Restore wandering believers

James 5: 19-20

19 Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him;

20 Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.

Clearly the person who has slipped away is a believer who has fallen into sin - one who is no longer living a life consistant with his beliefs.  Christians disagree over whether or nit ist is possible for people to lose their salvation, but all agree that those who move away from their faith are in serious trouble and need to repent.  James urges Christians to help backsliders return to God.  By taking the initiative, praying for the person, and acting in love, we can meet the person where he is and bring him back to God.

The book of James emphasizes faith in action.  Right living is evidence and result of faith.  The church must serve with compassion, speak lovingly and truthfully, live in obedience to God's commands, and love one another.  The body of believers ought to be an example of heaven on earth, drawing people to Christ through love for God and one another.  If we truly believe God's Word, we will live it day by day.  God's Word is not merely something we read or think about, but something we do.  Belief, faith and trust must have hands and feet - ours!

I think about all the times I have known where someone has left the church and it seems that no one will continue to take the time to talk to that person.  I have seen people avoid past church members like the plague.  It really saddens me because isn't that the time to reach out and see what is going on in the lives of those brothers and sisters in Christ?   I even watched it happen to my own child.. when he left the church he was suddenly ignored and treated like a stranger.  It only pushed him further away and now he wants nothing to do with christianity.   

Faithful Prayer

James 5:13-18

13 Is any among you afflicted? let him pray.  Is any merry?  let him sing psalms.

14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing  him with oil in the name of the Lord

15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he haved committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.

James refers to someone who is incapacitated physically.  In Scripture, oil was both a medicine and a symbol of the Spirit of God.  Thus oil can represent both the medical and the spiritual spheres of life.  Christians should not separate the physical and the spiritual- Jesus Christ is Lord over both the body and the spirit.

People in the church are not alone.  Members of Christ's body should be able to count on others for support and prayer, especially when they are sick or suffering.  The elders should be on call to respond to the illness of any member, and the church should stay alert to pray for the needs of all its members. 

"and the prayer of faith" does not refer to the faith of the sick person, but to the faith of the church.  God heals, faith doesn't, and all prayers are subject to God's will.  But our prayers are part of God's healing process.  That is why God often waits for our prayers of faith before intervening to heal a person.

16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed.  The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

"Confess your faults" can be translated "Confess your sins." Christ has made it possible for us to go directly to God for forgiveness, but confessing our sins to one another still has an important place in the life of the church. 
1) If we have sinned against an individual, we must ask him or her to forgive us.
2) If our sin has affected the church, we must confess it publicly.
3) If we need loving support as we struggle with a sin, we should confess it to those who are able to provide that support.
4) If, after confessing a private sin to God, we still don't feel his forgiveness, we may wish to confess a sin to a fellow believer and hear him or her assure us of God's pardon.

In Christ's Kingdom, every believer is a priest to other believers (1 Peter 2:9).  We must help others come to Christ and tell them of Christ's forgiveness.

17 Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.

18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit. 

The Christian's most powerful resource is communion with God through prayer.  The results are often greater than we thought was possible.  Some people see prayer as a last resort to be tried when all else fails.  This is backwards.  Prayer should come first.  Since God's power is infinitely grater than our own, it only makes sense to rely on it- especially because he encourages us to do so. 

Prayer is an area that I struggle the most with.  I sometimes can have these conversations with God in my mind while I am doing things like the dishes.. but to actually sit and focus on talking to the Lord.. that is where I have trouble.  It isn't that I don't have faith.. I think it is more because I don't feel worthy.  Something I have struggled with for a very long time.  I want to feel comfortable talking to the Lord.  I want to feel his presence throughout the day and always be in communication with him.  This is something I will continue to work on. 

Patience in Suffering

James 5: 7-12

7 Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord.  Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.

8 Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.

The farmer (husbandman) must wait patiently for his crops to grow; he cannot hurry the process.  But he does not take the summer off and hope that all goes well in the fields.  There is much work to do to ensure a good harvest.  In the same way, we must wait patiently for Christ's return.  We cannot make Christ return any sooner, but while we wait there is much work we can do to advance God's Kingdom.  Both the farmer and the Christian must live by faith, looking toward the future reward for their labors.  Don't live as if Christ will never come.  Work faithfully to build his Kingdom, for the King will come when the time is ripe.

9 Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door. 

When things go wrong, we tend to blame others for our miseries.  Blaming others is easier then owning our share of the responsibility, but it is both destructive and sinful.  Before you judge others for their shortcomings, remember that Christ the Judge will come to evaluate each of us.  He will not let us get away with shifting the blame to others.

10 Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience. 

11 Behold, we count them happy which endure.  Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.

12 But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation.

A person with a reputation for exaggeration or lying often can't get anyone to believe him on his word alone.  Christians should never become like that.  Always be honest so that others will believe your simple yes or no.  By avoiding lies, half-truths, and omissions of the truth, you will become known as a trustworthy person.

Warning to the rich

James 5:1-6

1 Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.

2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten.

3 Your gold and silver is cankered, and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.

4 Behold, the hire of the laboureres who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth; and hte cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth.

5 Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in the day of the slaughter.

6 Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you.

The 'just' are the defenseless people, probably poor laborers.  The poor who could not pay their debts were thrown in prison or forced to sell all their possessions, and at times, even sell their family members into slavery,  With no opportunity to work off their debts, the poor people often died of starvation.  God called this murder.  Hoarding money, exploiting employees, and living self-indulgently will not escape God's notice.

James proclaims the worthlessness of riches, not the worthlessness of the rich.  Today's money will be worthless when Christ returns, so we should spend our time accumulating treasures that will be worthwhile in God's eternal Kingdom.  Money itself is not the problem; Christian leaders need money to live and support their families; missionaries need money to help them spread the Gospel; churches need money to do their work effectively.  it is the love of money that leads to evil (1 Timothy 6:`10).  This is a warning to all Christians who are tempted to adopt worldly standards rather than God's standards (Romans 12:1-2) and an encouragement to all those who are oppressed by the rich.  Also read Matthew 6:19-21 to see what Jesus says about the riches.  

19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal;

20 But lay up yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth currupt, and where theieves do not break through nor steal;

Laying up treasures in heaven is not limited to tithing but is accomplished by all acts of obedience to God.

21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Trust God in making future plans

James 4:13-17

13 - 16 It is good to have goals, but goals can disappoint us if we leave God out of them.  There is no point in making plans as though God does not exist, because the future is in his hands.  What would you like to be doing ten years from now?  One year from now?  Tomorrow?  How will you react if god steps in and rearranges your plans?  Plan ahead, but hold on to your plans loosely.  I f you put God's desires at the center of your planning, he will never disappoint you. 

14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow.  For what is your life?  It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away

Life is short no matter how long we live.  Don't be deceived into thinking you have lots of remaining time to live for Christ, to enjoy your loved ones, or to do what you know you should.  Live for God today!  Then no matter when your life ends, you will have fulfilled God's plan for you. 

17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin. 

We tend to think that doing wrong is sin.  But James tells us that sin is also not doing right.  (These two kinds of sins are sometimes called sins of commission and sins of omission.)  It is a sin to lie; it can also be a sin to know the truth and not tell it.  It is a sin to speak evil of someone; it is also a sin to avoid him when you know he needs your friendship.  We should be willing to help as the Holy Spirit guides us.  If God has directed you to some kind act to do, some service to render, or some relationship to restore, do it and you will experience a renewed and refreshed vitality to your Christian faith. 

Two verses that stick out to me today.  The first is one that I had memorized a long time ago (20 years or so) and I still tend to forget that our life is short.  How many times do I tell Anna.. maybe tomorrow.  Not now.. Maybe next week.  How do I manage all I need to do today and not push other things aside?  This is something that I need to pray on.  The last thing I want to do is constantly push special times with Anna, aside.  

 The second verse I had never thought about.  However, just a few days ago I was watching a momversation about lying to your children.. and she mentioned about how she just doesn't really lie about Santa or the Tooth fairy.. she just doesn't tell the truth either..  and I got to thinking.. is it just as wrong to withold the truth?  Apparently it is.. now I am not saying we need to go out there and tell the truth about Santa.. however, there are lots of times we withhold information from our loved ones.. I know I have.  (I just won't tell the whole story and he won't get upset).. or what about those deeds we feel the Lord is leading us to do.. I tend to try my best to ignore or not take notice.. Never did I really think that this would be categorized as sinning.. although it is disobedience.. I think it is just easier to ignore it.  hmm... 

Drawing Near to God

James 4:1-12

1 Quarrels ("wars and fightings") among believers are always harmful.  James tells us that these quarrels result fro evil desires within us.  We want more possessions, more money, higher status, more recognition.  When we want badly enough to fulfill these desires, we fight in order to do so.
2  We should ask God to help us get rid of our selfish desires and trust him to give us what we really need.
3. The most common problems in prayer; not asking, asking fro the wrong things, asking for the wrong reasons.  Do you ask God to only satisfy your desires?  Do you seek God's approval for what you already plan to do?  Your  prayers will become powerful when you allow God to change your desires so that they perfectly correspond to his will for you (1 John 3: 21-22)
4 There is nothing wrong with wanting a pleasurable life.  God gives us good gifts that he wants us to enjoy (1:17, Ephesians 4:7, 1 Timothy 4; 4,5).  However, friendship with the world is seeking pleasure at others' expense or at the expense of obeying God.  Pleasure that keeps us from pleasing god is sinful, pleasure in God's rich bounty is good. 
5-6 the cure for evil desires is humility.  Pride makes us self-centered and leads us to conclude we deserve what we see, touch, or imagine.  It creates greedy appetites for far more than we need.  We can be released from our self-centered desires by humbling ourselves before God, realize we need nothing except his approval.  When his Holy Spirit fills us, we realize that this world's seductive attractions are only cheap substitutes for what God has to offer.
7 Although God and Satan are at war, we don't need to wait until the end to see who will win.  God has already defeated Satan.  When Christ returns, Satan and all he stands for will be eliminated forever! (Colossians 2:13-15, Revelations 12: 10-12)  However, Satan is here now and trying to win us over to his evil cause.  With the Holy Spirit's power we can resist Satan and he will flee from us.
8 How can I draw close to God?  James gives us 5 suggestions
     1. Submit to God - realize you need his forgiveness and be willing to follow him.
     2. Resist the devil - don't allow him to entice and tempt you.
     3. Cleanse your hands and purify your hearts
     4. Let there be tears, sorrow and sincere grief for your sins
     5. Humble yourself before God and he will lift you up.
10 Humbling ourselves means recognizing that our worth comes from God alone.  It is working with his power according to his guidance, not without own independent effort.  Although we do not deserve his favor, he reaches out to us in love and gives us worth and dignity, despite our human shortcomings. 
11-12 Jesus summarized the Law as love to God and neighbor (Matthew 22: 37-40) and Paul said love demonstrated toward a neighbor fully satisfies the Law (Romans 13:6-10). When we fail to love, we are actually breaking God's Law.  Examine your attitude and actions toward others.  Do you build people up or tear them down?  When you're ready to criticize someone, remember God's law of love and say something good about him or her instead.  Saying something beneficial to others will cure you of finding fault and increase your ability to obey God's Law of Love. 

Wisdom from Heaven

James 3:13-18

13 -18 Have you ever known anyone who claimed to be wise but acted foolishly?  True wisdom can be measured by the depth of one's character.  As you can identify a tree by the type of fruit it produces, you can evaluate your wisdom by the way you act.  Foolishness leads to disorder, but wisdom leads to peace and goodness. 

14-15  Bitter envy and selfish ambition are inspired by the devil.  It is so easy for us to be drawn into wrong desires by the pressures of society and sometimes even by well-meaning christians.  By listening to the advices . "Assert yourself,"  "Go for it," "Set high goals," we can be drawn into greed and destructive competitiveness.  Seeking God's wisdom delivers us from the need to compare ourselves to others and desiring what they have. 

Controlling the tongue

James 3:1-12

1 Teaching was a highly valued and respected profession in Jewish culture.  Many Jews who embraced Christianity wanted to become teachers (masters).  James warned that although it is good to aspire to teach, the teacher's responsibility is great. 

2,3 What you say and don't say are both important.  Proper speech is not only saying the right words at the right time.. but controlling your desire to say what you shouldn't.  Some examples are gossiping, putting others down, bragging, manipulating, false teaching, exaggerating, complaining, flattering and lying.  Ask yourself before you speak..

1. is it true?
2. is it kind?
3. Is it necessary?

6 James compares the damage the tongue can do to a raging fire- the tongue's wickedness has its source in hell itself.  The uncontrolled tongue can do terrible damage.  Satan uses the tongue to divide people and pit them against one another.  Idle words are damaging because they spread destruction quickly, and no one can stop the results once they are spoken.  We dare not be careless with our words thinking we can apologize later because scars still remain. 

If no human being can control hte tongue, why bother trying?  Even if we may not achieve perfect control of it in this life, we can still learn enough control to reduce the damage it can do.  It is better to fight a fire than to go around setting new ones!  Remember we are not fighting the tongue's fire in our own strength.  The Holy Spirit will give us increasing power to monitor and control what we say.  As Christians we are not sinless, but we should never stop growing.

*Wow!  When I think about it, I still bear the scars from words in my childhood.. Words that should have never been said..  these words came from people who loved me.. but yet they still linger in my mind... and it still affects me and my actions to this very day..

with that being said.. do I do the same to my children.  Normally I would say no.. I have never said those words.. but are there other words that I thought were not bad but still ended up having the same affect??  I am sure there are.  

Lord, please help me to control my tongue.  Help me to keep things that are not kind or necessary to myself.  Help me to keep growing in this area.  

Faith results in good works

James 2: 14-26

v14 Agreement with a set of Christian teachings - is incomplete faith.  True faith transforms our conduct as well as our thoughts.  If our lives remain unchanged, we don't truly believe the truths we claim to believe. 
17 By serving and obeying God, we cannot earn our way into heaven, but such 'works' show that our commitment to God is real.  Works of loving service are not a substitute for, but a verification of our faith in Christ. 
18 While it is true that our good works can never earn salvation, true faith always results in a changed life and good works.  True faith involves a commitment of your whole self to God.
21-24 Belief brings us salvation; active obedience demonstrates that our belief is genuine.
25 Rahab lived in Jericho, a city the Israelites conquered as they entered the Promised Land (Joshua 2).  When Israel's spies came to the city, she hid them and helped them escape.   In this way she demonstrated faith in God's purpose for Israel.  As a result, she and her family were saved with the city was destroyed.  Hebrews 11:31 lists Rahab among the heroes of faith. 

* I had never really thought about works being a result of faith.. Before salvation the message around me was all .. you must do good.. must do more good then bad.. then after Salvation it became, works does not save.. Salvation is only given as a gift.. I had never really thought about how the two were to be combined.. but when you think about it.. It kinda just falls into place.  You have a desire to do good.  I know for myself if I ignore that desire.. the Holy Spirit doesn't allow me to rest.  It just makes perfect sense.  

 

Do not favor the rich

James 2:1-13

In this chapter, James argues for the necessity of good works.  He presents three principles of faith:

1.) Commitment is an essential part of faith.  You cannot be a Christian simply by affirming the right doctrines or agreeing with biblical facts. (2:19) You must commit your heart and mind to Christ.
2.) Good works are the natural by-products of true faith.  A genuine Christian will have a changed life (2:18)
3.) Faith without good works doesn't do anybody any good.  It is useless (2:14-17).

commentaries verse by verse -
1. To have "respect of persons" means to show favoritism to some people over others.  We do this because we would rather identify with successful people than with apparent failures.  The irony, as James reminds us, is that the supposed winners may have gained their impressive lifestyle at our expense.  God views all people as equals, and if he favors anyone, it is the poor and the powerless.  We should follow his example.
2-4.  It is often assumed that the rich, are rich because they are blessed by God, when it could only mean the person had the good fortune of being born in a wealthy family.  God does not promise earthly rewards or riches.
5.  This does not mean the poor will automatically go to heaven.  Poor people however, are usually more aware of their powerlessness, and thus easier for them to acknowledge the need for salvation.  One of the greatest barriers for the rich is their pride.  For the poor it is bitterness. 
8-9.  We must treat all people as we would want to be treated.  We should not ignore the rich, because then we would be withholding our love.  But we must not favor them for what they can do for us while ignore the poor, because they can offer us little in return.
10. We must not use this verse to justify sinning.  We dare not say "Because I can't keep every demand of God, why even try."  James reminds us that if we've broke just one law, we are sinners.  We can't decide to keep only part of God's law and ignore the rest.  Ask for forgiveness where you need it, and then renew your effort to put your faith into practice.  Measure yourself, not someone else, against God's standards.
12. As Christians, we are saved by God's free gift through faith, not by keeping the law.  But as Christians we are also required to obey Christ.  God's grace does not cancel out our duty to obey him; it gives it a new basis.  It is no longer an external set of rules but a "law of liberty" - one we joyfully and willingly carry out because we love God and because we have the power of his Holy Spirit to carry it out. 
13.  Only God in his mercy can forgive our sins.  We can't earn forgiveness by forgiving others.  But when we withhold forgiveness from others after having received it ourselves, it shows we don't understand or appreciate God's mercy toward us.

Listening and doing

James 1: 19-27

19 - when we talk to much and don't really listen, we communicate that we think our ideas are better.. It is best to really listen to others when they talk.
19,20 - this anger erupts when our egos are bruised.. "My opinions are not being heard!" We should never become angry when we fail to win an argument or feel neglected.. it never helps.
21 - James advises us to get rid of all that is wrong in our lives.. the salvation message alone can save us.
22-25 It is important to know what God's Word says, but it is more important to obey it.
27 when we give with no hope of receiving in return, we show what it means to serve others.  True faith means nothing if we are contaminated with the world's values. (money, power and pleasures)

The verse that really stands out the most to me is verse 19

Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:  

This is easy for me to put into practice with others outside the family.. however, I struggle with this in my home.. especially with my children.  This is something that I feel is so important yet it is so hard to remember.  Something I must ask the Lord's help with more often.  I think I should make this my theme verse for now. 

Enduring trials and temptations

James 1:18

1. This book was written by James (Jesus' brother) to encourage believers in their faith during the difficult times of persecution.
2. James mentions when we face temptations, not if.
3. We benefit from trials and temptations.. We learn patience.
4.  Ask God for the strength to get through these times, then be patient.. God is helping us to be mature and complete (perfect)
5.  Ask God for wisdom if you need it
6.  Asking in faith is asking with confidence that God will align our desires with His purpose.  God does not grant every thoughtless or selfish request.  A wavering mind is not completely convinced that God's way is best.. you must commit yourself wholeheartedly.
7-8.  an unstable mind is like the restless wave.. rely on God to show what is best for you.
9.  A brother of low degree would be a person of humble circumstances.. without status or wealth.  They are often overlooked.. even in churches.  Strive to treat them as Christ would treat them.
10 - 11 Wealth, status and power means nothing to God.. they can disappear easily.  What you have in your heart, not in your bank account matters to God  and endures for eternity.
12-13 God tests people, He does not tempt them, He does allow Satan to tempt.  This refines our faith and helps us grow in our dependence to God.  Resist temptations by turning to God for strength and choosing to obey His Word.
14-15 Temptations begin with an evil thought that becomes sin when we dwell on it and allow it to become and action.  Sin grows more destruction the more we let it have it's way.. the best way to stop temptation is before it is too great or moving too fast to control.


I will continue verse 19 - 27 tomorrow.  Not a bad start.  I am using the Life Application Bible.. I love the commentaries in this.