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[Chaplain]

Titus 1 - A Mission for Titus

 

[Chaplain]

Titus 2 - Teach Them How to Live
Titus 3 - Remember This

 

[Chaplain]

Philemon - Paul’s Plea to a Friend, on Behalf of a Slave

 

[Chaplain]

Hebrews 1 - A Superior Savior

Subjects discussed:

Jesus, God's final Word to humanity.
Jesus Is the Inheritor.
Jesus is the Creator of all life.
Jesus is the Radiator.
Jesus is the Representer.
Jesus is the Sustainer.
Jesus is the Purifier.
Jesus is Our Ruler.
God's Word exposes Mormon and Jehovah’s Witness beliefs that deny Jesus is superior to the angels.
Firstborn or first begotten in scripture also speaks of priority.
God calls Jesus God.
God says Jesus rules perfectly.
Gladness (joy) is directly proportional to holiness.
God says Jesus is the creator of the Universe.
Jesus sits next to God because He completed the work God gave Him.
Angels are only servants—spirits sent to care for people who will inherit salvation.

 

[Raist]

God calls Jesus God.

So, huh, the sons of Korah are god now?

 

[Chaplain]

So, huh, the sons of Korah are god now?

Hebrews chapter one is about Jesus' background. It talks about Jesus as the creator of all life, that he is God and that he is greater than all of the angels. Go through the commentary I posted and everything is explained with scriptures.

 

[GrizzNKev]

Hebrews chapter one is about Jesus' background. It talks about Jesus as the creator of all life, that he is God and that he is greater than all of the angels. Go through the commentary I posted and everything is explained with scriptures.

May I ask what all this stuff is you've been posting is? Are you writing it just for GAF, or is this being posted elsewhere?

 

[Chaplain]

May I ask what all this stuff is you've been posting is? Are you writing it just for GAF, or is this being posted elsewhere?

It's taken from Bible commentaries. I am only posting it here.

 

[GrizzNKev]

It's taken from Bible commentaries. I am only posting it here.

Okay then.

 

[Raist]

Hebrews chapter one is about Jesus' background. It talks about Jesus as the creator of all life, that he is God and that he is greater than all of the angels. Go through the commentary I posted and everything is explained with scriptures.

That verse you quoted is part of a psalm of the sons of Korah (42-49). It's not god talking. At any point.

Otherwise you'll have to accept that god has ancestors (44:1), crushed himself (44:19), tries to wakes himself up (44:23), is very narcissic (45:2) etc, etc, etc.

The statement "In this verse—quoting Psalm 45:6-7—God calls Jesus “God.” Now, if God refers to Jesus as God, Jesus is God. End of discussion." is completely ridiculous, as it assumes that it's god speaking, which it isn't.

 

[Chaplain]

That verse you quoted is part of a psalm of the sons of Korah (42-49). It's not god talking. At any point.

Otherwise you'll have to accept that god has ancestors (44:1), crushed himself (44:19), tries to wakes himself up (44:23), is very narcissic (45:2) etc, etc, etc.

The statement "In this verse—quoting Psalm 45:6-7—God calls Jesus “God.” Now, if God refers to Jesus as God, Jesus is God. End of discussion." is completely ridiculous, as it assumes that it's god speaking, which it isn't.

The write of the book of Hebrews says that God is speaking in Psalm 45:6-7:

But to the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, endures forever and ever. You rule with a scepter of justice." Hebrews 1:8

Now you either believe God's Word is inspired or you do not. If you do not, then it would be impossible for the writer of Hebrews to know God is the one talking in Psalm 45:6-7.

 

[KodMoS]

So, huh, the sons of Korah are god now?

It's false. The verse is misunderstood by Trinitarians to support their false doctrine. What Game Analyst doesn't know is that Psalm 45:6-7 is actually addressed to human, not Jesus. So if this makes Jesus God In Hebrews 1:8, then it would also mean that God himself called another human God.

You can find this information in many places but here is a video of a non-trinitarian explaining it in depth using the Greek language. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuv5-OVN0k4

 

[Raist]

The write of the book of Hebrews says that God is speaking in Psalm 45:6-7:

But to the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, endures forever and ever. You rule with a scepter of justice." Hebrews 1:8

Now you either believe God's Word is inspired or you do not. If you do not, then it would be impossible for the writer of Hebrews to know God is the one talking in Psalm 45:6-7.

Just read psalms, it never says anywhere that it is god speaking. It quite clearly says that it's the sons of Korah. So either the writer of psalms is wrong, or the writer of hebrews is wrong, or they're both wrong, but they can't be both right.

I think the most logical explanation is that the writer of hebrews, since he's more recent (and the one quoting the other) has a small episode of quote-mining. Or I guess psalms wasn't the inspired word of god, but hebrews is.

 

[Chaplain]

Hebrews 2 - Jesus, Our Elder Brother

Subjects discussed:

God gave his law through angels to Moses, who was the mediator between God and the people. (Galatians 3:19)
Can we disregarded salvation?
God confirmed Jesus' message.
Signs and wonders confirmed the Word that was shared evangelistically.
The Holy Spirit gives gifts according to His own will.
Believers will be in charge of judging the angels.
Why is there death and evil in the world?
Jesus, how God intended mankind to be.
Jesus, through his suffering, is our captain, fit to bring all of us into salvation.
Jesus identifies with us.
Jesus worships with us when we go to church.
Jesus chose to be like us. Incredible!
Jesus suffered and was tested so that he could relate to us.

 

[Aristion]

It's false. The verse is misunderstood by Trinitarians to support their false doctrine. What Game Analyst doesn't know is that Psalm 45:6-7 is actually addressed to human, not Jesus. So if this makes Jesus God In Hebrews 1:8, then it would also mean that God himself called another human God.

You can find this information in many places but here is a video of a non-trinitarian explaining it in depth using the Greek language. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuv5-OVN0k4

The point remains that the AUTHOR believed that Jesus was God. Heb. 1:6 quotes from the Septuagint version of Deuteronomy 32:43, which specifically directs worship of the angels towards God alone.

It's not seriously debatable from a scholarly perspective.

 

[KodMoS]

The point remains that the AUTHOR believed that Jesus was God. Heb. 1:6 quotes from the Septuagint version of Deuteronomy 32:43, which specifically directs worship of the angels towards God alone.

It's not seriously debatable from a scholarly perspective.

You can choose to believe that but it's false.

 

[Aristion]

You can choose to believe that but it's false.

You can be a non-Christian (as I am) and know that it's true that the author believed he was God.

Hebrews 1:10-12 is a conversation between God and Jesus, and yet it is a direct quotation from Psalm 102, which is directed toward God's immutability.

 

[KodMoS]

You can be a non-Christian (as I am) and know that it's true that the author believed he was God.

Hebrews 1:10-12 is a conversation between God and Jesus, and yet it is a direct quotation from Psalm 102, which is directed toward God's immutability.

The scripture is applied to Jesus because all things were made through Jesus as the scripture clearly state. If all things were made through Jesus this that means Jesus is not the source of the creation, he was used as an agent. Hebrew 1:2 states that all things were made through him.

Hebrews 1:2
New International Version (NIV)
2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe.


Hebrews 1:6 actually quotes Psalm 97:7. The Greek word for worship doesn't mean worship, it literally means bow down too, and that's exactly what they were doing to Jesus due to his kingship.

As I said before, If Hebrews 1:8 means Jesus is God, then it would also means a human is God also. No bible writer explains The trinity, nor does it teach that Jesus is God. However, many times in the scripture where it explains that the Father alone is god himself, and he is the only true God. John 17:3

 

[Chaplain]

If Hebrews 1:8 means Jesus is God, then it would also means a human is God also. No bible writer explains The trinity, nor does it teach that Jesus is God.

 

[KodMoS]

I already discussed these scriptures with you. You did not want answer to any of the scriptures that I quoted. You told me that you didn't want to debate after I asked for answers, so I'll just leave it at that.

 

[JGS]

The point remains that the AUTHOR believed that Jesus was God. Heb. 1:6 quotes from the Septuagint version of Deuteronomy 32:43, which specifically directs worship of the angels towards God alone.

It's not seriously debatable from a scholarly perspective.

Sure it is.

Hebrews 1 is a mismatch of verses familiar with Hebrews regarding how Jesus fulfills them.

For example, Hebrews 1:10-12 applies to what is discussed in Psalm 102 because Jesus, as mentioned in Hebrews 1:1,2, was the vehicle through which all creation was made.

Hebrews 1:5 refers to 2 Samuel which is discussing Solomon. No one ever disputes that Jesus isn't Solomon though.

Paul makes it clear in this book, in this chapter, and in other books he's written that he thinks Jesus is a perfect image of his father. So it makes no sense, scholarly or otherwise, to pick out this bit and not realize that Paul is helping Hebrews appreciate how Jesus fits into the OT as what they were waiting for.

Considering Hebrews 1 starts out explaining specifically that Paul's goal was to do that, I remain boggled by the confidence Christians & non-Christians have in reading that that Paul thinks that Jesus is God.

 

[Chaplain]

Hebrews 3 - Jesus, Superior to Moses

Subjects discussed:

Moses served faithfully when he was entrusted with God’s entire house.
Jesus is greater than Moses.
We are God’s house, if we keep our courage and remain confident in our hope in Christ.
The Holy Spirit is God.
Unbelief is a choice that infects our hearts and becomes sin.
Are you still living in the wilderness?
How our lack of faith, unbelief, hinders what God wants to do in our lives.

Hebrews 4 - Entering Into His Rest

Subjects discussed:

The fear of unbelief on God's goodness.
Biblical examples of believers taking God's Word and mixing it with faith.
The promise of rest - Christ’s rest.

 

[Chaplain]

Hebrews 4 - Entering Into His Rest

Subjects discussed:

So let us do our best to enter that rest. But if we disobey God, as the people of Israel did, we will fall.
God's Word pierces our heart/soul.
God sees everything.
Jesus understands everything we go through because he was tempted like we are.
We can ask God for help 24/7.

Hebrews 5 - Jesus, A Priest Forever

Subjects discussed:

Jesus is our compassionate high priest.
God is so good to us!
Can we be ignorant to the things of God?
How to stop being a baby christian.
Mature Christians have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong.

 

[Chaplain]

Hebrews 6 - A Warning to Discouraged Believers

Subjects discussed:

Foundational principles of the Christian faith.
A couple of Satan’s favorite scriptures in all of the Bible.
The dangers of a work based relationship with God.
True faith works.
Jesus said, "Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me."
Waiting for promises to be fulfilled.
God always comes through.
God's promises will come to pass.
The curtain into God’s inner sanctuary is now open.
Jesus is our captain.
Jesus has become our eternal High Priest in the order of Melchizedek.

 

[Chaplain]

Hebrews 7 - A Better Priesthood, a Better High Priest

Subjects discussed:

Melchizedek, king of Jerusalem.
Melchizedek, priest of God.
What is a Christophany?
Tithing precedes the law of Moses.
Changes to the Levitical priesthood and the Law.
The Father gave Jesus his priesthood.
It's all about Jesus.
Under the Old Covenant, people were born into the priesthood.
Jesus was sworn into the priesthood.
Jesus' priesthood will last all eternity.
Jesus keeps on saving us and pleads our case before the Father.
Jesus doesn't die every Sunday at Mass.
Jesus' priesthood maintains our salvation.

 

[aknbad30]

Can women wear pants?

 

[Chaplain]

Hebrews 8 - A New, Better Covenant

Subjects discussed:

Jesus our great High Priest.
The Earthly tabernacle was a shadow of the true tabernacle in Heaven.
The first covenant had issues.
The Old Covenant was based upon our works.
The New Covenant allows God's will to be internal instead of external.
What does it mean to be a born-again New Covenant, Spirit-led Christian?
What makes us want to know God and walk with Him?
What were the priests regular duties?
The Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur, and how Jesus fulfilled it.

 

[JGS]

Can women wear pants?

Only if they have legs .

 

[Chaplain]

Hebrews 9 - The Old Covenant and the New Covenant Compared

Subjects discussed:

Old Testament sacrifices could not cleanse mankind of sins done on purpose.
The problem with the Old Testament priesthood was that it provided limited access and limited effectiveness.
How the Old Covenant way of rules, regulations and good deeds to earn salvation is over.
A Trinity verse and what to do when Satan accuses us.
Why did Jesus die for us? To set us free from the penalty of sins we had committed under that first covenant.
Animal blood confirmed the Old Covenant God made with his people.
The seriousness of sin.
Why would Jesus purify heaven with his blood?
How many times is Jesus' dying for our sins?
Jesus' 2nd coming is about salvation.

 

[Chaplain]

Hebrews 10 - Holding Fast With A Perfect Sacrifice

Subjects discussed:

Animal sacrifices were insufficient to cleanse us of our sins.
Why does God have pleasure in only one Sacrifice?
Jesus died once and for all time.
Works based relationships will drain our energy.
Jesus is at rest concerning each of us.
How God views each of us after accepting Jesus into our hearts.
Jesus desires each of us to be merciful to everyone we meet.
The veil/curtain that was torn by God from top to bottom, in the Holy of Holies, was Jesus' flesh.
What does God think of getting together with other believers for worship and the studying of his Word?
How does God view those who are saved, but decide to return to a works based relationship in order to maintain salvation?
Keeping our eyes on Jesus.
Earning salvation through works will mean a wasted life for the person living that life.

 

[Chaplain]

Hebrews 11 - Examples of Faith to Help the Discouraged

Subjects discussed:

Biblical Faith
Every human being on Earth has faith in something or someone.
How was the entire universe formed?
A scientific fact from God from 2,000 years ago.
Why did Cain kill Abel?
What is God trying to illustrate by taking Enoch to Heaven without ever dying?
Enoch pleased God. How do we please God?
God enjoys our company and spending time with us.
Noah's example of what it means to walk by faith.
"A step of faith is the prerequisite for a man or woman to be used by God."
Abraham understood that everything on earth is used by God to prepare us for heaven.
Why Sarah's story should encourage us.
Heaven is our home.
Why does God not acknowledge Ishmael as Abraham's son?
Abraham believed God could resurrect his son even though no one had ever been resurrected.

 

[Chaplain]

Hebrews 11 - Examples of Faith to Help the Discouraged

Subjects discussed:

Joseph's faith in God's promise.
Moses' faith in God.
Moses chose humility.
Moses chose to suffer.
Moses invested in things eternal.
Moses walked out with the world’s wrath.
Moses developed spiritual eyesight.
Moses kept Passover.
Moses kept the ordinance of baptism.
God’s faithfulness if we’ll just believe Him.
A prostitute in the Hall of Faith?
The promise of the New Covenant.

 

[Chaplain]

Hebrews 12 - Reasons to Endure Discouraging Times

Subjects discussed:

We are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith.
Is there anything in our lives that is weighting us down?
We are all running the race God has set before us.
Why did Jesus suffer on the cross?
Using our own freewill for God and others.
Why does God discipline his children?
God wants the best for us.
No pain, no gain.
Push through the pain and keep running.
What is the root of bitterness?
"Esau is cited as the biblical example of the fruit of the root of bitterness."

 

[Chaplain]

Hebrews 13 - Living A Positive Christian Life

Subjects discussed:

"Love flows among the saints."
"Love shows itself to strangers."
"Love cares about suffering."
"Love clings to one’s spouse."
"God will surely judge people who are immoral and those who commit adultery."
"Love brings satisfaction."
"Love is seen in submission."
"Love’s source is Jesus."
“It is finished.”
"Staying away from doctrines based upon rules and rituals."
Leave rules, rituals, incense, and candles behind and just focus on Jesus.
Walking by Faith and not by sight.
This world is not our home.
We all go through seasons in our walk with the Lord.
Doing good is what makes God smile.
Submission is the way of God's kingdom.

 

[Chaplain]

"Case Filed Against Sweden Over Seized Homeschooled Child"

http://www.christianpost.com/news/case-filed-against-sweden-over-seized-homeschooled-child-45714/

Two legal groups partnered Friday to bring the case of a seven-year-old boy, who was removed from his Christian parents for being homeschooled, to a human rights court.

Attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund and the Home School Legal Defense Association have filed an application with the European Court of Human Rights to request it to hear the case involving Dominic Johansson.

“Parents have the right and authority to make decisions regarding their children’s education without government interference,” said ADF Legal Counsel Roger Kiska, who is based in Europe, in a statement. “A government trying to create a cookie-cutter child in its own image should not be allowed to violate this basic and fundamental human right.”

 

[Chaplain]

James 1 - A Living Faith in Trials and Temptations

Subjects discussed:

Are you a servant?
Jewish believers scattered scattered throughout the world.
Understanding how Satan and God work through our trials.
How do we become mature Christians?
Don't know what to do or who to talk to?
The cure for financial stress.
What are crowns for?
God allows the trial, Satan brings the temptation.
What happens when we sin?
"There’s no room for us to take credit for anything we are able to perform or achieve."
"God is faithful when I am faithless."

 

[Gileadxv]

Great posts as always, Game Analyst. Keep up the good work!

 

[Chaplain]

James 1 - A Living Faith in Trials and Temptations

Subjects discussed:

Thinking before we act on our emotions.
Why some believers do not hear from God any more.
What God thinks about our bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, foolish talk, coarse jokes and slander?

 

[Chaplain]

A warning against prejudice.

James 2:1–4
My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others? For example, suppose someone comes into your meeting dressed in fancy clothes and expensive jewelry, and another comes in who is poor and dressed in dirty clothes. If you give special attention and a good seat to the rich person, but you say to the poor one, “You can stand over there, or else sit on the floor”—well, doesn’t this discrimination show that your judgments are guided by evil motives?

If you knew that in ten minutes you would have a half-hour meeting with Donald Trump, would you comb your hair, brush your teeth, think about what you would say? What if you knew that in ten minutes you would meet with a homeless man? Would you expend the same kind of energy?

This is what James is getting at. We’re all vulnerable; we’re all guilty of treating people differently, depending on how we view them outwardly. But almost without exception, the irony is that the people we try to impress the most are those who care about us the least—while the people who really would be open to receiving from us are those for whom we think we don’t have time.

On the high-school campus, so often the goal is to see the quarterback or the head cheerleader saved. The real key, however, is to go for the kid who sits in the back of the cafeteria all alone, for he’s the one who is most often the one ready to listen. The same holds true where you work. We tend to get all excited about the people we highly esteem financially or professionally, economically or intellectually. But it’s the poor people who will be most responsive to the gospel and most welcoming of us. Because we so often waste our time trying to impress people who are impressed with themselves, we need to change our perspective.

That is what James is championing. “Why is it,” he asks, “that when someone comes into your congregation who is dressed in fine clothes, who has a name, or who is esteemed highly, you give him the best seat in the house?” Oh, how we need to be aware of our own fleshly tendencies.

Showing favoritism is a sin.

James 2:5–9
Listen to me, dear brothers and sisters. Hasn’t God chosen the poor in this world to be rich in faith? Aren’t they the ones who will inherit the Kingdom he promised to those who love him? But you dishonor the poor! Isn’t it the rich who oppress you and drag you into court? Aren’t they the ones who slander Jesus Christ, whose noble name you bear? Yes indeed, it is good when you obey the royal law as found in the Scriptures: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you favor some people over others, you are committing a sin. You are guilty of breaking the law.

It would seem as though whenever certain wealthy people who weren’t part of the body made a guest appearance at church, they were ushered to the front and given the best seats. James, however, was not impressed.

The purpose of God's Law is to keep people from having excuses, and to show that the entire world is guilty before Him.

James 2:10, 11
For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God’s laws. For the same God who said, “You must not commit adultery,” also said, “You must not murder.” So if you murder someone but do not commit adultery, you have still broken the law.

James goes on to say it’s not only how we view others externally, but how we think about ourselves internally that matters. “Don’t you realize,” he asks, “that because the law is a single unit, if you say you’ve never committed adultery, yet you’ve murdered someone, you’re guilty of adultery, too?”

It’s like the space shuttle. The space shuttle is designed to go up into the heavenlies. But if any one part of it is not functioning properly or is flawed in any way, it won’t lift off. So, too, you may not have killed anyone or committed adultery. But if you’ve lied, your shuttle is grounded.

Why did Jesus say, "If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins"?

James 2:12, 13
So whatever you say or whatever you do, remember that you will be judged by the law that sets you free. There will be no mercy for those who have not shown mercy to others. But if you have been merciful, God will be merciful when he judges you.

Luke 6:38 is a verse often used in relation to the giving of tithes and offerings. But from the context, we know that when Jesus said, “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you,” He was speaking not of money but of mercy.

In other words, if you are merciful to others, if you are forgiving toward others, if you are kind and compassionate with others, then when you need mercy and grace and kindness—and you will—it will be given to you. But if you have been harsh and judgmental, if you have been fault-finding and sin-sniffing, when you need mercy from others, there will be none for you.

How do we know our faith is real?

James 2:14–26
What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do? So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless. Now someone may argue, “Some people have faith; others have good deeds.” But I say, “How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.” You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless? Don’t you remember that our ancestor Abraham was shown to be right with God by his actions when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see, his faith and his actions worked together. His actions made his faith complete. And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” He was even called the friend of God. So you see, we are shown to be right with God by what we do, not by faith alone. Rahab the prostitute is another example. She was shown to be right with God by her actions when she hid those messengers and sent them safely away by a different road. Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works.

Arguing that faith without works is dead, the Book of James so incensed Martin Luther that the reformer called it “a veritable straw Epistle that should be thrown into the Rhine River.” Yet James proves that faith without works is dead by pointing to the example of Abraham. It’s not that Abraham was saved by taking Isaac up the mountain to sacrifice him in obedience to God. No, James says the work that saved Abraham took place years before that when he simply believed in God (verse 23).

When was Abraham declared righteous? As James quotes Genesis 15:6, we understand that Abraham was declared righteous when he simply believed God would do what He said He would do when He told Abraham He would make his descendants more numerable than the sand on the seashore. Interestingly, Paul would also point to Abraham as proof that man is justified by faith apart from works (Romans 4:1-3).

James and Paul are in full agreement because they both maintain that the moment Abraham simply believed God was the moment God imputed righteousness unto him.

It is not faith and works that saves a man. It is not faith or works. It is faith that works. All Abraham was doing on Mount Moriah was showing the reality of what had taken place in his life years earlier when he simply believed God.

If your faith is real, it will show itself. How? By obeying the Word of God and following the leading of the Lord, even though you may not understand where it will lead. At the time, Abraham could not have understood the significance of what he had done on Mount Moriah. But this side of Calvary, we see it was a perfect picture of what God the Father would do in sending His Son to that same mountain to die for the sins of the world.

You know you’re truly born again when you find yourself obeying God. We’re not saved by obedience. But our obedience proves we’re saved, for true faith works.

Taken from Jon Courson's Application Commentary (1524). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson.

 

[Chaplain]

Teachers of God's Word will receive stricter judgment than normal believers.

James 3:1, 2 (a)
Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly. Indeed, we all make many mistakes.

James begins his discussion by saying, “Don’t be eager to be a teacher because teachers can receive greater condemnation.” Because it is inevitable that sooner or later we offend people with the words we say, the more a person says, the greater his chances of offending someone. Jeremiah certainly found this to be true.…

When the people of Israel didn’t like what Jeremiah was saying, they threw him into a prison—at which time Jeremiah decided he would speak no more. But there’s a problem with those who are called to teach. As Jeremiah discovered, the Word of God burned in his heart, and he could not keep quiet (Jeremiah 20:9).

If, like Jeremiah, you are called to teach the Word, you will be unable to keep quiet, even though it might mean you’re tossed into a storm of controversy or a dungeon of condemnation.

I wish I could say that all of the problems teachers encounter are due to the powerful messages we bring and the conviction they cause in the hearts of people. But that’s not the whole story—not by a long shot! You see, greater condemnation comes to teachers because in the multitude of words there lacketh not sin (Proverbs 10:19). We who are always speaking inevitably say things we wish we hadn’t said or in a way we wish we hadn’t said them.

Thus, condemnation comes not only from other people, but from within our own hearts when we realize our inadequacy to communicate the Word properly.

“Be careful,” says James. “Don’t be too eager to be a teacher, knowing that you’ll receive greater condemnation from within and without than if you sat quietly in a pew, taking it all in.”

The longer I walk with the Lord, the more I see that the key to life is to learn to be content where God has placed you (Philippians 4:11). If you’re called to teach, that’s great! If you’re called to listen, that’s wonderful! In either place, contentment is the key.

Controlling our tongues.

James 3:2 (b)
If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body.

Whoever does not offend in word is a mature person whether he is a teacher or not, for he who controls his tongue controls his life.

There is power of life and death in our tongues.

James 3:3–6
We can make a large horse go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth. And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong. In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches. But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. And the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself.

Just as surely as an insignificant-looking rudder controls an entire ship, or a little piece of metal controls a powerful horse, so the tongue, weighing a mere twenty ounces, can either bring direction or destruction—for truly the power of life and death is in the tongue (Proverbs 18:21).

What can we do to keep our tongues from being ignited by the fires of hell?

In Acts 2 we read of another tongue of fire, one which led to worshiping and witnessing. Therefore, I suggest that the more time we spend praying in tongues, the less time we’ll spend preying on others with our tongues.

"Fire goes out without wood, and quarrels disappear when gossip stops." Proverbs 26:20

When you hear gossip, pray silently in the Spirit to keep your tongue busy lest you join in the hellish discussion. If I listen to gossip, to put-downs, I am actually an accomplice in that fire ignited by hell. But if I refuse to listen and pray instead, the water of the Spirit douses the fire of hell, and the conversation dies.

How do we control our tongues?

James 3:7, 8
People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison.

Here’s the problem: In our own energy, we cannot tame our tongues. We need the Lord.

What is a curse word?

James 3:9, 10 (a)
Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth.

“Cursing” implies any words that bring hurt to someone.

What is the salt of grace?

James 3:10–12 (b)
Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right! Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water? Does a fig tree produce olives, or a grapevine produce figs? No, and you can’t draw fresh water from a salty spring.

“We live in a pleasant area,” said the men of Jericho to the newly anointed prophet. “But our crops are dying because our water is poisoned.”

So what did Elisha do? He poured salt into the water, and the water became sweet once again (2 Kings 2:21).

Salt was to be poured into polluted water? Yes, because Paul tells us our speech is always to be seasoned with salt, that is grace (Colossians 4:6). What does this mean? It means that in any given moment I can bring healing to an otherwise poisonous situation by speaking grace. If I keep talking about how gracious God has been to me, and how gracious He’ll be toward others, the polluted puddles of put-downs and pettiness will become pools of purity and praise.

I want this in my life so badly I can taste it. Oh, I’m far from what I should be—but I see the wisdom of James, for I’ve known people who have refused to listen to gossip and who have, instead, learned to speak graciously. There is a beauty about their lives and refreshment from their lives I so desire. If you want to be the man or woman God uses, join me in praying that we will be those who add the salt of grace to everything we say.

If we are bitter, what does that mean?

James 3:13, 14
If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don’t cover up the truth with boasting and lying.

Come to terms with the fact that if your words are bitter, it’s because your heart is bitter. Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks (Matthew 12:34). Bitter words come from a bitter heart.

True wisdom comes from God.

James 3:15–18
For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind. But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.

I have this verse underlined because it is a grid through which I can run any conversation, teaching, or any word of instruction. If there is envy and strife, tension and confusion in what I hear, then I know it’s from hell. But if there is purity and peace, righteousness and mercy in what I hear, I embrace it as being from the Lord.

May God give us wisdom, and may our words as well as our actions reflect His goodness, His gentleness, His grace.

Taken from Jon Courson's Application Commentary (1527). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson

 

[Chaplain]

Intro to Chapter 4

Chapter 4

James is not interested in how great we talk. He’s interested in how straight we walk. After establishing this firmly in chapters 1 and 2, we saw him back up somewhat in chapter 3 to say that although what we say does not eclipse what we do—our words still make an impact.

“Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks,” Jesus declared (Matthew 12:34). So here, in chapter 4, we’ll see James deal with the issue of the heart.

Jealousy kills all types of relationships.

James 4:1, 2
What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you? You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it.

The reason we put down other people, gossip about other people, fight with other people is because we want something from other people. It can be as stupid as thinking, Talking about that guy will make me look better to this guy. Yet the only way to get what our heart really craves is not to prey on others, but to pray to the Father.

What is the purpose of prayer?

James 4:3
And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.

That’s because you’re asking amiss. Prayer is not giving orders. It’s reporting for duty. And once a person finally understands that prayer is not man saying, “Bless the business; bring in the money; solve the problem,” and God saying, “Aye, aye, Captain,” his prayer life will be revolutionized.

Prayer is saying, “Father what do You want to do in my life? I want You to do what You see is best for me because I get mixed up so easily.”

I walked into his room during his nap to find one-year-old Peter-John lying on his back, eagerly reaching for an object dangling just inches above his head. Living in a rustic cabin in the woods at that time, we were sometimes surprised by the visitors we would have. And this particular afternoon was no exception, for I was surprised indeed to see the object for which Peter was so intently reaching was a black widow spider.

We’re just like Peter-John. We lie on our beds or kneel beside them and, through prayer, grab for things we think would be so wonderful, failing to realize they are nothing but black widows. Therefore, every bit as exciting to me as prayers God does answer are those He doesn’t answer because I know I’ll see that what I thought was so intriguing and tantalizing will prove to be poisonous and deadly. Oh, may we learn not to give orders or grab spiders, but to do what Jesus did in the Garden: to submit to whatever the Father has for us.

Are you God's friend or His enemy?

James 4:4
You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God.

Because the Father looks at the world system and sees corruption and danger, pollution and problems—if we continue to reach for the trinkets of the world, we’ll be at odds with God.

God is always looking out for the dangers of life that can and will hurt us.

James 4:5
What do you think the Scriptures mean when they say that the spirit God has placed within us is filled with envy?

The Spirit of God that dwells within us wants the very best for us. When we talk about grieving the Holy Spirit, we must understand the Spirit is grieved not because we’ve hurt Him, but because—seeing what’s ahead for us if we continue on the path we’re on—He hurts for us.

If you’re a dad, you can understand this.…

Your sixteen-year-old daughter can’t stop talking about him. So finally a week or two later, he shows up on his Harley in black leathers, a marijuana joint hanging out of his mouth, a swastika tattooed on his arm, a patch over his eye, a flask of whiskey in his pocket, a Playboy bunny on his shirt, saying, “I like your daughter.”

Although your daughter says, “Isn’t he dreamy?” you know he’s nothing but a nightmare—and that she’ll be hurt badly if she gets on his Harley and goes down the road of life with him.

That’s how the Holy Spirit feels when He sees us getting on the back of some Harley we think is dreamy. He’s not mad at us, not disappointed in us, not hurt by us, but jealous for us as a dad is for his daughter.

God gives us even more grace to stand against the evil desires the world offers.

James 4:6 (a)
But He gives more grace.

Even when I’m asking for the wrong things—grabbing for spiders or dreaming of Harleys—God gives more grace to resist the temptation and/or to recover from the situation because where sin abounds, grace abounds more (Romans 5:20).

Prayerlessness indicates we are full of pride.

James 4:6 (b)
Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”

Although God has grace to give to us to resist the temptation or to recover from the situation, there’s no room for pride. Who is the proud person? Barometers predict storms by measuring air pressure. Prayer-ometers indicate pride by measuring prayer pressure.

If I don’t pray in a given day, it is the ultimate indication of pride because it is the proud person who says, “I don’t need to pray about it. I can handle it.” Oh, I may not be cocky like Dennis Rodman or Mike Tyson, but if I’m not praying, I’m every bit as proud as they are because prayerlessness is the truest indicator of pride.

Taken from Jon Courson's Application Commentary (1528). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson.

 

[Chaplain]

How to resist the devil.

James 4:7
So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

How many of you have ever had a hard time getting to Bible study, but somehow got there? I commend you because had you succumbed to those pressures, you would have faced them again and again. You see, gang, because Satan isn’t omniscient, because he can’t read your mind or see into your heart, he’s dependent solely upon trial and error to see what works. Therefore, if he sees that a headache will keep you from worship and Bible study, guess what will happen. You’ll have headaches perpetually. If he sees that your kids acting up causes you to pull back, stay home, and not be where you should be, he’ll have found the key to slowing down your walk.

I am convinced that many people experience unnecessary hell in their homes or trials in their lives because they don’t understand this verse. They don’t realize that if they resist the devil, he will indeed flee.

Behind the cyclone fence of a house I used to jog by regularly was a little mousy dog. Every time I ran by, this little yapper would start at one corner of the yard and snap and bark at me the entire length of the fence. He’s crazy! I used to think—until it hit me one day that the only reason he was running alongside me barking noisily was because he thought he was winning. He thought he was chasing me away. So he did this over and over again because he thought it was working.

Satan is the same way. The Bible says that when we see him, we’ll say, “Is this little yapper the one who troubled the whole earth?” (see Isaiah 14:16).

How can we stop him? By resisting him.

One day, I just stopped and roared at the yappy little dog. He put his tail between his legs, rolled over on his back, and started shaking. At that point, the front door opened, and a lady peeked out, saying, “Pastor Jon?”!

Resist the devil and he will flee from you—just as surely as did that little mouse of a dog!

Correcting those that lie about God.

James 4:8 (a)
Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.

One of my favorite verses in all of the Bible: Draw nigh (near) to God, and He might draw nigh to you. No. Draw nigh to God, and He will sometimes draw nigh to you. No. Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you. That’s a promise! Don’t let anyone cast aspersions on God’s goodness or nature by saying, “I tried to get close to the Lord, but He is just so far from me.” The Bible says He will draw nigh—always.

People say to me, “I’ve tried, but I can’t seem to connect with God.”

“I don’t believe you,” I lovingly answer, “because God’s Word says He will always draw near to us if we draw near to Him. And I have found this promise to be true, for, without fail, every time I have been serious about seeking God, He has made Himself known to me through a Scripture, in my heart, or through the body of Christ.”

Sometimes, gang, we need to lovingly say to those who whine about feeling far from God, even though they claim they have tried to draw near to Him, “You’re deceiving yourself, or you’re trying to deceive me because God’s Word says that if you take the time and expend the energy to draw near to Him, He will draw near to you.”

Tuning out the cares of life, and tuning into God.

James 4:8 (b)—10
Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.

Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. When? When you’re serious about seeking Him. The idea is to be serious about it, to turn off the TV, to take some time and make an effort. Why? Not because God is saying, “Only when you mourn and are afflicted will I speak to you.” That’s not it at all. The purpose of mourning and cleansing is not so that God will speak—but to get me tuned in to the right frequency so I can hear Him already speaking. Think of it this way.…

Right now, Channel 10 is broadcasting all sorts of words and images. But we aren’t tuned in to the frequency. To get the picture, we’d have to take some time, bring in a TV, and put up the antenna. Would we do that to impress Channel 10 to send pictures our way? No. They’re already doing that constantly. We’d have to bring in a TV and put up an antenna simply to get us in the position to receive what’s already being broadcast from Channel 10 continually.

If people don’t read this passage right, they begin to say, “If we afflict ourselves like the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel, if we slash our bodies and dance in a frenzy, God will speak” (see 1 Kings 18). That’s not the heart of the Father. That’s the heart of a false god. The purpose of washing your hands and humbling your heart implies quitting your normal activities and taking some time to get tuned in to the proper frequency. Go to the park. Get away. Do whatever it takes to change your setting and say, “Lord, I’ve been tuned in to work. I’ve been dialed in to parenting. I’ve been positioned to pursue my hobbies. But now I’m taking time to hear from You because I know You’re broadcasting twenty-four hours a day, and I want to hear what You say.”

We are called to love people, not judge them.

James 4:11
Don’t speak evil against each other, dear brothers and sisters. If you criticize and judge each other, then you are criticizing and judging God’s law. But your job is to obey the law, not to judge whether it applies to you.

What law is James talking about? The law of love. Galatians 5:14 says, “All the law is summed up in this one word: love.” Jesus said, “Upon loving God and loving our neighbor hang all the law and the prophets (see Matthew 22:40). So here James is saying, “Don’t speak evil of any brother or sister. If you do that, you’re not obedient to the law of love.”

James 4:12
God alone, who gave the law, is the Judge. He alone has the power to save or to destroy. So what right do you have to judge your neighbor?

One of the greatest days in my own Christian walk was the day the Lord whispered a very simple truth into my heart that changed my entire approach to ministry and to life. He said, “Jon, you love ‘em, and I’ll judge ‘em.” You see, before that, I had it the other way around. I thought it was the Lord’s job to love people and my job to judge them. I can’t tell you how freeing it was to discover that I had it backward!

No one knows, except God, what tomorrow holds.

James 4:13–15
Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.

There are people who have tremendous confidence in what they’re going to do because they think they have their future all worked out. But in reality, of a group this size, statistics indicate that two of us will not be here next year. Life is a vapor. It goes oh, so quickly.

Only if God wills it is what should matter to us.

James 4:16
Otherwise you are boasting about your own plans, and all such boasting is evil.

Putting my hope in my plans, projections, or portfolio instead of in the Lord is not only foolish. James tells us it’s evil.

Knowing to do good and then not doing it is sin.

James 4:17
Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.

There are those who say, “I’m going to do this. I’m going to retire there. I’ve got my future all worked out.” But when asked if they’re going to church on Sunday or if they’ll have devotions tomorrow, they say, “If the Lord wills.” Do you see the irony?

“I’m going skiing next week, or on vacation in July,” we say. But regarding church tomorrow night, we say, “We’ll see what God has in store.” We have it backward! We should be saying, “I may go skiing next week if God wills. Or, I may take a vacation in July if that’s what the Lord has for me. But as for going to church on Sunday? I’ll be there absolutely!”

That’s why James says, “If you know what’s right, but hide behind the excuse of waiting for God’s leading before doing it, it’s sin.”

Taken from Jon Courson's Application Commentary (1529). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson.

 

[Chaplain]

Intro to Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Continuing where he left off in chapter 2, here in chapter 5, James attempts to do what his half Brother had done when He cleansed the temple, as he cleans house concerning wealthy people who had no real relationship with the Lord, but who simply liked to be seen in the midst of the believers.…

We cannot buy our way into Heaven.

James 5:1–3
Look here, you rich people: Weep and groan with anguish because of all the terrible troubles ahead of you. Your wealth is rotting away, and your fine clothes are moth-eaten rags. Your gold and silver have become worthless. The very wealth you were counting on will eat away your flesh like fire. This treasure you have accumulated will stand as evidence against you on the day of judgment.

Because the language in verse seven makes it clear that he is addressing the true believer, James’ harsh words here in verse three are not directed to true brothers, but to those who were only playing church. They are directed to those who thought they would be saved in the last day because of their wealth. They are directed to those who were using their money to be esteemed highly in the church.

"Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature."

James 5:4–6
For listen! Hear the cries of the field workers whom you have cheated of their pay. The wages you held back cry out against you. The cries of those who harvest your fields have reached the ears of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. You have spent your years on earth in luxury, satisfying your every desire. You have fattened yourselves for the day of slaughter. You have condemned and killed innocent people, who do not resist you.

“You’ve made your money because you paid poor wages. You’ve made your fortunes at the expense of others,” says James. “But know this: The Lord is hearing the cries of those you have exploited.”

“I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the Lord.

James 5:7, 8
Dear brothers and sisters, be patient as you wait for the Lord’s return. Consider the farmers who patiently wait for the rains in the fall and in the spring. They eagerly look for the valuable harvest to ripen. You, too, must be patient. Take courage, for the coming of the Lord is near.

Shifting gears and addressing the true believer, James says, “Yes there will be injustice, rip-offs, and unfairness, but keep this in mind: The Lord is coming. He sees what’s going on, and He will settle the score.”

Each of us needs patience and endurance.

James 5:9
Don’t grumble about each other, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. For look—the Judge is standing at the door!

Salvation is not going to come through union participation or a Christian coalition organization. Salvation is going to come when Jesus Christ comes back. Stick to the big picture. Live for the kingdom. Be looking for His coming.

Job is the model example for having patience and endurance.

James 5:10, 11
For examples of patience in suffering, dear brothers and sisters, look at the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. We give great honor to those who endure under suffering. For instance, you know about Job, a man of great endurance. You can see how the Lord was kind to him at the end, for the Lord is full of tenderness and mercy.

Job was a wealthy man. Then he lost everything. But if you read the last chapter of the book that bears his name, you see that he ended up with twice as much as he had before his difficulties began. Even his family was replenished. Why? Because he was patient. Yes, he had periods where he doubted and questioned God. But he’s an example of a man who endured difficulty and of one who was rewarded greatly. So, too, we are to wait patiently for the Lord’s return.

"Too much talk leads to sin."

James 5:12
But most of all, my brothers and sisters, never take an oath, by heaven or earth or anything else. Just say a simple yes or no, so that you will not sin and be condemned.

I know of a man who was so determined to learn this lesson that once a week for over forty years, he took one day to fast from talking.

Truly, the Bible tells us that in the multitude of words sin is not lacking (Proverbs 10:19). The more I talk, the more trouble I can get in. So James very practically says we are to keep our speech as simple and straightforward as possible.

Taken from Jon Courson's Application Commentary (1531). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson.

 

[Chaplain]

What to do when we are suffering hardships (mental, spiritual, or emotional affliction)?

James 5:13 (a)
Is any among you afflicted? let him pray.

What if we really believed this? What if we said, “I’m not going to speak so much or so quickly. I’m not going to hold a grudge against people even if I feel they’re afflicting me. Instead, I’m going to pray”? What a simple, workable, radical idea James presents to us.

This is hard for me because I want to mix it up verbally with those who afflict me and give them a piece of my mind. But I’m wrong every time I do because our fight is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers (Ephesians 6:12).

There’s no way we can continue to justify our tendency to fault folks or to war against them with words when James clearly tells us that the only solution to oppression is to look for the Lord’s coming. In the meantime, when we’re afflicted, we’re to watch our words. Let them be yea, nay, and by all means—pray.

Singing psalms when we are happy.

James 5:13 (b)
Are any of you happy? You should sing praises.

There are psalms for every occasion. That’s what’s so great about the one hundred fifty psalms in the center of our Bibles. For every occasion, for any situation, there is a psalm for us to sing.

God calls his sick children to go to the elders of their church to receive prayer for their sickness.

James 5:14 (a)
Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you…

The affliction of verse thirteen is a mental, spiritual, or emotional affliction. The responsibility of the afflicted person is to pray. But the responsibility of the person who is sick physically is to call for the elders of the church.

“I was sick and none of the elders came to pray for me,” you say. Did you call for them?

James says it is the responsibility, the privilege, the opportunity, the command, for the sick person to humble himself and to call for the elders. Notice the word “elders” is plural. When the sick are being prayed for, it is always to be by a group of men corporately rather than one man individually. Why? There are few things more potentially dangerous than for a person to be used in the ministry of healing because what begins as a simple desire to be used by the Lord can so easily end up in book-signings and a speaking tour. To keep this tendency in check, James says when someone is sick, a group of men is to pray so that no one man will get the credit.

What does it mean to anoint with oil?

James 5:14 (b)
…anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord.

In Scripture, we see oil used symbolically, when, as an illustration of the anointing of the Holy Spirit, prophets, priests, and kings were anointed with oil before they assumed their positions of authority. We also see oil used medicinally, as in the story of the Good Samaritan who put oil on the wounds of the man left for dead (Luke 10:34).

I suggest that the anointing of oil spoken of by James refers to both the symbolic and the medicinal realms. It speaks of a person saying, “I’m looking to the Lord for healing. I’m submitted to His will being done in my life; I believe in His power and presence—and I’m going to use His gift of medicine as well.” There are two streams of healing: prayer and medicine. But it’s the same God who works through both streams. Medicine does not heal. Prayer does not heal. God heals.

"What is the prayer of faith?"

James 5:15 (a)
Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well.

What is the prayer of faith? It is not prayer offered due to working up feelings emotionally or hyping a congregation into a frenzy, but as a result of responding to the Lord personally.

No doubt Peter and John had passed him hundreds of times as he sat by the Gate Beautiful outside of the temple, begging for money. But one day as they walked by him, something unique happened within them that caused them to stop, look at him, and say, “Silver and gold have we none, but such as we have give we you. In the name of Jesus, rise up and walk” (see Acts 3:6). In the moment of the miraculous, Peter and John experienced faith unlike at any other time they had walked by this man previously.

So, too, there will come times when you’re praying for your friends, family, or yourself when you’ll suddenly sense God at work in a unique way, and you’ll know a miracle is about to take place.

But what if you don’t experience this kind of faith? Pray anyway.

I’ve prayed for perhaps thousands of sick people over the years. A few were healed immediately. Others continued in their sickness. Many weren’t healed until they got to heaven. Yet even if it doesn’t bring about the full healing we anticipate, something wonderful always happens whenever a group of people talk to the Father.

It’s good for a person going through physical suffering to call for the elders of the church to pray for healing—and to continue seeking healing until he is healed. Or until, like Paul, he is at peace, knowing that God’s will is being worked out in his condition, and that even in weakness, God is made strong (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Certain sins can give us certain types of sicknesses.

James 5:15 (b)
And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven.

Sometimes, sin brings sickness. How do I know this? Because after He healed the lame man in John five, Jesus said, “Be careful that you don’t sin lest a worse thing happen to you” (see John 5:14), implying that his paralysis was the result of a previous sin. So, too, when the four guys lowered their paralyzed buddy through a roof in the home wherein Jesus was teaching, Jesus linked the man’s paralysis to sin (Mark 2:5–11).

Does this mean sin is always the reason for sickness?

No. When asked whether it was his own or his parents’ sin that made a man blind, Jesus answered that neither his or his parents’ sin was the reason (John 9:3). While sickness can indeed be a repercussion of a sin or a lifestyle, this doesn’t mean that every sickness is the result of an individual’s sin.

Confessing our sins to each other.

James 5:16 (a)
Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.

Many of us have an obsession with confession. That is, we think that if there is any unconfessed sin in our lives, God will not hear our prayer. But I have good news for us today, for to us who understand that Jesus died for our sins past, present and future, regarding His work on the Cross, He doesn’t say, “To be continued if you confess.” No, He says, “It is finished.”

"The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results."

James 5:16 (b)—18
The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years! Then, when he prayed again, the sky sent down rain and the earth began to yield its crops.

“Well, that knocks me out,” you say, “because I’m not Elijah; I’m not a righteous man, and I’m not an effectual, fervent pray-er.”

You might be surprised.….

Saving Christians who have wandered away from God and gone back into sin.

James 5:19, 20 (a)
My dear brothers and sisters, if someone among you wanders away from the truth and is brought back, you can be sure that whoever brings the sinner back will save that person from death…

Those who “wanders from the truth” may, indeed, be born again. They may, indeed, have a relationship with the Lord. But it’s distant because it lacks the connection that was there previously.

What causes a person to become spiritually spaced-out?

Because at the heart of every problem lies a problem of the heart, I believe a person stops traveling with the body of Christ when a problem in his heart causes him to be uncomfortable in the presence of God’s people. Such was the case with Demas. “Demas has forsaken us,” said Paul. Why? Because “he has loved this world” (see 2 Timothy 4:10).

If you asked Demas about his absence, he might have been able to justify it doctrinally, saying, “I’m having a problem with Paul’s doctrine of justification. I find it to be too grace-oriented. So now I’m just seeking God and getting instruction on my own.”

Just as he did with Demas, Satan wants to see us disconnected, out in space, cut off. But James says that if we convert such a one, if we get him to turn back and get involved once again, we have actually saved him from death.

What kind of death?

First, we have saved him from physical death (1 John 5:16). There is a sin, in which, if a man or woman continues to persist, God will take him or her home prematurely. If a person is rebelling against the Lord and walking farther and farther away from Him, such a one is in danger of being blown out into outer darkness. So God in His mercy may say, “It’s time to take this person to heaven.” While this obviously doesn’t mean that anyone who dies before the age of ninety is out of fellowship, the Word does, indeed, declare that there is sin that will cause a person’s life to end sooner than it would have had he continued walking in fellowship.

“Why should we try to convert such a one if he’s headed to heaven anyway?” you ask.

The answer is that, although he will make it to heaven, he will enter in as though by fire, bankrupt spiritually, lacking the rewards that will affect his ability to enjoy heaven eternally (1 Corinthians 3:15).

Second, if we convert a brother who has wandered away, we save his soul from spiritual death. Because the wages of sin is always death, as you watch people who aren’t plugged in, who aren’t walking with the Lord as closely as they once did, you see death in their lives—the death of joy, the death of purpose, the death of peace. Their eyes become dull. Their faces become drawn. They start looking sad as they trade vitality for mortality.

Third, saving an wandered brother from death could mean saving him from eternal death. The reason the debate has gone on for centuries concerning whether a Christian can go so far that he ends up forfeiting his salvation is because Scripture can be used to argue both sides. If this issue were cut and dried, a lot of people would drift farther and farther out in space. But because it is not, we have to realize that one’s eternal destiny is at stake.

A Biblical example of restoring a sinner back to the Lord.

James 5:20 (b)
…and cover a multitude of sins.

The interesting thing about this phrase is that, linguistically, one can’t be sure if it’s the sins of the sinners that are covered, or those of the person who converts him. Commentators are divided on this question, yet all I know is this: Every time I talk to someone who has wandered away, every time I see the unhappiness and emptiness of his life, I find myself turning, repenting, and hating sin all over again. Conversely, like the shepherd who found the one sheep that was lost, when I am able to return to the fold someone who was lost and wandering, I experience an explosion of joy within my own heart.

How are we to convert those who err, those who wander away?

First, we’re to be men and women of prayer—we’re to talk to God about people. Second, we’re to be men and women who share—we’re to talk to people about God.

After engaging in a real estate deal that resulted in the death of an innocent man, Ahab, king of Israel, was confronted by Elijah the prophet. “Because of what you’ve done, because the dogs have licked the blood of the man you killed, the dogs will lick your blood and the blood of all of your children,” Elijah declared. “If they die in the city, the dogs will lick their blood. If they die in the fields, the birds will peck their flesh. You crossed the line, Ahab. You went too far. And your family’s going down as a result” (see 1 Kings 21:19).

The account in 1 Kings goes on to say that after Ahab heard Elijah, he rent his clothes, wore sackcloth, and walked softly, stooped over, broken. Because Ahab humbled himself, God instructed Elijah to tell him that his family wouldn’t be annihilated.

So here’s the wickedest man in the history of the nation Israel, and what does God do? Because Elijah talked to him, he repented and God was able to show him mercy.

Talk to the Lord about people. Then talk to people—even if they’re Ahab-like—about the Lord. Your own sin will be covered in the process—and you will save from death the soul of the one with whom you share. It’s a tall order to be involved in the restoration of a sinner who was once part of the kingdom. It’s also a great privilege.

The Epistle of James ends in a most unusual, but not very surprising manner. Most New Testament Epistles end with a closing benediction. Not James. There is no closing benediction. There is no doctrinal conclusion. There is not even a prayer of intercession. In fact, in closing his book simply with a practical and pointed exhortation, it’s as though James is saying, “I’ve given to you the Word of the Lord. Now go do it.”

Taken from Jon Courson's Application Commentary (1532). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson.

 

[Liberty4all]

Enjoying the posts Game Analyst. Thanks.

 

[SquiddyCracker]

Question from a non-Christian:

Do you reckon the average church accepts a church-goer who isn't religious?
I am not interested in Christinaity, but I could see the benefits of joining a community based around a church.

 

[JGS]

Question from a non-Christian:

Do you reckon the average church accepts a church-goer who isn't religious?
I am not interested in Christinaity, but I could see the benefits of joining a community based around a church.

I don't think most care but you would have to accept the fact they will try to convince you to accept their beliefs. So the benefits may not outweigh the annoyance.

 

[Liberty4all]

Question from a non-Christian:

Do you reckon the average church accepts a church-goer who isn't religious?
I am not interested in Christinaity, but I could see the benefits of joining a community based around a church.

It depends on the church and the denomination as well.

With that said churches SHOULD be happy when non believers start showing up as its an opportunity to share what Christ is all about. Sadly some churches are a lot less welcoming than others.

 

[Chaplain]

Intro to 1st & 2nd Peter

Background to 1 & 2 Peter

In the year A.D. 63 or 64, Peter wrote 1 Peter. As obvious as that may sound, in 1947, a school of thought developed that declared it would have been impossible for a fisherman like Peter to employ the complex sentence structure and sophisticated vocabulary found in the letter before us.

Yet 1947 was hardly the first year in which Peter’s credentials were called into question. Luke records that after hearing Peter speak, the learned men of the day wondered how he was able to speak with such clarity and authority—until they realized he had been with Jesus (Acts 4:13).

I like that! Hanging out with Jesus will make a smart man out of anyone! Peter had listened to, eaten with, and traveled alongside Jesus for three years. The result was obvious.

So, too, as we spend time hanging out with one who hung out with Jesus, my prayer is that we will take on His characteristics just as noticeably, as readily, as wonderfully as did the fisherman-turned-scholar: the apostle Peter.

Peter, the apostle of hope.

1 Peter 1:1 (a)
Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,

Peter and Paul were two apostles who had a major impact on the early church. In fact, when you read the New Testament, you see Peter’s name two hundred ten times and Paul’s one hundred sixty-two times—while all of the other apostles combined are mentioned only one hundred fourteen times.

However, there is a third man who figures prominently in the early church. That man is John. As you look at these three—Peter, Paul, and John—you must conclude that Peter is the “apostle of hope.” More than anyone else, Peter stresses hope as the answer to persecution and difficulty. Paul is the “apostle of faith,” as he articulates more clearly than any other writer the doctrine of justification by faith. John is known both through his person and writing as the “apostle of love.” Faith, hope, and love are personified in Paul, Peter, and John—all apostles of Jesus Christ.

We are God’s chosen people who are living as foreigners on Earth.

1 Peter 1:1 (b)
…to the pilgrims…

The idea of “pilgrim” referring to one who is displaced, Peter could be addressing the Jewish Christians who were dispersed—as well as speaking to any Christian feeling displaced or lost.

This side of heaven, we’re part of an empire in which we don’t fit, part of a system with which we can’t agree. This is why Peter’s words are as needful for us now as they were for the early church.

How Caesar Nero used Christians as a scapegoat.

1 Peter 1:1 (c)
…scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia.

Nine or ten months after Peter wrote his letter, the persecution against Christians that had been simmering for quite some time came to a full boil. On July 19, A.D. 64, Caesar Nero set fire to the Imperial City of Rome. You see, determined to stamp his image upon a new Rome, Caesar hired arsonists to destroy the old one. Maybe you remember stories of Caesar fiddling while Rome burned. While that may not have happened literally, Caesar was fiddling around very definitely! The ensuing devastation gave him justification to rebuild structures like the Circus Maximus. Seating over one hundred thousand people, the existing Circus Maximus wasn’t big enough for Nero. So he had it burned along with most of the city and rebuilt it to give three hundred thousand spectators the opportunity to witness sporting events, gladiatorial bouts, and, eventually, Christians being thrown to lions.

Due to the immediate suspicion that he had a part in the fire, Nero knew he had to quickly find a scapegoat. He conveniently found one in the Christian community. “It’s not I who burned the city,” he said. “It’s these who speak of the unquenchable flames of hell.” Coupled with the absurd misconception that, due to their observance of Communion, Christians were cannibalistic, and combined with the fact that because Christians stressed love and purity, they were a threat to the rampant perversity of the day, the populace was eager to blame Christianity for their crumbling families and charred capital city.

Consequently, only months after Peter’s Epistle was penned, persecution would come that would result in the annihilation of six million Christians as they were lit as candles or fed to lions. So Peter addresses this issue as he writes to people who would be understandably vulnerable to confusion and depression as they questioned the reason for their relentless persecution.

Peter talks about the Trinity in verse two.

1 Peter 1:2 (a)
Elect…

Here in verse 2, Peter will refer to the Trinity at the very outset of his letter to remind his readers that they are a chosen community.

God sees the end from the beginning.

1 Peter 1:2 (b)
…according to the foreknowledge of God the Father…

Because God elected us before the world began, He sees us as already glorified. People look at us and they say, “Glorified? Them?!” The Father, however, knows better.…

Suppose you suddenly found yourself tumbling down a time tunnel, where you end up in the year 1992. There you are. The Gulf War has just ended. The country is celebrating victory. And with a 91 percent approval rating, George Bush is a shoo-in to be reelected president. If you find a bookie, and against unbelievably high odds, you place a bet that a governor from Arkansas will beat him in the upcoming election, you would walk away a rich man because you would have foreknowledge. Therefore, you would have put your money down not as a gamble, but with certainty because you would have known the outcome.

The same is true with the Father. He sees the end from the beginning. He understands what no other person can comprehend. He knows we are going to make it. As bad a bet as we might seem to ourselves or to others, as steep as the odds against us may be, He calls us already glorified. Therefore, we can approach Him boldly. We can enjoy Him intimately. We can ask of Him expectantly because we have been elected eternally.

What is sanctification in/through the Spirit?

1 Peter 1:2 (c)
…through sanctification of the Spirit…

For me, the sanctification of the Spirit took place not before the foundation of the world, but on a summer evening in 1957, when, in a little church called Calvary Temple, Pastor Kermit Jeffries was preaching about hell. Almost four years old, I wasn’t coloring or sleeping on my mom’s lap as I usually did in church, but was listening intently. I knew I needed to receive Jesus personally if I didn’t want to fry in hell eternally. When Pastor Jeffries gave an invitation, I was the first one down the aisle. That was the hour of my sanctification, my being set apart, my salvation.

We have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 1:2 (d)
…for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ...

As far as the Son is concerned, I was saved when, two thousand years ago on a hill called Calvary, He shed His blood to cleanse me. Like the thief hanging next to Him, a way was made for me to be with Him in paradise that very day (Luke 23:43).

Grace and peace, the siamese twins of the new testament.

1 Peter 1:2 (e)
Grace to you and peace be multiplied.

The usual Pauline greeting is “Grace and peace.” Peter seems to borrow this phrase of Paul’s, and then makes it his own.

Taken from Jon Courson's Application Commentary (1543). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson.

 

[Chaplain]

The differences between living hope and human hope.

1 Peter 1:3, 4 (a)
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away…

To these who are feeling discouraged, displaced, depressed, or in danger, Peter addresses the issue right away, saying, “We have a living hope based upon the resurrection of our Lord and Savior.”

Unlike living hope, human hope tends to get weaker and dimmer, and finally dies altogether the farther one goes down the road of life.

I was an awesome pitcher. As I stood in the street and pitched a tennis ball against my garage door, you wouldn’t believe my split finger fastball, my curve, my sinker. I knew even Hank Aaron would strike out if he ever faced me at the plate. Oh, I might go to the full count, but I would always come through—every single time. In my imagination, I pitched perfect game after perfect game as a nine-year-old. But it finally hit me about two years ago that, in reality, I’ll never pitch for the San Francisco Giants. Even if I practice really hard, I now know it’s just not going to happen. My hope that once shone so brightly is now gone altogether.

The same is true for all of us. As we go down the road of life, we check off more and more things we thought we would one day do or be. Regarding spiritual life, however, the opposite is true. The farther down the road we walk with Jesus, the more we realize our hope doesn’t lie on this earth, but in heaven. We don’t need to be a people who wrestle with midlife crises because our hope is not to make the San Francisco Giants or to make ten million bucks. Our hope is in heaven. And heaven’s getting closer every day.

For those that are scared of not making it to Heaven.

1 Peter 1:4 (b)
…reserved in heaven for you.

“Even if there is an inheritance reserved for me in heaven, it won’t do me any good if I never get there,” you say. “What if I don’t make it?” Read on.

1 Peter 1:5 (a)
Who are kept by the power of God…

We are kept by the power of God. It’s not us holding on to Him. It’s Him holding on to us.
“Hold on to Daddy’s hand,” I would say to my kids as we crossed the street. And they would. But if, out of forgetfulness or fatigue, they loosened their grip, it wouldn’t matter because, although they thought they were holding my hand, in reality, I was holding theirs—and I would never let go.

So, too, we think we’re holding on to the Lord, but in reality, He’s holding on to us. We’re kept by His power.

God is committed to seeing us make it through life and into Heaven.

1 Peter 1:5 (b)
…until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see.

A young man who was being hazed by a college fraternity was taken to a secluded spot where he was told to hold on to a knot at the end of a greased rope as his fraternity brothers lowered him into a dark well. Thinking they would pull him up after a few minutes, he was terrified to see them tie their end of the rope to the bar across the top of the well, leaving him suspended in midair.

This can’t be! he thought as he called for help. But none came. As he approached the fifteen-minute mark, his arms aching unbelievably, and his shoulders feeling as though they were on fire, he started to cry. Finally, after about twenty-five tortuous minutes, able to hang on no longer, he let go—and fell two inches—just as his fraternity brothers had calculated.

Isn’t that just like us? “Where are You, God? I don’t know if I’m going to make it,” we cry. We fret, blubber, and scream until we finally let go. And guess what we find. We discover that our Solid Rock, Jesus Christ, was there all along.

A bunch of us have burning shoulders and aching arms for absolutely no reason. We’re trying to hang on through our own efforts, by our own spirituality. We get disgusted with ourselves and worried we’re not going to make it. If we would just let go of the rope and rest in what Jesus did on the Cross of Calvary, we would realize it’s not our puny efforts that will see us through, but the power of God.

This is what Peter is telling the believers who, no doubt, were wondering if, when the temperature rose and persecution came down, they would be able to hang in there.

“I want you to know something,” Peter said. “You have an inheritance waiting for you that can’t be taken from you. You are kept by the power of God, and He is committed to seeing you through. All that remains for you to do is believe.”

Who wants a "smooth flight with a crash landing, or a bumpy flight with a safe landing"?

1 Peter 1:6
So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while.

You go to the United Airlines counter at the airport, and the ticket agent says, “Your flight to San Francisco is on time. There’s been some turbulence, but we absolutely guarantee that you’ll get there. Our plane is in great shape. Our pilot is fully qualified. You might experience a bump or two, but you’re going to get there just fine.”

“Hang on to my ticket,” you say as you make your way to a different ticket counter. “Are there any seats available for the flight to San Francisco?” you ask.

“You bet,” says the agent. “And we guarantee you’ll have a smooth ride. No bumps, no jolts, no airsickness. Guaranteed smooth sailing all the way. It’s the landing we’re not so sure about. You see, our landing gear is not working quite right, and we seem to have a problem with occasionally landing nose-first. Also, the brakes haven’t been serviced recently. But we guarantee the flight will be smooth—even if the landing is a little iffy.”

If you have to choose between a smooth flight with a crash landing, or a bumpy flight with a safe landing, you’ll no doubt opt for the bumpy flight.

There are those who say, “I don’t want trials. I don’t want to go against the world’s system. I don’t want to deal with all of those church disciplines you talk about. I just want smooth sailing.” They are fools, for although they might escape a bump or two presently, they’re ultimately headed for a fiery crash landing. On the other hand, those of us who presently deal with a bump or two along the way, will make a safe landing in heaven.

That’s what Peter will emphasize over and over throughout his epistle as he sets our sights on the big picture, on heaven.

Jesus said it best: “Seek the Kingdom of God[a] above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need” (Matthew 6:33).

The purpose of trials #1

1 Peter 1:7 (a)
These trials will show that your faith is genuine.

When they go through hard times or difficult days, people sometimes say, “I don’t see anything good coming out of this trial.” Does the Bible say, “We see all things work together for good to those who love God”? No. It says, “We know all things work together for good” (see Romans 8:28). We may not see things working together for good this month or this year or even in our lifetime. The Bible doesn’t say we see it. The Bible says we know it. That’s what Peter is reminding the believers to whom he is writing.

The purpose of trials #2

1 Peter 1:7 (b)
It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.

In likening faith to gold tried by fire, Peter reaches back to a statement made by a man who knew uniquely what it meant to go through trials and difficulties.

“But he knows where I am going. And when he tests me, I will come out as pure as gold." Job 23:10

In Bible times, when a man wanted to make something of fine gold, he would subject the ore to such intense heat that all of the impurities would be burned out. The goldsmith would know that the work was done when he could see the reflection of his own face in the liquefied gold.

The same thing is true with us. The Lord says, “I’ve got big plans for you, huge plans. I’ve got plans not for this life only, but for eternity. Therefore, I may need to turn up the heat a bit to work out the impurities. But My hand is on the thermostat. I know exactly what I’m doing. Although at the present moment, it might not be easy, you’ll thank Me for the next billion years to come because what I’m after is to see the reflection of My face in your life.”

Why?

God doesn’t want to see His reflection in our lives because He’s on some sort of an ego trip, but because He knows that although we may not realize it, what we really want is to be like Him. There are things in our lives that keep that from happening, so the way He deals with them is to turn up the heat a bit in order that we’ll come out of the fire stronger in faith and more like the Lord.

"…but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us." Romans 5:3-5

When you finally understand this, you’ll rejoice in difficulty rather than rebel because you’ll see it as a purifying process that will work wonderful things into your life. Tribulation works patience. When you’re going through difficulty, there’s not a lot you can do other than wait for the master goldsmith to finish the process. Patience, in turn works experience as we learn that God truly knows what He’s doing. Experience works hope—the absolute expectation of coming good.

The purpose of trials #3

1 Peter 1:8
You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy.

Not only do trials strengthen our faith in the Lord, but they deepen our love for the Lord. Although those to whom Peter was writing had never seen Jesus physically, such was not the case with Peter. Peter had not only seen Jesus daily in His humanity, but he had actually seen a sneak preview of His deity. Yet Peter’s joy was not unspeakable on the Mount of Transfiguration, for he merely said, “Lord, it is good for us to be here” (Matthew 17:4). Therefore, I suggest that even though Peter had beheld Jesus physically, those to whom Peter was writing would experience an even deeper love and keener perspective due to the trials they faced.

Certainly Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego found this to be true.

Inside a furnace seven times hotter than it had ever been heated, these guys were in a fiery trial indeed. Yet because a “fourth Man”—the Son of God—was in the fire with them, they didn’t come out of the furnace until they were commanded to do so (Daniel 3:26).

A lot of us are getting to the place where we say, “Lord, keep me in the fire continually if that’s what it takes for me to see You more clearly.”

“Your joy is unspeakable,” Peter says, “because you’ve seen Jesus in ways that far transcend seeing Him physically—even when He was transfigured in glory.”

The Spirit of Christ was within the Old Testament prophets.

1 Peter 1:9–11
The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls. This salvation was something even the prophets wanted to know more about when they prophesied about this gracious salvation prepared for you. They wondered what time or situation the Spirit of Christ within them was talking about when he told them in advance about Christ’s suffering and his great glory afterward.

“What you’re experiencing,” Peter says, “is something by which the prophets were intrigued, interested in, but couldn’t get a handle on.” You see, the prophets wrote about things they just couldn’t figure out, for they saw the glory of Psalm 2. However, they also saw the suffering of Isaiah 53. They saw the triumph on the Mount of Olives, where the returning Messiah will stand; but they also saw the blood on Mount Calvary upon which Messiah died. How can it be, they must have wondered, that He will be despised, rejected, and smitten; suffering, yet also ruling and reigning? This doesn’t make sense.

They saw Mount Calvary. They saw the Mount of Olives. But what they didn’t see was the valley between the two—a valley of about two thousand years. They didn’t understand that they were writing of two comings—that Messiah would come as a suffering Savior before returning as a conquering King.

Some today might say, “I hear all of the promises, but I don’t see any glory.” That’s because there’s a valley between them that might last a week, a month, a decade, a lifetime. But God’s plan is being unfolded nonetheless, for glory always follows suffering. Always.

Taken from Jon Courson's Application Commentary (1545). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson.