Real Faith

Text: Jam. 2:14-18
More Lessons: Eph. 2:8-10 Bible Reading in One Year: 1Sam.4-7

The Christian faith is described by Paul as ...the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen: Heb.11:1. Faith is bringing into reality that which has never been. Believing in what you can see is not as real as believing so much in what you have not seen. Biblical faith is active, not passive. Real faith produces a changed life. Heb.11:2 says For by it the elders obtained a good report. Active faith is a great force on earth. We can achieve so much by it if properly exercised. God's gift of salvation as the result of genuine faith must result in good works as we can see in verse 2 of our text. Verse 15 of our text says turning away a friend who is cold and hungry with empty words “be warmed and full” but doing nothing to help is like somebody saying that they have genuine faith when their lives give no evidence of being changed.
Faith in Christ should produce the good works that God's Word teaches. Talking about Jesus and being aware of what He can do is not enough. Real faith is total commitment to Christ and the Word of God which brings about a changed life. It is faith that is more than just words; it is faith that works. Verse 17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Since your work is a proof of your faith, you can know the dimension of your faith by the size of your work.
Laziness which people exhibit by just confessing the word and not doing the work in it is not of faith because James 1:25 says there is work in every word ... he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work,.... God's blessing comes when we take steps of faith and do what we should because we know that God brings increase upon man's labour and He rewards people for their labour of love and faith. The names of Abel, Noah, Abraham and others entered the chronicles of faith because they exercised their faith. It is about time you begin to put your faith to work because faith without works is dead.

Prayer/Action
* I receive power to activate my faith.
* Father help me to honour you every day by the way I live my life.

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Knowing the Author Helps

Text: Heb. 12:1-11
More Lessons: Heb. 5:9 Bible Reading in One Year: 1Sam.1-3

One way to know a true child of God is his/her thirst for the Word of God. The one who truly loves God will want to read about Him. David the king, the man after God’s heart describes his love for God by how much he values God's word. Psa. 19:10, More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Psa.19:7 The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. Psa.19: 8, The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.
David having tasted the sweetness and the authenticity of the Word of God declares it in his book. Many teachers of literature will tell you that reading a certain person's book will help you to understand the author. But Christian authors often reveal their true happiness and joy as they put their thoughts on paper. As you read, you feel you are getting to know the author. And there is no book which so beautifully expresses the love and concern of the author as the Bible. The more you read it, the more you learn to love the author. There is no deep knowledge of God except through his Word.
Our text today points out attention to the fact that Jesus is not only the author of the Bible but of our faith and the finisher of it. This means that there is no faith in God outside of Jesus Christ. Being in Christ is determined by how we see the Bible, read it, study it, memorise it and live by it. All these are possible only when you take time to personally find out that God's Word is a lamp, a light, a defense, a guide and our spiritual food.

Prayer/Action
* Father, help me to love your Word more than ever.
* Cause me to see you through your Word as I need it all the time.
* I receive divine capacity to love in Jesus' name.

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It's a Shadow

Text: Amos 5:8
More Lessons: Psa. 23:4
Bible Reading in One Year: 2 Pet.1-3

In life there are so many things that look so real but without reality or substance. Nevertheless, there are other things that look so abstract but are much more real than things that can be touched physically. God ...calls those things which do not exist as though they did: Rom 4:17 (NKJV) (declaring shadow; a reality). Whereas there are some things in existence today that are actually a shadow of things yet to be. Col.2:17, Heb.10:1. Believers in Christ Jesus, everything outside of God's counsel are shadows, that cannot happen unless you permit them. One of God's servants admonishes us to declare old anything you don't want to see again. So when it comes to pain, death, affliction, hunger, lack, and deprivation; they are shadows that must pass away. Shadows cannot hurt, it cannot kill, it cannot destroy.

One day I was standing on the street corner and the shadow of a huge, heavily loaded truck passed right over me.

Did it hurt? Of course not. Shadows can’t hurt. That is why the Bible tells us that believers walk through the valley of the shadow of death (Psa. 23:4). But when an unsaved person dies, he walks into torments of the awful jaws of death itself.

It is only in God that all things are real, because they are good and perfect. This is why the book of James calls God ...Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Jam. 1:17. Num. 23:19 God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?.

Moreover, our text today makes us to understand that there is no shadow in God; ...He turns the shadow of death into morning....: Amos 5:8 (NKJV) Child of God, this is your portion. Declare every hurtful and negative situations shadows today and they will pass away. Declare what must be and the angels of God will bring them into your life right now, in Jesus' name.

Prayer/Action
* I overcome the spirit of shadow casting evil into my life.
* I declare every negative issue of my life a passing shadow now in Jesus' name.
* Father, turn my shadow into morning in Jesus' name.

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It's a Shadow

Text: Amos 5:8
More Lessons: Psa. 23:4
Bible Reading in One Year: 2 Pet.1-3

In life there are so many things that look so real but without reality or substance. Nevertheless, there are other things that look so abstract but are much more real than things that can be touched physically. God ...calls those things which do not exist as though they did: Rom 4:17 (NKJV) (declaring shadow; a reality). Whereas there are some things in existence today that are actually a shadow of things yet to be. Col.2:17, Heb.10:1. Believers in Christ Jesus, everything outside of God's counsel are shadows, that cannot happen unless you permit them. One of God's servants admonishes us to declare old anything you don't want to see again. So when it comes to pain, death, affliction, hunger, lack, and deprivation; they are shadows that must pass away. Shadows cannot hurt, it cannot kill, it cannot destroy.

One day I was standing on the street corner and the shadow of a huge, heavily loaded truck passed right over me.

Did it hurt? Of course not. Shadows can’t hurt. That is why the Bible tells us that believers walk through the valley of the shadow of death (Psa. 23:4). But when an unsaved person dies, he walks into torments of the awful jaws of death itself.

It is only in God that all things are real, because they are good and perfect. This is why the book of James calls God ...Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Jam. 1:17. Num. 23:19 God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?.

Moreover, our text today makes us to understand that there is no shadow in God; ...He turns the shadow of death into morning....: Amos 5:8 (NKJV) Child of God, this is your portion. Declare every hurtful and negative situations shadows today and they will pass away. Declare what must be and the angels of God will bring them into your life right now, in Jesus' name.

Prayer/Action
* I overcome the spirit of shadow casting evil into my life.
* I declare every negative issue of my life a passing shadow now in Jesus' name.
* Father, turn my shadow into morning in Jesus' name.

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