Conclusion: James

First let me thank you for taking this journey with me.  James gets right in our faces - no "beating around the bush"!  He rebukes us, challenges us, encourages us and calls us to a more Christ like life.  James provides a message that is sorely needed in our self-indulgent culture.  This little letter is all about growing up - maturing in our Lord.  How I wish we were sitting around a table to talk about what has been most striking to you.  This summer, where will you place your focus in your own growth plan?

Several years ago a phrase became popular in Christian circles:  "Don't just talk the talk; walk the walk".  As so often happens, phrases get overused and, thus, become a bit cliche.  However, I think James would agree with this one.  His challenges center around the reality of "doing" what you say you believe.

James has confronted us in so many areas of our lives.  Think through some of them with me, and then add your own.

He challenges our use of speech.  Is your word truly trustworthy?  Do you mean what you say and say what you mean?  As we focus there, all forms of manipulative language will have to go.  Dishonesty has to go.  Harsh words that are hurtful have to go.  Talking too much and never listening has to go.  What we say matters ... and how we say it matters.  James tells us to "grow up" in relationship to our language.

He challenges us in the area of religion.  He reminds us that it really is not about ritual and form ... it is about compassion, about love, about commitment to our Lord.  James tells us to "grow up" in the way we think about religion.

He challenges us to examine our faith.  Does it "do" anything - or is it all talk?  Faith that is not visible is no faith at all.  It is no better than that of the demons, in fact.  James tells us to "grow up" in the way we view our faith.

He challenges us in regard to our use of money.  James warns us about wealth.  He warns us about favoritism and preferring those who have much over those who have little.  He advocates generosity and fair, equitable treatment of others.  He shares his heart (which is the Lord's heart) toward the poor and the disenfranchised of the world.  James tells us to "grow up" in the way we think about and use money.

He challenges us in the area of trials and temptation - sin and struggle.  James wants us to know the source of temptation - and it is not God!  He rebukes us when we make excuses for sin - or when we rationalize ungodly behaviors in our own lives.  James tells us to "grow up".

He calls us into true community as believers - not any kind of pseudo community that is nothing more than a name on a membership list.  Life together - looking after and caring for one another - helping and praying for one another.  That requires involvement.  James tells us to "grow up" as members of the family of God.

Which of his themes were most important to you?  I would love to hear!

Did you notice how often James' words reflected words from Jesus?  He wasn't actually quoting Jesus ... but the principles and the thoughts that Jesus had spoken seemed to surface in every theme in James' letter.  That lets us know that the principles of Christ were such a part of James' mind and frame of reference that they just kept spilling out.  They had become a part of his own mind.  Oh how I long for that to be true of me!  Are we staying in the Word of God, in the gospels, in the words of Jesus so that they will become an integral part of our own thinking?   That would reflect wisdom, true wisdom from above ... ask God for it.

We have no record of James, the brother of Jesus, believing in Jesus as Son of God until after the resurrection.  But by the time the little band of believers were meeting together after Jesus' death and resurrection, his conversion had come to be - the transformation had begun.  And James, the skeptic, the unbeliever became James the Just.  James joined Peter and John to become the 3 pillars of the early Jerusalem church.  And as persecution erupted all over the Roman empire against Christians, that Jerusalem church suffered much.  Our James remained a faithful rock ... a leader ... a fully committed follower of Jesus, the Christ.

Early tradition tells us that James died a martyr's death.  The Jewish historian Josephus' account is very brief but poignant:

So Ananus, being that kind of man, and thinking that he had got a good opportunity because Festus was dead and Albinus not yet arrived, holds a judicial council; and he brought before it the brother of Jesus, who was called Christ - James was his name - and some others, and on the charge of violating the law he gave them over to be stoned.

Another historian, Eusebius, records that James was taken to the highest pinnacle of the temple and thrown down.  He recorded that the fall did not kill him so those on the ground stoned and clubbed him to his final death.

I thank God for the life of this man.  I thank God for preserving the words written by him to those earliest believers.  I thank God that I can read them today and be challenged in my own faith by the very words of the brother of our Lord.  I thank God for his faithfulness and courage.

May you and I, having read and studied these words, take them to heart.  May God give us the courage to act on them ... to be believers whose faith is visible and whose desire is ever for the life of Christ to be lived out in each one of us.

May God bless you as you continue your journey toward Him ...

Wandering: James 5: 19 - 20 (P26)

James 5: 19 - 20

My brothers and sisters, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and is brought back by another, you should know that whoever brings back a sinner from wandering will save the sinner's soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

So we arrive at the last words from James to his fellow Jewish believers in the Messiah - the Jewish church scattered because of persecution.  I find it very interesting that these are his final words - his final emphasis.  Two facts jump to the surface as I read these verses.

First, as a believer, as a part of the family of God, the church ... it is possible to wander away.  James was concerned about those who might wander back into a life of sin-focus - away from the freedom that we have in Christ.  His heart was troubled by those who had left the "life path" and had chosen to walk again on the "death path".  For you and I, it is important to remember that while my salvation is secure in the hands of Almighty God ... I can CHOOSE to get off the road.  I can CHOOSE to turn my back on the sacrifice and life of Jesus and wander back into a life of self and sin. 

I am reminded of Jesus' parable of the soils in Matthew 13.  Reread that parable in Matthew 13: 1 - 9 and its interpretation in verses 18 - 23.  I wonder if this story was was in James' mind.  I wonder if he was thinking of some people he loved whose faith had sprouted quickly ... then the troubles in Jerusalem had taken their toll and the people had left the walk of faith.  I wonder if he was thinking of some people he loved who had been lured back into the world system of self focus and gratification and had left the walk of faith. 

It is possible to "wander from the truth". 

Lord, guard my heart from any wander-lust that may try and lure me from Your side. 

Second, don't let the "wanderers" go without doing what you can do!   It matters.  It is about love.  Muster the courage to express your concern.  In our day and time we are most reticent about speaking to anyone about their behaviors or attitudes.   Our culture has beaten us down with accusations of judgmentalism and narrow-mindedness ... so we are hesitant to say anything. 

Love demands that we speak.  It MUST NOT be done with a finger pointing or a strident voice.  It MUST NOT be done with a self-righteous mind or attitude.  It must be done in humility, with love, through prayer.  But it must be done.  To say nothing ... to make no attempt to bring the 'wanderer' home is a lack of love - a violation of the 2nd greatest commandment from our Lord - love your neighbor as yourself. 

Lord, give me the courage to speak to anyone I know who is "wandering" back into a life of sin.  Give me Your heart.  "Live and let live" is not always a good philosophy to follow.  But teach me to always speak in love and humility. 

I will have one more post in this study ... what is a conclusion in my mind ... and would love to hear what your "conclusion" is.   Be thinking about what will be different in your own life as a result of spending time in this little letter.  What has James said to you? 

Prayer: James 5: 13 - 18 (P25)

James 5: 13 - 18


Are any among you suffering?  They should pray.  Are any cheerful?  They should sing songs of praise.  Are any among you sick?  They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord.  The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up; and anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven.  Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed.  The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective.  Elijah was a human being like us, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth.  Then he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain and the earth yielded its harvest.

Would you categorize yourself as a cynic?  What about a victim?  Ever fall into "victim" type thinking?  The Gentile world in which Paul traveled, establishing churches and developing disciples for Christ, was shaped by Greek and Roman gods and philosophies.  Life happened ... at the whims of the "gods".  It was fate ... no room for hope.  The Jewish world at the time connected all sickness and suffering with sin.  You've done something against God and were suffering or sick because of it.  Jesus refuted that mentality in John 9 after healing a blind man.

James steps into the pages of history with a different message for us ... for believers in Christ.  He offers hope.

In this passage we are given instruction ... PRAY.

In times of trouble ... pray
In times of blessing ... pray (and sing songs of praise!)
In times of sickness ... pray
In times of sin ... pray

The vital message from James is that through whatever circumstances we must navigate ... we must keep our hearts connected to the heart of God.  And that is what prayer does.

Beth Moore writes:  "We can decide that we're mostly powerless down here on planet Earth and that God is going to do what God is going to do, no matter what.  We can default into the mentality of pawns and puppets and resolve that our only real decision is whose victim we're going to be."  

Sounds very similar to Greek philosophy, doesn't it.

There is a white elephant in the room (or on the page!) ... and that elephant is:  "But I prayed, fervently ... our entire church prayed, fervently ... and the loved one died ... he/she was not healed."  I wish I knew how to respond to that.  I have participated in my own times of prayer that seemed to fall unanswered on the floor.  But even with the confusion ... even with the lack of understanding ... none of it negates James' wisdom or Christ's, for that matter ... as God-followers ... we are to pray ... fervently, in faith, believing.  And then we must TRUST the hand of our sovereign, good God.

There are two readings that I want to share with you today ... in this context.

Sue Monk Kidd, in her book, When the Heart Waits: Spiritual Direction for Life's Sacred Questions, writes of an experience she had once while on a spiritual retreat:

One day after morning prayers, I walked to the edge of the pond and sat on the grass.  I listened to the wind sigh over the water and tried to be still, to simply be there and wait in the moment.  But almost instantly my inner chaos rose up.  The need to keep moving, to act, to solve everything overpowered me.  I got to my feet.
     As I returned to the guest quarter, I noticed a monk, ski cap pulled over his ears, sitting perfectly still beneath a tree.  There was such reverence in his silhouette, such tranquil sturdiness, that I paused to watch.  He was the picture of waiting.
     Later I sought him out.  "I saw you sitting beneath the tree - just sitting there so still.  How is it that you can wait so patiently in the moment?  I can't seem to get used to the idea of doing nothing."
     He broke into a wonderful grin, "Well, there's the problem right there, young lady.  You've bought into the cultural myth that when you're waiting you're doing nothing."
     Then he took his hands and placed them on my shoulders, peered straight into my eyes and said, "I hope that you'll hear what I'm about to tell you.  I hope you'll hear it all the way down to your toes.  When you're waiting, you're not doing nothing.  You're doing the most important something there is.  You're allowing your soul to grow up.  If you can't be still and wait, you can't become what God created you to be."

The second reading for you today is from the pen of Hannah More (1745 - 1833).  In the 1780s she became active in the campaign to end the slave trade in England, working with John Newton and William Wilberforce.  She suffered from asthma and bronchitis.  She said:

Affliction is the school in which great virtues are acquired and in which great characters are formed.  It is like a spiritual gymnasium in which the disciples of Christ are trained in robust exercise, hardy exertion and severe conflict.
     We do not hear of military heroes in peacetime, nor of the most distinguished saints in the quiet and unmolested periods of church history.  The courage in the warrior and the devotion in the saint continue to survive, ready to be brought into action when perils beset the country or trials assail the Church, but it must be admitted that in long periods of inaction both are susceptible to decay.

Are you in a time of struggle right now?  Are you suffering?  My friend, pray.
Are you in a season of peace right now?  Do blessings seem to be pouring all over you?  Sing for joy and pray prayers of thanksgiving to Jehovah God.
Are you sick?  Do you struggle with a chronic illness that plagues you?  Remember, so did Paul.  Pray.  Ask your elders to pray over you.  Ask them to anoint you with oil and pray.

Then ... in peace of heart ... rest in the arms of your compassionate and merciful God.

Our Father who art in heaven ... we give you our heart concerns today.  And through Your Spirit ... we will wait for Your healing touch.  

Oaths: James 5:12 (P24)

James 5:12


Above all, my beloved, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your "Yes" be yes and your "No" by no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.

Just one verse to consider today.  Few words ... powerful punch ... and mightily relevant for you and I in our particular culture.

James is again reiterating the words of Jesus.  In Matthew 5: 33 - 37, Jesus said:

Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.' But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God's throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King.  And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black.  Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.

When I was growing up, I remember discussions around whether or not a Christian could "take an oath" in a court of law.   I think this is the verse that caused the consternation.  So we manipulated words and came up with "I affirm" ... so that the word "oath" was not used ... but we do see that the concept is the same, no?

In the Jewish culture of James' day (and Jesus' earthly time) the common practice was to take oaths to make your words binding.  There were 2 levels of oaths.  If a person invoked the name of God into the oath, it was definitely binding.  After all, using His name brought God into the agreement.  Binding!  However, if an oath was taken using anything else as the witness, one could wiggle around the words.  Not necessarily binding.

Jesus, followed by James, steps into that arena and says, "Stop it."  You should not need any outside verification to make your word dependable.  Live such exemplary lives that everyone knows you to be a person of your word.

Listen to Barclay:  "The practice of taking frequent oaths was nothing other than a proof that lying and cheating was widespread.  In an honest society, no oath is needed; it is only when people cannot be trusted to tell the truth that they have to be put on oath."  

The Greek culture held that the best guarantee of the truth of any statement was not an oath but the character of the person who made it, and that the ideal was for a person to make himself/herself so respected that no one would ever think of demanding an oath from him/her because there could be no doubt that they would always speak the truth.

What would you say about the American culture in our time?  How many times do you hear (or perhaps say) "I swear" before a statement is made?  We do transactions by contract (and you best read the small print!) ... shaking hands on a deal will not stand up in a court of law.  I heard a report on NPR the other day about exonerating people who were in prison wrongly.  The most common reason for the incarceration of innocent people? - Perjury.  Lying.  False Witness.

These words from James have everything to do with the our character - with what kind of people we are.  I don't think it has to do with our culture or legal system.  The questions these words raise are:  Are you dependable?  Can your word be trusted?  Do you speak straightforwardly?  If you say you will do something, do you do it - or at least contact the responsible party if you find that you cannot?   Our goal?  To be people who can be trusted ... whose words are known to be true ... who are recognized as people who would not deliberately say anything false.  Lord, help us ...

Our Father ... we want to be dependable people ... not only because of these words from Jesus and James, but also because You are perfectly dependable ... and we want so desperately to reflect You to our world. Through Your Spirit ... help us.  

Patience: James 5: 7 - 11 (P23)

James 5: 7 - 11


Be patient, therefore, beloved, until the coming of the Lord.  The farmer waits for the precious crop from the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains.  You also must be patient.  Strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.  Beloved, do not grumble against one another, so that you may not be judged.  See, the Judge is standing at the doors!  As an example of suffering and patience, beloved, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.  Indeed we call blessed those who showed endurance.  You have heard of the endurance of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.

Patience.  Jokes abound about this word.  It is a required commodity - from the trivial, such as waiting in line or driving in traffic - to the traumatic, such as dealing with pain or struggling through hardships of any variety.  Many of us have a love-hate relationship with the word.  We love it when people are patient with us ... we hate it when we must be patient with others or when circumstances seem to linger and find no resolution.

What is it exactly?  The Greek word that James uses is: makrothumeo.  According to the Greek-English Lexicon, it means "state of emotional calm in the face of provocation or misfortune without complaint or irritation."  Wow - without complaint or irritation.  Really?  Strong's Lexicon adds:  "slow to anger, slow to punish, slow in avenging".  

The question that bombards my mind is:  Why?  It doesn't change the circumstance so what difference does it make if I am patient or not?

James offers some reasons why it matters.  First, it matters because the Lord is near.  I have a question for you ... do you behave better when you are in the presence of someone who matters to you ... someone you value?  I tend to.  I have a friend who is very careful about what she eats.  She eats well ... healthy.  I eat so much better and wiser when I am with her.  By myself?  That's another story.  The Lord is near.  The Lord's presence is with you.  How would He handle your situation?  How would He handle the person requiring patience?  He is near.  So practice patience.

Second, James encourages us to be patient because when we are not, our tendency is to attack some "other" ... grumbling against them or worse.  That violates God's law that we "love our neighbor as ourselves".  We do find ourselves wanting to "punish" someone!  We have no right to judge that "other" ... God is The Judge.  And He is near.  So practice patience.

1 Corinthians 13:4 ... "Love is patient" 

Third, James wants his fellow believers to practice patience in trouble because it provides another way for us to reflect the person of the Lord.  The Lord is compassionate and merciful.  Can we show no compassion and no mercy and still expect the "others" around us to get a glimpse of God through us?  Remember, our goal is transformation into the image of Christ.  Our goal is transformation ... not comfort, not getting our way, not ease, not pleasure ... transformation.  So practice patience.

2 Peter 3:9 ... "The Lord  is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness.  He is patient with you, ..."

This is no trivial matter.  We sing the little children's song, "Have patience, have patience, don't be in such a hurry.  When you are impatient you only start to worry.  Remember, remember that God is patient too.  And think of all the times when others have to wait for you." And with that we can relegate the whole issue of patience to children needing not to throw a fit when they don't immediately get their way.  (Actually, not a bad lesson for adults, either.)  It's that deeper level that plagues us as we mature - when life doesn't work out as planned - when the illness just doesn't get better - when the pain won't quit - when the spouse refuses to come home - when the child's strong will turns into open rebellion - when that loved one just won't come to faith.  I think that is the kind of patience, the state of emotional calm, James references.

As you pray about yourself in relation to this subject ... reflect on the following quotations:

"Patience means living out the belief that God orders everything for the spiritual good of his children. ... Patience does not just grin and bear things, stoic-like, but accepts them cheerfully as therapeutic workouts planned by a heavenly trainer who is resolved to get you up to full fitness."  J. I. Packer

"The two most powerful warriors are patience and time."  Leo Tolstoy

Lord, strengthen our resolve to live patient lives ... to reflect a calm demeanor that refuses to panic ... to walk fully trusting Your hand in every aspect of our lives.  We choose trust ... forgive our lapses in it!  And we will choose it again.  

Wealth: Power & Peril James 5: 1 - 6 (P22)

James 5: 1 - 6


Come now, you rich people, weep and wail for the miseries that are coming to you.  Your riches have rotted, and your clothes are moth-eaten.  Your gold and silver have rusted, and their rust will be evidence against you, and it will eat your flesh like fire.  You have laid up treasure for the last days.  Listen!  The wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts.  You have lived on the earth in luxury and in pleasure; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter.  You have condemned and murdered the righteous one, who does not resist you.

Whew.  Take a moment before you continue and go back to these verses.  Read them again slowly.

I wonder if James has Jesus' words in his mind as he wrote this warning.

Jesus said:
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
(Matthew 6: 19 - 21)

What is God saying to you through these words from James?  Where must you apply them to your own life?  The power afforded by wealth in this world does not need any explanation.  We are well acquainted with it.  We watch it in our political system.  We read of astronomical abuses that occur by those who wield the greatest wealth.  Let's leave those folks aside for a moment and focus on ourselves ... probably none of us are on the Forbes list!  Yet ... we have food to spare, a home to live in, a computer with Internet access to be reading this piece, a car (or two) to drive, so many clothes that decisions have to be made each morning, etc. etc. etc.  My purpose is not to ply you with guilt.  My purpose is to cause us to realize that we can fall into this category of "rich".  We cannot blow past these warnings from James as if they apply to the Warren Buffets and Donald Trumps of our world.

So, for you and I, what are the perils of having more than the necessities - of having enough plus?

Peril # 1 - when we have much, we tend to trust it.  Our "bend" is to think that we are somehow entitled to it.  God gets forgotten, left out of the equation, not needed (until a crisis hits).  When we trust more in our possessions and wealth, our bank accounts and status, than we do in God - it is indeed time to weep and wail!  There is NOTHING permanent about worldly wealth.  It is NOT eternal.

Peril #2 - when we have much, we tend to forget our brothers and sisters.  Keeping our own "stuff" becomes more important than sharing with those in need.  We can begin to rationalize and excuse our selfishness.  We cross the line between wise saving and selfish hoarding.  I so wish I knew exactly where that line was!  James has told us that if we lack wisdom, ask God for it ... I think this is a perfect example of where we need God's wisdom.  Scripture is quite clear about God's position on helping those marginalized by society.  James even describes what happens when the rich don't even pay wages to their laborers.  David Nystrom says: "James condemns an attitude toward wealth that deadens the wealthy towards others and causes them to live in excess even as their brothers and sisters are in need."

As we think about these things, we need to also remember that much good has been done by believers using their wealth for the good of others and the good of society.  My mind goes to the humanitarian groups who are, even today, around the world helping out in the most desperate of circumstances.  I think about the hospitals and clinics that have been built because believers with wealth decided to use those resources for the good of mankind.  But those folks are not the ones that James wants to warn.  It is those who trust and hoard their wealth.

There is an interesting and sobering description of Sodom found in Ezekiel 16: 49.  "This was the guilt of your sister Sodom:  she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy.  They were haughty, and did abominable things before me; therefore I removed them when I saw it."

Peril #3 - when we have much, we forget the purpose of life as a believer this side of heaven.  We focus more on our own luxury and pleasure and comfort than on real discipleship.  I'm not sure God is so concerned about our comfort ... I know he is concerned about our transformation into the image of His Son.

So how do we guard our hearts?  What are some practical things we can do to avoid these perils?  I so wish we were sitting in a room and could help each other with practical things.  How do you do it?  How do you protect yourself and your family from the dangers of being "rich"?

1. Hoarding occurs when things are held without any use or any expectation to use.  Check out your closets and drawers.  Any hoarding going on?  I have just done a run through my closet after studying these words!  Some things needed to be thrown away.  Some things needed to be washed and donated for others to use.  Remember to donate things that you would use, not things that need to be thrown away!  There are wonderful resale shops and donation centers that are always processing gently used items.  
2. Practice thanksgiving on a morning-by-morning basis.  Don't begin the day without thanking God for the possessions you are allowed to enjoy this day.  They are a gift.  Use them well.  Tell God that you want to trust Him alone.  Ask Him to help you know what that means.  
3. When you shop for something new ... clothes, shoes, etc ... give something away.  
4. Look for opportunities to help those in need.  It can be done through organizations, through your church programs, through community service projects, or personal awareness.  When God prompts you to help someone, don't rationalize it away.  Set up a plan to do something weekly ...

Other ideas?  Let's take it to prayer ...

Lord, we know that we are among those with plenty.  We know it is only because of your generosity to us and we have done nothing to "deserve" it. We know all things are a gift from You.  Help us, Lord, deal with our own trust and desire issues.  May we see those you place in our path that need our touch.  May we grow to be a generous people ... may I grow to reflect the heart of my Lord.  May we store up treasure in You.

Boasting: James 4: 13 - 17 (P21)

James 4: 13 - 17


Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a town and spend a year there, doing business and making money."  Yet you do not even know what tomorrow will bring.  What is your life?  For you are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.  Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wishes, we will live and do this or that."  As it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil.  Anyone, the, who know the right thing to do and fails to do it, commits sin.  

All right ... pitch your calendars ... send your day-timers through the shredder ... no more plans ... no more planning meetings ... just see what happens today ... Woohoo!!

Is that how James is suggesting we live?  Of course not.  He makes 3 very pertinent points, both to his contemporary readers in first century Palestine, and to western Christians in 2012.

First ... you don't control your life.  Why in the world do we keep playing like we do?  In fact, we have control over precious little.  Life is brief ... unpredictable.  It's here ... then gone.  He calls it a "mist".  Living on the Texas coast, we experience intense fog during February in the early mornings.  You can't see.  But if you wait just a bit, let the sun get higher in the sky, that fog burns off and is gone.  It doesn't last long.  "In the Bible, a mist often appears as a symbol for something that quickly passes away.  It can refer to water, fog, or clouds.  Mists do not last long in Palestine.  Their form is transitory.  This evaporation is a fitting way to refer to the ephemeral attribute of human life." (Holman Bible Dictionary)  Mist ... fleeting ... life.  Don't forget that.  We know that we have the 'right now'.  That's all.  Maybe tomorrow, but maybe not.

Second ... only God knows what is in your future, for today and for eternity.  God is sovereign.  God is omniscient.  His Will will be accomplished, with our cooperation or without it.  Make your plans ... but make them under the umbrella of the sovereignty and wisdom and will of Jehovah.  Make your plans ... knowing that God may indeed have another path that we have not yet discerned.  Make your plans ... but hold onto them very loosely.  As believers, we cannot afford to grasp our own plans, our own agendas, too tightly.  God may step into a moment and require us to change directions.  We grasp tightly onto the person of the living God ... that's where we hold on for dear life.  Literally!  Beware presuming that if you plan it, it will happen.

Third ... boasting is dangerous.  James uses two closely connected terms in his descriptions in these verses.  One is "boast".  To boast means to glory in something.  These people in James' illustration were boasting in their own plans and doings without any reference to, or acknowledgment of God.  All boasting is not sin.  Consider these additional references to boasting:

Psalm 34:2  My soul will boast in the Lord; let the afflicted hear and rejoice.

Psalm 44:8  In God we make our boast all day long, and we will praise your name forever.

1 Corinthians 1:31  Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord

Galatians 6:14  May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

Ephesians 2: 8 - 9  For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast.

The other word is "brag".  Bragging is pretension or arrogance in word and deed.  It's boasting with the goal of impressing others.  Not only were the people James uses as an example boasting, finding glory in their own plans and abilities and ingenuity, they were bragging about it ... letting others know just how clever they were.  No place for God.  No place for gratitude.  That kind of boasting and bragging is evil.

James closes this thought with a warning.  Barclay says that James is in essence saying:  "You have been warned; the truth has been placed before your eyes."  So to us, to believers, to continue in the self-focused habit of planning and boasting about it without any acknowledgment of God and His sovereignty, for us it is sin.  Not carelessness.  Not forgetfulness.  Sin.

Always remember Proverbs 3: 5 - 8

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,

and do not rely on your own insight.

In all your ways acknowledge him,

and he will make straight your paths.

Do not be wise in your own eyes;

fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.

It will be a healing for your flesh

and a refreshment for your body.

Lord, forgive us this sin of presumption.  We bow down today, together, and say that You are the sovereign Lord.  Our futures are in Your hands.  Our plans are in Your hands.  You are all wisdom.  We ask that You, in mercy, pour out wisdom upon us.  And our Father, if it is in Your sovereign will, we will _______________.

Slander: James 4: 11 - 12 (P20)

James 4: 11 - 12


Do not speak evil against one another, brothers and sisters.  Whoever speaks evil against another or judges another, speaks evil against the law and judges the law; but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge.  There is one lawgiver and judge who is able to save and to destroy.  So who, then, are you to judge your neighbor?

James has just written about deep spiritual truths regarding friendship with the world and the necessity of drawing near to God.  Now he turns briefly to some very practical matters that cause damage among communities of believers.  And first on that list is slander.

The Greek used here is katalalein.  This is a word made up of two parts.  The prefix means against and the main part of the verb means to speak. To speak against someone, to slander them ... a situation so common to the human being and a situation condemned throughout Scripture.  Hear a few ...

When speaking against the wicked, God says in Psalm 50:20  "You speak continually against your brother and slander your own mother's son."

God also said in Psalm 101:5 "Whoever slanders his neighbor in secret, him will I put to silence; whoever has haughty eyes and a proud heart, him will I not endure."

When describing the unredeemed world, Paul says of them in Romans 1:29 - 30 ... "They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity.  They are full of envy, murder strife, deceit and malice.  They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, ... "  (That's terrifying company, no?)

Paul is also afraid that he will find this sin when he visits the church in Corinth.  He writes in 2 Corinthians 12:20  "For I am afraid that when I come I may not find you as I want you to be, and you may not find me as you want me to be.  I fear that there may be quarreling, jealousy, outburst of anger, factions, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder."

Peter also condemns this horrific activity of humans when he writes in 1 Peter 2:1  "Rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind."

It's horrible.  It's in the world.  It's not of God.  It's titillating.  We like to do it but don't like to be the recipients of it.  We play like it's not really a big deal.  It's even prevalent in our churches.  "Speaking against" another.  Satan wins a victory when we just can't resist a tidbit of gossip.

From Williams Barclay:

This is a much-needed warning.  People are slow to realize that there are few sins which the Bible so unsparingly condemns as the sin of irresponsible and malicious gossip.  There are few activities in which the average person finds more delight than this; to tell and to listen to the slanderous story - especially about some famous person - is for most people a fascinating activity.

Have you ever wondered why God considers it such an offence?  There are two reasons ... and James gives us insight into both of them:

1. It arrogantly sets us against the law.  When people break a law knowingly, they set themselves up against that law.  They have decided that the particular law in question is not worthy of being kept ... therefore they have passed judgment upon that law.  Guess what?  It's not our job to pass judgement upon the laws of God.  The royal law of God is to love your neighbor as yourself.  Jesus told a story (The Good Samaritan - Luke 10) so that we could finally understand that all humanity qualifies.  SLANDER IS NOT LOVE!   You break the law of God.  I mean, who do you think you are?
2. It infringes upon the prerogative and position of God, Himself.  Only God can judge another person.  Only God knows the intent and structure of a heart.  No human being has any right to judge any other human being.  When we slander, we pass judgement on the person ... that's stepping into God's domain.  I mean, who do you think you are?  DON'T GO THERE!  

It does matter ... it mattered to James because it matters to God.  It mattered to Paul because it matters to God.  It mattered to Peter because it matters to God.  Does it matter to you?  to me?  Remember what James told us:  Resist the devil and he will flee from you.  That applies to this issue as well.  RESIST!  

Lord, place a guard on our tongues.  When we are about to say some gossipy, slanderous thing about another person, may Your Spirit rise up within us and shout into our mind, "STOP IT!  You are judging that soul!  How dare you!?!?"  Forgive us Lord for taking this matter lightly.  Forgive us for any slander we have committed against another.  And thank You for giving us yet another chance to be the people You have called us to be.  

Humble Yourself: James 4: 6b - 10 (P19)

Romans 4: 6b - 10

"God opposes the proud,

but gives grace to the humble."

Submit yourselves therefore to God.  Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.  Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.  Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.  Lament and mourn and weep.  Let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy into dejection.  Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

James is quoting ... and commentators are not sure what he is quoting.  Barclay says, "We may assume either that James is quoting from some book now lost which he regarded as Scripture, or that he is summing up in one sentence what is the eternal sense of the Old Testament and is not meaning to quote any particular passage."  Whichever it may be, James clearly communicates God's opposition to the destructive spirit of pride that has been the ruination of many a man (and woman) and God's generous gift of grace.

This kind of pride shuts itself off from God.  Why?  Well, it does not recognize need ... at all!  It also totally cherishes its own independence.  It does not owe anyone ... anything.  It also does not recognize its own sin.  Humility, on the other hand, prepares your heart to receive the gift of grace.

James made clear in verse 4 that worldliness is the enemy of godliness.  So what are we to do?  How do we deal with our problem ... our pull toward the world and its values.  It's a disease and we are all infected.  Beth Moore says that if you are not actively, deliberately dealing with it, you've got the disease!  James does not leave us hanging in a hopeless situation.  He gives us the antidote ...

• submit to God ... that means place yourself  'under' ... that means recognizing and acting on the believe that you are not more important than God, that you are receptive to His guidance and direction
• Do you need to tell God right now how you feel about Him?  Do you need to stop reading and go to prayer to verbalize your desire to submit to God?  

• resist the devil ... that's proactive, not just reactive ... it's deliberate ... it's 'armor of God' language (see Ephesians 6: 10 - 20)  Be ready ... the devil will make his moves against you ... be ready.  
• Are you ready?  Are you doing the work to prepare your spirit and heart for a frontal attack?  Are you placing the living Word of God into your heart so that it is there when the devil throws arrows at you?  

• draw near to God ... that's an intentional discipline to make "with God" a prominent part of our lives, of our days
• What are you doing today to 'draw near' to God?  Are you setting aside any time?  Or are you just too busy?  

• cleanse and purify ... confession is vital ... staying 'confessed up' with God ... not letting sin hold a place in our lives ... not protecting pet sins that we really, really want to do and, after all, they don't hurt anyone else and no one will know, etc, etc, etc ... 
• What are you hanging onto that needs to be confessed?  Is there anything that you have confessed, numerous times, and you just won't let go of?  Why not?  Do you not believe that God can and will forgive?  He said He would ... so you don't believe Him? 

• weep and mourn ... over sin ... over the condition in our world that was created to be so different ... over the conflict and warring ... not only among countries but even within myself.  Hear Jesus when He said, "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted." (Matthew 5: 4)
• Do you mourn over the sin that causes such corruption and destruction in our world ... in our cities ... in our families ... in ourselves?  

• humble yourself before the Lord ... get on your knees to pray (it's a great reminder of your position before the holy Lord)  Let God be the one to lift you up.  

I close our thoughts today with the words of Williams Barclay:

In life, there is one sin which can be said to be the basis of all others, and that is forgetting that we are creatures and that God is creator.  When we realize our essential creatureliness, we realize our essential helplessness and go to the only source from which our helplessness can find assistance.

Such a dependence brings forth the only real independence, for then we face life not in our own strength but in God's, and we are given victory.

Lord ... today ... again ... we humble ourselves before You.  We bow ourselves before Your throne.  You are the living God.  So just as we are ... we come.

Spiritual Friendship: James 4: 1 - 6 (P18)

James 4: 1 - 6

Those conflicts and disputes among you, where do they come from ?  Do they not come from your cravings that are at war within you?  You want something and do not have it; so you commit murder.  And you covet something and cannot obtain it; so you engage in disputes and conflicts.  You do not have, because you do not ask.  You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, in order to spend what you get on your pleasures.   Adulterers!  Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?  Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.  Or do you suppose that it is for nothing that the scripture says, "God yearns jealously for the spirit that he has made to dwell in us"?  But he gives all the more grace; therefore it says,

"God opposes the proud,

but gives grace to the humble."

Two thoughts to pursue today ...

First ...

"Why can't people just get along?"   Think about your church, or any community group in which you participate ... and you, like me, may wonder this very thing.  Then, when you move onto the world stage and continually witness the literal warrings, quarrels, disputes, and murders ... the question takes on epic proportions. 

James gives a summary statement as to the source of the conflicts and the disputes, the fights and quarrels.   Their seedbed is the fallen heart of mankind.   The pride and ego ... the lusting for personal pleasures ... the demand for 'my way' ... the 'I want what I want' mentality  ... the 'I deserve it' mentality.   So we fight.   James even says we kill.   That's a little melodramatic, don't you think? 

Don't forget who James is ... Jesus' half-brother.  I suspect James had heard Jesus on more than one occasion say, "You have heard that it was said to the people long ago 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.'  But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment."  (Matthew 5: 21 - 22)  and "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'  But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven .." (Matthew 5: 43 - 45a)
Perhaps James is not being melodramatic.

Remember, yours is the only heart over which you have any control.  So, Spirit-led believer ... take care of your own heart.  Examine your own motives.  Pray for eyes to see your motives clearly.  Confess ... turn ... practice ... the apostle Paul said, "Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.."  (Romans 14:19)  Will you?  Or would you rather dispute and quarrel for your preferences, your rights, your desires, etc ... etc ... etc?

Second ...

When someone marries, male or female, they need to stop flirting with other people.  Agree?  Many relationships are volatile, sometimes destroyed, because one partner will not stop flirting, or even having affairs, with other people, other lovers.  Such behavior damages the marriage - damages the relationship - violates the 'union', the 'covenant'. 

When we accept Christ, a new Spirit takes up residence within our spirit. When we accept Christ, we unite ourselves to Christ ... in essence we 'marry' Christ.  James used that image when he calls his fellow believers "adulterers".  They just keep flirting with the 'other', the world.  They want to be married to Christ ... but they want to play with the other guy as well!  Can't be done.  You will never have a rich, close relationship with Christ until you quit trying to play both sides. 

Listen carefully to the beloved apostle, John in 1 John 2: 15 - 17:

Do not love the world or anything in the world.  If anyone loves the world the love of the Father is not in him.  For everything in the world - the cravings of sinful man the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does - comes not from the Father but from the world.  The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.

My friends, we can't play both sides.  We think we can.  We act like we can.  James has already told us that if we lack wisdom, ask God for it. (James 1:5)  Let's do that ... let's ask God to give us wisdom to see when we are flirting with the world.  And then let's have the courage and the love for Christ, to STOP!   Join me?

Our Father, we confess to You our tendency to keep flirting with this world, its thoughts and values.  We ask for wisdom to see when we are doing just that.  Give us eyes to see which behaviors, which thought patterns are more like our world than like Your kingdom.  You are our first love!  May our lives reflect that love.  Help us ...

Ambition: James 3: 13 - 18

James 3:13 - 18


Who is wise and understanding among you?  Show by your good life that your works are done with gentleness born of wisdom.  But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not be boastful and false to the truth.  Such wisdom does not come down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, devilish.  For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there will also be disorder and wickedness of every kind.  But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy.  And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace for those who make peace.  

I have had to read these verses over and over before they began to settle into my spirit.  I first thought it was all about describing two kinds of "wisdom".  But the more I read and reread, I began to see that I think they are about relationships.  They are about life in the Body of Christ.  They are personal.  They are self-reflective.  They challenge our fleshly way of thinking and doing things.  To enhance our understanding of these verses, consider them from "The Message" by Eugene Petersen:

     Do you want to be counted wise, to build a reputation for wisdom?  Here's what you have to do:  Live well, live wisely, live humbly.  It's the way you live, not the way you talk, that counts.  Mean-spirited ambition isn't wisdom.  Boasting that you are wise isn't wisdom.  Twisting the truth to make yourselves sound wise isn't wisdom.  It's the furthest thing from wisdom - it's animal cunning, devilish conniving.  Whenever you're trying to look better than others or get the better of others, things fall apart and everyone ends up at the others' throats.
     Real wisdom, God's wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterized by getting along with others.  It is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings, not hot one day and cold the next, not two-faced. You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor.

Some random observations:  (I would love to hear yours as well!)

1.  Desiring to be a wise and understanding person is not a bad thing.  That means it does not fit into the category of "selfish ambition".  It is good ambition.  Selfish ambition is anchored in the "self" part of the phrase.  Selfish ambition is not wise ... it is foolishness.

2.  Things that fall into the category of 'non-wisdom' (so would that be 'foolishness'?)

• being mean-spirited - youth is no excuse, neither is old age.
• boasting - about anything, particularly about how smart or clever you are
• twisting the truth to make yourself sound wise - twisting the truth is ALWAYS untruth, always
• trying to look better than others - thinking you are better than others
• envy - other people's positions or possessions or persons ... leads to bitterness
• trying to get 'one-up' on others - unholy competition - someone has to 'loose'

3.  The results of non-wisdom lead to divisions, wickedness, disorder (which will take us into Chapter 4)

4.  We CAN have robust communities of faith!  But they require real wisdom, Godly wisdom.

5.  Godly wisdom is  

• pure - which means it is cleansed of all ulterior motives and of self
• peaceable - right relationships between individuals and between individuals and God
• gentle - Aristotle defines this word as: "that which is just beyond the written law" and "that which steps in to correct things when the law itself becomes unjust".  Barclay says this quality "knows how to make allowances, when not to stand upon individual rights, and how to soften justice with mercy, and always remembers that there are greater things in the world than rules and regulations."  
• willing to yield, submissive - willing to listen, skilled in knowing when it is wise to yield
• merciful and full of good fruits - Christian compassion moves beyond emotion into action 
• no partiality - James is highly concerned with our tendency toward playing favorites.  Here he links impartiality with wisdom from God
• no hypocrisy - it's honest and doesn't pretend - no posers!  

As we close, remember James' words in James 1:5 ... "If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly"

I want this thing, this Godly wisdom.  So let's do it again ... let's ask God ... your family needs you to ask ... your church needs you to ask ... you need you to ask!  

Our Lord and Father, fill us with Your wisdom for the good of our families and our faith communities.  Increase our desire to be women and men of wisdom.  That is our ambition ...

Tongues continued: James 3: 5b - 12 (P16)

James 3: 5b - 12


How great a forest is set ablaze by a small fire!  And the tongue is a fire.  The tongue is placed among our members as a world of iniquity; it stains the whole body, sets on fire the cycle of nature, and is itself set on fire by hell.  For every species of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by the human species, but no one can tame the tongue - a restless evil, full of deadly poison.  With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse those who are made in the likeness of God.  From the same mouth come blessing and cursing.  My brothers and sisters, this ought not to be so.  Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and brackish water?  Can a fig tree, my brothers and sisters, yield olives, or a grapevine figs?  No more can salt water yield fresh.

Parts of Texas experienced horrific fires last summer.  Approximately 3.5 million acres and over 1000 homes were destroyed.  The combination of drought and wind contributed to the devastation.  Wild fire is deadly.  We read every summer of the fires that consume acres of forest land in Colorado.  What always amazes me in the reports is that so often, a careless camp fire ... or a discarded cigarette butt ... some small spark set the whole thing in motion.  That's one of James' points.  So much damage can come from cruel, sometimes just careless, words.

His second point is that one source should only produce one product.  I don't like coffee.  I know, I know, as an adult, I'm supposed to ... but, fact is, I don't.  I've tried.  My husband loves it.  So the ritual of morning coffee making falls under his dominion.  Occasionally, if the pot does not get set up exactly right, it all spills over and creates a huge mess on the counter top. (and in the cabinets below!)  As soon as the mishap is discovered there is frantic mopping up of the mess with a towel or sponge.  When the sponge is taken to the sink and wrung out ... guess what comes out?  You're right - coffee.  We would be very surprised if cranberry juice came dripping out of that sponge.  That's just not the way things work.  So with our tongues ... words of praise for God and blessings to others come out of our mouths ... therefore, slander, cruel joking, cursing, hurtful words should not come out of the same mouth!  Those two things shouldn't come from the same source.

Now ... some questions for you and I:

1.  What is "in" you?
 John 14:17   Jesus was speaking:  "The world cannot accept him (the Holy Spirit) because it neither sees him nor knows him.  But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you."  
Acts 2:38 - 39  Peter was speaking:  "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.  And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off - for all whom the Lord our God will call."
I guess the appropriate question is 'Who" is in you?

2.  What about your natural self?
Galatians 2:20  "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.  The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."  

3.Who is in control of you?
Romans 8:9, 11  "You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. ...  And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies (maybe even our 'tongues'?) through his Spirit, who lives in you."

Conclusion:  My friends ... we cannot control our wild and restless tongues - BUT GOD CAN!  Can we better submit ourselves to His control?  Can we better exercise the mind of Christ that was given to us?  Can we desire to "grow up" to a maturity in the Lord?  Can we be more concerned about reflecting Christ than being the center of a conversation because of our witty, caustic humor?

Purify our tongues, oh Lord our God. 

Tongues: James 3: 2 - 5a (P15)

James 3: 2 - 5a

For all of us  make many mistakes.  Anyone who makes no mistakes in speaking is perfect, able to keep the whole body in check with a bridle.  If we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we guide their whole bodies.  Or look at ships:  though they are so large that it takes strong winds to drive them, yet they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs.  So also the tongue is a small member yet it boasts of great exploits.

Everyone makes mistakes.  Everyone.  The word translated 'mistakes' actually means 'to slip up'.  Do you know what that feels like?  I certainly do!  It's not deliberate ... not premeditated ... it was unforeseen ... or a bit careless ... or a word before thinking.  Remember James is addressing our tongues ... our speech habits.   And we all make many mistakes.  People in recovery programs struggling with addictions would say to us, "Acknowledgment is the first step toward recovery."  OK ... let's acknowledge our failure in this business of controlling our tongues. 

Say it out loud ... I, _________________, have and continue to make many mistakes in the use of my tongue. 

Things uttered, things said, are out there ... there is no taking them back and getting them out of circulation.  They get archived in people's minds. 

The wisdom writer of Proverbs has much to say about this subject.  Just a few ...

Proverbs 10:11
The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.

Proverbs 10:19
When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but the prudent are restrained in speech.

Proverbs 12:18
Rash words are like sword thrusts but the tongue of the wise bring healing.


Proverbs 15: 1 - 4
A soft answer turns away wrath, but a  harsh word stirs up anger.  The tongue of the wise dispenses knowledge, but the mouths of fools pour out folly.  The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good.  A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit. 

The Jewish writer, Jesus ben Sirach, wrote much about the tongue and was moved by its terrifying potential for damage.  He wrote:

The blow of a whip raises a welt, but a blow of the tongue crushes the bones.

Many have fallen by the edge of the sword, but not as many as have fallen because of the tongue.

James gives two poignant illustrations of control - the bridle on a horse and the rudder of a ship.  Considering his illustrations, James is not arguing for silence.  Speech is forbidden for Trappist monks.  This is not James' goal.  The horse is made for movement.  The ship was built for transport. The tongue is made for speech.  James is arguing control.  James wants his readers to be wise in their speech and to understand the power in words.  Why?  I think he probably had witnessed many mistakes in the use of tongues ... had even been guilty of some. 

We need to remember the same wisdom.  Be prudent with the words that come out of our mouths and understand the power we wield when we speak. 

Lord, today, may my speech reflect You.  Put a guard on my mouth.  Stop careless or hurtful words from being uttered.   I commit to You my mind and my tongue.  Sanctify them ...

Dare to Teach: James 3: 1 - 2 (P14)

James 3: 1 - 2


Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.  For all of us make many mistakes.  Anyone who makes no mistakes in speaking is perfect, able to keep the whole body in check with a bridle.

A quick reminder ... James wrote to believers ... to the church.  And in his writing, you can sense his passion for the purity of her.  He issues several warnings so that his readers will be on the alert to some very damaging, even deadly, things that have potential to harm Christ's body on earth.  He shines a spotlight on the desire for riches above all, on the temptation to speak about faith and never do a thing.  He spotlights the damage done by favoritism and showing preferential treatment.

His next topic of warning deals with our tongues - our speech.  And he begins the discourse by issuing a warning to teachers.

First, we need to understand the position of teacher in early church days.  The first churches were born out of Jewish heritage and tradition.  The Rabbi in the Jewish culture held a position of utmost importance.  Listen to William Barclay:

Christian teachers entered into a perilous heritage.  In the Church, they took the place of the Rabbis in Judaism.  There were many great and saintly Rabbis, but the Rabbi was treated in a way that was liable to ruin the character of any man.  His very name means, 'My great one'. 

Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 12:28 (when writing about spiritual gifts) "And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers ..."

"Teacher" is an important role.

"Teacher is a dangerous role.  Why so dangerous?  Well ... the potential for spiritual and/or intellectual pride is ripe.  It's also dangerous because of the tool that has to be used.  And the tool is our tongue.  J. H. Robes states it this way:  "James is concerned to point out the responsibility of teachers and the dangerous character of the instrument they have to use."  I am reminded of  movies about World War II and the soldiers throwing hand grenades.  It was a dangerous weapon because if not handled carefully and well, it could cause damage to the wrong things and places!

Teaching has the potential to bring great blessing ... and great harm to the 'student'.  Two dangers seem most prominent.  First, teachers in our churches must be very careful that they are teaching truth, and not their own opinions and prejudices.  They must be careful to not pander to popular thought and culture.  That requires continual communication with God and prayer over motives and thoughts.  Second, teachers in our churches must be careful that they do not contradict their teaching by their own lives.  There can be none of the "do as I say, not as I do" mentality.

As James begins to talk about the power of the tongue, the first thing in his mind is 'teachers'.  He was one.  He used the first person plural pronoun.  He felt the responsibility.  He knew from his own Jewish heritage the damage done by false teachers.  He is not recruiting teachers!  His desire is that anyone choosing that role must soberly remember the responsibility that goes with it.

Are you a teacher?  Don't run!  Don't hear James as trying to steer you away from that calling on your life.  Do hear him warning you ... and me ... as we navigate down a dangerous road.  Walk in faith.  Walk in prayer.  Be aware of the dangers.  Continually be aware of the power of ego.  Remember ... the only REAL teacher is our Lord.  We but walk in His footsteps.

Lord, give us wisdom as we teach others.  Give us your mind and heart.  We lay at Your feet and at Your cross our egos, any desire for recognition or power.  Purify our motives.  Purify our minds.  Give us ears to truly "hear" You.  We know that we cannot do it perfectly ... so forgive our missteps ... and protect our 'students' from any damage caused by words carelessly or thoughtlessly spoken.  You alone are our teacher and Rabbi.  And we sit at Your feet ...

Faith & Works Continued: James 2: 20 - 26 (P13)

As we continue listening to James write about faith and works ...

 James 2: 20 - 26.

Do you want to be shown, you senseless person, that faith apart from works is barren? Was not our ancestor Abraham justified by works when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?  You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was brought to completion by the works.  Thus the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness," and he was called the friend of God.  You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.  Likewise, was not Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she welcomed the messengers and sent them out by another road?  For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is also dead. 

James seems to have a hard time understanding why this question of faith and works is difficult.  It seems to be a "duh" question in his mind.  Hence he calls his readers "senseless".  Other translations use "foolish fellow" or "foolish man".  Barclay translates it: "you empty creature".  James certainly does not mince words does he?  Then he sends his Jewish readers back into their own heritage.

Abraham?  Yes, he believed ... and that belief led to action.  (Genesis 22)
Rahab?  Yes, she believed ... and that belief led to action.  (Joshua 2)

Faith that is truly life saving faith, faith that moves us beyond the kind of head-knowledge that even the demons possess ... DOES SOMETHING!  It has hands and feet.  It determines behaviors.  It determines choices.

How you treat the people in your office is determined by your faith.  Notice, how your "treat" ... that's behavioral, that's action, that's works.

How you train your children, how you interact with your spouse is determined by your faith.  Notice, how your "train", how you "interact" ... that's behavioral, that's action, that's works.

How you do is response to a need brought to your attention is determined by your faith.  Notice, what you "do" ... that's behavioral, that's action, that's works.

Go into any court of law and listen to testimony.  A word is taken when it is accompanied by evidence.  The evidence gives credibility to the testimony.  It's the same here.  You believe?  Great - show me the evidence.

While we so often exist in an either/or world,  I submit to you that James is saying both/and.  Rather than making a choice whether you are a "faith" person or a "works" person, we are to be "both" persons.  These two things are inseparable.

Are you familiar with the art work of M. C. Escher?  He was a Dutch graphic artist (1898 - 1972) who is best known for his mathematically inspired designs reflecting infinity, tessellations and seemingly impossible constructions.  One of my favorite Escher drawings is "Parade of Ants".  It was inspired by German mathematician, August Mobius, and his work with symmetry.  Mobius found that a half-twisted strip has 2 surfaces but only one side.  As you look at this drawing, determine which side is top and which is bottom.  Select one ant and follow its path.  Where does it cross over the edge to get to the other side?  Hmmm ... could it be that faith and works function like a mobius strip?  Two surfaces but only one side?

May our faith be visible this week.  May it be the driving force behind our decisions and our behaviors.  Then no one will be able to say of us:  You have faith?  What good is it?

Lord, today help each of us walk out our faith.  I pray that each of us will have opportunities to make it visible to those around us - not because we talk about it - but because we live it.  We long for our faith to be alive, vital, fresh - as alive as Your Spirit in us.    

Faith & Works: James 2: 14 - 19 (P12)

James 2: 14 - 19

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have works?  Can faith save you?  If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill," and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that?  So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.  But someone will say, "You have faith and I have works."  Show me your faith apart from your works, and I by my works will show you my faith.  You believe that God is one; you do well.  Even the demons believe - and shudder.

Coins have two sides - heads and tails.  The heads side matters.  The tails side matters.  A coin that is only one-sided, all heads or all tails, is useless ... worse, it's counterfeit.  You cannot pay for things with it ... you cannot make choices through it ... it serves no purpose.  What good is it? 

Faith has two sides - intellect and behavior.  Intellectual knowledge matters.  You must know what you know.  Behavioral practice matters.  You must do what you know.  A 'faith' that is only one-sided, all intellect or all 'doings', is useless ... worse, it's an illusion.  It serves no purpose.  What good is it? 

Do James' words in this passage disagree with the teachings of the apostle Paul?  Paul preached and wrote about our being saved by faith, not by our works.  Is James picking a fight with Paul over theology.  No.  Careful reading shows  they agree with each other.  Listen to Paul in Ephesians 2: 8 - 10:

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

You see, when we "believe", we "walk" in that belief.  We live it out.  It changes the way we approach our lives - our day.  It changes our behavior patterns.  At the end of every one of the letters from the apostle Paul, he wrote about the practical ramifications of our faith - the way that faith 'works itself out' in life.  And that's the "good of it". 

In one of Beth Moore's lessons on James, she said:  "If you don't live it - you don't believe it.  You may talk it - but you don't believe it." 

So my question for us today ... do you believe it?  If so, it will be seen.  Jesus said you will know a tree by its fruit.  (Matthew 12:33).  

You are saved by grace through faith.  Now ... work that salvation out in your life.   We don't want anyone to say of our faith, "What good is it?" 

Lord, may our faith show itself useful today.  We believe ...

Favoritism continued : James 2: 8 - 13 (P11)

James 2: 8 - 13


You do well if you really fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."  But if you show partiality, you commit sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.  For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it.  For the one who said, "You shall not commit adultery," also said, "You shall not "murder."  Now if you do not commit adultery but if you murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.  So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty.  For judgment will be without mercy to anyone who has shown no mercy;  mercy triumphs over judgment.

James continued his instruction about exercising partiality toward a certain group of people (specifically in his example, the rich).  I see two possible reasons why he kept talking about it.

First, perhaps he anticipated someone's response as, "But, James, we are supposed to welcome people into our assemblies.  After all, we are to love our neighbor as ourselves.  Don't you remember what Jesus said -  'And the second [command] is like it:  Love your neighbor as yourself.?'"  (Matthew 22:39)
I think James is countering that response. He seems to be saying that if you were really following Jesus' instructions about that, you would not be picking and choosing whom to 'welcome'.  Their behavior was honoring the wealth, not the person - loving the money, not the individual.  And that completely violates Christ's words to us.

Or, another possibility, perhaps James is striving to emphasize the critical importance of this whole issue.  After all, our humanity has a tendency to shrug this off a bit.  Is it really so bad?  What's the big deal?  You like some people better than others, right?  Therefore, James slams home the point about being a "lawbreaker".  He wants no one to miss his point:  practicing preferential treatment within the family of God is sin, period.

William Barclay writes about the Jewish tendency to regard the law as a "series of detached commandments.  To keep one was to gain credit; to break one was to incur debt.  People could add up the ones they kept and subtract the ones they broke and so emerge with a credit or a debit balance."  (The Daily Study Bible: James)  Remember James is writing to Jewish believers.  So he must confront that tendency.  No!  We are not keeping a balance sheet.  If you break part of the law of God ... you sin.  You ARE a sinner.  And the only hope for you (and me) is MERCY!  We need it - desperately - a matter of life and death.

When someone has hurt you or hurt someone you love, have you ever found yourself thinking, "I hope they get what they deserve one day."  Or "Lord, repay them for this harm they have done with what they deserve."  Do you really want to go into a "get what you deserve" world?  If you do, YOU have to be in it as well.  You have to be willing to 'get what you deserve'.  I am perfectly clear about one thing - I don't want what I deserve!  I want mercy.  And God is clear:

Matthew 5:7  Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.


Matthew 6: 14 - 15  For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.


Matthew 7: 1 - 2  Do not judge, or you too will be judged.  For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.


Read again the Parable of the Unmerciful Servant in Matthew 18: 21 - 35 and let your eyes rest on the conclusion of Jesus' story:  "This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart."

The conclusion of the matter:

Don't practice preferential treatment within your faith family.

If you do, it is sin.

You want mercy for yourself ?

Then give it to others!  

Make no mistake ... Mercy will Triumph!

Lord, give us eyes to see where we are being preferential.  Show us our blind spots in regard to prejudice.  As You have forgiven me for so much more than I can even count, I desire to extend forgiveness and mercy to those around me.  So today, I choose to extend mercy to ____________.  Help me do it in practical ways.  

Favoritism - James 2: 1 - 7 (P10)

James 2: 1 - 7


My brothers and sisters, do you with your acts of favoritism really believe in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ?  For if a person with gold rings and in fine clothes comes into your assembly, and if a poor person in dirty clothes also comes in, and if you take notice of the one wearing the fine clothes and say, "Have a seat here, please," while to the one who is poor you say, "Stand there," or, "Sit at my feet," have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?  Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters. Has not God chosen the poor in the world to be rich in faith and to be heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him?  But you have dishonored the poor.  Is it not the rich who oppress you?  Is it not they who drag you into court?  Is it not they who blaspheme the excellent name that was invoked over you?

The language used in "The Message" translation by Eugene Peterson brings the scenario directly into our culture.  He translates, "Don't let public opinion influence how you live out our glorious, Christ-originated faith.  If a man enters your church wearing an expensive suit, and a street person wearing rags comes in right after him, ...  Listen, dear friends.  Isn't it clear by now that God operates quite differently?"

In James 1:17, James has just said that true religion includes our desire to keep ourselves unstained by the world.  There is nothing more 'worldly' than preferential treatment of those we think are important - those we think would be advantageous to know.  It was even happening "at church" in James' day!  Appalling, no?  Ever happen in your place?  Ever happen in your heart?

It is NOT God's way.  And this did not just come about in the New Testament.  Listen ...

Leviticus 19:15 - Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly.

Deuteronomy 10:17 - For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes.

Paul summarizes it succinctly in Romans 2:11 - For God does not show favoritism.  Period.

So ... we know our bend toward showing favoritism is not from God.  Therefore, where must it come from?  I need to enter into some confession about now, what about you?  Don't miss that James goes so far as to say that when we exercise this vice, we become judges with evil thoughts.  That's serious.

How we do struggle with passing judgment on external things.  James specifically calls economics to the spotlight in this passage ... but I can think of other ways we discriminate against people as well.  There is intellect.  There is dress.  There is body piercings and tattoos.  There is the way people talk.  There is color.  There is the part of the country or part of the world from which they come.  There is the way they parent children.  There is their political views and opinions.  And on and on ... we make assumptions, pass judgment, and bring division.

Charles Swindoll wrote:  "God, our wise and creative Maker, has been pleased to make everyone different and no one perfect.  The sooner we appreciate and accept that fact, the deeper we will appreciate and accept one another, just as our Designer planned us."

Never forget ... Jesus took people (including you and me) right where they were, just as they were ... and invited them to walk with Him.  Can we do less?    James says, No.  Jesus is our model.  

Lord, thank you for accepting us when we were messy and dirty and poor and wretched and blind and deaf.  Thank you for not requiring us to clean up or measure up before you wrapped your arms around us and welcomed us.  May Your Spirit in us give us the will and the power to extend that grace to EVERY person we encounter - especially to those who walk into our midst.  And we well know that the power to do so comes from You ... therefore the glory belongs to You.  Open our eyes ...

Religion: James 1: 26 - 27 (P9)

James 1: 26 - 27
If any think they are religious, and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless.  Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this:  to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

Religion.  What words come into your mind when you hear this word?  Your family of origin and your training, your experiences - both past and present, your geography ... all this effects your emotional response to the word, 'religion'.  What images come into your mind?  Ceremony?  Elaborate buildings?  Rituals?  Tradition?  Hierarchy?   Denominations?  Casual or formal?  Relevant or irrelevant?  World religions?  We could go on and on with our reactions to this rather volatile word.

The Greek word James used is threskeia.  Its meaning, according to James Strong, is:

  

1 religious worship. 1a esp. external, that which consists of ceremonies. 1a1 religious discipline, religion.

Don't miss that the word 'worship' is included in the Greek definition of this word.  James does not condemn religion or religious practice.  He wants to clean it up!  He wants his readers to understand how God defines the term.  He knew how prone we humans are to substituting ceremony and ritual for heart and behavior.  Remember, he was a Jew and well acquainted with Jewish 'worship'.  Remember, he had heard his brother condemn the Pharisees who had cut the heart out of God's law and out of their faith walk.  He also had all the Jewish prophets from which to pull.  He knew God's heart from things such as ...

Zechariah 7:8 - 10  "The word of the Lord came to Zechariah, saying, 'Thus says the Lord of hosts: Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another; do not oppress the widow, the orphan, the alien, or the poor; and do not devise evil in your hearts against one another.'"  

Micah 6:8  "He has told you , O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?"

I think James also knew the way God was described in Psalm 68:5 ... "Father of orphans and protector of widows, is God in His holy habitation."

William Barclay said:  

All through history, people have tried to make ritual and liturgy a substitute for sacrifice and service.  They have made religion splendid within the church at the expense of neglecting it outside the church.  This is by no means to say that it is wrong to seek to offer the noblest and the most splendid worship within God's house, but it is to say that all such worship is empty and idle unless it sends people out to love God by loving one another and to walk more purely in the tempting ways of the world.

So, my friend, how is your religious life?  Don't let it be a worthless activity.  Don't do it just so you can feel good.  Make it real, and relevant, and Godly, and meaningful.  Make it pure.  Remember, we don't really "go to" worship ... we "live" worship.  Being religious in the eyes of God means much more than going to church.  I want my religion to reflect the heart of God.  

Are you going to "worship" this week?  Think about how ... 

Lord and Father ... increase our wisdom in understanding Your heart in these matters.  We desperately do not want our religion to be worthless.  Show us this week how to make it real ... show us just whom You would have us serve.  Show us exactly where we are allowing the impurity of the world to pollute our own souls.  You are worthy of our worship ... and we long to give it!  

I am not purposely avoiding James' comment about our tongues ... wish we could ... but we can't.  He goes into much more detail in Chapter 3 ... so we will save comments about our tongues until we reach that point.