My Old Friend

     Today is the birthday of my friend Toby. I miss him now more than ever. I hope that we can be together again soon. I thank the Lord for bringing us together and giving us a lot of good years. 

Verses For The Week And An Update

      Just wanted to give an update on some things that are happening. We have had terrible weather in my area as of late. Last week, a tornado came very near my town and caused some damage. I was not badly damaged, and I thank the Lord for that. Some of my neighbors had quite a bit of damage. Please pray for all who have been affected by storms in my area. I hope to get back on track with the blog this week. Please pray that there will be a lull in the stormy weather. 

Verses

Isaiah 40:29 -- "He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak."

Philippians 4:13 -- "I can do all this through Him who gives me strength."

Weekend Sermon

  I am not doing well this week. I am facing a very hard time and hope you will pray for me. I am going to repost a past message this week. Thank you. 

Welcome to the Weekend Sermon. Thank you for reading the sermon this week, and I thank the Lord for this opportunity.

Over the course of the last few messages, we've been examining some of the characteristics that should be part of the growing Christian's life.

Today, we look at good works. Before we get too deep into the message, I want to clearly state that no one is offered salvation and forgiveness by the Lord based on the performance of good deeds. Ephesians chapter 2 makes it clear that we are saved by grace through faith and not by works. This same chapter also tells us that we are saved unto good works.

James tells us something similar in his epistle. He tells us that, "faith without works is dead." What James is trying to tell us is that a person who has a true possession of faith and not an empty profession of faith will be living a life filled with doing good in the world for the honor and glory of the Lord. 

We always need to look at what Jesus has to say on a subject. In Matthew 5:16 Jesus says, "Let your light shine before men so that they see your good works and glorify your Father in Heaven." In other words, Jesus is telling us that when we do good deeds in the world, they help point others toward the God who we worship. 

This is exactly what Jesus did while He was ministering here on Earth. Acts 10:38 tells us that Jesus went around doing good and freeing those who were opressed by the devil. 

So, what kind of good works should we be doing? Jesus tells us this in Matthew 25. He tells us to do good to those who are the least among us. That means feeding the hungry, providing clothing, visiting sick people and those who are in prison. 

There are many ways that we can do good in this world. There are many hurting people who need us to care about them. This planet and its creatures need someone to care and help. The world needs the help of Christians who will seek the path of peace with justice. 

Another way that we can do good in the world is to tell others about the love of Jesus. This will make a radical difference in the lives of those who turn their lives over to the lordship of Jesus Christ.

This week, let each of us find some way to do what is right and good in this world in the name of Jesus and for His glory. Amen

Verses For The Week

 Proverbs 3:27 -- "Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act."

Galatians 6:9-10 -- "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have the opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially those who belong to the family of believers."

The Weekend Sermon -- "Mark 4:1-20"

     Welcome to this edition of the sermon. These last few days since the last time I posted the sermon have been wild near where I live. A tornado smashed up a little town not far from where I live. A tornado touched down briefly on the road behind the big field in back of my house. Giant hail caused extensive damage to the two biggest cities in my county. There were also numerous tornadoes and storms in other areas not too far away. I thank God that I had no damage. Thank you all for your prayers. I hope that all of you are doing well. 

     This week, we are once again in Mark, and we are starting on chapter four. In our text for the day, Jesus gives us the parable of the Sower and Seeds. 

     Jesus said that a man went out and sowed some seeds in his field. Some of the seed when it fell on the ground was immediately eaten by the birds. Some of the seed started to grow, but it didn't do much. It didn't take root, and the hot weather dried it up fast. There were some other seeds that took root and grew well, but the weeds came up and choked it out so that no crop was produced. Now, there were seeds that sprung up and produced a great crop. 

     The disciples didn't understand the parable, so Jesus explained it to them. Let's look into that. Jesus says first of all that the seed is the word. When the word of the Lord is spoken or given out it is the broadcasting of the message of the Lord to those who would hear. 

     Sometimes, when the word of the Lord and His message of love and forgiveness is preached, people don't want to hear it. They reject the word, or objections are given to make them doubt the word of the Lord. They doubt the love of Jesus, or they deny the truth about who Jesus was and what He did. 

     Then there are those who do receive the message of the Lord Jesus, and they begin to grow. They are like people who start to come to church for awhile, but after a few Sundays, you never see them again. They listened, and they started to understand. However, they were not willing to make a commitment. They wanted to do what they wanted to do. In the end, they rejected the word of the Lord. They decided to not give their heart and soul to the Lord, and they withered away spiritually. 

     The third group spoken of by Jesus in this parable is interesting. They did receive the word. I believe they represent those who do come to know the Lord as Savior. They are growing in the faith and they are making progresses. However, problems start to arise in their lives. They become disillusioned. They backslide and fall into sin. They never produce any fruit. They never accomplish anything for the Lord.  I have seen many people like this who will eventually make the decision not to follow Jesus anymore, and they walk away from the faith. Often this happens when they face a tragic situation in their lives. 

     Thanks be to God, some of the seed produces fruit. There are those who follow the Lord who do great things for the Lord. Their lives produce the fruit of the Spirit. They do unto others as they would have done unto themselves. They love God and their neighbor. They tell others about the life changing power of Jesus Christ. They make a difference for time and for eternity. 

     We want to be two of kinds of people in this parable. We want to be like the one sowing the seed. We need to spread the message of Jesus all over. And we want to be the ones producing fruit. We want to do all that we can to bring honor and glory to the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. 

Prayer Request

     Please pray for all of those in my area who had so much storm damage. Pray that they will get the aid and the help that they need. Also, more storms are forecast this week, so please pray that they will not be bad. 

     Keep praying for peace. As I write this message, things are still unsettled in the Iran situation and in Lebanon and in the Middle East. I am very distressed about the situation in Lebanon. Please continue to pray for peace in Sudan. That situation is really catastrophic. 

     For our prayer focus countries this week, pray for those in the nations of Gambia and Turkey. Pray that many will come to know Jesus. 

     Next week, we will continue in Mark. I will post the verses on Tuesday. May God bless you all. 

Verses For The Week

 I John 4:16 -- "And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them."

I Corinthians 16:14 -- "Do everything in love."

Weekend Sermon -- "Mark 3:22-30"

      Thank you for taking the time to read the sermon for this week. It has been a wild week where I live. A tornado hit the town just south of where I live and did a lot of damage. There was also a tornado just a little to the southwest of where I live. There was no damage in my town. Please pray that those harmed by this storm will be able to get the aid and the help that they need. 

     Last week, we paused our series going through the Gospel of Mark so that we could concentrate on Easter and the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. Today, we are once again back in Mark. If you remember, I skipped a section and said I would go back to it, and that is what our focus will be on today. 

     Jesus had been healing people and preaching His message of love and forgiveness and the coming of the Kingdom of God. His own family thought something was wrong with Him. The religious authorities did not like Him and wanted to do away with Him. 

     In our text today, the religious authorities go so far as to say that Jesus was casting out demons by the power of the devil. Jesus rebuked them and said to them that a kingdom divided against itself could not stand. He also said that by saying that the devil was at work when it was the power of the Holy Spirit was blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, and it was the unpardonable sin. 

     For our message today, I want to focus on two things. First, I want to talk about a kingdom divided against itself. In the direct context of our passage, Jesus is speaking about how foolish it would be for the forces of evil to be using Him to defeat them. They would be working at cross purposes. Jesus by defeating the power of evil could not be evil Himself. A power divided against itself will collapse. 

    Now, let us take this and apply it in a different context. Paul in I Corinthians speaks about the church being like one body with many members. Each one has its own role and function in the life of the church. One member cannot go their own way or not function properly otherwise the body will not function properly as a whole. 

    When we are divided and bickering and being hateful to one another in the church, that is not allowing us to get the message of Jesus out into the world. Division causes the message to not reach those who need to be reached and helped. That is why we need to be one in Jesus doing His will and preaching His message. We do this when each of us exercises the gifts of the Spirit given to us by the Lord. 

     Now, let us look into this matter of the unpardonable sin. What is it? I think that from what Jesus said it is claiming that what He was doing in the power of the Spirit was actually a power from the evil one. Why is it unpardonable? If Jesus was not who He said He was, then we have no redemption. There is no pardon for anyone. Plus, to make this claim about the power of the Spirit is to insult the entire Holy Trinity as the Spirit was in the Son and the Spirit came from the Father and the Son. 

     Can a person commit this sin today? I am not sure on this. I think though that Jesus was speaking about this specific occurrence. He was there in the flesh, and yet the religious leaders still accused Him of being in league with the devil. There was really no hope for them. 

     The only way that we can do anything for the Lord is through the power of the Holy Spirit. In Him we live and move, and have our being. Amen.

Prayer Requests

     Please keep praying that I will be able to feel better. I am doing some better. 

     Pray for peace. We need peace in this world. We need an end to wars in Lebanon and Iran and throughout the Middle East. We need peace in Sudan and many other places in Africa. Myanmar needs peace and so does Haiti. 

     Pray for those affected by natural disasters that they will get the aid and the help that they need. 

     For our prayer focus countries this week, let us pray for those in the nations of Sierra Leone and Singapore. Pray that many will come to know Jesus. 

     Next week, we will continue in our current series. I will post the verses on Tuesday. May God bless you all. 

Verses For The Week and Prayer Request

      First of all, please pray for the folks in the little town south of where I live. They got hit by a tornado last night, and there is quite a bit of damage. Also, storms are forecast for my area all week. Please pray that they will not be that bad. 

Hebrews 10:36 -- "You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised."

Proverbs 18:10 -- "The name of the Lord is a fortified tower, the righteous run to it and are safe."

The Weekend Sermon -- Mark 3:20-21 and 31-35

      Welcome to the Weekend Sermon. I hope that everyone had a great Easter. I know that I had a wonderful day. 

     Now that Holy Week and Easter are at an end for this year, we will be getting back on course with our continuing series of going through the Gospel of Mark. In our message for today, we are back in chapter three. We are skipping over a few verses, but we will go back to them next week. The verses for today are all about the same incident. 

     As we have seen, Jesus was out preaching and teaching and healing people. Crowds were coming from all over the region and beyond to see the one who taught with authority and cared about the people. 

     News reached the family of Jesus about what He was doing and what was happening. The Bible says that they went to get Him because they thought that He was out of His mind. 

     While Jesus was teaching, someone told Him that His mother and brothers were outside and wanted to speak with Him. Jesus said, "Who are My Mother and brothers?" He went on to say that whoever did God's will was His brother, sister and mother."

     This reaction had to come as a shock to Jesus' family when they heard about it. There is no place in the Bible where it mentions that He went out and had a conversation with them. In fact, the Bible says that His brothers didn't even believe in Him until after the resurrection. 

     What does this incident in the life of Jesus have to teach us today? What can we learn from it?

     When we try to do something for the Lord, or even try to follow a dream, there will be those who are close to us who will not understand and who will try to hinder us. Jesus' family could not get their minds around the fact that Jesus was the Son of God and the Messiah. They thought Him mad and wanted to take Him away. 

     In your life, there will come times when those who are your family and friends will try to hinder you from doing what God has called you to do. I know this because it has happened to me. I felt called to the ministry for most of my life. I have felt a strong desire to preach and teach the message of Jesus. However, there have been those who have tried to place obstacles in my path all along the way. Those who should have been my biggest supporters often turned out to be the ones who provided the greatest measure of discouragement. 

     When you try to take a stand for Jesus and His message, there will be those who think that you are crazy. They will want to know why you want to rock the boat or go against the grain so to speak. I don't say this to be negative, but people in this world that you are the closest too will often abandon you, make fun of you and try to keep you from fulfilling God's will in your life or the dreams that God has given you for your life. 

     As I said, I state this from experience. Unfortunately, everyone that I have ever known except my friend Toby has tried to keep me from doing what God has called me to do in one way or another. I have had some very bad experiences.

    So, what does this have to do with our text for today? Jesus didn't let it discourage Him. He just kept right on going with what He knew the Father wanted Him to do. That should be our example. If you know that the Lord has called you to do a work for Him, keep going. If you have a dream to accomplish something great and good for this world, don't let the doubters get you down. 

    Jesus knew that the Father was always with Him. We have Jesus with us in our hearts if we know Him. He will never leave us and He will never let us down. In the Bible, God said that even if everyone forsakes you, He will not forsake you. 

     Keep going and doing God's will for your life. Believe in Him and trust in Him. I kept on, and I have had a ministry for the Lord for many years now. I went to Bible college and seminary like I wanted to. I became a writer like I wanted to. Jesus was always with me. Praise be to the Lord. Amen. 

Prayer Requests

     Please keep praying in regard to my health. I am pleased to report that one problem that I was experiencing has completed healed. Thank you for your prayers. 

     Keep praying for peace. Pray for the peacemakers and for those promoting peace. Do not get pulled into the warmongering that is going on in some Christian circles. Pray for peace in the Middle East and for the people of Lebanon. Pray for peace in Ukraine. Pray for peace in Sudan. Wherever you know there is war, pray for peace. 

     Please keep praying for the people in Hawaii who are recovering from the flooding. 

     For our prayer focus countries this week, let us pray for those in the nations of Djibouti and Bhutan. Pray that many will come to know Jesus. 

     Next week, we will continue with our current series in Mark. I will post the verses on Tuesday. May God bless you all. 

Prayer Request

      I am thankful that a ceasefire has been agreed on. Let us keep praying for peace in the Middle East. 

Verses For The Week And Something I Want To Say

 Matthew 5:9 -- "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God."

James 3:18 -- "And the fruit of justice is sown in peace by those who make peace."

    If you have read this blog for awhile, you are surely aware that I do not care for President Trump. I try not to get too political here on the blog because I want it to emphasize Bible teaching and some other more light things like book reviews etc. However, what was said today by President Trump has to be addressed. Today, on his social media outlet he said, "a whole civilization will die tonight never to be brought back again." This is a completely horrible statement. Civilians and civilian infrastructure are never to be targeted in a military conflict. I never in my life thought that I would see something like this from a leader of the US. Please pray for peace and an end to war and violence in this world. Let us follow the way of Jesus and not a political party or a person. 

The Weekend Sermon -- "Because He Is Alive"

      It is time for the Easter Weekend Sermon. Christ is Risen!!! He is Risen Indeed!!!

     As we enter the Easter weekend, I want us to focus on what is because He is alive. Jesus rose bodily from the grave on the third day after He was crucified. This is a fundamental Christian belief. If Jesus did not come out of the grave, we are those who have no hope. But, Jesus is alive. 

     Because He is alive, we know that sin and the consequences of sin are defeated. When sin entered into this world, the result of sin was and is death. Death passed upon all people because all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. 

     Jesus came and was the Lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world. When Jesus died on the cross, He took the punishment that we deserved for our sins. He bore our sins in His body on the cross. Jesus took care of sin on the cross. 

     Our Lord defeated the consequences of sin through His glorious resurrection. When He rose from the dead on Easter morning, Jesus defeated death, hell and the grave. The grave is no longer the victor, and death has lost its sting. 

     Because Jesus is alive, we do not have to fear death if we put our faith and trust in Him. Because Jesus is alive, we too will rise and be with Him when we die. Those who are in Christ immediately go to be with Him in the place that He has prepared for us when we pass from this earth. 

     Knowing this provides great comfort to me. Most of my family members and good friends have passed on from this earth. Thanks be to God, they knew Jesus as Savior and Lord. They are with Him right now, and one day I will see them all again. It is not because of anything that I have done, but it is because of what Jesus has done for me. 

     Because Jesus is alive, we have His peace and His presence with us until that day that we see Him face to face. He said that He would not leave us and that He would not forsake us. No matter what we go through in this life, Jesus is with us. 

     I hope that you know Jesus as Savior and Lord. If not, you can come to Him today. He will not cast out anyone who comes to Him. Thanks be to God that Jesus is alive. Amen.

Prayer Requests

      Please keep praying for peace. The whole Middle East needs peace. Sudan and Ukraine also need our prayers.

     Pray for those in Hawaii recovering from the floods. 

     For our prayer focus countries this week let us pray for those in nations of Suriname and Tajikistan. Pray that many will come to know Jesus. 

     Next week, I will post the message on Friday, and I will post the verses on Tuesday. May God bless you all. 

Good Friday

      Why did Jesus die on the cross? The Bible is clear about this. I Peter 2:24 says that Jesus bore our sins in His body while He was on the cross in order that we might die to sin and live righteously. He took our sins upon Himself as the Lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world. Those who put their faith and trust in Him will be forgiven. 

     The Bible tells us in I John 2 that Jesus is the propitiation for our sins. He came to fulfill the justice of God. Jesus bore our sins and He took the punishment that we deserved for our sins on the cross. On the cross the love and the justice of God were satisfied in the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus. 

     Jesus invites everyone to come to Him. He died for us because He loves us. Whosoever will can come to Jesus and receive His forgiveness and the abundant and eternal life that He offers to those who place their faith and trust in Him. 

     Jesus died for you. You can know Him today. 

Maundy Thursday

     Today is Maundy Thursday. This is the day that Jesus instituted the sacrament of communion in the Upper Room. Jesus washed His disciples feet showing that we are to serve one another and follow in the path of the humility of Jesus. 

     Maundy Thursday gets its name because of the mandate or the new commandment that Jesus gave to His disciples in the Upper Room. Jesus said to them in John 13:34 -- "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another."

     Jesus loved us sacrificially. He was willing to sacrifice His life in order that we might be redeemed. Those of us who follow the Lord Jesus need to care about one another and help one another. We need to be good and kind to those who are our fellow believers in the Lord. 

     This command of Jesus to love goes out to all who are in the world. Jesus has called us to love others as He did. He has called us to love our neighbor as ourself, and He has called us to even love our enemies. He has called us to show our love by doing what is good and right to the least of those among us. 

     On this Maundy Thursday, let us reflect on the love of Jesus and how we might follow His commandment to love one another. 

Verses For The Week, Update and Prayer Request

      This is Holy Week, so I want to update you on the blog schedule. On Thursday, there will be a Maundy Thursday post. On Friday there will be a Good Friday post. The Weekend Sermon will be posted on Saturday this week. 

     I would ask that you please pray that the really bad weather forecast for my area this week will not materialize. Thank you. 

Verses:

I Peter 2:24 -- "He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness, by His wounds you have been healed."

John 11:25 -- "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live."

The Weekend Sermon -- "Mark 3:7-19"

      Welcome to this week's message. I hope that everyone is having a good week. I know that my week has gone well, and I am thankful to the Lord for that. 

     Today, we are continuing in our series where we are going through the Gospel of Mark to see what the Lord would have us to learn. In our message today, there are a couple of applications from the text that I would like to point out. 

     As we have seen, Jesus began His ministry in the area of the Sea of Galilee with His home base being Capernaum. Jesus began His ministry by healing those who were sick and by freeing people from the bondage of evil. He taught with authority, and the people were impressed because they had not heard someone teaching in this manner before. 

     As Jesus healed and delivered more and more people, the news spread far and wide about Him. People began to come to where He was teaching from all of the area around the Sea of Galilee. However, news spread about the works of Jesus beyond that. People came from across the Jordan, from Judea and from as far away as Tyre and Sidon in present day Lebanon. 

     There is a point for us today that I want to bring up. People were attracted to the Lord because of the good that He was doing and the message of deliverance and love that He was bringing. If we as the people of the Lord today are going to bring people in to hear about Jesus, we are going to have to be doing the same things. 

     If people see that those who follow Jesus are doing good and helping this world to be a better place, they will want to come and find out more about Jesus. If they hear a message of love and forgiveness and deliverance like the Lord Jesus preached, they will be drawn to Jesus and want to give their lives over to Him as Savior and Lord. We have to be sure that we are doing good to the least of those among us and that we are not being hateful or nasty in any way in the things that we say or do. We always want to draw people to Jesus as His ambassadors here on earth, and we never want to push people away so that they do not want to learn more about the Lord Jesus. 

    Now, I want to move into the second part of our text for today. Jesus had many disciples. There came a point where He wanted to chose a select group to be the leaders. These would be the ones who He would invest the most time in teaching and training them to take over when it was time for Him to ascend back into Heaven. 

     Jesus chose twelve to be the core group. What impresses me is the diversity of those that Jesus chose. He chose the fisherman like Peter, James, John and Andrew that He had known for a long time. They were ordinary men who worked hard for a living. He also chose a tax collector in Matthew. He even chose a political revolutionary like Simon. 

     The point I want to get across is that Jesus calls all sorts of people today to follow Him and to do His work. You don't have to be from a certain race or ethnic group. You don't have to have a certain background. The Lord uses all sorts of people from all over this planet to do His will and to accomplish things for Him. He may even be calling you to be one who will do great things for the Kingdom of God. Don't think that God can't use you, or that God can't call you to His service. The Lord Jesus called ordinary people to do great things for Him. 

     In all that we do, let our lives be yielded to the service of the Lord. May we do what He has called us to do and be a light shining in the darkness telling all of the love of the Lord Jesus. Amen. 

Prayer Requests

     Please keep praying in regard to my health. I am gradually doing better. Thank you. 

     We must be in prayer for peace in this world. The war in the Middle East must come to an end. Pray for peace in this region. Keep praying for peace in Ukraine. Pray for peace in Sudan. That conflict is horrific, and we just don't hear that much about it. Pray for peace wherever you know there is war. 

     Pray for those who are dealing with the flooding in Hawaii. Pray that they will get the help they need. 

     For our prayer focus countries this week, let us pray for those in the nations of Yemen and Jordan. Pray that many will come to know Jesus. 

    Next week, I will post the verses on Monday. We have finished with the James commentary posts, but I will repost them again in the future. I will post the message next Friday. May God bless you all. 

James: A Commentary -- Chapter 5

 

James 5:1-6

     This section is a powerful indictment against those who have amassed great amounts of wealth. Some people say that the Bible does not say that it is wrong to have a lot of riches. Yes, it does. It says it right here. Jesus said it too.

     In these verses, James says that the rich will weep and howl and lose everything because they have hoarded wealth in the last days. This means that they had enough money to live well and they could have given to help people and they didn’t do it. God says that’s wrong.

     One way that the rich hoard money in the last days is through the exploitation of the worker. They do not pay a living wage with proper health benefits so that they can have more and more for themselves. But, God knows what they have done, and there will be a day of reckoning. They may have lived in abundance on the earth, but their eternity will be bleak. That is not me judging, that is the revealed word of God.

     Jesus said as much. In the parable of the rich man, the rich man had a great harvest so much so that he was going to tear down his barns and build bigger barns. God said his soul would be required of him. Why? He had more than enough and kept if for himself instead of helping others.

     Jesus also gave us the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. The rich man had enough money to have purple clothing which was enormously expensive in that day. He bought that instead of helping Lazarus. The rich man ended up in hell.

James 5:7-12

     This is an important discussion on patience and perseverance in the midst of suffering in this world. What James is saying to us is that there will be suffering in this world while we wait for the promised coming of Jesus back to rule and reign in righteousness in this world.

     James gives us three examples of patient waiting for that which we are in expectation of. First the farmer. The farmer plants the seed in the field and then has to wait for the seed to sprout, for the sprout to grow, and then he has to wait for the fruit or grain to ripen. Eventually, the farmer will reap the harvest.

     The second example is the prophets. They told the people that the Messiah would come. They waited for years, and still, they did not see it happen in their own lifetimes. However, God kept His word. Jesus was born. He was the Promised One. The waiting of the prophets came to fruition in Jesus.

     James gives us Job as the third example. Job really went through a vast amount of suffering. In spite of it all, he never turned on God or cursed God. He waited for the deliverance of the Lord, and the Lord came to the aid of Job.

     We go through hard times now. Life is suffering. However, we have the promise that Jesus is coming. We wait and work for Him until the day we go to be with Him or He comes back to this earth.

James 5:13-15

     In these verses, we are given a guideline for praying for the sick who are members of the church body. A sick person should ask the church leaders to come and pray for him. They are to come and anoint the sick person with oil, and they are to pray for the recovery of the one who is sick.

     If the sick person has committed a sin, that individual is to confess that sin and receive forgiveness. A note on this. This passage is not saying that all sickness is caused by sin. It is saying that we are to confess and receive forgiveness. Some sickness may be caused by living a sinful lifestyle, but by no means is all or most sickness a result of that.

James 5:16-18

     These verses tell us about the power of prayer. The initial context is on praying for the sick. Prayer for healing is effective. I have seen the sick prayed for, and they recovered. I believe in the power of prayer. God does not always answer prayers in the way we want or expect. However, many people praying can have a great effect.

     As an example, James gives us the prophet Elijah. He was a great prophet of God. He prayed that it would not rain, and God stopped the rain for years. When he prayed again for the rain to come, it came back like a torrent. The fervent prayer of a righteous person avails much.

James 5:19-20

     James concludes his epistle by telling us one of the greatest things that we can do as a follower of the Lord Jesus. What is that? It is to turn sinners from the error of their ways. The Lord gave us the Great Commission to go and tell. When we tell others about the love and forgiveness of the Lord we are giving them the greatest gift in the world.

     Also, we are to help our fellow believers to turn back to the Lord when they have gone astray. We don’t do this by judging or condemning. We do that by being there for them when they need help and encouragement finding the way that they need to be on and the path that they need to trod.

Conclusion

     This journey through James has been exciting for me. I love this epistle and its message. I hope you will keep studying James, and I hope that you will apply the teachings of this book to your life.

 

Verses For The Week

 Psalm 103:8 -- "The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love."

Ephesians 4:7 -- "But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it."

The Weekend Sermon -- "Mark 3:1-6"

      I am once again glad to be able to post the message this week. I hope that all finds you well. I am doing a little better than I have been, and I thank the Lord for that. 

     For today, we are once again making our way through the Gospel of Mark. In our last message, we began to see that religious opposition was forming to the work of Jesus, and we will see that once again in our passage today. 

     One Sabbath day while Jesus was in the synagogue, a man with a withered hand was in the audience. Jesus saw him, and He told him to stand up. Jesus then asked if it was lawful to do good or evil on the Sabbath. The people and the religious leaders did not utter a word. 

     The reaction of the people made Jesus angry. He was distressed that they were so stubborn and uncaring. So, Jesus told the man to go ahead and stretch out his withered hand. The man did as Jesus asked, and he found that he was totally healed. After this, the religious authorities and the party of Herod began to plot how they could kill Jesus. 

     What can we learn from this encounter that Jesus had with the man with the withered hand? There are two main points in this that I want everyone to get. First of all, the religious leaders of Jesus' day were not doing what God wanted them to do. They said that they served God and had a lot of religious ritual, but they did not do what God expected. All they had was ritual and laws. They did not really care about people or the true ways of the Lord. That is why they cared more about not violating a rule they made in order to see someone made whole. 

     This is happening in our own day and age. There are those just like the religious leaders in Jesus' day who say they follow Jesus, they have big churches and they make a big show, but they do not do any of the things that Jesus said. 

     Jesus said that we are supposed to care for the poor and least among us. Yet many religious people don't care about the homeless and those who are impoverished. Instead, they spend all they have on entertainment and want more and more for themselves. They want more tax cuts and can't stand to see some poor person get a little bit of help. 

     Right now, many religious people clamor for war when Jesus called for peace and non-violence. Jesus said we are to love our neighbor as ourselves and to do unto others as we would have done to us. However, I have seen some cheer on the deportation of those who have done nothing wrong. 

     Just as in Jesus' day, today they are many who say one thing and do another. Just like then, Jesus now knows those who are His own. 

     Now, for the second thing I want us to really understand from this text. It is always the right time to do what is good. No matter if the church service is going on like when Jesus was with the man with the withered hand, now is always the right time to help someone and to do what needs to be done to try to make this world a better place. 

     There is a vast world of hurting and lonely people who need someone to care about them. It is our responsibility to be like Jesus in this world and to aid people in need. It is our job and our responsibility to tell others about the love of Jesus, and we need to not just tell, we need to demonstrate the love of Jesus through our lives. 

     In all things, let us follow Jesus. Let us do good as He did. Let us learn from Him and follow Him all the days of our lives. Amen.

Prayer Requests

     Please keep praying in regard to my health, Thank you. 

     Right now, there are wars and conflicts going on everywhere. At least it seems like it. Please keep praying for peace. Pray for peace in this Middle East conflict where the US, Israel, Lebanon, Iran and many other nations are in the midst of conflict. I am really concerned about Lebanon. All of those people run out of their homes and nowhere to live. It is all so horrible. Also, please remember to keep praying for peace in Sudan, Myanmar and Haiti. And pray for the people of Cuba who are having a real mess right now. 

     For our prayer focus countries this week, let us pray for those in the nations of Myanmar and Mali. Pray that many will come to know Jesus. 

     Next week, we will continue in Mark. I will post the verses on Tuesday and the next portion of the James commentary on Wednesday. May God bless you all. 

James: A Commentary -- Chapter 4

 

James 4:1-3

    As we begin chapter four, James is continuing his theme from the previous chapter by telling us once again the problems that greed, envy and selfishness can bring into our lives. In fact, James tells us that wars, quarrels and fighting in our relationships and in this world are in large part a result of our selfish desires.

     James tells us that we desire to have something that someone else has so we go to battle and kill. We covet what another person or a country has, so we are willing to resort to violent means in order to get it.

     In essence, what James is getting at is that wars, arguments, and sinfulness in general are rooted in greed and selfishness with selfishness being the key problem. If we think about our needs and ourself all the time it makes us puffed up with pride. It causes us not to care about anyone or anything except the satisfaction of our own desires, and this is contrary to the example of Jesus whose whole life and ministry were about selflessness, humility, non-violence, and loving-kindness.

    James tells us that if we desire to have something in life, we need to ask God. But we need to have the right motives. We are not to go around asking God for things just so we can have our own selfish desires satisfied. When we ask for things, we are to ask with the motive of using the things that God has given to us for the betterment of this world and the people and the creatures within it.

James 4:4-6

     These next three verses contain two very important points. Let’s consider the first. Being a friend of the world means that we are enemies of God. Being a friend of the world means that we do things the way that people in the world who don’t know God do them. This world is in rebellion against God. This world believes in things that are in entire contradiction to the things of God. This world teaches that greed is good and selfishness is right. It teaches that might makes right and that the accumulation of position and possessions are what will bring happiness. This is not the teaching of Jesus. He told us that it profits a person nothing if they should gain the whole world and yet lose their own soul.

    To be a friend of God means to follow the teachings and the commandments of Jesus. It means being humble and loving God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength as well as loving our neighbor as ourselves. Being a friend of God means doing unto others as we would have done unto us.

    Now, there is another important teaching in these verses. In verse 6 we read, “God opposes the proud, but gives favor to the humble.” God does not approve of a prideful heart. A heart lifted up in pride is what got Satan in trouble in the first place. A prideful heart says that it can be good without God. It says that man’s way is the right way, and the God’s way is not worth following.

     On the other hand, the humble person receives God’s grace. A good example is from the teaching of Jesus. He told the parable of the Pharisee and tax collector. The Pharisee prayed telling God all of the good things that he had done. He was so glad he wasn’t like that sinful tax collector standing next to him. The tax collector would not even lift his eyes to Heaven. Instead, he said Lord be merciful to me a sinner. Jesus said that the tax collector and not the Pharisee was the one who went home justified. God gives grace to the humble, but He rejects those who are lifted up with pride and self-righteousness.

 

James 4:7-10

     On the continuing theme of humility, James exhorts his readers to submit to God and resist the devil. Being a humble person requires submission. We submit to God knowing that His way is the best way. We submit to obeying His laws and commandments. We submit to the path that Jesus has called His followers to walk. We must also submit to the Lord’s will that He has for us as individuals. Whatever the Lord has called us to do for Him in this world, that is what we need to be about doing.

    We are to resist the devil. Satan was the opposite of humble. He was lifted up with pride and thought that he could take over for God. He led a rebellion in the heavens and was followed by one-third of the angels. He was cast out of heaven, and he opposes God and what God wants to do in the world and in the lives of people to this day.

     Those who have the desire in their heart to be close to God, God will draw close to them. As Jesus said, He will not cast out any person who comes to Him. Whoever will may come. Come unto Me all you who labor and are heavy laden Jesus said.

    James goes on in this section to call sinners to repentance. He is calling people away from sin and back to a proper and right relationship with the Lord. Those who do not know God are urged to purify themselves. They must mourn for there sins so that joy will come from having a right relationship with the Father through the Son.

James 4:11-12

     These next two verses are very similar to the teachings of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. If you remember, I said that James is telling us many of the things that Jesus taught while He was on this earth. Jesus told us not to judge others. We should not try to judge a person’s motives or intentions because we have absolutely no way of knowing what is in another person’s heart. Also, Jesus told us that we need to get the beam out of our own eye before we worry about the speck that is in our brother’s eye.

     Verse 12 is so important. We are not to judge our neighbor. We are to follow the teaching of Jesus when He calls us to love our neighbors as ourselves.

James 4:13-17

     This section has a deep personal resonance with me. I am writing this on the 16^th anniversary of the death of my father. What happened to him encapsulates these verses. My dad got a report that he was in the best health of his life. He had been waiting to get the call from the doctor, and he hadn’t gone to pick up his dog from the veterinarian yet. He walked out the door to drive over to the vet’s office and told me we would go to get something to eat when he got back. That is the last thing my dad ever said to me. He died of a stroke.

     One of my best friends had the flu. I talked to him on the phone on Friday afternoon. He told me he was doing better, and that on Monday, we would work on the lawnmower we were repairing. On Monday morning he died.

     Life is short. It is here and then gone, and no one is promised a tomorrow. With that in mind, we all need to go about doing good and serving the Lord now. We need to tell and show people we love them now. There may not be a tomorrow to do it.

Verses For The Week

 Romans 12:10 -- "Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor."

John 13:34 -- "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another."

The Weekend Sermon -- Mark 2:18-28

      Thank you for reading the message today. I hope that your day is going well. I am doing well today, and thankful for the opportunity to post the sermon.

     Today, we are once again studying what the Lord has to teach us from the Gospel of Mark. In our message for this week, I want to focus on two sections from Mark. In the first section, Jesus is asked by some why His followers did not fast. Fasting was and is an important part of the Jewish faith. 

     Jesus said that it was not appropriate for His followers to fast while He was with them. There would come a time when He was not with them any longer. Then they would fast. 

     The Lord then went on to say that one doesn't put a new patch on an old garment. That will cause the garment to tear. In the same way, Jesus said new wine is not put into old wineskins. If that happens, the fermentation process will cause the old wineskins to burst.

     Shortly after these events, Jesus and His disciples were walking through the fields. As they were walking, the disciples were taking some of the heads of grain and eating them. The Pharisees said that that was not a lawful thing to do on the Sabbath. To this Jesus responded that the Sabbath was for man and not man for the Sabbath. Jesus made it clear that He was the Lord of the Sabbath. 

     So, what is Jesus getting at in these two passages. Jesus is saying that when He entered into the world, when God became man and dwelled amongst us, things were going to be different. The old ways and the old covenant was replaced by what He was bringing into the world. He was making a new covenant and a new way. 

     Jesus was bringing a new spiritual dynamic. It wasn't about the old laws and regulations. His teachings would be the basis of doing what is pleasing to God. 

     One other place in the Gospels where we see Jesus doing this is in the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus will say something like you have heard Moses say followed by but I say. For instance, Moses said an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. Jesus ended that and said we should turn the other check. 

     When Jesus came into this world, He was the Word made flesh. The Second Person of the Holy Trinity came among us in the person of Jesus Christ. He inaugurated a new way. The book of Hebrews tells us that Jesus is God's final word. He is the ultimate word and what He has told us is far superior than anything that came before. That is why Jesus said that He did not come to abolish the Law but to fulfill it. He came to show us what God is really like and how we can please Him in what we do. 

     Jesus also brought in grace and truth. By His atoning death on the cross, He has made a new covenant through His shed blood. Now, those who put there faith and trust in the finished work of Christ on the cross are in Christ and they are redeemed through and by Him. 

     We are not made right with God by falling the old covenant with its laws and sacrifices. We are made right with God through the death and resurrection of His dearly beloved Son the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the Lord of the Sabbath because He is Lord of all. He is the superior one. He is the great one. He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Whatever He says, we do. His way and His path are what we follow. 

     Jesus has come into the world, and He has made all things new. All praise honor and glory belongs to Him. Amen. 

Prayer Requests

     I am feeling some better, and I thank you for your continuing prayers on my behalf. 

     Please keep praying for a ceasefire between the US and Iran. Pray for peace in Lebanon. Pray for peace in the entire Middle Eastern region which is enflamed with tension. We also need to keep praying for peace in Ukraine and Sudan. 

     Pray for those affected by the storms and tornadoes here in the US. Pray that they will get the aid and the help that they need. 

     For our prayer focus countries this week, let us pray for those in the nations of Cambodia and Kosovo. Pray that many will come to know Jesus. 

     Next week, we will continue in Mark. I will post the verses on Tuesday and the next chapter in the James commentary on Wednesday. May God bless you all. 

James: A Commentary -- Chapter 3

 

James 3:1

     Starting off in chapter three, James gives a stern warning to those who think that they want to become a teacher of the word of the Lord. He says that not many should want to become a teacher. The reason is that those who are teachers of the word are going to be held to a very high standard at the day of the judgment of the Lord.

     The Bible is clear that all people will stand before the judgment seat of Christ in order to give an account of what they have done with their lives. For the believer, this has nothing to do with one’s eternal destiny or salvation. We are saved by grace through faith and not of works. For the believer, this judgment is a judgment about what our reward and position will be in the world to come.

     Those who have been given the privilege of teaching and instructing others in the faith will be judged at a high standard. The reason of this is that people’s lives and destinies are in their hands. A teacher is responsible to make sure that they are telling the people what is right and true in regard to the things of the Lord.

     A teacher must also teach by example and not just words. A teacher or pastor must lead an exemplary life. When people see someone who is in authority in the church go down the wrong path or act in a hypocritical manner, that is a turn off. It causes people to not want to come to Jesus or not want to follow the Lord. That is not something that anyone wants to have on them when they stand before the Lord at the time of the judgment.

 

James 3:2-8

     In these verses, James is going to tell us what gets most of us into the most amount of trouble. This applies to leaders and to all Christians. To all people really. The things that we say are what get us into the most difficulties. Not being able to control our speech leads to quarrels, hurt feelings and many other disastrous consequences. The things that we say can fracture relationships causing people who were once friends to never want to speak to each other again. And that happens all because people are too quick to speak when they should be less quick to speak and quicker to listen.

     James is emphatic. If a person can control what they say, that person will be more apt to be able to keep the rest of his or her life in line with the principles and the precepts of the Lord.

     Staring in verse 3, James gives two examples of how a small thing like the tongue is to the human body can affect something that is much larger. For instance, a bit in a horse’s mouth allows the rider to make the horse slow down, speed up or turn to the left or to the right. Also, the rudder on a ship is tiny. Without it, the ship is not able to turn. It would be tossed to and fro and never get anywhere.

     The tongue is small, yet James likens it to a fire and to deadly poison. It can set a forest of lives on fire with the little nasty spark that flies out of it. People make boasts and threats and say horrible things to one another causing vast amounts of damage.

     James says that an uncontrolled tongue it a world of evil and is set on fire from hell. An uncontrolled tongue is the devil’s tool to make people look at some Christians and not want to be one. We have to get control of what we say, and that can only happen when our hearts are yielded to the power of the Holy Spirit working in us.

 James 3:9-12

     In verses 9 through 12, James goes on to tell us about the power and the potential hypocrisy of the tongue. James says that with the same tongue we will praise the Lord in church on Sunday, and then we go out in the world and assault people with the words that come out of our mouths.  James lays it out clearly. It should not be this way.

     What James is saying is that someone who is really trying to follow the Lord will get control of what they say. A spring cannot produce both fresh and salty water. A fig tree cannot produce olives, and a grapevine can’t produce figs. So, a person who is filled with the Spirit will not have speech that is praising the Lord at one moment and cursing people the next.

     What we need to do is learn by God’s power to speak words that heal and not words that hurt. Jesus said to let our yes be yes and our no be no. We need to mean what we say, and we need to use our words to help people in life and to help them know more about Jesus. Our speech needs to express the love of the Lord that is overflowing within our hearts.

James 3:13-16

     In verse 13, James moves us on to a discussion about earthly wisdom and the type of wisdom that comes to us from Heaven. We are told that if a person lives a good life with good deeds marked by humility, that is a sign that someone possesses true wisdom.

     Good deeds done in humility means that we don’t go around pointing out to every one all the good that we’ve done so that our good works are seen by people and we get the praise of men. Someone who does good deeds in humility is someone who is taking the words of Jesus seriously and is doing good deeds to be seen by the Father who is in Heaven.

      Those who are leaning into the so-called wisdom of the world are those who boast about what they do and are filled with selfishness and the ambition to be recognized by others as a significant person in the world.

      James tells us that the wisdom of the world is demonic. It is not spiritual. It is a denial of the truth. He tells us in verse 16 that envy and selfish ambition are at the heart of sin and evil practice. When a person is filled with envy towards what others have, they desire to get it, and they will be willing to harm others in order to obtain that which they wish to possess. A person filled with selfish ambition is only thinking about what is good for them. They are not loving their neighbor as themselves. On the contrary, they are hating their neighbor because they can’t stand that someone else should have more than them. They are filled with pride thinking that they are the best thing that has ever hit the universe.

James 3:17-18

     In these final two verses of chapter three, we are told what the characteristics are of the true wisdom that comes from Heaven. It is pure and peace loving. This means that it is not focused on oneself and the fulfillment of selfish desire. To be peace loving means that we desire that no one be in conflict, and we seek the path of peace and non-violence.

     The wisdom of Heaven is characterized as being considerate, submissive and full of mercy. We are willing to be those that forgive, and we don’t have to have our own way all the time.

     Good fruit in our lives is produced by the wisdom from Heaven. It creates in us a sincerity of heart that is focused on the things of God and upon doing His will.

     As James closes out in verse 18, he reiterates that the followers of the heavenly wisdom are peacemakers who sow in peace. I so much wish that Christians where much more known as peacemakers. Christians should not be known for violence, war and hatefulness. We must be the peacemakers that Jesus called us to be in the Sermon on the Mount.

 

Verses For The Week

 Jeremiah 17:14 -- "Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed, save me, and I shall be saved, for You are my praise."

Psalm 30:2 -- "O Lord my God, I cried to You for help, and You have healed me."

The Weekend Sermon -- "Mark 2:13-17"

      I am glad to be posting the message for the week. This is an important week here on the blog. As of this week, I have been posting on this site for 15 years. I thank the Lord for the opportunity. 

     For the past few weeks now, we have been engaged in a study of the Gospel of Mark. It is going to take us some time to get through this book, but I know that we will learn from the life and work of the Lord Jesus. 

     In the last message, we learned about Jesus healing a paralytic man who was let down through the roof by his friends. Jesus healed him and forgave him of his sins. Right away, the religious authorities took a dislike to Jesus, and that would continue throughout the course of His life and ministry. 

     Today, we are looking at Jesus call of Levi who in other Gospels is called Matthew. Levi was a tax collector. In the context of Jesus' day, that meant that he was one of the most despised people in the land. Tax collectors were seen by the local population as collaborators with the Romans. Tax collectors were also seen as crooks who took more than they were supposed to in order to line their own pockets and live an extravagant lifestyle at the expense of the common people. 

     One day, while Jesus was teaching, He saw Levi at his tax collection stall. He called to Levi to come and follow him. Immediately, Levi left everything and followed Jesus. 

     That evening, Levi hosted a big dinner for Jesus and his disciples. Levi invited over some of his tax collector friends. Of course the Pharisees and religious leaders didn't like all of this one bit. They criticized Jesus for eating with tax collectors and sinners. However, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy that need a doctor but the sick, I have not come to call the righteous but sinners."

     There are a couple of things I want to focus on in this passage. First of all, Jesus called everyone to come and follow Him. What I mean by that is that He called all types of people. We already saw that He called ordinary fisherman to be His disciples. Now He was calling a despised person to come and follow Him. 

     The Pharisees did not think that a tax collector and other sinners would ever be acceptable to God. They didn't even attempt to get them to come to the Lord and do the right thing. They just excluded them. In Jesus' time, those in certain occupations and those who were sick were considered to be less and looked down on. However, Jesus didn't look down on or despise or reject anyone. He came to seek and to save those who were lost. He saw something in Levi that would make for a good disciple, and He invited Him. 

     We don't want to be like the religious leaders of Jesus time and exclude anyone from the grace, love and mercy of the Lord Jesus. He said that whosoever will may come. He also told us, "Come unto Me all you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest. All and whosoever includes everyone. Jesus invites you, me and the whole world to come to Him and receive His love and forgiveness. No one is excluded from the love of the Lord Jesus. 

     Levi immediately followed Jesus. He didn't wait around. That should be our response on two levels. For those who don't yet know the Lord, if you feel the Spirit calling you to faith in Christ, now is the time to respond. Now is the day of salvation. Come to the Lord immediately. For those who are already followers of the Lord Jesus, we need to be ready to do what the Lord is telling us to do right away without delay. Don't procrastinate in doing the Lord's will for your life. Don't waste time. Obey the Lord right away. 

     The final thing that I want to point out from this passage is what Levi did after he came to follow Jesus. He invited others to know about Jesus as well. Once we have experienced the love, mercy and forgiveness of the Lord, we need to tell others about what Jesus has done for us. We don't want to keep the good news to ourselves. We want to obey the Great Commission and go and tell. 

     If you don't know Jesus, come to Him today. If you are being called to a task or mission by the Lord, respond now. If you haven't been telling others the good news about the Lord Jesus, start right away. Amen.

Prayer Requests

     There are supposed to be some bad storms in my area this week. Please pray that they won't be too bad. 

     War has come again. I know that it is distressing. Let us keep praying for peace. Pray that all sides in the conflict in the Middle East right now will lay down their arms and work for peace. Continue to pray for peace in Ukraine and Sudan. Let us all meditate for peace and goodness in the world. 

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

    Next week, we will continue in Mark. I will post the verses on Tuesday, and I will post the next section of the James commentary on Wednesday. May God bless you all. 

James Commentary -- Chapter 2

 Here is James 2

 

James 2:1-4

 

     We are now going into chapter two, and this chapter has a lot in it that is relevant for our day and age. We start out the chapter with an admonition for James that Christians should not be ones who show any type of favoritism. But, before we start studying what that means for us today, I am struck by how James refers to Jesus. He calls Him our glorious Lord Jesus Christ.

     Jesus is ours. That is something that we have to really let sink in. He belongs to us and we belong to Him. We are united together by His grace. He is glorious. He lives in glory right now seated at the right hand of the Father in Heaven. One day, He will come and all of His glory will be revealed to all as every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

     Now, let us get into the heart of the section. James gives his readers a stern warning against showing any type of favoritism. He does not want people to favor any other believer or visitor to the congregation based on their wealth or their status.

     If a person is rich or poor, they should be treated the same way. If a person is dressed well or poorly, they should be treated in the same respectful and honorable way. There should be no discrimination, and there should be no favoritism shown.

     This passage reminds me of something that I have seen in some church meetings. Those that are big donors or so-called VIPs are given reserved seats at the front of the church. This is in direct contradiction to what James Is teaching here. That sort of thing should never be practiced in any church.

     I believe that we can go further with James’ idea. There should be no type of racism, sexism, ageism, ethnicism or any other type of discrimination in the church or amongst God’s people. The church is for all. Jesus saves and came to save everyone. We are all one in Him.

     If anyone teaches that one race or ethnic group is better than another, that is a sign that that person’s teaching is not of God. All people from every tribe, nation, and group will be worshipping the Lamb around the throne.

James 2:5-7

     Now, getting back to James most contextual criticism.  James does not want anyone to discriminate a poor person in favor of a rich person. James says that God has especially chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and to inherit the Kingdom. That is powerful. That means God has a preferential regard for the poor. He does not want anyone causing any type of hurt or oppression against them.

     James goes on to talk about the fact that the rich are often oppressors. In fact, most of the time, those who are very wealth became that way by not following the teachings of the Lord and by oppressing their workers and those in marginalized groups.

     We are not to dishonor a poor person, and we are not to show favoritism to a wealthy person. The worst examples of this that I have seen are pastors who will go visit wealthy members of their congregation in the hospital, but you never see them at the bedside of someone who doesn’t have two nickels to rub together.

James 2:8-11

     James is really driving home his point now. He goes back to what he heard the Lord Jesus say. When Jesus was asked what was the greatest commandment, He said that we are to the love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. Then he added that we are to love our neighbor as ourself.

     In this section, James makes it clear that to show favoritism or to discriminate is a violation of the law that we should love our neighbor as ourself. It follows right along with what Jesus said when He told us that we are to do unto others as we would have done to us. In other words, we are to treat other people in the same way that we would like to be treated. If we don’t want people to discriminate and be prejudiced against us, we should not act that way to others.

     According to James, we are lawbreakers if we show favoritism, and if a person breaks the law in one area it is the same as if he has broken every law. One is just as bad as the other, because they are all violations of the standard of a holy God. Not committing one sin but committing another makes us guilty of all. That is why we need a Savior.

James 2:12-13

     We are to act as people who will be judged by the law of God. What does this mean? It doesn’t mean that we are under the law. It means that Jesus is the judge. The Bible says that everyone will stand before the judgment seat of Christ in order to give an account. Christians will be judged at this judgment, but not for salvation. It is a judgment of rewards. What we have done with our lives for the Lord.

     In light of the fact that we will give an account to our Savior, we need to live according to His commandments and teachings. We need to be doing what He has told us to do. In fact, Jesus spoke about this just as James is. He told us that we should live in such a way that we would not be ashamed at His coming.

     In verse 13, James talks about mercy and judgment. Mercy triumphs over judgment. And aren’t we thankful for that. God is merciful to us and has forgiven our sins. He has forgiven us and given us a new life in Jesus Christ. When we come to Jesus, He takes our sins, and we receive His righteousness which allows the judgment of the Lord for our sins to pass over us.

     Just as we have received the mercy of the Lord, we ought also to be merciful to others. We need to forgive others when they sin against us. Jesus spoke about this over and over again during His time on earth. We need to forgive seventy times seven, He told us. He also said that if we aren’t willing to forgive others, the Father will not forgive us.

James 2:14-19

     The section of James that we are going in to now is one of the most controversial passages in all of the New Testament. Some Christians use this text to prove that salvation is not by faith alone. Others try to explain it away or not deal with what it is really saying. Some, like Martin Luther, want to just throw the whole book out the window.

     Let’s look at what James is trying to get at in this passage. James begins by asking if a person can be saved by faith without deeds. He asks, “Can such faith save them?” James compares faith without deeds to someone seeing a hungry person who tells that person to be warm and filled and then just walks off and doesn’t do anything to help that person.  James says that faith like that, or faith without deeds is dead.

     James says that faith without deeds is dead. It is useless. Even the demons in hell believe, but they don’t have any deeds. James says that he will demonstrate his faith by his deeds.

     So, what are we to make of this? Is James trying to say that we are saved by a combination of faith and works? No, he is not. He is making a statement about the demonstration of true faith. He wants to let his readers know and understand what saving faith truly looks like. True and saving faith is not a mental assent to a list of facts about God. The devil and his angels know the truth about God and who Jesus is and what He did. But, they do not bow the knee to Him. They do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord. They are in rebellion. Their acknowledgment of some facts they know to be true does not bring them out of their rebellion against the True and Living God.

     What James is saying is that there are many who have a profession of faith. They claim to be believers in the Lord, but their actions do not demonstrate that they have Jesus as the Lord of their lives. It is an empty profession of faith. They do not have a true possession of faith.

     Jesus spoke about this exact same thing. He said when the end of time comes and people are judged many will come to Him and say Lord, Lord.  Jesus will say to them depart from me for I never knew you. You were a worker of lawlessness. Likewise, Jesus said that when He judges the nations, some will ask when did we see you hungry, thirsty, naked, etc. He replies that when you did not do good unto the least of those among you, you did not do it unto Me. In other words, you said you were a follower of mine, but you never did anything that I asked you to do. Therefore, your actions revealed that you never really had faith and trust in Me.

     Jesus also talked about the good tree and the bad tree. A good tree bears good fruit while a bad tree can only produce bad fruit. Jesus said by their fruits you will know them. So, Jesus is saying the exact same thing as James. A person’s works reveal what is truly in their heart. Anyone can say they are a Christian. The proof, so to speak, is in the pudding.

     James is certainly not contradicting other parts of the Bible in this passage. We know from the writings of Paul that we are saved by grace through faith. It is the gift of God. Paul tells us that we are saved unto God works. We are not saved by good works, because, as the Bible says, all of our righteousness is as filthy rags in the eyes of God.

James 2:20-26

     James will now give us two examples from the Old Testament to show us the point that he is trying to get across. First of all, we have the example of Abraham and his offering up of Isaac. God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son, Isaac. Abraham could have said OK Lord, and then he could have gone out and sacrificed a goat. Instead, he was going to sacrifice Isaac and God stopped Him. The Bible says that Abraham believed that even if he sacrificed Isaac that God could raise him from the dead, but it was dead faith until Abraham had an action behind it. His action proved his faith.

     In the same way, we have the example of Rahab. When the spies went to Jericho, Rahab hid them so they would not be captured. Joshua and Caleb told her that if she placed the scarlet cord out her window, she and those with her would be spared when the city fell. Rahab did what she was told, and she and those with her made it out alive. She could have believed all day, but her action demonstrated that she truly believed.

     If you have accepted Jesus as the Savior and Lord of your life, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within. He works within us to produce the fruit of the Spirit. We also as a child of God have the desire to do what it is that Jesus has taught us and commanded us to do. When we follow the Lord in obedience, we are showing the world that Jesus is truly in our hearts. That is what James is trying to say.

Verses For The Week And Prayer

     We need to be praying for peace in the entire Middle East region. Please be in prayer. 

I Peter 5:7 -- "Casting all your anxieties upon Him, because He cares for you."

I Peter 3:11 -- "Let him turn away from evil and do good, let him seek peace and pursue it."

The Weekend Sermon -- Mark 2:1-12

      Thank you for once again taking some time to read the message for the week. I hope that everyone has had a great week so far. I am doing about the same. 

      Over the course of the last few weeks, we have been studying what the Lord has to teach us from the Gospel of Mark. We finished up chapter one last week, and we are going to begin in chapter two starting with our message this week. 

     In our passage for today, we have to recall what happened at the end of chapter one. Jesus healed a man that was filled with leprosy. He told the man not to tell anyone, but the man went ahead and told everyone. People were coming from everywhere to see Jesus and to be healed. 

     With this in mind, we come to the events that are recorded in chapter two. Jesus is in a house preaching and teaching. The crowd is huge. The house is entirely filled, and there are people standing all around trying to get a glimpse of Jesus and hear what He has to say. 

     At this event, there were four men who had brought their friend who was paralyzed to be healed by Jesus. The crowds were so great that they couldn't get in. So they improvised. They went up on the roof, took away some of the roofing, and lowered their friend right down to where Jesus was at. 

     When Jesus saw the man, He told him that his sins where forgiven. This infuriated the religious leaders. Jesus knew what they were thinking, and He informed them that the Son of Man had power to forgive sins. Jesus then healed the man completely, and that was a sign to the religious leaders of Jesus' power. 

     Now, what can we all these years separated from these events learn from this miracle encounter? The first thing that strikes me about this event is that this man had some really good friends. They just didn't say they were friends, they showed it. They showed it in a big way. They were determined to get their friend the help that he needed. 

     It is important to have friends like this as we try to make it through this world. It is important to be this kind of friend. A true friend is one that will stick with you in the good times and the bad times. They will help you in any way that they are able when you are going through a hard time. That is the type of friend that we should all try to be. 

    The second thing I notice in this encounter is the way that Jesus demonstrated His divinity as God the Son and the Messiah. Jesus forgave the man of his sin. That is something only God could do. By taking this on, Jesus was clearly saying that He was divine. Jesus also demonstrated His divine power through the miracle of healing a man who was unable to even get around. 

     The third thing I want to emphasize in this passage is the prominent place that Jesus gave to forgiving the man of his sins. Jesus didn't heal the may first. He forgave the man first. The reason for that is that that was the more important thing. Eternity matters more than the temporal. Having a right relationship with God is what means the most in life. Jesus made sure that the man's soul was right, and then He made his body right. 

     The most important thing that you can do in your life is to make sure that your sins have been forgiven by the Lord Jesus and that you have turned to Him and made Him the Savior and Lord of your life. Nothing else in life is more important than this. I hope that you will come to salvation through the grace and mercy of the Lord Jesus today. Amen. 

Prayer Requests

     I am having a great deal of trouble with my health. Please keep praying. Thank you. 

     Please keep praying for peace. Ukraine needs peace and we need peace in Gaza and Israel. Pray that there will be a diplomatic solution with Iran. Also, pray for peace in Mexico. Keep praying for peace in Sudan and Syria as well as Haiti. 

     Pray for those who are dealing with the big snow in the US east. Pray that people will get their power on and get any help and aid that they might need. 

     For our prayer focus countries this week, let us pray for those in the nations of Guinea-Bissau and Azerbaijan. Pray that many will come to know the Lord Jesus. 

     Next week, I will post the verses on Tuesday and the next chapter in the James commentary on Wednesday. I will post the message on Friday. May God bless you all. 

James: A Commentary -- Preface, Introduction, Chapter 1

     I have completed my commentary on James. I will be posting this in sections on Wednesdays over the coming weeks. Here is the first section.

James

A Commentary

By – Willard Stringham

Preface

 

     For many years, I have had the desire to write a commentary on the book of James. This epistle is one of the books of the New Testament that I have read again and again and again. Each time that I read it, I am struck by the fact that it is as relevant to the issues of our day as it was when it was penned all those years ago.

     I have both Bible college and seminary credentials, but my intention with this commentary is not to pen an academic work. The goal of this book is to provide the lay reader with an accessible commentary on the book of James and its meaning for our lives today. It will be a more devotional type commentary.

     It is my hope and prayer that as you read this work that you will gain a greater insight into the message of James and how it applies to our walk with the Lord Jesus today. May God bless you as you endeavor to learn more about Him through His word.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Introduction

 

 

     The first thing that we need to address as we begin our study of the book of James is what type of literature it is. James is called an epistle. It is a letter that was written by the author to address a group of believers. Much of the New Testament is made up of epistles with the Apostle Paul being the one who penned most of them.

     As we approach the book of James, we need to ask ourselves which James is the author of this text. There are three different James’ in the Bible. The first one we think of is James the son of Zebedee who was the brother of John. Almost all Bible scholars agree that he did not write this epistle. James was the first martyr among the apostles. He was killed in about 44 AD. The thinking is that there would not have been enough time for the church to spread out sufficiently enough for James to pen a letter to all of the churches that are mentioned in the first part of the book. If James the son of Zebedee did write this book, it would have been the first book of the New Testament canon to be written.

     While the vast majority of scholars hold to the fact that this James did not write the book, I hold out that it is possible. James was one of the inner three disciples. As we will see, much of James sounds like Jesus. It was written by someone who really knew what Jesus was talking about while He was here on this earth. While not probable that James John’s brother wrote the book, I don’t think it is as impossible as many Bible scholars suppose.

     Another James who is a candidate for authorship is James the Less also known as James the son of Alpheus. He is not mentioned in the Bible outside of the list of disciples and apostles when the twelve are listed. There isn’t much support for him being the author.

     The James who almost everyone believes wrote this book is James the Just who was Jesus’ brother and the leader of the church in Jerusalem. He was a very prominent leader in the early church, and he was highly respected for his piety and his knowledge. James was the leader of the first church council in Jerusalem that is recorded for us in Acts 15. He would have had the authority and respect to write to churches and to have his words listened to and acted upon.

    Now, just as an overview before we get into the heart of the text, what is James all about. This book is about living a life based on Godly wisdom. It is about practicing what one preaches. James wants those who are followers of Jesus to live like they are what they proclaim. He wants people to be doers of the Word and those who practice pure religion.

     In this book, James tells us how we are to behave in this world. He will tell us that faith without works is dead and that those who follow Jesus need to get control of what they say as the tongue is a deadly poison that can destroy people and a person’s testimony.

     As we will see, one of the things that really attracts me to the book of James is that James speaks out strongly against favoritism and prejudice. He stands up for the poor and for those who labor for a living. He stands for the oppressed against the oppressor. As you read and study this epistle, you will find that it is much like the Sermon on the Mount. There and in this book, there is a strong emphasis on making sure that you don’t have an empty profession of faith but that you have a true possession of faith that manifests itself in living a holy life of good works.

     It is now time for us to dig into what the Lord Jesus has to teach us through the Epistle of James.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

James

 Chapter 1:1

 

     The book of James begins by the author telling us that he is the servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is what all of us who name Jesus as our Savior are supposed to be. We are to be servants of the Lord. That means that He is our master. He gives us His commandments and teachings, and as His servants, we are to follow what He has set out for us. That is what it means to be a Christian. It means following the Lord Jesus in all things. He is the center of our lives. It is not enough to say that Jesus is Savior. He must also be Lord.

    In this first verse, James also addresses his readers. He is writing to the twelve tribes that are scattered throughout the world. What he is saying is that this letter is being written to those of the Jewish faith who have come to recognize that Jesus is the promised Messiah.

     From the day of Pentecost and beyond, many Jewish people came to faith in the Lord Jesus. Since they were gathered for the feast of Pentecost, many went back to their home regions and told others of the good news about who Jesus is and what He had accomplished through His death and resurrection. Many were added to the church day by day.

 

 James 1:2-4 

     These verses are not the easiest verses for us to understand. It seems very difficult to have an attitude of pure joy when trials come to us in our lives. However, James is encouraging us to have the proper attitude so that we learn the proper spiritual lessons that the Lord is trying to teach us when we are going through difficult times in our lives. 

     Let me state, all of the trials and difficulties that we face in our lives are not in some way placed on us by God. God uses the things that we are going through to help us trust in Him and serve Him in a greater way. The Lord wants us to call upon Him to help us when we are facing the difficulties and the struggles that we all go through. 

     Many of the trials that we face in life can be quite challenging. Sometimes, there are so intense that they may cause us to doubt that the Lord cares about us or that He has our best intentions at heart. We need to banish these kinds of thoughts from our minds. 

     When we face challenges and tests to our faith, we endure so that we grow in our faith and trust in the Lord. This process allows us to become more mature in the faith. 

     Let us think about in this way. When you face a temptation, a trial or a difficult situation, you can either succumb to it or overcome it. When we overcome and persevere, we grow, and we are then able to better handle other temptations, trials and difficult times that may come into our lives. 

 James 1:5-8

     In these verses, James is speaking directly about asking God for wisdom. It is in the direct context of asking for wisdom to understand how to make it through any of the hard times and temptations that we might be facing. It is asking for wisdom to overcome. 

     We can take it a step further from this, I think. All of us ask things from the Lord. We are even taught to do this by Jesus in the Lord's Prayer. We ask the Lord for many things each day not only for others but for our own needs as well. 

     When we ask the Lord for wisdom, or whatever else it might be, we need to ask in faith and not waver. James warns against being double minded and unstable in all of our ways being tossed about like the waves of the sea. 

     In faith, believing in the power of the Lord with all of our hearts, we let our requests be made known to the Lord. We have to believe that He has the power. We have to walk by faith and not by sight. Sometimes, things may look bleak, but we must never lose faith in God. 

     The reason that we do not lose faith is that God gives generously to all who ask. The Lord wants to help us. He is not out to get us. He wants what is best for us because He is our kind and loving Heavenly Father who knows how to give good gifts to His children. 

James 1:9-11

     This is an interesting section. It is a contrast between the rich and poor who say that they have faith. As we go through the book of James, you will see that he doesn’t have a lot that is nice to say about those who are rich and powerful. He doesn’t approve of anyone thinking that they are better than someone else.

     In this passage, the first thing that James does is to tell the poor to take pride in their high position. What could this mean? Weren’t they at the bottom of society? Only according to the way the world thinks. Not to the way that God thinks.

     The person who is poor in the goods of this world, is wealthy beyond compare if he is a believer in the Lord Jesus. Why? Because that person is a child of God. Their Father is the King of the Universe. And they are a child of the King. You can’t get any better than that.

     James will go on to say that the rich should rejoice in their humiliation, because they are passing away like a wild flower. They are here today and gone tomorrow.

     What does all this mean? Here is a great instance when we must let Scripture interpret Scripture. We go back to what Jesus said. Jesus said that the rich man who tore down his barns and built bigger barns was a fool. He only thought about himself, and he didn’t use his wealth to help others. Jesus asked what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul?

     Also, Jesus gave the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus. The rich man had it all. He even dressed in purple which in that day meant you were uber wealthy. At his gate was poor man named Lazarus. He had sores all over and the dogs came and licked him. He was as low as a man on this earth can get. Yet Jesus surprised everyone and said that the rich man went to hell and Lazarus went to Abraham’s Bosom which is Heaven. Why? The poor man Lazarus was right with God, and the rich man showed by his lack of caring for others that the love of God did not dwell in him.

     Wealth is not a sign of God’s favor and poverty is not a sign of His displeasure. What is important in life is that we know God and that we live out our faith by doing unto the least of those among us.

James 1:12

     In this verse, James is telling us more about standing up under the trials of life. However, I believe that James is speaking here a little more broadly about the trial of living for Jesus throughout our lives on earth instead of just talking about living through a difficult time or through a specific time of temptation.

     If we endure and make it through this life without losing our faith and trust in the Lord Jesus, the Lord will reward us with a crown of life.  It is an acknowledgment from the Lord that we have done what we were supposed to do. The Lord gives this crown, James says, to those who love the Lord.

     Love for the Lord is demonstrated through a life of obedience. Jesus Himself said that if you love Me, you will keep My commandments. He also said that we are His friends when we do whatever it is that He says.

     It is my hope, and I hope it is yours as well, to hear the words of Jesus saying, “Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your Lord.”

 

James 1:13-15

     In this section, James wants us to know where temptations in this life come from. They do not come from God. God does not tempt any person to do what is wrong. He does not tempt people in order to get them to sin. What James is saying is that God is not out to get you. He is not looking to bring something bad down upon you. He doesn’t want you to fail in following Him, and He is not setting you up to fall away from His service.

     We can’t blame God when we slip and fall and commit the various sins that we commit. James is quite clear. A person sins when he is drawn away by his own lusts and enticements. We are the ones who are responsible for our actions. Our own greed and selfish desires when they are dwelled on, planned on, and schemed on are what leads to sin and separation from God.

     What is the end result of falling into sin again and again and again? Death is what James says. This can be physical and spiritual death. Some sins and temptations can lead to death in the physical sense. Doing certain things and living in certain ways set people up for bad things to happen to them.

     Falling into sin also leads to spiritual death. I am not saying that every time you sin you lose your salvation. What I am saying is that if a person continues to lead a sinful lifestyle that is totally contrary to God and the things of God, that person is making a conscious choice to have a life that is not about God. That ultimately leads people to deny God and decide that they don’t want to be a Christian anymore.

     With this is mind, it is best for us to guard our hearts. When we are tempted, we need to pray and seek the guidance and help of the Holy Spirit. We need to get in the Word. When we do sin, we need to confess it, and move on in once again doing those things that God wants us to do.

 

James 1:16-18

 

     This passage tells us what God is really like and what His intentions are for us. As James said, God is not tempting people and trying to get people to fail. He has not set about to bring bad things and troubles into people’s lives. Instead, James tells us that every good and perfect gift comes from above, from the Father.

     The Lord wants and does give good gifts and good things to us. He blesses us with all spiritual blessings. He has given us all things that pertain to life and Godliness. He has sent us the Holy Spirit to lead us and guide us and bless us with spiritual gifts.

     We see this presented by Jesus as well. He told us that God gives good gives to His children. And He does not shift around and change. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and today, and forever. He will always be there to help us and to be our peace in the midst of the struggles and problems of this life.

     James goes on to wrap up this section saying God chose to give us birth. This means that God wanted to redeem us. He wanted us to come home to the Father’s house. We are the first fruits spiritually of all. We are the ones who have trusted in Jesus, and we are no longer bound by death, hell and the grave. We have new life. We are born again, and we will live with the Lord in a glorified body like unto the glorified body of the Lord Jesus in the New Heaven and the New Earth.

James 1:19-20

 

     We get some really good advice in this section. It doesn’t matter if you are Christian or not, this is something that if followed would help to make the world a better place. We should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.

     Listening is a hard thing for many people to do. We all sometimes struggle with being able to stop and let someone else tells us what is on their heart. We always want to get our own two cents worth in. If we are always talking, we can’t find out what someone else is thinking, and that can cause us to not understand where someone else is coming from. If you listen more and speak less, you will learn a whole lot more.

     We should be slow to speak. What this means is that we should give a measured answer and not just blurt out the first thing that comes into our minds. We should analyze what we are going to say, so as not to inflame a situation or say something harsh or rash that we are sure to regret later. We especially don’t want to say something in anger. Why?

     Anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. When you are angry, it causes one to speak words that hurt and not words that heal. It causes someone to at many times turn away from Jesus because they see those who say they follow Jesus being angry and saying mean and destructive things all the time.  If are becoming angry and saying angry things all the time, there is no way that we can be doing the things that God has called us to do.

James 1:21

     In addition to making sure that we aren’t an angry type of person, James tells us to rid ourselves of the moral filth and evil that is so prevalent in this world. We can see that this world does not value the same things that God values. Whatever God has revealed that He wants people to do, the world and its value system says to do the exact opposite.

     For this reason, Christians need to live holy lives modeled upon the example of the Lord Jesus. If we keep our eyes fixed on Him and follow all that He has told us to do, we will not go astray.

     One of the virtuous we see in the life of Jesus is humility. Like Jesus, we need to have a humble heart realizing that everything we have comes as a result of the grace of God. Salvation, and every good and perfect gift comes from the Father above.

 

James 1:22-25

 

     This is one of the most well-known passages in the book of James. It begins by telling us not to practice self-deception. We are not to be the kind of people who study and hear the Word of the Lord only. We are also to be the ones who follow the instructions of God’s Word. We are to follow the teachings and the commandments of the Word. We are to see the way that the Lord Jesus lived and acted while He was among us, and we are to do likewise.

     James gives us an example of a person who hears the Word but does not act on what he hears. It is just like what happens when a person looks at himself in the mirror in the morning. He sees the truth of his appearance, but just after he walks away from the mirror, he cannot remember in detail the image that he just saw.

     Now, I think what James Is getting at is that a person who just hears the Word and does not act upon never makes it a part of his deep reality. It never really gets down deep in his soul and becomes a part of him. It does not shape him and make him what he needs to be in the Lord.

     A person who really deeply and fully looks into the Bible and studies it, especially the teachings and the commandments of the Lord, that person will be blessed in all that they do. The reason for this is that they will be living life in God’s way. They will be living in this world following the example of the Lord Jesus. And when we do that, we cannot go wrong.

     The admonition of this passage is clear in another way. James is saying, and he will repeat the theme, don’t just say you believe, show it. Don’t just quote verses and show your Biblical intellect. Do it. Live it out, or it doesn’t make any difference.

 

James 1:26-27

 

     This is a particular favorite set of verses for me. It tells about what true religion really consists of. There are many people who are religious. They go to church. They say all the right things. They will tell anyone that they meet what a good Christian they are. But are they practicing true religion according to James?

     True religion for James means visiting the orphans and widows. What does this mean? It means just what Jesus said. It means doing good unto the least among us as if doing it unto Him. There are a lot of vulnerable, hurting and oppressed people in this world. A Christian is someone who stands for justice for the oppressed. A Christian practicing true religion helps the poor and helps those who cannot or will not help themselves. Jesus said when you have done it unto the least of these, you have done it unto me.

     James adds an additional component to true religion. We are to keep ourselves from being polluted by this world. In other words, we are to live lives of holiness. We are to come out and be separate from the values and the false idea system of this world. We are to go God’s way and not the way of the world, the flesh and the devil.

     When we do what the Lord has commanded us to do to help others. When we love our neighbor as ourselves. When we treat others as we wish to be treated, and when we live our lives without sin, we are practicing true religion. And that is pleasing to God.