Weekend Sermon -- James 1:22-25

 After today's message, we will have one more message before we complete James chapter one. I thank you for taking the time to read the sermons, and I thank the Lord for giving me the opportunity to share them with you.

As you've probably already noticed, James is a book about practical matters of faith. You've probably noticed as well that James doesn't pull any punches. He writes in a straightforward manner. We certainly see this in today's text.

James tells us that we have to hear the Word of the Lord. We have to know what the teachings and commandments of Jesus are. However, James wants us to know that knowledge is not enough. He calls on us to be both hearers and doers of the Word. James says that if we just hear the Word and don't put it into practice, we are spiritually deceiving ourselves.

For instance, we know that Jesus told us to do unto others as we would have done to us. We can know this is true, but if we don't treat others in the way that we want to be treated, the knowledge of the Golden Rule isn't doing us any good.

In the same way, we can have knowledge of Jesus' teaching to spread the message of the Gospel around the world. However, if we don't ever tell anyone about the Lord Jesus, we aren't fulfilling the Great Commission. 

One way we can look at it is like going to the doctor. We can get a diagnosis and prescriptions to treat our condition. But if we don't take the medicine, we aren't going to get better.

I believe that part of what James is also speaking about is the sin of hypocrisy. We can know alot about the Bible and tell everyone what the Bible says ought to be done. But if we don't practice what we preach, we are definitely deceiving ourselves that the Word of Life truly dwells in us.

Jesus spoke about it this way. He said, "Why do you call me Lord but don't do what I say." A true follower of Jesus needs to be both a hearer and a doer of the word. Amen.

Prayer Requests

I want to thank the Lord that my brother and his wife were finally able to get the coronavirus vaccine. Let us all pray that more and more people will get vaccinated, and this pandemic will come to an end. Pray that those who are sick will recover.

Continue to pray for peace in the war-torn regions of this world. Let us focus our prayers for peace on Libya this week.

For our prayer focus countries this week, please pray for those in Kazakhstan and Algeria. Pray that many will come to know Jesus.

Next week, Lord willing, we will finish up James one. I will post the verses on Monday and something on Wednesday. May God bless you all.

Book Review

 I am sorry that the book review is late. Yesterday I had a really bad day at work, and I didn't feel like doing anything except listening to Jazz when I got home.

The book this week is "The Pug Who Bit Napoleon: Animal Tales Of The 18th & 19th Centuries" written by Mimi Matthews. This book has several short chapters with true stories of animals that played an important role in people's lives. I especially enjoyed the chapters on the animals associated with Alexander Pope, Lord Byron and Charles Dickens. 

Throughout the book, there are pictures of how 18th and 19th century artists represented animals. This is an interesting book that I recommend to you.

Verses For The Week

 Hosea 12:6 -- "Therefore return to your God, observe kindness and justice, and wait for you God continually."

Titus 1:13 -- "Looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus."

Weekend Sermon -- James 1:18-21

 Welcome to this week's edition of the Weekend Sermon. I hope that you are doing well. I know many in the US are dealing with cold and power outages. I pray that all is starting to go better.

Our section from James this week provides us with some important instructions on how to live a life that is pleasing to God. The first thing that James tells us is that we should be quick to listen and slow to speak. This is a principle that will help us in every aspect of life.

There are some people who have something to say about every subject of conversation. They will not stop talking long enough for someone else to contribute to the conversation. 

I believe that careful listening is very important in learning. If we are to gain information regarding a given subject, we have to listen intently to those who are knowledgeable about a subject.

In regard to spiritual matters, listening to God's Word is of vital importance. We need to listen carefully each time we hear the Word of God being delivered. We need to listen to ministers and teachers who are attempting to instruct us in the ways of God.

It is most important that we listen to the voice of Jesus. We don't always have to speak while praying. We can listen for the voice of Jesus in our heart providing us with His love and peace. We need to listen to the words Jesus has already given to us as recorded in the Gospels.

James goes on to tell us to be slow to anger because anger does not promote a righteous life. Words said in anger can really damage a relationship. When people are angry, they often don't stop and think before they speak. They blurt our words that hurt instead of providing words that heal.

James encourages us to live lives that are morally pure and free from the evil that is do prevalent in this world. We are to live lives that are marked by humility in imitation of the humble, servant attitude of the Lord Jesus.

If we follow the example of Jesus, we will live in such a way that is pleasing to God. Amen.

Prayer Requests

Please pray for those in the US who have suffered damage as a result of the winter storms and severely cold weather. I thank the Lord that I didn't have much trouble.

Continue to pray for peace on Earth. This week, let us concentrate on praying for peace in Somalia.

For our prayer focus countries, let us pray for Iraq and Indonesia. Pray that many will come to know Jesus.

Next week, we will continue in James. I have two messages to go to finish chapter one. I will post the verses on Monday and something on Wednesday. May God bless you all.

A Difficult Week

 I don't have a review this week. This has been quite a week where I live in the midwestern part of the United States. We have experienced record cold weather over an extended period of time. The actual temperature was as low as -18 with a -40 wind chill. On top of that, it has snowed several inches, and there have been rolling blackouts cutting out the power when it is coldest out. 

I would just like to ask everyone to pray for those going through this time of bad weather in the midwest and in the state of Texas. Pray that warmer days are on the way. 

I will post the sermon on Friday. Thank you for your prayers. 

Verses For The Week

 Psalm 125:1 -- "Those who trust in the Lord are as Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever."

John 7:37 -- "If any man is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink."

Weekend Sermon -- James 1:12-17

 Thank you for reading the sermon this week. I pray each day for all who will read the blog. I hope you are all doing well.

Our section for study today begins by speaking about a crown of life that will be given to those who love the Lord and pass through the trials they are facing.

I believe that there are two ways to look at this. This crown may refer to eternal life that is granted to those who follow Jesus as Lord. After the trials of life are past, the believer in Jesus will be with Him for all eternity. 

I believe that there is another meaning to this crown of life. Some people face extraordinary struggles as they try to remain faithful to the Lord and His calling on their life. In spite of difficulties,  these people persevere, and they will be rewarded by the Lord in a special way in the world to come.

James goes on to stress the point that God does not send trials and temptations into people's lives in order that they might fail or fall away from the faith. Instead, people fall into sin when they are drawn into sin by their own desires that are the opposite of what God wills.

I also believe that this means that the Lord doesn't bring bad things into our lives. James makes it clear that the Lord brings good things for us. He doesn't try to hurt us. He works to help us. 

A lot of the bad things that happen are just part of living in this world. Some really good people have a lot of bad things happen to them. Even in bad times, God can bring good for us.

Our Lord is the Father of lights. He doesn't bring the darkness. His light drives it away. Amen.

Prayer Requests

My car is having serious problems. Please pray about this situation. I am not sure what I am going to do. Also, please pray that I can make it through the terrible cold spell that we are having.

Please pray that the coronavirus vaccine will be distributed quickly.

Pray for peace this week with a special emphasis on Afghanistan.

For our prayer focus countries, let us pray for Bahrain and Uzbekistan. Pray that many will come to know Jesus.

Next week, we will continue in James. I will post verses on Monday. I will post something on Wednesday. May God bless you all.

Book Review -- How To Walk A Dog

 The book that I am reviewing today is "How To Walk A Dog" written by New Zealand journalist Mike White. He has received a number of prestigious awards for his journalistic work.

This book tells the story of Mike and his dog Cooper. Cooper and Mike go regularly for walks and playtimes at Wellington dog parks. 

Much of the book details the dogs and their owners who Mike and Cooper encounter at the dog park. These folks have become good friends due to their common love for dogs. 

What I liked best about this book was learning about all of the dogs and their owners. The dog park folks are an interesting cast of characters. They care about the dogs and go to great lengths to make sure that the dogs are happy and well-cared for.

I really enjoyed reading this book. The writing is crisp, and the stories are entertaining. 

Verses For The Week

 I Corinthians 5:17 -- "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, The new creation has come: The old is gone, the new is here."

Proverbs 27:9 -- "A sweet friendship refreshes the soul."

Weekend Sermon -- James 1:9-11

 Thank you for taking the time to read the sermon this week. I thank the Lord for giving me the opportunity to post this sermon. I hope and pray that you are all in good health and doing well. 

Today, we are going to deal with a controversial topic from the book of James. As we go through the book of James, you will see that James doesn't have a lot that is good to say about those whom he considers to be rich. In fact, you will find that rich people don't come off well in most of the New Testament. Jesus said that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into heaven. He also told the parable of a rich fool who had full barns. He tore down his barns to build bigger ones. He was called a fool, and his soul was required of him that very night. In addition to this, Jesus warns us not to build up for ourselves treasures on earth. Jesus tells us that we cannot serve both God and money. 

Probably the most well-known instance when Jesus spoke about the rich man was in His parable of the rich man and Lazarus. The rich man ended up in hell while Lazarus found comfort in Abraham's bosom after a life of suffering. 

In our reading today, James begins in verse nine by telling the believer in humble circumstances to take pride in their high position. The point that James is making is that a person's position as viewed by this world is not what is important to the Lord Jesus. A person might be in dire poverty, but if that person has a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, that person has an ultimate and eternal position that is much higher than the richest person living on the earth at this time or any other time. Of  course, this is what Jesus was getting at in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. 

In Jesus day, the religious leaders viewed wealth as a sign of God's favor and poverty as a sign of God's disfavor. Nothing can be farther from the truth. Man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks on what is in a person's heart. 

James tells us in verses 10 and 11 that the rich are like flowers and plants that will pass away in the burning heat. They will fade away, and their riches will not follow them in death. Riches are temporal, and only what is of eternal value will last forever. 

So, we need to ask a couple of questions. First of all, why are James and Jesus down on the rich and riches? Here is my belief. Jesus taught us that we are to live in an honest and forthright manner. Part of that is taking care of others and meeting the needs of the least of those among us. Later we will see that James says that true religion involves helping the most vulnerable members of society.

People that are extremely wealthy have often, not always, obtained their wealth through some type of exploitation. This often takes the form of not paying those that work for them a living wage. It can also take the form of not following proper environmental and health regulations. Much of the wealth in this world has been obtained by people through improper means. Of course, Jesus would be opposed to this as would James. 

Here is more to why I believe that Jesus and James are critical of the rich. There is so much need in this world, how can a person who has so much not give much to help alleviate the problems in this world. Now, I know that some multi-billionaires are major philanthropists. However, what they give is little when you compare it to what they have. How can someone spend a great deal on oneself when they have the means to alleviate so much suffering in the world? A person who has abundant wealth and keeps spending more and more on him or herself  instead of helping others is not living up to the ideas, values and teachings of Jesus. 

This leads us to another question. What constitutes rich according to Jesus and James? This is a hard thing to answer. This is my opinion. If a person has enough to eat, clothes to wear and a few nice things, that is more than enough. The accumulation of more and more things at the expense of helping others then becomes difficult to justify. Now, this is my understanding. The Bible presents no hard and fast rule about this. The teachings of Jesus and James do make it clear that the believer is to use his or her resources to make a difference in the world and to help make this world a better place. Jesus and James both focus on the fact that riches are passing away, and a person is making a grave mistake by concentrating his or her efforts on the accumulation of riches that are soon to pass away. 

The most important thing that we can do in life is to trust in Jesus and help others. If we do that, we are honoring and pleasing the one who loved us and died for us. Amen. 

Prayer Requests

This week, the forecast is for arctic temperatures where I live. Please pray that my car will start so I can get to work. Thank you. 

I have something to thank the Lord for. My nephew's wife has been very sick and in the hospital. She is now out of the hospital and doing better. Thanks be to God. 

Please continue to pray for an end to the coronavirus pandemic. Pray that people will receive the vaccine in a timely manner. Pray that those who are sick will recover. 

Continue to pray for peace. Pray for peace in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Libya and Somalia.

For our prayer focus countries this week, let us pray for those in Comoros and India. Pray that many will come to know Jesus. 

Next week, we will continue our study in the book of James. I will post the message on Friday. On Monday, I will post the verses. I will post a review on Wednesday. May God bless you all. 

Book Review

 I haven't had as many book reviews on the blog as of late. I've been busy with work and some writing projects, and I've fallen behind on my reading. This week, I do have a book review to share with you. The book that I am reviewing today is "Wondrous Rex" written by Patricia MacLachlan. 

Grace is a young girl whose parents are both doctors. They are busy a lot, so Grace spends quite a bit of time with her aunt Lily who is a writer. There is a problem, Lily can't come up with new things to write. She decides to advertise for an assistant, and something unexpected and magical happens that changes the lives of both Lily and Grace. 

A magical dog named Rex comes to be Lily's assistant. He understands what humans are saying, and he can type on the keyboard. He leaves quotes and messages on the computer that help Grace and Lily write and be more creative. 

With the help of Rex, Grace realizes that she is a writer, and she begins using her words to start down the creative path. The last section that Grace writes in the book about her life in the future and the whisper that she will hear is very touching. 

I highly recommend this book. It is written for younger readers. However, anyone who reads it will enjoy it. 

Verses For The Week

 John 5:4 -- "Truly, truly I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life."

Romans 8:16 -- "The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God."