Devotional Thoughts WhyMilbank

Meeting Specific Needs
 
Today we conclude our devotional study of the Epistle of James. I pray this has been insightful for you, and applicable to your daily life. As I said last week, I have greatly enjoyed the preparation and sharing of these studies over the course of the last few months.
 
As we conclude this study we find James sharing practical words of instruction for the recipients of the letter. As is often the case, there are some portions of the Scripture which need little explanation. The simplicity of the instruction, the directness of the teaching is so clear there is no need for further detail being used as illustrative material. Such is the case with most of the remainder of this epistle. There are a couple of points I do wish to comment on as we read the remainder of James chapter 5.
 
James 5:12-19 [NASB] 12 But most of all, my brothers and sisters, never take an oath, by heaven or earth or anything else. Just say a simple yes or no, so that you will not sin and be condemned.
 
13 Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises. 14 Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven.
 
16 Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. 17 Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years! 18 Then, when he prayed again, the sky sent down rain and the earth began to yield its crops.
 
19 My dear brothers and sisters, if someone among you wanders away from the truth and is brought back, 20 you can be sure that whoever brings the sinner back from wandering will save that person from death and bring about the forgiveness of many sins.
 
I want to thank Craig Weinberg for producing the podcast, and for hosting it on the Why Milbank Podcast Network. I have thoroughly enjoyed our time together in the recording studio. However, due to health concerns for my mother as well as travel plans and family commitments, we are not going to be doing the podcast this summer. I pray you have a blessed summer and hope to join you again in the Fall.

Patience and Perseverance
 
We are nearing the end of our devotional study of the Book of James, and I hope it has been beneficial to those who have tuned in to the podcast over the course of the last few months.
 
On a personal level, it has been beneficial for me to reflect on these truths and to see how they have been evidenced in my life and in those I have had the privilege of serving over the course of the last forty plus years. It has been a reminder of the timelessness of the Word of God to our lives as we remember this letter was written to the early church in the first century AD.
 
James 5:7 – 11 [NASB] 7 Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains. 8 You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near. 9 Do not complain, brethren, against one another, so that you yourselves may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing right at the door. 10 As an example, brethren, of suffering and patience, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 We count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord’s dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful.
 
As James begins to close the letter to the early church, he reminds them of the importance of patience as they await the coming of the Lord.
 
This of course has been the hope of the church since the ascension of Jesus as recorded in Acts 1:9 – 11 [NASB] 9 And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. 10 And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them. 11 They also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.”
 
Patience is necessary as we make our spiritual journey through life. In fact, as we remember in the first few verses of this letter James reminded the early church of the importance of patience which was produced in their lives as a result of the tests and trials they endured along the way. For patience and faith were produced in the crucible of adversity.  James 1:2 – 4 [NKJV] 2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces [a]patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be [b]perfect and complete, lacking nothing. 
 
To illustrate the importance of patience, James points us to the farmers, who plant their seed, then wait patiently for the rains to come. A lot is happening in the unseen realm before the shoot pushes its way through the soil and grows to maturity. So too, a lot is happening in the unseen realm of the spirit. Patience is essential as we wait for the coming of the Lord.
 
In the process of waiting James exhorts the listener not to become distracted by their circumstances. We remember how the Children of Israel became distracted by their circumstances as they exited Egypt and began to grumble against Moses. This is a picture of the loss of perspective as they forgot God’s miraculous intervention in their hopeless circumstance, and the raising up of a deliverer to free them from the bondage of slavery. Once delivered they began to grumble against the deliverer and to evidence impatience.
 
While we may think how foolish the Children of Israel were to grumble against Moses, is not the same dynamic evidenced in the lives of some who having been delivered from the slavery and bondage of sin by Jesus Christ, the Deliverer. In the process of waiting, they have turned on him and, on their brothers, and sisters in Christ with grumbling and judgement.
 
Listen to what the Apostle Paul said in Galatians 6:7 – 10 [NA

Rich Oppressors Beware
 
We have heard a lot the past few years about the growing gap between the rich and poor in society. Much has been written regarding the ever-widening gap, and possible solutions to the situation. It is not my intention to side with anyone on this matter, rather to simply listen to the Holy Spirit as He speaks these truths to my heart. Money is a neutral vehicle; it can be used for good or evil. It is the love of money which is the root of evil. What James exposes in our reading today is the exploitation of the poor by the rich and the warning to them of the fleeting nature of riches, and the impending judgement which awaits.
 
James 5:1 – 6 [NASB]
Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you. 2 Your riches have rotted and your garments have become moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and your silver have rusted; and their rust will be a witness against you and will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure! 4 Behold, the pay of the laborers who mowed your fields, and which has been withheld by you, cries out against you; and the outcry of those who did the harvesting has reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. 5 You have lived luxuriously on the earth and led a life of wanton pleasure; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned and put to death the righteous man; he does not resist you.
 
The history of humanity is full of the tragic stories of those who had vast fortunes, but lived hollow, empty lives. Who built a fortune on the backs of underpaid workers, or who failed to pay their workers for their labor. Individuals who saw their vast fortunes devoured by foolish investments and who died broken and alone abandoned by the crowds and adoring fans.
 
Make no mistake about believing the scriptural warning about riches.
 
1 Timothy 6:9-11 [NASB] 9 But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
 
11 But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness.
 
Jesus told the parable of the Rich man and Lazarus to illustrate this point as well in Luke 16:19 – 31 [NASB]
 
The Rich Man and Lazarus
19 “Now there was a rich man, and he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, joyously living in splendor every day. 20 And a poor man named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores, 21 and longing to be fed with the crumbs which were falling from the rich man’s table; besides, even the dogs were coming and licking his sores. 22 Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried. 23 In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and *saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom. 24 And he cried out and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame.’ 25 But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony. 26 And [r]besides all this, between us and you there is a great chasm fixed, so that those who wish to come over from here to you will not be able, and that none may cross over from there to us.’ 27 And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, that you send him to my father’s house— 28 for I have five brothers—in order that he may warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’ 29 But Abraham *said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ 30 But he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them fro

Put God in Charge of Your Plans
 
As we continue the devotional journey through the Epistle of James, we come to a passage which I find most interesting as it addresses the issue of our plans versus God’s plans for us. We all have a tendency to live our lives as though we are the Captain of our own ship, the Master of our own fate. As we do this we lose sight of the fact we are not in control, and the course of our life can be changed instantaneously.  Let’s take a look at our Scripture today:
 
James 4:13 – 17 [NASB]  13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.” 14 Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. 15 Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.” 16 But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil. 17 Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin.
 
The first thing I see in this passage is the reminder that life is fragile. Those who live in the upper Midwest can relate to the metaphor James uses to illustrate the fragility of life. Who hasn’t stepped outside on a cold winter day and watched their breath form a cloud as the warm moist breath meets the cold winter air? Then watched the cloud disappear in a matter of seconds as the warmth was overcome by the cold air. James says, that is what life is like. In the light of eternity, our 70 – 80-year life span is remarkably brief.
Unfortunately, we live as though we have all the time in the world. We make plans, based on our goals, dreams and ambitions, then we invest heavily of our time, resources, and energy to pursue our plans and goals. James brings us back to reality in these verses.
 
Over the course of our devotions in James, I have repeatedly said, this Epistle is called the book of proverbs for the New Testament. Let’s look at a passage from the Book of Proverbs as it speaks to the subject of life, plans, goals and dreams. As we look at Proverbs 16:1-9 be alert to the themes which are present in both passages.
 
Proverbs 16:1 – 9  [NASB]
 The plans of the heart belong to man,
But the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.
2 All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight,
But the Lord weighs the motives.
3 Commit your works to the Lord
And your plans will be established.
4 The Lord has made everything for its own purpose,
Even the wicked for the day of evil.
5 Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord;
Assuredly, he will not be unpunished.
6 By lovingkindness and truth iniquity is atoned for,
And by the fear of the Lord one keeps away from evil.
7 When a man’s ways are pleasing to the Lord,
He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.
8 Better is a little with righteousness
Than great income with injustice.
9 The mind of man plans his way,
But the Lord directs his steps.
 
To summarize, both Solomon and James point out it is okay to make your plans, but to submit your plans to the Lord.
 
The problems arise when plans are made with no thought for God’s plans or purpose.  When we insist on doing it our way, in our time we risk being a modern-day Jonah, not just missing the mark with regards to God’s plans, but literally saying “No” to the Lord’s plans, purposes and way. James calls this out as arrogance and categorizes it as sin. For to know what you should do, and then to willfully do the opposite is exactly that.
 
One of my favorite hymns is titled SUBMISSION by Charles Austin Miles (1868-1946), an American writer of gospel songs who penned at least 398 songs including IN THE GARDEN.
 
In the hymn SUBMISSION Charles Austin Miles captures the truth James states so simply. Listen to these lyrics:
 
The path that I have trod, has brought me nearer God,
Though oft it led through sorrow’s gates.

No Judgement Here
 
Following the previous teaching on the impact of pride and the power of humility, James zeros in on the most obvious expression of pride in society by tackling the matter of judgement.
 
James 4:11 – 12  NASB  11 Do not speak against one another, brethren. He who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks against the law and judges the law; but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge of it. 12 There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and to destroy; but who are you who judge your neighbor?
 
We live in a society of critics who specialize in judging others.  If you watch a political event, you will have critics telling you beforehand what to expect, you will have critics afterwards telling you what was said. The implications of what was said will be analyzed from every possible angle, and the news cycles the following day will be filled with the judgements of the supporters, and the opposition party.
 
The same is true of virtually everything in our world today and the impact of social media has unleashed some devastating judgements from people who hide behind a cloak of anonymity provided by the internet to viciously attack others. People are judged for virtually everything:
 
Look
Clothes
Hair
Use of makeup
Weight
Diet
Friends
Parenting
Discipline
Lack of discipline
Political affiliation
Religious affiliation
Grammar
Environmental sensitivity
Size of their carbon footprint
The list goes on and on.
 
Sadly the viciousness of the judgement some have received has resulted in people taking their lives because they couldn’t deal with the shame, rejection and pain caused by the judgement.
 
James reminds the recipients of this letter they are not to judge another. For to judge is to violate the Law of God. Let’s take a moment to remind ourselves what the Law of God requires of us.
 
Matthew 22:34 – 40  NASB  34 But when the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered themselves together. 35 One of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the great and foremost commandment. 39 The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”
In summary, Love God, Love people.
According to James when we enter into judgement against another person, we cease to keep the law, rather we elevate ourselves to be their judges as well as judges of the law.
Wow! You talk about a display of pridefulness, it is expressed in our judgement of others. May I remind the listener, God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.
The Apostle Paul addressed this issue in Romans 2:1-11; 14:1-13
 Romans 14:10 NASB But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. 11 For it is written,  
“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall give praise to God.”
 12 So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.
What do we do with those who are opposed to us? Jesus said Love your enemies.
The Apostle Paul wrote the church at Rome these words of instruction:
 Romans 12: 19 Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 “But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.  NASB

The Power of Humility
 
Last week we examined James’ warning about pride. To recap he stated the following:
It is the source of quarrels and conflicts.
It results in lust and murder.
It produces envy, fighting and quarreling.
It blinds us to our spiritual needs, and hinders our prayers, due to wrong motives.
As a result of pride, our relationship with the world is like an adulterous relationship, and we are enemies of God. In a phrase, no good thing will come from pride. However, while pride hinders our relationship with the Lord, humility opens the door to God’s blessings.
 
James 4:5 - 10   5 Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose: “He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us”? 6 But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” 7 Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.
 
This passage is what I call the tale of two spirits. The spirit of this world and the Holy Spirit. James has revealed the nature of the world’s spirit, beginning with the world’s wisdom, the impact of pride, and so forth. The Apostle Paul addresses this in Galatians 5 by contrasting what he called the fruit of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit.
 
Galatians 5:16-26  16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. 17 For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. 19 Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, 21 envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
 
25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. 26 Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another.
 
Those who follow Christ are called to walk in humility. However, it’s a battle and at times we struggle to do so. James reminds us that while the struggle is great, God’s grace is greater. With that in mind let’s walk in these truths today.
 
God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble, therefore submit yourselves to the Lord. This is the acknowledgement you can’t do it alone. That you need the Lord’s help.
 
Resist the Devil and he will flee from you. Stop making him welcome in your life. Stop listening to his accusations and lies. I heard a Christian musician say the following: “Every time the Devil reminds me of my past, I remind him of his future.”  I think that’s an effective form of resisting.
Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Take the initiative to come into the presence of the Lord. Through worship and meditation on the Scripture, through prayer and times of quietness press into the presence of the Lord. It will amaze you what sweet times of fellowship, restoration and renewal these times will be.
 
Cleanse your hands and purify your hearts. This is so important. King David in Psalm 24:3-4 speaks to this matter when he asks:
3 Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? And who may stand in His holy place?
4 He w