Ezekiel 39:1-40:27, James 2:18-3:18, Psalm 118:1-18, Proverbs 28:2
Today is the 19th day of November, welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I am Brian it is fantastic to be here with you today, as we continue our journey through this month, through this year through the Scriptures around the Global Campfire together. It’s my favorite place, my favorite place to be is right here with you around this Global Campfire, moving forward together and so let’s do that. We are continuing our journey through the book of Ezekiel. We’re reading from the Christian Standard Bible this week, Ezekiel chapter 39 verse 1 through 40 verse 27.
Commentary:
Okay, we have been in the letter from James for a few days and we should be pretty clear it’s got a different kind of complexion, it’s very direct and we’ve kind of moved through the halfway point in the letter and it should be pretty clear what the point is: James is saying that you gotta have faith, there is, it’s impossible to please God without faith. Faith is the activator, faith is the point, faith is the way that we enter into a relationship with God. But faith isn’t just a concept. Faith isn’t just a definition. It’s not just made up of words, it actually goes into action, it changes the way we do everything and if what you are calling your faith is essentially a definition, a theological formula, words or even an understanding that is not actually incorporated into the way that we live then it’s not faith. At least of faith, that’s alive, it’s dead, it’s not words and songs that we reserve for the weekend and get spiritual and then forget all about, faith, it is everything, it touches everything. It’s not a compartment in our lives. You know, like some kind of drawer that says faith on it and we keep all our faith-y things in that drawer of our lives, but the stuff in the faith drawer doesn’t really incorporate into the rest of the stuff in our lives, that isn’t faith. Faith touches all of us. Everything, all that we do, all that we say, all that we think. It’s how we navigate in this world or to put it concisely, in the words of James, “Just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.” And we’ve noticed over the last couple of days when James is driving a direct point home, gives some kind of analogy so that it makes sense, like yesterday he was saying, faith without corresponding action is like looking at yourself in the mirror and walking away and forgetting what you look like. So, in today’s reading he brings another example that should pretty well fall squarely in our laps, unavoidable because one of the ways that we put our faith into action and not just make it words is that our words and our deeds are in alignment. Our mouths get us into all kinds of trouble. Our tongues are a small thing, but so is a rutter of a ship, so is a bit in a horse’s mouth. These small things can turn big things. Our tongue turns our life, navigates our lives and according to James we can take our lives and burn them down with our tongues. James says we use that tongue, the tongue that we’ve been given that forms words to worship the Almighty God and to curse our brothers and sisters made in his image with the same tongue, with the same mouth and it’s not acceptable. It’s not right. If that’s not landing, like if that isn’t landing, we need to meditate upon it some more. Maybe we’re not like that. But if we’re not aware enough to know that that is what is going on out there, then maybe you’re doing the right thing by avoiding social media and that kind of, and just talking head news, just analysis type stuff because this is all of the time going on. We can bless God and curse our brothers and sisters with the same mouth, in the same conversation and it’s not right. And so, James is giving us well, first of all, he’s telling us we know, we know this, we’re just usually not paying attention and we usually don’t apply it to our, like it easy to pick out in other people’s lives. We don’t usually pick it out in our own and say yeah, I got a fundamentally change because I have to align my thoughts, words and deeds so that I’m a true person. James is giving us an opportunity today to take something that we very well understand, a concept that we can clearly grasp, an issue that that we all face, our words, what we say, how we react, what comes out of our mouths, that that is a wonderful place to start the work of faith, and aligning our thoughts, words and deeds. Actually, if we can’t get this one little thing which is a very big thing, but if we can’t get this tongue under control. If we can’t change that, then it’s gonna keep burning things down all around us. It’s gonna slash and cut and destroy. And then we’re going to try to use self-words, kind kindness, gracious words to do healing and so we can be, we can be like a messenger from heaven or we can be like a pathological killer using the same instrument called our tongue. Let’s give that some thought.
Prayer:
And so, Father, we do, we’re thinking about it now. We have a lot of work to do, we understand that. But this being brought up as a category, being brought up as a category so directly so that it’s not like some kind of foreign concept. The outcomes are clear, the outcomes are if we have incongruency between what we say and what we do then, then the thing we are claiming is faith is…is dead. Or maybe not even present. Stark as that is we need to look at it and we need to look at it through Your eyes. We need Your Holy Spirit to help us. There is no way we will master this on our own. What we need to do is surrender it. Humble ourselves before You and start paying attention to what we’re saying. Come, Holy Spirit into this we ask, in the name of Jesus. Amen.
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And that’s it for today. I’m Brian. I love you and I’ll be waiting for you here tomorrow.