James Part 7

"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."                      James 3:5-6   NKJV

Once more James is describing how dangerous the tongue can be. It can be used to praise and worship God and also, to destroy a person's reputation with unkind words that it utters. He describes it as a forest fire. Palestine at the time of writing, was an extremely arid and dry place to be in season. So dry in fact, that the heat could spark off a massive fire which could spread over all the area killing everything in sight. There would be terrible damage done as the raging fire spread.

In the same way, James describes the tongue as a fire-starter too. It can be used to ignite the fire of the Holy Spirit to come and sweep over people with spiritual fire. The fire of God cleanses and empowers believers to rise to a higher level of anointing, thus promoting in-depth praise and worship and evangelism and healing. Alternatively, the tongue can create a fire that can bring total devastation to a person or their ministry.

The tongue can start rumours about something or someone and these lies or exaggerated gossip can spread all over the world. It can be used as scandal. There are a few church ministries that are undergoing such things at this time. Oftentimes, the rumours are not true, they are spoken to ruin a ministry. However, at times they can be true but, it is not our place to pass judgement or spread further rumours about this. We can do better by praying that God will reveal the truth and end the scandal. The devil loves this kind of thing. He's never happier than when he is using accusatory language to ruin the work of God. 

But what about the damage that a fiery tongue can do to an innocent individual? You may hear some rumour about someone or church ministry. How do you handle this? If we don't particularly like the person, it would be easy to feel that they have received their just desserts. But, they may be innocent, how would Jesus handle this or, expect us to handle it? Definitely not in a judgemental way. He would expect us to refuse to believe a rumour until it is proven right and, in the meantime, pray for the individual and the situation. This would be using the tongue wisely and would help dampen the fire.

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James Part 6

"But be doers of the Word, and not hearers only deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the Word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror 24 for he observes himself, goes away and immediately forgets what kind of man he was."                                                                                  James 1:22-24  NKJV 

Going to church doesn't make you a Christian. One can visit a church every week of their life but, if they don't have a personal relationship with Jesus, by repenting and asking Him into their life, then they are hearers only. Keith Green used to say, 'Going to church every week doesn't make you a Christian, anymore than going to McDonalds makes you a hamburger.' And this is true; we need a personal relationship with Jesus.

This was what James was addressing here in this epistle, it's no use just being a hearer of God's Word, one must be a doer as well. Christianity must be lived out. I once met a chap when I was doing some street evangelism. I asked him if he were a Christian. He replied in quite a hostile manner saying, 'I've been a Methodist for 20 years or so, I think that makes me a Christian, don't you?' I tried to carry the conversation on but he moved away. He may well have been a Christian but, I felt he was saying that he had been attending a Methodist Church for years, so he automatically was a Christian. But it doesn't work like that.

William Barclay wrote, 'What is heard in the holy place, must be lived in the market place, otherwise there is no point in hearing it at all. William Barclay (1976) St Andrew Press, Edinburgh

To consider this in modern times, it would be pointless to attend university and listen to all of the lectures and not put the study into action. Students seeking their degree, must listen and then put into action what they have learned. If not, there will be no award.

Some people are very studious, learning all about the bible and characters but, that doesn't mean they belong to Jesus. Others, may not have any formal training but it is obvious that Jesus figures in their lives in a big way. Look at Peter and John in Acts 4. They were arrested for speaking out about Jesus and healing a beggar at the Gate Beautiful. The Sanhedrin observed their boldness and noticed that they were untrained men but, realised that they had been with Jesus v13. They had in fact, been taught by Jesus Himself and they had put His teaching into practice. They heard and did the job. And basically, this is what James was teaching in his epistle. We must be hearers and doers!

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James Part 5

My dear brothers and sisters, understand this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to anger, 20 for human anger does not accomplish God's righteousness."                                                                      James 1:19-20. CSB

Again James addresses issues that we are all aware of and guilty of committing. First of all he writes that we should be:

QUICK TO LISTEN

We need to listen to God's thoughts on a matter and receive wise counsel that promotes clear understanding. On occasions, we can feel like we hear what has not been said. We may pre-determine what we have been thinking of a person and, because we have done this, only hear what we want to hear. We need to listen clearly to what is being said. If we are not sure we have heard right, it is wise to ask again by saying, 'So what you're saying is - ?' or perhaps, 'Are you saying that - ?' This can help you to get a clearer picture. Oftentimes when people have mis-heard things and it has caused a rift between them.

SLOW TO SPEAK

This is a big one! We should never be too hasty in speaking out. We may have a point of view but, so does the other person. Proverbs 13:3 says, 'The one who guards his mouth protects his life, the one who opens his lips, invites his own ruin.' CSB. And again in Proverbs 29:20, 'Do you see someone who speaks too soon? There is more hope for a fool than for him'. CSB. We can't have it more clearer than this. We must ensure we are in control of what comes out of our mouths. Many is the time when we have all said words that we regret and wish we could take them back. Sadly, we can't; once the words are out, it's too late and we bring pain to the hearer.

SLOW TO ANGER

We can all have occasions where we become angry. Anger can be caused by asking too much of ourselves by taking on too much and allowing pressure to frustrate us because it's causing us stress. This may cause us to speak negative words to our spouse or another who are in the vicinity. Remember, we are God's representatives and people view us as if they are reading the bible. Having a short fuse is counter-productive to promoting God so, ask Him to help you with anger management.

Be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to anger. You and others will benefit from this.

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James Part 4

13No one undergoing a trial should say, “I am being tempted by God,” since God is not tempted by evil, and He himself doesn’t tempt anyone. 14But each person is tempted when he is drawn away and enticed by his own evil desire.a15Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is fully grown, it gives birth to death.     

                                                                                           James 1:13-15   CSB

James is quick to state that when we are going through trials, God is not tempting us. There is only one who tempts us and that is Satan. God tests us by allowing us to undergo certain trials. These are for our own benefit because, as we overcome them, we grow a little more.

Temptation entices our inner, unsatisfied desires. The devil knows our weaknesses; he studies us and is familiar with our tendencies. He provides temptation, tailor-made that he knows will appeal to us and, when this happens if we are not careful, we are drawn away and enticed to satisfy our own evil desires. When this is conceived, it gives birth to sin and in turn, to death - spiritual death although it could lead to physical death. When we encounter spiritual death it can lead to separation and the breaking of fellowship with God and fellow believers.

We may always be prone to relate this passage to adultery. This may be so, but not always. Many married believers have committed adultery, been caught out and are now paying the price of separation from their marital partner, children and their home and friends. Is it really worth taking the risk?

Do you need to confess your adultery to your partner before the devil informs them himself? It could be very much worse if he reveals it. In the end it is always best to come clean instead of, further down the line having the lid taken off and your sin fully on show. But, obviously this is your choice.

This scripture also addresses other kinds of weaknesses that you may have, including an addiction or things you have hidden away for years, too ashamed to mention them. You may have a weakness to steal other people's property; you may also have a tendency to gossip, grabbing hold of the latest scandals or other things that people are doing or should not have done. Gossiping may rule your life. You may also have a weakness to spend money that you don't have by loading up your credit card to a colossal limit, and you may not be able to pay this off. 

There are many other things that have not been mentioned that contribute to a weakness for satisfaction; a desire that you can never fulfil because it wants more. Perhaps it is time to speak to Jesus about this. You can be sure of His help.

Copyright 2022 Grahame Howard.                                

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James. Part 3

 "5If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.  6But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.  7For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;  8he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways".                                 James 1:5-8  NKJV 

Here, James talks about having wisdom. He insists that we ask God and receive it without doubting. He explains that it is attained by faith so, there has to be no doubting at all. Doubt, he indicates, is like the waves of the tide of the sea, rushing in and then back out again. A person such as this will, by their own actions, disqualify themselves from receiving anything from God because, one moment they believe and the next, begin to doubt - 'God can do this but, I bet He won't do it for me", type of thing. Avoid this mentality; it gets you nowhere. It will accomplish nothing except frustration. God wants you faith-filled and in order for this to happen, you must be wise.

Wisdom, especially spiritual wisdom is not just about knowing what's good for you, but applying this knowledge into your everyday life. When you can do this, good judgement and knowledge follow. Therefore, what is the difference between wisdom and knowledge? It is about what is true, right and lasting. Knowledge is information gained through experience, reasoning or acquaintance. To give an example, I quote from 

www.got questions.org:  'Knowledge is knowing how to use a gun, wisdom is knowing when to use it and when to keep it holstered.' Knowledge can exist without wisdom but, not the other way around. A person can be knowledgeable without being wise. 

Another name for this is having 'Head knowledge' but not 'Heart knowledge'. When you study your bible from cover to cover, watch every Christian channel on TV and go to churches all over your area, it can be very helpful. However, it is only giving you 'Head knowledge' if, you leave the Holy Spirit out of this. To involve Him in your studies will lead to head and heart knowledge, which is vital to your spiritual growth.

James would say to you,'You don't know it all; you've a long way to go but, I will help you if you are willing.' This is why he wrote the epistle and why God endorsed it. The information contained within the book of James is a blue print of the way God wants you to be. Put it alongside all the rest of the bible and you have a wealth of knowledge that you need to allow God to convert into wisdom.

Copyright 2022 Grahame Howard.                                

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James Part 2

But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing."                                                                       James 1:4  NKJV 

The aim of testing us, is for us to reach maturity. It is a method God uses to purge us of all impurity. We need to cooperate with God however, so that He can build our character. To resist Him is counter-productive because, He will have His way in the end and, we will still have to go through all of this. To submit means He can complete His work in us. His aim is to make us mature and complete.

We may feel this is not easy at the time of testing. We may go through the most dreadful of times and it would be so easy to say, 'Enough, I've had all I can take of this'. You may then walk away. The thing is, once you have tasted how good Jesus is (Psalm 34:8), you can't resist Him for long. You may walk away but, sooner or later you'll return because of the effect He has on you and, the way you realise that life without Him in it, is no life at all. See Luke 15 and The Prodigal Son.

No testing is comfortable to live through but, as we stand fast under the pressure of the situation, it may be possible to turn these adversities into opportunities that will change the situation.

Think about this for a moment. We can feel that trials are abysmal but really, they are there to mould us into shape. As we look at it this way, we can take the negativity of it all and turn it into a positive. To do this, we need to nurture our faith and fix our eyes on Jesus:

'Let us lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily ensnares us and, let us run with endurance the race that is set before us 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame and, has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God'. 

                                                                                   Hebrews 12:1-2

Jesus completed this and, He will help us to complete our trials too. He will help us change adversity into opportunity as, we seek His help - without complaining.

It is not a one-off either, trials will continue to come but, after a time we begin to realise that, with Jesus we can endure this and have the victory.

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About James Part 1

"Consider it a great joy my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials, 3 because you know the testing of your faith produces endurance"  

                                                    James 1:2:3   Christian Standard Bible  (CSB)

It is considered that James was the brother of Jesus, He had not been a follower during Jesus' ministry and lifetime but came to believe, following the resurrection. He was a leader in the Jerusalem church and this epistle, was more than likely written to the Jewish Christians.

Tony Evans speaking of him writes: 

'James is the 'in your face, no-holds barred apostle' James says in essence, "If you are going to be a Christian, be a real one."  Tony Evans Study Bible, Holman Publishers CSB

It's true, James did not mince his words; he said it as it was and, if people didn't like it, it didn't bother him because, he had the Lord's work to do. Here he is encouraging people to be joyful whatever they may be going through. God uses trials to sound us out and develop us spiritually. His aim in using this method is to grow us more like Jesus.

Let us remember that our faith, is the target that all of the evil one's arrows are shot at. If the devil can get us to quit, he will be happy. This is why James tells us to consider all trials as pure joy. God is training us to overcome these trials so that we can attain victory. 

Charles Spurgeon writes:

'Faith is vital to salvation as the heart is to the body. Therefore, the javelins of the enemy are mainly aimed at this essential grace. Your faith is perculiary obnoxious to Satan and to the world.'    The Charles Spurgeon Study Bible. Holman Publishers. CSB

This tells us the importance of seeing trials as joy. God is pleased as we make our stands of faith, whereas Satan is angry and will continue to bombard us with whatever he can. 

What are you dealing with at present? Is your faith being tested? If so, continue to stand and do what Satan hates more than anything - praise and worshipping God. Put some Christian music on and drown out the monotonous claims of the devil. Praise stops Satan in his tracks. When we praise, we are declaring that Jesus is still on the throne and it reminds Satan that his time is limited.

Ponder this for a moment, counting all our trials as joy bewilders the devil; he can't figure out how we can do this. So, exercise your faith and begin to praise.

Copyright 2022 Grahame Howard.                                

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