November 17, 2024 -Live in Spirit & Truth

EZEKIEL 35:1-36:38

JAMES 1:1-18

PSALM 116:1-19

PROVERBS 27:23-27

One Year Bible Audio & Daily Reading (oneyearbibleonline.com)

Ezekiel 36:26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.

This is what God does for us when we put our faith in Jesus. I love that this is on the same day that we start reading James. James is very convicting of what it means to follow the Lord's decrees. When we are given a new Spirit, the Holy Spirit, we should be moved to live like and for Christ.

James 1:12 Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

Reading "The Bema" now makes this stand out to me, This is one of the crows that is given by Jesus at the bema. When we face judgement we are judged on how we respond to the opportunities that God gives us to serve Him and that is what determines our reward. There are different crowns mentioned in the bible.

According to the AI Overview on Google about what the crowns issued at the Bema are...

In Christian theology, the Bema Seat of Christ, also known as the Judgment Seat of Christ, is where Jesus will reward believers with crowns based on their actions in building His Kingdom. The five crowns that believers can receive are:

• The Crown of Life: Given to those who have endured and overcome trials, temptations, and persecution

• The Crown of Righteousness: Given to those who long for the Lord Jesus and look for His return

• The Crown of Rejoicing: Given to those who have led others to Christ

• The Victor's Crown: Given to those who discipline their minds through prayer and the study of God's Word

• The Crown of Glory: Given to Christian leaders and the faithful shepherds of God's people 

The Greek word for "crown" is stephanos, which can also mean "a badge of royalty" or "a symbol of honor". In ancient Greece, a victor in an athletic contest would receive a wreath or garland of leaves placed on their head as a reward.

In order to properly respond to Christ and the opportunities that He gives us we need to surrender our hearts to the Spirit of God that He has placed in us.

James 1:13 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14 but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

When we do not surrender to the Spirit of God we can fall into the trap of our sinful nature and be dragged away by our evil desires.

James 1:16 Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. 17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.18 He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.

We can fight that sinful nature and turn from temptations by looking to the Father and the Word of Truth that we have been born through. God is always Truth and light. There is no gray or shadow. The enemy will try to convince us that there is a gray area where the word of God doesn't mean what it means. We need to fight against those lies with the Truth of God that is in His word. The only way we can fight with it is to be equipped with it. So be in the word of God and put on belt of Truth.