James on: Faith and Works

"What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?                                                        James 2:14     NKJV 

This verse together with the Apostle Paul's writings, has often clashed over the years. However, once studied, it is so clear - so understandable. Instead of what people have called contradiction, they are actually in agreement and both bring it out in their own way.

A person who has asked Jesus into their life, is saved. That cannot be taken from him or her, and it is by faith in Jesus that this has happened. One cannot earn salvation by doing good works. Salvation comes by faith in Jesus. Ephesians 2:8-10 says:

'For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.'

Notice, carefully, Paul is saying that we are saved for, not by our works. This is very important and shows how Paul and James were in harmony over this matter. Therefore, if we profess to be a Christian, one who is a bible reading, Spirit-filled confessing man or woman of God and someone asks for help, God would expect us to assess the situation properly, not just send them away with a blessing. If by example, someone is hungry and has no means of satisfying that hunger and, we have the means to satisfy this need but instead, send them away with a, 'I'll pray for you brother. Things will get better, just trust God.' That does not show the love of God. It's the same if a person needs money or clothes; if we are able to meet their need - comfortably - but instead, send them away empty-handed, have we demonstrated the love and the works of God? No, we haven't. 

To profess Christianity, we must act as Jesus did and would in any given situation. This doesn't mean that we should allow people to take us for a ride and con us. This is why we need to be open to the Spirit of God. If we are, He will show us who are genuine and who are not.

As we have seen, we cannot earn salvation. This comes through faith in Jesus. However, it doesn't stop there. Remember, we are saved for our good works not because of them.

Copyriight 2021 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

James on: Partiality, Favouritism and Discrimination

 "My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality"                                                                               James 2:1-13    NKJV

Partiality fits into the category of, prejudice, bias, more favourable to something or someone, class distinction, snobbery, lack of respect, discrimination and favouritism. God has no favourites, not at all, not even Jesus. He loves us the same (John 17:23). It may seem that He has at times, especially when people appear to be doing much better than us. But, he has no favourites at all. 

Verse 2 reads:

'For if there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes, 3 and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, "You sit here in a good place," and say to the poor man, "You stand here", or "Sit here at my footstool," 4 have you not shown partiality among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?'

This is a perfect example of favouritism, in fact, discrimination and we should never practice this. 

I remember when I was pastoring a particular church and we ran a Day Centre which was open 7 days a week to feed and clothe the homeless, people with addictions and really, people just down on their luck. Many of them used to come to the church services, which was great, and quite a few of them came to know Jesus as their Lord. However, a certain official within the organisation who I used to meet up with periodically, asked me if I would consider having two services -one for the church members and another for the people from the Day Centre. He felt that it was not good to mix the two sets of people because they were smelly and they could be tempted to steal purses and handbags. I was shocked but replied, 'If you can show me in the bible where Jesus would do this, then yes, I would consider it.' This kind of closed the conversation down and I think, that day, I became a marked man.

We should never show partiality towards people. We don't know where they have come from or what they have been through. Let us not forget what the writer of Hebrews says in Chapter 13:2, 

'Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing, some have unwittingly entertained angels.'

This is an amazing verse. You never know who you are dealing with. Let that be a lesson. God sees all that we do. He hates discrimination. This is why He wants us to love each other, as He has loved us.

Let us never be tempted to avoid the one who is left out of the equation - the one who is down on his luck. Some are con men, that is true, but they may not be, it may be an angel that you help; and God is right there with you anyway.

Copyriight 2021 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

                                                                           

James on: Walk it - don't just talk it!

"But be doers of the Word and not hearers only, deceiving yourself."     

                                                                                                        James 1:22-23     NKJV 

Our beliefs must translate into the way we live our lives. If our faith in Christ really means anything, we will stand out. People will notice a difference and be drawn to us. 

David Jeremiah says:

'Those who show very little concern for people in need, make no effort to control their tongue, and are overly preoccupied with getting ahead, should check to see if their faith is real. To claim to belong to Jesus but mirror the attitudes and actions of the world, may be a sign that they're only fooling themselves.'

Very strong words indeed, but this is what James meant. Without application there can be no spiritual transformation. We can listen to sermons all the day and read our bibles until we know it off by heart; however, if it doesn't have an effect on how we live our lives, it is nothing but a clanging cymbal (1 Corinthians 13:1). 

James says to be a hearer and not a doer is like someone looking at his reflection in a mirror, only to go away and immediately forget what he looks like. To look at yourself in a mirror can't change you; it can't change your hair or press and tidy your clothes. It is just the reality of things and is a call to action to change things, hence being a doer.

Therefore, we have a challenge. To walk as Jesus walked, we need to change a few things and one of these is, to be a doer of the Word. To be anything different is to be hypercritical. We must live up to the Word and one way is to not only hear the Word, but to ensure that we put it into action and live the life, 24/7. Anyone can witness another person reading a bible; but what makes the difference, is to see that person putting into action what they have just read, not walking by on the other side and leaving it for someone else to do. We need to take the gospel to people. It's useless preaching the Word if we are not demonstrating it in our lives.

When we have this right, people will begin to notice us; they'll want to be with us and speak with us. They may even tell us their problems because, they sense we will listen to them and offer advice. They will trust us. In fact, the Holy Spirit will send people to us, people will knock on your door asking for help; people will speak to you in the supermarkets telling you all about what they're going through. The Holy Spirit will direct them to seek you out. Will you be ready for this? If you want this, you need to 'Walk it - don't just talk it'.

Copyriight 2021 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

James: on Stop, Look and Listen

19 "So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; 20 for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God."    

                                                                                                          James 1:19-20    NKJV

God has planted within each of us a new nature. We have all we need to live for spiritual growth but, we must receive it, humbly placing ourselves under the authority of God.

Here, James writes that we should:

*  be quick to listen and hear properly, especially to God's thoughts and words

*  be slow to speak, not only wanting your own point of view, others have one too

*  be slow to anger - becoming angry will not achieve God's righteous plan for your life

Out of control anger should never be part of our make up. Psalm 37:8 says, 'Cease from anger and forsake wrath.' Rt Kendall aptly says, 'Will my flesh rule the moment or my spirit?' And Ecclesiastes 7:9 'Do not hasten in your spirit to be angry, for anger rests in the bosom of fools.' Unrighteous anger is a no go area.

Do you listen to others and do you take notice of it or shrug it off? More importantly, do you listen to God, or just rush out hoping that it's God's will? This is a most dangerous area if you don't listen to Him and try to do things on your own. When you listen, as Mark Twain once commented, do you use the third ear? This means examining closely what is really being said; what does it mean and are you only hearing part of what should be said. 

How are you with the words that come out of your mouth? Do you listen without comment, until you have digested what is being said, or do you keep interrupting and blasting the speaker with both barrels? Do you let rip with your mouth not really caring what you say because you have lost control? 

When your point of view is not accepted, do you throw a wobbly, again completely out of control? Remember, first and foremost, we are Christians. We belong to Jesus. He has made us the righteousness of God in Him. (2 Corinthians 5:21). Acting in a foolhardy and irresponsible manner does not paint a good picture of our faith. Ephesians 4:26-27 says, 'Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your wrath, 27 nor give place to the devil'. Anger is sinful when it attacks people and seeks revenge rather than addressing the problem. Righteous anger seeks to uphold Kingdom business, it ensures things are in place and ship-shape.

Therefore, sharpen your listening skills, take control of what comes out of your mouth, and allow God to offer you anger management, if you need it. Just think for a moment, if you're not careful, you may lose control, speak words that you are ashamed of later and then meet someone who was a witness to your outburst. How embarrassing and shameful that would be.

Make a habit of having a stop, look and listen attitude.

Copyriight 2021 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

James: On temptation

"But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed."

                                                                                                               James 1:14 -15    NKJV 

Temptation is not a sin unless, it is conceived and gives birth. The devil cannot make you sin, however, he studies your profile and knows your distinctive weaknesses and tendencies. He knows how to press your buttons and appeal to your evil desires, so that you will be drawn away to sin. Sin leads to spiritual death and separation. In other words, we break fellowship with God.

When a person is drawn away by their own desires and enticed, that person is hooked and unless they activate the Word of God right there and then, they fall to it. The desire is conceived and it gives birth to sin; it is then usually too late to prevent it happening. 

A desire is an unsatisfied longing, rather like Eve in the garden. She looked at the fruit (Genesis 3) and the desire to eat it was very strong. Basically, the serpent tempted her, encouraging her to keep looking at it. The more she did, the more she wanted it. Do you know this feeling? The serpent whispers in our ear and he plays his trump card, just like he did to Eve, she was hooked. 'Go on, it will be ok, no one will know and even if they do, it doesn't matter.' These are the words satan uses to tempt us to sin and he can be very convincing. Be careful.

We all have certain desires and the more we focus on these unsatisfied longings, the more we can lust for fruition. The root can be anything - anything that causes us to take a step over the line into risky territory. In today's society, values are much different than our Christian ones. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8). He never changes and neither do Christian values. Some try to change things by claiming that the bible is outdated and needs renewing to today's values. 'Oh yes?' What they are saying is what the serpent told Eve all those years ago, 'It's ok'. It is not OK and anyone who disagrees with this, is on shaky ground. God says no to adultery, homosexuality, abortion, drunkeness and all the host of things that are not of a Christian value. 

The root may be within you - the unsatisfied longing; it is it worth it? Count the cost and understand what you can lose. Surely the risk is too great. Jesus Christ took all the sin of the world - things such as this, and he paid the price that all who accept Him as Lord, confess their sin and live for Him, may have eternal life. 

Give that root, that unsatisfied longing, to Jesus; discuss it with Him and allow Him to set you free.

Copyriight 2021 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

Four categories of sown seed Part 2

"Behold, a sower went out to sow"                                 Matthew 13:3 - 23     NKJV

Let us continue with our study of the Parable of the Sower and, look at the final two categories:

Thirdly   V7 + 22

This category includes people who are willing to receive God's Word but balance their faith against their worldly life. Let me explain; this category contains people who have their feet in two camps - God's business and their own. They are unable to manage the two of them and when a crisis comes along, they choose to go the way of their worldly business.

They prefer not to tithe as their cash can be used for better things. They multi-task at work - on their 'phone while talking to a colleague. They compose an email while dictating a letter or driving their car. The want to invest in buying a house but, what if they lose their job - they will lose the house. They worry about this and fret about the other. Their whole life is spent in the fast lane of life, 'What if this goes wrong?' or 'What are we going to do, we can't pay this bill?'

The cares of this world drag them down and calling on God or, exercising their faith doesn't enter their minds. In fact, Jesus doesn't enter their thinking most days and, they almost never read their bible. They are too busy. Then at the end of the day, they wonder why things have gone wrong. 'Why am I ill?' 'Why are we in such a mess?'

And then finally, we come to:

Finally   V8 + 23

This is the category that God wants us in. The seed has been planted in good ground. The person is firmly rooted in Jesus. There are bad days, of course there are, but the person can rely on Jesus helping them through. They are living in Jesus and He, is their Lord.

Category 1   The seed is snatched away

Category 2.  No root

Category 3   Cares of the world

Category 4.  Bears good fruit

May I ask, what category do you see yourself in? We may visit each category at times but, the predominant one is the one I'm asking about. The first three may be the reason why we ask, 

'Why isn’t anything happening in the natural, in my life?'

'Why is it taking so long?'

'When are things going  to change?'

Only you know the answer to these questions. Only you know what category you are in. Isn't it about time that you got into the right one - Category 4?

You know it makes sense!

Copyriight 2021 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

Four categories of sown seed Part 1

 "Behold, a sower went out to sow"                                 Matthew 13:3 - 23     NKJV

Over the next couple of days, let us study the Parable of the Sower, where we find four categories explaining the scattering of seed and what it means to us. 

Why do we fly high in the Word, praying and praising God one moment and the next, be down in the depths of despair? Well, perhaps the answer lies in our state of fitness - spiritual fitness. Let us explore this parable and look at the first two categories. 

Firstly   V4

The sower scattered the seed by the wayside and the birds devoured them, quickly. V19 tells us that when someone hears the Word of God and doesn't understand it, the wicked one comes and snatches it away. Often, we can hear or read God's Word and fail to understand what it means or is saying to us. Instead of discarding what we hear or read, why not study it? Ask God for wisdom to understand (James 1:5-6) or seek someone out who may be able to help you get a clearer picture. Scripture can be difficult to interpret at times, especially books such as Revelation. This is why we need to meditate on it and allow the Holy Spirit to give us the meaning.

Sometimes listening to a sermon can be confusing, especially if you take notes. While you are writing something down, the preacher may move on leaving you to miss some important truths. If you take notes, learn to limit what you write or, mark the scripture in your bible and make a note at the side of it. It's the same when reading a Christian teaching book. Don't try to rush through quickly. Fully understand what you're reading, weigh it up and then move on. It may take ages to get through the book but, at least the seed may not get swallowed up at the wayside.

Secondly   V5 +V20

Many people hear God's Word and rejoice because it is what they need to hear. But when seed is sown on stony ground, after the plant shoots up, the sun shrivels it up. There's a need to have a firm root in Jesus. When trouble comes along, we need to be able to remember what we have been taught so that we can deal with it in Jesus' Name. Otherwise, at the first sign of persecution and problems, we may handle the situation badly and fall into sin.

Hearing scripture, receiving it and acting on it requires a firm root in Jesus, because without Him, we can do nothing. (John 15:5).

We'll look at more tomorrow.

Copyriight 2021 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE