"So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow the wrath;for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God." (James 1:19-20)
Imagine the one who is the opposite of this exhortation "Slow to hear, swift to speak, swift to wrath." (sounds like a typical American tourist, but I digress). What can be said about verse 19 is this--don't be foolish. For is it not the man who doesn't listen, and arrogantly speaks his mind without regard to the people around him, is this man not a fool? We've all found those type of people among our lives, reverent respect is far from them and they pride themselves on articulating their views, though their voices usually annoy the ears of those among them.
Now, before we go on spotting out specks in others' eyes, lets then check our own eyes for planks. We have to be honest and ask ourselves "Am I the one who prides himself in answering every remark, or the one who is so impatient that he does not listen to his quiet and wise brethren beside him. Am I the man described in Proverbs 10:19 "In the multitude of words sin is not lacking" O God give me grace to be the one described in the second half of the verse "But he who restrains his lips is wise."
Look at our Savior whom "opened not His mouth" (Isaiah 53:7) and He did "not cry out nor raise His voice, nor cause His voice to be heard in the streets." (Isaiah 42:2) Is it not the whole Christian life but "to be conformed to the image of His Son" (Romans 8:29) and is it not true that "He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk as He walked." And how did Jesus walk, you might ask? Well: "A bruised reed He will not break, and smoking flax He will not quench" (Isaiah 42:3) "Be slow to wrath," (James 1:19) Does this describe my life, do I cut down with my tongue, those who have been bruised by the world, Satan, and maybe even their own whims and sins; do I throw out those smoking flax that has not oil and quench the Holy Spirit with their backsliding; well I do everyday in my heart, in my mind, and that is just as bad. Yet Christ! He gently lifts the bent reed of its shame, and applies more oil to the stinky flax. Oh, that I may become like Him, thus fulfilling one of the loftiest commandments of God's royal law: "love your neighbor as yourself."
Application: More often than I probably notice myself doing it, I find myself talking when I could be the humble one listening to others and to be gentle "slow to wrath, for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God." I need to pray for the Holy Spirit to help me shut my lips and still my tongue, and thus be more like Jesus.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Saturday, November 19, 2011
My Frequently Forgotten Promise (James 1:5)
"If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him." - James 1:5
So often as I'm on my way to deal with a problem, I pass by this very promise in James, that I should stop, ask God for wisdom in which I so lack, and go on to solve the problem. Why is that I act so much like one of those simple men, described in Proverbs (specifically Proverbs 1:20-33) who pass by the house of wisdom, ignore her invitations for wisdom being so focused on the matter at hand that they don't heed her generous cry. It's like an anxious man who's running back to put out a blazing fire at his house and as he's running, a woman comes out of her home with a long fire hose that is able to quench the blaze and says to the man "Sir! Would you like this hose." and the man says "I would love to negotiate with you ma'am, but my house is burning down, I don't have time to talk." and he continues on his way.
We're like that man every time we forget to ask God to give us wisdom before we go out to do something. But yet, sometimes the problem isn't that we forget about this verse, but also we don't want to humble ourselves to receive that wisdom which is offered to us freely. Far worse, we sometimes reject it offhandedly because we figure we already have the wisdom that is able to solve the problem, though that isn't true, maybe so we can at least boast in our half-solved problems though it could of been fully solved by God given wisdom. Like a man refusing a cure to his cancer because he feels sufficient with cough drops, we don't accept the divine, Solomon-like wisdom of Christ because we try to accomplish things by our own, insufficient wisdom.
Application: In instances, especially when I'm emotionally charged, where I need to solve a problem, I need to remember to stop, silently ask God for wisdom by faith, for then I have God on my side rather than just myself and my depraved wisdom to depend on. I also realize that in my frequent requests in prayer, I don't ask for wisdom from the Lord to tackle my day and the problems that come alongside it. I frequently ask for forgiveness and grace, I intercede, I ask for strength, I ask for humility, and more of His presence in my life, but I rarely ask for wisdom (which can probably explain my lack of wisdom and spontaneous solutions to problems.) So therefore I'm going to add wisdom to my list of requests I frequently take to the mercy seat of God.
So often as I'm on my way to deal with a problem, I pass by this very promise in James, that I should stop, ask God for wisdom in which I so lack, and go on to solve the problem. Why is that I act so much like one of those simple men, described in Proverbs (specifically Proverbs 1:20-33) who pass by the house of wisdom, ignore her invitations for wisdom being so focused on the matter at hand that they don't heed her generous cry. It's like an anxious man who's running back to put out a blazing fire at his house and as he's running, a woman comes out of her home with a long fire hose that is able to quench the blaze and says to the man "Sir! Would you like this hose." and the man says "I would love to negotiate with you ma'am, but my house is burning down, I don't have time to talk." and he continues on his way.
We're like that man every time we forget to ask God to give us wisdom before we go out to do something. But yet, sometimes the problem isn't that we forget about this verse, but also we don't want to humble ourselves to receive that wisdom which is offered to us freely. Far worse, we sometimes reject it offhandedly because we figure we already have the wisdom that is able to solve the problem, though that isn't true, maybe so we can at least boast in our half-solved problems though it could of been fully solved by God given wisdom. Like a man refusing a cure to his cancer because he feels sufficient with cough drops, we don't accept the divine, Solomon-like wisdom of Christ because we try to accomplish things by our own, insufficient wisdom.
Application: In instances, especially when I'm emotionally charged, where I need to solve a problem, I need to remember to stop, silently ask God for wisdom by faith, for then I have God on my side rather than just myself and my depraved wisdom to depend on. I also realize that in my frequent requests in prayer, I don't ask for wisdom from the Lord to tackle my day and the problems that come alongside it. I frequently ask for forgiveness and grace, I intercede, I ask for strength, I ask for humility, and more of His presence in my life, but I rarely ask for wisdom (which can probably explain my lack of wisdom and spontaneous solutions to problems.) So therefore I'm going to add wisdom to my list of requests I frequently take to the mercy seat of God.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Produces Patience (James 1:2-3)
"My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience." James 1:2-3
It has been said that when you pray for patience, God just doesn't give you patience automatically, but rather He gives you opportunities to exercise and grow your patience. Well though questionable, these verses from James seems to teach it.
So often we, like impatient children, get so hung up with such small and trivial problems and darken our countenances, forgetting that "we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance." (Romans 5:3) And it's this very knowledge that our struggles grow us to be more patient and perseverance is what makes us able to get through the tough times, through those moments where misfortune seems to repeatedly befall us.
Those times of misfortune, some of which have come today, seem to really frustrate me because I see them as arbitrary things that, in my mind, aren't supposed to happen. They are big stumbling blocks that keep me from being what I want (which I sometimes disguise as God's will). But instead, if I would rather see them as "tests of faith" from God to make me more patient, it changes everything, for it changes my outlook.
God is more concerned about making me more like Jesus than accomplishing some grand purpose in His will. Actually that is His will, for me to "be conformed to the image of His Son" (Romans 8:29). Instead of wallowing over these various trials that befall me daily, I should see them as tests from God so that I may step up to the challenge of being more like His Son, Jesus. A biblical example is Job, whom God let the most faith-deepening of trials so that He might show, to Satan, how righteous His servant truly was, and so that God might later bless Job.
"Count it all joy" Why? "For the testing of your faith produces patience." Yet still, why count it all joy? Because a patient Christian is a Christ-like Christian; for he will be bale to train the Peters, bear the crowds, wait on the Lord. Also a patient Christian is a happy Christian. Despite what the devil may throw at him. the patient Christian sees the trials as, not punitive judgment from God, but as a challenge to prove his faith. Also a patient Christian is an edifying Christian. Is it not amazing how the calm of one Christian can bring peace to the most stressful crowd even in the face of massing persecution and most heated of trials, for patience is also contagious. The patient Christian is also the loving Christian; for one of the pillars of love is patience (1 Corinthians 13:4) and is it not the patient Christian that can best endure the most blabbering of sobs and bear the most fieriest bursts of wrath and the most prolonged bouts of depression from other people. Surely a patient Christian makes the best minister.
And finally, the patient Christina is the most rejoicing Christian for "patience (produces) character, and character, hope; and hope does not disappoint for the love of God has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit who has been given to us." (Romans 5:4-5)
Application: Therefor I will see the trial and moments that usually give me silent frustration, and see them as an opportunity to grow in patience and become more like Christ.
It has been said that when you pray for patience, God just doesn't give you patience automatically, but rather He gives you opportunities to exercise and grow your patience. Well though questionable, these verses from James seems to teach it.
So often we, like impatient children, get so hung up with such small and trivial problems and darken our countenances, forgetting that "we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance." (Romans 5:3) And it's this very knowledge that our struggles grow us to be more patient and perseverance is what makes us able to get through the tough times, through those moments where misfortune seems to repeatedly befall us.
Those times of misfortune, some of which have come today, seem to really frustrate me because I see them as arbitrary things that, in my mind, aren't supposed to happen. They are big stumbling blocks that keep me from being what I want (which I sometimes disguise as God's will). But instead, if I would rather see them as "tests of faith" from God to make me more patient, it changes everything, for it changes my outlook.
God is more concerned about making me more like Jesus than accomplishing some grand purpose in His will. Actually that is His will, for me to "be conformed to the image of His Son" (Romans 8:29). Instead of wallowing over these various trials that befall me daily, I should see them as tests from God so that I may step up to the challenge of being more like His Son, Jesus. A biblical example is Job, whom God let the most faith-deepening of trials so that He might show, to Satan, how righteous His servant truly was, and so that God might later bless Job.
"Count it all joy" Why? "For the testing of your faith produces patience." Yet still, why count it all joy? Because a patient Christian is a Christ-like Christian; for he will be bale to train the Peters, bear the crowds, wait on the Lord. Also a patient Christian is a happy Christian. Despite what the devil may throw at him. the patient Christian sees the trials as, not punitive judgment from God, but as a challenge to prove his faith. Also a patient Christian is an edifying Christian. Is it not amazing how the calm of one Christian can bring peace to the most stressful crowd even in the face of massing persecution and most heated of trials, for patience is also contagious. The patient Christian is also the loving Christian; for one of the pillars of love is patience (1 Corinthians 13:4) and is it not the patient Christian that can best endure the most blabbering of sobs and bear the most fieriest bursts of wrath and the most prolonged bouts of depression from other people. Surely a patient Christian makes the best minister.
And finally, the patient Christina is the most rejoicing Christian for "patience (produces) character, and character, hope; and hope does not disappoint for the love of God has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit who has been given to us." (Romans 5:4-5)
Application: Therefor I will see the trial and moments that usually give me silent frustration, and see them as an opportunity to grow in patience and become more like Christ.
Saturday, October 29, 2011
To the Church Scatterred Abroad, greetings! (James 1:1)
“James, a bondservant of God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
To the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad. Greetings”
Colin, a bondservant of God and Jesus Christ; to those of the church scattered abroad that may happen to read this blog:
Greetings from El Salvador.
As I read this verse, the second phrase: “to the twelve tribes” gives me a sense of the breadth and width of James’ influence and authority. James’ ministry was specifically appointed to the baptized people of Israel as a head elder in Jerusalem. Now imagine the responsibilities and tasks this man had-- probably numerous. He had to minister and pastor the thriving yet poor church in Jerusalem, defend the faith from the legalistic Judaisers in the capital of Judaism, he had to delegate and discipline his fellow leaders and help alongside them to grow in their walks with Christ, plus many more things including the possibilities of being the head of a family. Yet finding gaps within his schedule, he capitalized on them by writing this divine letter full of encouragement, correction, and exhortation.
Application: The Holy Spirit has been convicting me for a couple of days to follow James example and write letters to my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. I tried limiting myself just to my parents, supporters, and fellow Igniters which are working in Costa Rica and Uganda; but James didn’t jusrt write to the twelve tribes that might be close to him but the “twelve tribes scattered abroad.” So
I’m also going to write letters to my brothers and sisters I’ve left in Vancouver that I don’t usually contact with and build them up and stir them for love and good works.
To the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad. Greetings”
Colin, a bondservant of God and Jesus Christ; to those of the church scattered abroad that may happen to read this blog:
Greetings from El Salvador.
As I read this verse, the second phrase: “to the twelve tribes” gives me a sense of the breadth and width of James’ influence and authority. James’ ministry was specifically appointed to the baptized people of Israel as a head elder in Jerusalem. Now imagine the responsibilities and tasks this man had-- probably numerous. He had to minister and pastor the thriving yet poor church in Jerusalem, defend the faith from the legalistic Judaisers in the capital of Judaism, he had to delegate and discipline his fellow leaders and help alongside them to grow in their walks with Christ, plus many more things including the possibilities of being the head of a family. Yet finding gaps within his schedule, he capitalized on them by writing this divine letter full of encouragement, correction, and exhortation.
Application: The Holy Spirit has been convicting me for a couple of days to follow James example and write letters to my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. I tried limiting myself just to my parents, supporters, and fellow Igniters which are working in Costa Rica and Uganda; but James didn’t jusrt write to the twelve tribes that might be close to him but the “twelve tribes scattered abroad.” So
I’m also going to write letters to my brothers and sisters I’ve left in Vancouver that I don’t usually contact with and build them up and stir them for love and good works.
Friday, October 7, 2011
Isaiah 55:10-11
“For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and makes it bring forth and bud that it may give seed to the sower and bread for the eater, so shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”
Here we get a beautiful picture about the various purposes the word of God fulfills. God uses the rain to personify His word; it provides words for the evangelist “seed to the sower” and nourishment to the spiritual man “bread to the eater.” But not only that, but it gives growth to fruit of the Spirit, it softens dirt to mud so that Satan’s armies would halt in their advance, it ignites the energy of the ones who have walked through the valley of spiritual drought, and it purifies and cleanses the spirit of men.
Now, just as we can’t manipulate the rain to fall within its descent, we cannot control the word of God to constrain what it’s sent to do. Look at how it’s not my word, or our word, but God says it’s “My word that goes forth from My mouth.” It’s not our word that will not return void, but God proclaims “My word… shall not return to Me.” We may handle the word of God to try to encourage, exhort, correct, and teach yet it is God who says “it shall not accomplish what I please and it shall prosper in the thing which I sent it.” God takes ownership in His word and what will be done by it.
Application: I’m called to handle His word wisely and divide it correctly, but I need to make it clear in my mind that it’s His word that is effective with accomplishing His divine purposes, not my words or my use of His word. Will I be faithful in speaking His word that He delegates to me even if it doesn’t produce the expected results that I’m looking for? I need to be content with what God says whether it ignites revival or hardens wicked, unrepentant hearts. Such is the job of a prophet: speak what God says to speak and do what God commands to do, and the prophet will be used to accomplish God’s sovereign purpose within His word.
Isaiah 55:9
“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts”
So not only are my thoughts not His thoughts, but His thoughts are higher than mine. How high? “As the heavens are higher than the earth” for His thoughts are heavenly while mine are carnal. I can imagine and picture the intricacies of science and examine the ways at which the clouds form and how mountains are founded, yet the Lord knows both what I’ve just explained and how the cosmos array His glory and how HE sets the earth in such a place with all the precise sets of physical laws so that rushing activities of the stars will not destroy the earth till God permits.
“My ways are higher than your ways” I might build a city with relative beauty and wise design, yet the Lord is going to create this “New Jerusalem” who’s designed perfectly in dimension and ascetics and is lit up by the glory of God. I might sacrifice my time or energy or even my reputation to try and help someone, yet God sent His son to be spat upon, scourged and absorb the wrath of God for my sin. “For scarcely a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrated His own love toward us, in that while we were sinners, Christ died for us.”
Application: What’s amazing about this verse is that His ways and thoughts, which are infinitely higher than mine, are bent towards my good. Will I have enough faith that all things, no matter how unusual or painful or beyond my comprehension, will end up being for my highest good and His highest glory. I will work harder to work faithfully in this wise covenant with the Lord and invite people into this wonderful covenant with the Lord who’s ways and thoughts are higher than ours as the heavens are higher than the earth.
“Yes, I will rejoice over them and to do them good, and I will assuredly plant them in this land, with all My heart and with all My soul.” (Jeremiah 32:41) In times of distress and confusion, may the Lord give me grace to hang on to this verse.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Isaiah 55:8
“’For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,’ says the LORD.”
Though I will not admit it consciously, I get the impression in my mind that I comprehend the unsearchable depths of the knowledge of God. Yet I haven’t even scathed the surface of God’s knowledge and wisdom for my thoughts and His thoughts are categorically different. Yet this is comforting to know that His ways are incomprehensible in perfection and His thoughts are so higher than my depraved thoughts.
“How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them, if I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand,” (Psalm 139:17-18) My thoughts of myself are so degrading when I hear and believe the condemnation of the devil. Yet “My thoughts are not your thoughts” The condemnations I believe of myself don’t even pass God’s mind, instead He looks at me with such delight, affection, and love. Oh how freeing is this!
Application: This verse applies to me two-fold. One, I need to understand how much wiser and knowledgeable God’s ways and thoughts are so that I may be humbled. Secondly, I can be comforted in the knowledgeable that His thoughts are not my thoughts and that His love passes my understanding.
“Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain it.” (Psalm 139:6)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)