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Christian Devotional – January 6, 2016
Read Genesis chapter 22 VERSE: Genesis 22:14–So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.” TRUTH: Have we experienced God’s provision in our lives? As we are continuing to seek after Him, He will allow us to go through difficult times that will test whether we are truly depending on God or not. As we go through those times and see God move and sustain us, we have increased faith and trust in God. Each time God works in our lives is an opportunity to trust in more fully and completely. Will we…
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Christian Devotional – October 29, 2015
Read James chapter 2 VERSE: James 2:26–As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead. TRUTH: Are we dead? As we examine our life and the motives for what we do, are we living out our faith or not? We can see that the Bible clearly states that if we say we have faith, but we don’t have deeds, then our faith is dead. Are we acting out a living, breathing, saving faith today? RESPONSE: Father, I pray that You will help me to see all that I need to be doing as a way to live out my faith. I pray that You will…
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Christian Devotional – October 28, 2015
Read James chapter 2 VERSE: James 2:25–In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction. TRUTH: James gives yet another example, but this one is much different that the previous example of Abraham. Rahab wasn’t good. She wasn’t a person who had been seeing God her whole life like Abraham, yet even she is listed as displaying her faith through her actions. It doesn’t matter what our past is. When we come to God and by faith accept His free gift of eternal life, He changes us. We…
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Christian Devotional – October 27, 2015
Read James chapter 2 VERSE: James 2:24–You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not be faith alone. TRUTH: As James concludes his example of how faith and actions go together, he wants people to realize that they must be focused on their actions as the living out of their faith. We are a combination of both. Our actions reflect our thoughts and beliefs and our beliefs are reflected by our actions. They should both go together and mirror each other. Are we being consistent in how we live out our life? God sees both our actions and our belief; is He pleased with what…
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Christian Devotional – October 25, 2015
Read James chapter 2 VERSE James 221-22–Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together and his faith was made complete by what he did. TRUTH: James is now giving his example of how faith and action go together. Everyone would have known the story of Abraham being asked to sacrifice Isaac on the altar and how God intervened and provided for him. We can see how God works and moves. We have faith in God and as we act out that faith, we realize that God is…
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Christian Devotional – October 24, 2015
Read James chapter 2 VERSE: James 2:20–You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? TRUTH: James has been talking about how faith and actions go hand in hand and now he is continuing his argument against those people who claim that faith by itself is all a person needs. James knows that if a person has true faith then they will be acting out their faith. As a result faith that doesn’t result in actions is not true faith. He will continue his argument in tomorrow’s verse, but we need to know that if we believe that just having faith by itself is all there…
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Christian Devotional – October 22, 2015
Read James chapter 2 VERSE: James 218–But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds and I will show you my faith by my deeds. TRUTH: Some people try to separate the two, but it is impossible to have true faith with no deeds or to have Godly deeds without faith. True faith in God will lead us to action. We will see that our God is a God who does things and we will want to be a part of the actions and the deeds that God is leading us to. By the same token, if we are doing good deeds, but…
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Christian Devotional – October 21, 2015
Read James chapter 2 VERSE: James 2:17–In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. TRUTH: You can’t just say you believe in something. Your deeds and actions must also line up with that statement. If you just say it, but don’t do it, no one will believe the words that you say. The proof that we believe what we say comes when we are actually living it and doing what we say. If someone from the outside was looking in at your life, would they believe that you are a follower of Jesus Christ just based on the actions in your life?…
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Christian Devotional – October 20, 2015
Read James chapter 2 VERSE: James 2:15-16–Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? TRUTH: James gives another example of how not to do something. Earlier the example was about love, now this example is about faith. If we say great, spiritual sounding things, but then don’t follow up with the actions that support our words, what good is it? James here is reminding believers that if we say we have faith in God, our faith will also be seen in…
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Christian Devotional – October 19, 2015
Read James chapter 2 VERSE: James 2:14–What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? TRUTH: That is a very good question; what good is it? If we say we believe in God and that we have faith that He will do all that He has said He will do, but yet our actions don’t reflect that belief and faith, then what good is our faith? Our actions are going to always reflect what is truly in our heart at that moment. We may slip up and fall and sin, but if we say that we…