James 2-3 (ESV) by Wordle*

Today’s reading is James 2:1-3:18.

“But someone will say, ‘You have faith and I have works.’ Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works” (James 2:18).

That Wordle really makes the point, doesn’t it? Is that giving us the picture of faith and works? No, I can’t help but notice it demonstrates exactly what James says: “Faith works!”

My brother-in-law recently pointed out to me what I’ve often overlooked in this passage. James didn’t say, “I’ll show you my faith and my works,” as if these are two completely separate things. Rather, he said, “I’ll show you my faith by my works.” James is not actually saying that faith needs something added to it in order to justify us. Rather, he is telling us what kind of faith justifies us.

Mental assent, minor agreement, and mere acceptance do not justify. I can acknowledge the truth of God’s Word all day long. But that faith provides no victory at all. Even the demons do that. Justification comes from a faith that walks, a faith that works. Faith is the victory, but only when that faith changes my life, leading me to surrender to the one who I truly believe will justify.

At the same time, we do need to recognize that if I’m doing works without faith in Jesus, those works accomplish me nothing. After all, I can’t justify myself. I can get baptized, attend assemblies of the church, avoid adultery, give to charity all in the attempt to establish my own righteousness without faith in Jesus’ power to justify and I won’t be justified.

I need to see both sides of this. Faith alone (that is mere mental agreement) doesn’t justify. But then again works alone won’t justify either. Only a working faith justifies, because only a working faith surrenders to the only one who can justify.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading? Click the following link to add your input: Post a Comment.

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*Today’s illustration was generated by the creative tool at Wordle.net. You can find all my wordles here.

Matthew 3-4 (ESV) by Wordle*

Today’s reading is Matthew 3:1-4:25.

“Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, ‘All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.’ Then Jesus said to him, ‘Be gone, Satan! for it is written, ” ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve” ‘ ” (Matthew 4:8-10).

Don’t miss the real temptation. Satan is not tempting Jesus with kingship, rule, and power. According to Psalm 110:1-7, Jesus was already promised all this from His Father. He was going to rule all the kingdoms of the world anyway. The temptation was that God’s way to the throne was going to be hard. He had already had to leave heaven to accomplish it. He was going to spend 3 years wandering as an itinerant teacher. He was going to be rejected, mocked, ridiculed, and eventually crucified to get to rule. Satan essentially said, “Hey, why bother with all of that? Here is an easier, softer way. Just bow down and worship me once. Just once. You don’t have to do it for the rest of your life. If you just worship me here and now, you won’t have to take up that cross.” But Jesus refused. He chose God’s way, though it included the cross. And I’m so thankful, because God’s way allowed me to be saved. Satan’s way might have given Jesus rule of the world (though I’m convinced Satan is a liar and would have yanked it out from under Jesus instead of really giving Him the rule), but it would have kept me and you from being saved.

I’m so glad to see this. First, because it lets me know I’m not alone. Satan tempts me all the time. Sometimes I begin to think I’m the only one going through this pressure. But even Jesus went through it. Second, it lets me know how to defeat the temptation. Just rely on God, His Word, and His way. God’s way always works. Third, I’m glad to read it because it helps me really identify Satan’s temptations. I often overlook temptation and sin with a dismissive, “Oh, surely God wouldn’t have a problem with that.” What I need to look for is when my choices include God’s way and the easier softer way. Satan often promises me the very same thing God does. He simply says I don’t have pick up my cross to get the promise. I need to be able to say, “Not today, Satan. I’m going God’s way. It may be harder, but it works.”

Which way are you going today? God’s way or the easier softer way?

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading? Add your input by clicking the following link: Post a Comment.

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*Today’s illustration was generated by the creative tool at Wordle.net. You can find all my wordles here.

2 Thessalonians 1 (ESV) by Wordle*

Today’s reading is 1 Thessalonians 5:1-28 and 2 Thessalonians 1:1-12.

“Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it” (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24).

How easy it is to get bogged down with fear that we aren’t going to make it. We mess up so much and we have been so blistered by the concept that one mistake can blast us to hell. Some of us just want to throw our hands up in the air and give up.

But Paul encourages us. We are not alone. God will sanctify us. He is setting us apart. He is growing us. He is working in us. He will keep us blameless. He is faithful. We can trust Him to do it.

We just need to hang on to Him. Don’t give up today. Hang on to God today. He is working on you. He will do it.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading? You can add your in put by clicking the following link: Post a comment.

1 Thessalonians 3-4 (ESV) by Wordle*

Today’s reading is 1 Thessalonians 3:1-4:18.

“For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17).

Paul tells me to encourage you with these words (1 Thessalonians 4:18). Do I really need to add any of my own words to the encouragement?

What a great day. I’m looking forward to it. Aren’t you?

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

What struck you in today’s reading? Add your input by clicking the following link: Post a comment.

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*Today’s illustration was generated by the creative tool at Wordle.net. You can find all my wordles here.

II Corinthians 2-3 (ESV) by Wordle*

Today’s reading is 2 Corinthians 2:1-3:18.

“And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:18).

WOW! How awesome. The Old Law was great. It was glorious. So glorious in fact, that Moses had to wear a veil before the people after God had revealed Himself and given the Law. But we are part of something even more glorious. Here is why it is more glorious.

1. Only Moses was part of the glory under the Old Law. “We all” are beholding the glory of the Lord now.

2. The glory of the Old Law was fading away. In fact, Paul claims the reason Moses wore a veil was not to mute the reflection of God’s glory but to hide the fact that it was diminishing. We are part of a permanent glory. The glory of the Spirit’s ministry is about righteousness and will not fade.

3. We are not just taking part in something that is glorious, we are being glorified. The ministry of the Law couldn’t change us; it could only condemn us. But this ministry of the Spirit is actually transforming us step by step until we get to that final glory to be revealed to us in eternity (cf. Romans 8:18).

I’m totally stoked today to know that the Holy Spirit is working to take me from glory to glory. I think today, I’ll stick with God and just do what He says so I can be part of that glory.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading? Add your input by clicking the following link: Click Here.

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*Today’s illustration was generated by the creative tool at Wordle.net. You can find all my wordles here.

Mark 13-14 (ESV) by Wordle*

Today’s reading is Mark 13:1-14:72.

“Peter said to him, ‘Even though they all fall away, I will not’” (Mark 14:29).

I believe Peter was absolutely sincere when he made this promise. He could not possibly imagine any future event that would make him fall away from Jesus. He was ready to die with Jesus. There was no way he would deny his Master. I’m certain that is true because the guy who pulls out his sword in Mark 14:47 and struck the high priest’s servant was Peter (cf. John 18:10). Peter was ready to fight. He was ready to die. But he was only ready to die on his terms. When Jesus told him to put his sword away, he was confused. He couldn’t understand. He was ready to die in a fight, but it never occurred to him that death might come without a fight. He fled.

How many times have I said, “I’ll never do that”? How many times have I thought that there was some line I would never cross? How many times have I told God, “No matter what, you can count on me to avoid such and such”? Or how many times have I said, “Alright, God, I’ve got this figured out. I’ll never do that again”? How incensed I would get if someone suggested I needed to be a bit more humble. “Oh no, no matter what anyone else does, I’ll never do that (again). How dare you think that of me.” How puffed up with pride. How much I have tried to stand on my own feet. And it was as if Satan was just waiting for that opportunity so he could kick my legs out from under me.

I’ve had to learn some humility. God is teaching me to turn away from rash promises and rather to say, “By God’s grace, I haven’t done that yet. I pray that God will keep me from it.” That reminds me that I have to rely on God and His strength if I will keep from whatever it is. If I ever start relying on me, I realize I will do whatever it is I’m committed to not doing (cf. Romans 7:14-24).

So, today, I’m not making God any promises. Rather, asking God to fulfill His promise to me and grant me the strength to overcome.

Keep the faith today and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading? Click here to add your input.

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*Today’s illustration was generated by the creative tool at Wordle.net. You can find all my wordles here.

Mark 11-12 (ESV) by Wordle*

Today’s reading is Mark 11:1-12:44.

“And he was teaching them and saying to them, ‘Is it not written, “My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations?” But you have made it a den of robbers’” (Mark 11:17).

So much for the mild-mannered, Caspar Milquetoast Jesus. This is the “I’ll be back” Jesus. He overturns tables. He clears out cheats. He runs off the insincere. What kind of emotions do you think we would have been able to read on His face in the midst of all this?

What I can’t help but think about is I Corinthians 6:19. My body is a temple of the Holy Spirit. In one sense, my body is a house of God. What does that mean for me? Is God’s house a house of prayer? Or have I made it into a robbers’ den? Or have I made it in to some other kind of den?

Am I willing to ask Jesus to overturn the money-changing tables in my own heart? Am I willing to ask Him to take up His scourge and cleanse me of the den of wickedness that is in my own heart? Or do I want the Caspar Milquetoast Jesus who just sadly looks the other way? The latter leaves me in my sins, in guilt, shame, misery, and despair. The former is painful, but I’ve learned it is less painful than just leaving the robbers’ den in my heart. Only being willing to let God do whatever it takes to cleanse me and keep me on His path works for me (cf Psalm 141:3-5).

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading? Click here to add your input.

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*Today’s illustration was generated by the creative tool at Wordle.net. You can find all my wordles here.

Mark 7-8 (ESV) by Wordle*

Today’s reading is Mark 7:1-8:38.

“For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and gospel’s will save it” (Mark 8:35).

A scene from a movie comes to my mind. Toward the end of “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade,” they have actually found the Holy Grail. However, Dr. Elsa Schneider defied the command of the guardian and took the Grail across the seal. The earth quaked and the rock floor split open. Schneider fell in the crack and was only saved by Jones’s quick reaction of grabbing her hand. But the Grail, which had also dropped in the crack, was on a ledge just out of arm’s reach. Jones pleaded with her to let it go and let him pull her up. But how could she? If she had the Grail, she would be rich? She tried to save the life she imagined if she possessed the Grail and slipped from Jones’s hand to lose her life.

As this happened, the earth shook and now Indiana Jones was in the same position as Dr. Schneider. He was dangling in the crack, held by his father’s hands. Despite his protests for Dr. Schneider to climb out of the crack, he was being pulled by the Grail. It had been his father’s life’s work to find that Grail. He had gone through adventure, turmoil, and strife to get it. He wanted to please his father and his father’s life was in that Grail. But Henry Jones (Sean Connery’s character) calmly said, “Indiana, let it go.” Jones reached up and took his father’s hand and was pulled to safety. He gave up his life in that Grail to save his life.

For me, that is a picture of this verse. Our lives can get wrapped up in so many things–education, recreation, occupation, infatuation,etc. Sometimes we want to hold on to Jesus with one hand, while stretching out for something else that we think is what our life is all about. We hope that we can bridge the gap between the two things. But we can’t. If we try to save our lives as we see what is important about them and our goals and desires, we will lose our actual lives. However, if we are willing to give up life on our terms, we can gain real life through Jesus Christ.

We are hanging in the gap, our Grail is just out of arm’s reach. We can attempt to save our life by reaching for the Grail. But we will only lose our lives. Or we can sacrifice our lives to reach up and grab our Father’s hands and allow Him to pull us to safety, saving our lives. The choice is ours.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in this passage? Click here to add your input.

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*Today’s illustration was generated by the creative tool at Wordle.net. You can find all my wordles here.

Mark 1-2 (ESV) by Wordle*

Today’s reading is Mark 1:1-2:28.

“And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners’” (Mark 2:17).

Can you imagine going to the doctor because you are not feeling well, but covering up the festering wound that is the heart of the infection because it embarrasses you to actually be sick? That would be ridiculous. And yet, that is exactly what I want to do with Jesus.

I need to rethink the advice I hear from my constant internal image consultant. That little inner voice tells me I need to cover up my sinfulness. I need to hide it. I need to present myself as righteous. I need to demonstrate that I’m good enough. Then Christ will want me. But that is not at all what He says. He wants sinners.

That is great. That means He is calling me. I can run to Him. I can show Him my sins and He will work on them. I can let Him in to see the real me. More than that, I can let me see the real me. I can pull off my blinders, take a long hard look at what I need to hand over to Jesus to clean up.

He is not asking for the few, the proud, the righteous. He is calling those who will admit they are sinners in need of a Savior.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading? Click here to add your input.

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*Today’s illustration was generated by the creative tool at Wordle.net. You can find all my wordles here.

Luke 23-24 (ESV) by Wordles*

Today’s reading is Luke 23:1-24:53.

“And after examining him before you, behold, I did not find this man guilty of any of your charges against him. Neither did Herod, for he sent him back to us. Look nothing deserving death has been done by him. I will therefore punish and release him. But they all cried out together, ‘Away with this man, and release to us Barabbas’–a man who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection started in the city and for murder…’Why what evil has he done?’…But they were urgent, demanding with loud cries that he should be crucified. And their voices prevailed. So Pilate decided that their demand should be granted. He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, for whom they asked, but he delivered Jesus over to their will” (Luke 23:14-19, 22, 23-25).

Perhaps it should read more like this:

“And after examining Jesus before you, behold, I did not find your Son guilty of anything. Neither has anyone. Look nothing deserving of death has been done by him. I will therefore punish and release him. But the Father said, “Crucify my Son, release to me Edwin’–a man who had been brought into judgment for lusting, lying, selfishness, arrogance, immorality, and a host of other sins. ‘Why, what evil has he done?’ But the Father was firm, demanding that Jesus should die. And His voice prevailed. So Pilate decided that the Father’s demand should be granted. He released the man who had been guilty of all manner of sin, for whom God asked, but he delivered Jesus over to the Father’s will.”

Do I need to say more?

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading? You can provide your input by clicking here.

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*Today’s illustration was generated by the creative tool at Wordle.net. You can find all my wordles here.