“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” Hebrews 10:24-25 (ESV)
Make sure when reading that first verse you do not read it like this: “And let us consider how to stir up one another”. I’m afraid far too often that is as far as most of us, professed followers of Christ or not, get. We tend to be “pot stirrers” instead of “people stirrers”, encouraging and uplifting each other in Jesus’ name. The next verse reminds us of the importance of gathering together with like-minded followers of Christ (going to church, joining a Bible Study group) so that we are better equipped with the Word of God in order to be “people stirrers” who can in turn lift each other up and be an encouragement to one another. In today’s society and world, there are so many things that point to that “Day” being near that it is ever more important to assemble together and be “people stirrers” and not “pot stirrers” so that the children of God may be fully equipped to withstand the spiritual battles now and those that are surely to come. What kind of a “stirrer” are you?
Jessica Ford Communications Director Alive Ministries USA
“The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.” 2 Corinthians 9:6 (ESV)
In the preceding verse the Apostle Paul alludes to gifts that the believers in Corinth had already promised to give. These were not gifts that were to be exacted by the Apostles upon those at Corinth, but rather these were “free will” offerings that the believers at Corinth had already promised. The Apostle Paul was communicating a principle here which is simply stated that “The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully” (2 Corinthians 9:6 ESV).
To be ultra clear, this is not a magic formula that if you do this you get that. I think it is often misused to increase financial gifts in error by those who simply seek to enrich themselves. However, just as some carry it too far in the direction of money multiplication, it would be equally erroneous to deny the truth herein. What you get out of your Christian walk is directly proportional to what you put in. You can skate by on the grace of God, but why would you want to? God loves a cheerful giver, and if you give reluctantly it is my belief that God does not desire that gift, because it is not really a gift if you give with reluctance or out of obligation.
Sadly, seed principle giving has been twisted from the cheerful giver who gives prayerfully and according to their means, to begrudging, guilt ridden giving, or giving that is born out of greed in that the giving comes out of a desire for what is expected to be multiplied in return. Both are wrong attitudes. The focus on giving is on the gift; it is not a gift if you expect a return. Not that there is anything wrong with a return, but does this promise that the return is always financial? No, it does not. It promises that if you sow sparingly, you will reap sparingly, but if you sow bountifully you will reap bountifully. I know for a fact that sometimes the most bountiful harvest is in fact the joy we get from giving. So I encourage you all to give prayerfully, with consideration and according to your means. You will never ever out give God, period. I will share a verse that illustrates this point.
“Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.” (Malachi 3:10 ESV)
You cannot outgive God, period. If you want to see bountiful harvests then sow bountifully, but do so as a cheerful giver who leaves the return harvest in the hands of the Almighty God. Besides God will always bless us better in every way than we could ever hope to.
Father, I pray that the praise of the Lord will always be in our hearts, and upon our lips. May we bring glory and honor to You always, in everything we do. Lord, help us to give with the right attitude, and with good and pure motivations. Let us sow in abundance, expecting a return but not forgetting that it is You that is the Sovereign God, and not us. Let us leave the return to You, and the harvest in Your hands. We will surely be busy enough with the giving if it is done with joy and cheer, that we can leave the harvest in Your hands where it belongs until You entrust it to us. Bless all who read, hear, and share these posts. I ask these things in Jesus’ mighty name, Amen!
Blessings in Christ, Rev. Christopher B. Cain Minister of Evangelism and Discipleship Alive Ministries USA
“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” Romans 8:18 (ESV)
We all experience suffering at one point or another in our lives. The Apostle Paul experienced sufferings like we may never even come close to. Many of the letters he wrote that appear in the Bible were written during his imprisonments. He was also beaten, shunned from the very people he had so zealously stood beside before his conversion, and so much more. Yet, here he was stating that any and all sufferings he would face here on earth absolutely paled when compared with the glory that would be revealed in Heaven. Knowing that God has great things to reveal and make known to us in our eternal home should cause us to look upon the sufferings this broken world brings as not even worth comparison. Where is your focus?
Jessica Ford Communications Director Alive Ministries USA
“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Psalms 73:26 (ESV)
The Psalmist here in today’s verse understands the brevity and fragility of his own life. He understands that circumstances will arise where, in sickness or trials or even death, he will not be mentally, emotionally, or physically strong enough to overcome them. However, he also holds an important treasure in knowing that God will always be the strength for him when he cannot overcome what life puts in front of him. When contemplating trials of this life, and even ultimately death itself, are you able to say with such confidence as the Psalmist that God will be “the strength of [your] heart and [your] portion forever”?
Jessica Ford Communications Director Alive Ministries USA
“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears My Word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.” John 5:24 (ESV)
There is a HUGE difference between simply hearing the truth of God’s Word (and His saving grace), and believing it! There are many self-proclaimed “Christians” sitting in church pews who will unfortunately find out when they leave this world that they must sit in judgement before God for not only their sin but not believing His Word. Those who have believed the truth that they have heard from the Word of God, however, will pass “from death to life” when they leave this temporary world for their eternal home. So, where do you fall? Have you only heard or have you believed and trusted the truth of God’s Word and redemption power?
Jessica Ford Communications Director Alive Ministries USA
“Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger;” James 1:19 (ESV)
If ever there was a verse that flew directly against our very human, sinful, nature — this just might be it. Especially today with technology so attached to our fingertips. How easy it is to not “hear” exactly what someone is trying to say to us, if we are even taking the time to truly listen in the first place. How sadly commonplace it is to be someone with a “short fuse” or to speak without even thinking about it. The unfortunate thing is, once spoken, words cannot be taken back. Sure, we may be able to apologize and even may be forgiven, but the words have still been spoken. How much better off would we be if we devoted ourselves to slowing down, even just minutely, to take the time to truly listen to those around us, only speak once we have judged that our words are the correct ones (and are edifying and not hurtful), and take a deep breath before “exploding”? I know, it is all “easier said than done”; but if we continue on in those behaviors with this as an excuse and an escape, we are not living the way our Lord and Savior intends for us to live.
Jessica Ford Communications Director Alive Ministries USA
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Psalms 119:105 (ESV)
Truly this is a dark and fallen world that we live in, and sometimes it can be so hard to know which way to go or what to do amidst all the darkness. It is especially in those times that we need to be like the Psalmist and dive into the Word of God. His Word will not only light up the darkness around us and illuminate the path He has planned for us, but it will empower us to shine His light to those who are lost in a sea of darkness. Have you recharged your spiritual light lately? Get into the Word right now — put down your phone or tablet and take some time with God.
Jessica Ford Communications Director Alive Ministries USA
“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like.” James 1:22-24 (ESV)
If you are simply “hearing” God’s Word and not “doing” it (or applying it to your life), then you truly are deceiving yourself. You may pat yourself on the back for being in church every Sunday for the sermon, or for reading your Bible and learning verses, but that is not the whole of what we as Christians are called to do. If we do not apply the Scriptures to our lives, how easily they can “go in one ear and out the other” and be forgotten, as the man in James’ example forgets what his own face looks like. James here in today’s verses reminds — and indeed challenges — us that we must act on what we are reading and hearing from the Scriptures in order to grow spiritually. If we want a closer walk with God and deeper roots of spiritual wisdom then we must live out the words within His Word. So, are you just hearing or are you doing?
Jessica Ford Communications Director Alive Ministries USA
“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like.” James 1:22-24 (ESV)
We live in a time where everyone does that which is right in their own eyes. We have people who claim to believe in Christ and in the Gospel, yet they pervert the truth of the Word and insist that we can be partakers in some hyper-grace movement that allows us to live as we want to live, to be hearers of the Word and not doers. Nothing could be further from the truth! James faced this very same problem in his day, and the Holy Spirit speaks to the faithful of all ages through the words of this little book which gives the believer such wonderful insight into the practical walk with God in Christ Jesus.
In the preceding verses, James had just addressed those who were slow to hear, quick to speak, and quick to get angry. Just as in our day, James faced people that were so wrapped up in themselves and in what they thought and what they felt that they missed the more elemental points of the faith. While many spend great amounts of time investigating words and doctrines and origins of teachings, the more necessary and elementary teachings of salvation and repentance and a call to holy living are ignored and sometimes even taught against. The reason is that they cannot have the Lord and the pleasures of the world, yet they want to be hearers and partakers in the promises of the Word, yet they do not want to partake in the doing of the Word. One cannot partake in the promises of the Word, if the do not partake in the Word by allowing it to work in and through their lives by doing what is commanded. We must not be deceived — if we want the benefits of Jesus and the promises of His Word we have to be all in. There are no part-time positions available in the Kingdom. We must be both hearers and doers. Our doing is not what gets us into Heaven, that is God’s grace. Our doing is, simply put, the proof that we believe what we are hearing. James addressed those who were being hearers in his age to be doers as well. He encouraged us in the preceding verses to shift our thinking and become quicker to hear, slower to speak, and slower to get angry.
“Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.” James 1:19-21 (ESV)
We cannot focus on ourselves so much as though we look in a mirror and do not allow the Word to change us and identify who we truly are in Christ. The Word is a mirror — who is it reflecting in your life? Who are you looking for in its reflection, yourself or Jesus? Do you want to see more of Jesus in your life or more of yourself?
Be a doer of the Word, not simply a hearer. Seek Christ, and who you are in Him; therein is the real power of life — in the knowledge of who you are in Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior.
Father, we praise Your mighty and holy name and the name of Jesus. Lord, empower us to be doers and not simply hearers. Let us not be deceived by those who would have us to believe we do not have to obey your Word. Lord help us to be obedient and righteous servants, for Your Glory and Honor. Bless all who read, hear, and share these posts. I ask that You bless those who labor in and support this ministry. I ask this in Jesus’ mighty name, Amen!
Blessings in Christ, Rev. Christopher B. Cain Minister of Evangelism and Discipleship Alive Ministries USA
“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” Romans 12:1 (ESV)
In the early Jewish faith it was more than just tradition to offer sacrifices to God, it was a requirement of His law. Yet, when Christ Jesus gave Himself as the ultimate sacrifice for the sin of all mankind on the cross at Calvary, that was the fulfillment of the sacrificial law. Paul exhorts the readers of this epistle — then and now — that God now required a different sacrifice than burnt offerings on an altar. Here Paul calls for Christians to present themselves as holy, acceptable sacrifices, just as the sacrificial animals were to be without blemish. In order to do so, we must guard our thoughts, our words, our actions, and be faithfully executing good and righteous works for the Kingdom. In so doing, we will present our bodies as living sacrifices by obeying the commands of God. Even Samuel knew in the days of sacrifices that obeying God was more important to Him than the offering of sacrifices. “And Samuel said, “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.” 1 Samuel 15:22 (ESV) So how is your sacrifice? Does it need a little work before it is presentable before God? What are you waiting for?
Jessica Ford Communications Director Alive Ministries USA
