choice.  Sometimes the thing that seems the hardest to do is the best and leads us to better things.  So what can we do with things that are simple but not always so easy?  First of all, we need to have the attitude that no matter how difficult something seems to be we can do it.  God will help us do what we need to do.  Secondly, we need to remember that doing the right things in life is not always easy, but it is always best.  God is a big God who will help us do everything His Word tells us to do and everything He leads us to do.

The Real Power Of Your Confession

"Who is he who speaks and it comes to pass, when the Lord has not commanded it?"
Lamentations 3:37 (NKJV)

Our words are very important; what we say about ourselves and our life will have an impact on us.  This principle is something that we see in the Bible but the truth of this principle has been misunderstood and neglected by many people.  Often even when something is true but it is used in the wrong way people have a negative attitude towards that thing.  Our words, our confession, is one of these things.  While it is true that our words are important and our confession will have an impact on our life, many people struggle with this because they fail to understand the underlying principle of confession.

Some people have had the idea that if they just repeat something for a long enough period of time that it will produce results.  But it is not the amount of times or the length of time we say something that really matters.  That would be like what Jesus said about how the Pharisees thought that their prayers would be heard because they used "many words" (Matthew 6:7).  Just saying something we want to have happen one thousand times is not the most important thing, the most important thing is if what we say is in agreement with what God has already said.

We need to be sure that the things we say about every area of our life is what God has said in His Word about every area of our life; God will always stand behind His Word.  God's Word will not return void but it will accomplish what it was sent to do (Isaiah 55:11) and God will watch over His Word to bring it to pass (Jeremiah 1:12).  There is power in the words we speak when we speak God's Word.  When our words are in agreement with God's Word that is when we will see the greatest results in our life.

Maintaining Good Works

"This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works.  These things are good and profitable to men."
Titus 3:8 (NKJV)

The New Testament has a lot to say about good works.  Good works are not things you do to earn salvation and guarantee yourself a place in heaven; good works are what you do as a Christian because of who you are in Christ and what God has done for you.  Paul told Titus that Titus should "affirm constantly" the fact that believers should maintain good works.  That is really interesting.  It was not enough just to talk about doing good works once and a while, but Paul said it was something that should be done constantly.  Christians need to be encouraged to do good works, always.

The Bible says that we should be zealous, eager, for good works (Titus 2:14); we should have a pattern, be an example of, good works (Titus 2:7); we should stir up and encourage one another to do good works (Hebrews 10:24); people should be able to see our good works (Matthew 5:16); we should be rich in good works (1 Timothy 6:18); we were created for good works (Ephesians 2:10); and we should maintain, take the lead in, good works (Titus 3:8, 14).  What is all of this saying?  That our life needs to be filled with good works that glorify God.

So if we need to have a life of good works how do we do that?  It all starts with our relationship with God and moves out from there.  As we spend time with God through His Word and in prayer He will give us direction and bring us opportunities to do good works.  We can find good works to do in our church, in our community, and with friends and family.  The main thing is that we are always ready to take advantage of opportunities that come our way to demonstrate the life of God and the love of God that is in us, that is how we maintain good works.