James 2
1 My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality. 2 For if there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes, 3 and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, “You sit here in a good place,” and say to the poor man, “You stand there,” or, “Sit here at my footstool,” 4 have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?
5 Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you and drag you into the courts? 7 Do they not blaspheme that noble name by which you are called?
8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well; 9 but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10 For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. 11 For He who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.”Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. 12 So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty. 13 For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
Faith Without Works Is Dead
14 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! 20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? 22 Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? 23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God. 24 You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.
25 Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?
26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. Amen...
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Moving Mountains Day 296; Bread From Heaven
An Amazing Fact: in medievel times, bakers who sold bread that was lighter that they claimed could be severly punished. In England, on a first offense, the baker would be paraded through the dirties streets from the town hallto his home with the loaf around his neck. A second offense would earn him an hour in the pillory. A third offense meant he would be unable to sell bread in that town again. But it was worse still in Turkey and Egypt- where the baker's ear would be nailed to the doorpost of his shop.
The feeding of the 5,000 inspired the people around Jesus- they hoped He could feed them just like their forefathers had been fed with manna. But Jesus wanted them to know that eternal life is more inportant than physical life: (John 6:40-51) "And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.” The Jews then complained about Him, because He said, “I am the bread which came down from heaven.” And they said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How is it then that He says, ‘I have come down from heaven’?”
43 Jesus therefore answered and said to them, “Do not murmur among yourselves. No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.'Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me. Not that anyone has seen the Father, except He who is from God; He has seen the Father. Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.”
Jesus didn't want this symbol of Himself to be misunderstood, so He gave them the interpretation of His actions: John 6:47, 48, 56. Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life, I am the bread of life, He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. Eating Christ's flesh really meant to abide in Him- to believe in Him as their Savior from sin.
In spite of the plainess of His message, many of His disciples complained that" this was a hard saying; who can understand it?" John 6:60. Many of Jesus' followers were not ready to accept this kind of Messiah. They would rather have kept their sins and got rid of the Romans. What kind of Savior do we want today? Exodus 20:3 “You shall have no other gods before Me.
1 John 3:23-24.
And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment. Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.
Deuteronomy 7:9
Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.
Nehemiah 1:5
Then I said: “LORD, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments.
Revelation 14:12
Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.
Galatians 2:20
I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
John 14:15
“If you love Me, keep My commandments.
Ecclesiastes 12:13
Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:
Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all.
Revelation 2:23
I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works.
The feeding of the 5,000 inspired the people around Jesus- they hoped He could feed them just like their forefathers had been fed with manna. But Jesus wanted them to know that eternal life is more inportant than physical life: (John 6:40-51) "And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.” The Jews then complained about Him, because He said, “I am the bread which came down from heaven.” And they said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How is it then that He says, ‘I have come down from heaven’?”
43 Jesus therefore answered and said to them, “Do not murmur among yourselves. No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.'Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me. Not that anyone has seen the Father, except He who is from God; He has seen the Father. Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.”
Jesus didn't want this symbol of Himself to be misunderstood, so He gave them the interpretation of His actions: John 6:47, 48, 56. Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life, I am the bread of life, He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. Eating Christ's flesh really meant to abide in Him- to believe in Him as their Savior from sin.
In spite of the plainess of His message, many of His disciples complained that" this was a hard saying; who can understand it?" John 6:60. Many of Jesus' followers were not ready to accept this kind of Messiah. They would rather have kept their sins and got rid of the Romans. What kind of Savior do we want today? Exodus 20:3 “You shall have no other gods before Me.
1 John 3:23-24.
And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment. Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.
Deuteronomy 7:9
Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.
Nehemiah 1:5
Then I said: “LORD, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments.
Revelation 14:12
Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.
Galatians 2:20
I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
John 14:15
“If you love Me, keep My commandments.
Ecclesiastes 12:13
Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:
Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all.
Revelation 2:23
I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)