Save the Straying

If we see a fellow Christian wander from the truth/the doctrines of the Christian faith and/or the moral responsibilities from God's Word, we should try to bring that person back into fellowship with Christ. Point them back to the Truth! If you do that, you'll save them from death/destruction and they will be forgiven. That's true love! Restoring love! "Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins." (1 Peter 4:8) 

If you see a brother or sister in Christ living in sin or believing in false teaching but you don't say anything to him/her or don't try to turn them from the error of their way, that's not love. Pray for them and pray for God's wisdom and guidance to show you how to bring them back. Speak the truth in love and with grace, respect, and gentleness but by all means, speak God's truth! Don't ever sacrifice the truth on the altar of "grace", political correctness, or fear of being labeled "judgmental" or narrow-minded or preachy. Don't ever minimize the seriousness of sin (our need for repentance). If you truly love them, you'll care about their spiritual well-being/the condition of their soul and you'll do all you can to rescue them.

Pray and Praise

James lists some better uses of the tongue: praying, singing songs of praise, calling the elders to pray over sick people, and confessing our sins. Our focus should be on God whether we're in trouble, happy, or sick.

Confess your sins (offenses) to one another for a purpose of reconciliation. When we've done wrong to someone, we must go and ask him/her to forgive us. We believers are to humbly acknowledge our faults and weaknesses so that we may pray for one another (intercessory prayers). Unconfessed sin makes our soul sick and often our body, too.

God answers believing prayer (prayer in faith without doubting) but not always the way we want or expect. All prayer, including prayer for healing, is subject to the will of God. We must trust God, His will, His wisdom, and His timing. He loves us and knows what's best for us! "If Jesus heals you instantly, praise Him. If you are still waiting for healing, trust Him. Your suffering is your sermon." (Max Lucado) We (Christ's followers) will one day be ultimately healed (there's no pain/sickness in Heaven). 

The Greek word for "power", "fervent", "effective" in verse 16 is energeo (energetic). The prayer of a righteous person (who is justified by the righteousness of Christ) is working because it is energized by the Holy Spirit, thus his/her prayer is according to God's will and such prayer cannot fail. "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us--whatever we ask--we know that we have what we asked of Him." (1 John 5:14-15) 

Prayer is not about words but rather the attitude of the heart and the condition of the soul that enjoy dwelling in God's presence. Prayer is pouring our heart out to our Heavenly Father, in love, in faith, in humble submission, and in gratitude. Pray earnestly without ceasing. Pray first and pray most. Let's take full advantage of this amazing privilege God has given us! Even though we know His will prevails and He knows all our needs, God desires that we come to Him in prayer because it's a relationship thing. "The purpose of prayer is that we get a hold of God, not of the answer." (Oswald Chambers) He wants us to rely on Him, look to Him for fresh supplies of grace & mercy to sustain us, strengthen us, and keep us to the end, and keep our hearts and mind focused on Him...on His purpose.  We find shelter, rest, comfort, strength, joy, peace, encouragement, and assurance in sweet communion with our Father. Our attitude regarding praying should always be "not my will, but Yours be done" (Luke 22:42b). Praying draws us closer to God, and through prayer, God molds our heart's desires and our thoughts to be like His. Let us be thankful that God's answers are always wiser than our prayers!

"We speak. He listens. He speaks. We listen. This is prayer in its purest form. God changes His people through such moments...Just as a happy child cannot mis-hug, the sincere heart cannot mis-pray. Heaven knows, life has enough burdens without the burden of praying correctly. If prayer depends on how I pray, I'm sunk. But if the power of prayer depends on the One who hears the prayer, and if the One who hears the prayer is my Daddy, then I have hope." (Max Lucado)

"Prayer should be...constant, fervent, believing, hopeful, and incessant. God loves it, Satan hates it, and every true Christian values it. True prayer is always necessary, profitable and acceptable to God." (James Smith) 

"Be thou content to leave thy prayer in His hands, Who knows when to give, and how to give, and what to give, and what to withhold." (Charles H. Spurgeon)

"In Jesus' name we voice our prayers--
The Bible tells us to;
But may we never use that name
To tell God what to do." (D. De Haan)

Prayer: Father, I'm so thankful that I can come to You anytime, anywhere and tell you about anything. I'm so glad that You never get tired of listening to my prayers and that You're always available. Please continue to transform my heart and mind, my desires and will to be like Yours. Thank You for being my Refuge, Strength, and Ever-present Help in time of need! Thank You for all my brothers and sisters in Christ around the world! Please draw us closer to You, help us to know You more & love You more, and enable us to love one another and others like You do. Please make us people of prayer and bring revival among Your children! In Jesus' Name, I pray. Amen. 

Be Patient and Stand Firm

James tries to give an encouragement and counseling to the oppressed poor...that they should bear patiently their social and economic situation in view of the imminent return of the Lord. Be patient with other people, even the oppressors of the world, because Jesus will return soon and correct all wrongs! One day the Lord will return and all suffering will be over. Let's keep our eyes and our hearts fixed on that glorious day! Christians ought to be patient and stand firm (not give up hope) when facing adversities.

Be patient like a farmer. The farmer patiently waits because he understands the process and realizes it takes time. His expectations (of the final outcome) and his knowledge cultivate patience. We, too, can be patient because we know how it's all going to end and realize that we must wait until the Lord returns. "Be patient" = Enduring/persevering. bearing with others' unpleasantness, putting up with the contempt and refusing to seek revenge. "Stand firm" = a firm resolution, an unbreakable conviction, a purposeful effort to endure until the Lord returns...no matter what the world and Satan throw at us.

Prayer: Father, thank You for the promise of Christ's return! What a glorious day that will be! Please help me be patient and persevere in my faith walk. Please give me grace and strength to endure any trials and storms of this world. In Jesus's Name, I pray. Amen.

Warning to Hoarders

This is a grave warning to the rich who oppress field workers for personal gain. There are many negative effects that wealth can have on people's lives. The problem is not the wealth or the money itself. It's the love of money, lust for money, and the failure in stewardship. "Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs." (1 Timothy 6:9-10)

All riches in this life not invested in Heavenly treasure are doomed to destruction. All the earthly possessions/wealth will rot, decay, be gone. We cannot take any of it with us when we die. How foolish it is for us to spend our whole life hoarding wealth! There are many stories/examples about wealthy people who end up miserable and lost at the end of their lives. Wealth is meant to be used for good purposes...for the good of mankind. We're blessed to be a blessing to others/to share with others (especially those in need), not to hoard for ourselves. We are to use our resources for God's glory and God's kingdom, not ours. 

God condemns cheating, taking advantage of people, dishonorable ways of obtaining and using wealth, hoarding, flaunting of wealth with luxurious living and self-indulgence. By doing these things, they were dishonoring God Who was the One Who blessed them in the first place. We must examine ourselves. I'm pretty sure most if not all of us here are "rich" :) (according to the Bible, being "rich" is having more than what we need to survive today). Are we generous? Hoarding wealth may not involve cheating people out of pay but simply an attitude of being as stingy as possible to keep more money for ourselves. It's a mindset that is self-focused and is not being considerate about others. Remember that God loves a cheerful giver and it is more blessed to give than to receive! Remember that "The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it." (Psalm 24:1)  Everything (not just 10% of our paycheck) belongs to the Lord! Many give 10% and consider that the rest of their resources can be spent at their discretion. Let’s realize that God owns all of us, including our resources. On earth, we are simply His stewards. He entrusts us to manage all He owns in the ways that will glorify and honor Him. We need to use our resources wisely and according to His will. Invest in eternity!

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

Prayer: Father, please forgive me when I value the wrong things in life or get too attached to temporary things of the world or become discontent and tempted to want more. Please remind me what's eternally important and priceless in Your eyes and help me to focus on storing up my treasures in Heaven. Please help me be generous in my giving and direct me where I should give my (actually Your) financial resources. In Jesus's Name, I pray. Amen.

Life is Short; Do Good!

It's about the attitude here. There's nothing wrong with planning in itself. However, according to these verses, the planners or merchants here ignored 3 considerations: 1. the finite/limited knowledge of human beings, 2. the uncertainty of life (our life is just a mist/vapor/puff of smoke), and 3. God's sovereignty and will. Planning is not wrong but leaving God out of planning is wrong. James denounces the bragging/boasting (arrogance) as evil/sinful. God wants us to trust Him about the future. "We don't know what the future holds but we know Who holds the future." (Unknown) Our future is in God's hands. Both making your plans without God and boasting stem from pride. 

Two opposing attitudes: 1. Pride says..."I'm the lord of my life; I'm in charge/in control. I'm going to make this happen and that happen. With no regard for God's plan for my life, I'll determine what I'm going to do when, where, and how." 2. Humility says..."God is the Lord of my life and He is in control. I submit everything I plan and hope for to His will. I surrender all. I only want His will...nothing more...nothing less...nothing else!"
We are not promised tomorrow. We must keep in mind our temporal nature and God's will when we make plans. This is another warning against pride and arrogance and worldliness. Our confidence, hope, and dependence should be in and upon God, not self and not the world.

Deo volente! God willing!
Dei gratia! By the grace of God...
#theuncertaintyoflife #lifeisshort #livinginthelightofeternity

What a great concluding statement verse 17 is for chapter 4! James is warning his readers who are Christians. They know that humility and dependence upon God are essential in Christian living but if they refuse to do it, they choose to sin. No excuses! It comes back to putting your faith in action again. Do what is right (in God's eyes/according to God's Word)! If we know the right thing/the good deeds we ought to do but we don't do it, we sin (commit sin of omission). Sometimes sin of omission can be trickier to pinpoint than sin of commission (doing what we shouldn't do). We're more aware of the things we shouldn't do because we would be ashamed of them (ex: lying, murdering, committing adultery, etc). But how about the things we should be doing but we don't do (ex: helping widows and orphans, spreading the gospel, practicing hospitality, etc.)? Satan loves it when Christians become complacent, inactive, divisive, self-reliant, worldly, lazy,...pretty much ineffective and useless for the Kingdom of God.
"He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." (Micah 6:8) 

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, I love You and desire to obey, please, and honor You in all I do and say. I need You every moment of my life. Be my vision, Lord. Please give me eyes to see where and how I may be a blessing to others. Please give me Your love for those around me. Please forgive me for times when I should have done something but I didn't. Please empower me to do all that You call me to do. In Jesus's Name, I pray. Amen.

Antidotes to Pride and Worldliness

These commands are antidotes to pride and worldliness.

1. "Submit yourselves, then, to God." We must give ourselves completely to God, surrendering our desires, will, and all to Him. Obey God's Word and submit to God's will. Submission involves humility and obedience. "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up." (James 4:10) God hates pride but loves humility! When we humbly acknowledge that we desperately need God's help, He lifts us up. To be lifted up by God is to be rescued, comforted, strengthened, refreshed, blessed, empowered, and embraced by our Heavenly Father Who cares deeply for us and gives us eternal worth and glorious riches in Christ. "He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand." (Psalm 40:2)

2. "Resist the devil." Satan loves pride and hates humility. He will do all he can to inflame our pride (arrogance & selfish ambition), spark envy/covetousness in our hearts, and/or lure us to fall in love with worldly things. How do we resist the devil? Follow Jesus's example by answering Satan's temptations and accusations with the Scriptures. That means we have to know what the Bible says. We need to read it, study it, memorize it, and apply/live it. "Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." Satan will flee from us because he cannot compete with or defeat the power of God's Word.

3. "Come near to God." Close communion with God assures His presence and intimacy ("And He will come near to you") and turns us away from loving the world. The more we know God and the longer we taste His goodness, the less worldly things can entice us. We must spend plenty of time with God in prayer and in His Word.

4. "Wash your hands, you sinners." This symbolizes spiritual cleansing. We must clean up our conduct/our lives ("go and sin no more"). "Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false." (Psalm 24:3-4)

5. "And purify your hearts, you double-minded." You double-minded (you who are trying to follow God and the world at the same time), quit being so. Instead, make sure your inner motives and attitudes are pure and right. Love God; hate sin. Follow God; forsake the world (worldliness). God wants our undivided allegiance. "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God." (Matthew 5:8)

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for Your presence and Your Word which guide me and comfort me! I surrender all to You. Please have Your way in me. Please enable me to resist the devil, flesh, & worldliness. Please purify my heart & mind and empower me to honor and glorify You in everything I say and do. In Jesus's Name, I pray. Amen.

Choose Your Friendship: With God or With the World?

"You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you think Scripture says without reason that He jealously longs for the spirit He has caused to dwell in us? But He gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: 'God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.'" (James 4:4-6)

"You adulterous people" is an allusion to covenant unfaithfulness, referring to Israel as unfaithful bride of Jehovah (Hosea 3:1). Friendship with the world = enmity (hatred/hostility) against God. To maintain friendship with the world is to be on good terms with (to support, to favor, to approve) persons and things and ideas that are at least indifferent toward God if not openly hostile to Him. When we seek after our own desires/pleasures (as mentioned in James 4:1-3), we're doing what the world does (acting just like the world), not doing what God wants/tells us to do. Essentially, we would be committing spiritual adultery. Our God is a jealous God; He wants our undivided loyalty and will not tolerate divided allegiance. We cannot serve two masters. Are you in or out? You cannot have one foot following the world and the other foot following Jesus. It won't work! "Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever." (1 John 2:15-17) Love and obey God alone! Live for God with no compromise!

“Farewell, vain world; my soul bids you adieu.
My Savior taught me to abandon you.
Your charms may gratify a sensual mind,
but cannot please a soul for God designed.”

          (David Brainerd)

Verse 6 is encouraging! "But He gives us more grace"! Even when we are wandering off (choosing our own selfish ways/getting enamored with the world), the Holy Spirit within us jealously tries to pull us back from the world to Himself/relentlessly works to open our eyes and turn us back to Him. More grace! We don't deserve it but we desperately need it! God knows that it must be difficult for us to live wholeheartedly for Him in a wicked world. Our affection is being pulled constantly by worldly things. We definitely need to humbly ask for God's help. Humility is the key here. Pride is the basis of selfishness and entitlement. God gives grace (shows favor) to the humble, but He opposes (resists) the proud. The proud are those who lust, kill, covet, quarrel, fight and pray with wrong motives but think they don't have a problem. The humble are those who acknowledge that they struggle with selfishness, envy, etc. and know that they cannot win this battle within by themselves. For the humble, God gives abundant grace (more and more grace) and will help them overcome their struggles.

Prayer: Abba Father, thank You for Your relentless & protective love for me! Thank You for Your inexhaustible grace and patience! Please forgive me for my selfish desires and motives. Please keep me from being enticed by worldly things. Please take away pridefulness and selfishness from me. Please grant me humility and contentment. In Jesus's Name, I pray. Amen.