October 9, 2019
Spiritual adultery is a poison in the church. Putting your interests ahead of God’s and treating God like a vending machine is the same as being God’s enemy. Imagine, if that’s how your child treated you: If your son or daughter only came to you for what they could get from you? How would that make you feel? How does it make you feel when someone befriends you so they can get something from you? It’s manipulating, insulting, it’s demeaning, and ungodly.
September 30, 2019
True wisdom is the ability to put the knowledge of God’s will to work in your life in a way that it impacts others for good. And it’s observable. You can tell if someone has a wisdom that works if their faith is actively benefiting another believer.
September 24, 2019
It was Abraham’s faith that produced his action. The picture is of a partnership: faith works to bring about the action. So faith and action always work together. His willingness to place his son on the altar and carry out the sacrifice flowed out of His faith, and gave evidence that his faith was genuine. Faith always works in concert with action. That’s a faith that works.
September 9, 2019
We are to give honor where honor is due. God is creating a new community where anyone can belong. Who are we to discriminate between who gets our love and respect, and who does not? To favor only the rich who are taking advantage of you, who are abusing you and trashing the name of Jesus, is absurd behavior for anyone who’s been redeemed by Jesus.
September 3, 2019
That’s the point God’s Word is making about a religion that works. Every person struggling to survive are human beings made in His image and likeness, and therefore they are worth more than a meal from a dumpster. They need help. And James says, if your religion is real, you will give them the help they need. You will “look after” those in distress.
August 27, 2019
We don’t obey God’s Word because we have to. We don’t obey God’s Word out of guilt. We don’t obey God’s Word out of duty… We obey God’s Word because God has redeemed us and set us free. He has set us free to live the life we have always longed for. We no longer have to go through life wondering what life’s all about. We no longer have to follow the mantra of the world that tell us to follow our heart. No, God gave us His Word so we can live in the freedom of His will and become more than we ever thought possible. For whenever we obey His Word, we live by faith, and whenever we live by faith we show God that we love Him.