Good morning and praise the Lord. The bible tells us that when we accepted Jesus as our Lord our lives, we were made free. Why is it that the majority of us Christians act as if we are still bound? Just asking; God knows the answer.
Today’s Prayer
(Make this personal)
Father, during this season when we celebrate the birth of the Savior, Jesus Christ, help me to remember that it is, above all, a time to worship the Savior and give our thanks to You for Your greatest gift of all. I pray for peace and good will between all people and for hearts and eyes to be open and looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. May You bless the humble and convict the proud, and help all of us to realize we are on level ground, kneeling at the manger or at the foot of the cross; “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace, good will to all men.” In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Let’s eat.
A warning Against Prejudice
James 2:1-13
1. Dear brothers, how can you claim that you belong to the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, if you show favoritism to rich people and look down on poor people?
2. If a man comes into your church dressed in expensive clothes and with valuable gold rings on his fingers, and at the same moment another man comes in who is poor and dressed in threadbare clothes,
3. and you make a lot of fuss over the rich man and give him the best seat in the house and say to the poor man, “You can stand over there if you like, or else sit on the floor”–well,
4. judging a man by his wealth shows that you are guided by wrong motives.
5. Listen to me, dear brothers: GOD has chosen poor people to be rich in faith, and the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs, for that is the gift GOD has promised to all those who love him.
6. And yet, of the two strangers, you have despised the poor man. Don’t you realize that it is usually the rich men who pick on you and drag you into court?
7. And all too often they are the ones who laugh at Jesus Christ, whose noble name you bear.
8. Yes indeed, it is good when you truly obey our Lord’s command, “You must love and help your neighbors just as much as you love and take care of yourself.”
9. But you are breaking this law of our Lord’s when you favor the rich and fawn over them; it is sin.
10. And the person who keeps every law of GOD, but makes one little slip, is just as guilty as the person who has broken every law there is.
11. For the GOD who said you must not marry a woman who already has a husband, also said you must not murder, so even though you have not broken the marriage laws by committing adultery, but have murdered someone, you have entirely broken GOD’s laws and stand utterly guilty before him.
12. You will be judged on whether or not you are doing what Christ wants you to. So watch what you do and what you think;
13. for there will be no mercy to those who have shown no mercy. But if you have been merciful, then God’s mercy toward you will win out over his judgment against you.
Quote of the Day
Our Savior kneels down and gazes upon the darkest acts of our lives. But rather than recoil in horror, he reaches out in kindness and says, ‘I can clean that if you want.’ And from the basin of his grace, he scoops a palm full of mercy and washes our sin.
Max Lucado
WITH HOPE AND FAITH
REV. ELDER G E STERRETT
FOUNDER
GCKRS HELPING HAND FOUNDATION – THE RELATIONSHIP FACTORY