How you doin? We went to the Abundant Life prayer and worship meeting last night. It was great. It's probably the last one I'll go to for a while. I'm scheduled to start back to work this Tuesday (3/4). Stacey's sick with sore throat, chest congestion, and coughing. Stacey and I have both been involved in healing. God has used us to heal others. But we can't seem to heal each other of colds or sickness. It's a curious thing. I've read and heard several testimonies of the same nature. It is a mystery. James 1 today. I can remember almost 10 years ago, when I was first drug and alcohol free, my brother recommended that I read James because it was short and would give me a sense of accomplishment. I guess he didn't think Philemon, 2 John, or 3 John would help. Too funny. There are 3 sections in James. 1) "Genuine Religion" (chapter 1), 2) "Genuine Faith" (chapters 2 and half of 3), and 3) "Genuine Wisdom" (half of chapter 3 and 4).
Verses 2-4, "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various [c]trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces [d]endurance. 4 And let [e]endurance have its perfect [f]result, so that you may be [g]perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." I can't wait for the day that I can put this into practice. I've seen glimpses of it, but the pain, discomfort, or most of all fear of the out come speaks louder then the joy of endurance training. Endurance results in perfection and completeness, but the best part is lacking nothing.
Verses 5-8, "But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and [h]without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, 8 being a [i]double-minded man, unstable in all his ways." This is one of those double effect Scriptures. Verse 5 makes it sound so simple. Ask God and He will give it to you. He gives generously and without reproach. Very simple and uplifting. Then verse 6 is kind of let down. It's always the "but" that gets me. "Ask in faith without any doubting". This is where the rubber meets the road, no doubt. Pun intended. Verse 7 makes me think of hope or the expectation of something good. Doubt is a tool of the Devil. Doubt steals hope. I think of doubt in the same way I think of unbelief. To me doubt and unbelief go together. I've always heard that Satan uses the 3 "D's" as tools. Discouragement, doubt, and disbelief. A slippery slope to say the least. I want wisdom so not to become discouraged. Praying in doubt is useless. Disbelief is separation. I can't stomach any of this.
Verses 12-14, "Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has [m]been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted [n]by God”; for God cannot be tempted[o]by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. 14 But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust." Verse 12 speaks of one the 5 crowns we can receive in heaven. Verses 13-14 are very important. GOD DOES NOT TEMPT ME. My own lust tempts me. That's why Jesus says "deny yourself" first and "pick up your cross and follow me" second. SO GOOD!!!!!!!
Verses 16-18, "Do not be [q]deceived, my beloved brethren. 17 Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or[r]shifting shadow. 18 In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we would be [s]a kind of first fruits [t]among His creatures." If this doesn't help you with your identity, I don't know what could. It's God's will for me to be brought forth by His truth so that I can be the best among all that He created. HOLY MAC A LOLY!!!!!!! In order to believe this I most be living under the new covenant. Under the old covenant, I am sin/self conscious. Under the new covenant, I'm free from sin/self. COME ON!!!!!!!
Verses 19-25, "This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.21 Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all [v]that remains of wickedness, in [w]humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls. 22 But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his [x]natural face in a mirror; 24 for once he has looked at himself and gone away, [y]he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. 25 But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but[z]an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in [aa]what he does." These verses speak right to identity. If I'm not doing the word I'm loosing my identity. That's a good word. Hearing the word is one thing, but doing the word is to know the Word. Verse 25 speaks of the "perfect law, the law of liberty". This is a set up for. The greatest commandment is to love God with all that we are/have. The second greatest commandment is to love our neighbor. Keep this in mind for what's next.
I'll try to land this. As you may know, I am most interested in the Spiritual gift of the discerning of spirits. I also have the desire to battle strongholds in our area. The biggest and scariest stronghold I'm after is in the church. It's the stronghold of the demonic spirit of religion. These next two verses give an explanation of this. Verses 26-27, "If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not[ab]bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless. 27 Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained [ac]by the world." WOW WOW WOW!!!!!!! The religion acceptable to God sounds like love. It doesn't sound like theology or human tradition. It sounds like love. COME ON!!!!!!! You might as well read the few verses I didn't copy into this email. I hope that the Word affects you the way it affects me. My brother wanted me to read James because it's short. I want you to read it because it's AWESOME!!!!!!! Pray in faith, not doubt today.
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