Day #50

Hi everyone!  I was so glad to see so many of you yesterday at church. What a blessing.  Many of you have already gotten the book “Kisses from Katie,” and that is exciting.  Go ahead and take your time reading this amazing book about a girl that is so close to your age who chose to give up what this world had to offer her to be a servant of Jesus to the people of Uganda (country in Africa).  Start trying to add this book to your time alone with God each day.  Read as little or as much as you like.

God, thank you for sticking with me in all times of my life… when I was foolishly living life without regard for you… when I was feeling obedient, but trying to be center-stage… when I was broken, crying, and at the end of my abilities… when I was crying out for your wisdom and mercy knowing you were all I needed.  No matter the situation and the immaturity involved, YOU were always there, gently or strongly guiding me back into obedience.  Thank you.

Read James 4:4.

What word does James use to describe the people he is talking to?

That is right!!  ADULTEROUS!

Adulterous (definition) - Voluntary sexual relations between an individual who is married and someone who is not the individual's spouse.

NOTE:  When James says “world,” he is talking about human society apart from God.

Please understand that James is not using the term ADULTEROUS literally, or by its intended meaning.  He is using it figuratively, in order to give us a picture or better understanding of what he is saying. 

You see, back in Old Testament times, prophets, which were men who would hear messages directly from God and then have go tell the people the message, used some harsh words to describe the people they were speaking to.  But remember, these were God’s words.  The prophet only relayed the message.

Click on Jeremiah 2:20, Jeremiah 3:6-10, and Hosea 1:2.

Wow!  God uses harsh language.  It definitely gives us a vivid picture of our behavior though, right??

It’s easy to say “not me,” but as Christians, we all have had times of unfaithfulness to God.  These are times when we trade in what we have with God, who is always faithful to us, for things that the world can give us, which never lasts.

Some examples of this adultery include…

1.    Trading God for self-promotion; putting you center-stage instead of God.

2.    Trading God for friendships.

3.    Trading God for entertainment.

4.    Trading God for handling things in your own way and in your own time.

5.    Trading God for allowing your feelings to rule you, like whatever you feel you do, no self-control.

6.    Trading God for imitating the world- the way you dress, the way you behave, what you do.

7.    Trading God for blaming others for your choices, you never own up to it being your fault.

All of these are gods that we have fashioned with our own hands.  These are all ways that we imitate the world.  We run to these gods when we are not getting what we want, or feel we need, from the One True Living God.  Sometimes we do this willingly (defiance), and sometimes we do this out of stupidity (sheepishness).   

We need to understand what James is saying here.  “Friendship with the world” is imitating worldly ways of thinking and worldly activities, which is all opposite of God’s ways.  It is impossible to satisfy the craving to be “friends with the world” and at the same time please God.  IMPOSSIBLE!

Read Galatians 1:10.

Read Matthew 6:24.

The world is anti-Christ and anti-God.  Its ways can be “in your face” obvious and it can be very subtle… like a drug that slowly desensitizes you to what is really happening.  Remember who the ruler of this “world” is?  Satan.  He is not always the pitch fork, red suit, and horns creature.  After all that would be too easy to see and avoid.  He has other bags of tricks... more subtle, soft, and pretty ways.  BE ALERT!! How?  Talk to God and be real with Him.  Ask Him for His wisdom and guidance which will only be found by getting in the Bible (like now).  Finally, strive with all your heart to be obedient to what you learn.  God is faithful!!

TARGET of the DAY

Did you know that the world can be in your Christian school and church?  After all, not everyone in those places are obedient Christians, or Christians at all.  Get this!!  BE ALERT!  The following verse was intended for the love of money… but I think we can apply it to our lesson today.  Write our memory verse for the week on your hand asap:)

“No one can serve two masters at the same time. He will hate one of them and love the other. Or he will be faithful to one and dislike the other.  You can’t serve God and the world.”  Matthew 6:24.