Posted by: missionventureministries | March 31, 2021

TAKING UP THE CROSS DAILY – Luke 9:23-24

Christian cross with bright sun and clouds background

Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. (Luke 9:23-24)

A commitment to Christ means taking up our cross daily, giving up our dreams, possessions, even our very life for the cause of Christ if that is required of us. Only if we are willingly to take up our cross may we be called His disciple as Jesus personally said: “whoever does not carry their cross and follow Me cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:27). As we see, Jesus made it clear that only cross-bearers can be His disciples.

Following Jesus is easy when life runs smoothly, however, our true commitment to Him is revealed during trials. Jesus assured us that trials will come to His followers (John 16:33). We need to understand that discipleship demands sacrifice, and that Jesus never concealed that cost.

In Luke 9:57-62, there is an account of people who seemed willing to follow Jesus. When Jesus questioned them further, their commitment was half-hearted at best. They failed to count the cost of following Him. None was willing to take up his cross and each had a different excuse.

Consider these things if you believe that you’re ready to take up the cross and follow Jesus. Are you willing to follow Jesus if?

  • It means losing some of your closest friends?
  • It means being alienated from your family?
  • It means losing your job?
  • It means being persecuted?
  • It means losing your life?

Following Jesus doesn’t necessarily mean that all these things will happen to you; but are you willing to take up your cross and follow Jesus?

If there comes a point in your life where you are faced with a choice how will you choose?

“Take up your cross daily, and follow Me,” means that we might face real death for Jesus’ sake but it also means that we must “die to self,” signifying a call to absolute surrender. Although the call is tough, the rewards are out of this world. “For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew 16:25-26).

To further clarify what a disciple is, it is someone who has placed their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. A Christian who has been born again by the power of the Holy Spirit (John 3:3), and therefore “belongs to Christ” and is daily being transformed into the likeness of their Master (2 Corinthians 3:18).

A true disciple is a student of the Word; he has counted the cost and has totally committed his life to following Jesus. He accepts the call to sacrifice and follows wherever the Lord leads. The Christian disciple completely adheres to the teaching of Jesus, makes Christ his number-one priority, and lives for that reason.

And, because a true born again Christian loves Christ, they will also be an obedient disciple (John 14:15). Paul describes the reality of being a Christian disciple by stating: “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

A disciple follows Jesus, through good and bad times, knowing that Christ is with him and that He will reward each one of us in His time. But discipleship not only involves obeying and following Him, it also means that we make it our goal to disciple others as He has commanded us in the Great Commission.

Jesus was quite explicit about the cost of following Him. Discipleship requires a totally committed life: “Any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:33).

 Therefore, as we see, self denial and sacrifice for the love of Christ is expected and is so important that this command is recorded in; Matthew 16:24-25; Mark 8:34-35; Luke 9:23-25; Matthew 10:38 and Luke 14:27.

Consequently as a true disciple of Christ we renounce oneself as the center of existence, which goes against the natural inclination of the human will, and recognizing Jesus Christ as one’s new, true and only center. It means acknowledging that the old self is dead and the new life is now hidden with Christ in God, so that when Christ, who is our new life appears, then we also will appear with Him in glory (Colossians 3:3-4).

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Posted by: missionventureministries | March 24, 2021

WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO TRUTH? – Jeremiah 7:28

Jeremiah 7 vs 28

“This is a nation that does not obey the voice of the Lord their God nor receive correction. Truth has perished and has been cut off from their mouth. (Jeremiah 7:28) 

Does this verse sound familiar to what is going on in the world right now? 

We are living in a time when many people have lost their ability to identify truth or to discern truth from lies. And just as in Jeremiah’s time, by rejecting the truth of God, many have given themselves over to lies and falsehood and now call evil good and good evil, like Isaiah wrote (5:20). 

Therefore, the pursuit of truth has been taken over by a culture that esteems mistaken opinions hidden like facts, more important than the truth. 

People are witnessing how easily truth can be twisted, manipulated and suppressed by politicians, historians, scientists and the media and truth has literally disappeared and has been cut off from their mouth. 

When these entities mislead people by twisting and distorting the truth, their lies can produce temporal consequences. However, when religious leaders do the same thing, there are eternal consequences for themselves and for those who believe their lies. They better get right with God before it is too late. 

We can be misled about a lot of things in this life and still survive, but if we are misled about how to become a child of God, we will pay for that mistake for all eternity. Religious leaders who deceive people about their eternal destiny are to be exposed as enemies of God and agents of the devil; because there is only one Gospel that has the power to save those who are perishing. Scriptures tells us that “even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed” (Galatians 1:8-9). 

A few days ago, another homosexual preacher just stated that “Jesus was a racist, a liar, a fornicator, an adulterer and a homosexual.”  

He further stated that “Jesus Christ is not the Son of God or the Savior of sinful people.” Evidently he does not know the truth of the Word of God since the Bible strictly states “that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Corinthians 6:9-10). 

The battle for truth is becoming more and more intense, because, Satan and his depraved demonic possessed followers with a seared conscience are becoming more vicious, deceitful and wicked by the minute. As 1 Timothy 4:1-2 states: “The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.” Consequently, if the conscience is seared, literally cauterized, then it has been rendered insensitive, meaning that such a conscience does not work properly and cannot differentiate the truth from a lie. Just as the hide of an animal scarred with a branding iron becomes numb to further pain, so the heart of an individual with a seared conscience is desensitized to any moral warnings. 

Therefore, those who distort or pervert the Gospel of grace are propagating the most dangerous and deadly lie anyone could ever disseminate. These unstable people who twist the Word of God are doing so to their own destruction (2 Peter 3:16); and therefore, God will destroy those who propagate falsehood; because, the Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man (Psalm 5:6). 

Truth is the only thing known that can both unite and divide people. Jesus, who is the personification of truth, came to divide believers against unbelievers, a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law… (Matthew 10:34-35). On the other hand, truth unites those who have been sanctified by the truth (John 17:17-21). God set them free by His Word of truth as Jesus told them, “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32). 

Sadly, those who tell the truth are often publicly shamed, labeled as intolerant, by those who reject the truth, and exchange the truth of God for a lie (Romans 1:25). Others are deprived of the truth and understand nothing because they have been blinded so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God (2 Corinthians 4:4); and then there those who are “always learning but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” (2 Timothy 3:7). 

Every person’s eternal destiny is confirmed by the divinely authoritative truth of Scripture and we know that the most trustworthy authority for discerning truth from error is the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the personification of truth, and His Word, which is the truth (John 14:6; 17:3). Christians know that it is impossible for God to lie (Hebrews 6:18); and we know that truth always has an absolute purpose; it is never biased, and it is not subjected to, or dependent upon anything else. We also know that truth is immutable, just as Jesus is; He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). 

Daniel in his prayer to the Lord prayed: “Just as it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come on us, yet we have not sought the favor of the Lord our God by turning from our sins and giving attention to Your truth. The Lord did not hesitate to bring the disaster on us, for the Lord our God is righteous in everything He does; yet we have not obeyed Him” (Daniel 9:13-14). This is a warning that we must heed and is also demonstrated by a number of examples in the New Testament, here are but just a few of them: 

  • “For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness” (2 Thessalonians 2:11–12). 
  • “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them” (Romans 1:18). 
  • “God ‘will repay each person according to what they have done.’ To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, He will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger” (Romans 2:6-8). 

And lastly, “Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth” (1 Corinthians 13:6). Therefore, those who have been deceived will never know the truth until they are lovingly confronted with the truth. We must use the truth of Scripture to expose and destroy the lies of the devil. 

As truth-bearers, all true born again Christians have been given an awesome responsibility and a divine privilege. We are to guard, proclaim, uphold and defend the truth against any and all opposition and to expose the lies that undermine the truth of God’s Word (1 Timothy 6:20-21). 

May our passion for the truth cause us to have a greater compassion for those who are perishing by speaking the truth in love as a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15).

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Posted by: missionventureministries | March 17, 2021

WHY DOES GOD CALL DAVID A MAN AFTER HIS OWN HEART? – 1 Samuel 13:13-14

1 Samuel 13 vs 13-14

And Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of the Lord your God, which He commanded you. For now the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought for Himself a man after His own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be commander over His people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.” (1 Samuel 13:13-14) 

The time came when Israel demanded a king (1 Samuel 8:4-5). They desired to be like the other nations and God gave them the king of their choice. In contrast, after Saul had disobeyed God’s command by unlawfully sacrificing, Samuel related that God would now pick “a man after His own heart,” meaning, the choice would be of the Almighty of who would be the next king. 

To understand why David was a man after God’s own heart, we need to look at the characteristics he had to qualify for such a high-ranking position. 

In the book of Acts, the apostle Paul writes: “And when He had removed him (Saul), He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will’” (Acts 13:22). 

The answer to why David was considered a man after God’s own heart is as the Lord stated, a man…who will do all My will. Today, however, knowing the biblical account of David’s life, we might ask what being a man after God’s heart means, when David committed terrible sins, including adultery and murder? 

One of the reasons why David is called a man after God’s own heart is that he had absolute faith in God. Nowhere in Scripture is this point better illustrated than when David as a young shepherd boy fearlessly slew the Philistine, Goliath. Shortly before the combat, we see direct evidence of David’s faith when David says, “The Lord, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine” (1 Samuel 17:37). 

David knew early on in life that God was to be trusted and obeyed. David’s faith pleased God and God rewarded David for his faithfulness. We see a great example of his reverence and obedience to God when we read the account of Saul entering the cave where David and his men were staying in the recesses of the cave and could have taken his life. Then the men of David said to him, “This is the day of which the Lord said to you, ‘Behold, I will deliver your enemy into your hand, that you may do to him as it seems good to you.’ ” And David arose and secretly cut off a corner of Saul’s robe. Now it happened afterward that David’s heart troubled him because he had cut Saul’s robe. And he said to his men, “The Lord forbid that I should do this thing to my master, the Lord’s anointed, to stretch out my hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the Lord.” So David restrained his servants with these words, and did not allow them to rise against Saul.” (1 Samuel 24:4-7). 

David repeatedly mentions how much he love God’s perfect Word in the Psalms, of which he is credited for writing over half of them. 

In the following verse we see David’s complete adoration for God’s Word and how he meditates on God’s statutes which granted him understanding and wisdom. “And I will delight myself in Your commandments, which I love. My hands also I will lift up to Your commandments, which I love, and I will meditate on Your statutes” (Psalm 119:47-48). 

We should likewise focus on what the Word says as David writes that “Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, who seek Him with the whole heart! (Psalm 119:2). 

Even in his sin, David is receptive to Nathan’s confrontation (2 Samuel 12), and is truly repentant and acknowledges his sin in verse 13. David’s sin with Bathsheba included adultery, lying, and murder and is recorded in 2 Samuel 11. 

We need to understand that admitting our sin and asking for forgiveness is only half of the equation. The other half is repentance, and David did that as well. In Psalm 51 we read his prayer of repentance to God: “Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Your loving-kindness; according to the multitude of Your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Your sight—that You may be found just when You speak, and blameless when You judge” (Psalm 51:1-4). 

And in Psalm 25:11 we again see where David acknowledges his sins “For Your name’s sake, O Lord, Pardon my iniquity, for it is great.” 

We learn much of David’s character in the book of Psalms as he opened up his life for all to study. David’s life was a picture of success and failure and the biblical record highlights the fact that David was far from perfect. But what made David special in the eyes of God was that his heart was always seeking the Lord. 

David was a man after God’s own heart also because he was always truly thankful as we read in Psalm 100, “Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands! Serve the Lord with gladness; come before His presence with singing. Know that the Lord, He is God; it is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations.”   

These thoughts and attitudes should be in the heart of every believer and we would do well to follow David’s lead of offering praise through thanksgiving to our Lord. 

In summary, David was a man after God’s own heart because he demonstrated his faith and was committed to following the Lord. Yes, his faith was tested on a grand scale, and he failed several times. But after sinning he always sought and received the Lord’s forgiveness. In the final analysis, David loved God’s Law and sought to follow it faithfully. 

He also longed to be with the Lord as we see in Psalm 27:4, “One thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple.” 

David is a great example for those who have gone astray and come back to the Lord because we have a merciful God that will forgive us if we truly repent and seek Him (1 John 1:9). 

Please understand that he only way for us to enjoy the blessings of a pure heart is to trust in the Lord for our eternal salvation; and as a result He creates in us a pure heart filled with His desires. 

Scripture tells us that David was called a “man after God’s own heart” long before he sexually sinned with Bathsheba. This tells us that God is not only the creator of clean hearts, but He is also the restorer and repairer of erring hearts. 

Therefore just like David we should worship our heavenly Father by declaring: “Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with loving-kindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things…” (Psalm 103:1-5). 

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Posted by: missionventureministries | March 10, 2021

DO NOT FRET BECAUSE OF THOSE WHO ARE EVIL – Psalm 37

The purpose of Psalm 37 is to teach the righteous how to live in a world filled with wickedness, and among those who hate God. 

This Psalm contains several lessons on how to achieve tranquility and peace of mind as we live under a perverse and wicked world. 

Psalm 37:1-2, “Do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away.” 

Because the wicked prosper in this world obtained by evil motives, the natural reaction from the righteous is to become annoyed and troubled. But we are reminded that success by the wicked is short-lived, and they will come to a painful end when the destruction of the unbelievers comes; and at that hour, the glory of the wicked will vanish. So why should a believer envy such a life that would end up in hell? 

Psalm 37:3-4, “Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” 

Rather than becoming incensed because of what the wicked do, it is far better to trust in God and continue to do good, because, “Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him” (Jeremiah 17:7). 

Psalm 37:5-6, “Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him and He will do this: He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun.” 

The instruction here is that we need to trust all we do, every day and all our life, to God; and He will handle the rest. “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:6-7). 

Psalm 37:7-9, “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil. For those who are evil will be destroyed, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.”

The command here is that we need to be patient and trust in God to protect us, instead of trying to vindicate ourselves. Anger, wrath, and worrying, accomplish nothing except harm.

Those who wait and hope on the Lord shall inherit the land, is another reason for our delight in and rest upon the Lord. We can trust His promise that He will take care of His own not only in this world, but in the world to come. In contrast, evildoers shall be cut off.

Psalm 37:10-15, in these verses David summarize that we are to be content that the Lord will judge. As we see in verse 13, God isn’t worried about the proud schemes of the wicked instead the Lord laughs at the wicked, because He knows their day is coming.  He knows that the seeming victories of the wicked only last for a season, and then their schemes will come back on their own heads. 

As Christians, we can be assured that if the Lord doesn’t settle the account in this life, there is a coming judgment when everything will be revealed and the sentence will be passed (Revelation 6:10-11). Therefore, we can leave vengeance to God, (Romans 12:19). 

Psalm 37:16-26, these verses further explain being content that the Lord will provide. 

The reward for the righteous is not only in the age to come but it is realized every day, as God guides their steps. And, as they seeks the LORD and delights in Him, the righteous finds that his life proves the good and acceptable and perfect will of God (Romans 12:1-2). 

David gave a testimony from his own experience. He noted that God cared for those who trusted in Him and walked in His righteousness. They were not forsaken and their descendants were also blessed. In times of scarcity, the righteous not only receive God’s provision, but with a generous and merciful heart the righteous give generously. 

If you expect the Lord to provide, you’ve got to trust Him by giving. David says that the Lord sustains the righteous in verse 37; and as you keep reading you discover that the righteous are marked by generosity (37:21, 25-26). To claim God’s promises, you have to meet the conditions of being righteous, and be a generous giver. 

Psalm 37:27-28, “Turn from evil and do good; then you will dwell in the land forever. For the Lord loves the just and will not forsake His faithful ones. Wrongdoers will be completely destroyed; the offspring of the wicked will perish.” 

The warning here is to depart from evil and do good because, those who practice evil cannot expect God’s intervention when it is needed. How many times in the Scriptures do we see God standing up for the righteous and forsaking the wicked? Yet, the promise given in verse 27 is much more profound than just in this present life, because the meaning for “dwell in the land forever” is also a promise of eternal life. 

Psalm 37:29-33, “The righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever. The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom, and their tongues speak what is just. The law of their God is in their hearts; their feet do not slip. The wicked lie in wait for the righteous, intent on putting them to death; but the Lord will not leave them in the power of the wicked or let them be condemned when brought to trial.” 

In these verses we again see the contrast between the deeds of the righteous and of the wicked, and the promise for deliverance for the righteous. The promise being that the Lord will not allow the wicked to fulfill their plans to destroy the righteous. And most importantly is that the righteous man who departs from evil will not be condemned in the judgment! 

Psalm 37:34, “Hope in the Lord and keep His way. He will exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are destroyed, you will see it.” 

For the fifth time in this psalm, David promised the people of God that they would inherit the land. As king of Israel, David had a concern for their territory, but he could also be extending that thought to the age to come. 

When the wicked are destroyed, you shall see it. Again, David promised that the wicked would be destroyed and their coming doom was just as certain as the coming blessing and security for the righteous. 

Psalm 37:35-40, and David finishes this Psalm by writing: “I have seen a wicked and ruthless man flourishing like a luxuriant native tree, but he soon passed away and was no more; though I looked for him, he could not be found. Consider the blameless, observe the upright; a future awaits those who seek peace. But all sinners will be destroyed; there will be no future for the wicked. The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord; He is their stronghold in time of trouble. The Lord helps them and delivers them; He delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in Him.” 

In summary, we are told not to fret or to be envious of the illusive success of the wicked. Rather, our delight should come from a relationship with the Lord. We should commit our way to that of the Lord and to place our trust in Him patiently waiting for Him. We are to forsake wrath, cease from anger over the deeds of the wicked, as they will be cut off soon enough. Depart from evil and do good because God loves justice. And finally wait upon the Lord; being obedient to Him, knowing that in due time the blessing from God will be the answer to all of His promises. 

Always remember that we can enjoy what He supplies even if we’re persecuted, because we know the Creator. We can delight ourselves in abundant peace because the meek will inherit the land and enjoy peace and prosperity (37:11), even when the bad person presently wins. 

And we can “delight in the Lord” as we realize that doing good is always the right choice, evildoers never really win in the end, God’s love is amazing and never fails, and our eternal life is a guarantee that is sealed on the day that we believed in what Jesus did on the cross for us. In good times and in bad we can count on the fact that God is our strength, He won’t let us fall and we can trust Him to deliver upon every promise that He ever made since not one word has failed of all the promises He gave throughout Scripture. 

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Posted by: missionventureministries | March 3, 2021

PLANTING AND WATERING FOR CHRIST – 1 Corinthians 3:6-9

I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building. (1 Corinthians 3:6-9) 

Paul was dealing with a church that had become focused on the person who was ministering rather than on the fact that it is God that causes the growth and brings about spiritual fruit. 

Borrowing an image from the processes of agriculture Paul explains the relation in which his teaching differed from that of Apollos; just as Christian workers have different jobs and see different results – it is God who gets the work done and makes things grow. 

When a farmer plants a seed, and waters it, he really does not make it grow. The miracle of life does that. All the farmer can do is to provide the right environment for growth, and trust in the miracle that God provides. We do the same thing by planting the Word of God in people’s hearts and minds. 

Once that seeds starts germinating as a person puts their faith in Christ; God wants them to grow. However, making a one-time decision that is then neglected and left malnourished is not what Christianity represents and that many fail to understand. True Christians live and have a personal relationship with God through His Son. When a person comes to Jesus, they become a new creation in Christ and are born again; and as spiritually newborn baby they need to be nurtured to grow. 

Peter wrote his second letter challenging the believers to become more mature in their faith by adding to it specific Christians virtues, thereby becoming effective and productive in their knowledge of Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:5-9). Peter desired that they become strong in their faith to withstand the false teachers that had crept in and adversely affected the churches so that they could detect and combat the spreading apostasy. And he told them to, “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18). 

We are saved by God’s grace, and we need to grow in that grace. We are also to grow in the knowledge of Christ. Certainly part of that knowledge is learning about Christ from the Bible, but we are also to grow in our own personal knowledge of Jesus, as we walk with Him daily, spend time in prayer, submit to His Lordship and authority in our lives through the choices and decisions we make. 

There is something wrong about “a Christian” who never experiences Christian growth. Imagine having a baby who was not growing, you would be alarmed and would be checking with doctors to find out what was wrong. Likewise, if you are not growing as a Christian, then that means something is wrong. 

When we have been in the presence of Jesus and our Father we want to be like Them, and the desire to be like Jesus is the foundation of all spiritual growth and that growth is the most natural aspect of Christianity.  

Paul told the Corinthians, “test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you fail the test? (2 Corinthians 13:5). 

As we see in this verse if you do not see any spiritual growth you should be testing yourself by asking “Am I really a Christian? Have I really put my faith in Christ?” If you have not, that would definitely be a reason why you are not growing spiritually. 

It is no shame to be a baby, if you were born a few months ago. But if a person has been a child of God for several years and has not grown, he has a problem. Everyone needs to grow if they are a true born again Christian, and everyone can grow, if they simply apply the Bible principles of growth. 

You need to understand that you cannot grow as a Christian until you first become a Christian. There must be spiritual life before there can be spiritual growth. The seed must have been planted and constantly watered for it to grow. 

Once the seed germinates and starts’ growing it needs to develop and grow to produce fruit. In the same way a young believer in Christ needs to grow by learning about God, the Word, prayer, forgiveness, sin, temptation, and a host of other Biblical issues. 

When we talk about spiritual growth and maturity, we are not just talking just about Bible knowledge gained, we are talking about character. True spiritual growth and maturity will always result in the Christian becoming more like Jesus in character which is accomplished through the Holy Spirit living in us.

 In the same way that Paul told the Corinthians that, “The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building,” he tells the Ephesians that Christ Himself gave different people the task so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ (Ephesians 4:12-13). 

The purpose was so that they would grow in Christ and would no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming (Ephesians 4:14).   

But, instead by speaking the truth in love, the end result of service in the body of Christ is spiritual growth. We are no longer immature infants blown back and forth by the wind, but we become mature, solid adults in Christ, knowing the truth of God’s word and speaking that truth in love as God shapes our character to become more like Christ. 

If we are faithful at planting and watering God’s Word it will grow and bear fruit and that is our goal as believers, and the reason Jesus gave the great commission. 

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20) 

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Posted by: missionventureministries | February 24, 2021

AS GOD’S OBEDIENT CHILDREN WE ARE CALLED TO BE HOLY – 1 Peter 1:13-16

“Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:13-16) 

Let us take a look at what it means to be holy. 

Peter is addressing believers in these verses and in verse 1:16, and is quoting directly from Leviticus 11:44 and Leviticus 19:2.  

As believers, we need to be “set apart” from the world unto the Lord. We need to be living by God’s standards, not the world’s. God is calling us to be distinct from the world as we read further on in Peter’s letter: “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy” (1 Peter 2:9-10). 

Being set apart from the world, we need to live our day-to-day lives as Peter tells us in 1 Peter 1:13-16. We are not to engage in the sinful activities the world promotes, rather, each one is to be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God (Romans 12:1-2). 

Walking in holiness requires the Holy Spirit we receive when we become “new creations.” When we accept the Lord Jesus Christ into our hearts, we become new creatures (2 Corinthians 5:17). Holiness is only possible when we are put on the new self and live life as the new creatures God ordained us to be. Although holiness isn’t natural to us, we are instructed in Scripture to pursue holiness. 

We need to comprehend that if we have believed in Christ for salvation, we have been washed by the regeneration of the Holy Spirit and set apart from the world to live a holy life. 

God expects us to cultivate a lifestyle of holiness (1 Peter 1:14-16) and commands us to “cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God” (2 Corinthians 7:1). 

Perfecting holiness means that we should be increasing in spiritual fruitfulness every day. We are to consider ourselves “dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:11), refusing to revert back to our former lifestyles. 

As Paul told Timothy, “Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.” But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.” (2 Timothy 2:19-21). 

Holiness is the mark of every true Christian as the apostle John wrote: “Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God. In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God (1 John 3:9-10). 

Holiness only results from a right relationship with God by believing in Jesus Christ as Savior and accepting His gift of eternal life. If we have not placed our faith in God’s Son alone to save us from our sins, then our pursuit of holiness is in vain. So, we must first make sure that we are born-again believers as we see Jesus instructing Nicodemus in John 3. 

If we truly are believers, then we recognize that our position in Christ automatically sets us apart from the world (1 Peter 2:9); since we have a relationship with the living God! Then we must live daily a set-apart life, not trying to “blend in” with the world, but instead living according to God’s Word as we study the Bible and grow in knowledge and holiness. 

Holiness is a requirement for every believer because, “Without holiness no one will see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14). The difference between God and us is that He is inherently Holy while we, on the other hand, only become holy in relationship to Christ as we mature spiritually. 

While on this earth, the Holy Spirit will produce Christ likeness in us as we yield to Him in pursue of holiness, the final attainment being completed when we are with Him. 

This is, perhaps, the most important lesson that we can learn as Christians. God’s ultimate desire for His people is that we be holy, conformed into the image of His Son, Jesus (Romans 8:29). 

Jesus Christ is our perfect example of one who walked in Holiness. If we look at how He lived and exemplified Holiness, we see a life committed to honoring God, showing love, honoring parents, serving others, and keeping our body holy. 

Having a relationship with the Father is imperative to those who want to be holy. And we are equipped for being holy when we put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness (Ephesians 4:24). 

The choices we make today will make a difference for eternity, so let us chose to be holy because our heavenly Father desires that of us. 

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Posted by: missionventureministries | February 17, 2021

WHATEVER WE SOW WE WILL ALSO REAP – Galatians 6:7-9

“Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.” (Galatians 6:7-9) 

Sowing and reaping is more than just an agricultural principle; it is also a law of the spiritual world.

Anything we put our time, energy, money, or focus on is an act of sowing. Reaping is the results or consequences of what we’ve sown. 

There are natural consequences to our actions. The world operates under the law of cause and effect. There is no way around it, every time we choose an action; we also choose the consequences of that action. 

This principle works both positively and negatively. “The one who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward” (Proverbs 11:18), but “whoever sows injustice reaps calamity” (Proverbs 22:8). 

The law of sowing and reaping is related to the law of multiplication. Jesus spoke of seed that brought forth “a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown” (Matthew 13:8). A grain of wheat produces a whole head of grain; likewise, sowing spiritual good seeds or evil seeds can produce a series of positive or negative consequences. 

It is true God forgives all our past sins if we genuinely repent, believe that Jesus is the Son of God and came down from heaven to save us, paying for our sins on the cross. He is a compassionate God, but we cannot mock Him because there will be a due punishment. 

Many men in the Bible reaped fruits of their seeds even after receiving forgiveness from God. Here are a few examples:

  • Moses could not enter the Promised Land due to the seed of disobedience. (Deuteronomy 32:51-52)
  • David suffered the consequence of his own sins because of the seed he sowed willfully due to his lust and power. (1 Chronicles 22:8)
  • Jacob, who cheated his brother, ended up being cheated by his own father-in-law. (Genesis 29:14-30) 

God will settle our accounts as well and we will reap what we sow in this world. This principle applies to everyone, both Christians and non-Christians; it is irrevocable and there is no escape, either for the believer or for the unbeliever.

In life we are given two choices: 

1.     Either we sow to the flesh – “For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption” (Galatians 6:8a). This involves the works of the flesh described in Galatians 5:19-21, “Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” 

Consequently, those who sow to the flesh reap corruption, sorrow, disease, damnation and they will not inherit the kingdom of God and will instead experience the wrath of God!  (Ephesians 5:5-7)

 2.     Or we sow to the Spirit – “the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life” (Galatians 6:8b). This requires walking in the Spirit. As a result, those who sow to the Spirit reap everlasting life, abundant life, salvation. They will also reap the fruit of the Spirit which is: “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23).  

Galatians 5:16-17 tells us: “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.  

We either do one or the other; so which will it be? 

We should sow to the spirit by doing good to all, especially brethren – “So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith” (Galatians 6:10).  

What we become is due to the decisions we make each moment of every day. We have the option to change, if we do not like what we have become. We can turn to Christ and He will help us when we make Him the Lord and Savior of our life: “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come” (2 Corinthians 5:17).  

Paul tells us: “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:1-2).  

So by practicing His presence we become a new person. There will be a dynamic transformation in our life when we are living under His Lordship; when this takes place, we will know it; others will know it and all of heaven will be aware of the transforming power of the indwelling Holy Spirit in our life. 

It is vital that we identify what occupies and dominates our life, thoughts, desires and actions each day.  We should be asking ourselves. Is my mind fixed on how I can please my God and Savior in every thing that I say, think and do?  Do I long to worship and honor Him more humbly and fervently? Can I honestly say that I have unconditionally surrendered my life and will to His absolute Lordship? Or am I still running my life my way?  

Am I only thinking of what I desire and want, my plans and goals, what will gratify me now, not considering and obeying the commands of God that He has given me in the Bible?

Eternal life awaits those who are willing to sow to the Spirit by obeying God’s Word and He will give eternal life “to those who by perseverance in doing good seek glory, honor, and immortality” (Romans 2:7). 

God told Jeremiah: “I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve” (Jeremiah 17:10). 

Therefore, always remember that everything we sow has a direct consequence on what we reap now or in the future, and that we reap more than we sow.

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Posted by: missionventureministries | February 10, 2021

THE EVIDENCE OF THE PRESENCE OF GOD IN OUR LIFE – Acts 17:28

For, ‘in Him we live and move and have our being …” (Acts 17:28)

What would our lives be like if we could live in the continual presence of God and our Savior?   

When Jesus was living and teaching on earth nothing could separate Him from the presence of His Father; that is one of the reasons that He had great peace and power in His life; He was never anxious, worried or hurried. 

Scripture provides endless examples of how the presence of the Lord empowers His people to live for Him. 

The following are just a few examples: 

God’s presence was so evident in Abraham’s life, even the heathen around him recognized the difference between their lives and his: “At that time Abimelek and Phicol the commander of his forces said to Abraham, “God is with you in everything you do” (Genesis 21:22). This heathen king basically said, “There’s something different about you, Abraham. God is with you wherever you go.” And the same is what others should see in us. 

Then, we see where Moses was absolutely sure that without God’s presence in his life it was useless for him to attempt anything. When he spoke face to face with the Lord, he stated boldly, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here” (Exodus 33:15). He was fundamentally saying, “Lord, if you’re not with us, we’re not going to make it. We won’t take a single step unless we are assured of Your presence with us.”

Later on the psalmist acknowledges comparable words when he wrote: Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” (Psalm 91:1-2).

Moses knew it was God’s presence among them that set them apart from all other nations. The same is true of God’s people today. The only thing that sets us apart from nonbelievers is God’s presence “with us,” leading us, guiding us and working His will in and through us. God’s presence drives out fear and “will keep him in perfect peace whose mind in fixed on You, because he is trusting in You” (Isaiah 26:3). 

God promised Joshua that no enemy could stand against him as His presence was with him: “No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them” (Joshua 1:5-6). 

When God told Joshua I will never leave you; is saying the same to us, because at salvation, Christians are permanently indwelt with the Holy Spirit, who is God Himself (Acts 5:3–4). Christ affirmed that the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, would be with His followers always (John 14:16). Also, Jesus told His disciples that He would be with them “to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). As we see, the God who promised to never leave Joshua is the same Lord who says He will never leave believers today. 

God told Gideon, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior”…then “the Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?” (Judges 6:12, 14). 

The Lord is saying, “Gideon, there is a might in you so powerful it can save Israel. That might is My presence.” The Lord wanted to let Gideon know what any person can do when God’s presence is with them. 

Isaiah was told by God of a special promise He makes to those He loves: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior” (Isaiah 43:1-3). 

With God’s presence abiding in us, we can go through any potential difficulty, God will be with us; and when He is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31) 

Scripture is filled with accounts of the wonderful blessings that came to those who had God’s presence with them. 

When God’s Spirit is present with us, we can be strong and courageous because we trust His promise that He will go with us. Just as the Lord replied to Moses, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest” (Exodus 33:14).As we learn, it is only when our lives are positioned in the Lord, in union with Him that we possess the appropriate power to overcome. Jesus said, “Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:4–5).

The believer’s empowerment comes from being in Jesus. Apart from Him, we can do nothing, but in Christ we have at our disposal all the strength of His might. Through the high calling of God in Christ Jesus, the Lord’s power makes us capable. He strengthens us with everything we need for any task. 

We can choose to live in victory, joy and peace every day; because we are filled with all of the fullness of God and He is doing more for us and in us, than we can ask or even imagine, (Ephesians 3:19-20). 

Almighty God wants us to accept the fact that He has made each of His children a “royal and holy priest unto Him,” to live in His presence each moment of our existence, to humbly and faithfully serve Him and the people that He has called us to minister to. 

Just as, “Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil” (John 12:3); there is always a refreshing fragrance, an aroma, about the people who are living in humble, unbroken fellowship with Jesus, as they reach out to people around them and draw them into the presence, comfort and love of Jesus everywhere they go.   

God’s humble, obedient children want Jesus to be the center of attention, and their deep desire is that others will see Jesus, high, Holy and lifted up, because Jesus said; “when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself” (John 12:32). 

Who has the right and the privilege to enjoy the presence of God and live in the secret place of the Almighty? Only those people who will accept Jesus as the absolute Lord of their lives and of their time.   

Reach out to the Lord with your whole heart, trusting and obeying Him, and He will manifest His presence, enabling you to be steadfast and fearless for His honor and glory. 

“Who may ascend the hill of the LORD? Who may stand in His holy place?

He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does

not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false.”

Psalm 24:3-4 

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Posted by: missionventureministries | February 3, 2021

DO NOT GIVE UP HOPE, TRUST IN THE LORD – Psalm 22:1-2

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish? My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, but I find no rest. (Psalm 22:1-2) 

In this psalm, David cries out to God for help but feels forsaken and in deep agony because God does not answer him. He expresses utter hopelessness and despair and cannot comprehend why God has abandoned him. He is suffering both physically (Psalm 22:14–15) and socially (verses 6–8). Most disturbing to him is his apparent abandonment by God; since David’s lifelong relationship with God appears to be broken. 

Yet even in his desolation, David prays, “My God, my God,” acknowledging his faith in God and dependence on Him, despite the Lord’s apparent distance and silence. 

After his first words of despair, David declares outright his trust in the Lord: “Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the one Israel praises. In you our ancestors put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them. To you they cried out and were saved; in you they trusted and were not put to shame” (Psalm 22:3-5).

David knows that God never forsakes His people: “I will declare your name to my people; in the assembly I will praise You. You, who fear the Lord, praise Him! All you descendants of Jacob honor Him! Revere Him, all you descendants of Israel! For He has not despised or scorned the suffering of the afflicted one; He has not hidden His face from him but has listened to his cry for help” (Psalm 22:22–24). 

Hundreds of years in the future, Jesus was nailed on the cross, enduring His most intense moments of torment. He desperately needed His Father’s presence. In a loud voice, the Lord cried out what the psalmist had written in the Messianic prophecy, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46). 

When He was hanging on the cross, Christ recited Psalm 22:1. Joining with the multitude of humans in their affliction, Jesus became one with them in their suffering and cried out to God for help. 

This psalm was written to give individuals a model for praying in times of extreme suffering and need. Like so many other psalms, it movingly expresses the common emotional experience of people who feel alone and afflicted. 

Our fully God, fully human Savior identifies with us in every way, even in our weakest moments; even when we feel like God has abandoned us. Through Christ’s total identification with us, He gives us His own example of how to pour out our hearts to God. Jesus shows us that trusting God means talking to Him in good and bad times and that we have to especially trust in Him with our worst moments in life. 

Hebrew tells us that: “During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, He offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverent submission” (Hebrews 5:7). Jesus asked that the cup be taken away from Him (Luke 22:42), yet the cup was not taken away. Nevertheless, His prayer was heard because His prayer was not to escape His Father’s will, but to accept it, and that prayer was definitely heard. 

Sometimes we have to go thru trying times before we can clearly see our own rebellion and pride that the Lord is trying to show us. When we suffer, we may feel isolated from God, but the reality is that God is with us step-by-step and is trying to teach us what in that moment or circumstance we cannot see. 

The Bible teaches us that we are going to suffer in many different ways. And when we suffer, we should remember that: 

  • If we are faithful, we know that God is present, even when He seems far away;
  • God’s timing is perfect, even when He appears not to hear; and
  • During our times of suffering, the most important thing to do is keep our faith and trust in God. 

Scripture tells us to: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6). 

As Jesus took on Himself the sins of all humankind, He acknowledged feeling abandoned by the Father, yet, like David, He trusted in God. He knew that He was fulfilling God’s purpose by laying down His life: “God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). 

Therefore, the greatest mistake any Christian can make is to substitute his own will for the will of God.  

If you are having problems hearing from the Lord, consider this verse: “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me” (Psalm 66:18). 

Then read 1 John 1:9: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 

And to help you further, memorize the following verses: 

“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is fixed on You, because he trusts in You.” (Isaiah 26:3) 

“Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10) 

“Those who know Your name will put their trust in You; for You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You.” (Psalm 9:10) 

May the God of hope bless you! 

“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing,

that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” 

Romans 15:13 

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Posted by: missionventureministries | January 27, 2021

BE DOERS OF THE WORD AND NOT HEARERS ONLY DECEIVING YOURSELVES – James 1:22-25

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 observing his natural face in a mirror;  for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. (James 1:22-25) 

James stresses the need to act on what we hear. He says we are fooling ourselves if we think we can be hearers only and not doers of the Word. 

We need to remember that people who sincerely love God are those who keep His commands (John 14:15; 1 John 5:2-3), they are not only hearers but doers of his instructions. 

In Matthew 7:21-23, Jesus gave a stern warning to those who hear the words of God but don’t act on them: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you, away from me, you evildoers!’’ 

And He continues: “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” (Matthew 7:24-27). 

As we see, both groups “heard.” But the “wise man” was the one who not only heard what Jesus said but also put what He said into action. There are a lot of people today who say that they love Jesus and call themselves Christians; people who love to call Him “Lord.” We have to remember though that Jesus reprimanded them by also saying: “Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46). 

James wrote that we are to be “doers” of God’s word, “and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves” (v. 22b). People who only “hear” God’s word but who do not “do” what it says, are fooling themselves; they think that they are receiving a benefit from ‘hearing’, when in fact they are deceiving themselves if they only hear and do not obey. 

The main point of James’ illustration about the man and the mirror is that he quickly forgets what he saw in the mirror, meaning what the word of God is pointing out to him. The mirror tells it like it is, it shows and reveals to us what we really look like. But the man, who takes this quick look, quickly forgets what he saw (1:24). He is a “forgetful hearer” (1:25). And so he does nothing about the problems he saw in the mirror and keeps doing things the same way. 

When we are not interested in truly hearing the word of God we are also not interested in being doers of His word because we have wrong priorities and do not regard Scripture as important. 

The word of God is like a mirror that reveals to us the very thoughts and intentions of our hearts (Hebrews 4:12). It shows us our ugly, self-centered attitudes. It exposes our pride. It confronts our contempt for others, our lack of compassion and the lack of restraining our tongue. 

Consequently, if we just take a quick glance at the word once in a while and then rush out to do something else without doing anything to address the problems that it reveals, it won’t do us any good. 

To be doers of the word, we need to give it more than a passing glance. It requires concentration and hard work to apply it to ourselves and to our life. 

The problem of forgetting God is a frequent seen in the Old Testament; just like Moses warned Israel before they got into the promised land when he said, “be careful that you do not forget the Lord, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slaver” (Deuteronomy 6:12). 

As we see, there is an inherent danger if a person hears the word, but does not put it into practice, because they are deluding themselves. The solution is to apply the word to fix the problems that it reveals. 

In verse 25 James changes terminology. Up till now, he’s mentioned “the word” (1:18, 21, 22, 23), but now he refers to it as “the perfect law of liberty.” 

The reason James does this is that he was writing to Jewish-Christian readers who were prone to keep the Law outwardly, while their hearts were far from God. Like the rich young ruler, they thought that they were okay, because they kept all of the commandments from their youth up, but as we read in Matthew’s 19:16-22 account, the rich young ruler was violating the great commandment, because he loved his money more than he loved God. 

When James calls it the perfect law of liberty, he is referring to the new covenant promise of the law written on the heart, enabling obedience to that law for the first time. This was written by Jeremiah 31:33 and Paul also later writes“(Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.) This will take place on the day when God judges people’s secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares” (Romans 2:14-16). 

When we look into God’s mirror “His word” and apply it to our hearts we will be set free as Jesus told the Jews who believed in Him: “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31-32). 

Do you want God’s blessing in your life? If you say yes, then James’ answer is clear: Don’t be a forgetful hearer of the word when you look at God’s mirror. Instead become an effectual doer and you will be blessed. 

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