The link below is for “Our Daily Bread”   http://odb.org/2012/06/22/when-not-to-witness/

The link below is for the Daily Devotions of Greg Laurie                                  http://www.harvest.org/devotional/daily-devotions/home.ht

1 John 5:3… “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.”— (NKJV)

The following scripture tells us that if you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, you will be saved…Acts 16:30-31… And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” ³¹ So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.”  (NKJV)

Unfortunately readers, this belief on the Lord Jesus Christ, is more than just believing that there is only One God, and that you know Him… Being a true Christian, should be evident by a change in the life of the Christian, that according to Jesus Himself, should be bearing good fruit (John 15:5)… The apostle James tells us this, in…James 2:19-20… You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! ²⁰ But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?  (NKJV)

Some people will say that God has too many requirements or restrictions; and it is too hard to live a righteous life for the Lord… But when the love of Christ abides with-in the heart, mind, and soul of the true Christian; the opening scripture tells us that keeping God’s “commandments are not burdensome.” With the help of the Holy Spirit, the Christian can easily defeat the temptations the world and Satan throws at them…

The apostle John continues on from the opening scripture, with this in…1 John 5:4… For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.  (NKJV)  …It is our absolute, unwavering faith that God knows what is best for the Christian…with a heart that remains filled with the Holy Spirit; which gives the Christian not only the power to overcome Satan and the world…but also the urge to get involved with good works done in the name of the Lord, as evidence that the Christian is truly a child of God…

Teaching by Jesus Himself and the apostle James…makes it clear that a Christian that produces no good fruit or good works done in the name of the Lord, cannot possess the saving faith that should be evident in the life of a Spirit filled Christian…

The Christian, if they want to be living a righteous and obedient life for the Lord…will automatically be living a life that will show God and those around them, that they are not only hearers of the Word, but their actions and their lives will reflect the love of Christ which fills their heart…

James 1:22-25… But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. ²³ 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; ²⁴ for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. ²⁵ 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.  (NKJV)

Heavenly Father, I pray Your Word would convict Christian’s that are not Spirit filled…that they may have to make changes and confess sins in their lives, in order to become righteous in Your sight (1 John 1:9)…  Help all of us Lord, in whatever area of our lives that is in need of change…to understand our weaknesses; and then Lord, help us to make these changes in order to be pleasing in Your sight…  I pray that Your strength would take control in all of our lives…in Jesus’ most precious name and for His sake…Amen…

written by bruce r mills