Listen, Receive, and Do God's Word

In FUEL last night we studied James 1:19-25 which is about listening, receiving, and doing God's Word. We have to be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger when it comes to listening to God's Word. We often hear God's Word but don't often "hear" it. We have too much other junk in our lives that interferes with our listening to His Holy Word. We are commanded to receive God's Word upon listening to it. But often we are consumed with moral filth and evil that take up our heart and mind. But we must remove all that filth from our lives so that we can grow spiritually and take in more of God's Word. The process of spiritual growth begins at the salvation experience and then the sanctification process of removing the bad and filling it with the goodness of God. Once we listen and receive God's Word, we then must do God's Word. The doing is the part we all struggle with because we often "forget" what we have just heard or learned just like "a man who forgets what he looks like just after looking in the mirror"(v. 22-23). We need to remove the nastiness in our lives and replace it with the joy and greatness of Jesus Christ. Don't be angry and grumpy, but be joyful because of your Savior!

The Testing of Faith

The testing of our faith is evident by James 1:2-12. We will be tested with the goal being that we pass the test. Not only should we pass the test but we should persevere through the trial by relying on our faith. Our faith should be strong enough to be confident in what God can do and then expect Him to deliver us through each and every situation. God allows for us to be tested in "many ways" because He needs to see that our faith is not merely spoken but acted out when the time comes. James tells us to "consider it pure joy" when we face trials because it will develop the persistence of our faith. The reason behond the trials is to be able to present the believer as "mature and complete". We will need wisdom from God to encounter trials and defeat them successfully. Verse 12 says, "blessed are those who persevere under trial." We will be rewarded for persevering through trials from within (tempatation of sin) and without (persecution). You can only receive the prize if you have entered the competition of a life with Jesus Christ. We will all struggle but only those who have Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and are able to persevere to the end will receive the "crown of life".

Faith Greater than a Furnace

I spoke at Woodford Christian School this morning to 100 kindergarten through 8th graders. It went well. I spoke on Daniel 3:13-29; the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace. This is my all time favorite story from the Bible. It shows the blinded eyes of King Nebuchadnezzar and his confident attitude in his gods and his 90 foot tall golden idol. It also demonstrates the faith that these 3 men had in our God. Their faith was so strong that they knew without a doubt that God would save them from the fiery furnace and He did. They did not waver in their stance against placing another god before the One True God. They were a visible testimony to the king and all who were there for the glory of God and His capabilities. God performed a miracle so great that the king renounced his own gods and made God the head of the land and even place rules for required obedience and praise for Him. God did not let these faithful men down just like He doesn't let us down when we are in a time of need. Oh, to have faith like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego!

Take a Stand

I am finishing the study with my student ministry tomorrow night on "Do Hard Things" which is a book by Alex and Brett Harris. This is the 5th and final week of the study and it deals with "Taking a Stand." The Harris' are 2 young men that have done the things they promote in their book and this 5th focus is no different. I only hope to proclaim this principle to my students in hopes that they would stop living for the world and live their life for the purpose of Jesus Christ. Pleasing people in the world today is only temporary and we can receive eternal blessings through glorifying Christ while we are here on earth. God commands us throughout the Bible to be free of this world and to proclaim Him only in the things that we do. We are to live in the world but not be of the world. Taking a stand for God requires being made fun of, persecuted, laughed at, uncomfortable, and uneasy but you will be respected once people realize you are sincere in your stand for God. Your sincerity must make it through the beginning of the stand and persevere to the end for ultimate glory in Jesus Christ. Listen to what Jesus says in John 17:14.

Finish the Fight

I just returned from a Strength to Stand Conference operated by the Scott Dawson Evangelistic Association. The theme was "Finish the Fight" and the entire eperience was amazing! My students loved the entire experience. We were able to hear great speakers: Jose Zayas, Dave Edwards, Scott Dawson, and David Nasser. We also heard some great worship leaders in Matt Papa and Shane & Shane along with a concert by Jeremy Camp. "Finish the Fight" is a Biblical model found in 2 Timothy 4:7, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith." We are called to endure until the end and finish the fight. We are given the strength to do so through Christ Jesus and we must keep our faith in Him with our eyes on the prize. The prize of the crown of righteousness is a reward which will be given to me on the day of my judgment. My goal is to stand before God and Him to say "well done my good and faithful servant." I will not be perfect in my endeavor but I must try each and every day to accomplish something for the kingdom of Jesus Christ.

Breaking the Bubble

It is so hard to try and step out of your comfort zone. You must first acknowledge that you have a comfort zone and be humble about how big (or small) it really is. Then you must realize that just because you do not know what might happen away from that "bubble" does not necessarily mean it may be bad or harmful. We have to be able to take the initiative of making the first step. If we are able to do this then God will grab our hand and guide us from that point. We have to show our faith that we trust God will guide us down a path of righteousness and safety. If we show Him our trust then He will make our gains and rewards great. We have to be able to get out of the way so that He may lead us. I pray that I can "pop" my bubble and use my life in ways that I can't understand but that God will make evident to me as long as I have faith.