DO WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the Word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.

James 1:22-25

This ends today’s reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

I didn’t plan it like this. Really, I didn’t.

You see, today is my 61^st birthday and as I have been doing every day since this new year started, I am sitting down to a blank Microsoft Word document and trying to form something tangible in order to spiritually feed a reader. It’s an exercise in faith and trust daily as I place my hope in the Lord to give me the right words to speak through the Holy Spirit.

So why do I do it? Why do I invest time in writing devotions, even after long work days or holidays or even on my birthday?

Because I love you, the reader, more than I love my time, and so does the Lord. Or rather, the Lord loves you and so He uses me as an instrument of love to write to you on His time, not mine. And the Lord’s time is always any time that He provides us. He grants us time and then expects us to be good stewards of it.

And so I write and make positive use of my time with the hope of using the words the Lord grants to make disciples and expand the kingdom of God here on earth.

Now, I want to make sure it’s clear that this is not a one way affair. It isn’t that the Lord provides His scriptures and then expounds on those scriptures through teachers like myself for people to read or listen to those words and then carry on as if there is no change needed. As we look at our passage for today, it’s crystal clear the Lord expects a response to His holy Word when it is received.

Note that a person who just hears the word and leaves it at that only deceives themselves, thinking just listening to God’s word is enough. They are likened to someone who looks at themselves in the mirror but then turns away from the reflection and forgets what they just saw. It was as if they hadn’t looked in the mirror at all.

Conversely, a person who hears the Word of the Lord and then does what it says, that person not forget what they heard and as a result, will be blessed in what they do. It’s obvious that this is the way the Lord wants all of us to live, obedient to His Word and then immersed in the blessings experienced when we are walking on the pathway of righteousness He sets forth.

Jesus said, “Man shall not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). He perfectly showed us this as He lived His own life, and so as Christians today, we’re to follow His lead, not just hearing and reading the Bible but actually doing what it says. It’s what I strive for each and every day and I pray it’s your goal as well.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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OUT WITH THE BAD, IN WITH THE GOOD

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In Christ, Mark

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** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

“Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the Word planted in you, which can save you.”

James 1:19-20

This ends today’s reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Breathing.

You could say it’s a way of life, right? Especially because you wouldn’t live long if you stopped breathing altogether.

In fact, in the time you have read up to this point, you will have probably breathed in and out twelve to sixteen times which is the average number of breaths an adult will take every minute.

Of course, there is an elemental nature to breathing. Let’s call it Breathing 101.

When a person breathes in, they draw in oxygen, a basic chemical element represented by the symbol “O”.  Breathing out however produces a completely different chemical element, carbon dioxide, which is represented by the symbol “CO2”. Most people understand this basic physiological and anatomical process.

Here’s what is so interesting about this. While oxygen is very beneficial to our health, carbon dioxide is not.

How dangerous is this human exhalant?

If breathed in, concentrations of more than 10 percent can cause a person to convulse, become comatose, and even die. Now we know why it has to be exhausted from the body.

So looked at as a whole, we can see how we breathe in the good and exhale the bad. Or in other words, we take the good in and get rid of the bad.

As we look at our scripture passage for today, we see this principle in play in a spiritual sense.

Here we find the word of God providing believers direction as to behaviors they should adopt and ones they should discard. Or put another way, in with the good and out with the bad.

As for the good, note that it’s simple. We’re to take in the Word of the Lord (aka the scriptures) with complete humility, surrendering our own will for the will of God while allowing the Word to first be sown, and then take root within us.

In other words, we’re to breathe in the words of the Bible, words that bring us true life now and eternally, words that save us.

That’s what we’re to take in but note that we’re also required to rid ourselves of elements that would harm us. Just as we physically breathe out CO2 that could damage our minds and kill us, so too do we spiritually rid ourselves of moral filth and evil, both found in copious quantities within the world we live.

The better and stronger our intake of God’s word, the better and stronger we are at discarding sin from our lives. Righteousness displaces wickedness and we become spiritually healthy in the Lord.

Friends, the scriptures are giving us critical guidance in just a single verse today. Now we have to commit ourselves to be obedient to it. It’s time to take in the good and get rid of the bad in our lives for the Lord demands that we do so.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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TAKE NOTE!

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In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

“My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.”

James 1:19-20

This ends today’s reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

I have heard people say more than a few times that they are lacking direction in life. These people are yearning for some guidance to help them navigate through the daily challenges that living can bring.

Thank goodness that in the Bible we find all the guidance and direction we could ever need. Over and over again in the scriptures, we find the Lord providing us direction through His holy word and as we look at our passage for today, we find one of those many instances. Look again at these two verses from James, chapter 1:

“My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.” James 1:19-20

We’ve already established that the Lord never stops providing His people instruction but that doesn’t necessarily mean His people are always paying attention to it. That’s why at times we find the Lord having to command the readers of His word to “take note” of what He is saying. And when the Lord is saying, “take note” we had better do it for what comes after is inherently important and to be obeyed.

In this instance, we find the Lord giving us several exhortations and none of them are optional or exclusionary.

First, everyone should be quick to listen.

Now there has been a phrase that has circulated for as long as I remember that simply says this:

“God gave you two ears and one mouth so you should listen twice as much as you talk.”

While this little axiom is good, I think this one is better:

“When you take the letters of the word “listen” and rearrange them, you get the word “silent”. Therefore you should make sure that you still and clear your mind and heart, open your ears, and truly lend attention to all the words someone is saying to you.”

Whether you prescribe to the first, the second, or both of these sayings, the point is the same. We can’t afford to stop listening when we should, not just because it’s the right and respectful thing to do but rather because the Lord commanded us to do it. We need to be quick to listen and then do it right.

The second thing the Lord demands we take note of is that we need to be slow to speak.

Why is this something the Lord feels He has to address?

Because how many times have you opened your mouth and said things you regretted, all because you failed to pause and think about your words and heart attitude beforehand? Or maybe you have been on the receiving end as someone sounded off without advance consideration of their words. I’m sure it wasn’t a pleasant experience and I feel most everyone has gone through it. We don’t like it when it happens to us so why in the world would we do it to another? And yet, it happens and so this stipulation from the Lord continues to be needed.

Finally, the Lord requires His people to be slow when it comes to becoming angry.

Why?

Because rarely does any positive outcome result from displays of human anger. Rather, angry behavior leads a person down the road paved with transgression more often than not and the end result is that a person fails to exercise and “produce the righteousness that God desires.”

Be quick to listen, slow to talk, and slow to anger.

Today and every day, the Lord expects us to take note and remain obedient to His guidance and direction.

As you read this devotion and self reflect, how well are you doing in this area?

If improvement is needed in one or more areas, ask the Lord to grant you the strength to improve. He will answer that prayer and render help, rest assured of that.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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THE ORIGIN OF GOOD GIFTS

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In Christ, Mark

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** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

“Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all He created.”

James 1:16-18

This ends today’s reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Who doesn’t like to receive a gift, or even better, gifts?

Everyone, right?

I mean, it’s a pleasure we are conditioned to enjoy from our very youngest years.

At our birthday, yes there is cake but it’s not what a person looks forward to the most. For that honor always goes to the birthday presents.

And then there is Christmas and the painstaking efforts people go through to find just the right gift for someone. To help facilitate this, and to further emphasize how much we love gifts, people will actually make a list of things they would like to receive.

Why?

Because no one likes to be in the situation where they get a gift that they either don’t like or can’t use. In the world of gift giving and receiving, that’s always the worst case scenario, one that is avoided at all costs.

Considering this, what if I told you that there was a source where you would only receive good gifts, good gifts you have already experienced, even if you didn’t give full credit and thanks to the giver (or in this case, Giver with a capital “G”)?

As we look at our verses from today and our continuing study of the Epistle of James, chapter 1, we find the word of the God telling us that He, God, is the One who is the Giver of every good and perfect gift.

And just in case someone might tell you this isn’t true, note that the scriptures are telling us to not believe it, to not be deceived. God and God alone gives us every good and perfect gift from above and unlike other givers, the Lord doesn’t change. He not only gives perfectly but He also does so with perfect consistency.

When does this perfect and consistent giving begin?

Again, the answer is found in our passage for today.

It’s from the very beginning.

We rarely think about our birth as a gift but think about it. How would we be able to receive anything from anyone if we weren’t given life first?

Gifts can also be seen as blessings and I remember my mother always telling me that I should count my blessings and when I finished, I should start counting again. As I have grown older, I have realized more and more the depth of wisdom in her words for the Lord blesses us in so many ways that we too often take His gifts for granted.

We need to look at our birth and give thanks for that gift, not just on our birthday but every day. From that day that we emerge from our mother’s womb on, our hearts begin to beat and our lungs breathe in oxygen. We should give thanks for both because they are gifts from God, the One who fashioned our bodies and the very Creation environment we live in. And we could go on and on and on. Sometimes the good and perfect gifts from God are not of the kind that can be wrapped up and delivered that way.

So in sum, we all love to receive gifts and we all have a Giver in God who provides every good and perfect gift from above. I encourage you to take the advice of my mom like I did and count your blessings over and over again, giving thanks while remembering that the gifts of God come to us in many ways, over and over and over again.   

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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THE TRUE SOURCE OF TEMPTATION

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In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

James 1:13-15

This ends today’s reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

People are really good at playing the blame game. Some are experts.

There seems to be a general lack of accountability when it comes to being honest about the true source of our errors when we make them. And so rather than point the finger where it belongs, at ourselves, we instead deflect fault elsewhere. After all, it’s easier to do that than to actually do the work to change and get better at living this thing called life.

In the worse instances of this fundamental flaw in our humanity, we find people accusing God of being the sense of their failures, a completely ridiculous claim when it comes to sinfulness because a God who despises sin and commands His people to avoid it would never then lead people to commit transgressions. Sin is never in God’s nature but it sure is in ours and it’s nothing but sin that would lead us to blame God or anyone else for our own iniquities. The credit for evil and wicked behavior sits solely with the one committing said behavior.

This is what we learn when we look to the scriptures on this matter. In particular, today’s passage from our continued study of James, Chapter 1 shows us the true source of temptation, the temptation that leads us to disobediently and intentionally do wrong before our Lord. Look again at these words here:

When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. James 1:13-15

Here we gain affirmation that God is not the starting point for sinful persuasion. The word of the Lord makes it clear that God Himself cannot be tempted by evil any more than He would tempt someone to commit wicked acts.

So where is the problem, if not with God?

We need to only look in the mirror to find the answer.

For the origin of our sin is found within ourselves and our own evil desires.

If we would just stop and do an honest assessment while on the way to committing sin, we would find that in that moment, our wants become greater than what the Lord wants us to do and we find greater pleasure in satisfying those wants than we do in our striving to please the Him. Left unchecked, these selfish, wicked desires start to develop until they have given birth to sin, sin that, if allowed to grow to full maturity, will lead a person straight down the path of judgment and destruction.

Are you struggling with sin in your life right now, seemingly always giving into your temptations?

If so, get on your knees and deny yourself before the Lord, surrendering your selfish desires for His will and way. Repent and confess your iniquities and then ask the Lord to lead you away from your sin and toward His perfect righteousness. Turn away from sin before it’s conceived within you and seek a spiritual rebirth, completely dedicating and devoting yourself to the Lord. Place your fullest focus on Him and your focus will be pulled away from yourself, the true source of temptation.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
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