Wednesday, March 25, 2015

3-25-2015 Vol. 10 Part 6 The Book of James (James 2:10-17)

To Print Out The Lesson Click On The Title Below.

Proverbs 1:10-19 My son, if sinners entice you, Do not consent.  11 If they say, "Come with us, Let us lie in wait to shed blood; Let us lurk secretly for the innocent without cause;(WOW, does this sound like gang activities or what? In Chicago innocent people are being killed in their vehicles.)  12 Let us swallow them alive like Sheol, And whole, like those who go down to the Pit;  13 We shall find all kinds of precious possessions, We shall fill our houses with spoil;  14 Cast in your lot among us, Let us all have one purse"— 15 My son, do not walk in the way with them, Keep your foot from their path;  16 For their feet run to evil, And they make haste to shed blood.  17 Surely, in vain the net is spread In the sight of any bird;  18 But they lie in wait for their own blood, They lurk secretly for their own lives.  19 So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain; It takes away the life of its owners.
Father God, through the workings of your Holy Spirit reveal to us our shortcomings pertaining to our Faith. Help us to become more Holy like You! In Jesus name we pray, Amen!
Book of James 2:10-17 NKJV
This lesson has two points but both are base on the object of our Faith. Verses 11-13 address keeping the law, judgment, and liberty within the law. Verses 14-17 is about faith and works and how they go hand in hand. If our Faith is not in the Cross of Christ then our existence in eternity will not be a pleasant existence.
10  For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.
As I present this verse think about this. You are hanging over the Grand Canyon by a chain. You are shackled to it so your strength of grip has nothing to do with you falling to your death. The many links in the chain represent a law of God (The Law of Moses or any law of God for that matter.). It only takes one link to be broken (Breaking of one law.) and you plunge to your death.
This paragraph and the next one pertain to the unsaved individual. You see one law is as much binding as another, and if a man violates any one plain commandment, he disregards the authority of God. He is then guilty of violating the law of God and shows that he does not have the true spirit of obedience. Therefore he has exposed himself to the penalty of the law, and made it impossible now to be saved by it. His acts of obedience in other respects, no matter how many, will not screen him from the charge of being a violator of the law, or from its penalty. He must be held and treated as a transgressor for that offence, however upright he may be in other respects, he must meet the penalty for the law he broke. NOTE: Many people live their life with the idea that as long as they try to obey the laws, as did the Jews, they are okay in Gods eyes. It only took one sin of disobedience by Adam and Eve to be thrown out of the Garden.
As an example let’s say a person steals a vehicle and is caught. This person will have to go to court and on trial for this act of theft. During the trial this person pleads with the judge that he is a good person and has never broken any other laws. The judge makes this statement; I don’t care about your past, you were caught stealing a vehicle and that is what you are on trial for. It doesn’t matter how upright a person is in general, the law holds them as a transgressor, and condemns the person. God can only accept perfection. That means we cannot break any law whatsoever. His Righteousness and His Holiness will allow no less. So what do we do?
Consequently, our faith in Him, gives us all of His great victories. In other words, faith in Christ and what He did on the Cross, guarantees us every single victory won by our Lord, and because we are the reason that He came. Fully placing our trust in Him, and what He did for us at the Cross, grants us His perfection in totality. In other words, whereas we were once lawbreakers, we are now law-keepers.
As believers, as long as we keep looking to Christ, trusting in His great Sacrifice, we need not worry about the law, because it’s already been handled by Jesus; however, if we willfully take our faith away from the Cross and put it in other things, then we fall back under law, which poses a tragedy for us!
So you see it is by Faith that a person is Saved! There are many laws out there besides the Ten Commandments that humans try to abide by for salvation, or should I say place their faith in for salvation, not that these things are bad, but salvation is not possible by them like; going to church on Sunday or a Holiday; infant baptism; once saved always saved; communion, fasting at certain times of the year, etc. Some people believe it is a grave sin not to do these things because they are living with their faith in the dogma of a denomination; they are living under the confines of keeping law. Here is an example of living by law and placing faith in law to be saved. Acts 15:1 And certain men came down from Judea and taught the brethren, "Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved." By placing our faith in religious dogma, salvation cannot be obtained.
We are saved by Faith in Jesus Christ in what He did on the Cross for us. Ephesians 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God. Romans 5:8-11 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.  10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.  11 And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.
11  For He who said, "DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY," also said, "DO NOT MURDER." Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.
James goes on with this verse to clarify verse 10. It is pretty plain and easy to understand and with what has been said for the previous verse, a non-believer should take this to heart pertaining to achieving eternal life in Heaven. They should evaluate their lifestyle and what object they have their faith in for salvation. Without Faith in the life saving blood of Jesus, a person is a transgressor in God’s eyes, the Judge!
Some Christians use these verses to justify sinning, because they say I can't keep every demand of God, so why even try? So they justify their actions and lifestyles comparing themselves to other people and say I’m better than he or she because I don’t do those things. We can't decide to keep part of God's law and ignore the rest. An unsaved person can't break the law a little bit and expect mercy from God come judgment day. God is Holy and Righteous and that is why we need the blood of Jesus Christ to cover us and blot out our sinfulness in God’s eyes. Measure yourself, against God's standards, not someone else’s. Confess your sinfulness, ask for forgiveness, and then ask Jesus to send His Spirit to you to take up residence in your heart to help you stay faithful to Him. Admit you need Him!
Some people don’t understand what the covering of Jesus blood does to a person. When we look in a mirror our image is reflected back to us where we see all of our physical imperfections. The other thing we see is flesh; sinful flesh; walking, talking, breathing living flesh that is tainted with the sin nature; a human being that cannot keep every law like Jesus Christ did. It is Jesus pure spotless blood that covers us when we accept Him as our Saviour, and then when God looks at us through the mirror from the back side, the only thing visible to God is a holy created being that He created; there is no reflection of sinful flesh. So every morning when you start your day and you are looking in the mirror, ask yourself this, do I want God to be looking at me from the back side of the mirror or the reflecting side of the mirror as I go about my daily activities?
12  So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty.
Rephrasing this verse it would read like this; So whatever you say or whatever you do, remember that you will be judged by the law that sets you free.
So speak and so do as those who will be judged; This judgment spoken of here is the Judgment Seat of Christ that all Born Again Christians will face. It is a judgment of rewards in how we conducted ourselves here on earth; our speech, actions, works, etc. Are we living according to the Word of God? 1 Corinthians 3:11-15 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.  12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw,  13 each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is.  14 If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward.  15 If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
Born Again Christians will not answer for sin at the Judgment Seat of Christ because when they repented and asked Jesus into their life, they were redeemed by the blood of Jesus at the Cross. They were justified in God’s eyes and God sees His Son Jesus when He looks at them.
If what a Christian claims in the Lord doesn’t change their tongue, their demeanor, their nature, and their actions, then a claim is all they have, and not reality. The major imprint of the Gospel is that it changes people. So if there is no change, there is no Gospel in that person, and they are fooling themselves.
By the law of liberty; What is this law of liberty? These two words “law” and “liberty” don’t seem to go together, but they do. God created this world and rules it, through a system of laws, laws that He has devised and perfected. His plan of Salvation for humanity is based on laws. What confuses us is that when we think law we are thinking of the Law of Moses. Have you ever thought of God’s plan of Salvation as laws?
For instance, Paul speaks of “the law of Faith” (Romans 3:27). And then we have “the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:2). There is also “the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:2). Then we have “the Law of God” (Romans 7:25). And then the “Law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2). In fact, every single thing that God does is according to a Law which He has devised. If men break those Laws, men suffer the consequences.
As it regards “liberty,” God has a Law, or means by which liberty can be enjoyed. If we abide by that particular law, which incidentally is “the law of Faith,” we will reap the benefits of that which is promised. In fact, every single Law of God must be approached from the position of Faith. If we approach these Laws in any other manner, we have in fact, broken the Law.
For instance, if we try to gain Christ, or liberty, or the Spirit of Life, by “works,” we have in effect, established a new law, which God can never recognize. He recognizes only the Laws which He has perfected. However, when we say “Faith,” always and without exception, the Scripture is referring to Faith in Christ, and what Christ did at the Cross on our behalf (Romans 4:25; 5:1–2).
When it comes to the “Law of Liberty,” which James mentions here, it is exactly as he says, “a Law.” But it’s not a law that we have to perform, as the Law of Moses, because Jesus has already performed this Law perfectly, and our Faith in Him, gives us the benefits of what He has done on our behalf. That’s the reason that Faith is the one requirement by God.
While we do “obey” these Laws, we do so in a different manner than we think of obeying laws. We do so by simply having Faith in Christ, and what He did for us at the Cross. Jesus, as stated, has already performed everything that the Law demands, and that refers to every Law.
God's grace does not cancel our duty to obey him; it gives our obedience a new beginning. The law is no longer an external set of rules, but it is a "law that sets you free", one we joyfully and willingly carry out, because we love God and have the power of his Holy Spirit within our heart Galatians 5:22–23.
13  For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy; Only God in his mercy can forgive our sins. We can't earn forgiveness by forgiving others. But when we withhold forgiveness from others after having received it ourselves, we show that we don't understand or appreciate God's mercy toward us Matthew 6:14-15; Matthew 18:21; Ephesians 4:31-32.
Mercy triumphs over judgment; If we show mercy here on earth then we will have nothing to fear when we stand before Jesus.
14  What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?
When someone claims to have faith, what he or she may have is scholarly knowledge (agreement with a set of Christian teachings) which is an incomplete faith, meaning they believe with their mind and not their heart. This type of faith is insufficient for salvation because it doesn’t produce works. True faith transforms our conduct as well as our thoughts. If our life remains unchanged, we don't truly believe the truths we claim to believe. Proper faith in Christ produces works through love for Jesus because of what He did on the Cross, in our place.
15  If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food,
16  and one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?
These two verses tell us something about our faith and what our faith is in. As stated if a proclaiming Christian sends away someone in need of daily essentials without providing anything, then their faith is in something other than Jesus Christ. The love a Christian has for Jesus will prompt a person to provide clothing and food.
17  Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
We can have faith and truly believe we are one of God’s Children, but if we have no works as a result of being Born Again, then we need to ask ourselves what is our faith in? When we have that Spiritual Birth we become a new person that seeks God’s truth all the more and our life focus changes to pleasing God out of love for Him, His Son, and His Holy Spirit, out of this love, good works is produced.
Colossians 1:16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth,
visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers.
All things were created through Him and for Him.
Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
John 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, Most assuredly, I say to you,
unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
The Lighthouse Full Gospel Church
Sinners Prayer; Pray this, and if you believe it with your heart, Jesus will save you!

“Lord Jesus I know I am a sinner.  I confess my sins to you; I am sorry for my sins; I repent (Meaning, desiring to turn from a sinful lifestyle.) of all my sins, and I am asking for your forgiveness.  I believe that only you can forgive sin.  I commit my life to you and ask you to come into my heart, direct, and take charge of my life.  I believe that you died to set me free from my sinful lifestyle and you rose from the dead to give me eternal life, and right now you are seated at the Right Hand of God Almighty. I believe you are the Son of God; the only Way, the only Truth, the only Life, and my Savior.”  I believe this and have faith you will make a new person out of me, by sending the Holy Spirit to dwell in my heart and lead me in a new life. In Jesus name I pray Amen.”  (John 3:16,17; Romans 3:23; 6:23; 5:8; 10:9-13; Ephesians 2:8-10; 1 John 5:11-14; 1:6-10) (Sin: Rom. 1:22-32; Gal. 5:19-21; Eph. 5:3-7)

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

3-18-2015 Vol. 10 Part 5 The Book of James (James 2:1-9)

To Print Out The Lesson Click On The Title Below.

Proverbs 1:1-9 The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel:  2 To know wisdom and instruction, To perceive the words of understanding,  3 To receive the instruction of wisdom, Justice, judgment, and equity;  4 To give prudence to the simple, To the young man knowledge and discretion— 5 A wise man will hear and increase learning, And a man of understanding will attain wise counsel,  6 To understand a proverb and an enigma, The words of the wise and their riddles.  7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction.  8 My son, hear the instruction of your father, And do not forsake the law of your mother;  9 For they will be a graceful ornament on your head, And chains about your neck.
Father God, help us to love without partiality. Holy Spirit help us to show our Fathers LOVE in all that we say and do. In Jesus name we pray, Amen!
Book of James 2:1-9 NKJV
Chapter two starts out with the topic of Brotherly Love, “Love Thy Neighbor as Thy Self”. This is a very difficult thing for the world to grasp and follow. We don’t have to look very far to see the hatred around the world and at home. We say we are Christians, but dislike or hate fellow human beings enough to shun or even kill them. People are hated for their skin color, religion, nationality, etc. Then on a lesser degree people are disliked because they are poor or rich, they don’t have a pleasant appearance, they are overweight or very short in stature, they have a speech impediment or some other type of handicap, they are arrogant and repudiating, etc. As human beings and having the inherited sin nature from the fall of Adam and Eve, we find many things wrong with other human beings because they don’t measure up to our standards, in fact I think I’m safe in saying humans devise things in order to dislike a person.
So does that mean we are to love all human beings? What exactly is James talking about, our true Christian brothers or people of all walks of life? Hmmm?
1  My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality.
Let’ rephrase this verse to get a better understanding of what it is saying: My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim to have faith in our Glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others?
My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory; James answers our question with, “My brethren” along with, “faith of our Lord Jesus Christ. If one claims to be a Christian (Born Again) then yes we are to model our life after Jesus and love everyone. If we don’t love everyone, then we don’t have the love of Jesus in our hearts, therefore we don’t belong to Jesus. Didn’t Jesus love everyone when He said, “forgive them they know not what they are doing”? Luke 23:34 Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they don't know what they are doing." And the soldiers gambled for His clothes by throwing dice. Now some would argue that Jesus didn’t have love in His heart when He drove everyone out of the temple on two occasions, but what He actually hated in those instances was what was being done there, not the people. We are to love the sinner, but hate the sin!
“Brethren” this signifies that James is addressing fellow believers in Jesus Christ. In fact this book of James is considered the proverbs of the New Testament because it is directed at Christians in how they are to conduct themselves, if they proclaim to be believers.
Many people are likely to see people according to culture, but we must understand the following: Whenever a person comes to Christ, they leave their old way of life behind which they have always known, and come into the culture of Jesus Christ, through “Faith”. This “Faith” addresses every single thing in a Believer’s life. In fact, James deals with most every practical aspect of life and living, and how “the Faith” impacts us in every conceivable way. We are to conduct ourselves according to “the Faith,” and believe and trust according to “the Faith.”
However, it is impossible to understand “the Faith,” if we don’t understand what transpired at the Cross. The same can be said for the Word of God; it’s certainly true that some things about the Word of God can be understood by anyone, even the unredeemed, but to understand its full driving force and meaning, one has to be led and taught by the Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians 2:14 But people who aren't spiritual can't receive these truths from God's Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can't understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means.
So in a nutshell what James is saying is this; if a person claims to be a Christian, a true Christian not a lip serving christian, then they will live a life according to Jesus precepts.
With partiality; The way of the world courts the rich and despises the poor; Jesus honors both alike. The reference to the rich and poor here refers to classes of people and not a person. Therefore, it does not mean that all poor people are saved, and all rich people are not. This partiality isn’t something that came about in the New Testament, it was also stress in the OT by God. Leviticus 19:15 'You shall do no injustice in judgment. You shall not be partial to the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty. In righteousness you shall judge your neighbor.
2  For if there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes,
Verse one addresses partiality and here in this verse James is telling us how we are to conduct our self by using a congregation as an example. James uses the word “assembly” indicating synagogue or a gathering of gentiles in a church. The rich and poor are contrasted, in order to proclaim where our love is, for Christ or for money?
What thoughts run through your head when you are seated in church before the service starts and a person or family you have never seen before comes into your church that is wearing tattered clothing and drove up in a car that sounds like and looks like it should be in the junk yard? Are they the same thoughts you have when a person or family comes into your church dressed in the finest of clothes and drives a luxury car? What thoughts go through a pastor or priest mind; another family the church has to help or more income for the church. If we are honest with ourselves we have all had thoughts of partiality in certain situations. Partiality is sinful, therefore it is brought to our attention in many scriptures, and something we need to put to death and replace with love.
3  and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, "You sit here in a good place," and say to the poor man, "You stand there," or, "Sit here at my footstool,"
When a church or person pays more attention to someone that is rich, famous, or a dignitary, they are being partial. I’m not saying that were not to respect authority, but we aren’t to show them special favors. We are to treat all people as equal. What is sad in our present day society is that practically all Hollywood celebrities, nation dignitaries, and even state and local leadership all expect special favoritism. One thing I do appreciate in the present day Pope is his humility and not wanting special favors.
If you were in charge of setting up a banquet room for several speakers to speak at and didn’t set a head table with name tags, how would the people and speakers react? When people would arrive you would tell them to sit where they please. Let’s assume the speakers included a Prime Minister, a Queen, a President, a Rock Star, a Hollywood Celebrity, and Jesus. I wonder where each would choose to sit, up front or with the rest of the guest? What if each speaker was placed at a table, where would the entering guests choose to sit, with Jesus or man’s chosen people of importance? Where would you sit if your favorite celebrity was there? If the names were unknown and you had to choose based on appearance, what would your choice be?
When Jesus came to this world, He came for the totality of humanity John. 3:16. When He died on the Cross, He died for all of humanity Matthew 11:28–30; Revelation 22:17. If we conduct ourselves as Christians in any other manner, it is a gross sin in the eyes of God. Partiality proclaims a terrible attitude and spirit.
4  have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?
While religion only addresses the externals, true Christianity goes to the very heart. Why is it wrong to judge a person by his or her economic status? Wealth may indicate intelligence, wise decisions, and hard work. On the other hand, it may only mean that a person had the good fortune of being born into a wealthy family. Or it may be the sign of greed, dishonesty, or selfishness. By honoring someone just because he or she dresses well, we are making appearance more important than morality. Sometimes we do this because: poverty makes us uncomfortable, we don't want to face our responsibilities to those who have less than we do; we want to be wealthy, too, and hope to use the rich person as a means to that end; we want the rich person to join our church and help support it financially. All these motives are selfish, stemming from the view that we are superior to the poor person. If we say that Christ is our Lord, then we must live as he requires, showing no favoritism and loving all people regardless of whether they are rich or poor.
In Biblical times a person of wealth was often regarded as a sign of being blessed by God's and they met His approval. But God does not promise us earthly rewards or riches; in fact, Christ calls us to be ready to suffer for him and give up everything in order to hold on to eternal life Matthew 6:19-21; Matthew 19:28-30; Luke 12:14-34; Romans 8:15-21; 1 Timothy 6:17-19. We will have untold riches in eternity if we are faithful in our present life Luke 6:35; John 12:23-25; Galatians 6:7-10; Titus 3:4-8.
5  Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?
Listen, my beloved brethren; In the KJV the word “hearken” is used instead of “listen”. Paul also used the word hearken which is to call us to attention; listen very closely; I have something important to say. Just like “Selah” in the Psalms, we are to stop and ponder what was stated, hearken is similar.
Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him; Going back to the early Church, meaning the Apostle’s time, what class of people made up the Church? For the most part, it was not drawn from the wealthy or ruling classes, but from the poorer people, those who are “poor in the eyes of the world.” James is stating this fact here; Paul implied it in 1 Corinthians 1:26-29, and it is apparent in the Gospels Matthew 11:5.
Have you ever thought about the poor making up the early Church? It makes sense that the poor would have. Just by reading scripture we know the rich man couldn’t give up his estate (His love was money.), the educated Pharisees weren’t going to be persuaded that Jesus was the way (They had their customs, rituals, and heritage; they were smart.), and the powerful leaders weren’t going to humble themselves to follow Jesus (No one was going to tell them what to do, they “had the power”.). So when a person is of the world and lives according to the ways of society, then they reject Jesus. They practice spiritual adultery because they idolize the material world, and only give Jesus lip service.
6  But you have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you and drag you into the courts?
But you have dishonored the poor man; The object of James here is to call the attention to the offensiveness of partiality pertaining to the disposition of the rich.
Do not the rich oppress you and drag you into the courts; Going back to James time and what was going on then with the persecution of the Christians, who was doing the persecuting? It wasn’t the lower class of people, but the rich and famous. It was the people of influence that was dragging in the poor Christians and sentencing them to death. That’s what Paul was doing before Jesus knocked him off his horse.
Present day; who is behind the turmoil of today? Who backs the killing of babies, who backs the same sex marriage movement, who backs the movement to remove guns from law abiding citizens, etc. These are just a few examples here in the USA, but we have many issues around the world. It isn’t the poor executing these crusades, it is people of power, money, and arrogance. They are of the world and want more, more, more. Can you see the sin nature at work here?
7  Do they not blaspheme that noble name by which you are called?
James is bringing out another point here in the behavior of non-believers or people that claim to be Christians, but are only religious. It is the name of our Saviour, “Jesus” that people use daily to express themselves in a non-worshipping way. Those that persecute God’s children blaspheme the name of Jesus and God. This is common in every age of the world.
8  If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF," you do well;
LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF; The "royal law" was given by our great Lord Jesus Christ, who said, "Love each other in the same way that I have loved you" John 15:12. This law, originally summarized in Leviticus 19:18, is the basis for all the laws of how people should relate to one another. Christ reinforced this truth in Matthew 22:37-40 Jesus said to him, 'YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.'  38 This is the first and great commandment.  39 And the second is like it: 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.'  40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."; and Paul taught it in Romans 13:8 and Galatians 5:14. If we love we have no partiality!
9  but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
Verse nine is plain and straight forward; we must treat all people as we would want to be treated. We should not ignore the rich, because then we would be withholding our love. But we must not favor the rich for what they can do for us or ignoring the poor who have nothing to offer us.
Colossians 1:16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth,
visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers.
All things were created through Him and for Him.
Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
John 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, Most assuredly, I say to you,
unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
The Lighthouse Full Gospel Church
Sinners Prayer; Pray this, and if you believe it with your heart, Jesus will save you!

“Lord Jesus I know I am a sinner.  I confess my sins to you; I am sorry for my sins; I repent (Meaning, desiring to turn from a sinful lifestyle.) of all my sins, and I am asking for your forgiveness.  I believe that only you can forgive sin.  I commit my life to you and ask you to come into my heart, direct, and take charge of my life.  I believe that you died to set me free from my sinful lifestyle and you rose from the dead to give me eternal life, and right now you are seated at the Right Hand of God Almighty. I believe you are the Son of God; the only Way, the only Truth, the only Life, and my Savior.”  I believe this and have faith you will make a new person out of me, by sending the Holy Spirit to dwell in my heart and lead me in a new life. In Jesus name I pray Amen.”  (John 3:16,17; Romans 3:23; 6:23; 5:8; 10:9-13; Ephesians 2:8-10; 1 John 5:11-14; 1:6-10) (Sin: Rom. 1:22-32; Gal. 5:19-21; Eph. 5:3-7)

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

3-11-2015 Vol. 10 Part 4 The Book of James (James 1:19-27)

To Print Out The Lesson Click On The Title Below.

Psalms 150:1-6 Praise the LORD! Praise God in His sanctuary; Praise Him in His mighty firmament! Praise Him for His mighty acts; Praise Him according to His excellent greatness! Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet; Praise Him with the lute and harp! Praise Him with the timbrel and dance; Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes! Praise Him with loud cymbals; Praise Him with clashing cymbals! Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD!
Father God, help us to be good listeners and to control our tongue during difficult times. In Jesus name we pray, Amen!
Book of James 1:19-27 NKJV
Sorry about last week, things came up and I wasn’t able to get the lesson completed. I also apologize for not posting something about not having a lesson.
This lesson James touches on some of our human downfalls. It is a message that causes us to do some soul searching. Many times we view our actions as good, but fall short of being good compared to God’s standards. It doesn’t matter what we think is good or other human beings, what matters does our actions line up with God’s Word!
19  So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath;
So then, my beloved brethren; James is speaking to brothers and sisters in faith (including us in current times) here by using the word brethren. As a Born Again Christian we are to live a life as Jesus did and one of the ways is expressed in the next phrase of this verse. I’m sure we have all known or know people that speak before they think.
Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak; If we are swift to hear, meaning effective listening skills, then we can apply the nature of Jesus and use the wisdom of the Bible in our reasoning and evaluation of situations. When we do this and then speak, the light of Jesus will come forth. At times this is difficult to do because our feelings enter into the situation and take control of our flesh. I feel this is a difficult thing for most of us to do especially if it involves feelings. Sometimes when we talk too much and listen too little, we communicate to others that we think our ideas or life is much more important than theirs. Maybe we don’t intend to convey this type of message, but it could also give people the thought that all you care about is you, you, you. We need to control our part of conversations, by listening more and talking less.  One thing to keep in mind when conversing with people is; do they feel that their viewpoints and ideas have value?
Slow to wrath; This wrath or anger can at times be righteous, but in most instances it is unrighteous anger that spouts out of us. James is telling us that we need to control our speech which will in turn help us to control our anger. It is most difficult to control our anger that erupts when our feelings are hurt, but this type of anger is the one we need to learn to control. On the other hand when injustice and sin occur, we should become angry because our Bible beliefs are trampled upon or others are being hurt (this is righteous anger). We should not become angry when we fail to win an argument or when we feel offended or neglected. Selfish anger goes totally against the teachings of Jesus. We are to be meek and humble not bold and argumentative. Matthew 5:3-11 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  4 Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted.  5 Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth.  6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.  7 Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy.  8 Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.  9 Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God.  10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  11 "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Matthew 6:2  Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.
20  for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.
This verse isn’t telling us that our wrath produces righteousness of God, but if we control our unrighteous anger we will display Christlike character and the love of truth, which God requires of us. Our sin nature causes us to break the commands of God and live a lifestyle separated from God. As a human being we are never sure of doing right under the influence of excited feelings, and many times do what is wrong resulting in regret at a later time.
21  Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
Therefore; James advises us to get rid of all that is wrong in our lives and "humbly accept" the salvation message. God has begotten us for his own service, not excited feelings of self that tend to go wrong. We need to submit wholly to the influence of truth. Colossians 1:16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.
Lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness; The word filthiness here means filth, applied to offense evil conduct. Sin may be contemplated as a wrong thing; as a violation of law; as evil in its nature and tendency, and therefore to be avoided; or it may be contemplated as disgusting, offensive, or loathsome. To a pure mind, this is one of its most revolting characteristics, the wrath of man.
And receive with meekness the implanted word; Through meekness we are to open our mind and heart to instruction, and allow the truth of God’s Word to touch and change our lives. We should allow the principles of the Gospel to penetrate our souls and be grafted onto our nature, and not hang on to old heritage and customs. However perverse our nature may be, or bitter and vile the fruits of our fallen nature might bring forth, through the engrafted Word of God fruits of righteousness will be produced. Matthew 18:2-3 Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them,  3 and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Romans 11:17 And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree.
Which is able to save your souls; The story of the Bible and believing in Jesus death and resurrection is the only answer to salvation and eternal life. It is not a weak and powerless thing, the Cross; it wasn’t designed to show His weakness or to give occasion for God to work a miracle; but it has power, and is adapted to save the sinner. Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. 1 Corinthians 1:18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 2 Timothy 3:15 and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
22  But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
This verse isn’t difficult to understand. It is simply stating to obey the gospel, and do not merely listen to it. Matthew 7:21 "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
To be doers of the Word of God means to put into practice what a person learns from the Word of God. Many times we go to Sunday services or Bible Study and nod our head and agree with what is taught, but walk away and continue in our same lifestyle thinking we have done our religious duty by listening. Some might even think that if a person listens or reads what the Bible teaches that is all that is required of them. James is telling us different here, that we are to put in practice what the Bible teaches. It is important to listen to what God's Word says, but it is much more important to obey it and to do what it says. For example many places in the Bible it teaches against having strange gods before us (idolatry), but you can drive around and see or read about images that people worship. Deuteronomy 4:14-19 NLT  14 It was at that time that the LORD commanded me to teach you His decrees and regulations so you would obey them in the land you are about to enter and occupy.  15 "But be very careful! You did not see the LORD's form on the day He spoke to you from the heart of the fire at Mount Sinai.  16 So do not corrupt yourselves by making an idol in any form—whether of a man or a woman,  17 an animal on the ground, a bird in the sky,  18 a small animal that scurries along the ground, or a fish in the deepest sea.  19 And when you look up into the sky and see the sun, moon, and stars—all the forces of heaven—don't be seduced into worshiping them. The LORD your God gave them to all the peoples of the earth. Jesus also taught us not to pray with vain repetition, yet people pray the same exact words each day. Matthew 6:7 And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. It is things like these that we read in the Bible which are plain and simple to understand, yet people go on living life according to religion, and disobeying God. This is what James is talking about when he says, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves”.
It’s bad enough to be deceived by others, but worse yet to purposely deceive ourselves when we can read a verse as simple as this one and still disobey God. We can measure the effectiveness of our Bible Study time by the effect it has on our behavior and attitudes. Do you put into action what you have studied?
23  For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror;
24  for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was
James gives us a comparison of the nature of our human soul to looking at ourselves in a mirror here. Albert Barnes sums it up this way: “The apostle refers to what all persons experience, the fact that we do not retain a distinct impression of ourselves after we have looked in a mirror. While actually looking in the mirror, we see all our features, and can trace them distinctly; when we turn away, the image and the impression both vanish. When looking in the mirror, we can see all the defects and blemishes of our person; if there is a scar, a deformity, a feature of ugliness, it is distinctly before the mind; but when we turn away, it is “out of sight and out of mind.” When unseen it gives no uneasiness, and, even if capable of correction, we take no pains to remove it. So when we hear the word of God, it is like a mirror held up before us. In the perfect precepts of the law, and the perfect requirements of the gospel, we see our own short-comings and defects, and perhaps think that we will correct them. But we turn away immediately, and forget it all.”
In a nutshell when we hear the Word of God, it only touches us on the outside because we don’t allow God’s Word to sink deep into our soul and make a change in us by the power of the Holy Spirit. If we are doers of the word, we should strive with the help of the Holy Spirit to remove all those defects and blemishes in our moral character, and to bring our whole soul into conformity with what the law and the gospel requires. Spirituality has to be more than skin deep!
25  But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.
But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it; What this phrase is telling us is that the “perfect law” is God’s law. Anyone that looks into God’s law and seeks to understand it the result will be liberty by abiding in it. It seems contradictory that a law could give us freedom, but God's law offers us a true reflection of our sinful condition and gives us the opportunity to ask for God's forgiveness Romans 7:7-8. As a result of this repentance a person will be Born Again and then God’s laws come into clear focus and the person will live within the liberty of God’s Law.
And is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work; Anyone that seeks the Grace of God is a doer and not a forgetful hearer. As Christians, we are saved by God's grace, and salvation frees us from sin's control. As believers, we are free to live as God created us to live. Of course, this does not mean that we are free to do as we please and we won’t if we are truly saved, because we will start living a lifestyle trying to please God our Father.
This one will be blessed in what he does; A person that is saved will live a completely different life because he has cast off the old man and is now a new man living to please God. This new life will impart happiness of a higher order to his heart, it will exert a good influence over his whole soul. He will be blessed in what he does. Romans 6:6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.
26  If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one's religion is useless.
If anyone among you thinks he is religious; Many people claim to be Christians or Religious, but what is in the heart shines forth to reveal where a person’s faith is, and many times it is in themselves or the world. The next phrase reveals the truth about a person.
And does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart; We have heard many times what is actually in the heart is revealed through our speech. In forms of foul language, dirty stories, blasphemy, greediness, covetousness, etc. Matthew 12:34 Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.
This one's religion is useless; As stated many times before, religion will not save anyone. It is faith in what Jesus did on the Cross for us that saves a person.
27  Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.
Pure and undefiled religion should have been translated, “spirituality”. So what this verse is saying is that the actions of a Born Again Saint will be such that they will visit the unfortunate, help those in trouble, and not conform to the world, in fact they will be hated by the world, because they proclaim Jesus name. They will have victory in everyday life and living, through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Colossians 1:16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth,
visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers.
All things were created through Him and for Him.
Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
John 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, Most assuredly, I say to you,
unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
The Lighthouse Full Gospel Church
Sinners Prayer; Pray this, and if you believe it with your heart, Jesus will save you!

“Lord Jesus I know I am a sinner.  I confess my sins to you; I am sorry for my sins; I repent (Meaning, desiring to turn from a sinful lifestyle.) of all my sins, and I am asking for your forgiveness.  I believe that only you can forgive sin.  I commit my life to you and ask you to come into my heart, direct, and take charge of my life.  I believe that you died to set me free from my sinful lifestyle and you rose from the dead to give me eternal life, and right now you are seated at the Right Hand of God Almighty. I believe you are the Son of God; the only Way, the only Truth, the only Life, and my Savior.”  I believe this and have faith you will make a new person out of me, by sending the Holy Spirit to dwell in my heart and lead me in a new life. In Jesus name I pray Amen.”  (John 3:16,17; Romans 3:23; 6:23; 5:8; 10:9-13; Ephesians 2:8-10; 1 John 5:11-14; 1:6-10) (Sin: Rom. 1:22-32; Gal. 5:19-21; Eph. 5:3-7)