Tongues of Fire

I’m taking a break from the book of 1 John this week to write about the day of Pentecost. This is one of the most important dates in the history of Christianity, in fact in the history of the interactions between God and humans.

You see, there was something humanity, even the obedient, had been missing – a piece that kept us from connecting with God in a deep and life-changing way. And that something was the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

But on the first day of Pentecost after Jesus’ death and resurrection, everything changed.

Acts 2:1-4 [NLT] 1 On the day of Pentecost all the believers were meeting together in one place. 2 Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. 3 Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. 4 And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.

There was no mistaking the coming of the Holy Spirit. There was a roaring of wind and the falling of what looked like tongues of fire, and then everyone – EVERYONE – was able to speak in a foreign language. Talk about a “shock and awe” campaign. Does God know how to announce things or what?!

The difference in the believers that day was immediate and dramatic!

I don’t know about you, but on the day I was baptized and then had hands laid on me to receive the Holy Spirit, no such drama ensued. No tongues of fire. No rushing mighty wind. No sudden linguistic ability.

Don’t get me wrong, I believe the Holy Spirit entered me that day and remains in me to this day. But English is still my only language. And, please, if something this dramatic happened to you, drop me a note about it in the comments. It would be an amazing testimony.

No, there was not dramatic evidence of the Holy Spirit that day, but it has made itself known in many ways since then, creating change in who I am, how I talk and my ability to forgive; helping me grow in knowledge of the Bible and in relationship with God and Jesus. The Spirit has helped me weather some rough patches, as we can see that it did with the early New Testament believers.

It helped Stephen deliver a strong sermon and then forgive those who stoned him for it. [Acts 6:55-60] It gave Ananias the courage to speak to and anoint Saul, the killer of Christians. [Acts 9:17] It gave the apostles the courage to go right back to preaching Jesus after being jailed for it and then to go right back out again after they were re-arrested and beaten for it. [Acts 5:17-42]

Acts 2:1-2 [NLT] 1 On the day of Pentecost all the believers were meeting together in one place. 2 Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting.

You see, more important then the fact that tongues of fire fell upon then, is the fact that thereafter their tongues showed that they were on fire for Jesus and the Gospel message. They, thereafter, had tongues of fire themselves!

And that is one of the great works of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. It may not come to us in a show of power, but it will live in us and give us the ability to live “on fire” for the Word of God and the Kingdom of God. By its indwelling we will have the courage to live in power, to speak in power, to endure in power, to forgive in power and to love in power as on one on fire for the Kingdom can do.

Sweet sisters, the Holy Spirit may enter us silently as a lamb, but it should roar out of us with wind and fire and power! I pray the Holy Spirit will be stirred up to do just that in you this day of Pentecost 2023.

I welcome your comments and questions. You can write me in the comments section or at Nancy@DyanmicChristianMinistries.org

Letters from the Beloved – Walking on Sunshine

The song titled Walking on Shine (Kartina and the Waves, 1985) is one of my all-time favorites. It never ceases to lift my mood and make me smile. “I’m walking on sunshine. And don’t it feel good!”

John asks us to walk on sunshine…well, something similar.

He tells us that we Christians must walk in the Light. 1 John 1:7 [NKJV] But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

This is another theme that John used in his Gospel and brings forward into his letters. In the opening of the Gospel according to John, he writes that Jesus was life and light. John 1:4-5 [NKJV] 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

Matthew also records that we are to be the light of the world. [Matthew 5:14] We are to shine into the darkness of this world. [Matthew 5:16]. We do this for the same reason that Jesus did it – so that our lives glorify God the Father. Luke tells us not to hide the light that we walk in, but to put it on full display. [Luke 8:16]

The Gospel according to John has the most references to Jesus being the light and to our need to be a light as well. He records several times where Jesus said He is THE light.

John 8:12[ NKJV] Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life." In John 9:5 [NKJV] Jesu says, "As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." And that we should abide in His light. John 12:35-36 [NKJV] 35 Then Jesus said to them, "A little while longer the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you; he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going. 36 "While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light." These things Jesus spoke, and departed, and was hidden from them. John 12:46 [NKJV] "I have come [as] a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness.”

So, in 1 John 1:5-7 [NKJV], the apostle whom Jesus loved tells us that he is just passing on the message he heard from Jesus, 5 This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

God is light with no darkness in Him at all. Anyone walking in darkness has no fellowship with the Father. Jesus is light that came into the world. The Father sent Him into the world to bring God’s light to the world and we are to walk in His light. And if we walk in the light we walk in fellowship of those who have been cleansed from sin.

In John 9:5 [NKJV] Jesu says, "As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world."

The books of Acts, Romans, 2 Corinthians, Ephesians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy, James, 1 Peter and Revelation each have one or more scriptures that talk about the light of God or about we believers walking in the light or about how we are to shine the light of God into the world.

You see, we don’t have light in us, as God does, as Jesus does. They are like the sun. Light shines from within them. But we are like the moon. Our light is a reflection of their light – light that we absorb by walking in their light.

We are to be like Moses, who, after spending time in God’s presence, shone with the light he had absorbed by being with God. [See Exodus 34]

But, unlike Moses, we are not to put a veil over our light. Matthew 5:14-16 [NKJV] 14 "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 "Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all [who are] in the house. 16 "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

I’d much rather walk in His light than in the darkness of this world, where sin hides, waiting to trip us up. Wouldn’t you?

We are called to walk in His shining light, absorb it and then reflect it out into the world. Walking in the sunshine of God. “And don’t it feel good?!”

I welcome your comments and questions. You can write me in the comments section or at Nancy@DyanmicChristianMinistries.org

Letters from the Beloved – Crammed with Joy

One thing I appreciate about a writer or speaker is when he/she explains the purpose of what they are about to impart. It prepares me to receive their message, understand it’s and be ready to put it to use in my life. John, the beloved, does just that in his first letter.

1 John 1:4 [KJV] And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.

It is great that his purpose is to give us joy. But the more interesting part to me is to understand this word “full”. What is John really saying about the joy he wants us to have because of this letter?

Full is the Greek word pleroo. One definition is literally “to cram a net”. John isn’t just saying, “I want you to have a lot of joy.” His words call to mind two miraculous incidents in John’s experiences as a disciple of Jesus. The first found in Luke 5:5-9 at the start of Jesus’ ministry, when He first called John, James, and Peter to discipleship. The second in John 21:6-11, when Jesus appeared to the disciples after His resurrection, when they had gone back to fishing.

In both cases, they had been fishing all night, but their nets had repeatedly come up empty despite all their efforts. However, at the command of Jesus they cast out their nets again and brought up a catch that filled their nets to the breaking point.

This is the fullness of joy that John is writing to give us. John wants to help us have so much joy that we are about to burst with it! That kind of joy would be infectious to others. Joy that spills out of, overflows our own life nets, will spread joy out into the world, beginning with those nearest to us.

This word can also mean “finish, accomplish, complete”.

This same word is used throughout the Gospels when they speak of events in the earthly ministry of Jesus as fulfilling the prophesies of the Old Testament about Him. [Just a few examples from the Gospel of John: John 12:36; 13:18; 15:25; 17:12; 19:12. Also see Matthew 1:22; 4:14; 13:35; 26:56 and many, many more.]

1 John 1:4 [KJV] And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.

Maybe John meant that this joy should complete us – that we are incomplete as Christians without full joy. That sounds right to me. We can get so caught up in the struggles of life, especially the things that are going wrong, our personal trials or the sin that trips us up, the pain and suffering in the world in general or in the lives of those we love. But God wants us to have joy anyway. It is a fruit of the Holy Spirit, after all [See Galatians 5:22].

Perhaps John meant to signify both of these thoughts about joy. Could he mean that he wants us to be so crammed full of joy that it works to complete, finish, accomplish our purpose in this life? It seems clear that we are to have joy as obedient children of God. We have answered His call to worship. He doesn’t want this life to be pure slog, sorry and pain. Even if it is rough, like that of the early New Testament Christians, the words we are about to read in this letter from John the Beloved were written so that we can have the kind of crammed full joy that completes us.

I’m looking forward to studying what John has to say that he intended to accomplish joy in us. Aren’t you, sweet sister?

I welcome your comments and questions. You can write me in the comments section or at Nancy@DyanmicChristianMinistries.org

Letters from the Beloved – The Word

1 John 1:1-3 [ESV] 1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life-- 2 the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us-- 3 that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.

 So begins the first letter of John to the churches. Does it sound familiar to you? That’s because this passage harkens back to the first chapter of the Gospel of John, especially John 1:14 [ESV] And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

 Before John teaches or explains anything else, he wants us to know that Jesus was God, was with the Father, and came down to earth in human form. John touched Him, ate with Him, preached with Him, preached about Him, and beheld not only His work and glory, but also His suffering and death. “We have heard”, “we have seen” and now “we testify” and “we proclaim”.

 This is our work too, sweet sisters. We do not have the opportunity to touch, walk with, eat with and work with God in the flesh in the same way that John did. We were born too many generations after that.

 However, we see His works/working in our lives and in the lives of others. Whether it’s complete healing or patience and love that grows through the suffering; a marriage saved, or believers strengthened through it’s failure; a last-minute rescue from disaster of some sort or a faithful death, we see the Lamb of God when we see His work in our lives and the lives of our fellow children in the faith. We touch the Lamb of God when we touch His followers. We serve the Savior when we serve those He saved.

John 1:14 [ESV] And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

 Jesus is still “made manifest” in this world through our faithful lives and the examples we set at work, in our communities and in our homes. And, in fact, we cannot be successful at preaching about Him – about God’s plan, about Jesus’ sacrifice, about the laws and Holy Days – until others first see Jesus made manifest in how we think, talk and act. I do not believe we can be effective going at it the other way around.

 Why do we do this? Why do we strive to live our lives to prove that Jesus is, was and will be a living, real, life-changing Savior, Elder Brother, High Priest and future King? We do it so that others too might have the fellowship with us in the family of God.

 Thank God that John is inspired to start here, with his testimony of seeing, hearing, and touching the person of the Devine – Jesus in the flesh – to remind us of our own purpose in living out a life that testifies of Him and our relationship with Him.

 I welcome your comments and questions. You can write me in the comments section or at Nancy@DyanmicChristianMinistries.org

Letters From the Beloved - Who Was John?

I am excited to begin this blog series based on the three letters of John the Apostle that bear his name (e.g., 1 John, 2 John and 3 John).

 First, let’s dive into this man, John. Who was he? What kind of person was he?

 When we think about John, we likely think about love. He calls himself, the “disciple whom Jesus loved” at least 4 times in his gospel [John 13:23; 19:26; 20:2; 21:7, 20]. It is important to note, as I recently heard speaker Beth Moore say in a podcast, that no one else calls John that.

He was at Jesus feet during the crucifixion, when none of the other disciples were anywhere to be found

 Today, before we dive into his letters, I want us to think about the John that Jesus called and loved. The John before the Holy Spirit. The John who Jesus gave a nickname other than “disciple whom Jesus loved”. We don’t want to be tempted to think of him only as an old man, confined to an island prison, writing the book of Revelation. John was a bold, maybe even brazen, young man when Jesus called him and his brother, James, away from their father’s fishing business to become “fishers of men”. [Matthew 4:21-22]

 1.      John was aggressive, assertive:

a.      Jesus surnamed James and John “sons of thunder”. [Mark 3:17]

b.      He and his brother, James, offered to “command fire to come down from heaven and consume” the Samaritans who would not receive Jesus, “just as Elijah did”. [Luke 9:52-56]

2.      He was a bit self-important. He and James asked Jesus if He would designate them to sit “one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory”. One has to wonder if the brothers would have bickered over who got to sit on the more prestigious right hand had Jesus agreed to this request.

3.      He was bold and brave:

a.      He boldly went into the place where Jesus was being (falsely) tried and convicted, even though the high priest knew him. There is no indication that he denied Christ, but we don’t know why – maybe because no one accused him. [John 18:16]

b.      He was at Jesus feet during the crucifixion, when none of the other disciples were anywhere to be found. [John 19:26]

4.      He was responsible. Otherwise, Jesus would not have placed His mother, Mary, into John’s care. This is especially significant since Jesus had brothers who should have taken on that duty. [John 19:26-27]

5.      He was in Jesus’ inner circle. Although Jesus was with all 12 disciples every day, there were times when He singled out Peter, James and John for special situations, including for the healing of a little girl thought to be dead [See Mark 5:35-41], for His transfiguration [See Mark 9:2], and on the night before His crucifixion [See Mark 14:33].

 That’s our John, the beloved. Next week we will begin diving into the teachings and admonitions important to John in the three short letters to the churches that have been preserved for us as part of the New Testament cannon.

 Are you excited? I am! Can’t wait to share the teaching of this complex and disciple.

 I welcome your comments and questions. You can write me in the comments section or at Nancy@DyanmicChristianMinistries.org

Transformer

When you see the word “transformer” do you think of those toys that turn from a car or truck to a robot and back, or maybe the movies and cartoons about them? My grandsons are very much into transformers – just like their father was at one time.  

 The work of God is the work of transformation. In this life, He takes what we are and transforms us into what we were created to be = His own children.

 His work begins with transforming how we think and act in this life, as outlined in Romans 12:2 [ESV] Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. He bends and shapes are hearts and minds, our words and work through His Holy Spirit till our hearts, minds, words and works are in His image.

 His work ends with a total transformation into something else entirely – something completely new and different from what we are now. 1 Corinthians 15:51-53 [NKJV] 51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed-- 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal [must] put on immortality.

 The word translated “change” in both verse 51 and 52 means “to change, to exchange one thing for another, to transform”. We will cast off mortal and put on immortality – no longer to look in His image but to actually be made into His image.

 But there is another kind of transformer that we should be thinking about. An electrical transformer is a  device that “transfers electric energy from one alternating-current circuit to one or more other circuits, either increasing (stepping up) or reducing (stepping down) the voltage.”

 Romans 12:2 [ESV] Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind,

 We are meant to be conduits for God’s love, His grace, His Word and the Gospel message, transferring them into the world around us by speaking of them and, even more importantly, living them out. The love of God and the knowledge of God that we receive are not ours to hold onto.

 This is what Jesus told His disciples to do. Matthew 10:7-8 [NKJV] 7 "And as you go, preach, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' 8 "Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.”

 The Holy Spirit is a spirit of power, not of weakness or fear. [See 2 Timothy 1:7] It is the power to change, not only us, but also through us to change the world.

 Unless, that is, you or I elect to be the type of transformer that reduces the voltage of the Holy Spirit. 1 Thessalonians 5:19 says, “Do not quench the Spirit.”  And Jesus warned against hiding that light of God under a basket or bed. [See Mark 4:21]

 We should also be a conduit for the Holy Spirit, passing along the high-voltage connection to God into words and deeds that transfer the love of God from within us out into the world around us. If we do, we will have the power to change this world – to light it up with love and hope and good. We are meant to be His transformers.

 Go out and charge up the world by being a transformer of the Holy Spirit.

 I welcome your comments and questions. You can write me in the comments section or at Nancy@DyanmicChristianMinistries.org

P.S. I am working on a series focused on the three letters of John the Apostle (1, 2, 3 John) and comparing them to his telling of his time with Jesus in the Gospel of John.  Hope to start sharing that with you soon.

Falling on the Stone

Speaking of Himself in Matthew 21:44 [NKJV] Jesus says, "And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder."

In the prophesy of Daniel 2, we see that ultimately there is a stone that falls from heaven and crushes the kingdoms of this work. Daniel provides and explanation in verses 44-45 of Daniel 2 [NKJV] 44 "And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever. 45 "Inasmuch as you saw that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold--the great God has made known to the king what will come to pass after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation is sure."

The dream tells us that the Kingdom of God will be brought to earth by Jesus, who is the Stone that the builders rejected, but whom God has made the cornerstone of His Kingdom [Luke 20:17].

He is the stone that crushes those it falls upon.

But what about those who fall on the Stone and are broken? Who are they?

You can find several scriptures about women who were broken before God, weeping, and crying out before the alter or in the wilderness in the Old Testament. For example: Hagar in Genesis 21:16 and Hannah in 1 Samuel 1:7.

In the New Testament, we have examples of even more women, already broken by hurt, pain, sin or fear, falling at the feet of Jesus. See Mark 7:25; John 11:2, 32; 12:3.

The walls we put up against pain, doubt, fear, trial and trouble must be broken down to let the love, light and healing of Jesus into our hearts, minds and lives. To us, it is sin that causes us to break when we fall on Him, because His sacrifice was made to separate us from that sin. Sin can no longer inhabit the same space as Jesus, as it did when He was crucified for us. When He said, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”, it was at the moment and only that moment that sin inhabited the same space as Jesus. [Matthew 27:46] For eternity before that moment and for all eternity after that moment, this could not be.

Now, for us, His love breaks down who we were and puts us back together as who we are meant to be in Him. We fall on Him because we are broken by sin, and He lifts us up. We are broken by sin and He puts us back together, better than before.

The people who do not recognize their need for a Savior – who don’t see their own brokenness and voluntarily fall before Him – will be made to fall before the Cornerstone, the Rock of Israel to be broken down and rebuilt in His image in the furture. Much better to voluntarily break ourselves upon Him now.

Matthew 21:44 [NKJV] Jesus says, "And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder."

But God and Jesus are our Rocks in so many other ways. Here are just a few examples:

·        The Rock of Salvation – 2 Samuel 22:47; Psalm 89:26

·        Rock of Refuge – Psalm 31:2; 94:22

·        Rock of Strength – Psalm 62:7

Jesus is not a Rock of offense to those who voluntarily seek Him. He has no need to be a crushing Rock or breaking Rock for those who understand their brokenness and seek wholeness in Him. For us, He is the Rock that protects us, gives us strength and is a place of refuge for the already broken to find rest.

Sweet sisters, when sin breaks you, or when you feel broken down by trials, fall before the Rock and He will put you back together again.

I welcome your comments and questions. You can write me in the comments section or at Nancy@DyanmicChristianMinistries.org

P.S. I am working on a series focused on the three letters of John the Apostle (1, 2, 3 John) and comparing them to his telling of his time with Jesus in the Gospel of John.  Hope to start sharing that with you soon.

My Friend James: Restoration

Do you enjoy watching HGTV? I do. One of the shows I like is called “Good Bones”, where a mother/daughter team may take a house down to its studs in order to restore it to beauty and give it new life as a home for a new family.

This is the work that God does in us. He strips away everything that is carnal – takes us down to the most basic thing we are – and then builds us back up with His will/purpose, love and character into something more beautiful than what we were before.

In fact, He promises us completely new bodies. [1 Corinthians 15:42-45]

Romans 5:8 [KJV] But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

But His greatest work, in my opinion, is restoring us to relationship with Him. This relationship was broken in the Garden of Eden. But it is also broken every time we sin.

When we sin, we move away from God. I want to be clear that He doesn’t move away from us. God cannot exist with sin. However, the reason He does not have to move away from us the way He turned from Jesus when He fully took on our sins, is because Jesus became sin for us. [See Matthew 27:46 and 2 Corinthians 5:21] Jesus’ sacrifice as the perfect Lamb, who takes away the sin of the world [John 1:29], allows us to be in relationship with God, even though we sin.

That is, we may approach Him again. Sin requires restoration, our moving back toward the Father, through repentance and asking forgiveness so that the blood of Jesus may cover that too. We can make that approach toward restoration because of Jesus.

Our friend James tells us that we too can do that work of restoration for others.

James 5:19-20 [ESV] 19 My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, 20 let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

So, when we see a brother or sister in Christ wandering away from the truth, from relationship with God, and reach out to bring him or her back into fellowship, we are doing the work of Jesus, whose purpose in coming to live in human form was to restore us to relationship with God.

We cannot afford to be okay with letting brothers and sisters go. The work of restoration is the work of Jesus and we are to imitate Him in this.

Prayer is an important component of this work. However, I believe James is saying we need to be at least open to – maybe actually motivated to – working with the wandering brother to let him/her know that they are wanted back at church and that God wants the relationship back too.

People sometimes thing God stops loving them when they sin. Not true. Romans 5:8 [KJV] tells us, But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

God is not less faithful in forgiveness than He asks us to be. We can count on forgiveness at least 70x7 times we commit a sin, because that is what Jesus asked of us. [See Matthew 18:22] And, of course, I’m joking about that. Just as Jesus’ guidance was meant to indicated that we should always forgive a repentant brother, so we can count on God to always forgive us when we repent, even if we surpass 70x7.

So, look around you, sweet sisters, and see if there are family members, friends or brothers/sisters in Christ who could use some HGTV-like restoration and commit yourselves to the effort of prayerfully and actively working to restore him/her to relationship with God [not necessarily your congregation].

I guarantee that God wants him/her back. Scripture says so.

And the parting shot from our friend James is encouragement to do just that.

That’s it, ladies. We conclude James with his call to participate in the work of God by helping to restore a brother or sister to fellowship.

Check back next week to see where we will go together next. Sending my love out to all of you. I hope you have enjoyed this series about our friend James, the brother of Jesus.

You can write me any time at Nancy@DynamicChristianMinistries.org or leave a message in the chat.

My Friend James: Sing Praises

A great deal of the remaining verses of James 5 have to do with faithful prayer, especially for the sick. We’ll get to that next week. Today, I want to focus on this little admonition in James 5:13.

James 5:13 [NLT] Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises.

We do pray for the sick – a lot. Like me, you probably get prayer requests via email, from announcements at church, off posts on Facebook, and directly from friends and family. Maybe, like me, you have a prayer group that texts each other asking for prayer. You may even have special prayer time at church, where you give prayers for those suffering all types of trials.

Since James devotes six verses in James 5 to praying for the sick, we know it is important. But, equally important is the latter part of verse 13: “Are any of you happy? You should sing praises.”

James was not just offering a cool suggestion. We are told that praising God is a sacrifice we should participate in regularly. Hebrews 13:15 [NKJV] Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of [our] lips, giving thanks to His name.

Why? Because Hebrews 13:15 starts with “therefore” we know that the verses ahead of this give us the “why?” we are seeking.

Hebrews 13:10-14 [NLT] talks about Jesus being our better sacrifice and having been sacrificed outside the camp. It says we should go outside the camp to meet Him and then, verse 14, tells us, “For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come.”

We should offer the sacrifice of praise because (1) Jesus is our sacrifice for sin and (2) This world is not our home. Many praise songs do offer gratitude for the sacrifice that Jesus made for us and tell of our joy in knowing that there is a better world coming, where there are none of the wars, pain, evil and suffering we must endure in this life.

But praise time is not just for church services. Hebrews tells us to offer “a continual sacrifice of praise to God”. [NLT] Great times for praise are when you garden or take a walk, clean house or drive to work, or any time you see the beauty of nature, or feel appreciative for a new day.

And may I suggest that you put your heart into it? I am often on stage at church, playing some percussion instrument during the song service and I am appalled at the demeanor and facial expressions of those in the congregation. Many of them look more like they are angry, or just ate a lemon, rather than being in the act of praising God. I realize that not all congregational songs are truly praise songs. A few are laments. But I am talking about the ones that no one can dispute as being intended for praise.

Hebrews 13:15 [NKJV] Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of [our] lips, giving thanks to His name.

And even if your church only uses traditional songs (no praise music), those songs and our signing are meant to declare the glory of God, to praise Him and to connect us to one another.

If a church frowns on lifting up hands or repetition in praise songs, we typically respect that and don’t push the envelope. Don’t we? But how you sing and praise at home is exclusively between you and God. Nobody else’s business.

As someone who loves to sing but can’t “carry a tune in a bucket”, I do a lot of lip-synching at church when I am in a crowd. Not always, but often. I usually am either playing congas or have a tambourine or shaker in my hands, so lifting up my hands in worship isn’t an option, even if my church approved it.

However, in my car, in my home, in my garden and on long walks, I crank up the tunes and belt out the praise songs that I love, lifting up my hands (See Psalm 63:4) and even dancing when I feel moved to do so. David danced before God enthusiastically (See 2 Samuel 6:14), so I feel I am on solid ground with this.

I am partial to music by Tribl and Upper Room, which I follow on YouTube. If you look them up, I must warn you that there is repetition, lifting of hands, emotional displays and even dancing in some videos. If that is not your thing, I understand.  I also have a Christian playlist on my phone by Casting Crowns, Amy Grant, Matthew West and others.

What are your favorites songs or groups? Please share in the comments here on via Facebook or LinkedIn.

Whatever music moves you, from traditional hymns to modern praise, our friend, James is clear: If you are happy, you should sing!

Thank you for continuing to join me in the study of the book written by my friend James. As we wrap this up, please let me know where you think we should go next.

You can write me any time at Nancy@DynamicChristianMinistries.org or leave a message in the chat.

My Friend James: AI Did Not Write This Blog

Believe me, I am not anti-AI or anti-technology. In fact, I appreciate the cost reductions that AI use can offer to the struggling publishing industry. My son even used ChatGPT to write some cute stories about my grandsons.

However, I have been reading, with growing concern, about news and information sources increasingly using AI to write news reports. That’s fine if they use it, as one expert I read suggested, in the same way you would an intern – that is, allowing the AI or intern to write a first draft, which a seasoned professional. But for a lot of social media outlets, we now have irresponsible and morally questionable “reporters” posting deliberately fake news, information, photos and videos using advanced AI.

I’ve seen some realistic looking AI-generated photos of President Biden and former President Trump laughing as they play golf together. The person posting the fake photos let everyone know they were created by AI. But we can’t count on that from everyone.

Let’s face it, though, mankind has always had a questionable, shaky relationship with the truth. We just have better tools in modern times.

Our friend, James points that out. James 5:12 [NKJV] But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your "Yes" be "Yes," and [your] "No," "No," lest you fall into judgment.

He was just quoting his big brother, Jesus. We find the Lord saying almost the exact same thing in Matthew 5:33-37.

We can even look to the Old Testament to guide us on how important it is to God that His people are truthful.

Psalm 15:1-2 [NKJV] 1 LORD, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill? 2 He who walks uprightly, And works righteousness, And speaks the truth in his heart;

If we are going to be women who unerringly speak the truth, we must have a heart for the truth. Once we have proven that to be true, we can be assured that our “yes’” or “no’s” will be accepted by others.

Psalm 40:4 [NKJV] Blessed [is] that man who makes the LORD his trust, And does not respect the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.

Those with a heart for truth, are careful to keep from being associated with those for whom the truth is flexible. Whether that is a news source, a social media post or a religious organization.

Psalm 101:7 [NKJV] He who works deceit shall not dwell within my house; He who tells lies shall not continue in my presence.

If we want to live in the presence of God, we cannot be liars. That includes carelessly reposting things we cannot confirm to be the truth or even hedging the truth to make myself look better in a bad situation.

As a Christian woman, I’d bet you would not out-and-out lie, but it takes more than just not lying to become a person whose “yes” or “no” is easily accepted. It takes being someone whose word is their bond, as Psalm 15:4, speaking of who may dwell in God’s presence, says, “…who keeps an oath even when it hurst, and does not change their mind.” [NIV]

The Bible is clear that we must become the type of Christian who can be counted on to speak the truth, whose word is her bond, and who esteems only those who do the same.

Psalm 15:1-2 [NKJV] 1 LORD, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill? 2 He who walks uprightly, And works righteousness, And speaks the truth in his heart;

It fun to use AI to create stories and pictures, and I believe it will be a helpful tool to writers and illustrators. But we know the “father of lies” [John 8:44] doesn’t need artificial intelligence to do his lying. That is why we must become women of the “yes” and “no” that can be counted on in every situation.

Thank you for continuing to join me in the study of the book written by my friend James. As we wrap this up, please let me know where you think we should go next.

You can write me any time at Nancy@DynamicChristianMinistries.org or leave a message in the chat.

My Friend James: Heavy Sigh

James 5:9 [KJV] Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door. It seems like “grudge” is being used as a verb here. Does it mean “don’t hold a grudge” against each other? The New King James says, “do not grumble”. Which seems to me to say something entirely different.

The Greek word used here means “to sigh, to groan”. We sign or groan when we get frustrated or impatient with something, don’t we? So, I wonder, is James saying that we should not allow our brothers and sisters in Christ to frustrate us to the point of sighing or groaning about it?

The writer of Hebrews uses the same word here: Hebrews 13:17 [KJV] Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that [is] unprofitable for you.

So, while Hebrews tells us not to cause those who rule over us any grief (same Greek word as is translated “grudge” or “grumble” in James 5), James tells us not to be grieved by our brethren.

James 5:9 [CSB] 9 Brothers and sisters, do not complain about one another, so that you will not be judged. Look, the judge stands at the door!

It would seem that our friend James is really counseling us to be patient with one another and also not to be the kind of person that causes grief to others. That’s fair.

Interestingly, the Bible also offers us acceptable “groaning” as Christians.

Romans 8:22-23 [NKJV] 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. 23 Not only [that], but we also who have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.

The people of God, along with the world He created, groan for the Kingdom and to exchange these mortal bodies for the immortal ones we are promised.

2 Corinthians 5:4-5 [NLT] 4 While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it's not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life. 5 God himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee he has given us his Holy Spirit.

So, if the condition of this world – the mess we have made of the planet itself, the oppression we see or hear about, the dysfunctional nature of so many human institutions or personal health issues due to the limitations of a mortal body – cause you to give out a heavy sigh or even a groan, that is no less than God would expect. It should lead us to pray “Thy Kingdome come” with earnestness and fervor.

But if your fellow brethren, who struggle as you do, cause you to give out impatient sighs and groanings, please be sure to cut them a break as they are likely dealing with the messes of their lives and this world just like you.

And try not to be the kind of person who causes others to groan, especially to your fellow brethren, even though they, like you, should be working on patience and understanding with one another.  We all may seem slow to change when others look at us and our spiritual progress, but we need to remember that God is working in each one at His own pace and ours.

We are so close to the end of our time in the book of James. Where shall we go next? Is there a book of the Bible you’d like to explore together? I am considering the book of Matthew or the messages of John (not just his gospel but also 1, 2 and 3 John).

You can write me any time at Nancy@DynamicChristianMinistries.org

My Friend James: Farmer Patience

In James 5:7-8, our friend, James, circles back to a theme from chapter 1, verses 2-4, where he says, 2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have [its] perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

In chapter 5, after giving the “what for” to the rich over how they treat their workers, we find James offering this counsel: James 5:7-8 [NKJV] 7 Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See [how] the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. 8 You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.

James bids us to be patient. Like a farmer.

If you have ever had a garden, you know that there is a significant amount of time between the seed going into the ground and your opportunity to put tomatoes from your garden onto your hamburger or into your homemade salsa.

Recently, in getting seeds and plants for our church community garden, I noticed that some seed packets said, “45 days from planting to harvest” or “90 days from planting to harvest”. Not fast by modern standards of 2-day shipping or Door Dash delivery in 20 minutes. But at least you know what to expect.

God doesn’t give us that. James says, “the Lord is at hand”. But we are told we don’t know and can’t know the day nor the hour He is coming. We just have to wait patiently.

We don’t get an expiration date on our lives. We must work until that time comes – doing the things God asks us to do.

We don’t know when God will answer our prayers – prayers about oppression or work drama or anything else. We must wait patiently and remain faithful until the answer comes.

Perhaps James was thinking of these words of his brother, Jesus: Mark 4:30-32 [NKJV] 30 Then He said, "To what shall we liken the kingdom of God? Or with what parable shall we picture it? 31 "[It is] like a mustard seed which, when it is sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds on earth; 32 "but when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out large branches, so that the birds of the air may nest under its shade."

The Kingdom itself is sewn in small seeds planted in the garden of our community, our jobs, our children’s minds.

James 5:7-8 [NKJV] 7 Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See [how] the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain.

We must be patient. Not just patient, but patient like a farmer, knowing that there is something going on, actually there is a LOT going, on under the surface while he waits. The farmer doesn’t dig up the soil to see what is going on under there. He knows that things are happening. He trusts the process. And while he waits he waters and weeds and fertilizes.

We too must actively wait. We too must be doing our part while we wait.

We are in the final chapter of the book of James. I hope you will continue to meet with me here and will share your own thoughts on this book by the brother of Jesus for just a few more messages.

Where shall we go next? Is there a book of the Bible you’d like to explore together?

You can write me any time at Nancy@DynamicChristianMinistries.org

My Friend James: Do Beautiful.

James’ parting shot in chapter 4 of his book is pointed and direct. James 4:17 [NKJV] Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do [it], to him it is sin. In modern times, we might say it just how the New Living Version does: Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it. So, there it is, you have been warned. Do good, or else!

However, the Greek language here is a little more flowery – or at least can be viewed that way.

The Greek word translated “good” in James 4:17 [as used in the King James and New King James translations] appears 102 times in the New Testament. It is mostly translated “good” and used just as we would understand and expect it to be.

However, it was interesting to me to learn that the root of this word is “beautiful”.  Thayer’s Greek Lexicon tells us that it was “applied by the Greeks to everything so distinguished in form, excellence, goodness, usefulness, as to be pleasing; hence (according to the context) equivalent to “beautiful, handsome, excellent, eminent, choice, surpassing, precious, useful, suitable, commendable, admirable.”

Many of these words would still make sense to us in the English language if they were used to replace the word good in James 4:17 and add “things”. For example, we might easily say, “to him that knows to do excellent things” or “choice things” or “useful things” and doesn’t, it is sin. The word good may best convey what James is after. In other words, if you know what good is and you don’t do it, that is a problem.

But what is James actually meant “beautiful” when he used this word? How does that change our thoughts about and responses to this admonition?

Romans 10:14-15 [NKJV], quoting Isaiah 52:7, says, 14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!"

Preaching the gospel is beautiful to God, not merely good.

Psalm 96:9 [NKJV] Oh, worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness! Tremble before Him, all the earth.

Holiness is like beautiful covering for us. Holy worship creates this cloak of beauty.

Isaiah 61:3 [NKJV] To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified."

And in Isaiah 53:2, when God promises “beauty for ashes”, we know He wasn’t promising to make everyone really pretty. I believe He means to replace sorrow, sadness and the pain of sin to the beauty of holiness, worship, obedience and preaching the gospel. He gives us beauty of “doing”, not of “being”.

James admonishes us that knowing to do good and not doing it is a sin, we need to take notice. However, if we think of the word “good” in light of it’s root word, “beauty”, I think we get a more, well, beautiful picture of what God requires of us.

It is our God-given responsibility to “do beautiful” in this world filled with so much ugliness.

So, sweet sisters, I leave you with my own version of the admonition of our friend James: If we have the opportunity to make the world a more beautiful place and don’t, well that would just be a sin. So, go out and replace ugliness with the beauty of the gospel, of praise and of good works at every opportunity.

Next week, we start on the final chapter of the book of James. I hope you will continue to meet with me here and will share your own thoughts on this book by the brother of Jesus.

Where shall we go next? Is there a book of the Bible you’d like to explore together?

You can write me any time at Nancy@DynamicChristianMinistries.org

My Friend James: Que Sera, Sera

In 1955, Doris Day performed the song “Que Sera, Sera” in the Alfred Hitchcock film “The Man Who Knew Too Much”. It is about a woman who asks about the future (Will I be pretty? Will I be rich? What lies ahead?) and is given what always struck me a weird piece of advice. “Whatever will be, will be. The future’s not ours to see.” We live in a time where we tell our children “you can have the future you want if you are willing to work for it”. Did they really not have that concept in 1955?

As a Christian, I know the truth is that my plans may not be God’s plans, especially if I’m not submitting them to His will. I also know working toward our goals doesn’t guarantee success in this life because time and chance, as well as the actions of others can impact my life. I also know that success is more likely if I work hard toward viable, God-guided goals.

As you might expect, James has something to say about making our own plans for the future.

James 4:13-16 [NLT] 13 Look here, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit." 14 How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog--it's here a little while, then it's gone. 15 What you ought to say is, "If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that." 16 Otherwise you are boasting about your own plans, and all such boasting is evil.

“If the Lord wants us to” is the key phrase – the key guidance that James wants to impart. This act of submitting our goals to God’s will is something we should consider on both a macro and a micro level.

You see, sweet sisters, we cannot just give our futures to God. We cannot just give our big dreams, big moves, big life events to God. We must submit each day to Him. We must submit each hour, each thought, each moment, each breath to His will and purpose for us.

So, whether the moments of our days include potty training a toddler, working on a big project at the office, painting, training for a marathon, mowing the yard, washing dishes for what seems like the millionth time or asking for that raise or promotion you deserve, we must actively submit them to the will of God. Not that He cares if you prewash the dishes before putting them in the dishwasher, but He cares that you are a child of His whose thoughts turn to Him while doing a routine task, or who will take this time to sing a song of praise (even if your family prefers you do that in your head only).

And who doesn’t need to ask for protection when moving the yard or patience when potty training a toddler?

“Que sera, sera” is not our Christian mantra. Sure, we cannot know the future apart from what God reveals in His word. But He doesn’t ask us to take a “whatever” attitude about it. He asks us for faith in His purpose.

Are lives are like the morning fog: here just a little while and then gone. But they count, they are important, they are given to serve and honor the living God – if only we will submit every aspect and moment of them to His will.

If the Lord wants you to, and He does, sweet sister, His glory will be made known in your small acts of service to your family, friends and neighbors. If the Lord wants you to, and He does, those you work with or train with will notice that you have something special going on within your character, words and work because you know you belong to Him.

But that can only happen if we actively, thoughtfully, and purposefully submit each small act and big project, each day, week, month and year, each moment, each word, each breath to His will, His purpose, and His glory.

Are lives are like the morning fog: here just a little while and then gone. But they count, they are important, they are given to serve and honor the living God – if only we will submit every aspect and moment of them to His will.

Next time, we will hit on the final verse of James 4 before we begin the final chapter of the book of James. I hope you will continue to meet with me here and will share your own thoughts on this book by the brother of Jesus.

Where shall we go next? Is there a book of the Bible you’d like to explore together?

You can write me any time at Nancy@DynamicChristianMinistries.org

My Friend James: Do Not Traduce Your Brother

I learned a new word today, while seeking to dig into and fully understand James 4:11-12. That word is “traduce”.  It means “to speak badly of or tell lies about (someone) so as to damage their reputation”.

We find it in this passage:

James 4:11-12 [NKJV] 11 Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. 12 There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you to judge another?

You see, the definition of the Greek word used in this scripture, which the KJV translates as “speak (or speaketh) evil” three times in verse 11 is “to be a traducer; to slander”.

It is a terrible thing to speak evil of your brother and sisters in Christ. We should find that obviously in contrast to Jesus’ explicit instructions in John 15:12 [NKJV] "… love one another as I have loved you.”

In case anyone doesn’t understand how to love one another, I Corinthians 13:4-7 spells out how love looks in action. Among those actionable traits of love, are many that are directly opposed to traducing one another. For example, “love does not behave rudely”. Speaking evil of others is pretty rude. Also, love “thinks no evil.” Not only show we show love by not speaking evil of others; but we must not even think it. Love “does not rejoice in iniquity” – and surely that means we would not spread actual sins, let alone make up any.

What is the danger of slandering, speaking evil of, others? James tells us that when we speak evil of others, we speak evil of the law of God. How is that? Well, James doesn’t expound on the connection, but perhaps Romans 14:4 gives us the key.  

Romans 14:4 [NKJV] Who are you to judge another's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand.

We are all servants of God, made for His service to do the work or works He specifically outlines for us. When step in to judge another, we are judging God’s work within that person. When we slander someone, we are doing even worse than that as we make God out to be an ineffective master.

Rather, we should understand that God is working in that brother and let His plan unfold with that servant as He wills it.

Let’s face it, we face enough condemnation and slander in this world. Peter both warns us of that and gives the cure. I Peter 2:12 [KJV] Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by [your] good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation. The words “speak evil” are from the same Greek word that James used. We will be slandered and traduced by those of the world. We must have our good works and honest conversation acting as shining a lights and standing in stark contrast to that slander.

Romans 14:4 [NKJV] Who are you to judge another's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand.

And no wonder we face slander and accusation in the world. The god of this world, Satan, is called the “accuser of the brethren”. [Revelation 12:10]

Let’s focus on honest conversation and good works and  on showing the kind of love that doesn’t even think evil of others, let alone slander or accuse them.

Let’s wrap this up by reading James 4:11 in the New Living Translation, that gives us a plain and direct version of this verse. Don't speak evil against each other, dear brothers and sisters. If you criticize and judge each other, then you are criticizing and judging God's law. But your job is to obey the law, not to judge whether it applies to you.

We have a job, dear sisters, and that is to obey the law. We don’t have time to be traducing each other.

We have just a little more than one chapter to go, but several more important concepts to cover. I hope you will continue to meet with me here and will share your own thoughts on the book of James.

You can write me any time at Nancy@DynamicChristianMinistries.org

My Friend James: Fight Club, Part 2

In our last discussion of James, we asked, “Where do fights come from?” – specifically fights and contentions within the body of Christ, according to James.  And we found the answer in James 4:1-4. Church wars come from lust – from wanting something that isn’t yours enough to fight for it. It comes from being willing to take it away from whomever currently is, or feels they are, the rightful owner of what we want. Fights among church brethren are often about power or position, and sometimes about the feeling that one has special knowledge that others must agree with, whether about one of the commandments or church doctrine or how to runs services or any tenant of Christian life.

Today, let’s discuss the cure for lust-driven wars among God’s people. The cure is two-fold. First, if we want to stop fighting among brethren, we must be humble – we must humble ourselves. The next few verses of James 4. James 4:6-10 [NIV] 6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: "God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble." 7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

You want favor from God? You want some particular power or influence in the body of Christ? Work at being humble. These verses tell us that we must grieve our own sins and wash our hearts with the precious blood of Jesus.

The second step toward curing wars in the church is one that should help us with becoming more humble. That step is to realize that the rightful owner of anything we want is not the person who currently has it, but rather God Himself.

James 4:12 [NIV] tells us, There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you--who are you to judge your neighbor? The power that your neighbor in the faith has, whether information or position, comes from the Just Judge whom your neighbor must answer to. If you fight over something you want, you’ll be answering to Him as well.

James may have been echoing what he’d read in the Psalms. David makes a similar point on who owns all we want and about the need to purify ourselves in order to receive the blessing or gift we desire. Psalm 24:1-5 [NIV] 1 Of David. A psalm. The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; 2 for he founded it on the seas and established it on the waters. 3 Who may ascend the mountain of the LORD? Who may stand in his holy place? 4 The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god. 5 They will receive blessing from the LORD and vindication from God their Savior.

Rather than fighting or arguing, we are directed to humbly ask for what we want. We are told to ask the One who owns it all – not just things but also power, wisdom, authority, position and everything else.

James 4:12 [NIV]There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you--who are you to judge your neighbor?

What is the cure for wars in the church? Humble recognition that God is the rightful owner of anything and everything, and humble seeking (and waiting for) God’s gift of what we seek.

I hope you will continue to meet with me here and will share your own thoughts on the book of James. We have just one and a half chapters to go, but several more concepts to cover.

You can write me any time at Nancy@DynamicChristianMinistries.org

My Friend James: Fight Club, Part 1

In our last discussion of James, we asked, “Where does wisdom come from?” and found that we can test that wisdom’s source by asking some questions about the makeup of that wisdom.

Today, our friend, James, both asks and answers this question: “Where do fights come from?”. Today, I’ll address where they come from and the damage they do. Next week, we’ll talk about the cure.

James 4:1 [KJV] From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?

The Greek word translated “fightings” can mean war and battles, or, as it is used in 2 Timothy 2:23 and Titus 3:9, it can mean quarrels, contention, or strife. The subsequent scriptures in James 4 tell us that our friend is more interested in troubles within the body of Christ, than in the Roman army taking over new territory.

James tells us that fights within the body of Christ come from lusts or desires for pleasure. We get in fights, cause strife, create drama in the body of Christ when we want something purely for ourselves and our own pleasure. Maybe it is a leadership role within the congregation. Or a desire for more authority over the church. Or to get the congregation to agree with some “new” or “more accurate” truth we want them to adopt.

These types of troubles come when we get our self esteem from power, position or praise, rather than from knowing that we are the much loved daughters of God. How does this happen to us – that we forget who we are and focus on what we have/can get instead?

James explains that in verse 4: You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.

When we spend too much time immersed in and, thereby, influenced by the world around us that is all about getting and having and looking good, we can lose sight of who we really are and the primary goal of our earthly lives.

I am not going to tell you not to listen to secular music or have hobbies or read fiction or watch TV. A Christian woman can do that and still maintain a deep relationship with God. God isn’t asking for 24/7/365 prayer, Bible study and fellowship with believers. He sends us into the world, after all, to be lights there. We ought to be bringing the truth and love of God to all our secular interactions [work, sports, hobbies, etc.] to be an example of living in the world but not being of the world [John 17:14]. We cannot do that if we remain apart from it. We can’t know what is going on in the world or understand the struggle of those unbelievers we hope to influence if we aren’t out there in the world at all.

James 4:4 You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.

What we have to do is guard our hearts and minds against buying into the schtick the world pushes on us – especially the schtick that having things will make us happy and that having power is the measure of success. The lust for things and power is what is tearing the world down and it can take us down as well.

But don’t be fooled, sweet sisters, if the only people you are around is church brethren, Satan will use this very human lust for power, influence and things to cause division in the body of Christ. Satan will use human nature pull us toward fighting to be the praise leader or pastor, or to being angry that a new believer seems to be getting more spiritual or physical blessing than you. Satan is crafty and aggressive. He will attack with these human lusts no matter where you are in your spiritual walk. He doesn’t stop or hold back. What happens is that we get stronger. We become better fighters. Our armor gets more difficult for him to penetrate.

We have to spend enough time with God, the Bible and fellow believers to be armored up against the lies of Satan and the pull of this world. [For more about the armor we should put on daily, see Ephesians 6:13-18.] That amount of time might be different for each of us. But what is sure is that we need time with the Father and His Word every day.

Sweet sisters, the fight is on, but it should be a battle with Satan and human nature, not a battle with our brethren, neighbors or coworkers. Where do things contentions, fights and battles come from? Lust.

It isn’t wrong to want good things,  or positions of service, of course. But lust, a word that means to set your heart upon, long for or covet, is something our Father was concerned enough about to address in the 10 Commandments. [See Exodus 20:17.] It is something we must guard against if we don’t want strife in our churches.

Next time, we will discuss James’ cure for lust that causes fights in the church.

I hope you will continue to meet with me here and will share your own thoughts on the book of James.

You can write me any time at Nancy@DynamicChristianMinistries.org

My Friend James: Where’d You Get That Wisdom?

Not all wisdom is created equal. James 3:17 [NLT] says, But the wisdom from above 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 favoritism and is always sincere. We believers clearly need the wisdom that comes from above – from God.

When you read James 3:17, you may be thinking about what I’ve heard preachers call “worldly wisdom” or “the wisdom of the world”. I’ve heard many sermons about that too. Sermons with disparaging words about our educational system (especially colleges/universities), or so-called liberals and their views. I don’t think this is the kind of wisdom that our friend, James, is concerned about. After all, he was not writing to people who were concerned about university students trying to come into the congregation and tell everyone that evolution is how we came about, since evolution as a replacement for creation hadn’t come about yet. Or that people should be able to be called by the pronouns they prefer, not by the ones that the English language designated for them. That was not a “thing” back in James’ day.

Ephesians 4:15, “speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head--Christ”

I believe that James was more likely concerned with people who thought they had some special information from God – some unique doctrine or more perfect take on scripture – and who were causing strife by trying to force this on their local church.

I don’t know about you, but I have seen a lot more of that going on in our local churches than any “worldly, liberal” doctrines being brought into the congregation. I have seen preachers and teachers come up with their own take on Sabbath keeping, the Holy Days, how much of the Mosaic law we must keep (and how to keep it), parenting, women’s roles, what kind of music is appropriate for praise and worship, the order of services and other similar subjects that have fractured congregations. In fact, I don’t recall having EVER experienced anyone trying to take over a church with so-called liberal university ideas or even trying to force others to agree with them.

James outlines a tall order for the parameters of heavenly wisdom.

·         Pure

·         Peace loving

·         Gentle at all times

·         Willing to yield to others

·         Full of mercy

·         Full of good deeds

·         Without favoritism

·         Sincere

This list is the opposite of what I have sometimes seen in action when someone brings in “new truth” or a “better understanding” of the word of God into a congregation.

James’ list shows us that if we really have wisdom that is coming from God, even the purest of new truth, we will not split friends or a congregation with it. Instead, we will focus on peace, first and foremost. We will give our truth gently rather than forcing it on others. We would be willing to yield to others, even if they disagree. We would show mercy to those who “don’t get it” or see things differently. We’d focus on doing good, more than forcing new truth so that our works would speak for our love for the church, and not just our words. We would not show any favoritism to those who agree with us. In doing all this, we would show a level of sincerity for the health and education of the congregation that is often lacking from human, worldly wisdom applied to a Biblical truth.

This is also the message of Ephesians 4:11-16, where verse 15 brings us what I think is the pivotal point: speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head--Christ--

Note that the author is talking about speaking the truth, not some false doctrine or worldly concept. Even the truth – especially the truth – must be spoken in love if we want our brethren and ourselves to grow into more Christ-like believers and if we want to call others into the faith using the truth.

The wisdom from above does not look at all like forcing some truth on anyone. The Rotary Club organization has a Four-Way Test that encourages Rotarians to think before they speak { The Four-Way Test - Wikipedia}.

·         Is it the truth?

·         Is it fair to all concerned?

·         Will it build goodwill and better friendships?

·         Will it be beneficial to all concerned?

Looks to me like James has an Eight-Way Test for speaking specifically to our brothers and sisters in Christ about any new truth we might be blessed to receive and share.

I hope you will continue to meet with me here and will share your own thoughts on the book of James.

You can write me any time at Nancy@DynamicChristianMinistries.org

My Friend James: Show Me

Our friend, James, is a “just do it” kind of guy. Recall that Martin Luther called it an “Epistle of straw” for it’s focus on the place that works have in our Christian lives.

So, the King James Version’s rendering of James 3:13 can be a bit misleading, especially coming on the heels of James’ fiery indictment of the tongue. James 3:13 in the KJV reads: Who [is] a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.

The word translated “conversation” means: “manner of life, conduct, behavior, deportment”. James is actually saying that we should show that we have wisdom and knowledge by how we live our lives – NOT by what we say with our mouths.

I feel that the NIV gives a better translation: Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.

But I really like New Living Translation rendering:. If you are wise and understand God's ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom.

I am reminded of the lyrics from My Fair Lady, when Eliza Dolittle got frustrated with her suitors sweet words and inaction: “Don’t talk of stars burning above, if you’re in love, show me!”

I picture James saying, “don’t talk of honor, humility and heart, if you’ve got smarts, show them”.

Flowery words and skilled oration, talking of the Word and claiming to know this won’t cut it. We must show wisdom and understanding by using them to live an obedient and service-oriented life.

God is not going to say, “Well done, good and faithful servant, you memorized the Bible cover to cover, sitting in your home and doing nothing at all with what you learned.” Nope.

What will He say? According to Luke 19:20-26, God will have harsh judgement for those who just sit on the truth and talents God gives them. Matthew 25:31-46 also gives us dire warning about those who don’t act on what they know by doing good to those in need.

Luke 19:23 [NKJV] 23 'Why then did you not put my money in the bank, that at my coming I might have collected it with interest?'

Godly wisdom and knowledge must be proven by how we live our lives – by good and humble conduct, not just by talking a good game. Once again, our friend, James, tells us to “just do it”.

I hope you will continue to meet with me here and will share your own thoughts on the book of James.

You can write me any time at Nancy@DynamicChristianMinistries.org

My Friend James: The Tongue

My friend, James, really gets on his soapbox about the tongue!

James 3:2 [NKJV] For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he [is] a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body.

I appreciate the fact that he treats the discussion as though the tongue itself is a tool, an object to be tamed and controlled.

He isn’t saying it is a mind or heart problem, although certainly having a heart of love and the mind of God would surely help in our efforts to tame the tongue. He is saying the tongue is a tool to use wisely.

James 3:9-12 [NKJV] 9 With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. 10 Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so. 11 Does a spring send forth fresh [water] and bitter from the same opening? 12 Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh.

Proverbs 16:13 [NKJV] tells us, “Righteous lips [are] the delight of kings, And they love him who speaks [what is] right.”

Because the tongue is a tool, we must choose how to use it. Will we use it to praise God? Bring forth good things like encouragement and blessings for our family, friends, brothers and sisters in Christ, neighbors and acquaintances?

Will we even use it to pray for our enemies as we are told to do in Matthew 5:44 [NKJV], where it says, "But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,”

Sweet sisters, will our tongues be tools for fresh water that souls the thirsty souls of this world?

Or will we let them be just another bringer of bitterness to this world by falling into gossip and complaining and angry words?

Proverbs 16:13 [NKJV] tells us, “Righteous lips [are] the delight of kings, And they love him who speaks [what is] right.”

How much more is THE King be delighted when the lips and tongues of His daughters speak righteousness?

Our friend, James, gets pretty pointed about the tongue. He admits it can be tough to control, but we have the power of the Holy Spirit and the knowledge that it is God working in us that makes good possible.

Philippians 2:13 [NKJV] “for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for [His] good pleasure.”

God, through the Holy Spirit, will help us control our tongues, not just to keep from saying what we shouldn’t, but also to ensure we say what we should – words of encouragement and truth and love.

Let’s pray to use the tool of the tongue for good, for encouragement for the glory of God and the preaching of the Gospel. If we are focused on using our tongues for that, maybe there won’t even be any time or place for it to be used for bad.

I hope you will continue to meet with me here and will share your own thoughts on the book of James.

You can write me any time at Nancy@DynamicChristianMinistries.org