Scripture text: James 4:1-12
Some inspiring bumper stickers that have been spotted by other motorists:
- The gene pool could use a little chlorine.
- Ever stop to think, and forget to start again?
- Women who seek to be equal to men lack ambition.
- It IS as bad as you think, and they ARE out to get you!
- If you don't like the news, go out and make some that’s better!
- We have enough youth, how about a fountain of SMART?
When I was growing up, I don’t remember very many bumper stickers, but we did have an equivalent – Burma Share signs. Some favorites:
- Statistics prove – Near and far – That folks who – Drive like crazy – are!
- Many a forest – Used to stand – Where a – Lighted match – Got out of hand!
- Passing cars – When you can’t see – May get you – A glimpse – Of eternity!
- Twinkle, twinkle – One eyed car – We all wonder – WHERE – You are!
My brothers and I, and even our folks, watched for them whenever we were out for a ride. As do some the bumper stickers of today, the Burma Shave signs had a certain degree of wisdom about them that was offered in a light hearted way.
The problem is, though, that we seldom take the advice seriously! Acceptance of someone else’s wisdom just doesn’t seem to be in some folk’s nature! And the same is true of scripture! How many times have you read a particular passage and thought “I know who THIS was written for!” And it’s never your name that comes to mind!
Let’s see what the Word has to say to us today!
Read James 4:1-3
“When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.”
Over and over, the Word tells us that the gifts that the LORD blesses us with are not for our benefit, but rather for us to use in blessing others. During our retreat last week at Sky Lake, we took a long hard look at the gifts that God has given to each of us, and how we are being called to use them. I don’t think anyone discovered that the gifts are to be used for our own benefit.
So what are our motives? Are we willing to give all to God? The Glory? The Honors? The words of adoration? Or do we tend to keep some of it, or even most of it, for ourselves? The truth is that the purest motive is to give the gift away to others, and whatever is returned to us, we give to God. We keep nothing!
But “surrender” – that point of total submission to another authority - is seldom a part of our vocabulary. It’s almost un-American! But we need to understand that when we submerge ourselves in worldly ways, we are doing just that – surrendering – but not to God; we’re surrendering to the world!
Read James 4:4-6
“Don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God?”
Jesus Himself told us that we can not serve two masters – that we can love only one, and will hate the other! (Matthew 6:24; Luke 16:13).
When we choose to embrace the glories of earth, when we choose to accept the standards that the world creates, when we allow the world to tell us what is right and what is wrong, it is then we have already decided that God’s word is insufficient, is less than perfect, and that it is not for us.
Have you ever thought about personal pride? Will Willimon, in his book “Sinning Like a Christian” writes about the seven deadly sins. And he says that Pride is the worst one of all. He writes that it is usually pride that is the initiator of most of the other sins! It is our smugness, our arrogance, our self importance that leads us away from God.
After all, wasn’t that Lucifer’s problem? Thinking that he is just as good as God is! Submission to the world leads us no where except toward disaster!
“Train approaching – Whistle squealing – Pause! – Avoid that – Rundown feeling!”
Burma Shave sign, circa 1951
More good advice from Burma Shave – to avoid being run over by the world, we need to pause and consider the grace that God has so generously and freely offered to us all! Amen? We want to have a sense of control over our life, even if we have to surrender control to the standards that others have twisted out of shape! So if we are so willing to give up control to the world, why is it so difficult to give that same control over to God? Personally, I think that it’s because of both pride and fear – “pride” in our own ability to make decisions, and “fear” that God won’t do it to our liking!
Dag Hammarskjold, former Secretary General of the UN put it this way:
"Placing ourselves squarely in the hands of God is difficult because it is so hard for us to give up control of our choices. And we know that submitting to God's will can be a hard and perilous thing! But without our willing submission to him and a ready conference with his will through prayer and meditation, all of our choices fall at last to dust."
-Dag Hammarskjöld, Markings (London: Faber and Faber, 1964), 82.
Without complete submission to God, everything that we do will be reduced to little more than the dirt that we walk on today.
- We may think that we can win on our own,
- we may think that the world will be around forever,
- we may think that the world’s ways make a lot more sense than God’s do,
but that kind of thinking can only result in abject failure!
A number of seminary students were serious basketball players, but there was no gymnasium on campus, so they played basketball in a nearby public school. The janitor, an old man with white hair, would wait patiently until the seminarians had finished playing. Invariably, he sat there reading his Bible.
One day, Bernie (one of the students) went up to him and asked, “What are you reading?”
The man did not simply reply, “The Bible.” Instead he answered, “The book of Revelation.”
With some surprise, Bernie said, “The book of Revelation? Do you understand it?”
“Oh, yes,” the man assured him. “I understand it.”
“You understand the book of Revelation! What does it mean?”
“It means,” said the old janitor quietly, “that Jesus is gonna win.”
—Source unknown. Submitted by Wesley Taylor, Tualatin United Methodist Church, Tualatin, Oregon.
And in a nutshell, that’s exactly what Revelation says!
Read James 4:7-10
“Jesus is gonna win!” Do you believe that?
So why not put our hopes, our dreams, our life, our future in the Hands of the winner instead of the loser’s?
Why not give Him the driver’s seat of our life?
Why not trust His instructions and directions?
Do we really believe in God or not? Submit to one master or the other – we can’t have both!
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Sunday, September 20, 2009
“Are Any Being Discriminated Against?”
Scripture Text: James 2:1-13
--Nancy Eastridge, Texas, quoted in Upper Room, February 17, 1996, writes:
I laughed when I saw the parrot making a great fuss about getting from its perch to the ground. It seemed to be struggling so hard and so much in vain. Funny bird, I said. Come on! Why don't you just fly? Then the owner told me that the wings of parrots are clipped to keep them from flying away.
I watched the parrot struggle--swinging from one foot, turning itself upside down, hanging on with its beak, and finally falling and lying dazed on the ground.
Now there was no laughter in me, for the parrot had become a symbol. It was like all those people who appear to be free in our world, but who have had their wings clipped--by poverty, by lack of education, by discrimination, by insensitive persons. And we tend to stand on the sidelines and say, Strange people! Why don't they act the way the rest of us do? But as we say this, we show that we are unaware of the pain and despair in those who, like the parrot, appear to be free but cannot fly.
It seems that the definition of “normal” is always written by someone who has claimed the right to make the distinction, and not necessarily by someone who should have that responsibility. In our present day society, “Normal” has taken on a shroud of arrogance that has consistently been used to exclude, marginalize, beat down, and humiliate those who, for some reason or another, don’t quite meet the norm of society.
Our son Chris has struggled with learning disabilities all his life, but has found ways to compensate and work around those things that challenged him. He is 34 years old now, has a job and his own apartment, does his own grocery shopping and cooking, and in nearly every way, is independent. But his greatest problem is not within him – it is with the labels that others have placed upon him!
When he was in high school, there were a number of the “normal” kids who used to tease and pick on him. We never heard about it until years later, and then only from his younger brother. He had been labeled by the boys as “not normal”, and they took advantage of him.
When we were applying for SSD benefits, for the third time (Social Security never makes it easy!), the judge asked a court recognized “expert” to be present during the hearing. After asking Chris a couple of questions, the judge turned to the expert and asked him if he thought that Chris fit the definition of “handicapped”, and the answer was, unhesitatingly, “yes”. When Chris and his paralegal came out of the court room (Diane and I weren’t allowed to go in), we were told that the judge had ruled in Chris’ favor. But Chris looked a little puzzled, and questioningly said “They said that I am handicapped!” As far as he was concerned, he was as normal as everyone else, and he is! Discrimination, favoritism, elitism, prejudice, bigotry, bias, or whatever word you wish to use, whether intentional or unintentional, can never, ever, be acceptable behavior.
Read James 2:1-4
James is addressing these thoughts to believers, not to unbelievers! Those in the church were, apparently, engaged in very secular behavior by honoring people for their social status, and by default, dishonoring others for the same reason! How many politicians and other public figures, how many people in the organizations that we belong to, stand for office because they know that their position will gain them honors that most other people will never be accorded? In James’ letter, even though he is targeting honors for the wealthy, the concluding thought in these 4 verses could be written about any form of favoritism. If I may restate his words, “If you grant honors to anyone because of their position, or their appearance, or their social status, or their wealth, you are not only discriminating against those who you have not honored, but you are being nothing less than a judge of humanity, and your actions are nothing short of evil!”
James seems to be taking this issue rather seriously, don’t you think? But is it in line with what Jesus had said about these human judgments? I would offer 3 passages that might reveal Jesus’ thoughts:
Matthew 7:1-2 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
Luke 6:37-38 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
John 7:24 “Stop judging by mere appearances, and make a right judgment.”
It’s very important for Christians to understand these teachings about discriminate judgmentalism. We are not to do it. Period! A Christian’s first obligation to others is to treat them all the same! And when it comes to our own prestige, we never seek the honor and the glory. Never! Let those outside the Church scramble for the best seat in the house – we should be happy with whatever seat our LORD chooses for us.
Read James 2:5-7
If Christ has chosen the poor to receive the kingdom, who are we to deny them anything in this life?
Matthew 5:3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” This seems to be pretty clear, too! God has always had a totally different approach to life than the people of the world have. Jesus told us that it isn’t the prominent and prestigious who should be rewarded – they have already had plenty of recognition. Heavenly rewards will go to those who have been oppressed and repressed, and never rewarded.
And James makes the further point that the very ones who the world is honoring are also the same ones who are taking advantage of us! They don’t deserve our honor!
Read James 2:8-11
Not only are discrimination and favoritism inappropriate actions, they are sins, and James points out that if we commit one sin, we have committed them all. Sin is not individualistic. It’s collective. There are no little sins, and there are no justifiable sins. They are just sins!
Read James 2:12-13
And the world continues to discriminate against those who they don’t agree with, with those who are different than they are, with those who are unable to contribute to the benefit of the elite, with those who can not defend themselves.
And Christians continue to both judge and to be judged – and all if it, unfairly. Persecution of the church is on the rise, and more and more Christians are starting to retaliate instead of “turning the other cheek”. And our retaliation includes both violent acts, as well as rhetoric. And it is all judgmental.
“Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom”! That’s what the Luke 6 passage was talking about. Judgment and condemnation will only bring us our own brand of judgment and condemnation, but forgiveness and generosity and mercy and love of others will be rewarded in kind.
Are any being discriminated against? Absolutely! Every day! Both Christians and non Christians alike! But it is the responsibility of every disciple of Christ to fight this brand of oppression and hatred with compassion and generosity and especially forgiveness. There are none who are not worthy to hear Christ’s message of hope and new life. There are none who should not be welcomed into the Body of Christ. There are none who we shouldn’t hold in a higher regard than our own. There are none who don’t deserve our mercy.
“Mercy triumphs over judgment!” That’s James last word on the matter, and that must be our last word, too. No matter what is done to us, no matter what others may think about us or say about us, we must rise about their “gutter”. “Mercy triumphs over [discrimination].” “Mercy triumphs over [hatred].” “Mercy triumphs over [favoritism].” “The Mercy of Jesus Christ triumphs over [the world].”
Take the lower seat in life, and grant the higher place to everyone else. After all, that’s what Jesus did!
--Nancy Eastridge, Texas, quoted in Upper Room, February 17, 1996, writes:
I laughed when I saw the parrot making a great fuss about getting from its perch to the ground. It seemed to be struggling so hard and so much in vain. Funny bird, I said. Come on! Why don't you just fly? Then the owner told me that the wings of parrots are clipped to keep them from flying away.
I watched the parrot struggle--swinging from one foot, turning itself upside down, hanging on with its beak, and finally falling and lying dazed on the ground.
Now there was no laughter in me, for the parrot had become a symbol. It was like all those people who appear to be free in our world, but who have had their wings clipped--by poverty, by lack of education, by discrimination, by insensitive persons. And we tend to stand on the sidelines and say, Strange people! Why don't they act the way the rest of us do? But as we say this, we show that we are unaware of the pain and despair in those who, like the parrot, appear to be free but cannot fly.
It seems that the definition of “normal” is always written by someone who has claimed the right to make the distinction, and not necessarily by someone who should have that responsibility. In our present day society, “Normal” has taken on a shroud of arrogance that has consistently been used to exclude, marginalize, beat down, and humiliate those who, for some reason or another, don’t quite meet the norm of society.
Our son Chris has struggled with learning disabilities all his life, but has found ways to compensate and work around those things that challenged him. He is 34 years old now, has a job and his own apartment, does his own grocery shopping and cooking, and in nearly every way, is independent. But his greatest problem is not within him – it is with the labels that others have placed upon him!
When he was in high school, there were a number of the “normal” kids who used to tease and pick on him. We never heard about it until years later, and then only from his younger brother. He had been labeled by the boys as “not normal”, and they took advantage of him.
When we were applying for SSD benefits, for the third time (Social Security never makes it easy!), the judge asked a court recognized “expert” to be present during the hearing. After asking Chris a couple of questions, the judge turned to the expert and asked him if he thought that Chris fit the definition of “handicapped”, and the answer was, unhesitatingly, “yes”. When Chris and his paralegal came out of the court room (Diane and I weren’t allowed to go in), we were told that the judge had ruled in Chris’ favor. But Chris looked a little puzzled, and questioningly said “They said that I am handicapped!” As far as he was concerned, he was as normal as everyone else, and he is! Discrimination, favoritism, elitism, prejudice, bigotry, bias, or whatever word you wish to use, whether intentional or unintentional, can never, ever, be acceptable behavior.
Read James 2:1-4
James is addressing these thoughts to believers, not to unbelievers! Those in the church were, apparently, engaged in very secular behavior by honoring people for their social status, and by default, dishonoring others for the same reason! How many politicians and other public figures, how many people in the organizations that we belong to, stand for office because they know that their position will gain them honors that most other people will never be accorded? In James’ letter, even though he is targeting honors for the wealthy, the concluding thought in these 4 verses could be written about any form of favoritism. If I may restate his words, “If you grant honors to anyone because of their position, or their appearance, or their social status, or their wealth, you are not only discriminating against those who you have not honored, but you are being nothing less than a judge of humanity, and your actions are nothing short of evil!”
James seems to be taking this issue rather seriously, don’t you think? But is it in line with what Jesus had said about these human judgments? I would offer 3 passages that might reveal Jesus’ thoughts:
Matthew 7:1-2 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
Luke 6:37-38 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
John 7:24 “Stop judging by mere appearances, and make a right judgment.”
It’s very important for Christians to understand these teachings about discriminate judgmentalism. We are not to do it. Period! A Christian’s first obligation to others is to treat them all the same! And when it comes to our own prestige, we never seek the honor and the glory. Never! Let those outside the Church scramble for the best seat in the house – we should be happy with whatever seat our LORD chooses for us.
Read James 2:5-7
If Christ has chosen the poor to receive the kingdom, who are we to deny them anything in this life?
Matthew 5:3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” This seems to be pretty clear, too! God has always had a totally different approach to life than the people of the world have. Jesus told us that it isn’t the prominent and prestigious who should be rewarded – they have already had plenty of recognition. Heavenly rewards will go to those who have been oppressed and repressed, and never rewarded.
And James makes the further point that the very ones who the world is honoring are also the same ones who are taking advantage of us! They don’t deserve our honor!
Read James 2:8-11
Not only are discrimination and favoritism inappropriate actions, they are sins, and James points out that if we commit one sin, we have committed them all. Sin is not individualistic. It’s collective. There are no little sins, and there are no justifiable sins. They are just sins!
Read James 2:12-13
And the world continues to discriminate against those who they don’t agree with, with those who are different than they are, with those who are unable to contribute to the benefit of the elite, with those who can not defend themselves.
And Christians continue to both judge and to be judged – and all if it, unfairly. Persecution of the church is on the rise, and more and more Christians are starting to retaliate instead of “turning the other cheek”. And our retaliation includes both violent acts, as well as rhetoric. And it is all judgmental.
“Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom”! That’s what the Luke 6 passage was talking about. Judgment and condemnation will only bring us our own brand of judgment and condemnation, but forgiveness and generosity and mercy and love of others will be rewarded in kind.
Are any being discriminated against? Absolutely! Every day! Both Christians and non Christians alike! But it is the responsibility of every disciple of Christ to fight this brand of oppression and hatred with compassion and generosity and especially forgiveness. There are none who are not worthy to hear Christ’s message of hope and new life. There are none who should not be welcomed into the Body of Christ. There are none who we shouldn’t hold in a higher regard than our own. There are none who don’t deserve our mercy.
“Mercy triumphs over judgment!” That’s James last word on the matter, and that must be our last word, too. No matter what is done to us, no matter what others may think about us or say about us, we must rise about their “gutter”. “Mercy triumphs over [discrimination].” “Mercy triumphs over [hatred].” “Mercy triumphs over [favoritism].” “The Mercy of Jesus Christ triumphs over [the world].”
Take the lower seat in life, and grant the higher place to everyone else. After all, that’s what Jesus did!
Sunday, September 13, 2009
"Are Any Being Tempted?"
Scripture text: James 1:2-18
This week, we begin a series that is focused on the Christian life. Now before you think that it’s all about the glory that we will experience as followers of Jesus, I have to ask you if that is all that anyone has seen so far in your walk? And if anyone can say that their Christian Walk has brought them nothing but happiness and a pleasant life, I think we need to have a chat.
Our life in Christ is not about receiving glory in this realm – it’s about preparing for glory that comes in the next!
God Himself had anything but an easy life when He walked among us. The world didn’t want to hear what He had to say then, and they still don’t want to hear what He has to say today. To be a follower of Jesus Christ means that we are to go where He would go, to do what He would do, to love and care for those who He loves and cares for, and to teach God’s Word to all who will stand still long enough to hear!
In these next 5 weeks, we will look at some of the difficulties that Christians have always come up against, and continue to do so, even today. This week we look at “Temptation”.
Temptation is one of the primary weapons in Satan’s arsenal to lure us away from God. Remember Christ’s 40 days in the wilderness. (Matthew 4, Luke 4) The devil tried to use hunger to confuse Christ; he tried to use human pride to pervert Christ’s heart; and he offered earthly power and authority to Christ, if He would only worship the Source of all Evil.
Temptation is Satan’s means to pervert the truth of scripture by making subtle changes to the message – changes that bring about a whole different meaning and an entirely different direction for our lives. Temptations are the lies that Satan offers as an alternative to God’s truth.
Trials and suffering and pain are forms of temptation – Satan wants us to believe that if God really cared for us, that He would never allow us to suffer. And if He cares so little for us, why should we follow Him?
Read James 1:2-8
The truth is that God cares immensely for us, and James tells us that we should approach our trials in joy! In Romans 5:3b-5, Paul offers a similar thought: “We also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.”
And in Matthew 5:11-12, Jesus tells us “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way, they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
We are loved so completely and intensely that God has poured out Himself into our hearts! And through our persevering, our growing in trust and patience for God, we discover that there is, truly, nothing – not anything - that we need that is lacking. Now there’s a reason for rejoicing! There may be things that we want, or even things that we think we need but don’t have, but that’s our problem, not God’s!
And James warns us that when we ask, we also must believe that God will give. If we doubt that He will, or especially when we doubt that He can, why should we expect the Lord to respond? He says that those who doubt, or who just aren’t sure, are “double minded and unstable”. We think that He might give, but probably won’t! Christ wants us to be “single minded”, with our focus being completely on Him and His grace and his Promise.
Read James 1:9-12
“The one who is in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position, but the one who is rich should take pride in his low position.” James’ entire approach in this passage seems to be paradoxical – it’s an apparent contradiction. Our trials should make us happy; if we are poor, we have an exalted position; if we are rich, we rejoice in our low position.
The contradiction, of course, comes from the world’s understanding of what is good and right, compared to what is bad and wrong. God’s standards, though, are totally different. Trials are the proof that we are Christ’s and that Satan is against us. Wealth is the opportunity to become a greater servant. Poverty is the evidence of Matthew 5:3 – “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
This is explained even further when James talks about the effect of the rising sun, with its scorching heat having a destructive effect on plant life. And in this He is offering an analogy of the effect of Christ’s presence on the beautiful things of earth. The world’s beauty is fleeting, it can not last, and on that day when Christ reappears, the riches of this world, the beauty of creation, the things that the world values so highly, will all be taken away. The only beauty that will ever be lasting is that which is in God.
Read James 1:13-16
Those who stand firm in their commitment to Christ, and never yield to the temptations of worldly desires, will know the blessing of eternity. But there will still be those who claim that in God’s self-centeredness, He is the One who is testing our faith with these fleeting and worthless desires, and because of His lack of true compassion for us, we have no reason to give our allegiance to Him.
We are reminded, though, that God can never be tempted, and that He will never tempt us. He knows how difficult it is to be His disciple, and He would never make it even more difficult. It is the evil in the world that tries to lure us away from the Divine through “desire”. “after desire has been conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full grown, gives birth to death.” God hates sin and he hates death, and would never do anything that would cause us to move further away from Him.
Just as in the wilderness, Satan is always the Tempter, and those of Christ will always be the tempted.
Read James 1:17-18
Desire for the “things” of the world can only lead to death, but the goodness of God can only carry us into glorious life. From God comes rebirth, and only through Him can we receive eternal life. Earthly plants, earthly beauty, earthly life, and even earthly trials – none of these can withstand the goodness and glory of the LORD. The final thought in our passage for today tells us that the newness, the rebirth that comes from faith in Jesus Christ comes in the truth of God, so that we might be the best offering (James calls it the “firstfruits”) of all that was created.
Temptation will always be directed at the people of Christ – after all, there is no reason to tempt those who have already turned away from the Lord. And our strength to resist those temptations and trials come from Christ and the Spirit that He sends to all who will believe. But if we try to withstand Satan’s onslaught all by ourselves, we will fail miserably, but in Christ, all things are possible.
Philippians 4:13 – “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
Do you really expect to be treated better than Christ was treated? If we are walking in His path, if we are following His example, if we are rejecting the hollowness of the world, then we will be treated exactly as Christ was treated. Some will listen, some will respond, but most will not. And instead of honoring those who carry His message of salvation, the servants of Christ will be hounded, and tormented, and tempted in all kinds of ways to desert the only true friend we will ever be able to count on!
But it’s a choice that we all have to make – will you claim a fairly easy, but temporary and severely limited life in this world, or persecution for that same limited time but glory for eternity? Make your choice today, make your decision while there is still time.
This week, we begin a series that is focused on the Christian life. Now before you think that it’s all about the glory that we will experience as followers of Jesus, I have to ask you if that is all that anyone has seen so far in your walk? And if anyone can say that their Christian Walk has brought them nothing but happiness and a pleasant life, I think we need to have a chat.
Our life in Christ is not about receiving glory in this realm – it’s about preparing for glory that comes in the next!
God Himself had anything but an easy life when He walked among us. The world didn’t want to hear what He had to say then, and they still don’t want to hear what He has to say today. To be a follower of Jesus Christ means that we are to go where He would go, to do what He would do, to love and care for those who He loves and cares for, and to teach God’s Word to all who will stand still long enough to hear!
In these next 5 weeks, we will look at some of the difficulties that Christians have always come up against, and continue to do so, even today. This week we look at “Temptation”.
Temptation is one of the primary weapons in Satan’s arsenal to lure us away from God. Remember Christ’s 40 days in the wilderness. (Matthew 4, Luke 4) The devil tried to use hunger to confuse Christ; he tried to use human pride to pervert Christ’s heart; and he offered earthly power and authority to Christ, if He would only worship the Source of all Evil.
Temptation is Satan’s means to pervert the truth of scripture by making subtle changes to the message – changes that bring about a whole different meaning and an entirely different direction for our lives. Temptations are the lies that Satan offers as an alternative to God’s truth.
Trials and suffering and pain are forms of temptation – Satan wants us to believe that if God really cared for us, that He would never allow us to suffer. And if He cares so little for us, why should we follow Him?
Read James 1:2-8
The truth is that God cares immensely for us, and James tells us that we should approach our trials in joy! In Romans 5:3b-5, Paul offers a similar thought: “We also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.”
And in Matthew 5:11-12, Jesus tells us “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way, they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
We are loved so completely and intensely that God has poured out Himself into our hearts! And through our persevering, our growing in trust and patience for God, we discover that there is, truly, nothing – not anything - that we need that is lacking. Now there’s a reason for rejoicing! There may be things that we want, or even things that we think we need but don’t have, but that’s our problem, not God’s!
And James warns us that when we ask, we also must believe that God will give. If we doubt that He will, or especially when we doubt that He can, why should we expect the Lord to respond? He says that those who doubt, or who just aren’t sure, are “double minded and unstable”. We think that He might give, but probably won’t! Christ wants us to be “single minded”, with our focus being completely on Him and His grace and his Promise.
Read James 1:9-12
“The one who is in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position, but the one who is rich should take pride in his low position.” James’ entire approach in this passage seems to be paradoxical – it’s an apparent contradiction. Our trials should make us happy; if we are poor, we have an exalted position; if we are rich, we rejoice in our low position.
The contradiction, of course, comes from the world’s understanding of what is good and right, compared to what is bad and wrong. God’s standards, though, are totally different. Trials are the proof that we are Christ’s and that Satan is against us. Wealth is the opportunity to become a greater servant. Poverty is the evidence of Matthew 5:3 – “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
This is explained even further when James talks about the effect of the rising sun, with its scorching heat having a destructive effect on plant life. And in this He is offering an analogy of the effect of Christ’s presence on the beautiful things of earth. The world’s beauty is fleeting, it can not last, and on that day when Christ reappears, the riches of this world, the beauty of creation, the things that the world values so highly, will all be taken away. The only beauty that will ever be lasting is that which is in God.
Read James 1:13-16
Those who stand firm in their commitment to Christ, and never yield to the temptations of worldly desires, will know the blessing of eternity. But there will still be those who claim that in God’s self-centeredness, He is the One who is testing our faith with these fleeting and worthless desires, and because of His lack of true compassion for us, we have no reason to give our allegiance to Him.
We are reminded, though, that God can never be tempted, and that He will never tempt us. He knows how difficult it is to be His disciple, and He would never make it even more difficult. It is the evil in the world that tries to lure us away from the Divine through “desire”. “after desire has been conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full grown, gives birth to death.” God hates sin and he hates death, and would never do anything that would cause us to move further away from Him.
Just as in the wilderness, Satan is always the Tempter, and those of Christ will always be the tempted.
Read James 1:17-18
Desire for the “things” of the world can only lead to death, but the goodness of God can only carry us into glorious life. From God comes rebirth, and only through Him can we receive eternal life. Earthly plants, earthly beauty, earthly life, and even earthly trials – none of these can withstand the goodness and glory of the LORD. The final thought in our passage for today tells us that the newness, the rebirth that comes from faith in Jesus Christ comes in the truth of God, so that we might be the best offering (James calls it the “firstfruits”) of all that was created.
Temptation will always be directed at the people of Christ – after all, there is no reason to tempt those who have already turned away from the Lord. And our strength to resist those temptations and trials come from Christ and the Spirit that He sends to all who will believe. But if we try to withstand Satan’s onslaught all by ourselves, we will fail miserably, but in Christ, all things are possible.
Philippians 4:13 – “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
Do you really expect to be treated better than Christ was treated? If we are walking in His path, if we are following His example, if we are rejecting the hollowness of the world, then we will be treated exactly as Christ was treated. Some will listen, some will respond, but most will not. And instead of honoring those who carry His message of salvation, the servants of Christ will be hounded, and tormented, and tempted in all kinds of ways to desert the only true friend we will ever be able to count on!
But it’s a choice that we all have to make – will you claim a fairly easy, but temporary and severely limited life in this world, or persecution for that same limited time but glory for eternity? Make your choice today, make your decision while there is still time.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
“Death in the World, Life in the Lord”
Scripture: Numbers 21:4-9
For the past 3 weeks, we have been looking at Israel’s journey toward freedom and their new life in that glorious new land. And while it should have been an exciting time for them, a time when their faith would be strengthened, a time when they would grow closer to their LORD, their lives seemed to go in just the completely opposite direction. When they appeared to be trapped between the pursing Egyptian army and the sea, they complained and whined about death instead of turning to God for life. When their meager food supplies began to run out, they continued to complain and wish that they were back in slavery, instead of turning to God with their great needs. When they had gone as far as Mount Sinai and God handed down His commandments and other instructions, and even sent an angel to be their guide for the rest of the journey, they still weren’t happy. Every time some new challenge confronted them, their “song of lament” was the same as before – “O Moses, why did you bring us out into this God forsaken desert to die? Why didn’t you just leave us in Egypt– the slavery there was a lot better than this miserable existence!” And our scripture for today finds them in the same situation – complaining about their unbearable condition, and wishing that they were back in their oppressive, but predictable, existence in Egypt.
Read Numbers 21:4-5
They had already reached the land promised to them, but because of their fear of the current inhabitants, and more importantly, their lack of trust in God, they had refused to go in and claim the land. And so they were now on their way to wander in their own wasteland for 40 years. God had fed them by giving them manna and quail to eat; He had satisfied their thirst by giving them a flow of perfect water out of the rock; He had lead them through all kinds of trials and tribulations and had cared for their every need, and they were still complaining about their” insufficient” condition! Verse 4 tells us that they had grown “impatient” with God – He wasn’t responding to their pleas in the way that they thought Him should, He wasn’t giving them what they wanted as soon as they thought they should be receiving them.
Up until now, God had been very patient with these hard headed and ungrateful people, and in spite of their continuous grousing, He had given them whatever they asked for. But it seems that His patience has finally run out, and now He is going to show them what real trouble is!
Read Numbers 21:6-7
They had been rejecting God’s salvation and generosity for far too long, and now they were going to face the world’s death!
Have you been there? Have you been active in the church for years and have always assumed that the things you have done, the committees you have served on, were sufficient to secure your salvation? Have you always thought that attending worship on Sunday morning was enough “religion” for your life? Does your life take one tact on Sundays, and travels in totally different circles for the rest of the week? Have you gone through this life complaining about how unfair God is to you, but never once giving Him a single mention for all the blessings that He brings into your life? Do you know of someone who has never seen any need to allow God into their lives, and has never even acknowledged God’s presence in the world, and you have let them go on believing that lie?
If so, you are right in step with the Israelites during their wilderness years. They never offered a single word of thanksgiving, but there were many of criticism; there was never a word of worship or surrender, but many of arrogance; never a word of allegiance and fidelity, but many of personal demands. Israel was beginning to find out what it was truly like to walk through the barren land without their God’s providence and protection, and they were dying for lack of it! And just because we have never experienced poisonous snakes, or faced a certain death for unexplained reasons, or some other fearful fate that we never expected, doesn’t mean that we never will! But our gracious Lord, in spite of our superficial faith, or even our total lack of faith, has still offered an escape from the certainty and finality of death.
Read Numbers 21:8-9
While the snake crawled on the earth, it was a symbol of death, but when its likeness was hung up high on a pole, it became a source of healing and life. From that first day when God strolled through the Garden of Eden with the first created human (Genesis 2:15), until the last day that Christ walked among us, His words were about “doing” things to please the Lord of Heaven. But human actions can never be sufficient, they can never be pure enough, or true enough, or honest enough, or complete enough.
But when God Himself was hung on the pole of Calvary, and invited all who have been infected by the venom of earthly life to look upon Him for healing and salvation, a whole new era of life began. The One who was so terribly despised and feared while He walked the earth had become the only source of hope. The One who had given all of the necessary commandments for life, that list of commandments that NO ONE could possibly follow, has now given us a way of life that can NEVER fail!
Christ is our guardian from the evils of this world; He is our source of nourishment,
He is our provider of guidance and direction for the journey, and is our only basis for salvation and eternal life.
And all we have to do is to look upon His suffering on Calvary as glory, as life, and not as a failure, as death. It wasn’t the Cross that killed Him – it was the sins of humanity, and that includes yours and mine, that demanded that He surrender His life. And it wasn’t the tomb that would ultimately hold Him – it is to be the arms of redeemed sinners, yours and mine, that are to embrace Christ in loving and obedient faith.
If you have never taken that step to turn your eyes to heaven, to look to Christ for life, to let go of yourself in this world, then today is the day. Won’t you do that now? Won’t you receive the Risen Christ for your salvation?
For the past 3 weeks, we have been looking at Israel’s journey toward freedom and their new life in that glorious new land. And while it should have been an exciting time for them, a time when their faith would be strengthened, a time when they would grow closer to their LORD, their lives seemed to go in just the completely opposite direction. When they appeared to be trapped between the pursing Egyptian army and the sea, they complained and whined about death instead of turning to God for life. When their meager food supplies began to run out, they continued to complain and wish that they were back in slavery, instead of turning to God with their great needs. When they had gone as far as Mount Sinai and God handed down His commandments and other instructions, and even sent an angel to be their guide for the rest of the journey, they still weren’t happy. Every time some new challenge confronted them, their “song of lament” was the same as before – “O Moses, why did you bring us out into this God forsaken desert to die? Why didn’t you just leave us in Egypt– the slavery there was a lot better than this miserable existence!” And our scripture for today finds them in the same situation – complaining about their unbearable condition, and wishing that they were back in their oppressive, but predictable, existence in Egypt.
Read Numbers 21:4-5
They had already reached the land promised to them, but because of their fear of the current inhabitants, and more importantly, their lack of trust in God, they had refused to go in and claim the land. And so they were now on their way to wander in their own wasteland for 40 years. God had fed them by giving them manna and quail to eat; He had satisfied their thirst by giving them a flow of perfect water out of the rock; He had lead them through all kinds of trials and tribulations and had cared for their every need, and they were still complaining about their” insufficient” condition! Verse 4 tells us that they had grown “impatient” with God – He wasn’t responding to their pleas in the way that they thought Him should, He wasn’t giving them what they wanted as soon as they thought they should be receiving them.
Up until now, God had been very patient with these hard headed and ungrateful people, and in spite of their continuous grousing, He had given them whatever they asked for. But it seems that His patience has finally run out, and now He is going to show them what real trouble is!
Read Numbers 21:6-7
They had been rejecting God’s salvation and generosity for far too long, and now they were going to face the world’s death!
Have you been there? Have you been active in the church for years and have always assumed that the things you have done, the committees you have served on, were sufficient to secure your salvation? Have you always thought that attending worship on Sunday morning was enough “religion” for your life? Does your life take one tact on Sundays, and travels in totally different circles for the rest of the week? Have you gone through this life complaining about how unfair God is to you, but never once giving Him a single mention for all the blessings that He brings into your life? Do you know of someone who has never seen any need to allow God into their lives, and has never even acknowledged God’s presence in the world, and you have let them go on believing that lie?
If so, you are right in step with the Israelites during their wilderness years. They never offered a single word of thanksgiving, but there were many of criticism; there was never a word of worship or surrender, but many of arrogance; never a word of allegiance and fidelity, but many of personal demands. Israel was beginning to find out what it was truly like to walk through the barren land without their God’s providence and protection, and they were dying for lack of it! And just because we have never experienced poisonous snakes, or faced a certain death for unexplained reasons, or some other fearful fate that we never expected, doesn’t mean that we never will! But our gracious Lord, in spite of our superficial faith, or even our total lack of faith, has still offered an escape from the certainty and finality of death.
Read Numbers 21:8-9
While the snake crawled on the earth, it was a symbol of death, but when its likeness was hung up high on a pole, it became a source of healing and life. From that first day when God strolled through the Garden of Eden with the first created human (Genesis 2:15), until the last day that Christ walked among us, His words were about “doing” things to please the Lord of Heaven. But human actions can never be sufficient, they can never be pure enough, or true enough, or honest enough, or complete enough.
But when God Himself was hung on the pole of Calvary, and invited all who have been infected by the venom of earthly life to look upon Him for healing and salvation, a whole new era of life began. The One who was so terribly despised and feared while He walked the earth had become the only source of hope. The One who had given all of the necessary commandments for life, that list of commandments that NO ONE could possibly follow, has now given us a way of life that can NEVER fail!
Christ is our guardian from the evils of this world; He is our source of nourishment,
He is our provider of guidance and direction for the journey, and is our only basis for salvation and eternal life.
And all we have to do is to look upon His suffering on Calvary as glory, as life, and not as a failure, as death. It wasn’t the Cross that killed Him – it was the sins of humanity, and that includes yours and mine, that demanded that He surrender His life. And it wasn’t the tomb that would ultimately hold Him – it is to be the arms of redeemed sinners, yours and mine, that are to embrace Christ in loving and obedient faith.
If you have never taken that step to turn your eyes to heaven, to look to Christ for life, to let go of yourself in this world, then today is the day. Won’t you do that now? Won’t you receive the Risen Christ for your salvation?
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