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James 1:17 - "17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning."  There are many gifts that our heavenly Father might give to us on a daily basis; but for those who are walking in a relationship with Christ, we need the gift of overcoming sin and living in holiness. Consider God's goodness to us: remembering God's goodness will keep us from sin.
2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; 3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. 4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. James 1:2-4  A pastor was once in downtown Cincinnati when a man came up and asked him for a drink. He specifically asked for a “pop” or soda; the minister used this opportunity to teach his students that the man thought he wanted soda to drink, but what his body was really craving was water. He really wanted water, but he didn't know it.
"2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; 3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. 4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing." James 1:2-4  Another reason why we need to go through the fires of temptations and testing is to develop a Christ like spirit! This is the meaning behind being “entire”; all Christians need to reflect the love and character of their Savior! Discipleship means picking up our cross daily and following after Him; it may seem a huge responsibility to become what the Bible calls a “living sacrifice” (Romans 12:1-2); but actually, it is our reasonable service.
"Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." Matthew 6:34  What happened to our spiritual life and the life of our Christian friends? It seems we were on fire for the Lord, serving Him, and willing to die for Him! Some who were deeply committed, however, seem to act like they have turned away from the Lord. Or perhaps you have realized you have walked away from following after Him. Do you know why this has occurred?
"15 So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. 16 He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.  What happens when we fail the Lord? Simple answer: he starts off where we have failed and shows us mercy.
Peter had previously denied knowing Jesus and back pedaled on his promise to die for Him. When Jesus asked him, Peter do you love me – in the Greek, He asked Peter twice, “Peter, do you love me enough to die for me?” But instead of recommitting himself to loving Jesus to die for him, both times Peter responded, “yes, you know I love you like a brother.” Finally, Jesus asked, “Do you love me like a brother” to which Peter “grieved” and reaffirmed his brotherly affection for Christ. Perhaps Peter was sorrowful, having remembered his previous failures. Perhaps, Peter was hesitant to make promises to the Lord again having learned from his failures the first time. Or maybe he was simply remorseful to relive his mistake in his mind over and over again. No matter what, Jesus was not done with Peter and He is never done with us! Hallelujah! "14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: 15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled" Hebrews 12:14  In order to remember and take hold of God’s grace, we need a dose of old fashioned diligence. It is not bad to have cell phones, ipods, and kindles; but all this technology sometimes gives us a false sense of accomplishment. Its ‘instant’ nature may also make it hard to discipline ourselves. However, in God’s kingdom – it takes discipline and diligence to following God’s path. We must continually strive, even when our flesh becomes tired and no longer wants to read God’s word or pray.
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AuthorPastor Doug Mann Archives
October 2014
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"But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen." 2 Peter 3:18 Copyrights: All photographs used in individual blog posts have the proper credits given at the bottom of each posting as per the terms and conditions of Weebly. Web Administrator.
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