In Theory or in Truth?

eMoment by Laurie Aker

Focus Scripture: Luke 11:33-36

33  No one after lighting a lamp puts it in a cellar

or under a basket, but on a stand, so that those who enter may

see the light. 34 Your eye is the lamp of your body.

When your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light,

but when it is bad, your body is full of darkness.

35 Therefore be careful lest the light in you be darkness.

36 If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark,

it will be wholly bright, as when a lamp with its rays gives you light.

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“Be careful lest the light in you be darkness”

Be careful.

What hope is there if we have the Gospel but don’t live it?

Be careful that you don’t believe something intellectually

when essentially you are blinded by self, sin, and the things of this world.

If someone thinks they walk in the light because they go to church,

have warm feelings, or give to the poor, they are deceived.

Many think they are in the light, but their deeds proclaim

something else, and they will spend eternity in darkness.

Be careful that you not only
think you walk in the light,

but that your deeds bear witness to the Light

in your heart.

Just because we believe something in theory

doesn’t mean we live like it’s truth.

In fact many Christians, unknowingly,

are not living the Gospel.

What is the cure for such a disease?

How can we be sure that our words, our choices,

and our actions reflect our beliefs?

Do we say one thing and do another?

James 1:22

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only,

deceiving yourselves.

What is happening?

What are we doing?

What are we NOT doing?

We sit down and do our quiet time,

read God’s Word,

perhaps even write it out,

and fill in blanks.

But then we don’t ask ourselves,

“Am I living according to this?

Does this reflect what is truly in my heart?”

We don’t really take it to heart.

We fail to come up under God’s Word,

submit to it, confess our sin, and repent and then

look to Him to fill us with truth.

Do you say that you love God,

yet you don’t make time to be with Him each day in His Word?

Do you say that God is your All-in-all,

yet the things of this world are still so important to you?

Do you say that you place all of your trust in God,

but you live in fear, worry, or anxiety in your heart?

Do you say that God is your God,

 yet you know inside that the world still revolves around you?

James 1:23-25

23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word

and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural

face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away

and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks

into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no

hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

Confess your sins and be forgiven.

Repent, turn toward God and draw near to Him.

Deal seriously with your sin.

Take the light of God’s Word to heart.

Let it shine into the darkness that remains.

Don’t allow sin and darkness to reign.

Overcome the darkness!

Let the grace of God dispel the darkness.

Be filled with Christ and walk in the Light of Life!

Luke 11:36

If then your whole body is full of light,

having no part dark, it will be wholly bright,

as when a lamp with its rays gives you light.

Ephesians 5:8

For at one time you were darkness,

but now you are light in the Lord.

Walk as children of light.

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Repentance: A Posture of Humility

by Angie Thomas

Repentance is such an interesting idea and one I understand somewhat intellectually but have a difficult time walking out.  Merriam Webster defines repentance as a verb, “to turn from sin and dedicate oneself to the amendment of one’s life. To change one’s mind.” The problem is that for a long time in my Christian life I didn’t understand that I needed to be doing this DAILY.  I thought I had repented the moment I had dedicated my life to Christ and confessed my sins. Why would I need to keep doing it? The answer is because while our hearts have been changed and made righteous, our minds and lives are still broken.  What is our motivation for this struggle to change our life and mind?  Romans 2:4 says, “God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance.”  His kindness, undeserved love, His grace.  Those moments when you sense the Lord’s blessing and His love, when you recall the Gospel and that He sacrificially gave His life to atone for you, a dirty, rotten sinner—this kindness is to under-gird our repentance.  I am praying that our appreciation for His sacrifice that we did not deserve will lead us all to true and lasting repentance.  Paul says it so clearly: “For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret” (2 Corinthians 7:10a).

God’s kindness to me in Jesus results in true grief over my sin that produces repentance that leads to salvation. Easy, right?!

You might want to consider doing a word search on repentance in your Bible. I highly recommend the Bible App for this.

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A Fountain of Life

by Susan Sampson

Psalm 63 reminds us that we live in a dry and weary land where there is no water.  I desperately want to be an oasis to my husband. Too many times I have been the kiss of death!  I have spoken words that have been like “sword thrusts” (Prov. 12:18).  It breaks my heart to think of how many words of death I have plunged into the hearts of those I say I love.  Praise God that His love covers a multitude of sins!  Praise God that He alone has the power to bring the dead to life!  Praise God that Jesus came to save sinners.  Thank you Lord that you have removed our hearts of stone and given us hearts of flesh (Ezekiel 36).  You have given us this gift of life and now tell us to “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life” (Prov. 4:23).

How can we be this fountain of life?  We must immerse ourselves in THE Fountain of Life – God’s word!  Recently I took a bath with a “bath bomb” from LUSH!!  I think that’s what they are called:)  My husband and I could not get over how soft my skin felt afterwards!  It was truly amazing!  Jesus tells us that “apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).  Imagine the softening effects on our heart as we bathe in God’s word!  My dear precious sisters in Christ, let’s stop being deceived into thinking our to-do lists are more important than our time with the Lord.  Laurie urged us that if we only do ONE thing all day it would be to make time with the Lord.  Lord have mercy, give us grace to not give into our flesh or the enemies lies.  Draw us to yourself!

Spending time with the Lord in His word will keep us filled with the Living Water.  Our flesh-o-meter will read high in the Spirit.  We will be filled with the fruits of the Spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control.  These are not fruits of the flesh!  John 6:63, “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all.” 

We are missionaries!!  I love that!  Our husbands all come from “man world”.  We are missionaries in this land everyday.  We must prepare!

One way we can prepare is by asking the Lord and others to show us really how we are communicating.  I’m reminded of the home video I watched from 10 years ago of me with my daughter who was 5 at the time.  It was incredibly painful, but incredibly helpful.  We can’t see.  We are so blind to our own sin.  Please let us not shrink back from this instruction.  Let us trust in the Lord’s love and kindness and grace and ask our husbands and children or friends how we come across.  Do not fear!  The Lord loves us in our sin.  He died for our sin.  He does not want us to stay in our sin.

May we take what they say not as criticism, but as life transforming gifts.  May we take what we are learning in God’s word and in this study and apply it to our hearts today so that we can truly be a “fountain of life.”

I thank the Lord for each of you, His beautiful body.

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