JAMES 1

27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

TRUE RELIGION

What is true religion?

Chapter 2:14-26 of James causes so many Christians problems, they think that it means you can be saved by works, but works are not the root of faith, they are the fruit of faith.

What is God looking for in his church and in each individual believer?

It is two things, firstly, it is a caring approach to the lowest people in society, the widows and the orphans.

All through the OT, the children of Israel, were told to care for the widows and orphans, these were not to be ignored.

In 1 Timothy 5, the church is told to look after widows, this is boots on the ground Christianity, getting involved with the lowest members of society is practical service, remember Acts 6, the church there served widows, they gave food, in Acts 2:42-47, they provided for each other.

We have the practical examples of George Mueller with his orphanages and also that great Preacher Charles Spurgeon had children’s homes and ministry to widows, they cared not just for the soul but for the body.

Our Christianity, not only has to be practical, it must be personal, we need to live a life that is separate from the world, we must live as strangers and pilgrims in this world, although we live in the world, we are not of it, we must not love the world 1 John 2:15-17.

Our lives must be characterized by practical service and personal holiness, these are the two things God is looking for in each one of us. 

Are you serving the lowest people in your church?

Which was the last widow you visited in your church?

Time to get our hands dirty with true and practical service and time to get our hands and heads out of the world and live holy lives before God.

That is pure religion which God likes.

Amen

KK

JAMES 1

26 If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless.

TONGUE TIED

Do you go to church every Sunday?

Do you read and study your bible?

Do you share the gospel to your friends?

All this is very good and very noteworthy and is exactly what you should be doing, but James, as he always does, under the holy spirit’s inspiration, pulls no punches.

What are the true evidences of Christianity?

In chapter 3, we have a detailed discourse on the tongue, here we have a little taster so to speak.

In chapter 3, James states that the tongue although the smallest member of the body, is like a runaway train, once started rolling downhill, it cant be stopped. I have said something to a family member and it has taken days or even months for the wounds to heal, if they ever do.

Words are like hand grenades; we throw them around carelessly and they end up hurting myriads of people.

The true test of a believer’s life is not how much bible you have read and know, but can you control your tongue?

The true test of a church is how much the members are living in peace with each other. Can you imagine, a non believer coming into your church, and seeing and hearing all the gossip and backbiting going on, it would put them right off.

You can have all your doctrine correct, all your evangelism programs running like clockwork and yet if you are biting and devouring each other with your words, it is completely and utterly worthless.

So, you think you are religious, do you?

If you haven’t been able to bridle or control your tongue, then all your so-called religious is just an empty and worthless shell.

Your words must back up your life, as James will say in his amazing discourse on faith and works in  Chapter 2.

May our words always be seasoned with salt and may they be a testimony to our faith in Christ.

Your testimony will be ruined if you can’t bridle your tongue.

Is your tongue tied by the power of God’s spirit or it is loosed to destroy and gossip?

If it’s the latter, your religion is worthless.

God bless you

KK

JAMES 1

22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:

24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.

25 But whoso looked into the perfect law of liberty, and continuity therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

LOOKING INTO THE MIRROR

The older you get , the less you look in the mirror, well that’s my excuse anyway!

For the Christian, it is the opposite, the Christian loves to look into the mirror of God’s word to hear from God how to further his Christian walk.

If we look into the mirror of God’s word and God speaks to us about something and we do nothing about it, what is the worth of you looking into the mirror in the first place.

You can sit in church every week, you can agree to all the sermons, you can say, Oh yes, that’s a good thing to do, but if you don’t do it, it is worthless.

You see the word of God is a law of liberty, it is a law of life, it is not a straightjacket to hinder you, but it is a chain breaker to break the power of sin in your life.

The devil doesn’t mind you hearing the word of God, he doesn’t even mind you reading it, what he doesn’t want you to do is to obey it.

If you are reading the word of God on a regular basis and struggling to remember it, keep a journal, write down how God has spoken to you.

if you go to the mirror and there is a great big mark on your face, you go to the bathroom to wash it off, likewise when God speaks to you about something from his word, maybe a sin to be confessed or command to obey, don’t put it off.

Be quick not only to hear but to obey.

TRUST AND OBEY

FOR THERE’S NO OTHER WAY TO BE HAPPY IN JESUS THAN TO TRUST AND OBEY

GOD BLESS YOU

KK

JAMES 1 

21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.

WHAT ARE YOU FILLING YOUR MIND WITH?

I have a question for you.

How much time do you spend watching trash TV and how much time do you spend in the word of God?

Let me tell you that you can never grow in your Christian life, if you are continually filling your mind with the trash of the world. You know James pulls no punches, he calls a spade a spade and tells you as it is.

Although it was written nearly 2,000 years ago, it is so relevant. we need to get rid of all the filth of the word, but we have to replace it with the pure milk of the word of God.

In psalm 119:37, we hear this:

37 Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity; and quicken thou me in thy way.

So, believer stop watching rubbish on Tv and the internet/cell phone and get your focus on the word of God.

Here are some verses to help you:

1 Peter 2 

2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby.

Philippians 4 

8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

Receive the word , let it become part of you, because that is the only thing that can help you grow as a Christian, the TV and Cell phone will not.

God bless you！

kk

JAMES 1

19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:

20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.

QUIET PLEASE

We all want to be heard, we don’t like to listen and we are very quick to anger.

Taken together this is a volatile cocktail that leads to trouble, James fully expounds on the subject of the mouth in chapter 3, so often my reaction is:

SLOW TO HEAR

QUICK TO SPEAK AND QUICK TO WRATH

God’s wrath is perfect, it is based on his righteousness, our wrath and anger as will be seen in chapter 4 is unholy and brings strife, God’s is based on his perfect holiness.

So are you a good listener?

We often hear this said, when there’s an argument ” oh I don’t want to hear this”.

Do we hear the other person or do we like the sound of our own voice?

Are we slow to speak? Is our tongue under control, this is the true test of Christian maturity. Because we don’t hear, we speak, not knowing all the facts and this leads to wrath, so listen before you open your mouth, it will save you lots of trouble and pain.

Are we slow to wrath?

Are we like a volcano or are we virtuous?

MATTHEW HENRY SAYS

  People are often stiff in their own opinions because they are not willing to hear what others have to offer against them: whereas we should be swift to hear reason and truth on all sides, and be slow to speak any thing that should prevent this: and, when we do speak, there should be nothing of wrath; for a soft answer turneth away wrath. As this epistle is designed to correct a variety of disorders that existed among Christians, these words, swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath, may be very well interpreted according to this last explication. And we may further observe from them that, if men would govern their tongues, they must govern their passions. When Moses’s spirit was provoked, he spoke unadvisedly with his lips. If we would be slow to speak, we must be slow to wrath.

God bless you

KK

JAMES 1

18 It was of His own will that He gave us birth [as His children] by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits of His creatures [a prime example of what He created to be set apart to Himself—sanctified, made holy for His divine purposes].

REBORN FOR HOLINESS

Isn’t salvation just awesome?

God’s will throughout history is for the salvation of man, all through the bible, is the golden thread of salvation of God seeking and saving sinners.

We are reborn, what Jesus said to Nicodemus springs to mind, 

JOHN 3

3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?

5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

The mind of Nicodemus was totally blown away by this, mine is also, this is supernatural teaching, only by the illumination of the Holy Spirit, can we understand this.

What we need to understand is this, that GOD has saved us for a purpose, I love what the amplified bible says on this:

a prime example of what He created to be set apart to Himself—sanctified, made holy for His divine purposes.

We are his example to the world of what he has recreated, we are reborn to honour him, to do his will and to be used by God to reach a need world.

To live holy and blameless lives before him and the world.

Let’s be his living examples to the glory of God.

God bless you

KK

JAMES 1

17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

LOVE WRAPPED GIFTS

The Lord is a gift giving God, every one of his gifts is good and perfect.

He gives generously, when he gives, he doesn’t spare anything, indeed the most well-known verse in the bible in John 3:16 states that God gave his only son, he doesn’t hold back when he gives. What a joy it is to receive gifts from our God who is so generous.

He also has no favourites, he treats all of us the same, he doesn’t have his favourite people like we have, he is as generous to one as he is to another.

He is also true to his word, if he says, he will give us something, he will give it to us. He is completely and utterly trustworthy, he doesn’t promise something and then say, Oh now I can’t give it.

Every gift he gives is given by a father who loves to give, he is full of love for his children.

Remember every good and perfect gift comes direct from God tied with the ribbon of love from a generous Father.

GOD BLESS YOU

KK

JAMES 1

12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.

13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:

14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.

15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

16 Do not err, my beloved brethren.

YOUR TO BLAME!

We battle three things every day, the world, the flesh and the devil.

Temptation is all around us, can God take that temptation away?

Well he could, if you want to live in a monastery or on a desert island by yourself, even in those places you would be tempted in one way or another.

No, he doesn’t take away these temptations, he gives us the power to defeat them, with the sword of the spirit in our hands and the holy spirit in our hearts.

If we overcome temptation, we will receive the crown of life, what a reward that is.

God is not the author of temptation; Does he allow us to be tempted? yes, but in those situations, he gives us the strength to overcome it.

Temptation starts slowly, it’s like this:

There is a casino, you have to walk past every day, at first you walk past it, then you gaze into the window, then you go in and look around, then you are gambling, see the progression. Psalm 1 outlines this, we are more and more passive and this leads to sin, bringing forth, not physical death but spiritual death, look at Adam and Eve and look at Samson.

We need to be proactive against temptation, lets go back to our casino scenario, what we need to do, is to find another way so that we don’t walk past that place of temptation.

Many men will say, “oh, I’ve had an affair, with this woman, it’s Gods fault that she came to my office”. If you are tempted in this situation, change jobs, don’t be inactive but proactive. 

It’s like porn on your computer, many men blame God or their wives, when in reality, it’s their lust and fornication, get rid of your computer and be accountable to other men. Confess your faults to one other as it says later in James, stop blaming God and everyone else.

These verses in 1 Corinthians 10 sum it up:

13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

14 Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.

God will give you a way of escape, but look at verse 14, you have to flee from idolatry, if you are tempted by some women at work, change jobs, if you are addicted to porn, then be accountable to others, don’t be inactive but proactive against sin, it may start small, but it will mushroom and it gives birth to only one thing and that is death.

Do not err on this point brothers and sisters.

Paul said to Timothy:

2 Timothy 2:22

Flee also youthfullusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

Not only must you flee these lusts, but you must you must follow righteousness and seek God in repentance.

You will overcome and the prize is a crown of life.

God bless you

Keith

JAMES

CHAPTER 1

9 Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, 10 and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass[c] he will pass away. 11 For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also, will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.

THE RICH AND THE POOR

Christianity is the only faith, that is counter cultural. You can be as poor as a church mouse so to speak and yet be rich as a billionaire in spiritual things, see Ephesians 1.

One of the things, it does, is that it puts money in its proper place. It puts riches in it’s proper place, we need money to live, but we don’t need riches.

It is often said, that you cant take your money with you, but why would you, all the money in the world, can’t buy you into heaven, no amount of money, could buy you the things and the glory that are in heaven.

No amount of money can win you salvation.

When it talks about humiliation here, it talks about if you have money, you have to lay it down at the feet of Jesus. The rich young ruler and others in the gospels refused to lay it down and it cost them, their souls. 

It is difficult for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven, but when he is humiliated and lets everything go for the sake of the gospel, he is exalted, he is blessed. Because he will now have what money cannot buy.

Amen

God bless you

Keith

CHAPTER 1

5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

WISDOM NEEDED NOW

Wisdom is a great gift from God, Solomon asked for it and received it.

In Proverbs 1, it says:

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;
    fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Psalm 111 says:

ThefearoftheLordisthebeginningofwisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!

God graciously gives us wisdom to deal with everyday circumstances, we are told later in James 3, what true wisdom is:

17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.

How do we endure and handle trials? When trying times come, how do we handle them?

We ask for wisdom from God and he will give us the wisdom to get through these things. But we ask in faith, we have to have a complete and utter trust in God and this must come with no doubt.

Sometimes when faced with a situation, we ask for God’s wisdom, but then we try to figure it out through the world’s wisdom, this is being caught between two minds, we cannot be two minds. We cannot afford to have one foot in both camps.

Christians need to completely and totally trusting in the Lord. Otherwise, we will be like a wave on the sea, God cannot give wisdom to us, unless we trust him 100%,  God’s wisdom and man’s wisdom, do not mix.

For the believer, it is either one or the other and I know what kind of wisdom I want, and that is God’s wisdom.

Ask God for his wisdom, act in faith and believe that he will give it to you.

God’s wisdom, will enable you to overcome trials and to see them in the right perspective, it clears the mist and allows you to see them in the divine perspective, but man’s wisdom, only sees them from man’s perspective

God bless you

Keith

CHAPTER 1

2 Count it all joy, my brothers,[b] when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

FAITH BEING PROBED AND PRODUCING

James doesn’t waste time getting to the point, does he?

Faith is a key word in this book, he outlines this further in Chapter 2 and throughout the book. You say that you have faith, well, where’s the evidence.

In the great chapter of faith in Hebrews 11, the people there had their faith tested, Abraham in Genesis 22, Moses by the children of Israel and many others.

All trials and tests we go through are to make our faith real, they are not meant to destroy it, they are meant to strengthen it, that is why James can tell us to count it all joy, in modern terms, to count, every trial as a blessing.

God knows every trial we go through, he is sovereign over every trial and is in control of every situation, he is with us, indeed one of the reasons, we can count it all joy, is because our Lord is with us through that trial.

The more trials we go through, the stronger we become, the first ones hurt, we wonder why, but as we stand against these, we are able to move on and to become steadfast and strong, it is like exercising a muscle, the more you exercise it, the stronger it becomes.

Trials and tests are God’s training ground, they are God’s proving ground for his children, we go through them, because we are his sons and daughters and not bastards. Hebrews 12 and Romans 8.

Remember, we can count it all joy, because they are true evidences of our faith, they mature and grow us and because finally, they prove that we are His.

God bless you

KK

James chapter 1

James, a servant[a] of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,

JAMES THE MAN

So, who was this man, James?

He was the half-brother of our saviour; he was the natural offspring of Mary and Joseph. Jesus of course was born supernaturally through the holy spirit.

He was the leader of the Jerusalem church; much is written about him in the book of Acts.

HE HAD A POWERFUL EXPERIENCE

In Mark chapter 3, James, his mother and his brother and his mother thought Jesus was mad, so what happened. The answer is the cross and resurrection of Jesus, this is a life changing experience. Every person who comes into contact with the above is never the same. People like Paul and James, who think Jesus is mad, are now slaves of Jesus Christ.

HE HAD A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP

Everyone like James who comes into contact with Jesus, comes into a personal relationship. Christianity is about a relationship, it is not about religion, it is the only faith, where you can have a personal relationship with God, why because God steps down into human history.

HE WAS PERMANENTLY TRANSFORMED

When people come into contact with Jesus, they are totally transformed, James was changed and millions have been changed over the last 2,000 years.

So, who is James, He is you and me. 

Jesus changed the life of James and he can change yours too.

God bless you

KK