Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. James 5:13-16
James begins and ends his letter on a community note and he is a realist. He knows most people don’t sing when they are in trouble. Although we have seen Apostles and saints who do, instead he tells us to pray in bad times and sing in good times. When we are sick he admonishes us to seek the elders pray for us.
Chuck Swindoll is the most prudent teacher on healing that I have heard. In regards to this verse he points out the anointing with oil was one of the best medical practices of the day and that medical practice should run parallel to praying. The Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts were written by a physician. Most medications have their root in plant life and all use chemical compounds that are mixed using ingredients that are found in creation. The greatest healing manifestation in our ministry was a woman with brain cancer who was given two weeks to live. She was also HIV positive. Ten years later she is alive and well and doing terrific. The place that we prayed for her was not an altar but a sick bed in the hospital.
James however does not only focus on the physical attributes of sickness but the spiritual. He makes a clear connection between sin and sickness with one very important qualifier, the word “if” in other words not all sickness has a route in sin but some does. The solution is confession. Some churches are criticized for practicing a formal confession. The route of the practice is found in this verse. Two points that I want to make in regards to the practice. One is positive the other negative. First the positive
Confession is difficult, and churches have gossips. The idea of having a structure in which individuals can confess their sins to a trusted shepherd is wise and admirable. However, the idea of a mediator between individuals and God I believe is a dangerous one. “There is one mediator between God and man the man Christ Jesus.” There is no New Testament necessity of an ordained priesthood. It is a best a carryover from Judaism, at worst an incorporation of paganism. All believers are priest. I priest is best understood as someone who intercedes for others to God, as opposed to a prophet who speaks to the people through the man or women of God.
It is important to point out that Matthew 18:18 gives binding and losing powers to elders in the church, but this is in the context of church discipline not individual confession. In fact church discipline is exercised in the absence of confession. The healing that confession releases is spiritual, physical and psychological. The fruit of it is righteous and powerful saints, James uses Elijah as an example, and he says of him, he “was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.”
Paul’s example in 1 Corinthians 11 has great import for our discussion. In the context of communion he states that “Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup.” He then tells us why in verse twenty-nine, “For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves. That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep,” The sleep he is speaking about is not a siesta but death. “If we were more discerning with regard to ourselves, we would not come under such judgment.” He tells us, another words “confess your faults one to another that you may be healed.”
The Lord is not looking for a reason to make us sick but well. The consequences of un-repented sin are suffering and death. The power of Elijah’s prayer is not isolated to his power as a prayer but is proportional to Israel’s lack of repentance in that generation.
God is looking for powerful prayers in our generation that can bring forth revival in our time. That cannot occur outside the context of personal and corporate confession. Such confession is to be managed subtly and wisely with strong leaders how bind and loose in the context of church discipline. The consequence will be a healthy and holy church that restores its members to wholeness. James concludes his letter and I conclude this blog with the thought that we are saving lives and souls. Verses 19 & 20 read.
“My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.”
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Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
The Fear of Riches
‘Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on you. Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter.You have condemned and murdered the innocent one, who was not opposing you. James 5: 1-6
Blogging through the book of James has been my task of late. If you are a consistent reader I am sure that you have figured that out. If you go through the bible or a book of the bible as we are doing you are going to come across some passages that make you uncomfortable. This passage made me uncomfortable, not because of its isolation but because of its consistent theme throughout the New Testament. 1 Timothy 6.9 reads, “Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction,” Jesus said “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven.” Luke 1:53 “He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty.” A young man with great possessions was trouble because Jesus said, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
Many of you reading this will say well I am not rich so this does not apply to me. “In the United States, in 1999, a family of four was considered “poor” if their income was $16 813/ year. If you put that figure into the Global Rich List, you’ll find that that puts poor Americans among the wealthiest 9% of the entire world.” I don’t consider myself rich either but I am, I wear 3 gold rings of various quality, I have 5 coats, 2 weeks of changes of dress clothes, 10 different types of footwear, I have three cars and I own my own home. I shop wisely, but the reality is I have great possessions, and I am “living on the earth in luxury” I have written and stated many times that I am a prosperity preacher. I certainly make the case for preaching a prosperity message. Simply read the book of proverbs, but if I am going to follow the example of my master I must consider what my master did and 2 Corinthians 8:9 make that very clear “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.” Please understand that he is talking about spiritual wealth not material wealth. Colossians 2:2 provides us direction in this case, “My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ”
Verse 6 of James 5 tells us “the innocent one” Jesus, is not opposing the rich, but he wants to remove the stumbling block of riches to our faith. Most financial break thru meetings are based on a desire for personal wealth. Timothy calls this desire a “temptation” a “trap” that is causes “foolish and harmful desires that lead to ruin and destruction.” This is not something that I want. So what is the solution, James condemns hoarding, Jesus said he who has two coats should give one to the person who does not. He admonishes the wealthy to have fair business practices, “the laborer is worthy of his hire” Is it necessary for banks to charge 40 dollars for a charge card violation? To foreclose on homes that has been faithfully paid on for years? Is it necessary for us the run up our charge cards in such a way that we are beholding to such institutions for years. The interest paid out to such institutions could build schools and roads, dig wells, and support the Gospel throughout the planet.
Park Street Baptist Church of Boston was one of the first churches to send missionaries to Hawaii in 1819. Jim Michener describes the austerity of the early missionaries in his novel Hawaii. He reports a good Christian home could be identified at the time by the wear of its paint. There was a correlation between paint chips on the ground and monies dedicated to missionary endeavors. I am not suggesting that we have to wear clothes that are falling apart and live in homes that need paint jobs. I am reiterating James warning that if we done prioritize our giving based on the needs of the world around us we are going to be held accountable to the wealth that God has entrusted to our care.
Luke 16:11 reads, “So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?” Jesus is no fan of laziness; we see this in the parable of the ten talents. The poor man’s rebuke is “So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest” The response to give the talent to the faithful wealthy. “So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.”
Then we are given a material and spiritual principle that we should all keep in mind. “For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.”
Blogging through the book of James has been my task of late. If you are a consistent reader I am sure that you have figured that out. If you go through the bible or a book of the bible as we are doing you are going to come across some passages that make you uncomfortable. This passage made me uncomfortable, not because of its isolation but because of its consistent theme throughout the New Testament. 1 Timothy 6.9 reads, “Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction,” Jesus said “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven.” Luke 1:53 “He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty.” A young man with great possessions was trouble because Jesus said, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
Many of you reading this will say well I am not rich so this does not apply to me. “In the United States, in 1999, a family of four was considered “poor” if their income was $16 813/ year. If you put that figure into the Global Rich List, you’ll find that that puts poor Americans among the wealthiest 9% of the entire world.” I don’t consider myself rich either but I am, I wear 3 gold rings of various quality, I have 5 coats, 2 weeks of changes of dress clothes, 10 different types of footwear, I have three cars and I own my own home. I shop wisely, but the reality is I have great possessions, and I am “living on the earth in luxury” I have written and stated many times that I am a prosperity preacher. I certainly make the case for preaching a prosperity message. Simply read the book of proverbs, but if I am going to follow the example of my master I must consider what my master did and 2 Corinthians 8:9 make that very clear “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.” Please understand that he is talking about spiritual wealth not material wealth. Colossians 2:2 provides us direction in this case, “My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ”
Verse 6 of James 5 tells us “the innocent one” Jesus, is not opposing the rich, but he wants to remove the stumbling block of riches to our faith. Most financial break thru meetings are based on a desire for personal wealth. Timothy calls this desire a “temptation” a “trap” that is causes “foolish and harmful desires that lead to ruin and destruction.” This is not something that I want. So what is the solution, James condemns hoarding, Jesus said he who has two coats should give one to the person who does not. He admonishes the wealthy to have fair business practices, “the laborer is worthy of his hire” Is it necessary for banks to charge 40 dollars for a charge card violation? To foreclose on homes that has been faithfully paid on for years? Is it necessary for us the run up our charge cards in such a way that we are beholding to such institutions for years. The interest paid out to such institutions could build schools and roads, dig wells, and support the Gospel throughout the planet.
Park Street Baptist Church of Boston was one of the first churches to send missionaries to Hawaii in 1819. Jim Michener describes the austerity of the early missionaries in his novel Hawaii. He reports a good Christian home could be identified at the time by the wear of its paint. There was a correlation between paint chips on the ground and monies dedicated to missionary endeavors. I am not suggesting that we have to wear clothes that are falling apart and live in homes that need paint jobs. I am reiterating James warning that if we done prioritize our giving based on the needs of the world around us we are going to be held accountable to the wealth that God has entrusted to our care.
Luke 16:11 reads, “So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?” Jesus is no fan of laziness; we see this in the parable of the ten talents. The poor man’s rebuke is “So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest” The response to give the talent to the faithful wealthy. “So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.”
Then we are given a material and spiritual principle that we should all keep in mind. “For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.”
Monday, November 21, 2011
Murder the Messenger or Eat Humble Pie
"What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures." James 4 1-3
James tone changes in his letter from writing to believers to addressing a general audience. Remembering that this letter was written to the 12 Tribes of Israel who were scattered abroad it may have circulated to believing and non-believing Jews. The only other alternative that can be arrived at is that murder was a practice of the early church. A conclusion that I am not willing to embrace based on the conduct of the early church. What is shocking is the correlation between those that do evil and how they believe it is God’s will. Jesus addresses the growth of such people in John chapter 16; 2 he says, “They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God.” Paul certainly believed this when he was arrested Christians and consenting to their death as he did with Steven.
We see another example can be found in John 12: 9-11 Many people had gathered together to see Jesus and others wanted to see Lazarus “whom he had raised from the dead. So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and believing in him.” Instead of allowing the miracle to soften their hearts it hardened their hearts and their response was to become murderous.
You might say “so what, that was then this is now” In the west at least we have grown past killing people over religious issues. James is not focused on murder but sin. Remember he is the one that wrote “if you have sinned in one point of the law you have sinned in all of the law.” When he confronts the issue he is not gentle or subtle. He writes, “You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.” David Guzik a commentator for the Blueletterbible.org states, “The indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit has a jealous yearning for our friendship with God.”
Seeing the works of God are not difficult. A man raised from the dead, blind eyes being opened are all strong evidence of God working in the world. Testimonies abound in every generation about the goodness of God. For those who are hard hearted, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble” His favor is empowering. When we submit to God we are empowered to resist the devil. A resisted devil is a fleeing devil. Free from distraction we can “draw near to God and he will draw near to us.”
However, before you get too excited about drawing near to God remember that he is a Holy God. When Isaiah drew near to God he said. “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.” Isaiah 6:5. James understanding this truth writes, “Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom.”
It is true that Jesus said to his disciples I no longer call you servants but friends but he said that to men who dedicated their entire lives to his service. We often act as if one text message to Jesus gives us access to the Holy of Holies.
In Isaiah case a “seraphim flew to him with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched his mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.” James declared “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”
To be lifted up is to see life beyond this world, beyond ambition, beyond pleasure. It is to make our Lord Jesus Christ the central relationship in our lives. No relationship is genuine unless the parties really know who they are, in my case it means the God who created heaven and earth, who became a man and walked out his life in real time condescends to speak to me on a daily bases. If that does not humble you, nothing will.
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James tone changes in his letter from writing to believers to addressing a general audience. Remembering that this letter was written to the 12 Tribes of Israel who were scattered abroad it may have circulated to believing and non-believing Jews. The only other alternative that can be arrived at is that murder was a practice of the early church. A conclusion that I am not willing to embrace based on the conduct of the early church. What is shocking is the correlation between those that do evil and how they believe it is God’s will. Jesus addresses the growth of such people in John chapter 16; 2 he says, “They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God.” Paul certainly believed this when he was arrested Christians and consenting to their death as he did with Steven.
We see another example can be found in John 12: 9-11 Many people had gathered together to see Jesus and others wanted to see Lazarus “whom he had raised from the dead. So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and believing in him.” Instead of allowing the miracle to soften their hearts it hardened their hearts and their response was to become murderous.
You might say “so what, that was then this is now” In the west at least we have grown past killing people over religious issues. James is not focused on murder but sin. Remember he is the one that wrote “if you have sinned in one point of the law you have sinned in all of the law.” When he confronts the issue he is not gentle or subtle. He writes, “You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.” David Guzik a commentator for the Blueletterbible.org states, “The indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit has a jealous yearning for our friendship with God.”
Seeing the works of God are not difficult. A man raised from the dead, blind eyes being opened are all strong evidence of God working in the world. Testimonies abound in every generation about the goodness of God. For those who are hard hearted, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble” His favor is empowering. When we submit to God we are empowered to resist the devil. A resisted devil is a fleeing devil. Free from distraction we can “draw near to God and he will draw near to us.”
However, before you get too excited about drawing near to God remember that he is a Holy God. When Isaiah drew near to God he said. “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.” Isaiah 6:5. James understanding this truth writes, “Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom.”
It is true that Jesus said to his disciples I no longer call you servants but friends but he said that to men who dedicated their entire lives to his service. We often act as if one text message to Jesus gives us access to the Holy of Holies.
In Isaiah case a “seraphim flew to him with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched his mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.” James declared “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”
To be lifted up is to see life beyond this world, beyond ambition, beyond pleasure. It is to make our Lord Jesus Christ the central relationship in our lives. No relationship is genuine unless the parties really know who they are, in my case it means the God who created heaven and earth, who became a man and walked out his life in real time condescends to speak to me on a daily bases. If that does not humble you, nothing will.
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Sunday, November 20, 2011
Wise Mouths
With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water. James 3: 9-12
I grew up in a home in which taking the Lord's name in vain and going to church every Sunday were both standard practice. I never could reconcile these contradictory practices. In retrospect their presence is truly related to ignorance to the word of God.
Praise at its root is thanksgiving to God. When we truly grow in maturity we are able to thank God for simple being himself. When we praise God just because he is God we appreciate where we are in the world and how our God given character traits are being used. Salt water and fresh water are not made distinctive in this verse because one as bad and the other as good. No salt water is prefect for the ocean creatures that dwell in it as fresh water is for the creature that dwell in ponds and lakes and rivers. James is not condemning the church for not praising God but cursing human beings. That usually happens when fig tree people want olive tree people to be figs and vice versa.
When this occurs bitterness, anger, and cursing follow. Humility recognizes that “A man has to know his limitations” Olive trees can not bear figs and certain kinds of people need to be in certain kinds of environments to succeed.
James 3:13 reads “Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.” James is trying to tell us that Christian wisdom should be found both among fig tree people and olive tree people. If we are operating in the Spirit we will discern the types of people who we evangelize. Do we care enough about the soul in front of us to send them to a church that may suit their personality better than our church does or do “we harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts”?. Is our ambition to grow our church kingdom or the kingdom of God?
God has in most instances placed me a city away from the churches that I pastor. That means that most of the people that I lead to Christ live a great distance from my church. It provides me the opportunity to connect people with “fig tree pastors” and “olive tree pastors” Even when that was not the case I would try to connect people to where they belong.
Chapter 3: 15-16 of James describes a wisdom that was found among the believers he was addressing. He described it as follows, “Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.” If we had the wise among us envy and self ambition would be confronted as James is modeling in his letter. It would flow from the wise among us who live a good life as seen through their deeds. James says such wisdom “comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.” then he adds that it creates “Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.”
How do you know when ambition is selfish and when it is Godly? Well in the end you can not always be sure. “let the wheat and tares grow up together” Jesus said. There are things to look for such as who does the message glorify. If it an individual or a church more than Jesus we should take note, and “know those that labor among us.” The traits the James list are basic manners “consideration” “submission” and basic fairness.
The message of the Gospel is not complicated, let us be wise and apply it in the simplicity in which it is given to us.
I grew up in a home in which taking the Lord's name in vain and going to church every Sunday were both standard practice. I never could reconcile these contradictory practices. In retrospect their presence is truly related to ignorance to the word of God.
Praise at its root is thanksgiving to God. When we truly grow in maturity we are able to thank God for simple being himself. When we praise God just because he is God we appreciate where we are in the world and how our God given character traits are being used. Salt water and fresh water are not made distinctive in this verse because one as bad and the other as good. No salt water is prefect for the ocean creatures that dwell in it as fresh water is for the creature that dwell in ponds and lakes and rivers. James is not condemning the church for not praising God but cursing human beings. That usually happens when fig tree people want olive tree people to be figs and vice versa.
When this occurs bitterness, anger, and cursing follow. Humility recognizes that “A man has to know his limitations” Olive trees can not bear figs and certain kinds of people need to be in certain kinds of environments to succeed.
James 3:13 reads “Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.” James is trying to tell us that Christian wisdom should be found both among fig tree people and olive tree people. If we are operating in the Spirit we will discern the types of people who we evangelize. Do we care enough about the soul in front of us to send them to a church that may suit their personality better than our church does or do “we harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts”?. Is our ambition to grow our church kingdom or the kingdom of God?
God has in most instances placed me a city away from the churches that I pastor. That means that most of the people that I lead to Christ live a great distance from my church. It provides me the opportunity to connect people with “fig tree pastors” and “olive tree pastors” Even when that was not the case I would try to connect people to where they belong.
Chapter 3: 15-16 of James describes a wisdom that was found among the believers he was addressing. He described it as follows, “Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.” If we had the wise among us envy and self ambition would be confronted as James is modeling in his letter. It would flow from the wise among us who live a good life as seen through their deeds. James says such wisdom “comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.” then he adds that it creates “Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.”
How do you know when ambition is selfish and when it is Godly? Well in the end you can not always be sure. “let the wheat and tares grow up together” Jesus said. There are things to look for such as who does the message glorify. If it an individual or a church more than Jesus we should take note, and “know those that labor among us.” The traits the James list are basic manners “consideration” “submission” and basic fairness.
The message of the Gospel is not complicated, let us be wise and apply it in the simplicity in which it is given to us.
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Untamed Preacher Tongues
“Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check.” James 3
James 3: 1-2 connects the teaching of the Gospel with the taming of the tongue. He reinforces the accountability that God set on teaching and then he goes on to tell us our common imperfection in teaching and the consequences that can follow in later verses of his epistle. However, there is also an implied promise, the purer our verbal teaching, the purer our lives. This is what he means when he says that a teacher can keep their whole body in check.
When I teach systematic theology I try to teach each systematic doctrinal position equally without my own dogmatism. I tell my students that if their brother's position on a debatable issue can be supported from the Bible then their obligation as a Christian is the love their brother or sister who has the opposing position. I do this because all teachers and denominations, “stumble in many ways” However we should work toward perfect doctrine and theology. Theology is what you think doctrine is what you do. One always flows from the other.
I also try to force my students to seek the scriptures for themselves in order to determine their position and debatable issues. The result is an interesting mix of believers who challenge each other academically and love the word of God, each other, and the Lord himself.
James 3:5 “The tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.”
There seems to be both a symbolic and literal application of this passage. As we make application of of the word “body” and apply it to the body of Christ, we can historically document “a world of evil among the Body of Christ” He begins his conversation about this “world of evil” as it relates to individual teachers however.
Preaching is a powerful medium and can be a bit of an intoxicant. It is easy to drift into teachings that is “puffed up by our vain imaginations” It is easy to preach the power of his resurrection without the fellowship of his suffering. The other error of an untamed preacher tongue is to not speak the word of the Lord for that day, it is like despising prophecy. The preacher wants to tickle ears without the Spirit of God being attached to the word. When these errors continue to occur preaching becomes more of a sensual experience than a spiritual experience. Richard Gazowski, said many years ago, “lust and the Holy Ghost can feel very similar” I think he was right and I think course that “corrupts the whole body, and sets the whole course of one's life on fire” is the consequence of untamed preacher tongues that refuse to preach the “whole counsel of God”. Paul could say to his congregation “I have not withheld anything from you but preached publicly and from house to house.” Acts 20:20. When he did this he kept himself strong. It would be interesting to study the correlation between pastors falling into sensual sin and their commitment to preach the death burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Divine revelation is also not a substitute for communicating all that God desire to communicate. Jesus said to Peter “flesh and blood have not revealed this to you but my father in heaven” and “get behind me Satan you do not have in mind the things of God” within minutes of each other. Peter wanted a Kingdom but not a crucifixion.
Let us keep our “whole body in check” by preaching the “whole counsel of God” and let the fires that burn in our lives by the fires of revival.
James 3: 1-2 connects the teaching of the Gospel with the taming of the tongue. He reinforces the accountability that God set on teaching and then he goes on to tell us our common imperfection in teaching and the consequences that can follow in later verses of his epistle. However, there is also an implied promise, the purer our verbal teaching, the purer our lives. This is what he means when he says that a teacher can keep their whole body in check.
When I teach systematic theology I try to teach each systematic doctrinal position equally without my own dogmatism. I tell my students that if their brother's position on a debatable issue can be supported from the Bible then their obligation as a Christian is the love their brother or sister who has the opposing position. I do this because all teachers and denominations, “stumble in many ways” However we should work toward perfect doctrine and theology. Theology is what you think doctrine is what you do. One always flows from the other.
I also try to force my students to seek the scriptures for themselves in order to determine their position and debatable issues. The result is an interesting mix of believers who challenge each other academically and love the word of God, each other, and the Lord himself.
James 3:5 “The tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.”
There seems to be both a symbolic and literal application of this passage. As we make application of of the word “body” and apply it to the body of Christ, we can historically document “a world of evil among the Body of Christ” He begins his conversation about this “world of evil” as it relates to individual teachers however.
Preaching is a powerful medium and can be a bit of an intoxicant. It is easy to drift into teachings that is “puffed up by our vain imaginations” It is easy to preach the power of his resurrection without the fellowship of his suffering. The other error of an untamed preacher tongue is to not speak the word of the Lord for that day, it is like despising prophecy. The preacher wants to tickle ears without the Spirit of God being attached to the word. When these errors continue to occur preaching becomes more of a sensual experience than a spiritual experience. Richard Gazowski, said many years ago, “lust and the Holy Ghost can feel very similar” I think he was right and I think course that “corrupts the whole body, and sets the whole course of one's life on fire” is the consequence of untamed preacher tongues that refuse to preach the “whole counsel of God”. Paul could say to his congregation “I have not withheld anything from you but preached publicly and from house to house.” Acts 20:20. When he did this he kept himself strong. It would be interesting to study the correlation between pastors falling into sensual sin and their commitment to preach the death burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Divine revelation is also not a substitute for communicating all that God desire to communicate. Jesus said to Peter “flesh and blood have not revealed this to you but my father in heaven” and “get behind me Satan you do not have in mind the things of God” within minutes of each other. Peter wanted a Kingdom but not a crucifixion.
Let us keep our “whole body in check” by preaching the “whole counsel of God” and let the fires that burn in our lives by the fires of revival.
Friday, November 18, 2011
Spirit Lead Good Works
What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
When I think about James teaching about works I am pulled in two directions. The first direction is my personal walk with the Lord and my responsibility to be charitable. This application seems as simple as adding a potato to the soup or throwing some sheets and blankets on the sofa. It has been a source of pleasure for me to see a number of people pass through the bedrooms of my home and the chairs at our kitchen table. The second direction is what I will call the Institutional Body of Christ. Is it each local churches responsibility to make charity part of their mission? Is it a para-church responsibility? Is it driven by denominations that are specialist in this area such as the Salvation Army? Where is the tension between the responsibility to feed the church spiritually through the teaching of the Word of God and the charitable works to those in our flock?
Paul makes a distinction between the good works done for those in the church and those outside the church in Galatians 6:10 “as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” All people are included but Paul is interlocking charitable role and pastoral role when he talks about taking care of the “family of believers”
Acts 6:1 describes a controversy that presented itself in the early church, “the Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food.” The consequence of this controversy was that the first deacons of the church were assigned the task of taking care of widows in the church who needed food.
The Schaffer Institute tracked church growth among 1,103 churches for 15 years, the churches surveyed and tracked include reports from 23 denominations. Consistently it was found that “These Churches were marked with solid Bible teaching and treated each other and outsiders with good hospitality.” Good hospitality and charitable works are not always correlated but it does give you a sense of how God blesses both word and deed.
Does the charity we are called to include work within the systems the world has provided such as hospitals, prisons, and social service agencies or has the Body of Christ abdicated its role to the world in these areas as many believe? God has always honored institutions beyond religious bodies. His greatest servants were often in government, and sometimes in pagan governments. Joseph and Daniel immediately come to mind. They provide us great examples of the role of word and deed. Joseph was called to prepare for a famine in the midst of years of prosperity in order that life might be saved. Daniel provided solutions to kings who would have otherwise oppressed their people except for the word of God that Daniel spoke.
One of the greatest examples of institutional church preparation for good works can be found in Acts 11. Agabus a New Testament prophet “stood up and indicated by the Spirit that a great famine was about to come over the whole inhabited earth (which took place in the time of Claudius). So from the disciples, according to their ability to give, each one of them determined to send financial aid for support to the brothers who lived in Judea, which they also did, sending the aid to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.” Let us make sure that we know what happened here. A Spirit lead man reported to the church leaders that a famine was going to happen and an offering was taken to meet the needs of those suffering before the event happened. Let us also recognize that each gave according to their ability, and leaders could be trusted to carry the funds without a question of ethical conflict. Ephesians 2:10 that reads “for we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Freewill can cause us the miss the completion of those good works, but they are prepared distinctively for each individual generation and time. We can discern these good works if we are prayerful.
We as believers need to connect our Spirit lead lives to the good works that we do, both individually and institutionally. When we do this we will not question what our individual and institutional good works are thy will flow naturally from the throne of God and we will accomplish our purpose on earth.
When I think about James teaching about works I am pulled in two directions. The first direction is my personal walk with the Lord and my responsibility to be charitable. This application seems as simple as adding a potato to the soup or throwing some sheets and blankets on the sofa. It has been a source of pleasure for me to see a number of people pass through the bedrooms of my home and the chairs at our kitchen table. The second direction is what I will call the Institutional Body of Christ. Is it each local churches responsibility to make charity part of their mission? Is it a para-church responsibility? Is it driven by denominations that are specialist in this area such as the Salvation Army? Where is the tension between the responsibility to feed the church spiritually through the teaching of the Word of God and the charitable works to those in our flock?
Paul makes a distinction between the good works done for those in the church and those outside the church in Galatians 6:10 “as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” All people are included but Paul is interlocking charitable role and pastoral role when he talks about taking care of the “family of believers”
Acts 6:1 describes a controversy that presented itself in the early church, “the Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food.” The consequence of this controversy was that the first deacons of the church were assigned the task of taking care of widows in the church who needed food.
The Schaffer Institute tracked church growth among 1,103 churches for 15 years, the churches surveyed and tracked include reports from 23 denominations. Consistently it was found that “These Churches were marked with solid Bible teaching and treated each other and outsiders with good hospitality.” Good hospitality and charitable works are not always correlated but it does give you a sense of how God blesses both word and deed.
Does the charity we are called to include work within the systems the world has provided such as hospitals, prisons, and social service agencies or has the Body of Christ abdicated its role to the world in these areas as many believe? God has always honored institutions beyond religious bodies. His greatest servants were often in government, and sometimes in pagan governments. Joseph and Daniel immediately come to mind. They provide us great examples of the role of word and deed. Joseph was called to prepare for a famine in the midst of years of prosperity in order that life might be saved. Daniel provided solutions to kings who would have otherwise oppressed their people except for the word of God that Daniel spoke.
One of the greatest examples of institutional church preparation for good works can be found in Acts 11. Agabus a New Testament prophet “stood up and indicated by the Spirit that a great famine was about to come over the whole inhabited earth (which took place in the time of Claudius). So from the disciples, according to their ability to give, each one of them determined to send financial aid for support to the brothers who lived in Judea, which they also did, sending the aid to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.” Let us make sure that we know what happened here. A Spirit lead man reported to the church leaders that a famine was going to happen and an offering was taken to meet the needs of those suffering before the event happened. Let us also recognize that each gave according to their ability, and leaders could be trusted to carry the funds without a question of ethical conflict. Ephesians 2:10 that reads “for we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Freewill can cause us the miss the completion of those good works, but they are prepared distinctively for each individual generation and time. We can discern these good works if we are prayerful.
We as believers need to connect our Spirit lead lives to the good works that we do, both individually and institutionally. When we do this we will not question what our individual and institutional good works are thy will flow naturally from the throne of God and we will accomplish our purpose on earth.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Mercy’s Perfection
If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well; but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. For He who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.”Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty. For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
Love and partiality are mutually exclusive. In an earlier passage in the book of James it says, “Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.” When you take care of the widow and the orphan it demonstrates more than love for neighbor. You communicate to the widow, “I will love you as I love my mother”, and to the orphanage “I will love you as my own child.” It is the ultimate impartiality. Through Christ we become children of the living God. The father does not make a distinction between his love for us and his love for Jesus. It is impartial John 1: 12-13 read “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.“
All of the law is a tutorial in love. When we fail to keep the law we fail in our love walk. The sin itself does not matter. “If you have sinned in one point of the law you have sinned in all of the law. In the 2007 movie Kite Runner the Father, named Baba, wants to teach his son about righteousness. He says these words. “There is only one sin, only one. And that is theft. Every other sin is a variation of theft... When you kill a man, you steal a life. You steal his wife's right to a husband, rob his children of a father. When you tell a lie, you steal someone's right to the truth. When you cheat, you steal the right to fairness.”
In regards to sin, all are convicted guilty, in regards to righteousness all have been made holy through Christ, because the father has not been partial but has allowed mercy to triumph over judgment. We have the same opportunity in our lives. We can allow mercy to triumph over judgment, our ability to do so is clearer as we keep the law more perfectly. With each passing victory over sin we grow more and more aware of just how far we are from keeping it perfectly. The scripture from 1 Corinthians 10:13 grows in clarity within our hearts. “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.” Susan Murphy one of the ministers of our organization stressed the ‘commonness” of sin. The devil doesn’t have new tricks; there is nothing new under the sun. The same old three sins trip us up. “lust of the eye, lust of the flesh, and the pride of life.” Therefore even as we grow in practical holiness we are humble to the perfection of our savior.
John Mcarthur has rightly pointed out that Jesus experienced every temptation known to man to its absolute highest level yet he did not sin. He could call down a legion and murder his adversaries, he could manipulate through words of wisdom, such as the one he shared with the women at the well. He could be prideful at his command over the elements when he calmed the storm and walked on the water. Each temptation was ever present and he was never provided a way of escape as we are. As he suffered the agony of temptation he learned that the wages of sin are death. He paid that price in mercy not judgment. He did not fall even in one point of the law and therefore is free to judge rightly because he is impartial. Shall we drink of the same cup as our master, lets us resist the devil that he may flee from us, and let we who are spiritual restore those who have failed, meekly acknowledging our own imperfect keeping of the law.
Love and partiality are mutually exclusive. In an earlier passage in the book of James it says, “Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.” When you take care of the widow and the orphan it demonstrates more than love for neighbor. You communicate to the widow, “I will love you as I love my mother”, and to the orphanage “I will love you as my own child.” It is the ultimate impartiality. Through Christ we become children of the living God. The father does not make a distinction between his love for us and his love for Jesus. It is impartial John 1: 12-13 read “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.“
All of the law is a tutorial in love. When we fail to keep the law we fail in our love walk. The sin itself does not matter. “If you have sinned in one point of the law you have sinned in all of the law. In the 2007 movie Kite Runner the Father, named Baba, wants to teach his son about righteousness. He says these words. “There is only one sin, only one. And that is theft. Every other sin is a variation of theft... When you kill a man, you steal a life. You steal his wife's right to a husband, rob his children of a father. When you tell a lie, you steal someone's right to the truth. When you cheat, you steal the right to fairness.”
In regards to sin, all are convicted guilty, in regards to righteousness all have been made holy through Christ, because the father has not been partial but has allowed mercy to triumph over judgment. We have the same opportunity in our lives. We can allow mercy to triumph over judgment, our ability to do so is clearer as we keep the law more perfectly. With each passing victory over sin we grow more and more aware of just how far we are from keeping it perfectly. The scripture from 1 Corinthians 10:13 grows in clarity within our hearts. “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.” Susan Murphy one of the ministers of our organization stressed the ‘commonness” of sin. The devil doesn’t have new tricks; there is nothing new under the sun. The same old three sins trip us up. “lust of the eye, lust of the flesh, and the pride of life.” Therefore even as we grow in practical holiness we are humble to the perfection of our savior.
John Mcarthur has rightly pointed out that Jesus experienced every temptation known to man to its absolute highest level yet he did not sin. He could call down a legion and murder his adversaries, he could manipulate through words of wisdom, such as the one he shared with the women at the well. He could be prideful at his command over the elements when he calmed the storm and walked on the water. Each temptation was ever present and he was never provided a way of escape as we are. As he suffered the agony of temptation he learned that the wages of sin are death. He paid that price in mercy not judgment. He did not fall even in one point of the law and therefore is free to judge rightly because he is impartial. Shall we drink of the same cup as our master, lets us resist the devil that he may flee from us, and let we who are spiritual restore those who have failed, meekly acknowledging our own imperfect keeping of the law.
A Faith Shake
My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
Modern individuals are fond of saying “I never talk religion or politics”. I guess that leaves sports and explains why games are so important to the modern world. The problem with that approach to living and discourse is that politics and religion deal with reality. Games are by definition “make believe” test of character. Politics and religion deal directly with the way that we treat people and resources. James 2 1-4 are as applicable today as they were when James wrote them.
The verses drive questions that church people may not want to answer honestly. Does my church favor those who dress nice and shun those who are poorly attired? Your church might not have a problem with blue jeans but does it discriminate between those that have and those that don’t? I consider myself a prosperity preacher, I believe that God is in the blessing business. I believe that he wants to bless the poor, so these scriptures are especially challenging. When I discriminate the Bible says I demonstrate evil thoughts.
I commute by bus. It is a city line so “all types’ get on the bus. It has been my experience that it is rarely a man in a business suit, like me, who says, God Bless to the bus driver. It is usually some disheveled person who is a bit too dirty and a bit too loud. (I am doing the judges with evil thoughts thing) verse 5 addresses this directly
Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor.
I don’t think that I have ever heard a message from this passage. This verse puts most of us to shame. We are not rich in faith we are in fact poor in faith. We are especially poor in faith when we use what little faith we have to prosper in this life. When Jesus speaks about a kingdom promised to those who love him you can apply it to this life it you want to but you are foolish if you do. “You have received your reward”
Matthew 6:19-21 reads “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Prosperity is not stuff. Prosperity is faith, and sometimes when we grow in faith we get more stuff. However sometimes when we prosper it is to prepare us for bad times. Believers today and believers in James time both applied this truth badly. It has been a very long time since I have had a bill collector call me, “Praise the Lord” but I remember them as being unkind, rude, and demeaning. James is writing to believers in the passage when he says, “is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? Then he refers to unbelievers, many who filled the power positions then as they do now and asked, “Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong?’The bill collector then as now does not care that you made a purchase “by faith” when in fact was made “in the flesh”
It would be better if we had lent the money to the poor without expecting anything in return. “But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you”. Matthew 6 2-4
I challenge you to go the Biblegateway.com and type in the word lend and see what the Bible has to say about this issue. One passage that is familiar reads, “He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward him for what he has done.”
The giving done in secret may be what that brother or sister needs to prosper. It may be a new set of cloths or a job or some other material thing. However, when Jesus says that you will always have the poor among you I believe he is referring in part to those that do not have the capacity to meet their own needs. Paul writing to the Thessalonians says “Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.”
The unruly might be us those of us that fail to see beyond our own needs. The feebleminded, the weak may not get better and therefore we should be patient and kind for it could be us and not them.
I road the bus today and had a long conversation with a man who was born blind. He was on the way into the city to make sure that those who are disabled have access to the bus line. There is one neighborhood that I believe the bus line needs to serve. We spoke about it and he promised to advocate for them. He has never seen that neighborhood and unless the Lord grants him sight he never will but he advocated for those in need. The least we can do is shake every visitors hand that comes into our church the same way.
Modern individuals are fond of saying “I never talk religion or politics”. I guess that leaves sports and explains why games are so important to the modern world. The problem with that approach to living and discourse is that politics and religion deal with reality. Games are by definition “make believe” test of character. Politics and religion deal directly with the way that we treat people and resources. James 2 1-4 are as applicable today as they were when James wrote them.
The verses drive questions that church people may not want to answer honestly. Does my church favor those who dress nice and shun those who are poorly attired? Your church might not have a problem with blue jeans but does it discriminate between those that have and those that don’t? I consider myself a prosperity preacher, I believe that God is in the blessing business. I believe that he wants to bless the poor, so these scriptures are especially challenging. When I discriminate the Bible says I demonstrate evil thoughts.
I commute by bus. It is a city line so “all types’ get on the bus. It has been my experience that it is rarely a man in a business suit, like me, who says, God Bless to the bus driver. It is usually some disheveled person who is a bit too dirty and a bit too loud. (I am doing the judges with evil thoughts thing) verse 5 addresses this directly
Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor.
I don’t think that I have ever heard a message from this passage. This verse puts most of us to shame. We are not rich in faith we are in fact poor in faith. We are especially poor in faith when we use what little faith we have to prosper in this life. When Jesus speaks about a kingdom promised to those who love him you can apply it to this life it you want to but you are foolish if you do. “You have received your reward”
Matthew 6:19-21 reads “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Prosperity is not stuff. Prosperity is faith, and sometimes when we grow in faith we get more stuff. However sometimes when we prosper it is to prepare us for bad times. Believers today and believers in James time both applied this truth badly. It has been a very long time since I have had a bill collector call me, “Praise the Lord” but I remember them as being unkind, rude, and demeaning. James is writing to believers in the passage when he says, “is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? Then he refers to unbelievers, many who filled the power positions then as they do now and asked, “Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong?’The bill collector then as now does not care that you made a purchase “by faith” when in fact was made “in the flesh”
It would be better if we had lent the money to the poor without expecting anything in return. “But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you”. Matthew 6 2-4
I challenge you to go the Biblegateway.com and type in the word lend and see what the Bible has to say about this issue. One passage that is familiar reads, “He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward him for what he has done.”
The giving done in secret may be what that brother or sister needs to prosper. It may be a new set of cloths or a job or some other material thing. However, when Jesus says that you will always have the poor among you I believe he is referring in part to those that do not have the capacity to meet their own needs. Paul writing to the Thessalonians says “Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.”
The unruly might be us those of us that fail to see beyond our own needs. The feebleminded, the weak may not get better and therefore we should be patient and kind for it could be us and not them.
I road the bus today and had a long conversation with a man who was born blind. He was on the way into the city to make sure that those who are disabled have access to the bus line. There is one neighborhood that I believe the bus line needs to serve. We spoke about it and he promised to advocate for them. He has never seen that neighborhood and unless the Lord grants him sight he never will but he advocated for those in need. The least we can do is shake every visitors hand that comes into our church the same way.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Ears of Faith
My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,
The old proverb holds true in regards to this scripture. God gave us one mouth and two ears because he wanted us the listen twice as much as we talk. James 1:19 however is dealing with more than words. The subject is anger not communication. The implication of the passage is that if we will listen instead of talking we will avoid the type of angry that leads to sin.
Ralph Nichols spent his life trying to improve the way that people listen. He said, "The most basic of all human needs is the need to understand and be understood. The best way to understand people is to listen to them." He believed that listening could be taught. The scriptures frame listening as a command. When a Christian listens, all of their being should be involved. What I mean by this is that all of our mind, spirit and soul should be engaged in each human encounter. We have to listen for affect. The field of psychology defines affect as, “observable behavior that represents the expression of a subjectively experienced feeling state (emotion). Common examples of affect are sadness, fear, joy, and anger.” Another term that we could apply to listening is empathy. Empathy is “understanding of another's feelings: the ability to identify with and understand somebody else's feelings or difficulties.”
We are less likely to become angry with another person if we can enter their world and see things from their perspective. It does not mean you have to agree with their perspective. It also means that you do not have to convince them of your perspective. Understanding follows listening as faith follows believing. Let’s consider verse James 1:20
because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.
If I humbly accept the word that has been planted in me, I will trust God. I will trust him to grant the other person the wisdom that I am very sure that I already possess. If I grow in humility and obey the command to listen I may find that God is teaching me through the other person’s words. If I apply faith to that moment. The evidence of this faith is following the command to listen. To do otherwise rejects the word of God. It leads to evil because I have determined to communicate through the flesh and not through the spirit.
When we are slow to speak we allow the Holy Spirit to fill our mouth with words of wisdom and knowledge that benefit us and the hearer. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. You will not have the word of God if you disobey his command and talk too much.
Nehemiah chapter two provides us a wonderful example of listening with empathy and spiritually. King Artaxerxes was a man that could listen empathically despite his high position. His body guard and cup bearer Nehemiah was sad and depressed. The King cared for his servant and askef Nehemiah his problem. The scriptures tell us that Nehemiah was afraid, but he was also slow to speak. Before he opened his mouth he prayed. He listened, and then God spoke through him. The words that he spoke flowed through him and lead to the restoration of the Nation of Israel. The King asked specific questions and listened. He granted his servant favor. Each man spoke when he should and each man listened when he should, then God will was manifested. Lao Tzu said, A Chinese philosopher not far removed in time from Nehemiah said "Silence is a source of great strength."
That strength is powerful enough to overcome anger and leads to the righteous life that God desires. James 1:22.
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
If we want to be free from fleshly responses that lead to anger and unrighteousness we need the freedom that only the word of God can give us. We need to stare at it, “look intently” as verse twenty-five says.
Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.
The other consequence that results from our obedience to listening is self awareness. When you listen you remember who you are, empathy and spiritual awareness often flow from our own experience. We don’t exasperate our teenagers because we remember when we were teenagers. We are more patient with those that are stressed because we remember when we were stressed. We are gentle and spiritual with those that sin, because staring intently at the law that brings liberty reminds us that we are vulnerable to personal failure and sin as well.
God is Faithful to His Word
The old proverb holds true in regards to this scripture. God gave us one mouth and two ears because he wanted us the listen twice as much as we talk. James 1:19 however is dealing with more than words. The subject is anger not communication. The implication of the passage is that if we will listen instead of talking we will avoid the type of angry that leads to sin.
Ralph Nichols spent his life trying to improve the way that people listen. He said, "The most basic of all human needs is the need to understand and be understood. The best way to understand people is to listen to them." He believed that listening could be taught. The scriptures frame listening as a command. When a Christian listens, all of their being should be involved. What I mean by this is that all of our mind, spirit and soul should be engaged in each human encounter. We have to listen for affect. The field of psychology defines affect as, “observable behavior that represents the expression of a subjectively experienced feeling state (emotion). Common examples of affect are sadness, fear, joy, and anger.” Another term that we could apply to listening is empathy. Empathy is “understanding of another's feelings: the ability to identify with and understand somebody else's feelings or difficulties.”
We are less likely to become angry with another person if we can enter their world and see things from their perspective. It does not mean you have to agree with their perspective. It also means that you do not have to convince them of your perspective. Understanding follows listening as faith follows believing. Let’s consider verse James 1:20
because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.
If I humbly accept the word that has been planted in me, I will trust God. I will trust him to grant the other person the wisdom that I am very sure that I already possess. If I grow in humility and obey the command to listen I may find that God is teaching me through the other person’s words. If I apply faith to that moment. The evidence of this faith is following the command to listen. To do otherwise rejects the word of God. It leads to evil because I have determined to communicate through the flesh and not through the spirit.
When we are slow to speak we allow the Holy Spirit to fill our mouth with words of wisdom and knowledge that benefit us and the hearer. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. You will not have the word of God if you disobey his command and talk too much.
Nehemiah chapter two provides us a wonderful example of listening with empathy and spiritually. King Artaxerxes was a man that could listen empathically despite his high position. His body guard and cup bearer Nehemiah was sad and depressed. The King cared for his servant and askef Nehemiah his problem. The scriptures tell us that Nehemiah was afraid, but he was also slow to speak. Before he opened his mouth he prayed. He listened, and then God spoke through him. The words that he spoke flowed through him and lead to the restoration of the Nation of Israel. The King asked specific questions and listened. He granted his servant favor. Each man spoke when he should and each man listened when he should, then God will was manifested. Lao Tzu said, A Chinese philosopher not far removed in time from Nehemiah said "Silence is a source of great strength."
That strength is powerful enough to overcome anger and leads to the righteous life that God desires. James 1:22.
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
If we want to be free from fleshly responses that lead to anger and unrighteousness we need the freedom that only the word of God can give us. We need to stare at it, “look intently” as verse twenty-five says.
Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.
The other consequence that results from our obedience to listening is self awareness. When you listen you remember who you are, empathy and spiritual awareness often flow from our own experience. We don’t exasperate our teenagers because we remember when we were teenagers. We are more patient with those that are stressed because we remember when we were stressed. We are gentle and spiritual with those that sin, because staring intently at the law that brings liberty reminds us that we are vulnerable to personal failure and sin as well.
God is Faithful to His Word
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
God is Good
When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone;
The modern liturgy of the street and church hall begins with “God is Good” and the response “All the Time” and together we say “and All the time God is Good” Never have words been more true. However we usually say it thinking the “God is Good because God has been Good to Me” while that may be true if we are to understand the nature of God we need to understand that God is good all the time.
It can be difficult to believe when we see evil prevail or sickness hit the innocent or natural disasters that seem unfathomable. Bad stuff happens and sometimes to good people. Sometimes good stuff happens to bad people. I answer to this dilemma with a standard retort and premise. God is always good and God is always just. He is just in what he allows and what he does not. Sickness is not always caused by sinfulness and natural disasters are not always judgments. When we are tempted to blame God and be angry or bitter toward him we need to remember he is not tempted by evil.
God does not hold resentments. He does not execute vengeance indiscriminately. He does not need anything and therefore lust after nothing; he cannot be bribed or manipulated. God does not have self esteem issues he is not lonely and in need of relationships. God is Love, 1 John 4:8.
1 Corinthians describes love for us. " Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."
Love is other directed not self directed. It considers others more highly than ourselves: sin is the opposite of this, sin is always selfish and the root of sin lies in our own character.
but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed.
Many believers come from the Flip Wilson, the 1970’s comedian, School of Theology; they claim the “Devil made me do it.” Well the devil is a tempter. He tempted Jesus, and he tempted Adam and Eve. The difference between Jesus and Adam was that Adam’s desire lead to disobedience while Jesus continued to obey even when his will was contrary to the Father’s. When Jesus cries “not my will but yours be done” he is indicating that he did not want to go to the cross. Hebrews 5: 7-8 express this truth in very clear terms. “During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered”
Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death
Death has reigned in human history since the disobedience of Adam. If it were not Adam it would have been you. Adam walked with God as no man ever has and he could not stand up to the desires of his flesh, in the midst of a sinful world you only have one pray, “Lord save me.”.
Sin when it is full grown brings death, death to relationships, and jobs and nations and dreams and all things that it touches. But God in his mercy became a man and lived out what we could not live out on owe own. Romans 5:19 reads “For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.”
That righteousness is action based. It creates it loves, it works, and it forgives. It demonstrates the character of the Good God we speak about to others and shows that he is a gift giver and a joy stealer.
Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.
The gift of the Word of Truth is the “God is Good, and All the Time God is Good.”
The modern liturgy of the street and church hall begins with “God is Good” and the response “All the Time” and together we say “and All the time God is Good” Never have words been more true. However we usually say it thinking the “God is Good because God has been Good to Me” while that may be true if we are to understand the nature of God we need to understand that God is good all the time.
It can be difficult to believe when we see evil prevail or sickness hit the innocent or natural disasters that seem unfathomable. Bad stuff happens and sometimes to good people. Sometimes good stuff happens to bad people. I answer to this dilemma with a standard retort and premise. God is always good and God is always just. He is just in what he allows and what he does not. Sickness is not always caused by sinfulness and natural disasters are not always judgments. When we are tempted to blame God and be angry or bitter toward him we need to remember he is not tempted by evil.
God does not hold resentments. He does not execute vengeance indiscriminately. He does not need anything and therefore lust after nothing; he cannot be bribed or manipulated. God does not have self esteem issues he is not lonely and in need of relationships. God is Love, 1 John 4:8.
1 Corinthians describes love for us. " Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."
Love is other directed not self directed. It considers others more highly than ourselves: sin is the opposite of this, sin is always selfish and the root of sin lies in our own character.
but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed.
Many believers come from the Flip Wilson, the 1970’s comedian, School of Theology; they claim the “Devil made me do it.” Well the devil is a tempter. He tempted Jesus, and he tempted Adam and Eve. The difference between Jesus and Adam was that Adam’s desire lead to disobedience while Jesus continued to obey even when his will was contrary to the Father’s. When Jesus cries “not my will but yours be done” he is indicating that he did not want to go to the cross. Hebrews 5: 7-8 express this truth in very clear terms. “During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered”
Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death
Death has reigned in human history since the disobedience of Adam. If it were not Adam it would have been you. Adam walked with God as no man ever has and he could not stand up to the desires of his flesh, in the midst of a sinful world you only have one pray, “Lord save me.”.
Sin when it is full grown brings death, death to relationships, and jobs and nations and dreams and all things that it touches. But God in his mercy became a man and lived out what we could not live out on owe own. Romans 5:19 reads “For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.”
That righteousness is action based. It creates it loves, it works, and it forgives. It demonstrates the character of the Good God we speak about to others and shows that he is a gift giver and a joy stealer.
Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.
The gift of the Word of Truth is the “God is Good, and All the Time God is Good.”
Monday, November 14, 2011
The Joy of Work
James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,
Sometimes it is good to remind ourselves about who we are. As believers and ministers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ we are servants and should have the same mind and attitude as our savior. “go labor on spend and be spent thy joy to do the masters will, it is the way the master went should not his servants tread it still.” The English is old so maybe you would relate to this thought better. “It is better to burn out than fade away.” Paul declared, “I press on to the high calling”
I am greatly concerned with the level of grace that we have allowed in our lives, and its effect on our personal righteousness. Labor can keep all of us Holy. Working out our salvation may need to be taken more literally. I suspect that is true of many believers in this generation. Our works and our faith seem separated and we therefore do not have a strong foundation for serving God and each other.
The theme of the Book of James takes tension of work and faith and merges them in a form that becomes impossible to separate. Martin Luther who had worked so hard at this salvation without faith hated this book and wanted it removed from the canon of scripture. He simple could not reconcile it with the “just shall live by faith” I am not the theologian he was nor am I obsessed with perfect answers, what I do want to see in my own life and the life of others is outcomes based on evidence of a life as a servant of God and the Lord Jesus Christ, therefore I align myself with the Apostle that said, “show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.”
To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations: Greetings.
James is writing to Jewish believers scattered in the persecution of the church. How much anti-Semitism would have been avoid in the history of the church if the gentile believers had remembered that the controversy of the New Testament was how does the church assimilate Gentiles not how does the church assimilate the Jew?
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
James sets before us the outcome that the Lord is seeking in our lives, “mature and complete, not lacking anything” The means to the accomplishment of this goal is the facing of “many kinds of trials” Persecution is one that we have already confronted in this chapter, but is not frequently encountered in the modern western church. However, persecution is just one of the ‘many kinds’ the life of faith will be tested with. The outcome the Lord is looking for is ‘pure joy’. The pandemic of depression in the western world would indicate that we are not obtaining this outcome. Ralph Waldo Emerson had a suggested remedy for depression. “Don't waste life in doubts and fears; spend yourself on the work before you, well assured that the right performance of this hour's duties will be the best preparation for the hours and ages that will follow it.”
Work has a value in and of itself. Theodore Roosevelt said, “Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.” The work of preaching the Gospel is work worth doing.
If we are to be mature and complete we need to understand that we were made for a purpose. The 12 century Persian poet Jalal ad-Din Rumi captures this truth in the following saying, “Everyone has been made for some particular work, and the desire for that work has been put in every heart.” Often times that particular work or call has to be labored for and wrestled with, but if we ask in faith we will receive it.
If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.
Wisdom will deliver you from a trail and from a temptation. Wisdom will give you stability the midst of the storm. The opposite of wisdom might not be foolishness. It might be faithlessness. The consequence of a lack a faith is consistent failure in all that is attempted.
But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.
Your place in the world does not matter, rich or poor great or small we all stand before the judgment seat of Christ to give an account for what we did with our lives. William Wallace character in Brave Heart says without hesitation, “God makes men what they are”
Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position. But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower. 11 For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business.
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.
Wallace’s confidence came from a faith that believed in freedom and purpose and nationalism, all Biblical concepts. He knew what he was made to do, and in life or in death he was determined to see it through to the end. All Believers should have this attitude. I am here on Earth to serve, to love, the labor, to be free to live like I am called to live. Then I will work with pure joy and I will be made fully complete
Sometimes it is good to remind ourselves about who we are. As believers and ministers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ we are servants and should have the same mind and attitude as our savior. “go labor on spend and be spent thy joy to do the masters will, it is the way the master went should not his servants tread it still.” The English is old so maybe you would relate to this thought better. “It is better to burn out than fade away.” Paul declared, “I press on to the high calling”
I am greatly concerned with the level of grace that we have allowed in our lives, and its effect on our personal righteousness. Labor can keep all of us Holy. Working out our salvation may need to be taken more literally. I suspect that is true of many believers in this generation. Our works and our faith seem separated and we therefore do not have a strong foundation for serving God and each other.
The theme of the Book of James takes tension of work and faith and merges them in a form that becomes impossible to separate. Martin Luther who had worked so hard at this salvation without faith hated this book and wanted it removed from the canon of scripture. He simple could not reconcile it with the “just shall live by faith” I am not the theologian he was nor am I obsessed with perfect answers, what I do want to see in my own life and the life of others is outcomes based on evidence of a life as a servant of God and the Lord Jesus Christ, therefore I align myself with the Apostle that said, “show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.”
To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations: Greetings.
James is writing to Jewish believers scattered in the persecution of the church. How much anti-Semitism would have been avoid in the history of the church if the gentile believers had remembered that the controversy of the New Testament was how does the church assimilate Gentiles not how does the church assimilate the Jew?
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
James sets before us the outcome that the Lord is seeking in our lives, “mature and complete, not lacking anything” The means to the accomplishment of this goal is the facing of “many kinds of trials” Persecution is one that we have already confronted in this chapter, but is not frequently encountered in the modern western church. However, persecution is just one of the ‘many kinds’ the life of faith will be tested with. The outcome the Lord is looking for is ‘pure joy’. The pandemic of depression in the western world would indicate that we are not obtaining this outcome. Ralph Waldo Emerson had a suggested remedy for depression. “Don't waste life in doubts and fears; spend yourself on the work before you, well assured that the right performance of this hour's duties will be the best preparation for the hours and ages that will follow it.”
Work has a value in and of itself. Theodore Roosevelt said, “Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.” The work of preaching the Gospel is work worth doing.
If we are to be mature and complete we need to understand that we were made for a purpose. The 12 century Persian poet Jalal ad-Din Rumi captures this truth in the following saying, “Everyone has been made for some particular work, and the desire for that work has been put in every heart.” Often times that particular work or call has to be labored for and wrestled with, but if we ask in faith we will receive it.
If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.
Wisdom will deliver you from a trail and from a temptation. Wisdom will give you stability the midst of the storm. The opposite of wisdom might not be foolishness. It might be faithlessness. The consequence of a lack a faith is consistent failure in all that is attempted.
But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.
Your place in the world does not matter, rich or poor great or small we all stand before the judgment seat of Christ to give an account for what we did with our lives. William Wallace character in Brave Heart says without hesitation, “God makes men what they are”
Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position. But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower. 11 For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business.
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.
Wallace’s confidence came from a faith that believed in freedom and purpose and nationalism, all Biblical concepts. He knew what he was made to do, and in life or in death he was determined to see it through to the end. All Believers should have this attitude. I am here on Earth to serve, to love, the labor, to be free to live like I am called to live. Then I will work with pure joy and I will be made fully complete
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