Love Your Enemies - Matthew 5:44-45

We are to love our enemies and to pray for those who persecute us. This is not a suggestion - it's a command from our Lord.

And yes, this is my cat and my dog. The funny thing is, they are both black and white. Ha!

Facebook Cover - Trust in the Lord Psalm 118:8

This picture was taken in Grand Teton National Park. As we left Yellowstone, we made our way south through Grand Teton National Park. It is absolutely a gorgeous part of the country. A simple verse that speaks volumes: It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. If the Lord God, the Creator of the universe can do all of this, then nothing is impossible with Him. Put your trust in Him.

Not Our Home

During the summer, I took my boys to visit Yellowstone. The picture is of Fort Yellowstone, the old army fort based inside the park. When the park was first established, it was the US Army that maintained and administered it; the National Park Service was not established until 1916 and subsequently took over the park in 1918. Anyway, I love old houses and I loved these old houses in particular, but nothing compared to the beauty of the park itself. Absolutely breathtaking. I love our national parks! Even so, this beautiful country, this beautiful planet is not my permanent home; it is temporary. As Christians, we have been promised an even better home, an even better country. The best is yet to come!

Facebook Cover - Soli Deo Gloria/Glory to God Alone Isaiah 42:8

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Trust in the Lord - Proverbs 3:5-6

Rest in God - Psalm 62:1-2

Facebook Cover - Solus Christus/Christ Alone 1 Timothy 2:5

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Facebook Cover - Sola Fide/Faith Alone Romans 3:28

You are justified by your faith in Jesus, not by your works.

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Seen and Unseen

Facebook Cover - Romans 8:1-2

If you are in Christ, you are not under condemnation. You have been set free.

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A New Creation

If you are in Christ, you have been made brand new - you have been born again!

Brokenhearted and Crushed in Spirit

Lately, I have been brokenhearted and crushed in spirit. Divorce is not something I ever thought I would go through, yet here I am. While I'm not going to elaborate on the details, I will say this: I cling to the fact that the Lord is faithful and true. I cling to the promises of God that he is close to those who are brokenhearted and crushed in spirit. Whether you are brokenhearted and crushed in spirit because you feel the weight of your sins, turn to the Lord. He will save you. Whether you are brokenhearted and crushed in spirit because of your circumstances, turn to the Lord. He will be with you.

Grow in Grace and Knowledge - 2 Peter 3:18

Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Facebook Cover - 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Be joyful. Pray Continually. Give thanks.

Facebook Cover - Galatians 5:22-23

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Prince Died but the King Lives

My Facebook feed was crammed with news about Prince's death. I was sad that he had died because I had listened to his music as a teen in the 80s. He was an outrageous performer and a gifted musician and entertainer. His music brings back wistful rose-colored memories of high school and good times with friends. But that was a lifetime ago, and by God's grace I am not the same person that I was in high school.

Some years ago, I'd heard that Prince had become a Jehovah's Witness. An article in People magazine, "Purple Faith: Prince's Life as a Jehovah's Witness ", discusses Prince and his faith. The fact that he was a Jehovah's Witness makes me doubly sad. Jehovah's Witnesses have aberrant beliefs about Jesus and the plan of salvation; they preach another gospel, which is no gospel at all. Sadly, their message does not save.

     Further reading from GotQuestions.org, "Who are the Jehovah's Witnesses and what are their beliefs?"

Friends, Prince was only 57 years old when he died. None of us has a guarantee that we will die of old age. None of us knows the day or the hour when we will leave this earth and face our Creator, our Lord, our King, our God. So why wait? Don't delay. Get to know the real Jesus, who was fully God and fully man, who paid the price for our sins by dying on the cross. Jesus, who rose victoriously from the grave three days later. Jesus, our Savior and our King. Get to know the real Jesus today. Today is the day of salvation. (2 Corinthians 6:2)

     Further reading from GotQuestions.org, "What is the gospel?"

Psalm 27:1

God Doesn't Need to Prove Anything

"...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus." - Romans 3:23

"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." - Romans 6:23

I see so many things on Facebook. Some of it is good, some of it is not, and then there are things like this:

I don't want to take issue with Compassion International; neither is my intent to slam Shaun Groves who is a Christian musician. But I do want to take issue with one-liners that seem to express a Biblical truth. I want to encourage others and remind myself that all things must be tested against Scripture. Christians must be diligent and accurate in expressing the "mission of God", which is the Gospel, by the way. We need to think before we speak. We need to be diligent about presenting the whole Gospel, not just spout one-liners to grab attention. The world does need to know about God; the people of the world also need to know a few things about themselves.

First, God doesn't need to prove anything. Second, although God is good and He can be trusted, He is also holy and righteous. God demonstrates that He is God and we are not, He is holy and we are not, and that He should be obeyed and loved and trusted by us. However, because of our sinful nature we do not obey Him let alone love Him or trust Him. Third, the mission of God was to destroy the devil's work of introducing sin into the world. (1 John 3:8) My friends, the Good News is that God did destroy the devil's work and this was accomplished through Jesus' sacrifice on the cross and his victorious resurrection.

If there is anything that needs to be proven it is this: We are sinners. We have rebelled and turned away from our holy, loving, righteous, and good God who is our creator. Because of our rebellion, we deserve God's wrath and eternal damnation. BUT, because God is good, and just, and kind, and gracious, and loving, and merciful, He has provided a way for us to escape our well-deserved punishment:

"...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished - he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus." - Romans 3:23-26

This is what needs to be preached to the world: We are sinners who deserve God's wrath. But because of God's great love for us (John 3:16), we can trust that God has given us a gift that we could never earn and certainly don't deserve - God sent His son, Jesus, who paid the full price for our sins by dying on the cross, and that he rose again on the third day. We can trust that our Savior lives and that we will one day be with him in paradise. The reverse however, is also true. We can trust that God will do what He says to those who reject Jesus, which is send them to their deserved eternal damnation. Friends, don't settle for one-liners. Be diligent. Preach the gospel. With words. Because the world so desperately needs to hear the Good News.

Facebook Cover - Romans 10:17

Or as the King James says: "So then, faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God." We need to preach the gospel - with words - so that others can hear it.

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Facebook Cover - John 17:3

A friend of mine asked for prayers for an older, unbelieving family member who is nearing the end of life. Each of us should be praying daily for our unbelieving family members and friends. Pray that they come to know God and Jesus Christ whom he has sent. Pray for opportunities to share the gospel; if we have already shared the gospel with them, then pray that God continues to water that seed that's been planted.

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Facebook Cover - Philippians 4:4

Rejoice in the Lord always!

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Facebook Cover - Colossians 1:13-14

If you are in Christ then you have been rescued, redeemed, and forgiven.

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Facebook Cover - Galatians 2:21

We are completely dependent upon the grace of God. We cannot work for nor earn our salvation; if we could earn our salvation, then Christ's sacrificial death on the cross was all in vain. If you are trusting in yourself and not Jesus, you are still dead in your sins. Trust in Jesus today.

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Easter - The Resurrection

Believing that Jesus merely existed is not enough. What you believe about Jesus (who he is and what he accomplished) is equally, if not more important. In answer to his question, Martha said:

"Yes, Lord" she told him, "I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world." -John 11:27

My friends, the resurrection of Jesus is the most important aspect of the Christian faith. Our Savior lives! If this were not so, then our faith would be useless. Paul reminded the Corinthians of this:

"If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins." - 1 Corinthians 15:13-17

The alternative to everlasting life is everlasting punishment. Repent and believe the Good News. Jesus died to pay the penalty for your sins, but He has risen and will one day return. Christ is risen indeed!

"For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures..." - 1 Corinthians 15:3-4

No Condemnation Romans 8:1-2

I took my boys to visit Alcatraz yesterday and got this great shot of an open door. It just screamed "Freedom!" If we are in Christ, we are free. If we are in Christ, we are not condemned. Today, on Good Friday, remember and give thanks for that. Thank you, Jesus!

Psalm 145:9-10 - All Thy Works Shall Praise Thee

This is Love

Remember that there is nothing you can do to earn God's love. God took the initiative to save us by sending His one and only Son to pay the penalty for our sins ("For the wages of sin is death..." Romans 6:23).

God did this because God is love ("...but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23).

A Clean Heart and a Right Spirit

Facebook Cover - Psalm 51:10

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The Gift of God

Easter Reminder - John 5:24 and Ephesians 2:4-5

I took this picture at Sand Harbor, Lake Tahoe, NV in June 2014. The beauty of Lake Tahoe (and many other places) is breathtaking and provides evidence of God's handiwork. As I was playing around with photo editing, I wondered what this pic would look like in black and white. Trust me, a black and white photo of beautiful Lake Tahoe is nothing short of pointless. (For comparison, I added the full color photo at the end with a verse from Ephesians.) A black and white photo can never convey the beautiful blue color. The black and white section looks lifeless; the color section looks alive. Kind of how we were before and after we came to Christ.

As we approach Easter, let us remember that since we have placed our faith in our Lord Jesus that we have crossed over from death to life. We were once enemies of God, subjects of the kingdom of darkness. We were dead in our sins. When we became believers in Christ, our sins were forgiven, we were immediately transferred to the kingdom of light and we became children of God made alive in Christ! (Ephesians 2:1-10, John 1:12, Colossians 1:13-14) Praise the Lord now and forever!

If this is new to you, and you are wondering what it means to be a Christian and why you need to be saved, I encourage you to read the articles, "What is a Christian?", "What is the plan of salvation/way of salvation?", and "How can I be saved?" from GotQuestions.org.

Pressing On Toward the Goal

Facebook Cover - Psalm 111:2-3

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Meat, Bones, and Mushrooms

I have heard more than once that when it comes to subpar, confusing, or false teaching that we should "chew on the meat and spit out the bones." In other words, we should take what's good and helpful and throw out the rest. That sounds like good advice, but is it biblical? What does the Bible say? In his letter to the Galatians, Paul wrote a stern rebuke to them for falling under the influence of false teachers and their teachings:

"I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse!" Galatians 1:6-9 NIV

Notice that Paul doesn't say, "Take the best and throw out the rest." No, he rebukes the Galatians for "turning to a different gospel - which is really no gospel at all." He says that these teachers are perverting the gospel of Christ and they are to be under God's curse (condemned). False teaching mixed with truth is dangerous.

My youngest son has special needs: he is legally blind, nonverbal, and cognitively delayed (among other things). I NEVER give him meat with bones. If we're having chicken, I give him slices of chicken breast. If we're having pork chops, I always use boneless pork chops. Why? Because he is incapable of discerning that he should not eat the bones. He may bite on the bone and throw it aside, or he may bite on the bone and break a tooth, or he might swallow a bone and choke. Because I am concerned for his well-being and I'm charged with protecting him, I do not give my youngest son meat with bones. A good preacher or teacher will not feed false doctrine to you or mix truth with error because they care about your spiritual well-being.

My problem with the meat/bones metaphor is that it assumes that false teaching is always obvious. Friends, instead of using meat and bones, I'd like to offer a different metaphor to describe the mixing of false teaching with correct teaching: mushrooms. Imagine a bowl of mushrooms on the kitchen counter. Some of the mushrooms are familiar to you because you have probably eaten them, such as: the button mushroom, the oyster mushroom, or the exotic chanterelle mushroom. Other mushrooms in the bowl are not familiar to you. One of them - the jack o'lantern mushroom - looks like the chanterelle, but not quite. The aptly-named destroying angel looks harmless. Still another mushroom, Amanita phalloides or death cap, looks as though it could be just another button mushroom, but it is absolutely deadly. With this bowl of mushrooms in mind, what should you do? Do you:

1. Grab a handful of mushrooms from the bowl and start cooking?
2. Recall that some mushrooms are poisonous and since you can't tell which one is which, you leave the entire bowl alone?
3. Sift through the bowl of mushrooms to find the good ones, confident that you can tell the difference between edible and deadly mushrooms?

The correct answer is #2. You may be able to recognize the edible mushrooms, but if you mistakenly choose a jack o'lantern mushroom thinking it's a chanterelle, you could become ill. If you mistakenly choose a death cap mushroom, you could die. Friends, we should never assume that we can't fall prey to false teaching. False teaching can be way more subtle than meat and bones. False teaching can pose as a harmless edible mushroom, but in fact is a deadly poison. A little bit of error mixed with truth makes the entire teaching false.

So what is the remedy? Read your Bible. Every day. Know what the Bible says about Jesus and about the plan of salvation. Read the Bible's warnings about false teaching and false teachers. (Note: I have linked to OpenBible.info which is a topical Bible search engine. Type in a topic and it will return relevant Bible verses. Use these as a starting point for further Bible reading.) Compare every sermon, every devotional, and every Bible study with God's Word. Also, you should pray and ask God for discernment and wisdom:

"If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you." James 1:5 NIV

For further reading on how to recognize a false teacher or false teaching, GotQuestions.org has some helpful articles, such as the one below. May the word of Christ dwell in you richly.

Further Reading: "How can I recognize a false teacher/false prophet?"

Facebook Cover - Ephesians 2:8-9

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Selective Sacrifice

Lent is something that I no longer celebrate mainly because I'm no longer Catholic. Don't get me wrong: I absolutely believe there is value in fasting, prayer, and reading more of the Scriptures. However, I often don't know how to react when people tell me what they're giving up for Lent. Often what they're giving up is the same type of thing that I gave up for Lent as a kid while growing up Catholic: things like sweets, TV, and pizza. Adults nowadays will add coffee and alcohol to that list. Honestly, I don't mean to be judgmental, but I have to ask "Why?" Giving up these things really isn't much of a sacrifice, is it? Especially if it's only for 40 days. I never hear anyone saying that they're giving up a prideful heart or gossiping for Lent.

Why doesn't anyone want to give up those things that hinder their relationship with God as outlined in Paul's letter to the Galatians and in his letter to the Ephesians:

"The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God." - Galatians 5:19-21 (NIV 1984)

"Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice." - Ephesians 4:31 (NIV 1984)

Coffee, tea, chocolate, and pizza don't come between you and God. Pride, selfishness, bitterness, gossip, rage among other things do hinder your relationship with God. What good is giving up coffee if you are still full of bitterness? What good is giving up sweets if you are filled with envy and gossip? And honestly, if you can  recognize that a certain type of entertainment contributes to lustful or otherwise impure thoughts, why not give it up permanently? It's true that we are to deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Jesus - meaning we're to give up our pride, our way, our dreams, and even our life if necessary, all for the cause of Christ. But we're to do that every day not just during Lent. Giving up something for Lent doesn't make you holy or righteous and it cannot add to the finished work of Jesus' perfect sacrifice on the cross. With this in mind, maybe it's time to reevaluate those things that we truly need to give up, by the grace of God.

Edit: One final thought - giving up coffee, TV, or chocolate are all things that I can do without God's help using my own willpower. Ridding myself of bitterness, anger, and other forms of malice, cannot be done without God's help. I must depend on the grace of God to be rid of these things. May it be so.

Love

Know the Words of Jesus

In an earlier post about devotionals, I recommended that you do not read Jesus Calling by Sarah Young. In that blog post, I linked to an article by Pastor Tim Challies entitled "10 Serious Problems with Jesus Calling". If you are currently reading Jesus Calling or thinking about reading it, I highly encourage you to read "10 Serious Problems with Jesus Calling".

If you are currently reading Jesus Calling, I am asking you to test it against the Bible. Search the Scriptures. I challenge you to compare the words of "Jesus" in that devotional with the words of Jesus in the Bible. An easy way to do this is to read just the words of Jesus in Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, and Revelation. If your Bible has the words of Jesus in red, it will be that much easier. If your Bible does not have the words of Jesus in red, go to BibleGateway.com. Type in "Matthew 1" without the quotation marks, select your preferred Bible version and click the search icon. When Matthew 1 appears, click on the gear icon and select Red Letter (see image below). Ask yourself if the words of "Jesus" in Jesus Calling match the words and the tone of Jesus in the Bible. If they don't match up, which are you going to trust? The correct answer is to trust the Bible.

(Note: I am not a Red-Letter Christian. I believe that all of the Bible is the inerrant word of God. However, for the purpose of comparing the supposed Jesus in Jesus Calling to Jesus in the Bible, I am asking you to specifically focus on the words of Jesus in the Bible because Sarah Young claims that Jesus spoke to her and she simply wrote down what he supposedly said to her.)

Friends, the Bible is God's word and it is all that you really need. If you choose to read a devotional, then keep this in mind: a good devotional will always point you to God's word. A good devotional can be a helpful tool, but it is no substitute for the Bible. Remember the words of the apostle John:

Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. - John 20:30-31

Jesus did many other things, but everything that you need to know about him and what he said - so that you may believe that he is the Savior so that you can have eternal life - is written in the Bible. Friends, you do not need extra messages from Jesus. You do not need more. You have all that you need in the Bible. Get to know what Jesus has already said. Read the Bible today and every day.

What Does the Bible Say?

"See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ." - Colossians 2:8

Christians should get into the habit of asking themselves this question: "What does the Bible say?" Every time you hear a teacher, a preacher, or read a religious or spiritually-sounding meme on Facebook, ask yourself, "What does the Bible have to say about that?" What does the Bible say about joy and happiness? What does the Bible say about pain and suffering? What does the Bible say about who Jesus is? What does the Bible say about there being only one way to God? Why does it matter what the Bible says? Because the Bible is God's word and it is truth. In my opinion, the more of God's truth that we know, the better we will become at filtering out and distinguishing worldly wisdom from Biblical wisdom.

One of my favorite tools is OpenBible.info. Type in a topic that you want to learn more about (like 'false teachers'), and OpenBible.info will retrieve Bible verses related to that topic. Read through each of the verses; better yet, read the verse that comes before and after that verse; better still, read the entire chapter from which that verse is taken; even better, read the entire book in which that verse is found.

I know I'm repeating myself, but take the time to get to know God's word and start reading the Bible today. Absorb God's word like a sponge so that you can squeeze out false teaching and worldly wisdom. May the word of Christ dwell in you richly.

For God So Loved The World...

Facebook Cover - Psalm 103:8

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Facebook Cover - 1 John 2:15-16

Speaking of love...1 John 2:15-16 reminds us of what not to love. Enjoy!

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Facebook Cover: John 8:12

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This is Love

Word and Deed

I saw this meme on Facebook the other day. Like so much of what we see and hear, it takes seemingly moral truth (often based on Biblical truth) and tries to boil it down into an attention-grabbing slogan. In this case, this meme is expressing the idea that it doesn't matter how many Bible verses you know; the only important thing is how you treat other people. That's all that Jesus really cares about. But is it?

Christians should make it a habit to compare what we see and hear with Scripture, especially when what we see and hear seems to be expressing a Biblical truth. We should be asking ourselves, "What does the Bible say?"

Friends, this meme is another subtle attempt to undermine the word of God. It is another attempt to diminish the first and greatest commandment by overemphasizing the second greatest commandment. What are those, you ask?  

“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” -Matthew 22:36-40

Was Jesus giving brand new commandments? No. These statements are a summary of the Ten Commandments given to the prophet, Moses. The first four commandments deal with how we are to love God; they come first, by the way. The last six commandments deal with how we are to love our neighbor.

We are commanded to love the Lord our God, first. This is the first and greatest commandment. If we love the Lord our God - we acknowledge Him as our Creator, Redeemer, King, and Lord - then we will love His word. Why? What does the Bible say about how we are to regard God's word? Let's find out.

I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. - Psalm 119:11

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. - 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.” - John 6:68-69

Friends, I don't want you to be discouraged if you don't have many Bible verses memorized. The point is not about how many Bible verses you have memorized; the point is, your attitude toward the word of God is what really matters. Like so many things, this is a heart issue. What is your attitude toward the word of God? Is it casual? Sincere? Is the Bible merely good advice? Is the Bible the inerrant word of God? If you agree with the apostle Peter that Jesus is the Holy One of God and that he has the words of eternal life, then why wouldn't you be eager to hear what he has to say? If you haven't given much thought about Bible reading, I encourage you to start by reading Psalm 119. It is a beautiful Psalm that lifts up God's word.

Now, I would be remiss if I didn't make another point. Earlier I mentioned that memes like these often present seemingly moral truths. Friends, it is true that Jesus does care about how you treat others. We are commanded to love our neighbors as ourselves. This means that we should put into practice what we read in God's word:

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. - James 1:22

Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. - James 215-17

This point in the Book of James agrees with Paul's second letter to Timothy when he said, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." (2 Timothy 3:16-17) God's word equips us to do good works. Once we read God's word, we should take it to heart and do what it says. Our good works do not save us. Our good works are evidence of our faith designed to bring glory to God, not to ourselves:

Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. - Matthew 5:15-16

Further reading from GotQuestions.org: "Is salvation by faith alone, or by faith plus works?"

Begin to store the word of God in your heart, not so you can earn merit badges from God or so that you can impress your friends with how much Bible you know. Store the word of God in your heart so that you can be thoroughly equipped for every good work, and more importantly, so that you will begin to learn and to know more about your Savior. In a previous post, I encouraged you to read through the Bible. There are many ways to begin doing this: start with a verse a day, read through the four Gospels in 40 days, read through the New Testament in one year, or read through the Bible in one year. All of these reading plans and more are available on BibleGateway.com. God has revealed much about Himself in the Bible and we would be wise to read and to study what He has said so that we will be thoroughly equipped.

Facebook Cover - John 5:24

Here is another simple Facebook cover using John 5:24. Enjoy!

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Facebook Cover - Romans 5:8

So, I am experimenting with making some Scripture Facebook covers. I come across so many beautiful ones, but I often find myself looking for simple pictures with the Scripture verse being prominent. This is my first attempt at a simple Facebook cover, and if I make any more then I will add a FB Covers tab at the top. Enjoy!

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While We Were Still Sinners

Shine Among Them

ESV Online - Another Bible Resource

Way back in the Introduction, I mentioned that my preferred Bible version is the NIV 1984 (New International Version 1984), and that occasionally, I use the ESV and the NASB. Well, I totally forgot that Crossway (the publisher for the ESV) has it's own web site for the ESV online:

ESV Bible

There you will find Bible reading plans, apps, and the ability to listen to the Bible instead of reading it. Crossway recommends that you create a free account to access all of the features. I will add the ESV website to the Resources section of this blog for future reference.