Morning Musings-Following That Life of Obedience

   Morning Musings with the boys at breakfast...




Following the life of obedience from our day of salvation, that day we are "born again" into God's family and have our "second birthday", we gain an inheritance of everlasting life in heaven.  We will encounter suffering for our faith and we are called upon to become more like Christ.  These, as mentioned many times before, are all part of what is called the 'sanctifying process'.

I'd like to state that, although not mentioned here in 1 Peter 1:13-15, that being truthful is something we really need to learn better.  Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life..."  If we are to be His followers we need to be more truthful and stop practicing deceit.

Turn all the way back to Psalm 101:7 and what King David had to say on the subject.  David tried to use deceit the time he committed adultery with Bathsheba and impregnated her.  (2 Samuel 11).  He recalled her husband Uriah back from the war in the hopes he would go home to his wife so that the pregnancy would appear to be by Uriah and not by David.

He was practicing deceit.  It all backfired on him though as Uriah wouldn't go home but slept in the king's palace's gateway; a public affair instead of private!  

King David then committed murder.

Later David repented of all these things but he suffered the consequences four times over in the death of four of his sons.

He repented so much that he came to hate deceit and could then say,

"No one who practices deceit will dwell in my house, no one who speaks falsely will stand in my presence" (Psalm 101:7).

 This is certainly true of God too in the most perfect form.  He cannot have any such deceit in His presence.  God, who knows all things and knows our hearts and minds cannot be fooled by us even if other people have been.  When we belong to Him let us live uprightly before Him and all people.  Let us live truthfully.  Jesus is "the Way, the Truth and the Life".   Followers of Jesus will follow truth.

Our Peter portion says, "Be holy in all you do...because I (God) am holy."  (vs 15).  As we are following obedience to Christ and "conforming" ourselves to Him and His will and ways, we will not conform to the "evil desires" of our sinful nature.

As verse 13 admonishes, "prepare your minds for action".  We need to have that mindset that gets 'programmed' so to speak, to tell the truth, to obey, to live uprightly, and to be self-controlled.  This is a major part of the struggle.  However we followers of Jesus Christ have been "called to holiness"  (vs 15) so we cannot lobby for any loopholes to live otherwise.  What we have in our minds will often come out in our actions.  So as we train ourselves to be holy by preparing to be so in our minds, making that our choice and decision, then our actions can follow suit to be pleasing in God's sight.

You see King David used his eyes and then what he saw he was thinking about.  Then he acted it out.  He did not use self-control.  He had not, as far as we are told, at least, made a decision to NOT engage in adultery.  Our friend Job though, made a vow with his eyes!  In Job 31:1, Job "made a covenant with his eyes not to look lustfully at a young woman".  He had prepared himself in his mind and I believe you could say that went all the way down to his heart and was a sustaining restraint upon his actions.

This is what we too can do, not just with choosing against adultery but with deciding to speak the truth, to be holy and whatever else that is pleasing to the Lord that goes along with following that life of obedience.  Pray for yourself and for your brothers and sisters in Christ to have this preparedness.  By God's grace we will become ever more "holy as He is holy".   Remember we have not been left to our own devises.  The Holy Spirit indwells us and is our Comforter and Guide who will lead us into all truth.

If and when we do fail, as David did, we, too,  can repent and confess it all to the Lord Jesus and He will "forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness".  (1 John 1:9).  What a mighty and holy God we serve.  We will not rue the day of our second birth in which we decided to follow a life of obedience to God.

                                                              ~ERC  2016~

Morning Musings-Two Birthdays

   Morning Musings with the boys at breakfast...




How many birthdays do you have?  By this I don't mean, "How old are you?", rather, how many times have you been born?  I've been born twice.

Jesus told Nicodemus, "You must be born again" (John 3:6).  He also said, "...unless you are [born again] you won't see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3).  And Jesus said He was telling the truth!

Here in 1 Peter 1:3-9, Peter informs us that our "new birth" gives us a "living hope" and this through Jesus Christ's "resurrection from the dead".    It is also an "inheritance that never perishes, spoils or fades" and what's more, this treasure is "kept in heaven" for the one who accepts Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and is "born again" with that second birth.

Our first birthday being the day we were physically born as a baby with spirit, soul and body into an earthly family.  The "new birth" being discussed is not reincarnation into a new higher or lower life form, rather it is a "spiritual birth" and the Holy Spirit comes to indwell us and enliven us with His presence; our body being then the "temple of the Holy Spirit" (1 Corinthians 3:16).

Justification, atonement for our sins through Jesus's death and resurrection--paying for the penalty for our sins so we do not have to, and accepting Jesus's free-to-us offer of salvation. This is that born again, new birth.  Through this we gain atonement for our souls, forgiveness of our sins and eternal life.

We start this new life by being spiritually born again, this time, into God's family.  Like most parents want to see their cute little baby grow in health and size, God our Heavenly Father, wants to see us "grow up" in this new life.  He gives us His Holy Spirit, as mentioned above, to help us.

To 'grow up' we may often have to go through the pain and grief of suffering in ever increasing conformity to God's will and way in order to grow our faith and so that it becomes "of greater worth".

In James 5:15 we learned that sometimes our suffering is from sin lingering and/or festering in our lives that we don't deal with.  When we repent and confess it to each other and to God we will often be healed of sickness.  (See also the blog entry: The Spin Off. )

However, there are other types of suffering perpetrated by others; through persecution, for instance.  Will we, by God's grace, persevere so that "it may prove our faith [new birth] genuine"?  Will we believe that God has our best interests at heart despite the suffering?

Point your attention to this new birth being an inheritance that is "kept in heaven for you".  Praise the Lord for this!  God gives us eternal life and he insures it.  No matter how we might fail in living this new life for His glory--we will not lose it.  We will always be in His family.  God will not disown us.  He is keeping our treasure "in heaven".  Do you get it?

We human beings often make a mess of things and easily lose our earthly inheritance through mismanagement of funds or in what ever way.  God takes no chances with something this important.  He looks after this eternal inheritance for His children.  Isn't God great and good?!  Give Him praise, glory and honor.

God promises that our trials and sufferings are for "a little while"  even though for us it may seem like a millennium.  God's perspective is from eternity to eternity unlimited.  Try to see it from His viewpoint.  To us the bucket may seem full and overflowing but try to see how God sees it.  Our days, weeks, months, or years of suffering are like one drop of water in a big bucket to Him.  Doesn't exactly sound comforting, I know.

This second birthday doesn't seem like a very good deal and you may be thinking, "suffering?!"  "No thanks, forget it, I'm out of here!"  But stop!  Focus on the outcome of the suffering when we submit to God's refining fire in our lives; like that sanctification process we investigated in the book of James.

What are the benefits?  We gain perseverance, we change and develop toward maturity and completeness; wisdom; a deeper degree of faith and we prove our faith genuine, that it has back bone.  Best of all we are assured and insured for life; everlasting life.  God is keeping our inheritance for us.

You know who proved his faith genuine?  Job did.  If you read the early chapters of the book of Job in the Old Testament you'll see that he was an exceedingly wealthy man.  He had it made!  He was also generous and charitable with his wealth.  Most importantly, he feared God.

Yet, in one fell swoop, his family, wealth and health evaporated.  Would he curse God and die as his wife suggested he do?  No.  His retort to her was, "You are talking like a foolish woman.  Shall we accept good from God and not trouble?"   The verse ends with, "...in all this, Job did not sin in what he said."  (Job 2:9, 10).

When we believe and trust in God our Father, we will have "inexpressible and glorious joy" (vs 8).  Reach "the goal of your faith" (keep this in mind when tempted to give up) which is"the salvation of your souls".  I really want to be able to say to all the readers, as well as to my sons...

HAPPY 2ND BIRTHDAY!

Press on, you will reach your goal in Christ.

Father God, thank You for your presence in our lives through your Holy Spirit.  Help us all reach the goal you have for us.  In Jesus's Name I ask...Amen

                                                               ~ERC  2016~

Morning Musings-The Trinity's Work

   Morning Musings with the boys at breakfast...




Father.  Son.  Holy Spirit.  I love to see how each Person of the Godhead works together.  Here in 1 Peter 1:1-2 is such a lovely example.  By the foreknowledge of God the Father, the followers of Jesus are chosen.   The Holy Spirit gets busy doing His sanctifying work upon such individuals as have been chosen to become the children of God.  These children were also chosen for obedience to Jesus Christ, God's Son and by the sprinkling of His blood these children accept Jesus as Savior.

To expand this some, God the Father chose individuals so that the Holy Spirit could then get busy doing "sanctifying work" even before the person comes to Christ by asking Him to be their Savior.  "Why me?" you might ask?  "Why him and not me?"  God's thoughts are not our thoughts and His thoughts are higher than the earth or any creature He ever created (Isaiah 55:8-9).  Our God is Sovereign.  God knows our hearts (Jeremiah 17:10) and He knows who will be obedient to Christ.

This preparatory work of the Holy Spirit brings the person to the point of obedience that the chosen person will accept Jesus as Savior by the "sprinkling of Jesus blood".   "The blood of Jesus Christ cleans us from all sin." (1 John 1:7).  Obedience to the point of salvation.  The Holy Spirit has done His job well.

The Holy Spirit doesn't stop work once the person comes to Christ.  There is still further work to do.  You've likely heard the saying, "God loves the sinner but loves him/her too much to leave them the way He's found them".  The Holy Spirit has further work to bring that person through continuing sanctification and learning of greater obedience to Jesus Christ.  

We have seen this in the book of James and chapter one of that process.  As the new child of God goes through this process of learning greater obedience to Christ, they are making Jesus not only Savior of their life, but Lord and Master.  The title 'The Lord Jesus Christ' is not just a calling name.  The significance is the obedience and allegiance to Jesus as one's Lord, Master, King.  He wants us to be willing to obey His will and ways for us in our lives, to serve Him, love Him, worship Him, honor Him and glorify Him.  

Grace and peace will be given the person in abundance throughout the process as we too work together with the Holy Spirit as we bow humbly to Jesus and God becoming "fit for the Master's use" (2 Timothy 2:21).

Somehow the word "obedience" impacts me and brings to mind what Jesus told the disciples just before He ascended back up into heaven, in Matthew 28:16-20..."go and make disciples of all nations...teaching them to obey..."  This is important to God.  Before our salvation we were living according to our own way and as our loving Heavenly Father, God wants us to go according to His way.  He created us and knows what is best for us.  When we obey our spirits and souls are kept from harm.  

This of course is a continual spiritual warfare.  God's way.   Our own way.  Satan's (God's enemy) way.  I'm so glad God gave us the Holy Spirit to indwell us to help lead, and guide us into all of God's truth and help us to chose to obey Him.  

Thank-you, Father God for this process and Your continued interest in our lives.  Not just to "get us saved" and then drop us, but You continue to work with us for our good through Your Holy Spirit.  You never leave us nor forsake us.  And then You give us more grace and more peace in abundance.  You are so good and kind and wonderful, Glorious Master.  Thank You for Your love, and for this relationship You want with us, with me, with Your created human beings.  In Jesus's Name I pray and give You thanks.

The first stanza of an old hymn written by J. J. Hopkins a way back when comes to mind and goes like this:

"Lord, Thy love has sought and found usWand'ring in this desert wide,Thou hast thrown Thine arms around us,For us suffered, bled, and died:Sing, my soul!  He loved thee,Jesus gave Himself for me."

http://www.stempublishing.com/hymns/ss/370

Will you obey Him?


                                                            ~ERC  2016~

Morning Musings-Prayer of Faith

Morning Musings with the boys at breakfast...





Are you in trouble?  Pray.

Are you happy?  Sing.

Are you sick?  Call the elders to pray for you and anoint you with "oil in the name of the Lord".  Confess any sins you may have (and of course, repent of them too).

Rather straightforward actions as seen in James 5:13-20; right?

These all acknowledge our heavenly Father in our life and as we submit ourselves to Him and His working in our Christians lives, we will have more and more faith in Him.  We will become more like Christ and more mature and complete in our faith and relationship with Him.

I like that...our first impulse when in trouble...prayer.  Psalm 46:1 says, 

"God is our refuge and strength in time of trouble."

James is right, we should go to God in prayer.

When our hearts are overflowing with His love and happiness...let the impulse be to "sing" praise to God.  There's lots about singing and praising especially throughout the Psalms and that, even in times of trouble.  We can have that "pure joy" (James 1:2) and show it in song as David did repeatedly.

For example, in Psalm 102, David gives his deep lament before the Lord but by verses 15-17 he is singing God's praises saying that "God will respond to the prayers of the destitute; He will not despise their pleas".  Then David really gets into the praising in Psalm 103:1-5, from his "inmost being".   We, too, can have this confidence in our times of trouble.

Psalm 103:3 addresses the third 'should' of James 5:13-20 (note esp verses 3-14, 16).  When sick what should the person do?  "Call the elders of the church".  What should the elders do?  "Pray...and anoint in the name of the Lord".

The sick person, the elders and the Lord each have a part to play.  The sick need to call the elders and confess his/her sins if any.  The elders of the church "should pray in faith and anoint in the name of the Lord".  The Lord forgives, makes the sick person well, and raises them up.

This is why I interject Psalm 103:3 which says, 

"the Lord...forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases..."

Psalm 104:4 says the Lord,

"...redeems your life from the pit."

"Forgives...heals...redeems;"  benefits from God Himself.

This encourages me.  Also in light of what I wrote in The Spin-Off about confessing of such sins as unforgiveness and bitterness, etc, we do truly need to repent of all these as God wants us to "be holy as He is holy" (1 Peter 1:16).  Another important reason, as that previous blog informs,  is because those things make us sick when we cling on to them!

God created our bodies.  He knows what makes us sick or well.  so He really wants us to get this message!  Here in the New Testament God uses James as He used David in the Psalms to enlighten us.  We do well to swallow pride, to come humbly and prayerfully to God according to the patterns He sets out for us as in James, and take heed to them.  You want to be well?  Then follow through no matter how embarrassing the sin you confess to.

I find it of great interest that James says, "...confess your sins to each other"; this for the elders as well as for the sick person.  They are also to pray for each other.  This is so like God to get His family talking to each other and connecting and making things right.  What's more, God wants to heal us and raise us up.

We need the righteousness in God's eyes as well as in mankind's.  We also need the prayers.  These all are to aid the erring one to repent and turn from their sinful ways.  This makes the prayers "powerful and effective".

Just want to make note here that in verse 15 it reads, "IF the sick person has sinned..."  Just because a person is sick does not always mean because of a particular sin in a person's life.  However we each do well to examine ourselves before God and see what He teaches us about our self.  Confess it to Him if so, and gain His healing physically, emotionally and spiritually.  God's wellness is true wellness.

What a powerhouse of prayer we followers of Jesus could each be!  Think of it!  Look at what Elijah accomplished!  (vs 17, 18).  God listened to Him!  He will listen to us too.

As we "earnestly pray" and "confess our faults" to one another we may come upon those who perhaps do not realize they sin or do not wish to admit they sin or who do not want to confess to God and each other even though they know.  Verses 19-20 address what we, a "righteous man of prayer" ought to do (a fourth 'should').

If we know what we should do but don't do it it is a sin (James 4:17; Romans 6:16).  None of us God's children can get off the hook here.  When we see some one in "an error of his way" we will need to confront the person in love (if they are a brother or sister in Christ).

Here is where we will all want to leave very much alone as we may think, "we shouldn't judge" the person.  Or, "who am I...I have a beam bigger than his/her speck in my eye".  Yes, we do well to first examine ourselves but God's Word is also clear we have responsibility to help others along the sanctification road towards holy Christ-like living.  Some people get stuck or bogged down in their errors.

We can't be lazy in this or pass it off and say--"oh everyone does that; be tolerant".  But what does God's Word say?  What is God's standard?!

Two very good articles on this subject are by a pastor named Steven J. Cole:  one entitled, "Lesson 14:  The Gentle Art of Correction" and the second one, "Lesson 15:  The Ministry of Correction".  The websites are:

https://bible.org/seriespage/lesson-14-gentle-art-correction-2-timothy-223-26

https://bible.org/seriespage/lesson-15-ministry-correction-1-timothy-51-2

Please go have a read and ponder on them. 
 
One of the things he says in Lesson 15 is:

"The ministry of correction is essentially in the family of God."

And also:

"Obedience to God means that we must swallow our fears and correct those we know of who are going astray."

(Not exactly swallow the fears but take the fears to God, cast them on Him for He cares for you and can give you the strength and grace you need to go about the confrontation.)

He also says we need to be 'persistent" which is one of those characteristics in the process of becoming "mature and complete" in faith (James 1:3).

Steven J. Cole also says in Lesson 15,

"Don't give up on the person.  If they don't respond immediately, you may have to back off and keep praying...wait for the next right opportunity."

Our confronting may or may not work but whether or not we still have to do our part in God's eyes.  He will deal with each person and hold them accountable for their own action.  However when we do, do our part, we never know when we'll "turn a sinner from the error of their ways" (James 5:19-20). 

Please do go and read both articles.  The author says it all so well and I believe this confrontation subject is avoided and shirked and then when we actually need to do it we don't know what to do and have great fear about it all and even may cause worse scenarios.  These two articles have helped direct my thinking and hope they will for you too.

May we be good brothers and sisters in Christ and help 'save' another from the "error of their ways".  Pray, sing, confess, pray, be effective.  Give your faith righteous 'wings'.

Start...

                                                         ~ERC   2016~

Morning Musings-Things to Do While Waiting for Jesus

 Morning Musings with the boys at breakfast...





As you know, James' letter is about 'do'-ing to show we have faith and that faith being put into action as consequence thereof. So, it's no surprise that in chapter 5:7-12, he shares more things 'to do' while waiting for Jesus's coming.  On this "To Do List" are important actions that James is actually repeating again from earlier on in his letter.  They are:  "be patient; stand firm; persevere; don't grumble and don't swear".

The recipients of this letter were undergoing suffering and persecution.  No doubt they often felt like giving up and giving in but James reminds them of their prophets of the past who did, through deep distress, hang in there, and persevered.  Job was used as an example.  If he could do it, James seems to be saying, they could do it.  What's more, the Lord came through for Job as the Lord is "full of compassion and mercy".  

What love our Heavenly Father has for us too.  He'll help see us through when we let Him.  Be patient.  In due time we will see result of our perseverance.  

Once upon a time, many, many years ago I had a French teacher who liked to share little ditties and sayings with his students.  One I recall is, "Tell the truth and shame the devil".   A better reason for telling the truth though would be "... and give God the glory".

Tell the truth, submit to God, resist the devil.  What am I going on about?  Letting our "yes" be "yes" and our "No," be "No" (vs 12).  We are so often tempted to lie or only tell 1/2 truths that lead people away from the actual truth.

Verse 12 talks about "swearing".  In biblical context it usually refers to making promises, oaths, vows. If we make a promise--stick to it.  Be a person that sticks to your word.  It may take that patience, perseverance and standing firm to do it, but you will honor God in the end.  You will also "be considered blessed" (vs 11).  That's what James told the twelve tribes scattered among the nations (1:1).

Taking a second ponder on that tho', James says "don't swear"!  In other words he admonishes to be such a person of truth as a way of life, as a 'to do' action of faith and Christian living, that we will not have to swear to anything.  People around us automatically will know our character is 'truth'; thus it would be unnecessary to "swear" in this context.

Now we might be getting into some 'nitty gritty' as there are brothers and sisters in Christ who, when

Even here people will try to circumvent truth.

in a government or legal setting are asked to 'swear' on the Bible or some book of a religion of choice, and to "tell the truth and nothing but the truth, so help them God," would take this verse to say they will not comply.  

Again, we need to ask for wisdom in each particular instance how to "be at peace with all men as much as possible" (Romans 12:18; Hebrews 12:14).  Those officials don't know you from Adam and will judge you according to the average Joe, which is more often than not, that the Joe's do not tell the whole truth let alone the truth; sad to say.  So what can you do?

To simply explain and state, "I'm a follower of Jesus Christ and I will tell the truth as much as I know of it, but I don't wish to do so upon any book...."  This may satisfy the officer of the law.  God gives that person authority so its good to acquiesce as much as possible.

Even though I am a Christian, I do have a problem with such "swearing" on the Holy Bible.  The reason?  Because besides the Holy Bible, there is a row of other books of religions that anyone can equally swear upon.  That makes God's Word (the Holy Bible) on par with those other books.  I hold God's Word sacred above all and not to be compared with any other as if of equal status at all except, of course, the Torah.  

I tell the truth, therefore I will simply state that I will tell the truth as much as in me lies.  I do not need to swear on anything, I will "let my "yes," be "yes"!  I will let my "No," be "No"!

When Jesus comes for us, let Him find us faithful to Him, my sons; faithful in:  being patient; standing firm in Christ; being fruitful for Him; persevering in our faith; telling the truth and nothing but the truth and so on and on.  These are all things to do while waiting for Jesus's return.




                                                        ~ERC  2016~

Morning Musings-Pay Them!

  Morning Musings with the boys at breakfast...



According to the James 1:26-27 standards of being religious, a person should pay their employees on time.  They and their families have to eat too!

If you are rich and/or an employer don't try to get richer or control your employees with withholding their salaries.  Do not neglect payment to those to whom you owe money.

I think back to the history of the slave days in the southern states of the USA.  Many select slave owners treated their slaves so cruelly and unjustly.  Yes, true, slaves are not paid wages in monetary terms but they should have at least been paid by being treated decently.  Especially since many of those owners called themselves "Christians".  God will hold those slave owners accountable and they will have a lot to answer for.  (The question begs to be answered in the first place, why were there slaves?!)

Similarly, it is a known fact that some employers in SEA have withheld salaries for 2-3 months at a time, this I came to know about and likely, in other cases, for longer.  This was not because they did not have the funds.  It was the greed of the employers' hearts that squirreled away the windfall into their own accounts and became reluctant to release payment as they should.

Human beings' hearts are "deceitful above all things and desperately wicked..." (Jeremiah 17:9).  We brothers and sisters in Christ, must guard against such sinful behavior.  Jesus said to his faithless questioners, "Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God..." (Matthew 22:21).  God sees and knows what we do with what He gives us.

Is your faith being tested?  Do you need to rule out greed?  This could be at any level of 'richness'.  Is it God in whom you trust or is it $$?

God entrusts various ones with wealth in order for them to help others (2 Corinthians 9:11; see also Proverbs 11:24; 2 Cor. 9:6; and 1 Timothy 6:17-19).  Yet all of us need to be good stewards of whatever we have.

Most importantly here, in James 5:1-6, is to not be bullies, to not be oppressors with that which God has allowed us to have.  If you won't listen to the people's cries to whom you owe wages, its a sure thing that God does (vs 4).  He will keep account and He will be your Judge in the end.

If you lack wisdom in how to use your resources, "ask God" (1:5); He'll help you sort it out.  Ask Him who needs monetary help if you genuinely wish to help others.  He'll show you.  But it's for sure you don't need to inquire about whether or not to be paying peoples' salaries!  Get it right!  Be religious in this.  Pay them! After all, who supplies us with the money in the first place?

                                          ~ERC  2016~

The Spin-off

This 'spin-off' is another one off from the book of James that we have been looking at with the Morning Musings  in regards to the "fightings and quarrels" and "coveting" and "slandering" (James 4).  Have been reading elsewhere from a book called Be In Health-A More Excellent Way by a pastor called Henry W. Wright.  He is rather knowledgeable in things medical as well as spiritual.  He states that many times (but not each time) our medical conditions are produced from spiritual root problems and that when those root problems are  addressed, the health issues will often clear up even without directly praying for the physical healing.  Take note of James 5:13-16 where the sick person and the gathered elders are asked to "confess their sins to each other".

For instance, these fightings, quarrels and covetings, etc, more often than not, produce unforgiveness.  When unforgiveness is left to fester and fester, it solidifies into bitterness.  The author says that bitterness is "a form of murder"!  Why would he say that?!

He says, "Broken relationships" (due to the fighting etc), "can cause toxins (eg dangerous levels of cortisol, which is naturally in the body and does no harm, but due to our bitterness, etc, overproduces and becomes toxic) to enter the bloodstream.  Most cancers come out of loss and conflict, caused by fear and bitterness.  Bitterness results in broken relationships.  Many cancers are linked to bitterness.  The word 'bitterness' in Greek means 'poison'.

"Bitterness and fear separate you from others, cell membrane semi-rigidity  sets in and the toxins begin to collect at the cellular level....immune sentries go out of whack.".....

"...Cells mitosis is the dividing of cells causing cancer to multiply.  Then a tumor is formed.  A spirit of death and spirit of infirmity are at work.  Bitterness produces a disease unto death because bitterness is a form of murder."  (Emphasis, mine.)

Henry went on to give an example of a woman who was diagnosed with 4th stage cancer which had spread throughout her body.  She went to a pastor whom she knew to be able to "identify spiritual factors in the cause of disease".  She came to realize that she had a long standing bitterness against another woman.  When she repented of this and asked God for forgiveness

and then the other woman for forgiveness and "became a doer of the Word. God honored her with healing".  "She did not take chemo and no one prayed for her" healing.  "This testimony" (one of many) "demonstrates the number one block to healing, which is unforgiveness."

Fear is also mentioned.  Fear and anxiety we are told we are to cast upon God for He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7).  These are commands of God, not an 'if you feel like it' whim.  When we obey them, then we can stay in health.  Henry W. Wright says this is the "more excellent way" for a Christian to live.  When we don't, then this is what Satan delights to see as he is in the business of "creating relationship breakups" and "stirring up strife and promoting conflict".  Fear also builds up the cortisol levels he says and then ones immune system gets compromised and all such diseases as Environmental Illness and allergies, etc multiply.

"God created your immune system to protect you...your spiritual enemy [Satan] wants to destroy your immune system..."

So God is not kidding us when He tells us to stop the fighting and quarreling.  Instead to be forgiving as God through Christ does (Ephesians 4:32;  Colossians 3:13).  God created us and He knows what is good for our bodies and what is not.  Christian living and putting our faith into actions is about God's command to rid ourselves of the bitterness and slander and unforgiveness, and rather to "Be compassionate and to bear with one another" which can be accomplished by us with the help of the Holy Spirit within each believer and by God's amazing grace.  Again, this is part of the process that James explains to us in chapter 1.  The more we choose to exercise forgiveness and grace the more we will mature in them and our faith in God will expand as well.  

This is the 'spin-off' to which to aim.

Keep this in mind too:

                                                             ~ERC  2016~

Morning Musings-Submit and Resist

   Morning Musings with the boys at breakfast...





At the end of chapter 3 of James, we see that "peacemakers who sow in peace, raise a harvest of righteousness".  James then swings our attention in 4:1-12 into direct contrast by bringing up about all the bickering, coveting, killing and slandering that was happening.  Even in the midst of "trials of all kinds" some of which was persecution for their faith in Jesus, human nature was still very active.  And we are no better as in our present day and age all of this is prevalent.  It is also truly agonizing.  James must have felt so terrible in his heart.

It's a bit of a puzzle to me though as to why James uses the word 'kill' in these verses (4:1-3).  One can understand about the "fights and quarrels" and "covet" but "kill"?  I thought James was writing to "believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ" (2:1), and that "killing" would not even be in their vocabulary!  Shame on the fights and quarrels and coveting too!

But, if people are not submitted to God and not resisting the devil (vs 7), then all of the above, and more could happen.  Even the 'kill' bit.  Maybe it was, and maybe it was not the literal 'kill'--but certainly the severing of even close relationships and sowing discord among brothers and sisters in Christ happen.  Slander, coveting and quarreling will do that.

We have seen the process back in 1:14-18 of our own evil desire, conceived and given birth to, bringing death.  Sadly, all could happen.

Sources of conflict and the process of the bickering leading to all the rest, is that:  we are just not submitted to God.  We make friendships with the world and when we do ask God for stuff, its with wrong motives.  Our pride gets in there for good measure too and we don't resist the devil.  So says James; and I believe him. 

Friendship with the world could denote "pleasures of sin for a season" (Hebrews 11:25).  Moses forsook those at a sacrifice to himself.  What sort of pleasures are we willing to forego?  How about drinking and smoking; drugs; pre-marital sex; living together although not married; going after $$ and power; gambling; pride in achievements?  Most of these have been listed in other blog entries.  Whatever...there is little to no acknowledgement of God in a person's life and definitely NOT submitted to Him in fear and reverence.

All your abilities, stamina, strength, used for worldly pursuits instead of giving glory to God by using them for Him and furthering His kingdom.  What a waste.  God wants us to be friends with Him and His people. He does not want us to be coveting another's talent and gift or position in the church either.  No.  Each has their own to be used in teamwork for God in the body of Christ.

Satan comes only to "steal and kill and destroy" (John 10:10).  He's more than happy when we keep ourselves unsubmitted to God and unresistant to Satan and causing strife, division, unhappiness and havoc among the people of God.

When we submit ourselves to God first and foremost, we will then be able to resist the devil.  We do not run from the devil but he from us as we resist.  So like standing firm with the armor of God about us and submitting to God we will see Satan run with his tail between his legs.  This is the power of God in us as we submit to Him and come near to Him.  In return He comes near to us.

When we are near to God, submitted to Him, we will then be more able to detect that which is not right in us.  We can then "mourn, grieve and wail" about it.  'Get real' with God and confess and repent of those wrongs and He will cleanse and purify us as we bathe in His forgiveness (1 John 1:9); all by God's grace.

This is why our laughter and joy should be turned to mourning and grieving so that we can be purified.  This we do in humble submission to God our Father.  Again He has a response; to lift us up.  His grace helps us to be humble and in turn He lifts us up.  What a wondrous God we serve!

Earlier in James (1:2) we are asked to consider our afflictions "pure joy".  However, here in James 4:9-10,  we are asked to change our "laughter to mourning" and "joy to gloom".  The "pure joy" is different in that we don't go purposefully to look for suffering or persecution, but when it finds us, we can be joyful that we are living our lives in such a God-pleasing way that Satan takes note of it and tries to disturb that joy.  However, the laughter and joy of 4:9-10 is to turn to mourning and gloom due to any sin we may be harboring in our lives.

When we've submitted to God and humbled ourselves then God can lift us up in greater purity, we can then relinquish the slander and the judging of others.  Let God be the Judge instead and turn us into peacemakers.

Inculcate the habit of submitting any plans we make to the Lord and His will, saying "If it is the Lord's will" we will do this or that.  This, in our humble state, will show that submission to Him.  This is also part and parcel of putting our faith into action that James wants to emphasize.

So when we do know the good we should be doing but we don't do it, we will be sinning.  Let us live our lives humbly submitted to our Lord, Master and Savior, Jesus Christ and so do His good and perfect and pleasing will.  What is that good, perfect and pleasing will?  Submit to God.  Resist the Devil.  Be a peacemaker among God's people and "raise a harvest of righteousness"  (James 3:18) instead.

                                                           ~ERC  2016~

Morning Musings-Earthly vs Heavenly

  Morning Musings with the boys at breakfast...





You want earthly or heavenly wisdom?  

James 3:12-18 explains that earthly wisdom is characterized by:  bitter envy and selfish ambition in the heart; boasting; and denying truth.  James says this is unspiritual and of the devil.  A product thereof will be "disorder and every evil practice".  Not something I'd want to get into.

Heavenly wisdom, by contrast, is "pure, peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere...there will be a harvest of righteousness" from this.

If we feel we lack the heavenly wisdom, we have free access to God who gives wisdom generously when asked.  "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him"  (James 1:5).

Earthly wisdom says, "I know it all, I can do it" and is "leaning on ones own understanding" (Proverbs 3:5).  Sometimes the people of the world are more "shrewd" when dealing with their own kind than how the "people of the light" manage (Luke 16:8).  That is shrewdness but not wisdom.  Shrewdness may often be used to help themselves according to their self interest and desires, so beware.

We learn in 1 Corinthians 1:25 that God's "foolishness" is "wiser than human wisdom".   Granted, God made the human mind and has given some folks extra dollops of wisdom but if His foolishness is still wiser than any other human wisdom, I'll take His wisdom first.  When we acknowledge God, "He'll direct our paths" (Proverbs 3:5, 6). 

This does not mean we can't go to others for advice.  God did give us good brains and He expects us to use our intelligence; the point here is to seek and acknowledge God in our life. 

 I believe the example of Nehemiah is a good one.  He had heard of the destruction of the wall in Jerusalem and was greatly disturbed to his innermost being over it. "[He] sat down and wept.  For some days [he] mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven..."  (Nehemiah 1:4).  He went on to ask God to show him favor in the presence of King Artaxerxes.  He asked God for success.  (Nehemiah 1:10, 11).  He must have had a plan of action in mind but he was asking God for approval.

We see what happens next, in Nehemiah 2:4,  "then I prayed to the God of heaven and I answered the king".  He then proceeded to detail out his plan.  God did work for him and give him favor in the eyes of the king.

Nehemiah had done his 'homework' in questioning his brother about the condition of the Jerusalem wall and later, he viewed it first hand when he went on a covert recce surveillance trip on site (Neh 1:2; 2:11, 12).  Verse 12 says he took "a few men" with him.  So he was not going solo in this at all.  Proverbs 15:22 says, "Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisors they succeed..." 

So this can be seen as a double sided coin...on the one side we must acknowledge God and gain His heavenly wisdom, and on the other side, seek counsel of earthly advisors.  Of course we should ask God for the wisdom to choose godly advisors.  Look at what Jesus did the night before He chose His twelve disciples:  "He went out on the mountain to pray and prayed all night" (Luke 6:12).  "Prayed all night"!!  Whom was He consulting?  Whom was He acknowledging in His life?

We do well to follow His example.  

There is earthly wisdom and there is heavenly wisdom...which will you choose?

                                                       ~ERC  2016~

Morning Musings-Tame It

   Morning Musings with the boys at breakfast...




Amusing and ironic that James 3:1-12 starts out mentioning teachers and then talking about tongues out of control.  Do teachers have such tendency?  Ha, ha, some students would say so.  However, aren't teachers supposed to use their tongues with which to teach?

Yes, but it's a serious matter to teach.  What is taught will come back to the teacher, therefore, the warning to the many brothers "not...to presume to be teachers".  This is with good reason.  Think before you speak as those who teach "will be judged more strictly" (vs 1).

What is it teachers are teaching anyway?  Words of praise and blessing, or words of complaint and cursing?  Horses, large ships, and all kinds of animals have been "tamed by man" but does man tame his tongue?  No teacher can tame the tongue under his own steam.  Beseech God for His help through the Holy Spirit, for self-control.   Only with God's help can we tame it.  As James 1:26 notates, a person's religion is worthless if he "does not keep tight rein on his tongue."

What comes out of our mouths is often what we have been putting into our minds, or according to our associations.  For example...the company we keep...angry people can make you become the same (Proverbs 22:24).  We need to change our mindset to be more like Christ, speaking and teaching life-giving words.

My sons, some day you may well be fathers teaching in your own children in your own home, or be one of the teaching brothers among God's people or even a teacher in a school; God knows your future.  Wherever you may be teaching, be sure to ask God for the teacher tongue-taming training; rein it in and tame it.  Let us all take this to heart; I certainly need to.  Let us be "fresh water" (vs 11, 12) blessings to one and all around us. And remember the saying, "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again."  God is into the forgiving when we are into the repenting.  What a mercy!

                                                                  ~ERC  2016~

Morning Musings-Playing Favorites

   Morning Musings with the boys at breakfast...




Human nature loves to inculcate favorites.  Like the saying that goes, "Birds of a feather flock together," we do 'collect' those persons about us who can 'click' with us. 

Of course there is nothing wrong with gathering good friends into our circle.  We really should.  What we do not want to be is,  "misled:  bad company corrupts good character"  (1 Corinthians 15:33 [NIV]).

Often we see that groups within a church setting are so content with themselves and with whomever are in their click that they don't seem to need to 'admit' anyone else to the club.

What about newcomers?  How will they blend in and operate as part of the body of Christ if they are not acknowledged and welcomed?  How will their gifts, talents and skills benefit the whole for building others up in Christ towards maturity?  I ask you, "HOW!?"

This is part of the favoritism factor that James wrote about in James 2:1-12.  How are the church members going to be of help to that person?  They need to put their religion to work as we saw from James 1:26-27.  Is the person a widow?  Because the person is poor, are you going to gossip about them and look down on them?  Or because they are of a different ethnic group than the majority in the congregation, will you look down on them or give them seating preference?

Rich or poor; old or young; Ph.D holder or uneducated; of one ethic background or another; the pastor's family or church leaders or common congregation member; or of 100 other categories---you name it---no matter what, James is emphatic, "Don't show favoritism" (James 2:1).

Faith is a key word here.  James tell us "God [chose] those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom He promised those who love Him." (2:5).  If we love materialism or a certain ethnic group above another; regard education or put the church leader  on a pedestal then that is making those qualifications a god.  Keep God as our God and embrace each one who enters your place of gathering, equally.

If we can recall what Jesus told the inquiring man in Matthew 22:36-40, the two greatest commandments are to:  

Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

Great Commandment - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_CommandmentWikipedia

Do you love yourself?  Yes.  Ok.  So how would you wish to be treated if you were in the other person's shoes?  Then "do unto others as you would have them do unto you" (Luke 6:31).  That's a golden rule of thumb.  It's not how they treat us BUT how we treat them.  Favoritism is a sin; instead, be merciful.  "Mercy triumphs over judgment" (James 2:12). 

There's a story that you may have heard before of the big church where a new pastor was scheduled to show up for the first time that particular Sunday service.  But where was he?!

The person who did show up was a shabbily dressed, dirty, smelly tramp with unkempt hair.  He stood out at the entrance for a while watching the congregation file in but it got too cold out.

Eventually Mr. Tramp shuffled inside trying to shake people's hand if he could make eye contact.  Most of the folks shied away from him and went and sat in their seats of habit.  Before the ushers could do much about it he shuffled his way right down center aisle and plunked himself in the front row pew.  Ha, ha, ha!

Throughout the song time he tried to share the song book with a brother up there, or he'd look over his shoulder at those directly behind him, or swivel about in his seat and look over at the other folks at the other side of the room, grinning as he did.   He didn't get much response or welcoming smiles.

Sermon time came and still no new pastor showed up. The elders formed and impromptu confab and were busily whispering and conferring as to what they should do.  Well, well, well, guess what did happen?

Wouldn't you know it, that pesky Mr. Tramp tramped right up to the pulpit in front of the gasping congregation.  He began to remove his tramp clothes and unkempt hair wig to reveal his 'pastor clothes and self'.  Imagine the shock!   Sermon # 1 preached without a single spoken word. *1

Kinda funny yet rather sad.  This is what James was talking about.  "Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom..." (vs 12).

Let us overcome our prejudices and foibles and welcome newcomers, etc, no matter what they look like or their station in life.  God loves them, so should we.  Open your click and let them 'click' and stick with you.

Here's a saying I got from the book God's Little Devotional Book for Students which goes as follows:

 "Treat everybody alike, no matter from what station in life he comes....really great men and women are those who are natural, frank, and honest with everyone with whom they come into contact." *2

This is all part of that Christian faith in action.  This is where we need to "put our $$ where our mouth is" so to speak.  The proof is in the pudding.  Faith and our actions working together, "making our faith complete by what we do" (vs 22).  

Read James 2:14-25.  Whereas the book of Romans shows us that we are justified by faith in God's sight; the book of James shows everyone else our faith is justified by our good deeds. 

Faith plus our good deeds work hand in hand, aiding and abetting each other.  However I want to emphasize that good deeds alone DO  NOT justify us (save us) in God's sight.  This is step number one.  Step number two is the doing of the good deeds.  A person might be an extremely good living person with an exemplary moral life and one full of charity to others, yet not have faith in God nor have accepted Jesus as Savior and Lord.  This would be tragic.

Yet our good deeds are a firstfruit, a natural outpouring of our faith and deep gratitude to our Savior Jesus Christ and to God, His (& our), Father as a thank you to Him; as a kind of symbol of our faith in Him.  As our faith increases through the process mentioned in James 1:2-8, let our good deeds increase in commensurate balance.

A lady named Anne Bradstreet once wrote,

 "Many can speak well, but few do well.  We are better scholars in the theory than in the practice part, but" (& here is the best bit) "he is a true Christian that is proficient in both."  

What a balance and harmony a person "in Christ" can truly strive for in giving praise, honor, glory and sacrifice to the One who did so much for us.  Hallelujah!  Thank-you, Jesus!

Balance & Harmony--Faith & Good Deeds in Balance

 *1  Note:  The true facts of the tramp story may not be fully as I stated.  I have ad libbed  from the story I heard of the story.

*2  God's Little Devotional Book for Students, published by Honor Books, Inc., C 2003, Colorado Springs, CO 89018

                                                               ~ERC  2016~

Morning Musings-Do the Do

   Morning Musings with the boys at breakfast...




James chapter 1 showed us the progression of our faith building and how we need to persevere under all kinds of trials and consider them pure joy.  Why?  These trials often reveal some of our character deficits; areas where pruning and "fertilizing" are needed.  These in turn can aid the forming and ripening of the fruit of the Holy Spirit within us and in so doing we mature and come to greater completion of faith in our God.

Moving along we get to some more of the 'DO' bits of God's Word of truth.  The part where disciples of Jesus Christ should imbibe God's Word and that not just by "listening" but by adding the "doing".  When the rubber hits the road, we gotta do 'the do'.  Read James 1:22-27.

We are given the example of looking into a mirror, seeing what condition our visage happens to be in at any given time so we can 'touch up' as needed.  If we just look and go away and do nothing about it, then what was the point of peering into said mirror?

Once upon a time I mistakenly thought it was only girls who primped and preened in front of mirrors but I have observed that boys are not to be outdone.  Yes, I said 'boys' and who do so with vigor.  Poking here and poking there at their hair to get it "just right".  Definitely this is "looking intently" (vs 25) into the mirror and doing something about the real, or not, deficiencies seen there.  This act is often repeated many times per day on a daily basis.

This is exactly how God wants us to read His Word.  When we hear it read; when we read it ourselves; when we learn from it and compare God's standard with where we are at, and then go into the necessary action to perfect ourselves, with God's help to meet up with His measure, then we have "looked intently" and are "blessed in what we do".  This process we do well to repeat and continue.

An example is of a person who is forever criticizing their elders/leaders in any given church and on the things they do or don't do and/or of how they 'run' the church.  The New Testament commands us to beware of this (1 Timothy 5:15; James 5:7-9; 1 Peter 2:1).  If we are people who are critical of others, know that God hates this divisiveness.  We had best stop it!

Following are some other ways in which to look intently into God's mirror.  

First let's begin with a secular definition of  the word "religious" by Google...  

relating to or believing in a religion.

"both men were deeply religious, intelligent, and moralistic"

synonyms:

devout, pious, reverent, godly, God-fearing, churchgoing, faithful, devoted, committed "a religious person"

Now look at what God says through James (1:26-27) [NIV]

"If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.  Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this:  to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

How religious are you?

Keeping a "tight rein on their tongue..."  What sort of things need we to rein in?  How about this check list:  anger (words/actions); slander (as alluded to above in regards to criticizing); malice; gossip; betraying a confidence; foul language/dirty stories; or lying.

Here's a story I heard eons ago in a Sunday school in New York, USA.  The dear, dear elderly brother tottered to his feet, smiling broadly and exhibiting a twinkle in his eyes as he asked us children if we knew God kindly gave us two gates  so we wouldn't say wrong things.  One of those gates, he said, is our teeth and the other is our lips.  If we part open our lips to say something we still have that second chance to not say the hurtful, or defiling things by choosing not to part open the teeth.  God has given us help to keep that tight rein.

 I believe our minds are part of the equation as well.  When we renew our minds with God's Word and are pondering on them, those are the words that will be more likely to come out of our mouths.  When we read and listen and do God's Word, as seen in vs 22-25, we will gain the rein more effectively.

 The second aspect of religiousness is to "...look after orphans and widows in their distress".  Some do not have distress but those who have, we need to address their needs.  If you don't know any such persons in this category, then ask God to show you whom to help.  How about a woman whose husband took off on her and left her with several young children?  Such abandonment would be devastating.  How about the wife who's husband has become incapacitated through an accident or for whatever reason?  Look around you and observe the needs of others.  Ask God to give you wisdom as to how you could be of service to these brothers and sisters in Christ.  Don't just say "Have a nice day" and hurry on your way.  The apostle Paul has given some guiding principles in regards to widows; have a read of 1 Timothy 5:3-16. 

 A third point is to "...keep oneself from being polluted from this world..."  Agreeing with society on matters such as abortion, pre-marital sex, gay relationships as being ok, "chill, it's a norm" does not reflect God's standards.   I do not hate these people who engage in these things but I do hate what God hates and that these actions are what He abhors.  God loves the sinner but hates the sin.  Gambling, drinking, drugs; power struggles at work, church, etc; or love of $$ will all pollute the follower of Jesus Christ who is wanting to be more Christ-like.
  

[Note here that gambling is not specifically said to be a sin in the Bible but there are many verses that do talk about money.  Please read my blog entry Money Talks in this regard.]

When you look into God's mirror what do you see?  Any of the above?  You know what to do.  These are a whole lot of 'do' to do.  May you all have a healthy portion of God's grace to set these in motion in your life.  You will surely be blessed by Him in so doing and speed you on towards that maturity God seeks in His children as I do in mine.

                                                        ~ERC  2016~