Thought For Christmas 2018

          We often ask our grandchildren, around this time of year, "Why do we give gifts?". I was pondering this and I would think the top three answers would be

      1. God gave His Son, Jesus, the greatest gift of all, and in like manner, we should give good gifts.

      2. The Wisemen came from afar bearing gifts so in like manner, we give gifts

      3. St. Nicholas gave gifts to poor children and like him, we too should give gifts.

  But do we ever think about what Jesus gave? At the risk of being sacreligious …

    For an object lesson, I put different items inside the stocking and pulled them out as we read Bible verses. Here are the gifts that Jesus gives us and in like manner, we too should give gifts.

1. Rest  -  Matt.11:28

2. Keys to the kingdom  - Matt. 16:19

3. His life as a ransom for ours - Matt. 20:28

4. The secret of the kingdom  -  Mark 4:11

5. Words and wisdom that adversaries can't resist - Luke 21:15

6. Light   -  John 1:9

7.  Grace   -   John 1:16,17

8.  Truth   -   John 1:16,17

9.  Living Water  - John 4:10

10.  Life  -  John 5:21

11.  Eternal Life  -  John 10:28

12.  Two tasks for us

      A. Love One another -  John 13:34

      B.  Testifying of the good news  John 20:24

13. Peace  -  John 14:27

14. The Word of God  -  John 17:14

15. Glory -  John 17:22

16. Victory - 1Cor. 15:57

17.  Blessing promised to Abraham  -  Gal. 3:14

18.   Strength - 1Tim 1:12

19.  Insight and understanding  - 2Tim.2:7, 1John 5:20

20. His Spirit  - 1 John 4:13

      What better reason to give gifts but 20 gifts that Christ gave us.  Thank you Jesus!!!

Thoughts From James - Day 8

You adulterous people,^[a] don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. ⁵ Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us^]? ⁶ But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:

“God opposes the proud
    but shows favor to the humble.”^]

⁷ Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. ⁸ Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. ⁹ Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. ¹⁰ Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

¹¹ Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister^[d] or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. ¹² There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?

¹³ Now 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.” ¹⁴ Why, 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. ¹⁵ Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” ¹⁶ As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil. ¹⁷ If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.

 James is trying to bring back those who have strayed from the truth and start living an erroneous lifestyle even though that person considers themselves to be  part of "the saved." He says that some self tests are
   1. How do you respond to trials in your life?
   2. How do you respond to temptation?
   3. How do you view God's word?
   4. Are you obeying God's word?
   5. How do you treat the poor?
   6. How have the things that come off your tongue, changed?
   7. Is your behavior determined by asking WWJD not self centered?

   This last question is how I would summarize the last passage we looked at in James. We discussed worldly wisdom which has "ME" at the center, versus Godly wisdom which has God at the center - I live to please God. This latest passage now expands on this thought - what does it look like to have God controlling your life rather than self? Previously we saw that it was shown by a good life with deeds done in humility. It is a peace loving lifestyle, submissive, full of mercy, good fruit, impartial, sincere, and it leaves wherever it goes, a better place.

     This passage tells us that it isn't double-minded; it isn't a life that one moment is in the world and  the next moment is "in the church".It is consistant. It is "all in". People know where you stand. It isn't a hypocritical life that desires to be in the world and gets as close to the world as it can. And the truth is that this hypocritical life is an affront to God. My wife loves "The Bachelor" and I personally don't like it. The reason is that these contestants go out on these exotic dates and make out with someone and pledge their affection, in some cases, and the next night they are doing the same thing with someone else. To me, this is disgusting and in the spiritual realm, God considers friendship with the world in the same way. Quit being double-minded. You are either in love with Him or in love with the World - you can't have both. Nor should you want both. The fact that we want both should cause us to weep, mourn , and  wail at our depravity. James is saying, if you are double-minded, God still has grace for you. Come humbly to him in sorrow of heart and He will forgive you and save you.

     Then in verse 11, James gets back to the tongue again, but rather than just saying we should control our tongue, James gets deeper into why we should control our tongue and it has to do with this subject of Godly wisdom. If our tongue isn't controlled by God, then we are Gods of our own lives. We have usurped the authority of God if we are slandering or sitting in judgement of people. Also, we are choosing to be God if we pick and choose which of His laws we are going to obey. Not only does the tongue slander and judge people but it reveals our heart that thinks we are kings or maters of our own lives. We say, tomorrow I'm going to do this or that, go here or there, make money and be successful, all the while God is saying, "You aren't God, you don't even know if there will be tomorrow."

     James ends by saying, "If you know these things, do them. Stop sitting in judgement of the law and picking and choosing what you want to follow - follow it all. If not, you are choosing to sin and that is not indicative of a true believer.

Thoughts From James - Day 7

                                          James 3:13-4:3

13 Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. 15 This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. 18 And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members? 2 You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.


        What is wisdom? Wisdom is being able to take knowledge or facts and assimilate that  information to make correct decisions. So in other words, like faith in chapter 2 that has to be seen in action, wisdom too implies action or deeds (vs 13). If you take information and do nothing with it, it stays in the realm of knowledge. If you take spiritual knowledge and do nothing with it, it might be considered as being religious but it certainly isn't faith. 

       Remember, James is all about a self test to see if you are a true believer or if you are being deceived or as vs. 14 would say, "living a lie against the Truth." Even the conclusion of James says

   " My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth and one turns him back, 20 let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins."  James 5:19,20

 James is trying to bring back those who have strayed from the truth and start living an erroneous lifestyle even though that person considers themselves to be "among you", or part of "the saved." He says that some self tests are
   1. How do you respond to trials in your life?
   2. How do you respond to temptation?
   3. How do you view God's word?
   4. Are you obeying God's word?
   5. How do you treat the poor?
   6. How have the things that come off your tongue, changed?

      This passage, I believe gives us a 7th test and that is - are you living a life led by Godly wisdom or worldly wisdom? What is Worldly wisdom? First of all we see that it comes from the 3 enemies of the believer as seen in verse 15 - the World, the flesh, and the devil. "The World" is Earthly or in other words, the here and now is all we have. The old beer commercial, "You only go around once in life, so reach for all the gusto you can" pretty much sums this up. As I have my 63rd birthday this week, I know someone will console me by saying, "Well, it beats the alternative." No it doesn't! That's earthly thinking. 

        And then there is living sensually or for the flesh or as 4:1 says, "your pleasures". If we are living to satisfy our cravings sexually, for food, for pleasure or comfort, that is not consistent with Godly wisdom. "Christians" addicted to pornography? What's that all about? Obese Christians? Christians owning multiple homes for vacationing or living for the next trip? I don't know about that.

     And then there is demonic or the Devil. What was his sin? Pride. Self. He said to Eve, "You can be like God" which was exactly his downfall. This kind of Worldly wisdom as opposed to Godly wisdom focuses on self and if you are living for yourself rather than God, you probably aren't a true believer. And what does that lead to in behavior ... selfish ambition, jealousy, disorder, hypocrisy, conflicts, quarrels, murder,  arrogance, and envy. The World today is so anti-God but don't they watch the news? Don't they see the carnage that James speaks of caused by a life of self? I'm always amazed at the darkness of futuristic shows.( outside of the Jetsons ) Why is that? I think it's because deep down writers know where a life lived for self without God is headed.

    So lastly, not focusing any more on the negatives, what should a true believer's life look like, or how does Godly wisdom manifest itself? First of all in gentleness or meekness. Meekness is totally contrary to what is manifested in worldly wisdom. Meekness says, "You first." "How can I help you get ahead?" The World sees that as weakness but we who have been adopted into God's family, know we have everything we have ever wanted. Why fight and quarrel over things down here when down here isn't what we are living for. Meekness is a willing submission. A forced submission is weakness and that isn't us, nor was it Moses (the meekest man on Earth), nor was it Jesus who could have called 10,000 angels yet submitted to a horrendous death on the cross for us.

       Secondly, Godly wisdom shows itself as good behavior. No matter how much unbelievers dislike us, they shouldn't be able to say anything about our behavior being bad. Why is that? Because Godly wisdom comes from above - "The Spirit of wisdom" Isa.11:2. The Holy Spirit is the tree living inside us (Prov.3:18) which produces from us peace, gentleness, reasonableness, mercy, good fruit, righteousness, and integrity or authenticity.

      Thirdly, it should produce a non-self-centered prayer life but rather one that seeks after God and intercedes for others. It asks for things but only for things that can bless others and bring honor to God.

      Lastly - it sows seeds (vs 18). It reproduces itself. Hopefully we make everywhere we go a better place and encourage others to do the same by our example. Also our words, like the parable of the sower and the seeds should spread the Word of God or the wisdom of God (Luke 11:49) to a world that desperately needs it.
   

Thoughts From James - Day 6

                                            James 3:1-12

3 My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment. ² For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body. ³ Indeed, we put bits in horses’ mouths that they may obey us, and we turn their whole body. ⁴ Look also at ships: although they are so large and are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires. ⁵ Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things.

See how great a forest a little fire kindles! ⁶ And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of ^]nature; and it is set on fire by ^]hell. ⁷ For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. ⁸ But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. ⁹ With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the^]similitude of God. ¹⁰ Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so. ¹¹ Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? ¹² Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh.


               As I study James, I am coming away with a whole different take on it. This is a book meant for readers to look in the mirror and see if they truly are believers or if they have deceived themselves. Jesus, James half-brother certainly dealt with this issue a lot. He talked about those, on the last days would say" Lord, Lord …" and He would say "Depart from Me, I never knew you." Jesus talked about the 3 soils that seemed to "be saved" but only one was and continued with parables about wheat and tares and sheep and goats. He addressed the Jews "who believed in Him (John 8), not as children of God or Abraham but rather children of the Devil. James is writing this book in order to have people "examine themselves to see if they are in the faith" 2Cor. 13:5 and have already given 5 tests. 1. True believers endure through trials. 2. True believers choose God over a sinful lifestyle  3. True believers help the poor and all those who are in need 4. True believers don't show favoritism. 5. True believers control their tongue. In chapter 3, we could read it as an admonition to watch what we say and control our tongue - which it certainly is, but maybe the way James intends it, since he says that no one is able to tame the tongue, is to scrutinize yourself and say, "OK, since I became a believer on such and such a date, has my speech improved? Do I still lie, curse, gossip, quarrel, boast, slander, insult, flatter, complain, argue, blame, and grumble? Do I compliment, encourage, pray, recite scripture, witness, worship, praise, thank, and give Godly teaching, instruction, and counsel?" The Holy Spirit changes our tongue if He is inside of us and if it isn't happening we need to ask if we are truly saved.

        Not only is the tongue a messenger from the heart to reveal what is inside, James says the tongue can ruin our lives. Just this week we see Kevin Hart turning down the Oscar hosting because something he said has come back to haunt him. How many public figures have lost jobs or had their future hopes, dreams, aspirations destroyed by one loose slip. Isaiah felt unqualified for the job of prophet because of his tongue so God came with a coal, in a vision, and cauterized his mouth to give him a fresh start.

       Also, the tongue can ruin other's lives. The thoughts you have that condemn or discourage you are often voices from past teachers, coaches, parents, peers who have cut on you and they say it takes 99 positive words to overcome one negative. Personally, I feel that negative stick with you forever. In this passage, James talks about Bible teachers. How many Bible teachers are out there who are sending people to hell or at least building on undiscerning listener's foundation wood, hay, and stubble. Just this week someone posted an excerpt from a Joel Osteen message where he was saying that God wants everyone to have nice clothes, houses, etc.

         Lastly, the tongue, if controlled an change our lives. I like this quote from J.A.Motyer;
                 "If our tongue were so under control that it refused to formulate the words
                 of self-pity, the thoughts of anger and resentment, the images of lustfulness,
                 then these things are cut down before they have a chance to live. The 'master
                 switch' has deprived them of any power to 'switch on' that side of our life."
He finishes by saying "The control of the tongue is more than an evidence of spiritual maturity; it is the means to it."

       Tim Keller quotes a ministry that gives a 6 part tongue assignment. Try it for a week.
1. Do not complain or grumble
2. Don't boast about anything at all
3. Don't gossip or repeat bad information about someone else
4. Don't run someone down even a little bit
5. Don't defend or excuse yourself no matter what
6. Do always affirm other people.

        

Thoughts From James - Day 5

                                      James 2:14-26

¹⁴ What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? ¹⁵ Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. ¹⁶ If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? ¹⁷ In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

¹⁸ But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”

Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. ¹⁹ You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.

²⁰ You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? ²¹ Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? ²² You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. ²³ And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. ²⁴ You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.

²⁵ In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? ²⁶ As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

               Occasionally we will make a statement and it will be somewhat outlandish and we will be asked to justify that statement. What does that mean? It means to prove it is true, give some facts, or demonstrate it. If I told you a gender reveal party caused one of Arizona's largest fires in history, you might think that was somewhat hard to believe but I could justify it with video evidence.
https://youtu.be/vZYkVTzS5E4

       When we use the word justify in a spiritual sense, it can mean two things; it can be talking about being made clean or "just as if I'd never sinned" is how I learned it as a kid. In that sense it is totally unrelated to works. We are justified by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. But, in order for us to be justified, work had to be done. God sent His son Jesus who died on the cross. Jesus did all the work and you know what, in a sense He is still working. Jesus sits at the right hand of the Father and intercedes for us - He is our mediator. He is preparing a place for us also. And he lives inside us as the person of the Holy Spirit both to will and to do of His good pleasure. So in a sense you could say we are saved by works - but it's His work not ours.He is the author and finisher of our faith. We read in verse 26 "As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead." The Spirit in us saves us and brings us to life, and although we don't work to be justified, He works inside us and His works are what people see that justifies our salvation to them. Our outlandish statement that we have been born again, cleansed of sin, adopted into the Family of God, a new creation, etc. is justified by the Holy Spirit who is working to bear fruit through us.

       What is that fruit? First of all a changed tongue. James 1:26 says

"Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless."

Our words should be thought out, not impulsive and meant to heal and not destroy. They should speak of good things rather than evil. The first impression you make on people is through the words you speak. May they know something is different in us because of our tongue. Have you noticed what you say to be improving over the years?

        Secondly it is in our love. Once we cared only about ourselves, now we are outward focused. We help the poor without getting anything in return as evidenced by widows and orphans. We don't show favoritism thinking,"I'll treat this person special because it might come back to benefit me." Is your selflessness improving over the years?

Thoughts From James - Day 4

                                                         James 2:1-13

2 My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. ² Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. ³ If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” ⁴ have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

⁵ Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? ⁶ But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? ⁷ Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong?

⁸ If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,”^[a] you are doing right. ⁹ But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. ¹⁰ For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. ¹¹ For he who said, “You shall not commit adultery,” also said, “You shall not murder.”If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.

¹² Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, ¹³ because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

                          Favoritism. What is it? "The Greek word means "lifting up someone's face" or in other words judging by appearance and on that basis giving special favor and respect. It pertains to judging purely on a superficial level without consideration of a person's true merits, abilities or character" per John MacArthur. He goes on to say that greek word was not used in any literature except the Bible. Why? The practice of favoritism was so common that it wasn't even talked about. God, in His word tells us it is a sin which was extremely counter-cultural and unheard of.

           So what is so bad about it or why is it called a sin?

"For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes." Deut.10:17

"Now let the fear of the Lord be on you. Judge carefully, for with the Lord our God there is no injustice or partiality or bribery.” 2Chron.19:7

"So the spies questioned Jesus: “Teacher, we know that you speak and teach what is right, and that you do not show partiality but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth." Luke 20:21

For God does not show favoritism.Rom. 2:11

"….and there is no favoritism with him."  Eph. 6:9

         So what is so bad about it or why is it called a sin? Lack of partiality is a quality of God's just like omniscience, omnipresence, omnipotence, immutability, righteousness, etc. For us to be partial based on qualities that let's be honest, benefit us, is contrary to the very nature of God. To treat someone as worth more or having more value than someone else is abominable in God's eyes just like murder and adultery. God sent His son to die for the rich, poor, slave, free, male, female, black, white, democrat, republican, arab, jew, gentile, etc. He loves everyone equally and shouldn't we?

       My guess is that we all struggle with this or at least it affects all of us. For me as a doctor, I had to decide long ago, do I cater to those with insurance or do I take all comers equally? I tell my staff not to ask what kind of insurance patients have when they call. I try not to look when I see them for fear I might treat them differently. This is totally counter-cultural to the medical field. I even had a Christian partner who wanted to fill the waiting room with rich people on certain days and the poor on other days. The CEO of the hospital system back in 1990 addressed the medical staff and said, "We want to attract good patients to the hospital". I raised my hand and asked,"what do you consider good patients?" He responded, "Patients who have insurance."

    It's not just the medical field that struggles. I spoke with a waitress in my class and she told me how they decide who they want to pick to "serve" and what tables to avoid. As my wife serves at the rescue ministry, they even have "good" clients that get preferential treatment. Jesus would say, "No one is "good" except God." We are all equal at the foot of the cross. As we stand before the "glorious Lord Jesus Christ", we are aware of our distance and difference from Him. I've heard it said that there are at least 100 different beetles. What if one species thought they were superior to all others or the beetles developed a pecking order of importance. We would just laugh because to us they are all just bugs. It's the same with us and God. How laughable for us to consider one person better than another?