June 27, 2010

James 3: 13-18 

  Wisdom And Love From God  

James

If you are wise and understand God's ways, live a life of steady goodness so that only good deeds will pour forth.  And if you don't brag about the good you do, then you will be truly wise!  But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your hearts, don't brag about being wise.  This is the worst kind of lie.  For jealousy and selfishness are not God's kind of wisdom.  Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and motivated by the Devil.  For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and every kind of evil.  

But the wisdom that comes from heaven 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 partiality and is always sincere.  And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of goodness.   

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Thoughts...

If you are wise and understand God's ways.....how do you do this?  You do this by going to the Bible and learning about who God is and what his ways are.  You do this by asking him and listening for him to answer you.  Once you do this....you will know what a life of steady goodness is and how to live it.  And only good deeds should pour forth from you.  

Notice that the very next sentence says, 'if you don't brag about the good you do...'.  How appropriate that this comes next.  God knows us in the core of our being.  He knows that intrinsically we will want to tout our stuff, show off, toot our horn, tell others how wonderful we are by what we have done or are doing.   He qualifies true wisdom by saying if we do NOT do this, we will be 'truly wise'.  Humble, too, I might add.  And it takes a really good person to be humble.  It takes a lot of pain to get there usually, too.   

"But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your hearts, don't brag about being wise.  This is the worst kind of lie.  For jealousy and selfishness are not God's kind of wisdom.  Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and motivated by the Devil.  For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and every kind of evil."

There is a type of person that seems to know all things, and attacks others for their knowing.  They seek to be the all powerful Oz.  They are the type that are jealous, selfish, want to have all the authority, throw their weight around to prove they are in control and always need to have the last word.  They will instigate by seeking information to destroy others to prove they, not another, have the right to be in control and are all knowing.  They will speak of humility and not clearly understand it.  They will lord over people in the name of the one true Lord.  They are constantly in a power struggle in an attempt to gain the top spot on the mountain or insure the place they have is secure.  These people are insecure.  They are insecure in all phases of their life.  They are not secure in the Lord or they would know we are all equal in his sight. That no one of his children should be or will be treated differently than another, nor should we treat others that way.  They have not grasped that we are all one body and though each of us may have different gifts, we may also have the same gifts, and all are to share equally in those gifts.  No one is better than another.

I am going to excerpt certain verses from 1 Corinthians 12, but please take the time to read this in its entirety so you can grasp the fullness of the meaning.  Here are those excerpts:  "The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up only one body.  So it is with the body of Christ." (v. 12)  "But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we have all received the same Spirit." (v. 13b)  "But God made our bodies with many parts and he has put each part just where he wants it." (v. 18)  "Yes, there are many parts, but only one body." (v. 20)  "In fact, some of the parts that seem weakest and least important are really the most necessary." (v. 22)  "This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other equally.  If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.  Now all of you together are Christ's body, and each one of you is a separate and necessary part of it." (v. 25-27)

Paul goes on to say these things in 1 Corinthians 13 and 14:  "If I could speak in any language in heaven or on earth, but didn't love others, I would only be making meaningless noise like a loud gong or a clanging cymbal." (v. 1)  "If I didn't love others, I would be of no value whatsoever." (v. 3b)  He says, "It's like this:  When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child does.  But when I grew up, I put away childish things." (v. 11)  "Now we see things imperfectly as in a poor mirror, but then [when we get to heaven] we will see everything with perfect clairty.  All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God knows me now." (v. 12) 

Paul admonishes us to "Let love be your highest goal."  To this, I say, "Aim high!"

We must strive for love and wisdom.  Paul says "Love is patient and kind.  Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude.  Love does not demand its own way.  Love is not irritable, and it keeps not record of when it has been wronged.  It is never glad about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.  Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance."   

James tells us above in James 3 how to recognize wisdom:  "But the wisdom that comes from heaven 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 partiality and is always sincere.  And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of goodness.   

Is anybody perfect?  No.  Should we strive for things that are of God?  Yes!  In addition to what you've learned above, let me share more, some of which you have already read, if you are a regular on this site, or, if you have earnestly sought and read the word of God you may have come across it and embraced it already.  You may have even heard it from your Pastor at one time or another.  Paul tells us in Galatians 5: 22:   "But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us:  love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control." 

In Ephesians 6: 10-18 we are told:  "A final word:  Be strong with the Lord's mighty power.  Put on all of God's armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies and tricks of the Devil.  For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms.  Use every piece of God's armor to resist the enemy in the time of evil, so that after the battle you will still be standing firm.  Stand your ground, putting on the sturdy belt of truth and the body armor of God's righteousness.  For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News, so that you will be fully prepared.  In every battle you will need faith as your shield to stop the fiery arrows aimed at you by Satan.  Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God.  Pray at all times and on every occasion in the power of the Holy Spirit.  Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all Christians everywhere."      

Let me conclude the quotes with Solomon from Ecclesiastes 8:1a & 12b):  "How wonderful to be wise."  "I know that those who fear God will be better off."

Let us strive to know God, Jesus and Holy Spirit.  Let us strive for wisdom from God.  And let us strive to love as he loves.  Will you make the choice to go to him today and ask him to help you?  I know he will answer you when you call.  Will you answer him when he calls?  How will you answer him?  Have you asked him fully into your heart?  Have you accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior?  Are you living a life to show that you are approved as such?  Would God know you as his, if you went to heaven today?  Are you listening to the wrong people?  Should you instead be listening to God?   Should you be testing what you do hear to see if it aligns with what you know about others, and, most especially, with what God says about another, or a life situation?  Is it time to make some better choices and apologize to God for your errors in judgment?  Is it time to reunite your heart, mind, body and soul with the ever living ever loving God, Jesus and Holy Spirit?  

Today, right now, take the time to pray with me and bow down in humility to the Savior.  Ask him to forgive you of your sins, errors.  Ask him to come into your heart anew and renew your relationship with him.  Don't worry about 'the' end times, worry because any breath may be 'your' end time.  Peace.        

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Let Us Pray

God, Jesus, Holy Spirit, I confess that I have sinned against you and others in thought, word, and deed, by what I have done and what I have left undone.  I have not loved you or them with my whole heart.  Nor have I always sought truth first.  Please forgive me.  I want to love as you love and be as wise as you are using discernment from you, Holy Spirit.  Help me please.  Cleanse me from anything that is not of you, and fill me to over flowing, that I might be able to fully love you and others, and worthily magnify your Holy Name.  Jesus I want you as my Lord and Savior and I need you to show me how to best love you and show you that indeed YOU are Lord of my life, not me.  I want to show myself approved.  Help me to find time to read your word more and receive the fullness of you, Holy Spirit, that I may fully enact your word.  Help me to take action as you call me.  Help to not expect you to answer me rapidly, unless I manage to answer you rapidly.  Improve me to approve me.  I have been wrong and I have been right.  Others have been wrong and others have been right.  Help me, and them, to recognize what is of you and what is of Satan.  Satan kills, steals, and destroys.  He causes and reaps havoc, turmoil, chaos and confusion.  Knowing this, let me and others be more cautious and look to you for strength and truth.  Help me show to others what you have taught me, to seek truth and love, and share that with you....not attack others with hearsay or twisted untruths, as I have been attacked.  And to do so gently with humility.  God, Jesus, Holy Spirit, 'let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me'.  My cheek has been turned so many times that my head has spun around and around and around and around.  I know there are others who feel this way, too.  Heal them Father, and then heal me, too, please.  Thank you.  You are the Lord of Heaven and Earth.  'And I long to worship you.'   Alleluia.  Let peace reign supreme!  Alleluia.  I love you God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit.  Thank you....very much.  Amen.                 

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More love.... 

  Benediction...Blessing

Let us hear from Paul as he prays:  

When I think of the wisdom and scope of God's plan, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth.  I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will give you mighty inner strength through his Holy Spirit.  And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts as you trust in him.  May your roots go down deep into the soil of God's marvelous love.  And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love really is.  May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it.  Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

Now glory be to God!  By his mighty power at work within us, he is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope.  May he be given glory in the church and in Christ Jesus forever and ever through endless ages.  Amen.  Ephesians 3:14-21 NLT         

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Scroll down to read Jesus' Prayer of Thanksgiving...'The Unforced Rythms of Grace'.

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Definition of a Christian:  Anyone who believes in God, Jesus and Holy Spirit, and accepts Jesus as Lord and Savior.  Regardless of church name or religious affiliation.  

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If you feel that the Church of the Holy Spirit has inspired or helped you, we'd like you to prayerfully consider tithing regulary to us or gifting us, so that we can further the work and carry out the will of the Father as proclaimed in Matthew 28:16 NLT

 to

 "Go and make disciples out of all the nations

baptising them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you.  And be sure of this:

I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

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  Our Current Cause

It is time to reach into the community and the world around you to see wherein lies the greatest need.  As you choose to focus on these areas, do so with a servant's heart.  Whether the need is for children, adults, or animals, or any cause in between that will help those in need, ask God how you can best serve his needs, what path you must take, and how long you should persevere.  Sometimes we are to be in the lives of others merely as stepping stones.  Sometimes we are to touch those lives forever.  Whatever journey you are called to take, whatever team you will be a member of, know this:  God is with you always...even til the end of time.  He loves you, is grateful for you, and will help you along life's way, especially if you are helping others along theirs, persevering with a servant's heart. 

Please accept my sincerest thanks....and God's....and may God richly bless you!   

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    One last thing....

 Jesus' Prayer of Thanksgiving

'The Unforced Rythms of Grace'

"Abruptly Jesus broke into prayer:  "Thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth.  You've concealed your ways from sophisticates and know-it-alls, but spelled them out clearly to ordinary people.  Yes, Father, that's the way you like to work."

Jesus resumed talking to the people, but now tenderly.  "The Father has given me all these things to do and say.  This is a unique Father - Son operation, coming out of Father and Son intimacies and knowledge.  No one knows the Son the way the Father does, nor the Father the way the Son does.  But I'm not keeping it to myself; I'm ready to go over it line by line with anyone willing to listen."

"Are you tired?  Worn out?  Burned out on religion?  Come to me.  Get away with me and you'll recover your life.  I'll show you how to take a real rest.  Walk with me and work with me - watch how I do it.  Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.  I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn how to live freely and lightly.

   Matthew 11:  25-30

  The Message

And the people said,

"Amen."

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I now write most prayers in the position of ' I ' (first person) because most people are sitting at their computer alone, not in groups, and it allows those reading and praying to personalize the prayer as coming from them going to God.  Variations may appear on holidays when families may wish to use the prayer provided.

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Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996.  Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189.  All rights reserved.

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