Category Archives: James

The AA Secret

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James 4:7
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
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I have frequently heard folks quote (and I am embarrassed to say many times when I heard it quoted it was me that was speaking) the second half of this verse but ignore the first half. “Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” Clearly that is not true unless you add the first half – Submit yourself to God.

While resisting the devil is a positive thing, it only draws upon my strength. I may resist a temptation for a period of time – there is a power of man’s soul that is amazing in its resilience and durability – but each of us have a breaking point. Eventually our own inner strength will falter, weaken and fail. That is why it is vital we start by submitting, coming under, the power and authority of God if we expect to have authority over temptation.

Victory over starts with coming under.

One of the reasons Alcoholics Anonymous has seen so many lives transformed is because it acknowledges the need for a power beyond ourselves to defeat temptation and the devil.

Are you struggling with anger, jealousy, dealing with greed or a temptation to steal, fighting immoral thoughts, trying to free yourself from an illicit relationship or other mental bondage. The first step to final victory is not just to “buck it up” and get over it. The first step is to come humbly to God, submit yourself to Him, recognizing your own inability to win this battle alone. (If you could have won it you would have won it by now. You need outside help.) Submit yourself to His will. Come under His authority which also puts you under His power and draw upon His strength for resisting the devil.

It is amazing how, when we come under his authority (and stay there) we get a new perspective on everything. The situation we were angry over isn’t nearly as bad as we thought it was when we think of the injustice done to Him. The pull of greed or illicit “love” (lust in disguise) seems so weak and foolish when its darkness is exposed to the light of truth.

As an old chorus says, “Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face … and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace.”
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James 4:8-10
Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

[photo credit]

Don’t get mad … get even?

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Proverbs 19:11
A man’s wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense.
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Overlook an offense? That can be hard to do – especially if you have a strong sense of justice, of right and wrong, of fairness and equity. When we overlook an offense the offender gets off easy, they don’t have to “pay” for their offense, rather the offended one takes the brunt, absorbs the loss, pain or hurt.

But Scripture makes it clear that believers are to be people of forgiveness. “Judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!” (James 2:13)

A little girl was being berated unjustly by an adult. He was wagging his big finger in her face, falsely accusing her and telling her what a bad child she was. After his tirade, she looked at him and gently said, “You must be having a bad day.”

Wow! When I heard that story, I thought, “I hope someday I can be as mature as that little girl.” She didn’t let the injustice infect her. Rather than turning inward or becoming defensive or going on the attack, this young lady saw the need of the other person. Even while being abused she could consider others, their needs, their hurts, their pain. How so perfectly like Jesus. “Father forgive them” – not because they have asked for it or earned it or even deserve it. In the midst of His pain He reached out to others.

It is to our glory to overlook an offense because it makes us look so much like our Heavenly Father. Some day I want to be like that little girl, like my Lord. Today is the day I can start.
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Psalm 119:165-166
Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.

Colossians 3:13
Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

God’s Foreknowledge

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Acts 1:20 [speaking of Judas and how he betrayed the Lord]
“For it is written in the book of Psalms,  ‘Let his homestead be made desolate, and let no one dwell in it’; and, ‘let another man take his office.’

The Conundrum:
“If Adam’s sin was all part of God’s plan then his disobedience was actually fulfilling God’s will and therefore, not really sin.”  Can it be sinful to do the will of God?  In the same way here, it was prophesied that Judas would deny the Lord.  This was part of God’s plan of salvation for mankind and yet Judas is condemned for carrying out God’s plan.  Doesn’t that seem unjust?  The answer isn’t really that difficult to understand.

It should be obvious it is never God’s will that man sin.  God doesn’t even tempt us to sin (James 1:13).  But God understands our hearts.  He knows and remembers what we are made of – dust.  Through His foreknowledge of future events and His complete understanding of our hearts, it is not difficult for Him to foretell our actions.  Just as a parent can often predict which child will obey and which will disobey,  God, who knows the hearts of all men, was able to predict how Adam would respond and Judas’ behavior.  The idea of God knowing the hearts of me is even referred to later in this same event when deciding who would take Judas’ place.   “And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all men, … Acts 1:24.

They were praying, Lord, just as you knew the heart of Judas and were able to predict his failure, you know the heart of these candidates to take his place.  In your foreknowledge, guide this selection process and help us choose one who will not fail.

Finally, does God’s foreknowledge mean he is responsible for the actions that He predicts? Not anymore than the weatherman is responsible for the rain when he predicts it.  Knowing what will happen, even if it is a certainty, is not causal.  I know for certain the sun will rise tomorrow but certainly I cannot claim to have made it come up because I know that it will happen.  No, man is still left to follow the nature of his own heart and reap the reward or consequences of following it.
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Hebrews 4:13
Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable.

How to beat the devil

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Luke 4:13 – When the devil had finished every temptation, he left (Jesus) until an opportune time.
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You know Satan wanted to stay on top of Jesus 24/7 tempting and attacking Him.  But after a period of intense temptation Satan left Him alone.  Clearly Satan didn’t want to leave Jesus alone but the Bible promises that if we will do two things the devil has to get out of our face – 1. Submit to God and 2. Resist the devil (James 4:7)  . Certainly he doesn’t do that by choice but he must flee.  If the devil is constantly knocking at your door and never goes away, something is wrong – either on the submission side or on the resisting side.

Yes, there will be seasons in our life when we will be under greater demonic assault. Note that though only three short temptations are recorded in the story in Luke it says Jesus was tempted the entire 40 days. But as Jesus submitted Himself to God and resisted the devil he eventually had to flee.

If you are in an intense time of temptation don’t forget it will not last forever and there is a bright hope at the end of it all. Matthew 4:11 tells us that after this time of temptation, when Jesus was victorious over the devil, angels came and ministered to him.  That is cool because it tells us that God was watching the whole time.  Jesus did not go through this alone and neither will you.  He is watching, cheering you on.  Submit to Him.  Resist the devil.  Reach out and find friends to help you fight the old serpent.

When the devil flees you will find a new power in your life, too.  Luke 4:1 tells us Jesus went into this time of testing filled with the Spirit but He came out in the power of the spirit (v. 14).  This testing will result in new power to glorify God with your life.  Like lifting weights, resistance builds muscle so resist the devil!

Stand strong soldier! This temptation will pass.
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James 4:6-7 
“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” [7] Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

1 Peter 1:6-7
In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. [7] These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

How can I get closer to God?

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The topic of drawing closer to God and living in a place of intimacy with Him is certainly not a “hot topic” in the church today. Sadly many of us are so busy seeking His hand (what he can do for us) that we have forgotten how to seek His face (to know His identity).

How can I get closer to God? James 4 offers four suggestions.
James 4:4-8

4 You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely?  
Spend time with God, focusing on Him – which requires leaving the distractions of the world behind.  You can’t spend endless hours watching TV, playing video games, shopping, drinking coffee with friends, and expect to develop a closer relationship with God. (vs. 4,5)  

6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”  
Be honest, genuine, real, humble – no false religious facades when talking with Him. If you are upset, tell Him so.  It is not like He doesn’t already know what is in your heart.  David was amazingly honest with God in the Psalms.  Apparently, He likes that. (v. 6) 

7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Resist the lies Satan will tell you: “You are too far gone.  God won’t forgive you – again.” Submit yourself to the truth in God’s Word.  (Which of course means you have to spend time in His Word.)  (v. 7) 

8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
Be prepared to get cleaned up in actions (hands) and attitude (heart) but this happens as you come near to God.  Notice, it says come near and then the washing and purifying are to be done.  Notice, too, that as you take a step toward God He will not turn away.  Rather, He will also come toward you.  (Think of the picture of the father of the prodigal son rushing to embrace his lost and rebellious son.) (v.8)  

If you wait until you have your life all cleaned up before you approach God, you will never “come near” to Him.  In fact, if you could clean up your own life, you would not need Him at all.  You can begin to draw close to Him today. 
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Jeremiah 29:13-14
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, …

What’s so wise about that?

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James 1:5-8
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.
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There is a difference between doubt and unbelief. Faith is on one end of the spectrum and Unbelief is on the other end. Between these two extremes is doubt – which produces wavering, tossed back and forth. Therefore, even “believers” can be doubters but this passage exhorts us to “not doubt” – indicating it is a choice we can make.

But note, while it is appropriate to apply this passage to believing God in many areas, in context it is specifically saying when we ask for wisdom we must believe God will give it and not doubt.

In my experience that is because often when we ask for wisdom and receive it we don’t realize we have received it. Often the “wisdom from God” comes naturally, and often does not seem so wise. God’s counsel often seems very natural, normal, common sense.

In the past, when I have prayed for wisdom I expected some amazing insight that had never been thought before. Usually, however, His wisdom was common sense, in accordance with Scripture I was familiar with. There is a tendency then to doubt we received anything – “what’ so wise about that?” But when we ask, we must believe that we have received and move out in accordance with what we understand to be God’s will, way and timing, even if it doesn’t seem wise or profound.
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James 3:17
But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.

Peddling the Word

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2 Corinthians 2:17
Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as those sent from God.

Philippians 1:15-18
15 It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. 16 The latter do so out of love, … 17 The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, … 18 But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice.
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I used to wonder how you could “preach Christ out of selfish ambition”, “out of envy and rivalry”, with “false motives”. Going into ministry is not usually thought of as a road to fame and fortune although it obviously is lucrative for some today. Apparently in Paul’s day, too, you could “peddle the word of God for profit”.

The longer I’ve been at this pastoring thing the more I’ve seen a subtle temptation that can lead to “selfish ambition” and “peddling the word of God”. When you have been blessed, like I have, to pastor wonderful and gracious people they frequently encourage you, tell you how much God has used you to help them and generously express their love and appreciation. It is tempting to begin to look for those strokes, live for them and long for them. Suddenly you are ministering to meet a need in you instead of allowing God to meet the needs of others through you – selfish ambition. Slowly you can even begin to believe you are as wonderful as people say you are. Because you are so awesome you “deserve” things the average person would consider excessive. We could all point to modern examples of ministries where avarice and greed are justified, even touted as God’s stamp of approval.

The Holy Spirit, through Paul, was glad the gospel was being preached even if the motives were impure so I will be too BUT, I certainly don’t want to be one “peddling the word” or preaching out of wrong motives. I want to, in Christ “speak before God with sincerity, as those sent from God” ministering “out of love” for God and others. I am often, very often, reminded of a little story, can’t vouch for how true it is, that has helped me in this area.

When Woodrow Wilson was elected President of the United States, a close friend came to him with these words, “Woody, now that you have been elected President, you are going to have lots of people around you telling you what a great man you are. Just remember, you and I know better.”

While I am grateful for sweet folks who will share how God has used me to bless them and I am always greatly encouraged when I hear such a report (so keep them coming 🙂 but if something inside starts believing “I am awesome!” I remind myself, “God and I (and my wife) know better.”.

Stay humble. Stay sweet. Stay useable.
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James 4:6
… God sets himself against [the] proud, but gives grace to [the] lowly.

God WILL Give Us More Than We Can Handle

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1 Corinthians 10:13
No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.
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Based on this passage I’ve heard people say “God won’t give us more than we can handle”. I’ve heard it applied to struggles in relationships, finances, health, most any area of life that can be overwhelming. Not only does this verse NOT promise that “God won’t give us more than we can handle”, it actually says the opposite.

Paul, the apostle who wrote this, was given more than he could handle. In 2 Corinthians 1:8 he says that while ministering in Asia “We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure …” so God will allow more to come into our lives than we can handle. Why? Paul explains that in the next passage.
“This happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.”. God will regularly “give us more than we can handle” so we can learn to trust Him and not our own strength.

But this passage does not even say God will limit the power of temptation in our lives to something we can handle. It does say that when an overwhelming temptation comes He will provide a way of escape. The way we “bear” up under the temptation is by taking the way of escape.

The conclusion: Though God may not send the overwhelming trials nor the temptations into our lives (James 1:13) He WILL definitely allow us to experience more than we can handle so we learn to flee temptation and learn to trust Him in times of stress.
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Matthew 26:41
“Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”