Separate – Meditations on James 4

The 4th Chapter of James holds wonderful truths for God’s people! (As does the whole Bible, of course!). But, perhaps it’s been a while since many of us have read through this chapter. In reading this chapter recently I was struck by the message of God’s people being “separate” from sin and the world. At least that is, called to be separate, expected to be separate, and empowered to be separate, but in need of willingness and decision to be separate. God provides the tools, strength or power, and the direction needed – but as for the decision, that lies in our hands. James 4 makes that abundantly clear, as do so many other countless passages in the Bible! Let’s go through the chapter and pull out some points for edification. I’ll simply reference ideas and portions of text, but you’d be blessed to read the whole chapter (See James 4).

• Wars, squabbles, and fights among us come from selfishness, lust and sinfulness, which is a part of the fallen nature or old creature which Jesus wants to eradicate from us (v.1). See also Eph. 4:22 and 2 Cor. 5:17 for more detail.
• The worldly way is to fight and squabble for stuff. God’s way is that we ask in prayer, trusting Him to provide, and being thankful for what He, in His perfect wisdom gives (v.2).
• The sin of God’s people pointed out here is that they were lusting for things and fighting for them after a sinful and worldly manner. Then asking for things selfishly which were totally contrary to God’s plan from the get-go. This sinful nature in us, if followed, and not crucified (put to death) will make us to be enemies of God who are unfaithful to Him. Such a course is strongly condemned here for what it is – siding with the enemy against God (v.3-5).
• Thankfully, God gives the grace we need – but only to those who humble themselves before Him, surrender and ask for His help. The proud and sinful are on their own (v.6). – Surrender.
• “Submit…therefore to God” (surrender) and “resist the Devil” (resist sinful urges) and “he will flee from you” (the devil will be running away) (v.7). Surrender to God. Resist the devil. The devil will run away. – That’s a key for success! But, it depends on our choice. Choice to surrender to God. Choice to resist Satan.
• “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you” (v.8). It’s another CHOICE for victory. Draw near to God. He will draw near to you. You and me can have more of the Holy Spirit, presence, and power of God in our lives. Draw near to Him. It’s a choice. Pray, read the word, fill yourself with His holy things and surround yourself with Godly influences while cutting off the bad ones. By this very choice to “draw near to God” we are enabling ourselves with power from on High to be able to overcome sin, and to be filled with God’s presence! It’s His promise, but our choice. Draw near to God. He will come near to you. (See also John 15:4,5; Matthew 11:28-30).
• “Cleanse your hands ye sinners; and purify your hearts ye double-minded” (v.8). The problem is being double-minded. People in God’s own church have loved sin too much. We have half a mind to follow God, and half a mind to follow our sins. The apostle James hits the nail on the head! Again, it boils down to a choice. Throw away the sin – get it out of your hands. Humble yourself before God, plead for His mercies and grace, ask for Him to help you have a pure heart (See Psalm 51:10). Hide His word in your heart so that you’ll be transformed by it and will learn not to sin (Psalm 119:11). Let your mind be transformed and renewed in God (Romans 12:1,2). Once more, choose to drop your sin now, humble and plead before God for forgiveness and strength, and seek Him in His word which will transform your mind and heart!
• “Be afflicted,” “mourn,” “weep,” “let your laughter be turned into mourning, and your joy to heaviness” (v.9). Sin is no light or laughing matter. It is life and death! We need a heart, mind, and attitude change. It’s time that we shun the worldliness and realize our true condition before God. Better to take things seriously and change our course than to dance on into destruction!
• If we humble ourselves before God, “He shall lift [us] up!” (v.10). Amen!! That’s a promise from God! HE will lift us up! He will drag us out of the mire of sin and worldliness that we’ve gotten ourselves into, but only if we are willing to truly humble ourselves before Him and seek His help!
• We are not to judge and bad-mouth each other. We should NOT speak evil of others. God Himself will take care of things as need be (v.11-12).
• Our life is just a “vapor,” here fore a little while and then gone tomorrow. We, therefore, should choose to live according to God’s will and make the best of every day for Him! Let us not be seeking worldly gain or imagining to run our own life-course according to our own wisdom. That is vain (worthless), and will get us into trouble for sure! We must trust the Lord and ask for HIS will to be done. Look for His will and follow that, as He allows, living one day at a time in perfect trust (v.13-16).
• Therefore, “He who knows to do good, and does it not, to him it is sin” (v.17). In other words, we have no excuses before God. When we know it is wrong then we had just better stop digging into that sin, choose to cast it aside, and start humbling ourselves before God. “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” Let our hands be cleansed and our hearts made pure by God’s power.

Hopefully, as you’ve had a chance to meditate upon this chapter you’ve been able to find heaven’s blessing in it! God has a plan for us and power to be overcomers! We must be separate from this world of sin! We are called, expected, and given power to overcome sin, but we have to make the choice to follow God’s plan. “Cleansing our hands” and having our hearts made pure, we can no longer live a double-minded life. Let it be so with us to draw near to the Lord, to resist the devil and to be set free day after day in Jesus!

High in the Sky – Signs of the End – Bible Prophecies Fulfilling

 Nearly 4,300 years ago the masses of mankind had gathered themselves in the fertile plain of Shinar to build themselves a city and make a tower reaching unto the heavens! They wanted to make a name for themselves and to avoid being scattered abroad upon the face of the earth! In the Biblical story (Genesis 11:1-9), God, seeing what they were up to, decided to go and confuse the languages in order to divide up and disperse people groups into various cultures so that mankind would not be able to progress as quickly in their development, while living in sin.

The people laid their plans and said, “Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven…” (Gen. 11:4). God knew that “now nothing will be restrained from them which they have imagined to do,” since the people were “one” and they all had “one language” (Gen. 11:6). The world was at a point then in which it was dangerous to allow man to progress because they were living in sinful rebellion against God, and putting their minds together in that sinful rebellion, and quickly adding many new technologies in such a state and at such a time would spell disaster for the human race! So, God slowed mankind’s progress by dividing mankind and halting their efforts.

Today, the world has reached a point in history where we’ve come to the same crucial boiling point! After so many years of being divided by languages and cultures we’ve come to a point where most all cultures of the world are now working together in harmony again. Language barriers around the world have majorly been broken down, especially among the elite thinkers and decision-makers of the various countries, cultures, and peoples. Yet, people’s hearts have not changed. Evil still lurks in the hearts of men. Can we imagine that God will not do something now, as He did back at that early time in history? The crisis of the ages is coming upon us! The Lord will soon appear to deal with the sin problem amongst mankind! We are reaching that boiling point again!

The world’s population has all been flocking and migrating to the cities! People are building towers around the world to make names for themselves, all striving to build the tallest and the best towers, while utterly forgetting about God our Creator! There is the Burj Khalifa (in Dubai), and the two Phoenix Towers planned for Wuhan, China which are slated to be completed in 2017 or 18 and will reach one kilometer in height! The CNN article reads, “No one can accuse China of stinting in its efforts to reach for the sky” (See CNN Article). Here we are, thousands of years later, running the same kind of show that brought God’s divinely appointed division into our world anciently!

The problem is not innovation, but rather sin, and rebellion against the Creator! Mankind wants to continue in sin and rebellion against God while building up and glorifying themselves. The danger is that mankind with sinful hearts are putting their minds together to develop all sorts of technologies, which left in the hands of sinful mankind will pose terrible threats to our race. God will not allow mankind to move on terribly farther without calling in the cards and putting an end to their sinful rebellion. It happened anciently, and we can be sure that it will happen in our day too! Beyond the modern innovations of today, the world is swelling and filling with a Sodom and Gomorrah level of iniquity (wickedness/sin), and a violence akin to the days of Noah (Gen. 6), all of which Jesus said would be signs of the end! (Luke 17:24-30) World wake up!! Jesus is coming very soon! Let us repent of our sins and seek God’s mercy before it’s too late!

Peace and Prosperity Talks – Good? A sign of the end?

Peace is an experience and a word that resonates with the hearts of most people! What perhaps could be better than peace when our hearts are daily torn by sad conflicts and outbursts of evil in this world! When people from all walks of life begin to talk about peace, and sides long in opposition and violence over their various differences have begun to talk of peace it certainly sounds like music to the ears of people with aching hearts yearning for sweet rest, peace, prosperity, and harmony for all! Peace sounds so incredibly good to us all! In fact, even Jesus said “Blessed are the peacemakers; for they shall be called the children of God” (Matthew 5:9). The apostle Paul gives us a word, under inspiration of the Holy Spirit, in Romans 12:18, “If it be possible, as much as lies in you, live peaceably with all men.” With that said, could some world talks of peace be a sign for concern? Could some peace talks be just part of a larger plan to seize world power, trample on minority faith groups, and cast eternal truths of God aside? Let’s consider a few points of prophecy from the Bible.

The Bible speaks of a power in opposition to Christ – that is, an anti-Christ power who comes to the world and to God’s people as if he were an “angel of light.” That is, he comes as if to solve the troubles of the world, however, up his sleeve is more than one trick that he’s using to ultimately belittle the true teachings of God, and to bring persecution upon the faithful followers of God! It is a movement designed by Satan to unite the whole world and gather every possible soul under his deceptions, thus aiding him in the persecution and destruction of God’s faithful followers!

The Bible says this power “has a mouth that speaks very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows” (Daniel 7:20). In other words, he is very proud, at the core, although appearances are going to be deceptive! The Bible says this power will “cast down the truth to the ground” and “practice and prosper” (Dan. 8:12). “Through his policy also he shall cause craft [deceit] to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall he destroy many…” (Dan. 8:25). The word “peace” in that last verse is the Hebrew word “Shalvah.” It has the meanings of “security (genuine or false); abundance, peace, prosperity, and quietness.” When it says that “he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand” it is talking about “deceit” or deception. In other words, while this power talks and moves for peace to gain a large following, at his core, he is practicing “deception” as his general policy for action. Their is wickedness and evil motives under the facade of peace talks.

The Bible says that this power gains favor with people all over the entire world! He becomes the talk of the nations! Revelation 13:3 says “…and all the world wondered after the beast!” Made crystal clear in Revelation 13 is the fact that this power influences the whole world, and the whole world seems to swoon after him! Add to this what Paul said about people in the last days just before Christ’s return, “For when they shall say Peace and Safety, then sudden destruction comes upon them…” (1 Thess. 5:3). In other words, the whole world and this beast power will have a common message of peace, prosperity, unity, and safety which they will be chanting! They will be all looking for that, but to the exclusion of Bible truth! They will try to unite all things possible under the name of peace while condemning any message of truth that interferes with their goal!

Paul says furthermore of this same character that his “coming is after the working of Satan with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth…” (2 Thess. 2:9,10). Here are some common denominators that we see keep popping up: (1) A message of Peace and Safety, (2) Deception and lies at the heart of it, (3) Compromise, casting down, and disregard of God’s sacred truth! The devil is behind it, his deceptive organizations at the front, and all the world is going to buy into it, that is, if they are not rooted in the eternal truths of Christ’s true gospel message!

Jesus said that he did not come to “send peace on earth,” but instead, “a sword” (Matthew 10:34). In his very next statement, He clarified his meaning. He said that even families would be “divided” because of one believing in Christ truly, while others did not (v.35). Jesus never advocated that his followers use violence, but rather just the opposite – to be meek and lowly (Luke 9:52-56; Matthew 26:52; 11:29). However, he warned that we would be “hated of all nations” for His name’s sake, would be afflicted and also killed even for following Him and His teachings of truth (Matthew 24:9). Religious leaders in Christ’s day condemned him as Beelzebub (the devil or a son of his) and Christ said his followers could expect about the same from the world (Matt. 10:25). We are told that all who live godly in Christ Jesus “shall suffer persecution” (2 Tim. 3:12). Revelation says that the Devil and his last day powers will persecute true believers in Christ Jesus who keep His commandments (Rev. 12:17; 14:12)! And most certainly, they will be the minority!

Knowing these things, we should realize that the devil is out to get God’s faithful people in the last days! He will unite the world and false religious movements together in an attack against God’s faithful people! A large part of their cry will be peace and safety, but under it all will be deception, and total disregard for God’s holy commandments! The message must sound so good to every ear, but the work being done underhand will be totally against the truth!

When we read of world leaders such as the Pope, reaching out to people all over the world, getting praised as “man of the year,” and talking peace and unity with the various religious leaders around the world then we should know that something is going on! Something that is fulfilling prophecy! Something that is very deceptive in nature, pleases the ear, but is working against the truth! [Read CNN article June 8, 2014 on the Pope and his peace talks with other leaders] Recently, the Pope called for prayer and peace talks with the leaders of Israel and Palestine. He advocated people living “as brothers and sisters and not as enemies.” He said, “I hope that this meeting will be a journey toward what joins us, to overcome what divides us” (see article link above for details).

That sounds like a wonderful message! Certainly something we all might be thankful for on the surface level, but according to Bible prophecy, there are things at stake! There is also deception at work! All these kinds of events will rally the world together, in a union that will eventually lead to the persecution of God’s faithful commandment-keeping people. Let us not forget that it was the Roman Church that banned the Bible in the Dark Ages, which led the crusades killing millions of innocent people who disagreed with her views, which burned protestants at the stake and any religious group who did not seem to see it her way! Has that organization changed her views? Some might think so, but she has never renounced a single one of her teachings! Getting the world to rally behind her again, leading the way, and taking back power and influence, we should be fearful to see what things will come next!

Prophecy is quickly fulfilling! While the world powers and favor are aligning with false religious systems such as Rome, we should be keenly aware that the final events are fast coming upon us! Let us be faithful in Christ Jesus, strong in Him, and doing His work for dark times are just ahead of us! “The night is coming when no man can work” (John 9:4).

Marriage in God’s view or Society’s?

Since the 70s, views of marriage in society, and the nature of it being a life-long durable commitment, have gotten progressively worse in the U.S. These shifting attitudes towards marriage have taken away much of the societal supports that used to exist to encourage the durability of marriage. These shifting views have really hurt marriage’s durability and even its quality in our world. It’s time for God’s people to put forth the truth that Jesus put forth, and stop being twisted by society around us. Let’s do some twisting of our own in the direction of Christ’s words, “…the two shall become one flesh…Therefore, what God has joined together let no man separate” (Matthew 19:5,6).

We ought to remember what God says about vows, “If a man vow a vow unto the LORD, or swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond; he shall not break his word, he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth” (Numbers 30:2). Vows are a serious matter before God and He expects us to perform exactly as we have vowed and promised! A vow is not to be a useless formality as the sinful society around us has portrayed it! The whole world these days doesn’t seem to care much for keeping vows, and unfortunately too many of God’s own people have bought into the lies. Enough is enough! Let your word be your bond. “Til death do us part” means exactly that, and so does “for better or worse.” Society doesn’t seem to take or hold those words seriously anymore, viewing them as little more than a formality. That’s a challenge to weaken anyone’s resolve for sure! In fact, even the world of social sciences is telling people they owe it to themselves to “divorce” from anyone who doesn’t make them “happy” all the time. That is baloney from the devil himself.

The world is all about self-serving these days, as always, and they care nothing about integrity, righteous resolve or enduring commitment! While the world is living for the moment, let God’s people live by God’s eternal principles and remember that Christ taught us to give “self-sacrificing” love which looks out for the good of others and is bestowed even upon the most unworthy, in a continual endeavor to awaken true love in the cold hearts of those receiving it.

Just listen to these telling statements from a book by Linda Waite, “…adopting favorable ideas about divorce actually tends to lower the quality of a person’ marriage. …Using data from a survey of almost 1,300 married couples, two scholars found that ‘those who adopted less supportive attitudes toward divorce reported a decline in marital conflict between 1983 and 1988, whereas those who adopted more supportive attitudes toward divorce reported an increase in marital conflict.’ …When people aren’t certain their marriage will last, they invest less time in the relationship and take fewer steps to resolve disagreements” –The Case for Marriage, p.181-182.

Our attitude towards marriage greatly affects the quality of it, and also the chances for its success. After all, when failure is not an option, then failure is not an option! Thus, we better work to get it right! Let’s take Christ’s words more seriously, and throw out the twisted ideas from a godless society. “…the two shall be come one flesh…Therefore, what God has joined together let no man separate”-Jesus (Matthew 19:5,6).

Compulsive homosexual services or Liberty of Conscience?

The question was asked, “Should a Christian in business have the right to refuse services to a homosexual couple?” In general every day transactions such as buying food, gas, clothes, etc. where buying something should have no concern or orientation to someone’s sexuality I think the answer is NO. A Christian or any person should not bring into consideration your personal lifestyle at all. However, if a Christian (or another person of conviction) is being asked to participate in something they are deeply morally opposed to then I believe the answer is YES, they should have the right to refuse services.

For example, a Christian Photographer in New Mexico was recently asked to take pictures of a homosexual wedding. She declined, on her personal moral basis, because she did not want to participate in that kind of event. She was sued by the party, and the State commanded her to pay about $5000 USD for saying “No.” The Supreme Court also refused to hear her case (article here). Read more from Fox News. In another case, in Denver (Lakewood), Colorado, 2012, a Christian baker was asked to make a cake for a homosexual wedding (which of course includes the idea of what kind of plastic figures you are putting at the top, etc.). He declined on moral basis, and was ordered by the court that he had to bake the cake. Still, he refused. See more here.

The issue extends to other matters as well. Should a Christian doctor (or other person of strong moral conviction) be forced against their moral conviction to perform a sex-change operation on someone or an abortion? Again, I believe the answer is clearly, “No!” They should have the right to decline. People should have the right to live by their moral convictions of right and wrong, which is also protected in our First Amendment rights, “…Congress shall make no Law respecting the establishment of a religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” But even just on the simple principle that people hold something to be wrong or a sin should mean they have liberty to say no according to their conscientious belief. Yes. It is their conscientious right to say NO, I will not participate in sin. Just as much as we should have the right to say NO, I will not help you to commit a bank robbery or murder or an adultery against your spouse. This is not a hate-crime to say "No." It’s the right to stand up for what you believe to be right and wrong at the very core of your being and to say, “I will not participate in something that I believe to be wrong or to be a sin.” You can love a person as a person, but, and still, in that love say “No” I do not approve of this choice or activity and will therefore not or cannot participate in such an activity. As a business reflects the moral and ethical principles of those who run it, and their hand is the one behind the work, they MUST be allowed the fundamental right to say “No” to a certain job on moral grounds!