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For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.Eph 2:9 |
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| Archived Manna: | |
Dear
Friend,
If you do not already have a habit of gathering daily manna the first thing in the morning (we can look at the example given to us in Exodus 16 and find the pattern for make it a habit. Establish your life and your schedule to allow you the necessary time to do your daily collection first thing every morning to give you the strength to make it through the day. And remember that today’s manna will not be sufficient for tomorrow; tomorrow’s manna must be collected tomorrow morning. Wednesday, April 27, 2022
Today's Passage : Today's Passage :Backbiting Bible Verse:James 4:11-12 (NASB) "Do not speak against one another, brethren. He who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks against the law and judges the law; but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge of it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and to destroy; but who are you who judge your neighbor?" Message:
The word for “speak against” is used of people who slander others behind their backs (backbiters). There is a difference between criticism that tears others down and correction that seeks to build others up. The former divides the body because it is prompted by pride and envy; the latter attempts to restore the body because it is motivated by loving concern.
There is a place for corrective judgment and even rebuke when done for scriptural reasons and in a caring way (see Matt. 18:15-17; Gal. 6:1). But there is no place for running others down. Before we criticize, James tells us that we should remember three people—the person criticized, the One Lawgiver and Judge, and ourselves.
Christian unity
1. The person criticized. The word “brother” appears three times in verse 11. While it is wrong to malign unbelievers, it is even worse to slander brothers and sisters in the Lord. We are members of the same family, and we are called to unity, not divisiveness. Believers should not destroy but defend one another.
2. The One Lawgiver and Judge. When we succumb to a critical spirit, we set ourselves up as judge and jury not only over the person we criticize, but also over the law itself. “He who speaks against a brother, or judges his brother, speaks against the law, and judges the law . . . . ” James is probably referring here to the royal law of love (see Jas. 2:8). We judge the law when we deliberately violate it. It is easy for us to become more concerned about our own codes than about God's law of loving Him first and loving our neighbors as ourselves. When this happens, we thrust God aside and set ourselves up in His place.
3. Ourselves. “James asks, but who are you who judge your neighbor?” (vs. 12). Who do we think we are when we criticize others? Either we will judge others as though we are above the law, or we will remember that we are under the One who judges all people. Before we criticize, we would be wise to recall where we would be apart from the grace of God. Scripture calls us to a realistic humility.
Dr. Boa is devoted to a ministry of relational evangelism and discipleship, teaching, writing, and speaking. He holds a B.S. in astronomy from Case Institute of Technology, a Th.M. from Dallas Theological Seminary, a Ph.D. from New York University, and a D.Phil. from the University of Oxford in England. I highly recommend a visit to his website, KenBoa.org, which is filled with free videos, written commentary, newsletters, etc.
Meditation : Prayer : Oh God Almighty, send me Your light and truth, to keep this day and all the days of my life. And may Your mighty hand protect me, and all my brothers and sisters who have joined me in prayer this day, blessing our homes and our lives.......Amen |
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