Remain Unstained

"If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world." - James 1:26-27

Do you consider yourself religious? Would you count yourself as someone who lives for God? As we conclude the first chapter of James, he is going to cover what it means to be a true follower of Christ, as opposed to someone who merely thinks they are religious.

Whether you agree with the "Why I hate religion but love Jesus" youtube video by Jefferson Bethke (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IAhDGYlpqY), he makes some valid points in it. Though I don't fully agree that Jesus came to abolish religion, I do agree that a person does not reach Jesus through religion alone. As James starts out, "If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless." It is possible for a person's religion to be worthless, but not in all situations. Only one religion is worthwhile, we will talk about that in a moment.

The first statement in James that catches my attention is his choosing of "bridling of the tongue." James doesn't say a murderer's religion is worthless, or a liars, or a thief's, or an adulterers. Why does he choose to emphasize the bridling of the tongue? Remember friends, James isn't talking about the person who is clearly not a Christian, or the person who is a proclaimed atheist, but the person who thinks they are saved and isn't. James isn't talking about the murderers and thief's who are blatantly not following God's laws and probably don't even claim faith in Christ, he is talking about the person who claims faith in Christ but fails to bridle their tongue. He is talking about the person whose mouth speaks curses one moments, and the next, claims salvation through Christ. That is why he mentions bridling the tongue: because it is the most common sin that a Christian becomes calloused to. By the grace of God, we must become sensitive to filthy speech, for speech acceptable to the world should not be uttered unless it is also acceptable to God. Too many Christians forget the magnitude and importance of bridling their tongue for the sake of representing Christ accurately. There is a question that must be answered now. We know what false religion looks like James, we get that, but what does true religion look like? Will you leave us with merely a definition of false religion and none of true religion? James doesn't let us down, let's look ahead.

"Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world." First thoughts? James is being awfully specific. I thought people had different callings. What about teaching, prophecy, and discipleship? Did James insert his own biases into this passage? Do not be confused friend. The emphasis of this passage is not on the action of visiting orphans and widows in their affliction, but on the idea of being unstained by the world. Visiting orphans and widows isn't essential for salvation (though it is good), rather it is an illustration of the latter point James is making: keeping oneself unstained from the world. If I say, "get some coffee and stay awake," are there not other ways by which to gain energy? Of course there are. In the same way, James is merely suggesting one example that would aid in the pursuit of remaining unstained and unaffected by the worlds prejudices. James is trying to get the point across to the believer that, along with bridling our tongue, we need to be unstained by this world.

Do you have biases towards the homeless, the broken, the lowly in spirit, the blind, the deaf, or the weak? All unjust prejudices, biases, and judgements are the effect of a world-stained heart. The world-stained heart does not subject itself to God's law or to God's love, but rather basis its judgements upon the foundation this world has created and idolized. Friends, let your speech be unstained; your prejudices, unstained; your love, unstained; your heart, unstained. The stained person is after the world's heart, the unstained person is after God's heart. God doesn't stain our hearts, he cleanses it from the stain that the world has put there. Be a people unstained by the world and after God's own heart; a life of such cleanliness and love will be in direct contact with the will of God and what greater joy is there than that? None to be fathomed.

Pushing Past

I would like to thank my Father, Marcus Blankenship, for posting on this blog site on saturday.

This weekend, I was busy doing an adventure race through Wycliffe Bible Translation. Wycliffe calls it "the race to 2025," which is the year by which Wycliffe wants to get the Bible translated into every language. The race was comprised of eight teams, and four people per team. Events within the race included mountain biking, hiking, orienteering, white-water canoeing, repelling, rock climbing, and various linguistic challenges. The teams raced approximately forty miles with the days combined. Twenty-five miles the first day, and fifteen the second day.

I, for one, have never undertaken such a physically and mentally demanding task. The race pushed my whole team past our social, mental, and physical barriers. There were times where I wanted to abandon my team; times I wanted to quit; times I wanted to surrender. One person, when talking about the strenuousness of this race, commented, "I wonder if I would have done all of the things I did this weekend outside of this context. I mean, when they would tell me of a challenge we had to do, I would get scared. But I would just tell myself, 'well, this is what I signed up for.'"

Regardless of how difficult the race was, it was a joy. It was strenuous, but it was also rewarding. I think that all of this can be compared to the Christian walk. There are times during the Christian walk that it would be easier to give up, to abandon other believers, and to simply quit. The Christian walk can be a serious difficulty at times, but we can't forget how rewarding it is in the end. You must learn to push past yourself daily because you will never love, speak to God, humble yourself, or commit a good action on your own. You must learn to trust in the power of God so that when you come to the end of yourself, you merely hook up to a new rope, and continue moving.

Have you forgotten, during the difficult parts of the Christian walk, that you have signed up for this? You have dedicated your life to a sovereign God who can do with you what he wills, and your job is to run through the race of life. You signed up for this, so dive in. Accept what you have given yourself to and enjoy the ride. Push yourself past who you are to lean on the arms of Christ; he has taken hits for you already, can you take a few for him?

Rich man, poor man.

"Lord, open your word to us today.  Show us where we are partial about who we love, who we speak to, who we witness to, who we honor.  Forgive us for this sin, and the sin of attempting to impress other people with our clothes, our speech, our understanding, our works.  Father, we thank you for your love towards us, for while we still sinners Christ died for us.  Amen."

(Hi, I'm Marcus.  Mike's not here today, he's doing this, which is pretty darn cool.  He asked me to write for him today, and I'm honored to sit in for him.)

My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. (James 2:1 ESV)

James starts chapter 2 with a warning to Christians against "partiality".  Partiality isn't a word we use regularly, so let's review the definition:

1. Unfair bias in favor of one thing or person compared with another; favoritism
2. A particular liking or fondness for something.

Frankly, I'm partial to a lot of things.  Sweet is better than sour; ice cream is better than Broccoli. When it's snowing, I prefer warmth of a fire to the chill of the outside.  We all have our favorites; things we like and things we dislike.  It's the political season, and Christians everywhere are filled with partiality about who their going to vote for.  In fact, the act of voting is inherently impartial, because you can only vote for one candidate!

But as you might suspect, James isn't warning us against having "preferences" or "being impartial" about food, or politics.  He warns us against it in the context of the way we "hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ".  Instead of guessing what that might mean, let's move on one verse...

For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in,  (James 2:2 ESV)

Ah ha!  James is going to tell us not to play favorites between people.  James sets up a hypothetical situation to illustrate his point, and scene opens with two people: a Rich Man and a Poor Man, both going to church.  James doesn't simply announce this as hidden information about the characters, he points out that the men's status's were obvious to all by the way they dressed.

The Rich man adorned himself with jewelry and find clothing.  I can imagine in my mind's eye this man, striding confidently into my own church with his beautiful suit, gold rings, perfectly shined shoes. He wants to be seen, to be noticed, to be respected, to be valued.  His eyes take in the congregation, hungry to see how others view him, seeking the approval of those inside.  He is there to be worshiped, not to worship.

The Poor man is dressed badly.  Again my imagination paints a picture of a man who's clothes are tattered and unmatched.  This man could be a blue-collar worker, or someone homeless.  His eyes are cast down, not wanting to see how others view him, quietly slinking in the back of the church to sit in the last pew.  He knows he is not impressive, but comes anyhow.

With that scene set, we're missing a character.  You.  These two characters, as interesting as it would be to focus on them, aren't the lead in this play.  It's you.  Let's continue a bit more...

and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
(James 2:3-4 ESV)

Wow, who hasn't done that, possibly without even knowing it?  I certainly have.  It's not the noticing the difference that James warns us against, but the preferential treatment.  It's honoring one person over another, particularly in the Lords house, no matter how subtly.  James tells us that we "have made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts" if we give one person a place of honor over another person, for any reason.  When it's time to greet people after church, who do you greet first, and who do you overlook?

James used economic status as an example, because it's one way we judge between the value of people.  It's not the only way, though.  Race, beauty, intelligence, speech, style.  We have lots of ways of quickly sizing up someone.  But this is not God's way.  Remember that 1 Cor 1: 27-29 tells us:

But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being[a] might boast in the presence of God.

God uses what is foolish, poor, low and despised.  Why?  So that no one can boast.  Not the rich man.  Not the wise man.  Not the poor man.  Not me.  Not you.  Not ever.

When we show partiality to the Rich Man as James illustrates, we give them reasons to boast, which is wrong.  When we show partiality to the Poor Man as James illustrates, we give them reason to feel ashamed, which is also wrong, for God has loves and uses them, and takes great joy in it!

 So, how are we to treat others, both Rich and Poor?  Ugly and Beautiful?  White and Black, Yellow and Red?  Jesus explained that to us:

You shall love your neighbor as yourself.  (Matthew 22:39 ESV)

That pretty much sums it up.  You can't vote for one over the other, you must love them both the same. Isn't that how you want to be loved?

Remember

"But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing." - James 1:22-25

The section of James we dealt with in my last post concluded with, "the implanted word, which is able to save your souls." We are going to deal with this same "implanted word" in the passages we are dealing with today (V. 22-25).

After pointing out that the "word" can save our souls, James continues, "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves." Yes, the Word of God can and does save peoples souls, but do not deceive yourself into thinking that salvation has come upon you when the evidence shows otherwise. How are we to discern whether we are deceived? What are we to do in order to distinguish between the self-deceived and the genuine Christian? James addresses this question throughout the section we are looking at today. If we hear the Word of God and believe that we have acquired salvation through only hearing the Word of God, we are deceived. We must believe in the Word, and the only person who truly believes in the Word is the person who follows it whole-heartedly. And the only person who follows the Word whole-heartedly is the person who has been given the Holy Spirit. The only person who has been given the Holy Spirit is the person who has been given the salvation of Jesus Christ. We do not follow the Word of God because of how holy he is, but because of how holy he who lives within us is. Do not credit yourself for your righteous works, the moment you do so is the same moment your works become unrighteous.

"For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror." Why do we look in a mirror? What purpose does this serve? We look in a mirror to get an accurate view of who we are. When we look in a mirror, we notice imperfections and faults. Just as when we hear the Word of God. When we hear God's Word, we realize who we truly are; we are fallen creatures of God. We are a people who have been saved by our creator. We are a people who need to realize our imperfections so that we can realize God's perfections. Only dwell on your imperfections to see the goodness of God, not to condemn yourself when God has accepted you.

"For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like." This is where we run into trouble. We do not run into trouble if we look in the mirror (acknowledge who we are in Christ: a sinner who can be saved by grace). But we run into trouble if we forget what we looked like (forget who we are in relation to Christ and continue thinking we are saved). My friends, remember that you are a sinner. This will drive you to be a doer and not merely a hearer, and remind yourself of this fact every day again and again that you may remember the great grace Christ has offered.

"But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets, but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing." When we look at the perfect law given by God in relation to who we are, we get an accurate view of who we are and of who God is. Brothers and sisters, persevere in remembrance of who you are and of what God did for you. Do not hear and forget, but hear and act.

If the Christian forgets who they are in Christ, all is lost. Do you get that? If we forget we are saved by Christ, why live for Christ? And if we do not live for Christ, salvation has not truly been given. Remember who Christ is, what he has done, and who you are in relation to him, and this will drive you to live a life a sacrifice for him. And truly, he will be with you to the end of the age. Always my friends; remember.

Putting Away Anger

"Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls." - James 1:19-21

We now make a transition in the book of James from the focus being, "rejoice in times of trial" to, "live out your faith in Christ." This new message is introduced in the passage quoted above and is possibly the most essential message given throughout the whole book of James. As I have said before, the over-arching theme in James is "the importance of making faith in Jesus Christ real and practical." From James 1:19 to about James 3:18, the focus is on "living as a Christian" as opposed to "claiming the Christian name." This message clearly applies to the theme of the whole book in that living as a Christian is how a person makes their faith real and practical. For that reason, this two-chapter section is essential to the book as a whole. Having said that, let's take a look at how James introduces these important scriptures.

These passages begin with, "know this, my beloved brothers." Often, James is looked at as a book focused on condemning the Christian. However, James starts by trying to see eye-to-eye with his brothers and sisters in Christ and reminds them that though he is trying to correct them, he loves them. The Christian has much to learn from such gentle correction. Though we are to correct our brothers and sisters, we must love them as we do so.

James continues, "let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God." That scripture should hit you like a bulldozer. How many Christians today do we see who are quick to listen? Who choose their words wisely? Who have made a commitment to restrain anger? I think we find the opposite in our churches. We find people who are prideful, have much to say, are easily angered by church politics, and don't listen when others are talking. What is the result of speaking without thinking? Stupid statements that can easily breed an argument. I have a friend who has taken the "slow to speak" part of this scripture so seriously that he will not even respond to someone speaking to him without having thought about his choice of words first (which causes a person to think before speaking to him). The Christian needs to be motivated to speak clearly, patiently, lovingly, and free of anger. Just as James makes an example of when he introduces these passages.

Christians today talk of a righteous anger: an anger towards people who sin or are unrighteous. However, I think that often times this idea of righteous anger is used to justify an actually unrighteous anger. What anger can man produce that is righteous? Just because Jesus (God) has a right to be angry, doesn't mean man does. We are supposed to be like Jesus, yes. But we aren't supposed to forgive sins as he did, nor are we supposed to carry around a righteous anger for the sins of others as he did. After-all, he was God. In The Cost Of Discipleship, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a Christian martyr killed in the concentration camps during the holocaust, writes,

 "Judging others makes us blind, whereas love is illuminating. By judging others we blind ourselves to our own evil and to the grace which others are just as entitled to as we are."

Remember, Christ didn't just come to save you.

"Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls." I wonder how many Christians really put away their filthiness. Why do studies show that divorce rates are the same between Christians and non-Christians? Or that, in almost every category, Christians are participating in things of the world? Do you understand that this is exactly what James was warning against when he said, "rampant wickedness"? The body of Christ needs to become the true body of Christ and put away its filthiness and receive with meekness or "gentleness" (by the strict definition of the greek word prautes), in stark contrast to anger, Jesus Christ (the word) who is able to save our souls.

My friends, I wish that you would listen to people, that you would choose your words wisely, and that you would not become angry quickly. Receive Jesus every day again and again with humility and gentleness; for when we receive Jesus with gentleness, we will spread him with gentleness. Do not be angry with people, for a fallen person can hardly justify any kind of anger. A person will never come to Jesus by your anger with them, rather by your meekness will they accept Christ. By your acceptance of them, which is on the basis of Christ's acceptance of you, will a person come to Christ. The Christian is a messenger of the "good news." We have not only the responsibility of delivering that good news, but doing so as if it is actually good news. The Christian must not only tell others of Jesus, but tell others of Christ; not only of reconciliation, but of sanctification. That is the mission of the Christian, are you involved?

Thank God For Trials

"Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first-fruits of his creatures." - James 1:16-18

As we dive back into our study of James, I want to point out that I had two guest writers this weekend in order that we may, for once, take a break from my writing. I hope their writings were enjoyed and if they were, I'm sure the authors would appreciate some feedback. Thanks again to Micaila Rupp and Seth Henry for their contribution to the uplifting of the body of Christ.

This passage that we are focusing on in James today is the conclusion of James' focus on how the Christian walk should look in relation to times of trials. He introduces his conclusion with a somber sentiment, "Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers." Deceived about what? James is referring to the false view that, in times of trial, God is the one who tempts you. Isn't it easy, when we are going through difficult times, to just blame everything on God? That is what James is warning us against. James is reminding us to not blame our sufferings on God. After-all, James continues, "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights..." If you are going to blame the bad stuff on God, you better be sure to blame the good stuff on him too. Do not forget that every blessing and good thing comes down from God (and most of life is good for most people). Humans have a natural tendency to focus on the bad in the world because it is rarer and therefore catches our attention more easily. Because it catches our attention so easily, we mistakenly associate God with evil.

"...with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change," James continues. In other words, first, don't blame evil on God. Secondly, God brings everything that is good. And thirdly, God isn't bipolar. He doesn't change his mind or his mood. He is God and he is always the same. If God brings everything that is good, that is all he can do, and he never changes, then everything he ordains that seems bad must not really be bad. Everything that happens is in some way to further the glory of God which is a good thing. Whether it seems bad to our finite minds or not is not the question. The question is merely "is this going to further the glory of God in some way eventually?" and the answer is always yes. This means that we can be secure in everything that happens to us; it may seem evil, it may seem bad, and in fact it is, but only right now. The darkness only exists so that the light will be more appreciated when it is seen.

"Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first-fruits of his creatures." The word "first-fruits" can also mean "the beginning of a sacrifice." The pioneer Christians that James was writing to were the first Christians and so, in a sense, they were the first recipients of Jesus' sacrifice. Also, the first-fruits feast that the Israelites held was a celebration of Springs first Barley  Harvest because it indicated more to come for the rest of the year. In the same way, the first Christians were just the beginning of what was to come, and the religion would end up becoming very prosperous as we see today.

My dear friends, I do not want you to be deceived during times of trials. It is so easy to blame our heartache and difficult times on God, but greater is the person who can glorify God and thank him for their trials. Do not deceive yourselves to think that trials are a bad thing, they are a good thing. They are not a time of despair, but a time of hope; not a time of loss, but a time of gain; not a time of decay, but a time of growth. Utilize difficult times to your advantage that before you die, you may grow more and more into Christ's likeness. Trials are the Christians opportunity to become more like Christ. Without trials, the Christian will stagnate in their spiritual walk. Don't only make it through trials, but rejoice when they come.

Death Came For Me

Death held my hand, it led my life, it guided each mistake. Death gave me misery always, but for some reason I could never leave. Like a slave I was in bondage to a master, bidden to always do his deeds. Death guided me to do things I should have never done. Death coerced me to speak his tongue. Like a beggar, I could only plea to be set free from this misery. Death beat me, crushed me, left me with a struggle inside. All I could do was cry. Death guided me, I couldn’t see, I wasn’t even able to breathe. Suddenly something changed. A light shone in the midst of my darkness and You rode in. I can’t explain what I saw. How you glowed, how you shone, you, my Lord, fought for me. You vanquished Death with a mighty blow. The darkness Death cast upon my life slowly began to fade. My knight in shining armor, you rescued me. You ripped me from Death’s embrace and led me to safety. You held my hand and we ran. I cannot describe the feeling of what I saw. All I knew was that somebody finally loved me. You ravaged my heart and made me thine. You sought my embrace and I came to you. For once in my life I felt complete. But I was still lead astray. 

I couldn’t commit when Death returned for me. Like the lover it used to be, it spoke softly outside my window late at night. At first I was able to scoff it away, but I had known Death’s embrace. I felt the lure and forgot your call. Like a fool I left in the night. Death guided me and soon it was like nothing had changed. Memories of your embrace slowly left me. I couldn’t make your love enough. I pushed away. But you didn’t give up on me. You still pursued, for some reason you came after me. A Lord, King of all, came after his wicked queen. The Groom after his bride, you pursued. You wouldn’t let Death keep me. Death guided me to the cliffs of despair and the world went dark. Death’s words, Death’s pull, Death’s call became too much to bear. Right before the end, I heard you scream “no!” You ran and took the bullet I aimed at my heart. You sacrificed yourself to save me! Why Lord why?

Wicked I came, wicked I go. I laid by your tomb for three days and nights when the impossible came. I saw you return to me. You grabbed me in a tight embrace laughing, “didn’t I tell you love? Death has no hold on me!” I danced, I laughed, I cried, you returned for me, your wayward wife. This time I held your hand a little tighter, this time I loved you more, but it wasn’t enough when death came to call. Death came to me in the night. It begged me to return and I couldn’t refuse. I thought of your love, I thought of your death, I thought about our life, but in the end, Death’s call was too much. I left once more. This time I did not expect you to come after me, but you still pursued. You pulled me back from Death’s embrace and whispered in my ear “never will I relent in coming to save you.” Once again, you rescued me when I didn’t know I desperately needed help. Though at times I forget your call I can always expect you to win. You, Lord, my great Lover know me and love me still. I couldn’t ask for anything better than you. You came to my rescue, Death will never win. I am my lover’s, and he is mine. Always will he protect my side. Come be my hero each day. My lover, My friend. 

- Micaila Blankenship

A Life Worth Following

Today I am going to tell you about a friend of mine and take you on a journey that is worth following. This man was such a great person that he ended up dying for his causes. He has helped transform my life through his actions and words. He has set an example for me to live by; one that I am still seeking to emulate. But don’t let me get too far ahead of myself. 

When and where did I meet this guy? Well, my family has been great friends with him for my whole life, but for some reason I hadn’t met him. Thankfully though, he was able to make it to my family’s church camp two years ago. This was my first encounter with this man I had heard so much about. Throughout the weekend I was able to get to know him quite well. I got to the point where I trusted and respected him enough to share my struggles, failures, and even sins. He worked with me through many of these things, giving me advice that he gained throughout his lifetime. He spoke and displayed so much fatherly wisdom to me during this time. It was like I had just struck gold, as if I had found something undiscovered to so many. As the weekend came to a close I was ecstatic that I had a new friend, whom I trusted, respected, and enjoyed. We began hanging out at a local Starbucks on weekends, just talking about life. Those times were great, to the point I wish I would have hung out with him during the week. What makes this man so special? What really drew me to him?

There are a few things in particular that really set him apart from everyone else. The first is how he handles himself. He isn’t flashy, in fact that might be the last word I would use to describe him. He is the type of person that goes under the radar, avoiding all the attention, like a football player who chooses to drive a minivan instead of a $100,000 Mercedes. Despite his appearance, people were drawn to the glow he gave off. He lights up the world like fireflies lighting up the sky. However, many people choose not to be his friend. This is because he demands so much out of everyone he meets. You can’t just get away with being a so-so person around him; you have to be on fire for the Lord. He doesn’t allow you to be the type of person to just sit on the fence and partake in both sides. I, on the other hand, was drawn to this characteristic; to how he pushed me to be the best that I could be. 

Another characteristic that set him apart was his humility. Not just in how he handled himself, but also through his actions. Even though he was a man with a high position job where he oversaw a multitude of people, he chose to work with people who were poor, broken, and drug addicted. He chose to stoop down from his high position and work with those that needed help; weekly he would go down under the tunnels to talk and have lunch with these outcasts. That action right there is checking your ego at the door, laying down your pride, and making a difference.

He has also taught me a great many lessons about forgiveness, to the point that I lost count. Sadly, though, most of those lessons were as a result of me. Even though I connected really well with him, I tended to do things that weren’t respectful of him and hurt him. One time I really dishonored him. But the next day, when I saw him, he didn’t treat me any different. It was as if nothing had happened. I looked at him and said, “Why are you treating me with so much respect when I treated you with none?” He looked me in the eyes and said, “We all make mistakes and I forgive you.” He showed me kindness and forgiveness even when I didn’t deserve them. He truly lived out Romans 12:14, which says, “Bless those that persecute you…” I want to be the exact same way. I want to be able to forgive others, even when they hurt me. Even though he would forgive me, I seemed to always “stab” him in the back the next week. Until ultimately one day I treated him extremely bad, stating that I didn’t want anything to do with him anymore. Before I had a chance to reconcile with him, he was involved in an ally attack. He was beaten up behind an old sawmill, where old wood just sat rotting away. He was beaten up so bad that he ended up dying an hour later in the hospital. This really tore me up inside; truly crushed by what I had done to him. However, he had left a letter for me, which for some reason I hadn’t opened yet. I decided that the time was right to see what he had written. It brought me to my knees in tears. “Son, I know what you are going to do. You will disown me and sin against me. But that is why I came. I came to save the sinners; to die in your place. So that one day you may stand before the Lord as white as snow. I love you and I forgive you!”

The man I have shared with you is the only man who has walked a perfect life on this earth. His name is Jesus of Nazareth. He set the perfect example of how to live. And no matter how long ago He lived, His influence remains. I want to live a life of humility and forgiveness, just like him. And no matter the pressure that comes, I want to live for the Lord. Even if I am taken to the stake to be burned, to be a martyr, I want to serve the Lord. Jesus is not just my friend, He is yours as well. It doesn’t matter how far you have fallen; because He left that same note for you. “You are forgiven.”

- Seth Henry

A Crown Or A Grave?

"Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. Let no one say when he is tempted, 'I am being tempted by God,' for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death." - James 1:12-15

Please pray this morning for the body of Christ and encouragement for them as they persevere through trials.

After James has talked about the importance of wisdom, faithful prayer, humility in Christ, and confidence in Christ during times of trial, he now moves back to the same focus he had in verses 2 through 4 saying, "Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him." James is reminding the reader of the focal point of what he has written so far in this chapter, but he also makes some new points with this one verse. Firstly, in verse 2, James was pretty clearly referring to trials that come throughout life: "when you meet trials of various kinds." But if you look closely enough in this verse, you will notice something different: James refers to receiving the crown of life. The crown of life is a reference to the reward that Christians receive at the end of their life, namely, eternal life with God. The ESV Study Bible comments, "Crown of life alludes not to the jewel encrusted ruler's crown but to the laurel wreath given to winners in athletic games and victorious emperors." But this reward does not come until we have died and passed from this life, therefore we can assume that James is now talking about the test of life rather than the tests of life. In other words, James is indirectly asking the reader, "how did you spend your life?" For all of life is a test as is clearly pointed out in this passage, and if we are steadfast in the faith through life than we will receive the reward. The obvious implication that those who are faithful in life receive the reward is that those who aren't faithful will not receive the reward; a beautiful but terrifying statement all at once.

"Let no one say when he is being tempted, 'I am being tempted by God,' for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one." At first glance, James seems to make an abrupt turn in subject from, remain steadfast, to, God doesn't tempt anyone. However, it seems logical that the subject brought to James' mind, after he wrote about receiving the promise of those who love God, is the very thing that could keep someone from receiving that promise: temptation and sin. There is a very serious question here regarding God's sovereignty that needs to be addressed. The Bible teaches clearly that God has ordained everything that happens (1 Samuel 2:6-7, Proverbs 16:9, Psalms 105:24, Isaiah 6:10, Isaiah 63:17, John 13:18, Romans 1:21-25, Proverbs 16:4), including the lives of people and their sin. Is James in stark disagreement with the rest of the scriptures? Look again my friends. James merely makes the point that God tempts no one; he does not disagree with foreordination. Someone is asking, "If God planned for people to sin, doesn't that mean he tempted them?" Absolutely not. They are tempted by themselves. God just planned for such temptation to take place, that does not mean that the temptation did not originate in peoples minds, it means that God planned for it to originate in peoples minds. However, these are two truths of scripture that are impossible for finite creatures to completely reconcile; both truths must be accepted and applied. God did plan, and man is responsible.

"But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death." The word "desire" that James uses in this passage means "passionate longing." As I pointed out in the last paragraph, sin is birthed when people focus on their own desires or passionate longings. If we pursue this desire, it will end in sin, and if we pursue sin, it will end in death; in contrast to ending with a crown of life. There is a choice to be made here: that of death or life? It is a simple choice, but not in practice. For the only true decision is one that is followed by actions. My beloved friends, remember to live for Christ daily and do not let temptation overcome you. The battle is against your own flesh; you can pursue your own fleshly desires or Christ, but not both. A crown or a grave? The choice is yours.

Adjust Your Focus

"Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away. For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beautiful perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits." - James 1:9-11

The last two sections we have looked at in James have talked of the importance of being steadfast through trials as a Christian. At this point in the letter, James brings up a trial that was emphasized by Jesus and is common amongst many Christians today. Along with Jesus' constant denouncement of the pharisaic way of life, Jesus says in Matthew, "You cannot serve God and money" (6:24). In James 1:9-11, this point rings true once again. After James has introduced the seriousness of the Christian to remain steadfast during times of trial, he finds it appropriate to introduce one of the most common trials a Christian faces: the love of possessions.

"Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation." The word "lowly" can also be translated "meek," "humble," or "depressed." The point James starts out by making in this short statement is that depressed Christians need not be depressed. James is saying that we are exalted in Christ and we need to boast in that fact to others. It is important that the Christian does not delve too deeply into such depression or meekness because these can lead to constant sadness. This is clearly not the life the Christian is called to, especially considering the emphasis James puts on rejoicing during times of trials. He is telling believers who are low and weak to be strengthened by Christ, realize their worth, and remain steadfast in the life God has put before them; this is a call to life from death.

"and the rich [boast] in his humiliation." This statement, just as the last, is also a call from death to life. It is a call from love of the world to love of Christ; a call from pride in the world to pride in Christ. In the last statement, James encouraged the "lowly" to boast in his worth in Christ; in this statement, he calls the "rich" to boast in his "humiliation" or "low estate." In other words, both statements are calls to focus on Christ, the former emphasis is on finding your worth, whereas the latter emphasis is on focusing your worth. Both parts are addressing a Christian who has a twisted self-image; one needs to be brought up, and one needs to be brought down. The Christian today can learn much from such wisdom. Be joyful in Christ, but only Christ.

"because like a flower of the grass he will pass away. For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits." As James finishes his talk of the importance of not focusing on your own worth, nor on your own lacking, but on Christ, he paints a vivid picture of what a man who trusts in his riches is like. James says that the "rich man will fade away in the midst of his pursuits." Does this scare you? The fact that you can waste your whole life striving for possessions and then within a moment you can pass away? Do you see why we are being called to not focus on that which is temporary, but that which is eternal? What will it matter if we have been successful financially on earth? What worth is it if not a single soul has heard the gospel because of you? Do you understand that your "beauty will perish"? Oh, how lost we are if we trust in the things of today rather than in the things of forever; what a worthless life to live. Do not make such a monumental mistake. There is no greater mistake that can be made apart from a wasted life.

I want to close with this story from John Piper's Don't Waste Your Life. "For me as a boy, one of the most gripping illustrations my fiery father used was the story of a man converted in old age. The church had prayed for this man for decades. He was hard and resistant. But this time, for some reason, he showed up when my father was preaching. At the end of the service, during a hymn, to everyone's amazement he came and took my father's hand. They sat down together on the front pew of the church as the people were dismissed. God opened his heart to the Gospel of Christ, and he was saved from his sins and given eternal life. But that did not stop him from sobbing and saying, as the tears ran down his wrinkled face - and what an impact it made on me to hear my father say this through his own tears - 'I've wasted it! I've wasted it!'" (Piper 12).

A Foundation Of Wisdom

"If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways." - James 1:5-8

The first section I wrote about in James focused on rejoicing during times of trials, this second section we are going to cover (quoted above) emphasizes the importance of prayer in this pursuit.

I think it is interesting that the quality James chooses to talk about is wisdom. James does not start off this section by saying, "if any of you lack motivation" or "if any of you lack steadfastness." He starts this section off by saying, "if any of you lacks wisdom." How does wisdom correlate to rejoicing during times of trial? It seems that James is saying that the very pursuit of joy during times of trials rests upon a foundation of wisdom. Is this not true? For when you have come to a financially unstable position, or have been fired from a job, or have wronged by a person or are experiencing any other kind of trial, is the natural response not to become angry and bitter? Such a response is familiar and accepted in the world, but wisdom is folly to the world (Proverbs 1:7). Wisdom leads a Christian to a response to trials that considers eternity and the Christian worldview. Wisdom is the foundation upon which the Christian must rest in order to react righteously to unrighteousness.

How are we to acquire such wisdom? If such wisdom is so important, should we not strive for it? James is quite clear in what we are to do: "let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him." Did you read that? All we have to do is ask God for wisdom and we will become wise, right? Wrong. James adds one more condition to the prayer: "But let him ask in faith, with no doubting." Now you may be thinking to yourself is that all you have to do is ask for wisdom with a faithful heart and you will become wise. I believe this is again wrong. The word "faith" means also "faithfulness," "pledge," or "proof." I think it is correct to think of faith not in terms of believing, but in terms of devoting. When James says "let him ask in faith," I believe he means let him ask with desire, devotion, and faithfulness. In other words, I don't think James is telling you only to believe God will grant the wisdom, but believe it so much that you pursue the wisdom. We are not only to ask God to provide wisdom and believe he will, but believe to the extant that we seek out such wisdom. For I believe there is little faith in asking for something from God, and not pursuing that thing with your whole heart. You have to jump for someone to catch you, you can't just sit there.

James continues, "for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind." James points out that if we do lack faith, we are like a wave of the sea. Think about that statement for a moment. What does a wave in the sea do? It exists and then dissipates, it switches directions, it is completely at the mercy of the wind. James is urging the Christian to not be this kind of person. In prayer, do not be a person who is driven because of the environment around you, or is motivated by random events that take place. Be a person set in the firm foundation of the wisdom of God so that nothing can blow your "house" over (Matthew 7). James further notes that such a person has no right to expect anything to be given him from God; not just wisdom, but anything he asks for. Such a request is at the mercy of the wind and the mercy of God is not upon it. "For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord."

Lastly, just as a wave in the sea, such a person without faith is "unstable in all his ways" and "double-minded." The person has one mind in the world and one mind in God; this is the lukewarm Christian and Revelations says Christ will spit such a person out of his mouth (Revelations 3:16).

Be faithful servants to Christ and seek wisdom with all of your heart that you may use it in times of hardship, difficult decisions, and trials. Life is not always going to be easy, so prepare before it gets hard, and if it's already hard, than take this opportunity to be strengthened in wisdom, be faithful to God, and grow in Christ. I love you friends, remember these things throughout your day.

Remaining Steadfast

"James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion: Greetings. Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." - James 1:1-4

My blog posts are going to be camping in the book of James for a while. I wish to study more using the word of God and a little less using my mere thoughts. The passage above will be covered in this post.

The book of James was written to Jewish believers sometime in the 40's A.D. The audience is indicated in James' first statement: "To the twelve tribes in Dispersion." However, for the sake of not losing your interest quickly, we will move on to the rest of the passage.

If you read the passage as a whole, the main idea one notices is the Christian is to be joyful during trials; quite a foreign idea, is it not? Do not people, even Christians, usually curse God during trials rather than praise him? If James was trying to appeal to his readers, I'm not completely sure he did the best job. Why did he start his letter this way? The overarching theme in James is, simply put, the importance of the believer to make their faith real and practical. James starts his letter with this idea of being joyful during times of trials because 1) it tells Christians that they will face trials, and 2) it immediately points out the importance of the Christian to be different than the world. Christians do face trials; life isn't perfect once you become a Christian, in fact, it's harder (Matthew 7:13-14). James is merely trying to be truthful to fellow believers. He also jumps right into the theme of the book by alerting the reader that faith is not enough apart from renouncing worldliness and embracing righteousness.

Being joyful during times of trial is not a worldly pursuit, it is only the pursuit of a righteous person. Be sure that the joy James talks of is not a joy due to the enjoyment of suffering, but it is a joy due to the realization that such suffering will mature us in Christ (James 1:4). We are not joyful because suffering is enjoyable, but because we are focused not on the current suffering, but on the end result of that suffering. As James says in the third verse, "for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness." We are joyful during times of testing because it is a time for growth and maturity in Christ. The word translated "faith" in verse 3 can also mean "pledge" or "proof." You could take it to mean devotion. In other words, James points out that all trials are a test of our devotion to God. Is this true? Are all tests a test of our faith, pledge, and allegiance to God? Or is there some test that is for another purpose? You see, all trials merit a response from the one being tried, and that response is the test. How do you respond in times of pain, suffering, hurt, anguish, sinfulness, temptation, worldly desires? Every trial that a Christian faces, including cancer, heartbreak, depression, and anxiety, are a test of our devotion to God, and the results of that test are based on our response to it.

If we are to endure times of trial, then the "testing of our faith produces steadfastness." "Steadfastness" can also be translated "endurance" or "perseverance." Further, if our steadfastness of faith has its full effect, we "may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." Do you realize friends that if we are steadfast in our faith, our allegiance, and our pledge to Christ and take that seriously, there is nothing else to be done? Do you realize yet that such steadfastness is the most important thing in the Christian walk and it encompasses the whole Christian life? If we are not steadfast, we lack faith; if we lack faith, we have missed the point. Yes, we will doubt in our Christian walk, but never doubt to the point that it causes you to make poor, unChristian decision in times of trial.

Trials are times to grow, not times to forget about Christ. These trials produce more steadfastness of our faith and that produces perfection and completeness. We live in a fallen world and cannot yet let steadfastness have its full effect because of our sin nature, but may we allow steadfastness to have the most effect possible that we may do more and more for Christ with a heart of perseverance and a strong faith.

The Only Reasonable Response

"Hear my prayer, O Lord; let my cry come to you! Do not hide your face from me in the day of my distress! Incline your ear to me; answer me speedily in the day when I call! For my days pass away like smoke, and my bones burn like a furnace. My heart is struck down like grass and has withered; I forget to eat my bread. Because of my loud groaning my bones cling to my flesh. I am like a desert owl of the wilderness, like an owl of the waste places; I lie awake; I am like a lonely sparrow on the housetop. All the day my enemies taunt me; those who deride me use my name for a curse. For I eat ashes like bread and mingle tears with my drink, because of your indignation and anger; for you have taken me up and thrown me down. My days are like an evening shadow; I wither away like grass." - Psalms 102:1-11

I want to start of with a question. If a Christian is "saved by grace through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9), then why are Christians worried about how they act? Could it be that the Christian has begun to depend upon their works for salvation? I hope not, for the Bible says, "we have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment" (Isaiah 64:6a). Lets talk of the Christian who is sincere in their faith; why are they walking according to disciplines, rules, and standards they consider Christian? The Bible says works do not save us, so why do them? The Bible says we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.

Most of us know grace is unmerited favor, but if faith is the medium by which we are given grace, we must now inquire about the true meaning of faith. Is faith in Jesus Christ a prayer pleading that the holy spirit would enter one's life? Is faith wearing a Christian T-shirt everywhere you go? Is faith having "christian" under your Facebook info? Or is faith nearly synonymous with works? Could it be that the two are inseparable? We know faith brings salvation, and not works, but does it logically follow that works are not involved in faith? If I believe that a chair can hold my weight, but I never sit in the chair, have I yet put my faith in that chair? Or is the faith only true once such faith has inclined someone to do something? Is faith that does not bring about change true faith?

"For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love" (2 Peter 1:5-7). This passage starts with the words "for this very reason." If you glance back at 2 Peter 1:3-4, the author is simply making notice of a Christians salvation through the work of Jesus. Peter first points out that he wants Christians to supplement faith with virtue (or works), but for what reason? Well he tells us in the prior verses: because we are a saved people. In essence, Peter is saying act your faith because what other response is there? What other response to salvation should a Christian have except complete contempt for worldliness and absolute desire for righteousness?

Peter goes on to say, "whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. Therefore brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you practice these qualities, you will never fall" (2 Peter 1:9-10). Christians do not practice righteous qualities for the sake of boasting about them or being seen as righteous, they practice them because they desire to practice them. The Christian is a servant to Christ, and a servant serves his master out of love. We do not serve because we want to please others but because we want to please Christ and we desire to hear the words "well done good and faithful servant."

My friends, seek God today because you want to; because deep inside you is a desire to do so; because you want to understand why Jesus died for you. When you have found inside yourself a prideful heart that is getting in the way of true communion with God, cast it out, that relationship with, and understanding of Christ may be renewed. Allow the Holy Spirit to live through you and quit trying to live through yourself. When we live through ourselves, we are glorified; when the Holy spirit lives through us, Christ is glorified.

Tests Are Good

“Let the heavens praise your wonders, O Lord, your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones! For who in the skies can be compared to the Lord, a God greatly to be feared  in the council of the holy ones, and awesome above all who are around him? O Lord God of hosts, who is mighty as you are, O Lord, with your faithfulness all around you? You rule the raging of the sea; when its waves rise, you still them.” - Psalms 89:5-9

People suffer for many reasons. People suffer when effected by others’ sins; or when pain makes us aware that we are being damaged. There is a bigger question however: why did God plan for us to suffer, specifically his elect? Why did God work the suffering of his redeemed people into his plan? Did not Jesus already pay the price, why must we? 

Tests are one of the most common reasons a believer suffers. The word “test” is a very vague term. Does a test in the Bible have any similarities to a test taken here on earth? What is the purpose of a test taken in school? It is to reveal what level of knowledge a particular person has when it comes to a specific subject and it also reveals what they have left to learn in order to become scholarly in a certain field. Does not a test do the same for the believer in Christ? A test planned by God, put into the life of a believer, exists for several different reasons. A test is to show the believer where they stand in their spiritual walk and where they need to grow. For a test does not only reveal strengths, but weaknesses. 

There is another reason as well. In the book of Job, God shows his disciple off to Satan by allowing him to suffer great trials. This event brought much glory to God in the spiritual realm. There is also a spiritual realm where things are happening that we cannot yet see and these could well have an effect on why we are tested. There are many reasons a Christian is tested, but I have not yet revealed what I believe to be the most important.

God uses his chosen people to spread the gospel throughout the world, is this not a gift to the Christian life? Indeed it is. What does the spreading of the gospel include? It includes the testing of Christians. When a Christian is tested by suffering of the flesh, they are tested primarily that others may see the perseverance of the believer through the test. Did not the disciples die for their faith so that today we can use their witness to back up our faith in apologetics? Are not people amazed by stories of Christian martyrs who endured the trials God put in their way? Are not such stories a testament to the power and practicality of the Christian faith? 

We are tested primarily for a missional purpose - the purpose of spreading the gospel. This is why we are to rejoice when being tested, for it is a unique opportunity to spread the word of God in a powerful way. My brothers and sisters, stay strong during trials, for it is not a time of sorrow, but a time of joy. Pray that others may see the glory of God through your strength during trials. I love you friends, and I want you to understand that testing is a blessing. 

Pursue righteousness in all that you do and be a God-fearing believer. Remain in Christ.

Our High Priest

"I will sing of the steadfast love of the Lord, forever; with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all generations. For I said, 'Steadfast love will be built up forever; in the heavens you will establish your faithfulness.; You have said, 'I Have made a covenant with my chosen one; I have sworn to David my servant: 'I will establish your offspring forever, and build your throne for all generations.''"
- Psalms 89:1-4

Sin is part of humanity. Paul couldn't rid himself of sin as he talks of in Romans 7, nor could Moses, Jonah, Aaron, and every other person who has lived. We run into a problem here: who is to intercede for us? In the Old Testament, the High Priest would intercede for the Israelites in order to propitiate God's wrath against them. This raises an even more serious question: how did a sinful man intercede for sinful man and successfully propitiate God's wrath against sinful man? Before a judge, can  a known murderer step in to defend another murderer? Sinful man is not adequate to intercede for sinful man.

Just as Hebrews 5:1 points out, it was the job of the High Priest to offer sacrifices for the peoples sins (the day of Atonement). "For every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins." Did sinful man actually satisfy God's wrath against sinful man? No, the use of a high priest was God's way of explaining the future role of Christ in redemption. We have a High Priest who is sinless and is therefore adequate to intercede for sinful man. "Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession" (Hebrews 4:14).

However, people do not only want a high priest to intercede for their sins, but a high priest who also sympathizes with them for their transgressions. For what high priest will intercede for sins if temptation is not experienced by the priest himself? Do not be grieved my friends, for we have a high priest who has experienced temptation, and can indeed sympathize with us. "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin" (Hebrews 4:15). Someone is thinking to themselves "was Jesus really tempted if he couldn't have sinned because of his Godly nature?" The question then is, could Jesus have sinned? Yes, technically speaking, he was a human and had the ability to sin. Would Jesus have sinned? No, because he understood the things of God and knows the evil of sin. A person will only sin once they have convinced themselves it is acceptable, this is something Jesus wouldn't have done knowing the truth.

Hebrews goes on to say, "Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered" (5:8). Did I write that correctly? Jesus had to learn to be obedient? Is that true? Many times, this passage is taken to mean that Jesus learned to be obedient to God the Father and his wishes, but within the context of the passage, it means something else. The passage says he "learned obedience through what he suffered." This indicates that he didn't learn to be obedient to God, for he knew how, but he learned what the cost of being obedient to God was: suffering. He didn't learn how to obey God, but he experienced and came to understand the cost of doing so.

On the cross, Jesus cried out "Father, forgive them." He was talking about me and you, believers and obedient followers of Christ. He was interceding for when me and you nailed him to that cross. He continues to intercede today when we pick up the nails once again. The Spirit is with us to halt us and put down the nails, and Jesus is there for when we nail him once more to the cross. These are sorrowful but joyful truths. Rejoice that Jesus is our high priest; rejoice that he has overcome the world; and rejoice that you can return, in the end, to your true identity in Christ. Sinful man does not intercede for you any longer, sinless man who became sinful man does. Remember these things as you walk through your day. Spirit of God be with you and our High Priest Jesus Christ watch over you.

Talking As Christ Would

"O Lord, God of my salvation; I cry out day and night before you. Let my prayer come before you; incline your ear to my cry! For my soul is full of troubles, and my life draws near to Sheol. I am counted among those who go down to the pit; I am a man who has no strength, like one set loose among the dead, like those whom you remember no more, for they are cut off from your hand. You have put me in the depths of the pit, in the regions dark and deep. Your wrath lies heavy upon me, and you overwhelm me with all your waves." - Psalms 88:1-7

It never ceases to surprise me when I go to a Christian school and hear Christians profess Christ one moment, and the next talk of impure things. Christians do not usually talk of unrighteousness seriously, but with humor. They seem to think if it amuses others, than it is perfectly acceptable. Believers assume that they can, with the same tongue, praise God and curse man. These people have seriously and unfortunately convinced themselves that crude, unruly humor is acceptable for the Christian to utter.

I do not find this premise within the word of God, the very book these people claim they stand by. There is no place in the Bible I find a verse saying "thou shalt not glorify sinful things unless it makes a brother laugh." This kind of verse in the Bible is absurd, wouldn't you agree? Are we taking the Bible seriously, or only the parts we think are reasonable? Are Christians pursuing the easy commands but not pursuing the commands which demand more time and devotion? More importantly, are you?

Ephesians 5:3-4 says, "But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving." I believe Christians have forgotten who they are. I believe crude jokes and our immoral humor is, at least partly, a result of wrong self-perception. In other words, we have forgotten we are "saints." We are the image bearers of Christ himself. How dare we glorify immorallity, whether it be out of humor or seriousness? As Paul says, this kind of talk is "out of place." As a "healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit," neither "can a diseased tree bear good fruit" (Matthew 7:18). Christians should, by the power of God, produce only that which is inside of them: the image of Christ and his kingdom.

It is interesting that in Ephesians 5, Paul names "Thanksgiving" as the alternative to "crude jokes, covetousness, and sexual immorality." How would thanksgiving rid the Christian of these sins? Thanksgiving is the act and proclamation of giving thanks to God for that which he has given, produced, and done. Is not sex a gift? Is not humor a gift? Are not possessions a gift? Why than are we intermixing these gifts (that Paul refers to in Ephesians 5) with sin and then going on to mock them, and enjoy the perverse and immoral humor that comes out of them? Do you now see how thanksgiving is an alternative to mocking the gifts God has granted and twisting them for your own amusement? Where genuine thanksgiving to God lies is where sin removes itself.

I do not want you to deceive yourselves or others. I pray that you will refrain from indecent talk as well as action. As James says, learn to "bridle the tongue." Peace with you this day in the name of Jesus Christ, and may he dwell within you more ultimately day by day.

Do Not Drowned While Saving Someone

"O God, insolent men have risen up against me; a band of ruthless men seeks my life, and they do not set you before them. But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. Turn to me and be gracious to me; give your strength to your servant, and save the son of your maidservant. Show me a sign of your favor, that those who hate me may see and be put to shame because you, Lord, have helped me and comforted me." - Psalms 86:14-17

It is easy to hate, isn't it friends? It is easy to gossip, to mock, and to point out the qualities in people that are imperfect. Why do we, as Christians, not point out the good in one another? It seems that everywhere we turn, we are being degraded, laughed at, and used as a form of entertainment. The Church has gossip within it, and ultimately the body of believers has gossip within it. I do not wish it to be this way, for this is not pleasing to God, but why is it this way? Could it be that some believers are not actually believers? Or could it be the mere fact that believers are sinners too?

I think it is a mixture of the two: some believers aren't actually believers, and believers happen to be sinners. This evil within the church firstly comes from a lack of genuine Christianity, especially within the bounds of American churches; I believe we are a highly self-deceived nation. And it secondly comes from the truth that believers still sin, even though they strive not to. As Romans 7 talks about, they "do what they do not want to do." What are churches and genuine Christians to do about this folly in the body of believers? Are we to excommunicate them and no longer acknowledge their existence? Are we to kindly accept them for who they are? I believe the truth lies somewhere in the middle; somewhere in the "ethical mean" (as aristotle would say).

Paul tells us in 2 Thessalonians 3:13 to "not grow weary in doing good." What are we to do when people do grow weary of doing good? Do not abandon people within the body of believers who have lost their way or who have began to step from the faith. In fact, pursue them more diligently. Paul goes on to help us understand what action we should take in this situation. "If anyone does not obey what we say in this letter, take note of that person, and have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed" (2 Thessalonians 3:14). Did you catch what Paul just said? Did he say "have nothing to do with him," and cause him to be "ashamed"? Let me grant some insight.

The word translated "have nothing to do with him" is sunanamignumi, and it means more specifically "to mix up together". In other words, it doesn't mean to completely abandon this person who has not followed good ethics. It is a warning to not mix your lifestyle with his/hers so that you will not become unethical as they are. Keep your distance to stay pure, do not let them entice you into their evil. 

Causing them to be ashamed makes perfect sense. It does not say to point out their flaws to others so that others will be ashamed of them, but merely let them be ashamed of himself/herself by showing the true way a believer is to function and think. 

Lastly, Paul says in verse 15, "Do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother." Do you understand this my friends? We are not to look at lost people as infidels and tyrants, but as captives. Not as evil people, but as people bound by evil. Not as slave-owners, but as slaves. Lost people are to be pitied most of all. We feel sorry for them and we "warn them as a brother" because we know the condemnation they are entitled to if they do not pick up the key to escape from their shackles. Do not regard your sinful brother or sister as an enemy, but as a soldier taken captive to the enemy to do his work. 

Love one another, work with one another, and do not abandon each-other when one is falling. Help him get out of the water, but don't let him pull you in while in the process. I love you friends, support the body with your whole being and run from evil in the name of Jesus. 
Blessings to you this day.

Now For The Sake Of Then

"There is none like you among the gods, O Lord, nor are there any works like yours. All the nations you have made shall come and worship before you, O Lord, and shall glorify your name. For you are great and do wondrous things; you alone are God. Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name. I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever. For great is your steadfast love toward me; you have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol." - Psalms 86:8-13

Some Christians have trouble with the concept that God is just. Not directly of course, but it is implied by the characteristics of God they ignore. Many Christians do not like that God sends people to hell. Many Christians do not like that God has a wrath, or a hatred. I wonder if these Christians would prefer that all unrepentant God-blasphemers not be punished. I, personally, prefer that our God is just. I prefer that our God does hate sin, does despise evil, does look on unrighteousness with fury.

If the Christian accepts the notion that God is not just, what are the repercussions? No one is punished for their sins; everyone gets to go to heaven; love doesn't exist. These are a few of the necessities for a world ruled by an unjust God. Looking at this list, I hope you quickly realize this is not the God we serve. This is a mythical god, it is not our Lord Jesus Christ.

Our God does punish sin, but not yet. The people living in sin are fortunate enough to be able to live out their lives with mere consequences of their sin, but not yet any true punishment. In fact, if they are to repent of their sin, they shall be saved, and they have a whole life-time to do so. As for us Christians, we are the opposite; our sufferings come during this age. Christians endure temporal suffering for the sake of eternal joy, whereas the unbeliever relishes temporal enjoyment and will suffer eternally for doing so. There is a choice to make here. Either suffer for a life-time, or for infinite life-times.

The Christian at this point may be thinking to them-self "I have suffered so little. I go to church sunday, I do all the right things, but I haven't suffered." I am sorry to tell you this, but if you have truly pursued the Christian way of life, you have surely suffered. You have been persecuted, slandered, hated, cursed, and worn-out. You will say "can one not be a Christian without suffering?" and I tell you no, they can not. "Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived" (2 Timothy 3:12). The Christian will be persecuted. Does not Jesus tell us "whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me" (Matthew 10:38)?

I want you to understand, friends, that the Christian walk is a short period of suffering for the sake of eternal time with God! Endure my beloved, do not cast aside Christian values when life gets difficult, but push all the harder. When you don't have time for prayer, fast; when you don't have time to read your Bible, read it longer; when you don't have time to do the dishes, do the laundry too. Let the Spirit of Christ keep you and guide you in all that you do and always remember: temporary suffering, eternal reward. God bless you.

Do More And More

"Preserve my life, for I am godly; save your servant, who trusts in you - you are my God. Be gracious to me, O Lord, for to you do I cry all the day. Gladden the soul of your servant, for to you, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you. Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer, listen to my plea for grace. In the day of my trouble I call upon you, for you answer me." - Psalms 86:1-7

Do you ever feel like your walk with Christ has come to a halt? Like you have stopped learning? Stopped growing? Stopped having purpose? Maybe today is one of those days. Maybe today you feel as though life isn't even worth living. Or maybe today is a good day; you feel as though life is worth living, and worth living to the fullest. Either way, we all have experienced some sort of stagnation in our walk with God. Is this stagnation merely perceived as such or is it an actual loss of spiritual growth?

R.C. Sproul, a famous theologian, would claim that the Christian never stops growing, rather the growth is merely slowed for a short while and we often see such as a complete halt. I have not yet decided whether I agree with Sproul on this point, but I think it is a premise that deserves further thought.

What would you say is the first lifestyle change a person must make after they have made their commitment to Christ? I believe it is to make an effort at refraining from temptations of the flesh. When we live in the flesh, we act of the flesh; but when we live in the spirit, we now must discipline ourselves to act in the spirit. Essentially, I would claim that the first step a Christian takes towards being a Christian is to refrain from sinful actions. But does the journey of the Christian stop there? Is the Christian walk only a walk of "don'ts"? Or is there more to it? What is the next step to take after the Christian has dedicated themselves to abstaining from evil?

The next thing the Christian needs to pursue is good. The Christian walk is not only a walk of "don'ts" but a walk of "do's". We are not only to refrain from temptation, but to fight against it. We are not only to not be involved in great evils, but to interfere. We are not only to stand by, but to stand up. The Christian is not only called to a life of redemption, but a life of righteousness. Let the Christian walk in righteousness: give to the poor, help the needy, love the wounded, persevere in tribulation, and walk in peace.

You may be saying "Mike, what else am I to do? My schedule is booked with helping out in volunteer positions, I help the needy, I refrain from sin. What more is there for me in the Christian walk?" Though I think few Christians will be saying this, I will still tell you what more there is at this point. Listen to Paul first: "Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more" (1 Thessalonians 4:1). Once more, "Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more."

 Do you understand friends? You may feed the needy, feed them more. You may help the wounded, help them more. You may pray often, pray more. You may love much, love more. Someone may be saying "What more is there to love, or to give? I have given everything I have to God." All I can respond is no you have not. Does not the Christian faith rely upon the very foundation that we are sinners and are bound to sin whether under the redemptive power of Christ or not? Do you not realize you are a sinner? For I tell you the truth when I say that you have not perfected your walk with God; there is always more to be done. The moment you believe you have perfected your walk is the same moment you need to realize your filth.

Firstly, abstain from evil, from the desires of the flesh. Secondly, pursue righteousness, hope, love, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, and self-control. Lastly, pursue these things more.

Christ be with you throughout the day and watch over you.

Prayer Works

Hear we are Father, your children, desiring you, and you alone. Will you hear us this day? Hear our prayer and let us partake of the blood of Christ. May we every day pick up our cross and walk next to Jesus, may you accept our sacrifice of a broken heart, and repair it that we may have life to the fullest. We thank you for your gifts this day and ask that you would allow us to be your servants. In Jesus name, Amen.

Why do you pray? Is it because you were told to pray before you eat? Is it because thats what you've always done? Is it because that what they told you to do when you became a Christian? Or is it because you believe it truly has the power to change reality? I truly believe that Christians would live differently if the latter options was the real reason we prayed. Too often, Christians pray because thats what they grew up doing, or because they think it's a requirement to get into heaven, or because they know they should probably ask for forgiveness now and again.

One of the main reasons Christians have trouble believing in prayer is because they don't understand how it works. Do you not understand my friend that merely because you don't understand how something works doesn't mean it does not work? If you are using a computer, do you know every detail about how that computer is built, and how it works? I assume not. But does that computer work none the less? Yes. This is the same as prayer. Because you don't understand how it works does not give credit to the assumption that it doesn't. Someone will say "But if I pursue it, I can figure out how that computer works!" Yes you can, because we are the creators of the computer. Whoever created something is obviously aware of the means by which it functions. We created computers, so we understand how it works, but we did not create prayer. God did, and only God is aware of how it works; we just know it does.

Do you have to know how a computer works to use it? I'm not talking about "click here" or "click there" but the stuff inside the computer that makes it work. No, of course not! You don't have to know what is going on inside the hard drive to use a computer sufficiently. Again, prayer is the same. You don't have to know how it works to use it. God controls how it works, and we are recipients of it. It is a gift given to us that we are meant to use as Christians. Do you yet understand my friend, that prayer works?

I urge you brothers and sisters, pray earnestly, attentively, and with faith. I don't know how it works, but I know it does because I've seen it work. It is one of our most powerful weapons against the enemy and for the building up of the body. God has granted it, we are to use it. Please friends, pray, it works.

"Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer." - Romans 12:12

Acting Out Your Part

Almighty God, who are we to come to You? Would You come to us that we may experience Your presence? We are not worthy of who You are, we are only deemed worthy through Your own work. Thank You Father, You gave up Your son that we may become Your son. He lost His life that we may have it abundantly with You. We praise You and thank You and ask for You. The blessings You bestow on us are a gift, but they aren't the gift. You are the gift Father. Your being is the gift; Your love is the gift; who You are is the gift we have been offered and You have given us the ability to receive. Thank You for these profound truths. In Jesus name, Amen.

If I look back on my life, I can see a lot of times that I overloaded myself with work and in the end, accomplished none of it. There were times I committed to two things that were at the same time and ended up attending neither because of the stress it put on me. There were also times when I committed to something every day of the week (things I enjoyed and loved) and ended pursuing them half-heartedly. Have you experienced this my friends? I'm sure you have, it isn't a rare problem to experience. We (Christians especially) take on so much that we have trouble having joy in what we are doing. How do we gain that joy back? How do we renew our excitement for working for God?

Well brothers and sister, it's easy in one sense and hard in another. It's easy because it means doing less for others and doing a bit more for personal growth and rejuvenation. It's hard because it requires a very delicate balance between time spent growing personally and time spent for the sake of others. Before I move on, I think it's important to make the point that time spent for yourself and time spent for others both need to ultimately be time spent for God. Not a moment should be wasted in this pursuit. Having said that, we must learn when is the time to grow personally and when is the time to exert ourselves for the sake of others.

The problem of overloading yourself with work for others comes primarily, I think, from wanting to be the body of Christ. None of us want to only be the arm, we want to be the legs and the head and the ears and everything else in the body. Why do we want to? For some people, it's a problem of pride. They think that they can do everything by themselves and so they attempt to do so and fail miserably (like the basketball player who never passes the ball). For some people, the problem is that they have never seen any other christians working hard to do their part. In other words, the arm has quit doing it's job, so they take over for it. As the body parts quit, these people step in to take over their roles. They then get exhausted, and fail. Though we may have a bias to think that one of these situations is better than the other (and possibly the motives are), that is not the point. The point is that both of these situations, regardless of the motives, are unhealthy for spiritual growth.

We need to quit trying to be the body, and be parts of the body. If everyone takes on the part that they have been given to play, the body will work in great harmony. Trouble comes when parts of the body shut down and when peoples pride gets a hold of them. If your a teacher, be a teacher; if your an encourager, be an encourager; if your a lover, be a lover. Be what God has gifted you to be and do not pursue that which God has created others to pursue. If we truly pursue with our whole being the objective that God has set before us, then we will pour into that objective with all of who we are, and not just part. Do not devote yourself to many things, but to one thing - that which God has called you to. Just as you do not devote yourself to many gods, do not devote yourself to many parts of the body.
You are called to be a specific part of the body, and so I plead with you on behalf of my brothers and sisters, be that part!

"Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness." - Romans 12:6-8

Fighting For Christ

God, we grow weary. We are tired and we need supplication. We are weak and we need strength. We feel like failures and we need reassurance of Your grace. We are filthy and we need cleansing. The body of Christ is persecuted and becomes tired of the repercussions of following a great God. Though we know that the sufferings of this present time are not to be compared to the glory that is to come, we compare. Shake us, break us, and move us. We no longer care what it takes for us to become what You wish, we just wish that we could become that very thing. We give up ourselves and give in to You. Love us, keep us, and help us endure. In Jesus name, Amen.

Have you ever been in a fight? If you have, was it fun? Did you get hit in the face, punched in the stomach, or slammed to the ground and say to yourself "I wanna do this again"? What about how tiring fighting is. Do you get tired when you fight? UFC fighters fight for five-minute rounds and are exhausted by the end. Fighting is, in my opinion, the most strenuous exercise someone can do. It involves at least two people who are trying their hardest to win, which means one person will inevitably lose. There is no possibility of someone coming out of a fight and both people winning; one has lost, and one has won.

I bring up the strenuous actions that fighting involves because Paul calls our faith a "fight." He says "fight the good fight of the faith." I feel assured that Paul would not have used the word "fight" if walking in the faith of Christ was easy. He used the word fight to convey how difficult walking with Jesus can be. It is exhausting, strenuous, and most importantly, there is opposition.

In our walk, we fight against the Spirit world and it's temptations. We fight against the flesh and the desires within us. We fight against persecutions by trying to rejoice in them. We battle anxiety, depression, lust, deformity, anger, heart-break, isolation, perversity, and many other antagonists. Paul calls our faith a fight because it is so difficult to do. He calls it good because it is the right thing to do. And he calls it faith because it is only through Jesus that the fight can be fought.

We have pronounced ourselves Christians, we have taken the name of Jesus Christ upon ourselves, what will you do with it? Will you fight for his name, enduring hardship, affliction, trials, temptations? Or will you flee from his name and embrace the evil one? Choose wisely, but do not misrepresent the name of Christ. We are to fight, and when we are hit, may we surround each other with love and may Jesus take the blow with us; for our sufferings are a cross we cannot bear on our own. The fight of the faith is not a fight to win, but a fight to endure. God has already won, it's just a matter of who is on the winning side.

"Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses." - 1 Timothy 6:12

Greeting The Body Of Christ

Our Father, grant us your love and patience this day. Don't let us only receive it, but also distribute it according to your will. We want to be your ambassadors and preach the gospel to the ends of the earth. You have not created us to be alone in this mission Father, and we are so thankful for that. You have created us for relationship; firstly with you, and secondarily with other believers. We were created for worship through fellowship and that is what we should pursue, would you give us the strength and desire to do so today. We love you Father, dwell in us this day and again, work through us that we may feel your presence further. In Jesus name, Amen.

Have you ever had a friend stay at your house? Maybe just for the night, or maybe for a week. Or perhaps have you had a foreign exchange student stay at your house? Having a guest at your house is not always an easy undertaking. It can be quite stressful. You often have to provide food, a restroom, entertainment, and conversation for your guests. This kind of hospitality is less common today than it was in the earlier days of America and other civilizations, but it is still prevalent. When someone stays at your house, something is expected morally. 

There are levels of hospitality in every day life: when we have a friend stay the night, when we go out to coffee or lunch with someone, or when we house someone for years. Whether the stay is long or short, there is some expectation for hospitality, even in the Christian walk. In Romans 16, verses 3 through 16, Paul says the word "greet" 18 times. He lists the people who he wants these believers to "greet". When we greet someone, it isn't just saying "hello"; though sometimes that is how we think of it. Greeting someone includes true hospitality and care for their condition. It includes sacrifice of time, money, food, privacy, and many other things. For this reason, hospitality can be a very difficult pursuit. 

The people who Paul wishes for the Romans to greet are mostly other believers. There is something to learn here. We Christians should be showing hospitality, care, and love for one another. We should give when needed, we should receive when needed; we should listen when needed, we should talk when needed. For if everyone in a community (the body of Christ) shows hospitality to everyone else in the community, all sacrifices for the community will be reimbursed by other sacrifices. This is exactly how the church of the book of Acts looked. "Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common...There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need" (4:32, 34-35). Do you see the love in this picture? The hospitality and care for one another? The harmony they lived in? 

The walk of the Christian should be showing constant hospitality and love to his brothers and sisters. Would you agree with me that the Christian needs constant encouragement because the walk is so hard? I think you probably would. The walk is hard, and lets not make it harder for each other, but in love, patience, gentleness, selflessness, and sacrifice, show hospitality to one another and truly "greet" each other in the name of Jesus Christ, for this is what we have in common.