JAMES 2 FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD

November 2

JAMES 2

14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what goodis that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! 20 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.

                                                                                      – James 2:14-25

JAMES 2 FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

If you say you believe in God but do nothing to show it

Faith without works is dead and is not a fruit of the Spirit

That faith is useless and does not have power to save you

When your faith is not actively displayed, that is not from God

That is a work of your flesh and it will hinder you from serving

The flesh caters only to its lusts, desires and its own cravings

When you were chosen by God to be one of his servants

You were equipped to do good works to build each other up

The proof of your faith is in your active show of love for your neighbor

It mirrors the love of the Lord that you received when he saved you.

In this account, James clarifies what true and saving faith is. When people think of “faith”, it seems like it is their ability to choose to believe. At least that was how I thought of it before I became a born-again Christian. James explains that faith is something we received when we were chosen by God. With that gift, the Lord also equipped us to exercise the ability to bring into action that belief in the unconditional love that God gave us. He expects us to give that same love we received by his grace towards others. He gives us the example of active faith in Abraham. That faith was tested when he was asked by God to sacrifice his one and only son to him. He didn’t cringe or doubt, he just did it and trusted that the Lord would provide. In the same manner, when he was asked to leave his pagan country at age 75, he didn’t ask where to but followed where God led him. Faith is a complete trust in God’s plan and sovereignty.

REFLECTION

  • What are some wrong notions of faith by those who do not truly understand God’s word?

JAMES 1 TESTING OF YOUR FAITH

November 1

JAMES 1

2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

9 Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, 10 and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grasshe will pass away. 11 For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.

12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. – James 1:2-15

JAMES 1 TESTING OF YOUR FAITH

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

If you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, you will be tested

You will have to face trials and adversities to strengthen it

It has to be purified and refined for you to be used by God

Your faith is useless if not tested; you’ll be plagued with doubts

So, be joyful when you face all kinds of pain and misery

That is the only sure way you can grow your endurance

When your character has grown, you will have patience

With it, you can courageously face trials with resilience.

Hebrews 11:1 defines for us what faith is, it is the assurance of things hoped for and the conviction of things not seen. When we say we have faith in Christ, it means that we believe in the resurrection promise of eternal life to those who believe and it also includes a trust in the divine things that we cannot understand or see that are laid down for us in the word of God. Knowing God intellectually does not constitute true faith. In James 2:19, even the demons believe and shudder that there is only one God. Faith must also include a life of dependence on God in all things. We do not rely on our own understanding or abilities.

In this account, James reveals to us that faith needs to be tested in suffering and trials. He says in verse 12 that when we remain unwavering under trials, we have stood the test and receive the crown of life. Without suffering, we could never claim that we have true faith. It is in the midst of uncertainties and things we cannot understand that we can truly display our total dependence on God’s sovereignty.

REFLECTION

·       Is it possible to grow your faith without going through suffering? Why or why not?

2 KINGS 17 DISOBEDIENCE & LAWLESSNESS ARE IDOLATRY

October 31

2 KINGS 17

32 They also feared the Lord and appointed from among themselves all sorts of people as priests of the high places, who sacrificed for them in the shrines of the high places. 33 So they feared the Lord but also served their own gods, after the manner of the nations from among whom they had been carried away.34 To this day they do according to the former manner. They do not fear the Lord, and they do not follow the statutes or the rules or the law or the commandment that the Lord commanded the children of Jacob, whom he named Israel. 35 The Lord made a covenant with them and commanded them, “You shall not fear other gods or bow yourselves to them or serve them or sacrifice to them, 36 but you shall fear the Lord, who brought you out of the land of Egypt with great power and with an outstretched arm. You shall bow yourselves to him, and to him you shall sacrifice. 37 And the statutes and the rules and the law and the commandment that he wrote for you, you shall always be careful to do. You shall not fear other gods, 38 and you shall not forget the covenant that I have made with you. You shall not fear other gods, 39 but you shall fear the Lord your God, and he will deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies.” 40 However, they would not listen, but they did according to their former manner.41 So these nations feared the Lord and also served their carved images. Their children did likewise, and their children’s children—as their fathers did, so they do to this day. – 2 Kings 17:32-41

2 KINGS 17 DISOBEDIENCE & LAWLESSNESS ARE IDOLATRY

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

When the Lord God made a covenant with you, he expects loyalty

He cannot tolerate your treachery when you commit idolatry

If you disobey his commands to “have no other gods before him”

You are desecrating his nature and giving in to all kinds of sins

He faithfully saved you from all your iniquities and transgressions

Why would you intentionally rebel and give in to all your affections?

As you bow down to other gods, you abandon the One true God

You are deliberately breaking your covenant bows and turning your back.

In this account, the author who is unknown lays down clearly the unfaithfulness of the Israelites to God. Sources say that it might have been the prophet Jeremiah who wrote this book. It narrates how God made a covenant promise with the Israelites and gave them laws to follow so that they will be safe in God’s protection and steadfast love. We are very familiar with the pattern of sin all throughout the bible from the Old to the New Testament, aren’t we? The cycle goes on from God’s love and provision to disobedience to God’s mercy then sin again and God wooing back his people and once again, they do what is right in their own eyes. This pattern is prevalent to all human beings because of the first sin of Adam and Eve. The curse on us is that we will always tend to cater to our own flesh instead of giving praise to the one who gave us life. We make our own idols and turn our backs to God.

REFLECTION

  • How can disobedience and lawlessness be idols?

ISAIAH 42 SHAME TO THOSE WHO TURN TO IDOLS

October 30

ISAIAH 42

For a long time I have held my peace; I have kept still and restrained myself;
now I will cry out like a woman in labor; I will gasp and pant.
15 I will lay waste mountains and hills, and dry up all their vegetation;
I will turn the rivers into islands, and dry up the pools.
16 And I will lead the blind in a way that they do not know,
in paths that they have not known I will guide them.
I will turn the darkness before them into light, the rough places into level ground.
These are the things I do, and I do not forsake them.
17 They are turned back and utterly put to shame, who trust in carved idols,
who say to metal images, “You are our gods.”– Isaiah 42:14-17

ISAIAH 42 SHAME TO THOSE WHO TURN TO IDOLS

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

When we turn to false gods and pagan idols, we lose our identity

God made us in his own image so we can live a life of purity

Because of the curse of sin, we tend to create our own image

When we cave in to idolatry, we begin to hide from our Maker

This hiding is the constant impenitent turning away from God

It is the shame that results from the sin of worshiping things

If we turn from sin and repent of it, we will be free from shame

Shame stays when we continue to serve ourselves and other gods.

What comes to mind when you hear “Shame on you” spoken to someone or to you? According to Cambridge dictionary, this phrase is an expression of condemnation, disappointment or scolding used to tell someone that they should feel guilty, embarrassed or sorry for something they did. Baker’s Evangelical dictionary on the other hand defines shame as a consequence of sin. It further explains that “feelings of guilt and shame are subjective acknowledgments of an objective spiritual reality. Guilt is judicial in character; shame is relations. Though related to guilt, shame emphasizes sin’s effect on self-identity.” The “shame on you” phrase puts the act and the person together and judged inseparably. Guilt becomes the feeling. Shame according to the bible is the aftermath of turning our back to the image God has placed in every human heart. But God gave us a way out through Christ so we could find our way back to him and repent and not live in that condemnation forever. In Genesis 3, after Adam and Eve disobeyed God, they hid. That was the manifestation of shame. After their identity of belonging to God was twisted into belonging to themselves and to the corrupted world of Satan, they experienced that turning away from their original purpose of glorifying God. They now became obsessed with glorifying their own “self.” They began to make their own identity apart from God. It is the same thing when we serve or bow down to other idols, we are turning our backs to God and towards these idols.

REFLECTION

  • Why is it important to understand “shame” in the context of God’s character and plan for man?

REVELATION 2 IDOLATRY IS A STUMBLING BLOCK

October 29

REVELATION 2

12 “And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: ‘The words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword.13 “‘I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faitheven in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. 14 But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality. 15 So also you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16 Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth. 17 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.’– Revelation 2:12-17

REVELATION 2 IDOLATRY IS A STUMBLING BLOCK

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

As you serve the Lord God Almighty, you will begin to discern

Things that you used to do automatically becomes uncertain

The truth begins to expose the lies that were so predominant

You begin to question all those unloving patterns you engaged in

The word of the Lord begins to challenge you to grow your faith

God’s Spirit shows you all the stumbling block that deters your growth

Idolatry is the highest hindrance to your relationship with God

It is the open door for the devil to keep you hooked into this world

If you keep bowing down to the pursuit of these idols

You will soon become without life and without purpose.

This account is the letter to the church in Pergamum. It is one of the churches where the Lord has revealed his complaints about his people to John the beloved. The Lord God rebukes the spiritual adultery that thrives in this church. They claim that they are believers and yet they engage in acts of idolatry. In verse 13, he calls them out where they dwell, which is Satan’s throne. In verse 14, they were reproved on their divided loyalty to him and to the teachings of Balaam and in verse 15, to the Nicolaitans’ teachings.

The letter to the seven churches is not just addressed to those specific churches but it is a letter to all the Christian churches even in our days. It was a disciplinary letter of a God who loves his people and cares for their progress in their relationship with him. Like a loving Father, he wouldn’t want his children to go astray and be in danger to perish with their divided loyalty to him and to other gods that don’t belong to the kingdom of God. Spiritual adultery which is also idolatry is the biggest hindrance to knowing God and having the fear of the Lord. Because God is a jealous God, he will not want to share his own people with the prince of darkness and the god of confusion.

REFLECTION

·       How can idolatry easily become a stumbling block for a believer? Cite instances.

ISAIAH 46 LIFELESS IDOLS & THE LIVING GOD

October 28

ISAIAH 46

5 “To whom will you liken me and make me equal, and compare me, that we may be alike?
6 Those who lavish gold from the purse, and weigh out silver in the scales,
hire a goldsmith, and he makes it into a god; then they fall down and worship!
7 They lift it to their shoulders, they carry it, they set it in its place, and it stands there;
it cannot move from its place. If one cries to it, it does not answer or save him from his trouble.

8 “Remember this and stand firm, recall it to mind, you transgressors,
9 remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other;
 I am God, and there is none like me.  – Isaiah 46:5-9

ISAIAH 46 LIFELESS IDOLS & THE LIVING GOD

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

Whenever someone decides to make an idol out of something

They are actually questioning the God who created everything

These people find comfort by having value in their own creation

They have forgotten their true identity which is to praise the living God

These idol-makers become consumed by their abilities and creativity

They have become lifeless as they isolate from God and make their identities

They compare themselves to a God who is divine and the source of life

Without knowing that they are cutting themselves off from life itself

God made all humans into his own image so they could relate to him

These idols are not made to bow down to God since they are dead

No created idols or gods can compare to the Almighty and Living God

It cannot assure anyone or do something about their cries for help.

In this account, the prophet Isaiah speaks out God’s rebuke over the Israelites who have forgotten their covenant with God. God raises a question that is not only for the Israelites to ponder on, but to all those who are believers like us as well: “Who do you compare me to?” Have you ever asked that question to yourself as someone who believes in God? If you are new in the faith, you probably don’t know how to answer that because you haven’t grown in the knowledge of God yet. Just like an infant, you still haven’t made baby steps to desire to know who God is. You are just focused on how you can get your needs met. But because of the aftermath of sin, all humans were thrown into this corrupt world where we lose our identity in Christ. The world system generates a seeking for one’s own identity apart from our Creator.

That’s exactly what the original sin was about: it was to twist our identities into a self-focused one instead of an identity made in the image of God. We carve our own identity instead of cultivating the image that God placed in each human being. Thus, we create things that are a product of our talents and gifts from God. Instead of praising God, we have God-envy which makes us want to prove that we can also be a god. The fall in the garden bent our identities from God-serving to self-serving.

REFLECTION

  • Do you compare God to any other gods when you were a new believer? Share insights.

MATTHEW 6 NO ONE CAN SERVE TWO MASTERS

October 27

MATTHEW 6

19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, 23 but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. 25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? – Matthew 6:19-27

MATTHEW 6 NO ONE CAN SERVE TWO MASTERS

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

If the Lord chose you to serve him, you will obey him

You will not gather earthly treasures that are fleeting

You no longer are driven by your lust for material things

But you now prioritize what is spiritual and unseen

You treasure the things that pleases God and avoid sin

You’re no longer anxious but rely on God for all your needs

There’s now a bias towards righteousness and prejudice over evil

You rank God first in all you do and don’t let the devil in.

Some scholars claim that the book of Matthew was written anonymously but other scholars according to some sources say that it was the Apostle Matthew who was formerly called Levi and was a tax collector before he became an apostle. In this account, the author focuses on the importance of true worship to our Lord and Savior. It is amazing how service and loyalty was emphasized in these following verses. If we reflect on life, we are either the servant or subordinate to a master or leader.

What Matthew is pointing out here is very vital in our understanding of true worship. He tackles the subject matter on anxiety, loyalty, priorities, longings and what’s valuable in life.  I was fascinated by how he wove the idea that if our hearts are longing for earthly things, we will veer away from God. That’s why he suggests for us to gather riches in heaven rather than material things that easily rot, rust, destroyed or stolen. In other words, if we seek those physical things, we will eventually worship those things and become slaves of them or idolaters. When our focus is on earthly stuff, we become anxious to pursue them and begin to depend on ourselves. If we shift our attention to heavenly things, we become thankful and content with what the Lord provides for us. We worship the One true God.

REFLECTION

  • How can an anxious heart easily be turned into idolatry? What is that person worshiping?

JEREMIAH THE EVIL OF FORSAKING THE LORD

October 26

JEREMIAH 1

13 The word of the Lord came to me a second time, saying, “What do you see?” And I said, “I see a boiling pot, facing away from the north.” 14 Then the Lord said to me, “Out of the north disastershall be let loose upon all the inhabitants of the land. 15 For behold, I am calling all the tribes of the kingdoms of the north, declares the Lord, and they shall come, and every one shall set his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, against all its walls all around and against all the cities of Judah. 16 And I will declare my judgments against them, for all their evil in forsaking me. They have made offerings to other gods and worshiped the works of their own hands. 17 But you, dress yourself for work; arise, and say to them everything that I command you. Do not be dismayed by them, lest I dismay you before them. 18 And I, behold, I make you this day a fortified city, an iron pillar, and bronze walls, against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests, and the people of the land. 19 They will fight against you, but they shall not prevail against you, for I am with you, declares the Lord, to deliver you.”

                                                                                      – Jeremiah 1:13-18

JEREMIAH THE EVIL OF FORSAKING THE LORD

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

Do you think you can get away with turning away from the Lord?

It is a big sin to defy and forsake God and turn into worldly idols

God designed people in his image so that they can glorify him

If you do what is unrighteous and what’s right in your own eyes

There will be big consequences that will lead you to your destruction

It is evil to turn against God, you were not designed for pagan idols

You may not experience drastic big punishment now

But his absence alone will keep you guilty and tormented.

In the earlier part of this chapter, we witness a reluctant prophet who was commissioned by the Lord to pronounce both judgment and mercy to the Israelites. Those who do not know the Lord would have a hard time discerning these two opposing prophetic words, but if you are part of the covenant of God, you know very well that God is just and merciful as well. He is loving towards his people, but also wrathful against sin. He could have destroyed them in the blink of an eye but he is a God of second chances.

In this account, we hear God calling out in verse 16 the evil of being forsaken by his own people. God treats us like his own children and just like any parent would, they will discipline them in the way that they should go. It is the same thing with God. He reprimands and cautions his children when they are doing anything that will be harmful for them. The Lord’s discipline is a way of protection so that his people remain intact and safe to live pure lives. The Lord assembles his people to pronounce what is going to happen to them if they forsake him. He is not some kind of a power-hungry God who won’t give them a chance to correct their evil ways. He is a very patient and loving God who constantly forgives.

REFLECTION

  • Why do you think it is evil to forsake or turn away from God?

SAIAH 42 GOD’S INTOLERANCE TO IDOLS

October 25

ISAIAH 42

Thus says God, the Lord, who created the heavens and stretched them out,
who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people on it
and spirit to those who walk in it: 6 “I am the Lord; I have called youin righteousness;
I will take you by the hand and keep you; I will give you as a covenant for the people,

a light for the nations,7 to open the eyes that are blind,

to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness.
8 I am the Lord; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols.
9 Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare;
before they spring forth, I tell you of them.”– Isaiah 42:5-9

ISAIAH 42 GOD’S INTOLERANCE TO IDOLS

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

The Lord God made the heavens and the earth just by his breath alone

He gave his own image to man and claimed him as his own

He elected a few of them at the beginning of time to be his children

He promised to be their God as long as they remain faithful to him

He also vowed to take care of them and instruct them in righteousness

Because he is a loyal God, he expects the same devotion and faithfulness

God cannot tolerate any other idols for he is a very jealous God

He will not give to anyone or anything what only truly belongs to him

God’s wrath will be the consequence of anyone who praises other gods

These idolaters will become lifeless like their gods for the Lord alone gives life.

In this account, the prophet Isaiah speaks out the Lord’s declaration of who he is and a reminder of his covenant with those whom he chose to be his own people. In verse 5, God clearly proclaims his divine nature as the Creator of all things and the giver of life. This is what distinguishes the believer from the unbeliever: the revelation of God’s character and the source of life. Many different religions do not know who made them and what their purpose here on earth is. No other gods can give life to anything or anyone just by speaking life to it. Most counterfeit gods were usually created and carved by human hands or human minds which are not divine like the One true God. The Lord God Almighty has no beginning and no end. God’s religion according to the book of James is not a set of rituals to follow or step by step guide to reach perfection or reach their worshiped god. Christianity is a relationship-based faith and about rituals and rites.  Most religions focus on the effort of man to reach their gods, but Jesus came down in human form to cleanse humans from their sins and have a clean slate with God when they believe in Christ. No pagan deity can speak, make promises and fulfil such promises. They cannot answer prayers because they are lifeless unlike our Lord and Savior. God made it clear to his children that he expects faithfulness from his people and will punish any form of idolatry and worldly worship.

REFLECTION

  • How must a true Christian take the truth that God cannot tolerate idols and idolatry?

HOSEA 11 BENT ON TURNING AWAY FROM GOD

October 24

HOSEA 11

The more they were called, the more they went away;
they kept sacrificing to the Baal sand burning offerings to idols.

3 Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk; I took them up by their arms,
 but they did not know that I healed them.
4 I led them with cords of kindness, with the bands of love,
and I became to them as one who eases the yoke on their jaws,
and I bent down to them and fed them.5 They shall notreturn to the land of Egypt,
but Assyria shall be their king, because they have refused to return to me.
6 The sword shall rage against their cities, consume the bars of their gates,

and devour them because of their own counsels.

7 My people are bent on turning away from me,

 and though they call out to the Most High, he shall not raise them up at all.

                                                                                      – Hosea 11:2-7

HOSEA 11 BENT ON TURNING AWAY FROM GOD

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

When Adam and Eve sinned, shame haunted all humans

We began hiding from the One who made us in his image

We shifted our loyalty from our Creator to ourselves

Instead of acknowledging God, we began making idols

It is now automated for mankind to rebel against God

But in his love, God sent Jesus to free us from sin and shame

We can straighten our bent on turning away from God

We can run to the Lord Jesus to give us a new heart and mind.

It is interesting how these following verses address the human condition of rebellion. God created us for a relationship with him and sin turned that into a defiant bent. Genesis didn’t mention details about how Adam and Eve spent their days with the Lord before the serpent came to tempt them to sin. I would imagine that they were enjoying God’s presence every moment. They weren’t resistant to love. Interestingly, the book of 1 John 4 mentions God is love twice. In that same chapter, John explains the presence of fear which is when love hasn’t been perfected yet. From these revelations of the Lord to John, God clearly tells us that fear is the by-product of sin which makes us turn away from God who is love himself. Shame is the manifestation of that fear, that’s why Adam and Eve hid from God. What was the fear about? It was the fear of punishment or the consequence of the sin they have committed.

Man’s sinful nature is to turn away from God (love) and embrace fear. Humans cannot change the purpose of God for man. He made them for him. Because man began hiding from God, he has to make his own gods so that he can control the shame and live in isolation from God to prove he can be his own.

REFLECTION

  • Where can you clearly see this isolation & rebellious bent in man? Cite instances.