Happy Friday

Does Jesus Make A Difference?

”Do not deceive yourselves by just listening to His word;  instead, put it into practice.”  James 1:22


" Let your Light shine before men... that they might see your good deeds and praise your Father in Heaven " Matthew 5:15

" If you were placed in a courtroom and accused of being a Christian, Would there be enough evidence to convict you?"

--- Carrie P. Boston --- Ohio

It is important to listen to what God's Word says, but it is much more important to obey it, to 'do' what it says. We can measure the effectiveness of our Bible study time by the effect it has on our behavior and attitudes. Do you put into action what you have studied?

If Christ doesn't make any difference in my ethics and values at my job; if He doesn't affect my speech and attitudes toward coworkers; ... if He makes absolutely no difference in the way I live and work, then pray tell, what difference does He make?! What's the point of playing a religious game that is all talk and no action?

I take the matter of obedience as an action quite seriously. I challenge you to do the same. Whenever you're exposed to Scripture, ask yourself: How can I apply this to my life? What practical thing can I do to embed this truth in my attitude, character, and behavior? Where does it need to make a difference? That's a commitment to life-change.

How do we find God and grow in Him? Jesus was adamant at this point. He says we must do what he says. We must put into practical obedience the knowledge that we have. He continually asked people to drop their nets, to sell all they had and to follow Him.

We might say that Jesus had a theology of obedience. And the object of this obedience was a living person, not a historical norm, not a code of laws, but himself. He called people to be accountable to God whether they were believers or skeptics who were searching.

For example, he told his disciples, "What is the point of calling me, ‘Lord, Lord,' without doing what I tell you to do?"

Jesus knew that obedience to his and his Father's words yielded faith ... If I had to sum up one's response to the gospel message, I would say as William Pannell has said, "It's paint -- or get off the ladder." Jesus approached people exactly like that. He told them to pick up their brush and paint something.

Fred Gibbs
From the "Abundant Bible Study Devotional List"

My Faith Looks Up To Thee
My faith looks up to Thee,
Thou Lamb of Calvary, Savior divine!
Now hear me while I pray, take all my guilt away,
O let me from this day be wholly Thine!

May Thy rich grace impart
Strength to my fainting heart, my zeal inspire!
As Thou hast died for me, O may my love to Thee,
Pure warm, and changeless be, a living fire!

While life’s dark maze I tread,
And griefs around me spread, be Thou my Guide;
Bid darkness turn to day, wipe sorrow’s tears away,
Nor let me ever stray from Thee aside.

When ends life’s transient dream,
When death’s cold sullen stream over me roll;
Blest Savior, then in love, fear and distrust remove;
O bear me safe above, a ransomed soul!

Daily Smile

From a passenger ship, everyone can see a bearded man on a small island who is shouting and desperately waving his hands. 

"Who is it?" a passenger asks the captain. 

"I've no idea. Every year when we pass, he goes nuts."