Meditate. Ask God to bless you with understanding as you study and apply His word. How can you enhance your relationship with Him?
Dear friends, don't be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. Instead, be very glad—for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world. So be happy when you are insulted for being a Christian, for then the glorious Spirit of God rests upon you. If you suffer, however, it must not be for murder, stealing, making trouble, or prying into other people's affairs. But it is no shame to suffer for being a Christian. Praise God for the privilege of being called by his name! For the time has come for judgment, and it must begin with God's household. And if judgment begins with us, what terrible fate awaits those who have never obeyed God's Good News? And also, "If the righteous are barely saved, what will happen to godless sinners?" So if you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for he will never fail you. 1 Peter 4:12-19
…if you are suffering in a
manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to
the God who created you, for he will never fail you. What a great promise!
God will never fail you…if you are doing what is right. Jesus gave us a simple
statement about what is right…Love God and love your neighbor as yourself. Do
the right thing by everyone. Paul goes even deeper with his teaching of the
Philippians. Think and then do.
Think pure thoughts.
And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix
your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely,
and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep
putting into practice all you learned and received from me--everything you
heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you. Philippians
4:8-9
James confirmed that we need to be
“doers” too. We need to put into action what we have learned from God. Do you
find yourself just sitting in church or in front of your TV watching the
service or other teaching on YouTube…but you don’t “do” anything much for God?
Listen up and start “doing” something.
But don't just listen to God's word. You must do what it
says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word
and don't obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself,
walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the
perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don't forget
what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it. If you claim to be
religious but don't control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your
religion is worthless. Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father
means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the
world corrupt you. James 1:22-27
James gives us some specifics
here: caring for orphans and widows in their distress.
When His disciples asked about the
End Times, Jesus described it in many ways, including this description of caring
for others.
But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the
angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne. All the nations
will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate the people as a shepherd
separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep at his right hand
and the goats at his left. Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come,
you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the
creation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you
gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was
naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in
prison, and you visited me.' Then these righteous ones will reply, 'Lord, when
did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to
drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing?
When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?' And the King will
say, 'I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my
brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!' Matthew 25:31-40
So, listening isn’t enough. Go and do likewise. What will you do today to help others? Feed someone, give them some water or clothes? How can you be God’s hands and feet today?
Prayer ~ Lord God, show me specific opportunities today that I may serve You by helping others.
Verses of Salvation ~ So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin's control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. Romans 8:1-3
Bible Trivia ~ February 20 - Why didn’t King David build the Temple
for God in Jerusalem?
Answer – As a warrior David had seen too much bloodshed, so God chose to have his son, Solomon, build the Temple. (See 1 Chronicles 22:8)
This
week’s Trivia: Can you place these words in the proper order for a familiar verse?
are for see heart they in blessed shall
the pure God
[My computer hard drive failed…so I’m behind in
my Bible Trivia…sorry.]
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