Faith and Deeds

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is a gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast." Ephesians 2:8-9

"What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily good. If one of you says to him, 'Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,' but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, 'You have faith; I have deeds.' Show me your faith without deed, and I will show you my faith by what I do. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that--and shudder. You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is dead?"

Pretty strong words there.
In our modern culture and most modern churches they are always claiming that 'say you believe in Jesus, and voila! You are saved!'
Well...it's a little more complicated than just that. 'Even the demons believe that--and shudder'.
Yes, we do believe and are saved by God's grace and our faith in Him, but 'faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.'. Which means not saved. The modern church invites all kinds of heathen into their body and around their vulnerable children, and tell them its okay to sin. Or, this 'saved' person goes to church and acts all proper on Sundays but lives a life of sin through the week. According to scripture, this is wrong, and a person is not saved if they live this way. They would be just like some of the pharisees, calling themselves holly and saved, yet living such a black ugly life without true faith. If you are truly saved, you will have works. Other people should see your deed that you do. Because we have faith, we do deeds.
Of course, there is the issue of a person looking and acting like they are saved but their heart is actually evil, I'm not going to talk about them, but I did want to mention them, just in case you were thinking 'what about...'.
We are not saved by works, but without works and deeds, our faith is dead, the Bible says so, not me. This modern attitude of, 'I can sin all I like and not act remotely like a Christian but I'm still saved,' is wrong and unbiblical. Like I mentioned in an earlier post, we are Christ's servants, and we have to act like one or He will cast us out where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. If you claim to be a Christian, there is no excuse for acting like a sinner. We are a new creation in Christ, so we need to act like it not only in our hearts, but outwardly as well.

The First and the Last, the Living One

"Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands one like a Son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around His chest. The hairs of His head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, His feet were like a burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and His voice was like the roar of many waters. In His right hand he held seven starts, from His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and His face was like the sun shining in full strength. When I saw Him, I fell at His feet as though dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying, 'Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades. Write therefore the things that you have seen, those that are and those that are to take place after this. As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.'" Revelation 1:12-20

I have a rather vivid, wild imagination, and I really must to read verses like that. We can't read it just as a story, we read some pretty bizarre tales sometimes that we imagine what would be like, then move on to real life. John's experience is not just story though, this was real this actually happened. It's so incredible, so unbelievable, can we even truly imagine what it would really be like to see such a sight? This amazing, awesome, God, the vivid picture which John portrayed Him as, became a simple man, a man's body and in our cursed world. He died, but 'behold I am alive forevermore,' Breathtaking, that's what, and humbling. I really want us to get a true picture of this, our hearts should nearly leap when we read it, white hair, a face shining like the sun, a voice like the roar of many waters, his feet like burnished bronze, and my personal favorite, which really adds so much to what our Saviour looks like: "His eyes were like a flame of fire." Think of fire, not a little candle burning in your living room, but an actually fire a big glowing flame, His eyes were like this, it almost makes me shake because it's not just a random description, this is REAL. Real: alive, not fake, not just imagination. No wonder John dropped down 'as though dead', you would too. Yet, Jesus said, 'Fear not'. Fear not, when you've just seen what John saw? Wowee. But we need a good imagination to picture it properly. I wish I could post a picture of what I see it as, but I doubt I could find it on the internet, and I know I can't draw it, so I leave it up to your imagination.
Now, "from His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword." This, I personally believe, is not a sword sticking out of His mouth, but I believe it is an analogy for words, sort of the the 'sword of the spirit', except He is speaking them. Which I think, is the most powerful of all.
So, use that imagination God has given you, to picture this real, and to USE it. 'Use it?' you ask? Yup, use it. Figure that one out :)

Here's a hint

Horrid Tongue

"Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water. Who is wise and understanding among you? by his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom." James 3:4-13

Oh, that horrid, horrid tongue. Very few of us have learned to control it completely. Words come out and hurt people when we did not mean to hurt. Sentences slide off our tongue like ice melting down a the side of glass. They come out so quickly and sharply, over and over and over we say words and more words. Yet, how many of these words actually glorify God fully? How many of those long sentences have offended or hurt people because of our carelessness? I hate my tongue, I wish I could stop it sometimes--or at least control it a little. Sometimes we say too little, sometimes we talk till our throats are sore, but either way, are we trying to keep every word pure and from God? I'm sure I'm not the only one who wishes their brain had a processing machine. I think a thought, it goes through the processor which decides if it's fit to say or not. But, lo! Not many of us have been gifted with such a thing. Words poor from out mouth without us thinking of them first, I believe I talk before I think even, I say things that my brain had not yet even thought the slightest bit about. Usually we know when we've said something we should not of. A sudden pang darts into our hearts the moments we say it. But my pride stops me from apologizing. Yes, my pride. When I should be saying "I'm so sorry," I sit there growing ever more guilty inside, but not being able to say it out loud.
Horrid, horrid, awful, tongue. How shall I ever tame it just a little? When will I know to shut my lips and keep silent or just listen to others? I never will be able to: "no human being can tame the tongue." No human, that means me, that means my Dad, my Mom, nobody can tame my tongue. Wait...lets look at the verse again: "no HUMAN BEING can tame the tongue." Human being, God is not a human being. He is perfect, and He is loving and helps us to grow and to change. HE can help me tame the retched tongue. If I give all my thoughts and words up to Him, He can help me. May we all surrender our tongues to Him, and only let that which edifies and builds up others come out of it.
...and lets work on that pride too...

Book of Daniel

I would just like to do a quick badly written post about the book of Daniel today, or parts of the book of Daniel.

"Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are His. He changes times and seasons; he sets up kings and deposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. He reveals deep and hidden things; He knows what lies in the darkness, and light dwells with Him. I thank and praise you, O God of my fathers: You have given me wisdom and power, you have made known to me what we asked of you, you have made known to us the dream of the king." Daniel 2:20-23

Often times when we think of 'the story of Daniel,' our minds are always drawn to 'Daniel and the Loin's den', the old childhood story we read as preschoolers. What our small minds failed to realize is this: There is so much more to the book of Daniel than we realize. Prophecies, wisdom, riddles, and so many other stories fill the book of Daniel far beyond the small story of the loin's den. Don't get me wrong though, Daniel standing strong in his faith and being completely unharmed after a night with hungry lions is very astounding and shows us God's power. But there is so much more we need to think about in the book of Daniel. 

One area which I'll write a bit about today, is Daniel's attitude. The verse above gives a good example of his willingness to give God all the glory. He could easily have marched up to Nebuchadnezzar and stated, "Oh, King, guess what I discovered all on my own! I'm amazing!" But he didn't, he gave God the glory for giving him such insight. (Not to mention I doubt God would give Daniel insight and wisdom if he took all the credit for himself.) To me, Daniel always seems to be quite confidant in God and what He can do. Often times he goes right out and says something in faith, such as: "Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then compare out appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see." (Daniel 1:12-13) Daniel trusted God to keep them healthy, even though they only ate vegetables. Speckled all through the book of Daniel are similar words Daniel says, he possessed so much faith and trust in God. To end another one of my rambles, I say, may we try to have the faith and trust Daniel did in our God. We ARE His servants after all, He saved us from hell, we need to trust Him with ALL our minds and ALL our hearts.

Spreading the Gospel

Wow, I'm sorry, I've not been in a blogging mood lately, but now I officially decided to start blogging again-- at least for a while ;)

"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." Matthew 7:13-14

"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Therefore, go 'teach' and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:18-20 (note-- the version of the Bible I usually use does not have 'teach', but I added it anyways because it makes a better point)

"Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an exsample for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity. Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching." 1 Timothy 4:12-13

"Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near." Revelation 1:3

"In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:16

Spreading the gospel and being a good testimony lay on my mind lately. I want to keep what I say short, so all I'm really doing is pointing toward the verses above. I believe in modern society we don't think of spreading the gospel or saying what we believe very often. Many times I've heard conversations where there opened a perfect avenue to share the gospel with someone, yet whoever the speaker was, did not.  Maybe because we don't know what to say, or perhaps it never even entered our minds. But I'm trying to say that it SHOULD enter our minds, and we SHOULD know what to say-- at least just a little. We should tell them what the Bible says and to do that we need to know the Bible. Sometimes I find myself fighting between two sides, one says "Talk, tell them!" and the other says, "I-I-um...well, you see, I-er...uh...". I'm sure some of you have had this before :)
Well, with this ramble, my main point is to speak when we have a chance, not just when we hype ourselves up enough to slightly mention something referring to our God. We should be proud to tell others, how He saved us from eternal death and how much He loves us, and how we strive to serve Him with all we have in us. We need to tell everyone we can, whenever we can, and not just with tracks (though tracks are a pretty good way as well).
And live it too!

Psalm 32

Okay, I know I said I'd right about the book of James, but I read this chapter and new I must right about it for there is so many interesting points in it.  Instead of just telling you to read the chapter, I'm actually going to write it all out, don't worry, it's not too long. Also, the little numbers mark the verses.

Psalm 32

"1Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. 2Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit. 3When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. 4For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped and in the heat of summer. 5Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the Lord" -- and you forgave the guilt of my sin. 6Therefore, let everyone who is godly pray to you while you may be found; surely when the mighty waters rise, they will not reach Him. 7You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. 8I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you. 9Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding and must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you. 10Many are the woes of the wicked, but the Lord's unfailing love surrounds the man who trust in Him. 11Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!"

Now, quite a few points I want to share come to mind when I read this, so I'll start from the beginning and work my way down the chapter. Firstly, verse 1 and 2 go together, notice how even though this is the Old Testament, David mentions transgressions forgiven, and God not counting sins against him, but it follows with "in whose spirit is no deceit". Consequently, I think a person cannot be forgiven if they still do evil, which contradicts the modern philosophy of 'you're saved even though you can live a sin filled life'.
Secondly, David writes he wasted away when he kept silent and did not repent, very interesting, I think. So many people try and hide their sin and end up with their 'strength sapped as in the heat of summer.' Which brings me to another interesting little point, from this verse, the weather during the summer obviously roasted many, a little weather thought ;)
Following, verse 5 and 6 also go together, mentioning forgiveness and repentance, then protection after the forgiveness, which I find very interesting as well.
Verse 7 explains itself, a very encouraging verse to me.
With verse 8, notice how David says, "I will instruct you and teach you...I will counsel you and watch over you." I'm wondering if this is actually how the Hebrew wrote it, or is David rather saying how God will instruct and watch over us? (of course He will, but I'm just referring to this verse). At this moment (perhaps until I read the Hebrew) I believe when David writes 'I' it meant himself, which would make sense, seeing that David was an amazing man with more faith in God than  I could ever possess myself, I'd take his instruction and counseling any day.
Afterwards comes my favorite part (not really :). I think with David saying about bits and bridles slams the idea of horses being braver and smarter in his time frame (for battle and such) than now. I think horses mentality is the same as it is today as it was back then, just in their time frame, they trained their horses to ride into battle and to obey their masters, it didn't come automatically. The analogy also proves something to think about.
Verse 11 is so true, God gives His unfailing love to those who trust in Him, and without it, we are lost.
Lastly, verse 12 perfectly ends this magnificent chapter, I'll write it again,

"Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!"