If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless. Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.--James 1:26-27
Dear Suzanne, Rebecca, Anna, and Mikayla,
We have reached the last two verses of chapter 1. If you think you are religious but can't control your tongue, James says your religion is useless. The word chosen for religious here refers to a ceremonial type of worship or a service to a god. It points to the person who is displaying the external trappings of being religious on the outside but is practicing them with a heart that is not sincere. God, who knows the heart, is not impressed and most likely is wearied. God wants our hearts. When our hearts truly believe, our words and our actions will follow. Our lips reveal our hearts.
Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."--Matthew 12:34-37
James goes on to say that the most pure and undefiled type of religion is reflected by a separation from the world and a sacrificial love for those among us who are in need...especially those who are not in a position to reciprocate. Visiting the fatherless, the widow, the afflicted, the helpless, and the hopeless among us...this is pure and undefiled religion. As children of God we are not of the world spiritually. We are here to glorify God and bring others to Him. To do that we cannot look like the children of this world who are ruled by the prince of this world. Jesus loved and spent time with publicans and sinners and yet He remained undefiled. He is our example in this. Jesus, no matter where He was or who He was with, always did the will of His Father...and that is how we remain unspotted from the world...by doing the will of our Father in heaven.
Love
Mom
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Mercy and Truth Have Met Together; Righteousness and Peace have Kissed
Mercy and truth have met together; Righteousness and peace have kissed. Truth shall spring out of the earth, And righteousness shall look down from heaven. Yes, the LORD will give what is good; And our land will yield its increase. Righteousness will go before Him, And shall make His footsteps our pathway.--Psalm 85:10-13
To My Daughters,
These four verses are worship worthy!!! Mercy, truth, righteousness and peace...these are what became mine when I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior. On that day I received not only mercy for my sins, but Him who is Truth came to me and made His home in my heart. He imputed to me!!! His righteousness and bestowed upon me!!!! His peace. There really are no words to describe the feeling or the gift.
The future kingdom of Christ will be characterized by these qualities. "Mercy and truth have met together; righteousness and peace have kissed." Mercy and truth met in the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus said that He is the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through Him. Jesus is the Word of God...the truth.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. ---John 1:1-5
God's great work of redemption brought it all together. His mercy evidenced by the redemption of His chosen people and the conversion of the Gentiles. His truth in the fulfillment of His word to redeem His people. His righteousness satisfying God's justice by punishing sin, and laying our iniquity...all of it...on His Righteous Son, who knew no sin but became sin for us dying in our place on the cross at Calvary. An infinite God reached down to earth and gave His only begotten Son for man so that they could have the opportunity to spend eternity with Him. Wow! He then imputes His righteousness and peace (His reconciliation) upon us, the guilty, when we surrender to Him....when we cry out in faith and His Spirit of Grace fills us and enables us to walk before Him and make His footsteps our pathway because we have now been clothed in His righteousness and have obtained peace with Him. Rest is ours..God is on our side.
No weapon formed against you shall prosper, And every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, And their righteousness is from Me," Says the LORD. --Isaiah 54:17
Love
Mom who thinks these have now become her favorite verses in the bible..
To My Daughters,
These four verses are worship worthy!!! Mercy, truth, righteousness and peace...these are what became mine when I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior. On that day I received not only mercy for my sins, but Him who is Truth came to me and made His home in my heart. He imputed to me!!! His righteousness and bestowed upon me!!!! His peace. There really are no words to describe the feeling or the gift.
The future kingdom of Christ will be characterized by these qualities. "Mercy and truth have met together; righteousness and peace have kissed." Mercy and truth met in the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus said that He is the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through Him. Jesus is the Word of God...the truth.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. ---John 1:1-5
God's great work of redemption brought it all together. His mercy evidenced by the redemption of His chosen people and the conversion of the Gentiles. His truth in the fulfillment of His word to redeem His people. His righteousness satisfying God's justice by punishing sin, and laying our iniquity...all of it...on His Righteous Son, who knew no sin but became sin for us dying in our place on the cross at Calvary. An infinite God reached down to earth and gave His only begotten Son for man so that they could have the opportunity to spend eternity with Him. Wow! He then imputes His righteousness and peace (His reconciliation) upon us, the guilty, when we surrender to Him....when we cry out in faith and His Spirit of Grace fills us and enables us to walk before Him and make His footsteps our pathway because we have now been clothed in His righteousness and have obtained peace with Him. Rest is ours..God is on our side.
No weapon formed against you shall prosper, And every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, And their righteousness is from Me," Says the LORD. --Isaiah 54:17
Love
Mom who thinks these have now become her favorite verses in the bible..
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