James Chapter 5

James 5:16

Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.

Confession. Transparency. Vulnerability. Accountability. Despite clear passages like James 5:16, these are some of the most ignored and avoided practices of the Christian faith.  We are hard-pressed to share deeply and intimately the real issues and struggles of our souls.  Instead, we work diligently on creating and maintaining exteriors that convey nothing but confidence and composure. Sometimes our masquerade requires so much attention and energy that Truth has no way in and Compassion has no way out.

To “confess your sins to one another,” is an act of dying to self.  It is an act honoring Jesus in a way that affirms your faith in Him and what He’s done.  It’s a gift of trust and humility to the ones you share your confession with.  So much good…so much healing happens on multiple levels for all involved…If we just had the courage to do it…to let go…to believe.

 I encourage you today to meditate on these questions:

1.   How is confessing my struggle of a sin pattern in my life with a trusted brother or sister a positive act of dying to self?

2.   How does being vulnerable, transparent, in confessing to others something that honors Jesus, and why is that something I should desire to do?

3.  How is my willingness to be vulnerable in confession a gift to the one to whom I am confessing?

4.   What keeps me from confessing my struggles to others? How can I overcome that hindrance, and why should I?

Lord, give us the courage and the faith to confess to one another, and through it, to find deep healing for others and ourselves. Amen.

James Chapter 4

"James stressed that the life of faith is comprehensive, impacting every area of our lives and driving us to truly engage in the lives of other people in the world." Chuck Swindle 

James 1-3 builds on the truth of how choosing to live a Godly life produces life changing fruit. He is very straight forward about the concept that if you truly love the Lord and choose to "do life" with Him, your choices and deeds will reflect that desire. Chapter 4 specifically addresses the "what not to do" list of how to display what throne your heart sits on.

He is addressing the church and the fighting/arguing stemming from worldly choices: lust and envy. You want what you see others have, so you fight about it. But why didn't we just ask our very generous Father for what we are wanting? Because our very wise Fathers asks us, "And WHY do you want what you are asking for?" 

Doesn't He as our good, good Father have a right to ask us this? Do we want what we ask for to build our own little world and fill our desires or to build onto His kingdom? That sure is a motive revealer!!
He asks us not to make friends with the world (and all the desires it claims to fill) because  He is "a fiercely jealous lover. What He gives in love is far better than anything else you'll find."

When in the world and trying to make fruitful choices, He asks 2 things of us: First, submit to God (not to what you want) and Resist the enemy (quit playing the field! Don't be a two-timer!) Then God stands to defend your humble state of heart and your enemy runs when he sees Who he is really up against in the battle of the choice. We get dirty as we live in the world and we need help cleaning our hearts.....so draw near to God and let Him do that......DAILY!

Church family, intentionally seek Him in all that you do, submit to how He wants to live in your life. Thats where the real change happens.

You are deeply loved and valued -- lets live like it!

James Chapter 3

You know when you are driving down a desolate stretch of flat highway and then out of nowhere you come across a big billboard, you can't help but look at the billboard.   It has achieved the purpose of the one put something on that billboard- you looked and you focused on it.  To me this is what James, the brother of Jesus did by writing chapter 3. 

 In chapter 1 James tells us that remaining humbly steadfast after God will produce a strong faith. In chapter 2 he tells us that we can tell we have a strong faith by God's production of tangible fruit in and through our everyday lives. In Chapter 4 he ties many of the world’s troubles to the absence of this strong faith in so many people's lives.  But in chapter 3 he puts up this large billboard to draw our attention to this great danger, a danger to the effectiveness of our desire to live a life marked by God’s fruitfulness.  The danger is our speech of all things. What we say to others. Based on James' later comments in this chapter, I take this to mean that what we say is a telltale sign, the canary in the coal mine pointing to the maturity of our faith.

 I like James’s style. Although James words can be hard to read as I apply them to my own life, I love his straightforwardness. Can you imagine the depth of conviction James would have about what he is writing at this later stage of his life. He grew up literally side by side with Jesus for over 20 years. James, more so than all but about 10 people who have ever lived on this planet, knew “exactly” how Jesus behaved throughout his growing up years.  However the apostle John says in John 7:5, after one of Jesus' visits home, that none of Jesus brothers believed Jesus was the son of God. Then after Jesus’ resurrection, James’ eyes and his heart are opened to the truth. The memories of all those years watching Jesus grow up now flood his consciousness, combined with the realization of Jesus’ true identity. Nothing could shake his faith and very few people living at that time could recount to us what Jesus’ Godly life looked like “in the everyday” of those 20 plus years growing up. I think James comes across so strongly and straightforwardly because God gave him a very unique view during his life and the Spirit of God has deeply solidified to him these truths.

 I wonder if what James writes on the billboard of chapter 3 – that the words we speak and the true motives and attitudes of our heart & life are an accurate mirror of the maturity of our faith – are heavily influenced by what James saw in Jesus growing up.

 All I know is that when I lay in bed at night and reflect on the day I just lived, I am grateful to know that my savior is merciful, and His Spirit motivates me to desire more of my faith tomorrow.

James Chapter 2

Ahhhhh the James 2 Faith vs. deeds

I love this chapter in James mostly because when I was a new believer, I thought that I found a contradiction in the Bible. Silly me…

I remember reading what Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:8 NLT God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 

Or in Galatians 2:16 Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law.”

Even in Isaiah 64:6a We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags.

So then why is James telling us that faith without good deeds is dead? It seems like Paul and James are contradicting each other.

In reality following the law will not get us to heaven, doing good deeds, will not get us there either. Ask yourself this if you could do enough, give enough, or follow the law enough to get into heaven then why on earth would Jesus need to die on the cross for us?

James is merely saying that the faith that saves you will produce good works because you are a follower of Christ. It’s because you love Jesus because you want to be more and more like Him every day, you grow closer to the one that is Love, your deeds are the fruit of that love!

The best example that I can give is Operation Christmas Child. We as a church give generously to this ministry (Deeds). We gather gifts for children that we will never meet. We get so excited as the boxes pile up in the sanctuary week after week, and the Good Lord willing we hit our goal this year, but we do this not to put a check in our heavenly box of salvation we do it for the hope that one child, one family, one village, or even one nation finds Jesus (Faith).

Be blessed!

James Chapter 1

This letter challenges me because it is so real, direct and pragmatic.  James is so prescriptive and descriptive of what it means to be actively be engaged in what Jesus called the ‘Kingdom of God’.  Three things stood out for me this reading.

I do not naturally see trials and temptations as ‘pure joy events’.  Yet it was deep pain, a lost relationship, seeing the shallowness of the world, even being unsatisfied with collegial success, and it’s emptiness that brought me to Christ.  Jesus became my Joy.  Never saw it coming.   Over the years new trails have come and gone.  I  struggle with them and at times they take center stage and are a major discouragement.  In the last few years however I’ve started to look at trials in a new light. I have come to believe that God does test us. Why to build up our faith in Him and character. Like he did with Abraham and Sarah and many others in the Bible.  In the testing comes the shaping of a godly person.  Understanding more of God’s perspective on the God-Human relationships, his Holiness and Sovereignty and what is important in His economy.  Unconditional love for others.  James writes about relationship of testing our faith and perseverance.  In verse 4.  “Let perseverance finish its work so that you can be mature and complete, not lacking in anything.”   Is contentment an outcome when we persevere?

There are several critical warnings in this letter.  This one stood out.  Temptation is a process that leads to sin. “When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters.”  This process description is spot on! 

James sets the expectation that faith in God is inextricably tied to action.  Each verse is either a building block or a warning.  The last verse in chapter 1, v27. is a good example.  “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”  

Hebrews Chapter 13

Concluding Exhortations 

1. Keep on loving each other as brothers
2. Don’t forget to entertain strangers
3. Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoner
4. Marriage should be honored by all
5. Keep your lives free from love of money
6. Remember your leaders who spoke the word of God to you
7. Jesus is the savior yesterday and today and forever
8. Do not be carried away with all kinds of strange teachings
On reading this chapter I was in truth very cavalier about it. These general guidelines for christian living sound obvious to me - just a laundry list of what I should and should not do. 

But when putting this letter into context, the letter makes perfect sense. This letter was written to rally christians who may have been leaning back to Jewish law. Basic christian fundamentals had to be spelled out clearly! 

The blood of sacrificial animals where no longer necessary, because Jesus had sacrificed His life for our sins. 

On a more personal level, I felt ashamed that I had been reading the Bible with such a casual attitude. I was reading it like it was a homework assignment. In hindsight, I should be reading the Bible with reverence and humility, never forgetting these words are from God. 

Lord, thank you for your words, direction, and wisdom.
Help me to keep the proper perspective when reading the Bible. Amen. 

Hebrews Chapter 12

Hebrews 12:5-7, 10-11

“My child, don’t make light of the Lord’s discipline, and don’t give up when he corrects you. For the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.” As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children…He disciplines us for our good…No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.

 So much of our lives that we see as needless, random suffering or bad luck is, in actuality, a divinely arranged opportunity to learn, grow, and become.  Culturally, we have learned from a very early age to avoid, like the plague, discomfort on any level.  We mistakenly avoid these chances to develop by running away, or by drowning these challenges in an ocean of distractions readily available to us in the forms of materialism, entertainment, accomplishment, and ambition.

Next time you find yourself in trouble, conflict, confusion, discouragement, or even loss…before engaging the old familiar default of fight and/or flight…ask yourself, “What is the Lord teaching me?” “What am I being trained in right now, and how might that be useful in future circumstances and relationships?”  I encourage you that not only will you look at your life differently, but there will be a deep peace that begins to cover you as your realize that God has allowed you to experience this for a reason, for your ultimate good.

 Try it, and see.

Hebrews Chapter 11

Are you ever reading along in the Bible and come across a familiar verse you’ve heard a million times, a snippet that’s been quoted over and over, and you think, thereit is! That’swhere that comes from! That was verse one for me. The definition of faith that most of us have heard many times comes from this chapter: “Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see.”

This chapter is a great reminder of those things that we believe in faith and of the faithful believers who came before us. 

I’m particularly struck by verses 13-16:

 All these people died still believing what God had promised them. They did not receive what was promised, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed it. They agreed that they were foreigners and nomads here on earth. 14 Obviously people who say such things are looking forward to a country they can call their own. 15 If they had longed for the country they came from, they could have gone back. 16 But they were looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

 I like this so much because it operates on multiple levels. It’s literal for Abraham, for Moses, and for many others who kept moving forward in faith toward the actual land they were promised. They genuinely chose between the known and the unknown, the less-than-perfect but tangible homes they had and the distant, as yet shapeless reality they were promised. And they struck out in faith.  

And of course the other level of meaning remains just as relevant to me in 21st century America. This world is not my home. I have not reached my destination. If I feel out of place, a little lost and unrooted in this life, it’s because I am all of those things. How firmly do I keep my sights on what’s been promised—a room in Jesus’s father’s house, a heavenly home? How tightly to I cling to the things of this world that seem so real and so desirous?

We haven’t been called to step off the ledge with no promise of rescue. We have been repeatedly told that there is another world, another reality that awaits us. A much better place, in the presence of our very God. It’s hard to live everyday life with that promise front and center in our mind’s eye. That’s why it’s called faith, and why we need the very concept of faith defined for us and laid before us in examples. 

Hebrews Chapter 10

Encouragement is such a powerful motivator and it can change the course of our day or our life.  Those people who helped motivate me throughout my life, also believed in me and cared about my welfare. 

In Hebrews 24-25, we are told to put our mind to motivating others in their Christian walk and to encourage one another.  By doing so we hope to create a thirst in them “toward love and good deeds.” By showing concern and attentiveness to others believers, not only are we strengthening our personal relationships, but the entire Church will benefit as a result. Others on the outside may see how much we care about each other and want to be part of the Church.

 One of the highlights of my week is meeting with my fellow believers after church and in Life Group. Sometimes our conversations stay shallow.  At other times, Christian fellowship takes place when we exchange encouragement, confess wrongdoing, expose our weaknesses and pray for each other. Those meaningful conversations become more common as time goes on with trusted Christian friends. Most of us want to share our burdens, not be judged and still be loved. 

Encouragement means prompting others to do their utmost to love God and serve others. Let’s be encouraged then to go out and be the encouragers of others!

Hebrews Chapter 9

This chapter which at first seems simple, packs a lot more than is at the surface (at least my scratching of the surface).  The Jews lived under a set of rules and rituals that very strictly defined what they did and how they did it.  I never could get my arms around splattering the whole temple with animal blood.  YUCK!  But, they had their marching orders and they followed them.  I did not put this in context with the old covenant the Jews had with God but it was all part of the package.

Apparently, the book of Hebrews seeks to reassure the Jewish Christians that Christ, not the old Testament Law, is God’s ultimate plan for their salvation.  This is the new covenant through Jesus.  Back in Hebrews 8, the chapter references a quotation from the book of Jeremiah “The time is coming when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel…it will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers…they broke my covenant…”

So this is the chance for the chosen people to start over, with less pomp and circumstance (and less gore).  Instead of the old temple, approachable by the select few, they could approach Jesus’ temple (heaven) and could approach it on their own.  And instead of the blood of animals, their (and our) sins are paid by the blood of Jesus.  And it was paid once and does not need to be paid again.  I don’t think it gets any better than that.

The chapter ends with the reminder that Christ came to earth to die (once) and when He comes again He will come to finalize God’s salvation for those who accept Christ and the judgement of all those who do not.  Seems pretty clear, no time like the present to accept and embrace the new covenant.