Fresh Bread from the Pastor's Pen

Written here is the salvation story of a man I know very well. By God’s grace, he is still a devoted follower of Christ over 20 years later. He remains married to that pretty girl

How blessed is the man who has made the Lord his trust, And has not turned to the proud, nor to those who lapse into falsehood. David says that we will be blessed or happy when we make Yahweh our trust. Therefore, we must not trust in worldly things – these will inevitably fail us. We can trust in the Lord because He is in full control of the world and our lives.

Today, we learned the first imperative in facing trials. We must develop the right attitude toward our trials. The right attitude begins with cultivating joy in the midst of our struggles. This is a settled contentment in every situation, and it starts at the level of our thought life. Trials are inevitable, but finding joy in them is a choice. James says to choose joy when we face unavoidable trials—a joy that can only come from trusting Christ with all our hearts.

We all know people whom we find it difficult to be around much less love and have true Christian fellowship. We all have people who hurt us deeply with their words and even their actions. Some choose to flee these difficult situations by leaving the church. While there are times when we may choose to leave for good reasons including our safety, in many situations, we leave for selfish motives choosing not to pursue forgiveness and reconciliation. Therefore, we forfeit amazing opportunities to be more established in Christ and His church.

What kind of faith do you have? Are you willing to sacrifice everything for Christ? Are you prepared to risk it all for Him? If the thought of laying it all on the line causes you to make excuses because you enjoy your comfortable life, then you should examine yourself. My prayer is that you will take up your cross and follow Christ now so that when you stand before Him at the judgment, you will hear the words “Well done, good and faithful servant,” and that none of you have to hear the words “Depart from me, I never knew you.”

James tells his readers, “You believe God is one. You do well.” You may have confidence in your profession of faith, but confidence does not guarantee salvation. You may have a vast knowledge of spiritual things, but this knowledge will not help you if you have a dead faith.

True reverence for the Lord comes through the act of turning from our sins and following the Lord Jesus Christ! When we obey God and walk in repentance, we can have great courage knowing that nothing escapes His notice, and that He truly cares for us. When we can have a right relationship with God through His Son Jesus, we can live in great confidence as we look forward to our future both here and in eternity.