July 25, 2010

James 5: 7-20 

  Patience, Prayer, Restoration   

James

Dear brothers and sisters, you must be patient as you wait for the Lord's return.  Consider the farmers who eagerly look for the rains in the fall and in the spring.  They patiently wait for the precious harvest to ripen.  You, too, must be patient.  And take courage, for the coming of the Lord is near.

Don't grumble about each other, my brothers and sisters, or God will judge you.  For look!  The great Judge is coming.  He is standing at the door!

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.  Job is an example of a man who endured patiently.  From his experience we see how the Lord's plan finally ended in good, for he is full of tenderness and mercy.

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 for it.

Are any among you suffering?  They should keep on praying about it.  And those who have reason to be thankful should continually sing praises to the Lord.

Are any among you sick?  They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord.  And their prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make them well.  And anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven.

Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.  The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and wonderful results.  Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for the next three and a half years!  Then he prayed for rain, and down it poured.  The grass turned green and the crops began to grow again.

My dear brothers and sisters, if anyone among you wanders away from the truth, and is brought back again, you can be sure that the one who brings that person back will save that sinner from death and bring about the forgiveness of many sins.   

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Thoughts...

Good morning!  There are many thoughts that I have this morning relating to this mornings scripture, but I have decided to use the comments 'directly from the book', as it were.  I will be using the notes from the Life Application Bible New International Version.  They are as follows:

Chapter 5 Verse 7 & 8:  The farmer must wait patiently for his crops to grow; he cannot hurry the process.  But he does not take the summer off and hope that all goes well in the fields.  There is  much work to do to ensue a good harvest.  In the same way, we must wait patiently for Christ's return.  We cannot make him come back any sooner.  But while we wait, there is much work that we can [must!] do to advance God's kingdom.  Both the farmer and the Christian must live by faith, looking toward to the future reward for their labors.  Don't live as if Christ will never come.  Work faithfully to build his kingdom - the King will come when the time is right.  [As I've said before, your end time may come before THE end times.  Work hard at saying thanks to your Lord and Savior]

5:9  When things go wrong, we tend to grumble against and blame others for our miseries.  Blaming others is easier than owning our share of the responsibility, but it can be both destructive and sinful.  Before you judge others for their shortcomings, remember that Christ the Judge will come to evaluate each of us (Matthew 7: 1-5, 25: 31-46).  He wil not let us get away with shifting the blame to others.

5:10, 11  Many prophets suffered and were persecuted, such as Moses, Elijah and Jeremiah. 

5:12  A person with a reputation for exaggeration or lying often can't get anyone to believe him on his word alone.  Christians should never become like that.  Always be honest so that others will believe your simple yes or no.  By avoiding lies, half-truths, and omissions of the truth, you will become known as a trustworthy person.  

5:14, 15  James is referring to someone who is incapacitated physically.  In Scriputure, oil was both a medicine (see the parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:30-37) and a symbol of the Spirit of God (as used in anointing kings, see 1 Samuel (16:1-13). Thus Chrisitians should not separate the physical and the spiritual - Jesus Christ is Lord over both the body and the spirit.

5:14, 15  People in the church are not alone.  Members of Chrisit's body should be able to count on others for support and prayer, especialy when they are sick or suffering.  The elders should be on call to respond to the illness of any member, and the church should stay alert to pray for the needs of all its members.

5:15  "The prayer offered in faith" does not refer to the faith of the sick person, but to the faith of the people praying.  God heals, faith doesn't, and all prayers are subject to God's will.  But our prayers are part of God's healing process.  That is why God often waits for our prayers of faith before intervening to heal a person.

5:16  Christ has made it possible for us to go directly to God for forgiveness.  But confessing our sins to each other still has an important place in the life of the church.  (1)  If we have sinned against an individual, we must ask him or her to forgive us.  (2)  If our sin has affected the church, we must confess it publicly.  (3)  If we need loving support as we struggle with a sin, we should confess that sin to those who are able to provide that support.  (4)  If, after confessing a private sin to God, we still don't feel his forgiveness, we may wish to confess that sin to a fellow believer [Priest or Minister] and hear him or her assure us of God's pardon in Christ's kingdom, every believer is a priest to other believers (1 Peter 2:9). 

5:16-18  The Christian's most powerful resource is communion with God through pryaer.  The results are often greater than we thought were possible.  Some people see prayer as a last resort to be tried when all else fails.  This approach is backward.  Prayer should come first.  Because God's power is infinitely greater than ours, it only makes sense to rely on it - especially because God encourages us to do so.

5: 19, 20  Clearly this person who has wandered from the truth is a believer who has fallen into sin - one who is no longer living a life consistent with his or her beliefs.  Christians disagree over whether or not it is possible for people to lose their salvation, but all agree that those who move away from their faith are in serious trouble and need to repent.  James urges Christains to help backsliders return to God.  By taking the initiative, praying for the person, and acting in love, we can meet the person where he or she is and bring him or her back to God and his forgiveness.

5:20  The book of James emphasizes faith in action.  Right living is the evidence and result of faith.  The church must serve with compassion, speak lovingly and truthfully, live in obedience to God's commands, and love one another.  The body of believers ought to be an example of heaven on earth, drawing people to Christ through love for God and each other.  If we truly believe Gods' Word, we will live it day by day.  God's word is not merely something we read or think about, but something we do.  Believe, faith and trust must have hands and feet - ours!     

This is a powerful lesson today.  We expect that believers, all those in the church are perfect, and, in looking at others, we will see God and how we are to act....live.  But this lesson shows us that no one is perfect except God.  And that we should not be looking AT others as perfect, nor should we expect that the church is perfect when it is filled with mere human beings....us.  

When we look in the mirror, we should see a shining example of who Christ is in the world.  When we get to the end of a long day, we should be able to hear our Lord say, "Job well done, good and faithful servant."  And during that day, we should be reaching out to others who are hurt and suffering and seeking justice for those who cannot seek it for themselves.  We should be nurturing and loving.  Caring and dutiful to the needs of others.  It is only in giving that we receive, however, we should not give to receive, but give in thanksgiving to him who gave us life.

We are here for God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit and we are here WITH God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit.  Our role on earth is to serve them and others as they serve us....with love and compassion.  We are all called to be ministers of Christ, to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ, that he lives and he can live in us.  We are called to share with others who he is, that he is, and how wonderful he is.  We are called to be living members, and sacrifice, and be holy.  We are called to SHOW the world by our actions.  Would the world know God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit by who you are and what you do...and say?

This lesson today is not meant to beat upon those who are not perfect.  As I said, no one is perfect.  Certainly not me, for sure.  But can I, and can you, pray to the Savior for help to be a better person?  Yes, absolutely!  Can we all make better choices in our lives?  Can we stop worrying about what others think and start worrying about what God would think of how we act, and what we say, and do...and even think?   Should we?  OH, YA!  We MUST!  We must focus on what he would have us to do, and say, and think.

We must be a voice in the wilderness crying out that he is coming...in fact, he is here...and he saves!  We...all of us...who confess Jesus as Lord, must do all we can do, to do all we can, to be living members.  We must do this with patience, and much prayer, as we work to bring restoration to others in the world, as we, too, are being restored by the ever living ever loving God Almighty of Heaven and earth, Jesus, our Precious Lord and Savior, and Holy Spirit, our Comforter and Teacher.  Let us be a people who can say, "Let the redeemed of the world say so.  Let the redeemed of the world say so.  Let the redeemed of the world say so.  I'm redeemed!  I'm redeemed!  Praise the Lord!"  And let us be able to be believed by our testimony....how we live, how we act, what we say, what we do.  It is in this truth that others will find and begin to know our Lord and Savior...and he may become theirs.  This is, after all, why we are here...for the Trinity.  To show others how great thou art...how wonderful he is!      

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Let Us Pray

Dear Heavenly Father God Almighty, Jesus, my Lord and Savior, and Holy Spirit, my Comforter and Teacher, please forgive me.  I have not honored you in thought word and deed.  I have not loved you and my neighbors with my whole heart.  I am greviously sorry and I humbly repent.  Truth lies within me, if you are in me.  Love is within me, if you are in me.  I am grateful to know you and have all that lies within that is of you.  But if anything is within me that is not of you, remove it now, please.  Now Holy Spirit, fill me to overflowing all those areas left void by Satan and his assigns leaving, so he may not enter those areas again.  I want to be a living member of the Body of Christ.  I want others to see you through me.  I want to know I have shown myself approved.  That I am worthy of your love and you live and love not in vain.  Help me to step into the world in faith showing you that I perfectly love you, and in doing so, worthily magnify your holy name.  Help me to have patience with others..and myself.  Help me to heartily pray the prayers of an earnest person who desires nothing more than that the world know you as I do.  And Lord, please, help me to restore others on the path of righteousness for your name's sake.  Let me not do it for any vainglory, but only for you, to enlarge the family of God.  To remind those from whence they come that they can live... and live abundantly...in your arms....the arms of love.  A love who loved us first.  Oh, Lord, that I would know how much you love me.  That I may feel your arms of love about me.  That I may once again, see your face.  I know you live.  I know you live in me.  I praise you God, Jesus and Holy Spirit!  May I always honor you with my mind as I think, my eyes as I see, my mouth as I speak, my heart as I love, my arms as I embrace in your name for and with you.  Thank you for loving me.  Thank you for always being there for me.  Help me convey to others that you will do the same for them.  Help me show them by who I am, and how I present myself, who you are and how wonderful you are...that they may want you in their lives as well.  Only when they have accepted you as their Lord and Savior will I know that 'this could be the start of something big' in their lives, as the song says.  Let me be able to water others and be able to watch some of them grow.  Let me hope with prayer that they will be ready for the harvest on their last day.  In the meantime, help me be ready for your harvest, Lord.  Help me, along life's way.  Help me to not stumble and fall, but I know, that if I do, because I have not been fully focused on you, that you will be there to pick me up and brush me off to help me start all over again.  You are wonderful!  Thank you so very much for loving me the way you do.  And for forgiving me for any sins I may have committed knowingly or unknowingly.  Help me please to achieve eternal life with you...help me be ready when the last trumpet sounds.   I love you...thank you.  Amen.  

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NOTE:  Todays lesson concludes 2 years of reaching out to the masses.  I hope to always be able to continue to minister to those of you needing to be fed.  I want to thank you all for being my silent prayer partners throughout the last 2 years and ask you to not stop now.  The world is hungry.  The workers are few.  Please feel free to share this website or any message therein with anyone who you know might need a hug.  Know that my heart is with all of you as you step out in faith daily.  I will uplift you to the Trinity...that you might be part of the harvest!  May you continue to grow in the love and grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Please read the benediction below and be embraced by it.  If you read it daily, you will be reminded that your calling is to walk with him and talk with him, grow in love and grace, and spew forth all you have learned as you grow, while bringing others into the family of Christ.  May we all gird up each other, as we lift each other to the Trinity.  May the peace of God be with you always...even til the end of time.  Thank you.     

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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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