Thursday October 28, 2010

"Journey Through James - Part 11"

James 5:13-20

The Prayer of Faith

 ¹³Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. ¹⁴Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. ¹⁵And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. ¹⁶Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
 ¹⁷Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. ¹⁸Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops. ¹⁹My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, ²⁰remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.

Our Journey Through James comes to an end today. And what a great way to end our journey - with prayer. Prayer is such an important part of our walk with the Lord. Communication is one of the most important aspects of any relationships. So how do we communicate with God? Through prayer. Most of us only pray before meals, or before a big test, or when we need something. Those times of prayer are not bad, but we need to be in a constant state of prayer. In 1 Thessalonians 5:17, it says "pray continually." That doesn't mean that every word out of your mouth needs to be a prayer, but that you should constantly have an attitude of prayer about you. Tell God how you are feeling, tell him about your troubles, tell him what you are happy about. Ask him for guidance, ask him for healing, ask him to reveal his truth to you through his word. Pray for each other.
My favorite part of this is where it says "Elijah was a man just like us..." Sometimes we put these bible characters in higher regard than ourselves, but the reality is that they were people just like us! There wasn't anything particularly special about them, but God chose them to do great works. Who knows, God might choose you too!
I encourage you to read through James all the way through on your own again. It's such a great book, and reading it all the way through helps you get the context of all that God is saying. I enjoyed taking this journey with you - I hope you did too!

Dear God, thank you so much for all that we have learned in reading through the book of James. Thank you that we can freely approach your throne in prayer. You are so holy and beautiful and amazing. Help us to have a constant attitude of prayer so that we can draw closer to you. Help us to place you at the highest importance in our lives. Nothing else compares to you Lord. We love you so much. In your son's holy name, amen.

Lots of love,
Aubrey <><

Wednesday October 27, 2010

"Journey Through James - Part 10"

James 5:7-12

Patience in Suffering

 ⁷Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. ⁸You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near. ⁹Don't grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!  ¹⁰Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. ¹¹As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.
 ¹²Above all, my brothers, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. Let your "Yes" be yes, and your "No," no, or you will be condemned.

Have you ever really taken the time to think about what it will be like when Jesus comes back? Have you ever thought about what it will be like when we finally get to heaven? It's quite surreal to think about such things! The reality is, we have no idea what it's going to be like, but everything we have waited for and suffered for will be worth it at that moment. Have you ever waited a long time for something great to happen, and when it finally came, how did you feel? Now multiply that feeling by about a million! It's possible that we may die before Jesus comes back, but either way, we will be spending eternity with him in heaven...praise the Lord! The bible talks a lot about perseverance in the face of suffering. God rewards us for standing strong in the face of adversity. Here, he references Job and what God did for him after Job stood the test of suffering. (If you want to know more, check out the book of Job). Then God promises us that he is "full of compassion and mercy."
In the last verse, it talks about swearing. Have you ever said this: "I swear to God!" According to this, we should never do that! It's just not necessary. We just need to say either "yes" or "no."

Dear God, we are anxiously awaiting your return. Since we do not know the day or the hour, help us to be patient and to endure any suffering we might go through in the meantime. Help us to persevere. Thank you for your compassion and mercy Lord. We are so undeserving of any of it. We cannot imagine what it will be like to finally see your face for the first time, but we cannot wait for that moment. Thank you Lord for all that you do and all that you are. We love you. In your most holy and precious name, amen.

Lots of love,
Aubrey <><

Tuesday October 26, 2010

"Journey Through James - Part 9"

James 5

Warning to Rich Oppressors

 ¹Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you. ²Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. ³Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. ⁴Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. ⁵You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. ⁶You have condemned and murdered innocent men, who were not opposing you.

Take a look at some of these facts and stats on poverty throughout the world. Put this in perspective with your own life. When you've finished reading, pray for those around the world who barely have anything.

Monday October 25, 2010

"Journey Through James - Part 8"

James 4:13-17

Boasting About Tomorrow

 ¹³Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." ¹⁴Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. ¹⁵Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." ¹⁶As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. ¹⁷Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins.

This is such a powerful passage in just a few short verses. I know all of us make plans to do things, not even thinking much about it. Some of us even make plans way in advance so that we feel better prepared for the future. Making plans is not bad, but making plans expecting that they will go exactly as you want them to is foolish. As it says here, instead we should say "if it is the Lord's will." That puts God in total control of our lives. It's a hard thing to relinquish control to a God we can't see, but that is what we must do. The bible promises that God will be with us no matter what, so we have to trust that His plan is the best plan for our lives.
A lot of people spend time praying and thinking things like, "God, what is your will for my life? What do you want me to do with my life?" What we should be praying instead is, "God what is your plan for me in the next 10 minutes!" We don't even know if we will live to see tomorrow, so trying to figure out God's plan for your entire life is a little bit of a waste! Ask God what he wants you to do TODAY...RIGHT NOW.
The last verse here (v.17) is one that I talk about a lot. How many times have you been faced with a situation where you knew what the right thing to do was, and you didn't do it. Let's say your friends invite you to a party, and you know there will be drinking and/or smoking going on there. You know you shouldn't go but you do anyway. According to God, that is sinning. The way we know "the good" we ought to do is by reading the bible and praying. Stay close to God and you can't go wrong.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for being in total control of our lives. Help us to trust you fully with the plans you have for us. Help us to live for right now, and to do your will according to your word. Lord you are so mighty and powerful, but so loving and gentle. Thank you for everything you do for us. Thank you for guiding us through each minute of our lives. Help us to lean on you and to do the good we ought to do each day. We praise you and we love you, amen.

Lots of love,
Aubrey <><

Friday October 22, 2010

"Journey Through James - Part 7"

James 4

Submit Yourselves to God

 ¹What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? ²You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. ³When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.  ⁴You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. ⁵Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely? ⁶But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:
   "God opposes the proud
      but gives grace to the humble."
 ⁷Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. ⁸Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. ⁹Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. ¹⁰Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
 ¹¹Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. ¹²There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?

What does it mean to humble yourself before God? There are many different definitions of humble, but I like this one in reference to this passage: "Having a feeling of insignificance, inferiority, subservience." Now this definition is not to say that God thinks we are insignificant. But in comparison to God, we are insignificant.
We sometimes think that we can handle our own situations better than God can. We like our ideas better than God's plans. That in turn, makes us proud and arrogant. But the thing we need to recognize is that we are not even close to being better than God in any way shape or form. He is perfect - we are not. He always has what's best in mind for us - we do not.
So think about that next time you approach the throne of God. Humble yourself before him, and he will lift you up.

Father God, we are so insignificant compared to you, but thankfully, you make us significant because we are your creation. Thank you for your forgiveness and grace, and for lifting us up when we are humble before you. Thank you for welcoming us into your presence with open arms. You are so holy and mighty, and we are so small and meak. Empower us with your Holy Spirit, Lord, and help us to love others the way you love us. In your most holy and precious name, amen.

Lots of love,
Aubrey <><

Thursday October 21, 2010

"Journey Through James - Part 6"

Two Kinds of Wisdom

 ¹³Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. ¹⁴But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. ¹⁵Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. ¹⁶For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.
 ¹⁷But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. ¹⁸Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.

So what are the two kinds of wisdom here? The first kind is the kind that comes from the devil. This comes when we carry ourselves around with envy and selfish ambition in our hearts. And what does that breed? Disorder and evil practice. In other words - not good! Remember that Satan is very crafty and parades himself around as an angel of light so on the outside, he looks great. But once he has trapped us, he only wants to harm us.
The second kind of wisdom is the kind that comes from heaven. What's the difference? It is pure, peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. It should be pretty easy to tell the difference between godly wisdom and satanic wisdom. And how do we show this wisdom? By our good life, and by the deeds done in humility (i.e. giving to the poor, helping someone out, etc.).

Dearest God, we ask that you give us your heavenly wisdom, and help us to recognize when the wisdom comes from the evil one. Forgive us for any times that we have used evil wisdom thinking it was of you. Help us to flee from the devil and the desires of the flesh, and run to you instead. Thank you for all that you teach us through your word. We love you, amen.

Lots of love,
Aubrey <><

Wednesday October 20, 2010

"Journey Through James - Part 5"

Taming the Tongue

 ¹Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. ²We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.
 ³When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. ⁴Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. ⁵Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. ⁶The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.
 ⁷All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, ⁸but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
 ⁹With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. ¹⁰Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. ¹¹Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? ¹²My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.

This is one of my favorite parts of James, because it is one of the most challenging and the most visual of all the passages. Check out what it says in verse 6: "The tongue is a fire...and is itself set on fire by hell." Pretty harsh words huh?
Well think about this - have you ever said something that you thought was no big deal, and someone overheard you and it totally blew up and became this huge issue, and maybe even made people really mad or upset? Or have you ever said something not-so-nice about someone, and they found out somehow, and they were really upset about it? I know I have! That is what James is warning us about here. The tongue is such a small part of the body, but yet it can cause so much destruction. We cannot praise God with the same mouth that we cut others down with. It just doesn't work. Look at verse 9 - men (and women) have been made in God's likeness, so by insulting people, we are insulting God and his creation.
Keep a tight reign on your tongue - be careful what you say!

Dear Lord, help us to keep our tongues under control with what we say. Help us not to speak badly about other people. Forgive us for the times when we have said things that made you unhappy. Help us to keep praising you, and to keep loving others. Thank you for your forgiveness and grace. We love you and we praise you. Amen.

Lots of love,
Aubrey <><