James 1 : 4

Anyone read James lately?

Let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing —James 1:4

 I read todays devotion it really hit me and it brought me back to what I have been writing the last few days.  I am thinking we don’t need Jesus stickers or shirts.  You just need to be Jesus with skin on and stop grieving the Holy Spirit with your actions.  He is with us wherever we are.  In the truck, car or sitting at the computer. 

Be blessed today!

Many of us appear to be all right in general, but there are still some areas in which we are careless and lazy; it is not a matter of sin, but the remnants of our carnal life that tend to make us careless. Carelessness is an insult to the Holy Spirit. We should have no carelessness about us either in the way we worship God, or even in the way we eat and drink.

Not only must our relationship to God be right, but the outward expression of that relationship must also be right. Ultimately, God will allow nothing to escape; every detail of our lives is under His scrutiny. God will bring us back in countless ways to the same point over and over again. And He never tires of bringing us back to that one point until we learn the lesson, because His purpose is to produce the finished product. It may be a problem arising from our impulsive nature, but again and again, with the most persistent patience, God has brought us back to that one particular point. Or the problem may be our idle and wandering thinking, or our independent nature and self-interest. Through this process, God is trying to impress upon us the one thing that is not entirely right in our lives.

We have been having a wonderful time in our studies over the revealed truth of God’s redemption, and our hearts are perfect toward Him. And His wonderful work in us makes us know that overall we are right with Him. “Let patience have its perfect work . . . .” The Holy Spirit speaking through James said, “Now let your patience become a finished product.” Beware of becoming careless over the small details of life and saying, “Oh, that will have to do for now.” Whatever it may be, God will point it out with persistence until we become entirely His.

Jesus bumper sticker

I remember once driving around with some type of Jesus sticker on my truck.  It was back in 2000.  I will never forget what happened.  I cut someone off (not meaning to) and he pulled up beside me and yelled Nice Jesus sticker and then he flipped me off.  I got home and took that sticker off because of the shame I brought Jesus.  I don't drive around with anything like that on my truck for that reason.  Isn't that the wrong thinking though?  Shouldn't I drive around with it on there and be proud of who I am?
Maybe I leave it off so I can be that jerk without bringing shame to Jesus in the public view.

I wonder how / we would act if we had to wear a shirt that said, "I love Jesus and walk with Him everyday?"

Thoughts?

I am crucified with Christ it is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me ...............

You who you say you are?

You are armed with the knowledge that you can be free and choose not to live it. DT

20 “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

So you can read this and interpret this any way you want.  Today I submit this.  If you are crucified with Christ and He lives in you then who are you?  You are nice to people at church, but an jerk to your spouse?  Let say you own a business, do you treat your employees’ the way you want to be treated? 

Do you choose where you want to be crucified with Christ?  Think about this for a moment.  If I asked your employees, your spouse or the people you do business with if you were different than whom you say you are,   what would they say?    I have to be on guard all the time.    We are constantly given opportunities to either be Jesus with skin on or to be the person who says he is Jesus with skin on but acts contrary to what he says.

One more example:  the easiest place to be the jerk is with people who don’t know who you are.  How many times have you been a jerk to someone because you knew they did not know you walk with Jesus? 

I have that hat and shirt…….. been there and I am embarrassed to say that,  but it is true.  Lord please forgive me

Be blessed today!