Jas 5:10 Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.
We are to look at the prophets, the Apostles, we have to look at the men and women of the Bible as examples. We are foolish if we refuse to look at their lives and understand that they ARE examples for us. An example is something you look at to know what something else should be like. If you're giving an example on how to do something you are to follow that example and do what the example shows you. We are to do as the disciples alive when Jesus walked the earth did. We are to be as they were. Can we be exactly like them? No. We can't be exactly like them because we live in totally different times. However, we must be like them in our passion, our compassion, our love, our attitudes. The Bible gives us so much instruction and if we ignore it then we are fools.
Right here in this verse we are being told we have examples to follow- examples in SUFFERING AFFLICTION and PATIENCE.
We will suffer!
We need patience in that suffering.
When we read of the lives of the Apostles we must do so with the understanding we are to expect our lives to be no different. We aren't going to suffer less. We aren't going to be given special exemptions from suffering and if we think we are then we are in for a rude awakening. We are called to comprehend.
We are to suffer.
Honestly, if our Savior suffered why in the world would we think we should not have a life of suffering?
There are so many ways of suffering too. Maybe we don't have men trying to find reasons to kill us for something we say they don't agree with, in fact most of us don't, but we have different types of suffering.
We have to suffer through big things and many, many little things. When we stop and wonder why we suffer, all we have to do is look at the Apostles, look at our Savior and know that we suffer because we are called to do so. We live in a world that is as far from perfect as it can be and with things so messed up there is going to be that much more suffering.
At the beginning of the book of James we were told this…
Jas 1:2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
Jas 1:3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
Jas 1:4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
We cannot forget this EVER!
We will suffer but there is joy, the joy of the love found in our Savior.
May we learn from the examples given to us, learn and understand our lives as followers of Christ.
Please Lord bless us, help us to look at the examples You have provided for us and as we look at those examples Lord help us to follow them, know they followed You and we too would be Yours wholly and completely Yours.
All by Your grace, through Your love!
Amen.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Saturday, January 21, 2012
The JUDGE stands before the door.
Jas 5:9 Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door.
Grudge not.
Murmur not, complain not.
What's it mean to be a complainer? Seriously, what does it say about a person when they complain about others? What's that complaining accomplishing? Is complaining- loving?
That's it right there, isn't it. Complaining is not speaking highly of someone but belittling them for whatever reason a person has- even one they might feel is totally justified. When we belittle anyone it's not love- right? How can it be? So many people have warped beliefs- they think their belittling is constructive criticism and therefore acceptable. They believe that as long as their intentions are not to truly harm another that it's all well and good to complain about them, it's not as if they're telling actually lies or anything. Voicing our opinions is something we've been taught is perfectly acceptable and it doesn't matter who it harms because after all it's just our opinion right, and we're entitled to have that opinion. Yet where does love come into play here, in all this?
Do NOTHING that you would NOT want done to you.
And once more you'll get people who claim they'd love to have you give them constructive criticism and if it takes on the form of belittling oh well, they can handle it. But then often when you do just that they're the first to take real offense and want to 'get back' at you for making them feel the way you did.
Does anyone truly long to be murmured against? Does anyone truly crave belittling? Again I hear choruses of yes, there are freakish people who love that and pay people to degrade them. While that is true - would we call that healthy? Seriously, would we call that normal? We actually call it deviant behavior because it goes against the mores of society and those mores are created from what is most commonly believed. Is it safe to say there are people in every single family that want to be degraded? No. I don't think so. I think it might be more common than I'd like to believe but it's still not the majority. There are scandals started from such behavior when prominent people in society are found to have committed such deviant behavior.
'Grudge not one against another' - murmur not, complain not. We are not to utter a single word against another person that we would not turn around and want to have uttered against us in a similar situation, if not exact.
Imagine for a moment that you are talking with Jesus and Jesus says something like this- "Yes, he's a very lazy person, and the way he clothes himself is disgraceful. Did you see the way he eats with his mouth open and wipes his hands on his clothes? And he didn't even thank me when I gave him a meal."
Seriously, could you even imagine our Savior talking like that?! Maybe it's true the man is lazy, maybe it's true that the clothes the man wears are disgraceful and yes, he does eat with his mouth open and wipes his dirty fingers on his clothes. And mostly like the man never ever thought once to thank Him when he was fed. All of it is truth, but can you imagine Jesus speaking like that?
Just because something might be true of another person does that give us the right to speak against them? To disparage them? To murmur and complain against them? We want to have the right because we are so incredibly prone to speaking about others like this, and if we have the right then all is well and good but the truth of the matter is- we do NOT have the right no matter how true the facts are. When we choose to speak complaints- however true of another we are speaking in a way our Savior would never speak. Compassion is LOST when we choose to speak out in complaining, murmuring ways. We lose a lot of our compassion when we speak, and that compassion is born out of love for our fellow man. The complaining, the murmuring does NOTHING constructive whatsoever. Voicing our complaints against others has NO good result, NONE. It's like talking for the sake of hearing your own voice without edifying anyone and when we talk that way it bears nothing good, nothing of love. We can try and fool ourselves that we only speak out of love, but the truth is, we are speaking to hear ourselves speak and the devil loves when we do that.
The words that come from our mouths should be ALWAYS uplifting, always working for the good of God's love. We ought to be ashamed of ourselves when we speak ill of others NO MATTER HOW MUCH TRUTH there is in what we are saying.
Jas 5:9 Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door.
WE WILL BE CONDEMNED by our own words.
With what measure…
Mat 7:1 Stop judging, so that you won't be judged.
Mat 7:2 For with the judgment you use, you will be judged. And with the measure you use, you will be measured.
Jesus' words!
With ever word we utter against another we are being measured against those words. Our lack of compassion is being measured. Our lack of love for our fellow man is being measured. When we are judged by the same standards we judge with we will mourn our foolishness, we will lament our lack of compassion, our lack of love.
'The JUDGE stands before the door.'
The Judge knows, the Judge is there listening to our every word.
Please God, please help us to pray that You'll keep the door to our lips which speak so often grudgingly, murmuring, complaining against others. Please Lord help us! We are so incredibly prone to speak from our self-centeredness and not from love. Help us, Lord, without You we have no hope whatsoever, no hope. Change our vile selfish hearts, Lord, PLEASE. Lord, You have the power to change our hearts, You and You alone can bless us and take our wickedness and forgive us, cleansing us, changing us. Please Savior, save us from ourselves, from our own wickedness we are inclined towards.
All in Your love!
All through Your grace!
All in Your mercy!
All through Your righteousness Lord!
All by Your forgiveness!
Amen!
Grudge not.
Murmur not, complain not.
What's it mean to be a complainer? Seriously, what does it say about a person when they complain about others? What's that complaining accomplishing? Is complaining- loving?
That's it right there, isn't it. Complaining is not speaking highly of someone but belittling them for whatever reason a person has- even one they might feel is totally justified. When we belittle anyone it's not love- right? How can it be? So many people have warped beliefs- they think their belittling is constructive criticism and therefore acceptable. They believe that as long as their intentions are not to truly harm another that it's all well and good to complain about them, it's not as if they're telling actually lies or anything. Voicing our opinions is something we've been taught is perfectly acceptable and it doesn't matter who it harms because after all it's just our opinion right, and we're entitled to have that opinion. Yet where does love come into play here, in all this?
Do NOTHING that you would NOT want done to you.
And once more you'll get people who claim they'd love to have you give them constructive criticism and if it takes on the form of belittling oh well, they can handle it. But then often when you do just that they're the first to take real offense and want to 'get back' at you for making them feel the way you did.
Does anyone truly long to be murmured against? Does anyone truly crave belittling? Again I hear choruses of yes, there are freakish people who love that and pay people to degrade them. While that is true - would we call that healthy? Seriously, would we call that normal? We actually call it deviant behavior because it goes against the mores of society and those mores are created from what is most commonly believed. Is it safe to say there are people in every single family that want to be degraded? No. I don't think so. I think it might be more common than I'd like to believe but it's still not the majority. There are scandals started from such behavior when prominent people in society are found to have committed such deviant behavior.
'Grudge not one against another' - murmur not, complain not. We are not to utter a single word against another person that we would not turn around and want to have uttered against us in a similar situation, if not exact.
Imagine for a moment that you are talking with Jesus and Jesus says something like this- "Yes, he's a very lazy person, and the way he clothes himself is disgraceful. Did you see the way he eats with his mouth open and wipes his hands on his clothes? And he didn't even thank me when I gave him a meal."
Seriously, could you even imagine our Savior talking like that?! Maybe it's true the man is lazy, maybe it's true that the clothes the man wears are disgraceful and yes, he does eat with his mouth open and wipes his dirty fingers on his clothes. And mostly like the man never ever thought once to thank Him when he was fed. All of it is truth, but can you imagine Jesus speaking like that?
Just because something might be true of another person does that give us the right to speak against them? To disparage them? To murmur and complain against them? We want to have the right because we are so incredibly prone to speaking about others like this, and if we have the right then all is well and good but the truth of the matter is- we do NOT have the right no matter how true the facts are. When we choose to speak complaints- however true of another we are speaking in a way our Savior would never speak. Compassion is LOST when we choose to speak out in complaining, murmuring ways. We lose a lot of our compassion when we speak, and that compassion is born out of love for our fellow man. The complaining, the murmuring does NOTHING constructive whatsoever. Voicing our complaints against others has NO good result, NONE. It's like talking for the sake of hearing your own voice without edifying anyone and when we talk that way it bears nothing good, nothing of love. We can try and fool ourselves that we only speak out of love, but the truth is, we are speaking to hear ourselves speak and the devil loves when we do that.
The words that come from our mouths should be ALWAYS uplifting, always working for the good of God's love. We ought to be ashamed of ourselves when we speak ill of others NO MATTER HOW MUCH TRUTH there is in what we are saying.
Jas 5:9 Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door.
WE WILL BE CONDEMNED by our own words.
With what measure…
Mat 7:1 Stop judging, so that you won't be judged.
Mat 7:2 For with the judgment you use, you will be judged. And with the measure you use, you will be measured.
Jesus' words!
With ever word we utter against another we are being measured against those words. Our lack of compassion is being measured. Our lack of love for our fellow man is being measured. When we are judged by the same standards we judge with we will mourn our foolishness, we will lament our lack of compassion, our lack of love.
'The JUDGE stands before the door.'
The Judge knows, the Judge is there listening to our every word.
Please God, please help us to pray that You'll keep the door to our lips which speak so often grudgingly, murmuring, complaining against others. Please Lord help us! We are so incredibly prone to speak from our self-centeredness and not from love. Help us, Lord, without You we have no hope whatsoever, no hope. Change our vile selfish hearts, Lord, PLEASE. Lord, You have the power to change our hearts, You and You alone can bless us and take our wickedness and forgive us, cleansing us, changing us. Please Savior, save us from ourselves, from our own wickedness we are inclined towards.
All in Your love!
All through Your grace!
All in Your mercy!
All through Your righteousness Lord!
All by Your forgiveness!
Amen!
Friday, January 20, 2012
Be patient- unto the coming of the Lord
Jas 5:7 Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord.
Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.
Jas 5:8 Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.
Be patient.
Being patient means waiting for something, yes? Can you have patience if you're not waiting for anything? I can have patience waiting in a line. I can have patience waiting in a doctor's office. I can have patience waiting for a package to arrive. I can have patience as I'm listening to someone- waiting for my own turn to speak. I can have patience as I wait for someone to learn a task they're not familiar with. When someone has patience with me, they're exhibiting that patience because they're waiting for me to even find comprehension of something they're saying. Patience is indicative of waiting, of endurance.
To be patient unto the coming of the Lord means to endure the waiting for our Lord calmly. We lack patience when we are waiting in distress, upset when what we wait for isn't coming to pass. Patience is persevering.
2Pe 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
Some men think it is slackness concerning the promise Jesus made to return. That Jesus hasn't return promptly enough.
This is part of the Webster's definition of slackness-
'Remissness; negligence; inattention; as the slackness of men in business or duty; slackness in the performance of engagements. Slowness; tardiness.'
Unlike a set appointment time, we know the Jesus will return- not the when. We cannot truly say He is slack in His promise when we were never given an actual time, right? Some who are impatient will count Jesus slack- they'll say He's remiss, He's negligent, He lack attention towards His promise, He's slow, He's tardy. We look at the state of the world and can't imagine what is keeping Him from fulfilling His promise. We look, just as the Apostles looked and thought the exact same thing. They wanted Him to return in their time. The Apostles looked at their corrupt world and desperately wanted Jesus to return. They DIDN'T count Him slack though because they trusted He would fulfill that promise just as He said He would and He wouldn't come a moment sooner. They trusted that no matter how awful their world became, no matter how awful their own personal situation and the situation of those around them, that Jesus in love would return and not delay out of anything even remotely considered slacking. Jesus is LONGSUFFERING - Jesus endures the agony along with all His chosen- suffering along with them- not wanting a single person that would be His to be lost, not one. Jesus will not return a moment too soon, He will be right on time, His time, the time He's appointed- knowing that all who would be saved are save, and those that would be lost are lost and beyond saving by their own choice.
Jas 5:7 Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord.
Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.
Jas 5:8 Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.
Anyone who has done any gardening of produce understands that you cannot rush the process of growth, of maturity, of bringing forth the fruit, ripe to the picking. Sure you can add various nutrients, supplements, chemicals and what not but in the end the process is not shortened considerably. A seed germinating and springing forth does so in its appointed time. The growth of the vine, the stalk, the plant all takes time. The appearance of the flowers to pollinate will not be forced against time. The growth of the fruit all takes time. The stuff of science fiction and fairy tales has a seed planted and full grown, bringing forth fruit in a single day- that is not reality. There is a process and as it is with these plants needing their early and latter rain- Jesus' return is a process and NOT to be rushed because we desire Him to return selfishly. Our desire should be our Savior's desire, that He not return until all who will come to Him have come to Him- not a single one is left out.
We must be patient unto the coming of the Lord.
Our hearts must be establish in that patience, knowing the Lord's coming is a REALITY, it is INEVITABLE and not something we dare forget.
By the grace of God we will be establish in our hearts- patient unto the soon coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!
In HIS LOVE!
By HIS MERCY!
HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS!
Amen.
Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.
Jas 5:8 Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.
Be patient.
Being patient means waiting for something, yes? Can you have patience if you're not waiting for anything? I can have patience waiting in a line. I can have patience waiting in a doctor's office. I can have patience waiting for a package to arrive. I can have patience as I'm listening to someone- waiting for my own turn to speak. I can have patience as I wait for someone to learn a task they're not familiar with. When someone has patience with me, they're exhibiting that patience because they're waiting for me to even find comprehension of something they're saying. Patience is indicative of waiting, of endurance.
To be patient unto the coming of the Lord means to endure the waiting for our Lord calmly. We lack patience when we are waiting in distress, upset when what we wait for isn't coming to pass. Patience is persevering.
2Pe 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
Some men think it is slackness concerning the promise Jesus made to return. That Jesus hasn't return promptly enough.
This is part of the Webster's definition of slackness-
'Remissness; negligence; inattention; as the slackness of men in business or duty; slackness in the performance of engagements. Slowness; tardiness.'
Unlike a set appointment time, we know the Jesus will return- not the when. We cannot truly say He is slack in His promise when we were never given an actual time, right? Some who are impatient will count Jesus slack- they'll say He's remiss, He's negligent, He lack attention towards His promise, He's slow, He's tardy. We look at the state of the world and can't imagine what is keeping Him from fulfilling His promise. We look, just as the Apostles looked and thought the exact same thing. They wanted Him to return in their time. The Apostles looked at their corrupt world and desperately wanted Jesus to return. They DIDN'T count Him slack though because they trusted He would fulfill that promise just as He said He would and He wouldn't come a moment sooner. They trusted that no matter how awful their world became, no matter how awful their own personal situation and the situation of those around them, that Jesus in love would return and not delay out of anything even remotely considered slacking. Jesus is LONGSUFFERING - Jesus endures the agony along with all His chosen- suffering along with them- not wanting a single person that would be His to be lost, not one. Jesus will not return a moment too soon, He will be right on time, His time, the time He's appointed- knowing that all who would be saved are save, and those that would be lost are lost and beyond saving by their own choice.
Jas 5:7 Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord.
Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.
Jas 5:8 Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.
Anyone who has done any gardening of produce understands that you cannot rush the process of growth, of maturity, of bringing forth the fruit, ripe to the picking. Sure you can add various nutrients, supplements, chemicals and what not but in the end the process is not shortened considerably. A seed germinating and springing forth does so in its appointed time. The growth of the vine, the stalk, the plant all takes time. The appearance of the flowers to pollinate will not be forced against time. The growth of the fruit all takes time. The stuff of science fiction and fairy tales has a seed planted and full grown, bringing forth fruit in a single day- that is not reality. There is a process and as it is with these plants needing their early and latter rain- Jesus' return is a process and NOT to be rushed because we desire Him to return selfishly. Our desire should be our Savior's desire, that He not return until all who will come to Him have come to Him- not a single one is left out.
We must be patient unto the coming of the Lord.
Our hearts must be establish in that patience, knowing the Lord's coming is a REALITY, it is INEVITABLE and not something we dare forget.
By the grace of God we will be establish in our hearts- patient unto the soon coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!
In HIS LOVE!
By HIS MERCY!
HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS!
Amen.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Rich men weep
Jas 5:1 Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.
Jas 5:2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten.
Jas 5:3 Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.
Jas 5:4 Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth.
Jas 5:5 Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter.
Jas 5:6 Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you.
Remember this…
Mat 19:23 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Mat 19:24 And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
What is it about riches that corrupt us? Can a person be rich and be uncorrupt? I believe they can but it's a very rare thing. Helping others, doing for others what you would like done to you, all but demands that the riches be shared- yes? Helping those in need, tending to the needs of the poor. Jesus would rather we put our treasures in heaven- not here on earth. When we become rich we tend to accumulate 'things', and those 'things' become our treasures don't they? If your home caught fire (God forbid) but if it did and everything inside it was destroyed, how long would you mourn the loss of the things you possessed- beyond the things of what we call necessities?
I've been cleaning out our garage where we store a lot of things and in the process of cleaning I've been able to go through what I call- baby boxes- my children's and my own. Inside those boxes are the things of memories. I'd take out a little bank statue of Mickey Mouse I bought when I went to Disney World in 1976 with my family and I was only 13 years old, and the memories would come flooding back. Or I'd pick up a little ABC Ceramic child's bank belonging to my son and I'd smile with the memories of him being a baby. I'd open notebooks and read some of the things my children wrote when they were little and the smiles they would bring to my face were too numerous to count. Things that provoke memories- things that would be irreplaceable if lost but things that will NEVER have the same thought-provoking moments for another person. After I'm gone and my children inherit my things they'll hold up the stuff monkey I was given when I was six months old for my first Christmas and it will mean nothing to them, maybe that's a little harsh, it will mean very little to them. And once they have children and those children inherit things- if my things are even kept by my children- those things will have even less meaning, finally other than being really, really old things worthless to anyone but me, those possessions those treasures will be completely meaningless. If I lost all my possessions I'd lose a lot of memory provoking things, and yes, a few things of monetary value but not much. Yet a rich man who possesses much-has a lot of money tied up in the things he possesses and in affect he loses money if he loses his possessions. If we tie our affections to the things of this earth we are NOT tying our affections to heavenly things.
How real is heaven to us? How real is life everlasting to us?
Is there any wonder we are told rich men will suffer?
Jas 5:1 Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.
Jas 5:2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten.
Jas 5:3 Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.
Jas 5:4 Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth.
Jas 5:5 Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter.
Jas 5:6 Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you.
The earthly riches mean nothing as they are selfishly bought and selfishly held fast to. NO one can take their riches with them into heaven when our Savior comes. No one who is blessed enough to receive the miracle of salvation will want to bring any earthly riches to heaven.
So while we long to have riches enough to live in what we call a comfortable manner without having to worry about paying bills and such, we have to comprehend that we are truly blessed in being able to understand that things are just things and life is more than mere riches.
We are blessed in not being rich, we really, really are but it's so incredibly hard to believe as we struggle with our finances.
Please Lord, help us to trust in You in all things, including in the riches we do possess and if they are mostly spiritual riches help us to know that heavenly treasures are those that really matter most. Please Lord, help us.
In Your Love LORD, Your LOVE!
Amen.
Jas 5:2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten.
Jas 5:3 Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.
Jas 5:4 Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth.
Jas 5:5 Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter.
Jas 5:6 Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you.
Remember this…
Mat 19:23 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Mat 19:24 And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
What is it about riches that corrupt us? Can a person be rich and be uncorrupt? I believe they can but it's a very rare thing. Helping others, doing for others what you would like done to you, all but demands that the riches be shared- yes? Helping those in need, tending to the needs of the poor. Jesus would rather we put our treasures in heaven- not here on earth. When we become rich we tend to accumulate 'things', and those 'things' become our treasures don't they? If your home caught fire (God forbid) but if it did and everything inside it was destroyed, how long would you mourn the loss of the things you possessed- beyond the things of what we call necessities?
I've been cleaning out our garage where we store a lot of things and in the process of cleaning I've been able to go through what I call- baby boxes- my children's and my own. Inside those boxes are the things of memories. I'd take out a little bank statue of Mickey Mouse I bought when I went to Disney World in 1976 with my family and I was only 13 years old, and the memories would come flooding back. Or I'd pick up a little ABC Ceramic child's bank belonging to my son and I'd smile with the memories of him being a baby. I'd open notebooks and read some of the things my children wrote when they were little and the smiles they would bring to my face were too numerous to count. Things that provoke memories- things that would be irreplaceable if lost but things that will NEVER have the same thought-provoking moments for another person. After I'm gone and my children inherit my things they'll hold up the stuff monkey I was given when I was six months old for my first Christmas and it will mean nothing to them, maybe that's a little harsh, it will mean very little to them. And once they have children and those children inherit things- if my things are even kept by my children- those things will have even less meaning, finally other than being really, really old things worthless to anyone but me, those possessions those treasures will be completely meaningless. If I lost all my possessions I'd lose a lot of memory provoking things, and yes, a few things of monetary value but not much. Yet a rich man who possesses much-has a lot of money tied up in the things he possesses and in affect he loses money if he loses his possessions. If we tie our affections to the things of this earth we are NOT tying our affections to heavenly things.
How real is heaven to us? How real is life everlasting to us?
Is there any wonder we are told rich men will suffer?
Jas 5:1 Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.
Jas 5:2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten.
Jas 5:3 Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.
Jas 5:4 Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth.
Jas 5:5 Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter.
Jas 5:6 Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you.
The earthly riches mean nothing as they are selfishly bought and selfishly held fast to. NO one can take their riches with them into heaven when our Savior comes. No one who is blessed enough to receive the miracle of salvation will want to bring any earthly riches to heaven.
So while we long to have riches enough to live in what we call a comfortable manner without having to worry about paying bills and such, we have to comprehend that we are truly blessed in being able to understand that things are just things and life is more than mere riches.
We are blessed in not being rich, we really, really are but it's so incredibly hard to believe as we struggle with our finances.
Please Lord, help us to trust in You in all things, including in the riches we do possess and if they are mostly spiritual riches help us to know that heavenly treasures are those that really matter most. Please Lord, help us.
In Your Love LORD, Your LOVE!
Amen.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
To know good and not do good is sin
Jas 4:16 But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.
Jas 4:17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.
We boast that we have tomorrow when the truth is, it is in God's hands. We boast, not saying God's will be done, but ours and this is evil. When we are surrounded by news of vile murderers, thieves, rapist, child molesters, we tend to lose sight of evil in what we consider the 'small' things. Boasting is evil though, it really is. Our boasts are filled with self-centeredness, self-exultation, and so often we don't even realize it. We make assumptions and that is the last thing we should be doing, assuming. Yes, we must live our lives planning for our futures here and now but we have to do that with God's will in mind. We have to understand fully that any plans we make are subject to His acceptance, His approval, and out of LOVE He will guide our lives in ways we cannot begin to understand. We need to desire God's will for us in all things. Do I want to go out to the garage tomorrow and continue cleaning? Yes. And if it's God's will that's exactly what I'll be doing. Do I want my children to continue their education? Yes. And if it's God's will that's exactly what will happen. Do I want my husband to continue to heal and his back surgery be completely successful so that he's able to walk without his legs buckling? Yes. And if it's God's will this will happen. We do NOT stop desire things, we do NOT stop our arranging and planning, but we have to stop boasting about a tomorrow we might not even have. We have to stop living our lives outside of full acceptance of God's will.
We know to do good.
If we do not do good then we sin.
Choosing not to do good, choosing to abstain from doing good, excusing ourselves from doing good is SIN.
Remember sin is the transgression of the law and it is the law that we love God and love one another.
When we do good it is for a purpose. When we are presented with numerous situations throughout our life we have a choice to either do good or evil. We have to believe this is real, our reality. Those choices we make and some of them everyday, are made for good or evil. If we KNOW to do good and don't do that which is good then we are choosing to do evil. If we choose to do evil it is sin.
We need to repent of our sins. We need to repent when we choose not to do good.
By the grace of God may we choose good over evil, may we choose God over Satan, may we choose life over death. Please Lord, help us to know good and to do good in Your name, by Your grace, through Your mercy and love, all by Your righteousness. On our own we are nothing, nothing at all.
Help us Lord.
Save us.
Jas 4:17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.
We boast that we have tomorrow when the truth is, it is in God's hands. We boast, not saying God's will be done, but ours and this is evil. When we are surrounded by news of vile murderers, thieves, rapist, child molesters, we tend to lose sight of evil in what we consider the 'small' things. Boasting is evil though, it really is. Our boasts are filled with self-centeredness, self-exultation, and so often we don't even realize it. We make assumptions and that is the last thing we should be doing, assuming. Yes, we must live our lives planning for our futures here and now but we have to do that with God's will in mind. We have to understand fully that any plans we make are subject to His acceptance, His approval, and out of LOVE He will guide our lives in ways we cannot begin to understand. We need to desire God's will for us in all things. Do I want to go out to the garage tomorrow and continue cleaning? Yes. And if it's God's will that's exactly what I'll be doing. Do I want my children to continue their education? Yes. And if it's God's will that's exactly what will happen. Do I want my husband to continue to heal and his back surgery be completely successful so that he's able to walk without his legs buckling? Yes. And if it's God's will this will happen. We do NOT stop desire things, we do NOT stop our arranging and planning, but we have to stop boasting about a tomorrow we might not even have. We have to stop living our lives outside of full acceptance of God's will.
We know to do good.
If we do not do good then we sin.
Choosing not to do good, choosing to abstain from doing good, excusing ourselves from doing good is SIN.
Remember sin is the transgression of the law and it is the law that we love God and love one another.
When we do good it is for a purpose. When we are presented with numerous situations throughout our life we have a choice to either do good or evil. We have to believe this is real, our reality. Those choices we make and some of them everyday, are made for good or evil. If we KNOW to do good and don't do that which is good then we are choosing to do evil. If we choose to do evil it is sin.
We need to repent of our sins. We need to repent when we choose not to do good.
By the grace of God may we choose good over evil, may we choose God over Satan, may we choose life over death. Please Lord, help us to know good and to do good in Your name, by Your grace, through Your mercy and love, all by Your righteousness. On our own we are nothing, nothing at all.
Help us Lord.
Save us.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
If the Lord wills
Jas 4:13 Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:
Jas 4:14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.
Jas 4:15 For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.
If the Lord wills.
If the Lord wills we will live.
If the Lord wills we will live and do all that we do.
How can we truly believe we have control over our lives? We believe that though, we really do. We make our plans and when they fall through we get upset. When they're successful we boast as if we were truly the force behind that success.
The very breath we breathe is given to us by God and yet we lay claim to that as well don't we? We live because we choose to do so. We live because we choose not to end our lives. We live because we were born- something out of our control but something that was in the control of our parents- beings like us who made the choice to have us. Because we are allowed to make choices we believe we are in control of all things and that's not true. God gave us the breath of life no matter what anyone says. God put the beat in our hearts. Yes, sometimes that breath isn't there for long, and sometimes our hearts only take a few beats and the tragedy of life ending is awful but our God- who knows the beginning and end of all things has reasons for it all that we cannot begin to understand, not in the least. We want to yell and scream that it's not fair and if there is a God He must hate us etcetera but the truth is, we HAVE to admit God knows things of eternity and we haven't a clue. God lives in the realm of the eternal and His understanding isn't our understanding. We have to TRUST, we have to have FAITH, and only then can we truly live in God's will without wanting our own will done all the time, without expecting our own wills to be paramount in all things- good and yes, even bad.
Faith calls for us to live for God's will, not our will.
When we say God's will be done we have to mean it, we have to believe it, we don't have to like it especially if it's something causing us pain, but we must accept it and continue to love the God who knows our eternity.
We ought to say-
If the Lord wills.
Let's make plans, let's make choices, let's make decisions but in ALL we do let us say first- IF THE LORD WILLS.
We must try this, really we must because for far too long we've been totally bent on having our own will done.
We need God's will to be done- we need to desire God's will to be done, not ours. We need to give our lives to God- our lives we live right now and the lives we will live for eternity.
God's will.
Let us accept His will, not fight it, not rebel against it, not hate it, but choose to accept His will in all things.
ALL BY HIS GRACE! All through HIS righteousness! All through HIS power!
ALL IN HIS LOVE!
Amen.
Jas 4:14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.
Jas 4:15 For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.
If the Lord wills.
If the Lord wills we will live.
If the Lord wills we will live and do all that we do.
How can we truly believe we have control over our lives? We believe that though, we really do. We make our plans and when they fall through we get upset. When they're successful we boast as if we were truly the force behind that success.
The very breath we breathe is given to us by God and yet we lay claim to that as well don't we? We live because we choose to do so. We live because we choose not to end our lives. We live because we were born- something out of our control but something that was in the control of our parents- beings like us who made the choice to have us. Because we are allowed to make choices we believe we are in control of all things and that's not true. God gave us the breath of life no matter what anyone says. God put the beat in our hearts. Yes, sometimes that breath isn't there for long, and sometimes our hearts only take a few beats and the tragedy of life ending is awful but our God- who knows the beginning and end of all things has reasons for it all that we cannot begin to understand, not in the least. We want to yell and scream that it's not fair and if there is a God He must hate us etcetera but the truth is, we HAVE to admit God knows things of eternity and we haven't a clue. God lives in the realm of the eternal and His understanding isn't our understanding. We have to TRUST, we have to have FAITH, and only then can we truly live in God's will without wanting our own will done all the time, without expecting our own wills to be paramount in all things- good and yes, even bad.
Faith calls for us to live for God's will, not our will.
When we say God's will be done we have to mean it, we have to believe it, we don't have to like it especially if it's something causing us pain, but we must accept it and continue to love the God who knows our eternity.
We ought to say-
If the Lord wills.
Let's make plans, let's make choices, let's make decisions but in ALL we do let us say first- IF THE LORD WILLS.
We must try this, really we must because for far too long we've been totally bent on having our own will done.
We need God's will to be done- we need to desire God's will to be done, not ours. We need to give our lives to God- our lives we live right now and the lives we will live for eternity.
God's will.
Let us accept His will, not fight it, not rebel against it, not hate it, but choose to accept His will in all things.
ALL BY HIS GRACE! All through HIS righteousness! All through HIS power!
ALL IN HIS LOVE!
Amen.
Monday, January 16, 2012
Speak Not evil of one another
Jas 4:11 Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.
Jas 4:12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?
We have to answer only for ourselves, right? I can't answer for anyone else. I can't know the thoughts, the feelings, the ideas, the intricacies, the secrets, the heart of another. Not even the two closest people in the world could know all that, it's just not possible with us. We are limited by our inability to know all there is to know about another person. For many years, probably too numerous to count, people have been trying to find ways to understand each other more completely. Scientists have tried many experiments with the hope of gaining insight into the thoughts of others. In the end of it all the only one we have all the insight to is ourselves. So while we can see what others do and try to base our conclusions of them on what we see, we will never know it all, it's impossible. When we judge we are making assumptions about others. We might witness a person's vile temper first hand and pass judgment on them, when the truth is we do NOT know where their anger comes from, not the real deep down reason. We judge based on what we see, we pass judgment on people and we have to realize we have NO right to do so, no right at all because we cannot know them as God alone can know them.
When we presume to know enough to judge we do put ourselves in great danger, spiritual danger because we are trying to assume the role of God and that is wrong, extremely wrong. We are not God and we will NEVER be God and to try to assume the role of God in judging another we are breaking His law.
God alone is our lawgiver.
God alone is able to save eternally.
God alone is able to destroy eternally.
Who do we really think we are when we judge? Why do we feel we have a right to judge others? Why? Maybe because we feel as if we are judged that we learn to judge. If we feel as if others are judging us we in turn come to believe that judging is a good thing, or rather an acceptable thing. God forgive me for finding it all to natural to judge others based on what I know of them. It's not right and I have to learn that it is not right. I can make judgments on actions committed, I have to do that, but I cannot judge another person, I have no right.
That ol' 'He who is without sin cast the first stone' comes into play, doesn't it? How do we dare to judge others when we are so imperfect and easily judged and found wanting.
May God help us learn to stop judging others, that it is wrong to speak evilly of others no matter how deserving we assume in our finite, and very limited understanding, that they are. We cannot know their hearts! We cannot know their reasoning! We cannot know the walk God has for them to follow. We cannot understand the trials and chastening that God is using upon others, that is for Him and Him alone to determine.
Help us Lord to understand that when we speak evil of others we are speaking wrongly because we are not You and You alone know the end from the beginning, You alone know the heart.
Please Lord help us to do Your will in all things and to know we are not judges, You are judge.
In Your amazing name, in Your amazing love always!
Amen.
Jas 4:12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?
We have to answer only for ourselves, right? I can't answer for anyone else. I can't know the thoughts, the feelings, the ideas, the intricacies, the secrets, the heart of another. Not even the two closest people in the world could know all that, it's just not possible with us. We are limited by our inability to know all there is to know about another person. For many years, probably too numerous to count, people have been trying to find ways to understand each other more completely. Scientists have tried many experiments with the hope of gaining insight into the thoughts of others. In the end of it all the only one we have all the insight to is ourselves. So while we can see what others do and try to base our conclusions of them on what we see, we will never know it all, it's impossible. When we judge we are making assumptions about others. We might witness a person's vile temper first hand and pass judgment on them, when the truth is we do NOT know where their anger comes from, not the real deep down reason. We judge based on what we see, we pass judgment on people and we have to realize we have NO right to do so, no right at all because we cannot know them as God alone can know them.
When we presume to know enough to judge we do put ourselves in great danger, spiritual danger because we are trying to assume the role of God and that is wrong, extremely wrong. We are not God and we will NEVER be God and to try to assume the role of God in judging another we are breaking His law.
God alone is our lawgiver.
God alone is able to save eternally.
God alone is able to destroy eternally.
Who do we really think we are when we judge? Why do we feel we have a right to judge others? Why? Maybe because we feel as if we are judged that we learn to judge. If we feel as if others are judging us we in turn come to believe that judging is a good thing, or rather an acceptable thing. God forgive me for finding it all to natural to judge others based on what I know of them. It's not right and I have to learn that it is not right. I can make judgments on actions committed, I have to do that, but I cannot judge another person, I have no right.
That ol' 'He who is without sin cast the first stone' comes into play, doesn't it? How do we dare to judge others when we are so imperfect and easily judged and found wanting.
May God help us learn to stop judging others, that it is wrong to speak evilly of others no matter how deserving we assume in our finite, and very limited understanding, that they are. We cannot know their hearts! We cannot know their reasoning! We cannot know the walk God has for them to follow. We cannot understand the trials and chastening that God is using upon others, that is for Him and Him alone to determine.
Help us Lord to understand that when we speak evil of others we are speaking wrongly because we are not You and You alone know the end from the beginning, You alone know the heart.
Please Lord help us to do Your will in all things and to know we are not judges, You are judge.
In Your amazing name, in Your amazing love always!
Amen.
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