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Faith Without Action Is Dead
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? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. James 2: 16-17, NIV Faith without action is dead. It’s like telling God, “I trust you,” and then suddenly feeling exhausted because we want to control everything. It’s like expressing “I love you” to our Heavenly Father yet continuing to follow our selfish desires. Real faith can be seen in actions. You know that you truly believe in God and stop doing your own thing when you find…
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When Scripture Says, “Love Your Neighbor As Yourself”
If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. James 2: 8-9, NIV Favoritism is something we can easily recognize in others yet often fail to notice in ourselves. The uncomfortable truth is that we, too, can fall into the trap of showing favoritism. We may act with diligence and care, but sometimes our motivation is more about pleasing those in authority or impressing the wealthy and influential rather than genuinely helping those in need. People often bend their principles when someone rich or powerful…
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Keep on Praying
So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him. Acts 12: 5, NIV This happened after James was arrested and put to death by King Herod. When the King saw that what he did pleased the Jews, he then seized Peter. This moment wasn’t easy for the early church. Imagine one of your dear brothers died for the sake of the gospel. Perhaps they also felt scared by what happened because it simply meant that their lives were threatened. But then, if we try to imagine, the church must’ve also prayed for James to be saved and set free. They must’ve also…
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The Danger In Pleasing Imperfect Humans
When he saw that this met with approval among the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This happened during the Festival of Unleavened Bread. Acts 12: 3, NIV King Herod arrested James and put him to death. When he noticed that what he did met with approval among the Jews, he then seized Peter. As we noticed, King Herod was after of people’s approval. He wanted to please them to the point of sacrificing someone’s life. Perhaps, he was thinking about the fame and the power that he might gain the moment he followed what the people wanted. According to the commentaries, this was Herod Agrippa I, the grandson…
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There Are People Who Sacrificially Preached The Message That We Now Freely Received
It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them. He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword. Acts 12: 1-2, NIV The early Christians experienced great persecution in the past. After Stephen’s death, Acts 12 recorded how James, one of Jesus’ disciples died. King Herod put him to death with a sword. This must’ve been difficult for the remaining disciples. Imagine one of your friends, whom you spent most of your days with, died for the gospel that you also preached. By this time around, James faithfully ended his life with Jesus in his heart.…
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Day 387 – Luke 5:11
So they pulled their boats up on the shore, left everything and followed Him. Luke 5:11, NIV Simon, James, and John witnessed a miracle that Jesus performed. He showed them what it feels like when He moves. But despite the wonderful miracle that they experienced, they did not stay with the blessing, but instead, they left everything and followed Jesus. This is a wonderful reminder for us to fix our eyes on Jesus and not on the miracles that He did in our lives. Let’s follow where He goes because it’s Him who knows our purpose here on earth. Without Him, we are nothing. He alone can lead us to…
