Category: James

3 Wrong Preoccupations – James 5:1-3

James identifies wealth (also translated as abundance) in three forms: 1) Grain; 2) Clothing; 3) Gold or Silver.

It’s obvious here that James is very concerned about the priorities of his audience – “the twelve tribes scattered among the nations” – and their preoccupation with accumulation of wealth.

God’s not opposed to riches or wealth; he’s opposed to our priority being riches and wealth.

James is addressing our preoccupation with provision, status (or influence), and security.

Provision / Status / Security

Every one of these references is to the attitude of acquiring to excess or hoarding them.

“…Your wealth is rotting away…” A predominant measure of wealth in that day and age was grain. Remember Jesus’ parable of the man who built bigger barns to hold his grains? (Luke 12:13-21) It actually addresses this mentality of hoarding and storing it up.

“… your fine clothes are moth-eaten rags…” Clothes defined status, power and influence. See James 2:2 – how are the rich man and the poor distinguished? By their clothes. I suspect most average people had only 1 change of clothes at all. Remember when the Israelites wandered in the desert for 40 years? God specifically calls out one of his blessings in that their clothes didn’t fall apart. Here James references that fine clothes are moth-eaten, other translations say rotted. This implies that these clothes weren’t worn, but sitting somewhere – that the owner has more than he/she can wear and, in fact, never wears these. The last I checked, no moths ever ate any of my clothes while I was wearing them. No clothing article ever rotted while it was being worn and cared for. The implication of them being moth-eaten and rotted is that they were stored somewhere and never worn, used, touched, or cared for.

“… your gold and sliver have become worthless…” I believe the gold and silver reference to represent security for the future. James says that the gold and silver have become “worthless”. Other translations say they have “corroded”. Regardless, it’s an implication of one of two options. The first is along a similar theme as the first two –much excess and a long time in storage. While I’m quite aware gold and silver don’t rust – and I’m sure James was also aware – the second implication could be that the gold and silver would devalue and become worthless over time.

Isn’t this true anyway? In the end, isn’t everything worthless except our spirit? If we preoccupy ourselves on provisions, status, and security, then our spirit will spend eternity in hell. Just as James alludes to in verse 3 – “…the very wealth you were counting on will eat away at your flesh like fire.”

When we preoccupy ourselves with knowing and being known by Jesus, He promises to provide all that we need.

Luke 11:9-13 “7Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!

Running After Papa…

Why we argue and fight. James 4:1

James 4:1 (NLT) “What is causing the quarrels and fights among you?  Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you?”

Quarrels and fights – other translations say wars, conflict, fightings, discord, feuds – from where do they originate?  According to James they come from our own evil desires within us.  These evil desires are at war within us.

What are they at war with?

The phrase “at war” is interesting in the original language.  It means “1. to make a military expedition, to lead soldiers to war or to battle (spoken of a commander).”  That is an interesting implication of the evil desires within us (lust, murder, covet – see James 4:2) are on a military expedition – actively leading the charge within us.

The phrase “at war” also means “2. to do military duty, be on active service, be a soldier.  3. to fight” Again, I find this every interesting and eye opening.  I didn’t think much of the evil desires within me as alive and active.  I never considered them “on active service”

My daughter has a friend who just got out of boot camp with the United States Marine Corp.  He is a Marine.  He is receiving training to be ready to do his military duty and his selected occupational, vocational, job in the Marine Corp.

Our evil desires are at war with everything God desires for us.  Our evil desires are at war with our status quo.  It is at war with our position, place, prominence, self perception, our possessions, etc.

  • I want more _________ (stuff) – so I plan and connive how get more of it 
  • I want his car! (or boat, or house, or job, or _______) – the seed of jealousy is planted and watered
  • I want peace and rest – so I clamor and rant about what I fear
  • I want fellowship – so I do whatever I must to get others to like me
  • I want to be respected –  so I give unsolicited advice
  • I want to be built up – so I tear others down
  • I want someone else’s position – so I sabotage their character
Everything is rooted in jealousy, comparison, lust and covetousness (James 4:2).  Every thing is rooted in pride. It all starts with the thought, the seed, that gets planted.  If we continue to dwell on those envious thoughts, those jealous thoughts, they get watered.  Remember James 1:15 – “…when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.”
Paul wrote about this very conundrum in Romans.
Romans 7:21-25 (NKJV) 21 I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. 22 For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. 23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24 O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.

But you can’t stop reading there.  That’s the end of  Romans 7.  The good news is in Romans 8.  Here is the good news.  Here is what the “evil soldiers” warring in my body don’t know.  They war in vein.

Romans 8:1-2 (NKJV) There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.

Jesus already won the war.
Check back in a few days – there will be more on James 4 – specifically how to deal with this.  What winning these skirmishes looks like…
Running After Papa…

The Key to Self Control – James 3:2

If you haven’t noticed, I’m going through James for the next 30 days, 1 chapter per day and repeating 6 times… so I guess I’m writing a series…

James 3:2 (NLT) Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way.

This isn’t the first time that James has referenced “…we would be perfect…”  Look back to James 1:4 – “…when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete…”

Only Jesus is perfect and can “… control (himself) in every way (James 3:2)” and “…lacks nothing (James 1:4).”  James is clearly instructing us (the church) in how to become like Jesus.

What does it mean to “… control ourselves in every way?”  Isn’t that exactly what we all struggle with in some sort or another?  It seems to me that this is mean exactly what it says…. controlling every other aspect of our lives…

According to this passage, controlling our tongue is the key to self control.

Why?  James goes on in verses 3-7 to give examples of how something so small (a bit in a horse’s mouth, a rudder on a ship, a spark to a fire) can have such great impact.  Those examples imply that our tongue control/leads, guides and ignites our lives.

In verses 9-12 James gives examples of impossibilities in nature – a spring that gives both salty and fresh water; a tree that produces olives and figs – and how it should also be impossible for us to praise and curse.

These are certainly compelling arguments from James, but are there any other scriptures that validate or corroborate the idea of our tongue being the key to self control?

How about starting with Jesus?

Matthew 15:18-21 “18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. 19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. 20 These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man.”

Matthew 12:33-35 “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit. 34 Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.“

Proverbs 18: 20-21 (NKJV) 20 A man’s stomach shall be satisfied from the fruit of his mouth; From the produce of his lips he shall be filled. 21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.

So it starts in our heart.  What we put in, is what we get out.  It is imperative that we flood our heart with good… to abundance.  Jesus said it.  What  is in abundance in our hearts is what comes out of our mouths.  What comes out of our mouths controls, leads, guides and ignites our lives.

In a previous post I wrote extensively about why and how the heart/words connection is so important (2nd point in the post – it’s worth the read).  I’m convinced that self-control is so tied to how we spiritually feed our hearts.

Our church is starting a new series this week on exactly this.  It’s entitled “Words: Life or Death” and my pastor is one of the best teachers I’ve ever heard. If you can’t come to the service, you should watch it online next week.

Come on – leave a comment.  Let’s discuss this.

Running After Papa…

One mindset inherits the Kingdom – James 2:5

Question: Why are the poor so rich in faith?  Is it because they are poor?   Answer: I think so.

Does that mean I need to be financially without to be rich in faith?  Answer: Maybe… Maybe not…

James 2:5 (NLT) – “Listen to me, dear brothers and sisters.  Hasn’t God chosen the poor in this world to be rich in faith?  Aren’t they the ones who will inherit the Kingdom he promised to those who love him?“

Why?

When I close my eyes and imagine the preceding verses (James 2:1-4), I imagine the poor to look a lot like what I see when I see homeless people.  I know that’s not always what the poor look like in this day and age.  Perhaps that’s a bit of prejudice I need to work through, but that’s not the point I’m making here.  I imagine the scene James describes in verses 1-4 with a well-dressed and known to be successful business person and a homeless person.  That homeless person is dirty, disheveled, wearing ratty and mismatched and ill-fitting clothes.  The homeless person also has the stench that comes along with living in the streets and not having the ability to bathe every day.

That’s the picture from which I write and from which God spoke to me in this verse.

Why are the poor rich in faith?  I believe their situation in life has left them with no alternative but to completely trust in God for every single thing we take for granted.  A legitimately poor person doesn’t know from where his or her next meal will come.  A poor person doesn’t know how they will feed their family.  A poor person doesn’t know what the next hour, much less what the next day, will hold.  They simply exist now and trust in God to make the way for whatever their next step is.

They literally trust in God for everything.

Isn’t that exactly how the Lord Jesus has called us to live?  Aren’t we supposed to die to ourselves (Gal 2:20)?  Aren’t we in essence – no, in reality – supposed to depend on God for every next step? That implies that we take on the mindset of dependence as if we are poor… as if we are homeless…

Matthew 5:3 (NLT) “God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.“

 

Discussion: Leave your comment below and share how this practically works in your life….

 

Running After Papa…

 

One word changes everything – James 1:1

If we could only live out this one little chapter in this one little book.

Frankly, if we could all live out the first half of the first sentence, everything else would fall in place.

James 1:1 (NKJV) James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ…

I’ve always been intrigued by James’ identification of himself. Bondservant. We know him as Jesus’ half-brother – the son of Joseph and Mary. He was also the cousin of John the Baptist – another great name in his generation. I’ll tell you, I would have probably done a little name dropping, if I were James….

Yet James identifies himself as a “bondservant.” So what does that really mean?

Strong’s Concordance defines it to mean the following:

  1. a slave, one who gives himself up to another’s will
  2. devoted to another to the disregard of one’s own interests

The idea here is not a slave like we understand of pre-Civil War America – where human beings were forced or born into bondage and regarded as owned property to be bought, sold, used, abused, or traded as their owner saw fit. The idea here is a voluntary stepping into servant-hood out of devotion and relationship.

This completely describes Christ’s life on earth. Jesus gave himself up to another’s (his Father’s) will – to the point of death (Philippians 2:8). Jesus was totally devoted to his Father to the disregard of his own interests, his own desires, his own wants, his own image. He didn’t care what people thought, or said, or did toward him. He was completely and utterly walking in God’s hands. After all, Jesus did what his Father did (John 5:19) and said what his Father said (John 12:49).

Jesus voluntarily stepped into servant-hood out of devotion and relationship to God, his Father – to the disregard of his own interests.

James voluntarily stepped into servant-hood out of devotion and relationship to Jesus and God – to the disregard of his own interests.

So the question begs itself…. How do I identify myself?

The question goes deeper than it seems on initial glance. Not only does this imply how I identify myself to others, but how do I really identify myself to myself?

Do I give up to another’s will? Am I so devoted to my Lord? Does it show in how I treat – or should I say serve – my wife and family? After all, Ephesians says I’m to love my wife like Christ loved the Church – for whom Jesus died.

It all comes back to complete humility. If you’ve read many of my posts, you know I often end up here… Galatians 2:20. Dying to self as an act of my will.

Discuss: How does it affect mine and the lives around me to accurately identify myself as a bondservant? How do I do that?

Leave a comment.

Running After Papa…

Waves (James 1)

James 1:6 NIV “But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.”

A few weeks ago, in the midst of some very big “asks” with the Lord, this verse stayed top of mind for a few weeks.  The New King James translates it as “… let him ask in faith, with no doubting…” and the root word for what the NIV calls “believe” and what the NKJV calls “faith” is pistis.  I’ve written about this word a few times, the most recent being Faith & Doubt (Mark 11) and Faith: What is it? so I won’t expound on it here.

I’ve really begun to look deeper into the example James uses.  What are the characteristics of waves and how do they apply here and to my life?  How do they describe the state of my being when I doubt?  Carrying the example out, how does believing make me less like a wave?

Waves Are Random

When I say “a wave”, what do you see when you close your eyes?  Most of us see some sort of wave on a body of water.  That’s about as much similarity as we can state.  Wikipedia has a fairly extensive discussion on the many types of waves and forms of waves across all types of mediums (water, sound, light, etc…)  You can read it here.  Let’s keep the discussion of waves in context of waves on a body of water.  Even with that, there are no clear definitions of what a wave looks like.  They have a pseudo-form, but can vary greatly from a slight series of rings that ripple out from a small pebble tossed in a very still pond, to a 20-foot (or greater), life-threatening whitecaps out on the ocean.  Both are waves.  While I assume there is a technically a definite beginning and end of a wave, it is clearly not easy to accurately identify for the casual observer.  The one constant is that they freely move up and down, back and forth, in and out, and constantly change shapes – often times spilling out or falling over (as in a whitecap).

When I doubt, I am like a wave.  I am not clearly defined and morph and change with the pressures and obstacles of life.  But when I believe – when I ask in faith – I am fortified to stand firm – with definition of who I am in Christ and more importantly, who Christ is in me.

1 Corinthians 16:13 NLT “Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong.”

2 Corinthians 1:21 NLT “It is God who enables us, along with you, to stand firm for Christ.”

When I believe – when I ask in faith – I am positioned and permanent to display Christ in me.

Waves Are Reactive

Waves exist because of a reaction to something else – some outside force – be that an object, the wind, a current, a shift in it’s foundation (i.e. an earthquake).  The height, shape, speed, spread, and intensity of the wave is determined by the force acted upon it.  Waves are a reaction to the world around it.

When I ask in faith – when I believe and not doubt – I am confident in God’s plan and not reactive to the world around me because I know who He is and that His heart is for me.

Jeremiah 2:11-12 NKJV “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.”

When I believe – when I ask in faith – I am purposed and peaceful and not moved by the world around me.

Waves are Running

Waves are always moving from point to point – constantly moving and being moved by the forces around them.

When I doubt – I too am constantly seeking and constantly moving – looking for an answer, looking for relief, looking for some way out or away from whatever I’m reacting to.  This is not God’ s plan.  I’m to ask in faith.  I’m to learn to be confident and trust in His will for me.

Psalms 37:5-9  

5 Commit everything you do to the LORD. Trust him, and he will help you.
6 He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn, and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun.
7 Be still in the presence of the LORD, and wait patiently for him to act. Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes.
8 Stop being angry! Turn from your rage! Do not lose your temper— it only leads to harm.
9 For the wicked will be destroyed, but those who trust in the LORD will possess the land.

When I believe – when I ask in faith – I am planted in God’s peace and power and can rest in who He is

Ask in faith.  Do not doubt.

Running After Papa…

God was not taken by surprise…

Numbers 8:1-4 (NKJV)

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 2 “Speak to Aaron, and say to him, ‘When you arrange the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light in front of the lampstand.’ ” 3 And Aaron did so; he arranged the lamps to face toward the front of the lampstand, as the Lord commanded Moses. 4 Now this workmanship of the lampstand was hammered gold; from its shaft to its flowers it was hammered work. According to the pattern which the Lord had shown Moses, so he made the lampstand.

It hit me today as I was reading this passage that the LORD knew every detail of how he wanted his tabernacle – every detail, from structure to the way the contents were arranged… hammered gold flower details on the lamp stands… where he wanted them to be located … how HE wanted them to be arranged.

The last half of v4 says “According to the pattern which the LORD had shown to Moses…”  So God had this all designed in every detail and then showed it to Moses at the appropriate time.

1 Cor 6:19 says that our bodies are a temple of the Holy Spirit. It is comforting to know that this Holy Spirit is the same God of the Old Testament who designed and arranged every detail of of the Mosaic temple. How much more does he want to design and arrange every detail of his new testament, post-crucifixion temple in you and me (Jer 29:11)?  If He was that attentive to every detail of the Tabernacle, he is still that attentive to every detail of my life, because he is the same God yesterday, today, and forever (Heb 13:8) and He is incapable of change (Mal 3:6, James 1:16-18).

It is comforting to know, as a dear friend puts it, “God was not taken by surprise by this…” He already knows how whatever is going on is going to turn out.

It’s my job to be like Moses and spend time in His presence every day – getting my marching orders, receiving from Him how he wants to arrange the contents of my tabernacle, spending much time listening to Him and sharing what He has said with the people God has put in front of me.

Thank you Lord for authoring every detail of my life.  Thank you for not being surprised by the events that unfold each day.  Help me to hear you clearly – face to face – so that I might know how to arrange the articles of my temple and steward the plans you have made.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Running After Papa…

Debating with God

Gen 18:22-33 (NKJV)

22 Then the men turned away from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the Lord. 23 And Abraham came near and said, “Would You also destroy the righteous with the wicked? 24 Suppose there were fifty righteous within the city; would You also destroy the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous that were in it? 25 Far be it from You to do such a thing as this, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be as the wicked; far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?”
26 So the Lord said, “If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.”
27 Then Abraham answered and said, “Indeed now, I who am but dust and ashes have taken it upon myself to speak to the Lord: 28 Suppose there were five less than the fifty righteous; would You destroy all of the city for lack of five?”
So He said, “If I find there forty-five, I will not destroy it.”
29 And he spoke to Him yet again and said, “Suppose there should be forty found there?”
So He said, “I will not do it for the sake of forty.”
30 Then he said, “Let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Suppose thirty should be found there?”
So He said, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.”
31 And he said, “Indeed now, I have taken it upon myself to speak to the Lord: Suppose twenty should be found there?”
So He said, “I will not destroy it for the sake of twenty.”
32 Then he said, “Let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak but once more: Suppose ten should be found there?”
And He said, “I will not destroy it for the sake of ten.” 33 So the Lord went His way as soon as He had finished speaking with Abraham; and Abraham returned to his place.

What is the purpose of this debate?  Why did God include this deliberation between Abraham and Himself?  Do I really believe Abraham changed God’s mind?  No, I don’t.   I believe God already knew there were no righteous men in Sodom, even before the “others” went there.  That would imply that God went down this rabbit trail with Abraham for Abraham’s benefit.  Why?

A.  God’s Character

It’s possible God wanted to reveal a part of His own character to Abraham.  Abraham knew his nephew was in the city, and either knew or hoped that he could count Lot as one righteous man.  Perhaps with as many herdsmen and servants Lot had, that there would be a few more he could add.  God may have wanted Abraham to know that His love for mankind superceded His wrath against the cities.

verse 19 tells that God knows Abraham is going to be telling the coming generations about Himself and therefore he wants to clear up any questions about both sides of his justice and his mercy.

B. Abraham’s understanding

It’s entirely possible that God wanted Abraham to know that he could approach God and speak to Him, plead his case to Him, argue with Him, and disagree with Him as long as it was done in earnest humility.  v23 says “… Abraham came near and said…”

James 4:8 “Draw near to God and he will draw near to you.”

Ps 73:28 “But it is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lord God.  That I may declare all Your works.”

Abraham was living out these passages as he walked and talked with the Lord en route to Sodom.  Again, v19 discusses how Abraham would “… declare all of [His] works…” to his children and their children and impact generations.

C. My and your benefit

So why is it recorded?  For you and me.  Everything God wanted to teach and show Abraham, God wants to teach and show me and you.  God wants me to know that His love for me and for mankind supercedes his need for vengance and wrath.  God wants me to know that He is accessible and open and approachable.  God wants me to know I can speak with him about anything at all.

A broken spirit

Psalm 51:17

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

I’ve been meditating on this verse for the last few days and Papa has begun to show me that this verse depicts humility, total humility.  This is the antithesis verse (at least to me) for James 4:6 which says “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

What God has shown me is that if I am not broken over my sin (whatever that sin might be – because God has no grading scale for sin, it’s either sin or it isn’t) then I am walking in pride.  If I am not broken over my sin, then my heart is calloused.

Daddy, I pray I am always broken over my sin and continually aware of just how offensive it is to you.  Help me to “sin no more” as Jesus commanded, but when I do, help me to always recognize the repulsiveness of my sin to You.

A Litmus Test

James 2:1 NLT
My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others?

How do I really get past this verse? This is a really hard verse to really, truly, live out.

For me, it is a litmus test of just how much of “me” is still alive. Whenever I think I’m doing pretty good, one of these tests comes along to show me just how much more of me needs to die.

Lord help me die to myself and see others through your eyes.