A Nugget from New Life Network
Scripture for the Day (October 17, 2017)
But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. (James 1:22-25)
Did you know that we live in the most deceptive times in history? I can remember when I was growing up that the only external voice coming into our home was from one radio where I listened to the Lone Ranger in the evenings. We now have hundreds of television and radio programs, numerous news channels, email, facebook, twitter, and on and on it goes. We are bombarded with the beliefs of people every day who don’t even believe and are trying to convince us to believe things that are outright lies or things that are in direct conflict with the Word of God.
On top of that, we have our own internal deceptions that are probably worse than the external ones. A large part of the Body of Christ have deceived themselves into believing that going to church once or twice a week is sufficient. The remaining days of the week we have convinced ourselves that we have to fit in with the rest of the world and not rock the boat. We just have to keep quiet and be the silent majority. Is that the way Jesus operated? Is that the way we are supposed to operate? I don’t think so!
It’s easy to go to church once or twice a week. It’s a lot harder to forgive those that have spitefully used you or lied about you. It’s easy to love your church family. It’s a lot harder to love your neighbor as yourself. It’s easy to worship, pray, and study the Word in church. It’s a lot harder to take time to worship, pray, and study the Word on your own time. It’s easy to talk to a fellow believer. It’s a lot harder to witness to a non-believer.
To be a doer of the Word you have to work at it. You have to spend time with the Lord. You have to build a relationship with Him so that you can hear His voice and act on what He tells you. You have to push through all the fears and do it afraid.
We deceive ourselves by thinking that church is enough. It’s not enough! How do you know for sure that what you hear in church is the whole truth? Your eternal salvation may be at stake here! Are you going to leave your spiritual inheritance up to one man or one woman? I’m not! I am going to read the Word myself and see what the Lord says my inheritance is. Don’t let anybody or any demon from Hell tell you that you cannot understand the Word of God. You can, if you are willing to work at it.
It’s time for the Body of Christ to grow up and mature. We are supposed to be ambassadors for Christ. We are supposed to be a peculiar people. We are supposed to be salt and light. We are supposed to be dangerous to the enemy. We cannot be all those things by just going to church. We have to be doers of the Word and the Work! You cannot tell the Devil “it is written” if you don’t know what is written.
There was one church that we ministered in that had a huge sign over the exit from the sanctuary that said, “You Are Now Entering the Mission Field”. How true that is! We need to take that seriously. Someone’s life depends on it.
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light; (1 Peter 2:9)
