What Springs From You James 3:1-12

With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. James 3:9-10

Growing up in Orlando, my dad’s company had a yearly picnic at Altamonte Springs.  Hundreds of men, women, and children assembled under the huge pavilion rented for the Bendex Corporation.  While the adults spent most of the time there, down the road was the object of a kid’s desire: the springs.  The water came from an underground aquifer and the temperature was a brisk 60 plus degrees.  On the sunny Orlando days, sliding down the water slide and landing in the cold water was so refreshing.  It was something to dream about year after year. 

James begins the discussion by addressing first those people of the church who had great influence and their speech could cause others to stumble.  In addressing those teachers to the church, he reminded them they face a stricter judgment.  While he does use the word for judgment, it is not the one which speaks of God’s final judgment.  It was understood God holds those who teach falsely leading others astray responsible and here James includes the rest of the congregation.   While some had sought the position within the church, his warning suggests their desire to teach had other motives than teaching the accepted teaching of Christ and the Apostles.  

There were Jewish Christians teaching believers had to be circumcised and follow the Mosaic Law in addition to following Christ.  There were others who believed such false teaching which denied the virgin birth, or the full humanity of Jesus.  They believed flesh was sinful and evil; God could not be flesh.  So the speech of these teachers was leading others to stumble.  James tells us that we all have a moral failure in one way or the other. He tells the church if such a person could be found who bridled the tongue; he would be complete or perfect controlling the rest of his body.   We can remember is James 1:19 he warned the believers to be quick to listen and slow to speak and slow to anger. 

James discusses the effectiveness of the uncontrolled tongue.  Once untamed horses are trained to the bit, it will follow the direction of the rider as he pulls on the bit.  In the times of the Bible, there were large ships carrying a 1,000 passengers and cargo.  Even these large ships would still be tossed about by the fierce storms, such as the one which shipwrecked Paul.  In the face of such fierce storms, the small rudder at the rear of the ship set the course.  While you could not see the wind, it was effective and destructive.  Likewise the tongue, a small member of the human body and can be deadly. This tongue makes great boasts—not the individual.  The boasts are lofty of the individual’s abilities and means to “lift up the neck”.  The tongue is seen as a fire which starts so small and yet it kindles up and destroys anything in its path. The tongue is established as a world of evil—injustice, wickedness, and wrong-doing.  In this world, the tongue then defiles the rest of the body by its actions.  The tongue in the Old Testament is deceitful, the seat of sinning, mischief and vanity.

It is in the book of Psalms we start to see the relationship of the tongue to the inner nature of man.  The unbridled tongue sets the course of one’s life.  It is set afire by Gehenna, which from the history of Israel held much shame. Here children were sacrificed to pagan gods and was declare declared unclean.  Jesus used this place, which now was the city of Jerusalem’s garbage dump which continually burned to refuse from the city, as a reference for the eternal fires of hell.  This tongue of hell cannot be restrained.  It is an evil which is full of poison—like that of a viper.  It destroyed the victim from the inside out—bringing death. 

The last example seemingly is the most destructive—both to the offender/and the offended.  James begins describing the speech within the church.  He calls them brothers and speaks of the idea of praising God and cursing man.  The words he used describe action which is ongoing in his own church.  What the tongue is doing in the church is causing the destruction of other Christians. The highest use of the tongue is in the proclamation, adoration, and glorifying of God and Father.  James usage of the term God and Father may make the following part of the sentence even more destructive because not only has mankind been made in the image of God, but fellow worshipers are reborn in the image of God by faith in Christ.

As Jesus taught, what comes out of the mouth is a measure of the heart, James reminds these brothers the double tongued speech of praising God and cursing of brothers is wrong and must be stopped. The metaphor he used describes completely the speech which praises God and curses man—it is bitter.  Salt water added to sweet water makes the sweet water unusable; just as worship of praise for God mixed with the abuses to his creation makes worship-speech unusable.

Application

Stumbling Speech  But if you bite and devour each other, be careful that you don’t get eaten up by each other! Galatians 5:15  In a book recently given to me, Three Simple Rules, A Wesleyan Way of Life, by Rueben P. Job, he describes the first rule, DO NO HARM!  In choosing to do no harm, my speech will not cause a brother or sister to stumble.

Pausing and thinking before I speak and take the time to discern what if anything should be said.

a.       Honor the other person as a child of God and not harm them with my speech.

b.      End gossip/speak harshly about someone I may have a conflict with.

Deadly Speech   Do you love life; do you relish the chance to enjoy good things? Then you must keep your tongue from evil and keep your lips from speaking lies! Turn away from evil! Do good! Seek peace and go after it! Psalm 34:12-14

The next step in knowing what springs from you is to take an active stance against deadly speech.

a.       Speaking falsely can happen in two ways: one is the intentional lie and the other is not completely honest with the facts.

b.      Take the action to literally turn away from evil and to do good. 

c.       Do whatever is needed to maintain peace.

Destructive Speech  Without wood a fire goes out; without a gossip a quarrel dies down.  As charcoal to embers and as wood to fire, so is a quarrelsome person for kindling strife. The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to the inmost parts.  

Proverbs 26:20-22

I will seek to live in peace with my brother or sister who has been made in image of God.

a.  I choose to stop the continuation of a matter by not being the means of transmission.

b.  I choose to stop being the kindling which creates a fire which destroys.

 

Why All These Troubles James 12-18

All of us at one time or another has taken a test.  It was either one given by a teacher or in preparation for entrance into college, graduate school or higher.  At times, we may have studied days in advance to pass the test; others may have only needed the night before.  Then there are times when we didn’t get prepared and may have done poorly then complain about the test or the teacher when it was in us to pass it.  James is talking about another test—one which comes to the believer and he tells them these tests can produce great joy when we pass God’s test.

James faced a growing problem for the Jewish believers.  A growing sentiment of Jews wanted to rebel against Rome.  The Zealots would use force against Rome with its legions.  He was being pressured to forgo his Christian convictions and take part in this rebellion but James would not and it would end in his death, being thrown from the pinnacle of the Jerusalem temple and then clubbed to death.  In the midst of trials (which come from those outside) and temptations (which are internal), James states the believer should be filled with Joy.  Jesus told believers they would be blessed if they resisted the persecution for his namesake.   These tests are used by God to develop in us endurance.  The KJV calls it patience, but it is not a passive word.  The building-up of endurance through trials/temptations brings forth faithfulness, obedience, and confidence.  These three qualities make up the active word—endurance.

Believers facing tests might become angry or bitter, but James says they produce joy knowing God is actively involved in the life of the believer.  Perfection is when the person has matured into a perfect and complete relationship with God.  This perfection develops the believer in qualities and skills for the glory of God.  This perfection develops so the believer lacks nothing in his life.
Endurance is present when the believer stands on his feet and winning against these tests.  James admission of those lacking wisdom shows they have not yet reached that level of faith, reminding God does not rebuke nor condemn the believer who asks for wisdom.  Wisdom in the Old Testament is always associated with godliness allowing the believer to avoid the paths of wickedness and instead live a life of righteousness. To gain this wisdom, the believer must reject the worldly wisdom God thinks is folly or funny.  Therefore God uses these tests to nurture and prepare the believer to meet them in victory.

James addresses the way man gains this wisdom.  It must be done in faith.  Faith is not a mental exercise or based upon a creed but it is practiced before God.  Faith is both evidence and a substance according to Hebrews.  It is living out your faith, publically without shame.   James is a perfect picture.  Once, as Jesus half-brother, he rejected the faith.  It would be after the resurrection he would believe, eventually becoming head of the church in Jerusalem.  Wisdom helps the believer to see trials and temptations for what they are: an application of faith which helps us to overcome the trial/temptation.  Each person is under the control of someone—whether it is God or the Enemy, or self.  The person James calls “that man” is tossed like a wave because he has not committed himself fully in faith. The term is “two-souls” because the Jews thought the heart was the location of the soul.  “That man” would move from one opinion to another—God can do it/will God do it/no God wouldn’t do it. “That man” is unstable.  He is restless in all areas of his life: family life; business life; social life; and spiritual life.  In Mark 9, a man tells Jesus “I believe, help my unbelief!”  This man is not unstable.  He is asking for more wisdom and he would receive it, while the unstable person will not get it.  Peter though is the perfect picture.  Asked to walk on the water, he takes his eyes off of Jesus and looks at the storm-tossed waves and begins to sink.

The one who asks and receives is being documented as he faces the trials, asking for wisdom if he needs, and continues on in endurance. This word is the testing of precious metals/coins for their authenticity.  The more impurities are removed, or less mixed with other metals, the number of karats increases till you come to 24K gold.  A person is authenticated in the acceptance of his condition. Over two-thirds of the Roman Empire where considered slaves.  This person should take glory that if the world calls him a slave, God has raised him up.  The rich person, who Jesus said was almost impossible for him to enter into the Kingdom, perhaps has been led by God to a poverty of the spirit which brought him to Jesus.  The only person who could determine authenticity is the one who did the testing.  Since God determines what is authentic he gives to the one who has endured trials and resisted temptations a crown.  This is not the gold crown of a king.  It is the laurel wreath an athlete would receive for being victorious.

We see a comparison between the one lead away by his desires and the one who endures.  The one who complains God tempts him does not understand the purpose of trials.  He is taken away by his own desires--words used in hunting and fishing.  The person is lured away and trapped by his desires.  Blaming God is the process for the sinful man--Adam blamed God for giving him Eve, who brought him the fruit; Adam did not accept his own guilt. Temptation is seen in life: lust—birth—maturity—death. As sin grows, it brings forth spiritual or physical death. Just as the sinful man brings forth death, God brings forth eternal life.  God gives good and perfect gifts to the one who is maturing.  Good gifts are used for good works and Perfect gifts are internal: kindness, love, etc.       Lastly, he by his own will bring forth salvation.  So, finally, we see two wills: the will of man which leads him astray, trapped, producing more and more sin which leads to death—or the will of God which tests us to perfection and eternal life.

APPLICATION

1.       Trials Develop the Believer

being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.  Philippians 1:6

a.       We learn joy as we develop steadfastness

b.      We learn wisdom as we develop faith

c.       We learn single-mindedness as we develop a firm conviction

2.       Trials Authenticate the Believer

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God Philippians 1:9-11

a.       A blessed believer has endured temptations

b.      A blessed believer has been authenticated

c.       A blessed believer is rewarded

3.       Trials Reward the Believer

Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13-14

a.       God loves giving Good gifts

b.      God loves giving Perfect gifts

c.       God loves to give Salvation

Hospice Care Introduction Video - YouTube

Hospice Care Introduction Video - YouTube

The Fear of Disappointing God

When I was a child I never could seem to "get it right" with everything my parents expected.  My room was not clean enough.  Grades were not good enough.  I could have chosen better friends.  I just never seemed to get it right and to this day, I sometimes can still be fearful of other's expectations.  We buy a gadget and expect it to work as promised by the manufacturer and get angry when it fails our expectation.  Brides may expect their new husbands to act like their dads did and face disappointments when they fail.  A mother-in-law may expect her son's new wife to cook, clean, and tend to babies and may be angry when she chooses to work outside of the home. 


But, does God have an expectation of us?  Can we disappoint him when we fail him?  Will the Lord walk off and leave us for good? Will he never smile again? Is his love worn threadbare? Has his salvation promise burned out? Has God forgotten his manners? Has he angrily stalked off and left us? "Just my luck," I said. "The High God goes out of business just the moment I need him." (The Message Psalm 77: 7-10)

 
The human part of us may feel we can disappoint God, but the psalmist continues his song with the rest:

Once again I'll go over what God has done, lay out on the table the ancient wonders; I'll ponder all the things you've accomplished, and give a long, loving look at your acts. (The Message Psalm 77:11-12)

 
The action of God's love must be without exception for it to be selfless love.  We can be disappointed by others' actions, but it usually is about me.  These are my expectations of you-especially if your failures reflect upon me.  Parents may be disappointed by a child's failings, but not God.  Couples may be disappointed by each other, but not God.  He knew I would fail him, but he still chooses to love me.  He knew I would break his laws, but he still chooses to redeem me.  He knew I would fail to offer mercy to others, and yet he still offers it to me each day. I can continually look to the wonderful things he has done for me as a reminder that he does not get disappointed in me. 

The Fear of a New Direction

When I was a young boy in Orlando, we would build forts in the woods beyond our home.  Of course, if you were part of the gang, you knew the pitfalls and traps we laid out for those who would dare trespass into our lair.  We had sticker bushes tied back so if you walked down the path and tripped the string, you got brushed with sharp points.  We dug holes and filled them with the stuff in the backyard if you owned a dog (no further picture needs to be shown) and sharp sticks in them as well.  It is amazing I grew up to be a minister!  However, if you knew the path, these would be no problem. We know the stories of men who would rather drive around for hours instead of stopping and asking for directions.  We also know the joke that heaven will have less men than women because most men would not stop and ask directions to heaven.  I even argue with my GPS on the dash of my car, resisting its instructions and tempted to toss it out the window. 

We all have expectations and plans for how we expect our life to go.  We plan our weddings, college, and career spanning decades with the plan to retire to sunny Florida.  But things sometimes get in the way.  Children, sickness, financial woes, and business failures can cause us to have to re-direct our plans and courses. 


In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.  Proverbs 16:9 NIV


Do we fear the different direction which God has determined?  Are we like the Christian who professes to God he would go anywhere he commands and then gives a laundry lists of places he does NOT want to go?  At first it would seem cruel for God to place in our paths hardships and events which challenge our life plans.  God has a greater purpose and if we trust him and not fear his decisions we might find ourselves doing things which would seem impossible.  My goal from college was to complete graduate school and work to earn the designation of CHA, or certified hotel administrator.  I would travel the world and manage some great hotels.  And then God showed up one year after college and I knew I needed to be doing something for him. 

The fear of God changing my plans kept me arguing with him for three years.  In four weeks I will have the chance to do something I never thought possible--pray before the West Virginia Senate.  Fear has a way of keeping us from great opportunities.  Heroism is not about extraordinary men and women doing heroic things but ordinary men and women doing their best in the face of great obstacles. 


Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails. Proverbs 19:21 NIV

Do I Really Matter--The Fear of Insignificance

When I was in high school I pledged for a club called Civitan.  Civitan was THE club at Oak Ridge High School and our pledge class had nearly thirty pledges which eclipsed most of the other service clubs entire roster.  We were a service organization to help our school community and the surrounding area around Oak Ridge.  For a kid who felt like a fly on the wall, if I got into Civitan I would be considered one of the "ins" instead of the "outs".  One of the activities we needed to do to show our commitment to the club was to sell Krispy Kreme donuts and I thought if I sold a bunch they would think I would be an asset to the group.  I went out the weekend before and sold sixty dozen donuts.  When I turned my order in, the club president asked who sold the sixty donuts and I proudly raised my hand.  When pledge time was over, I got my gold and blue Civitan pin and now I had gained significance.  But this feeling did not last very long because others did not think I was so significant.  My gold pin didn't mean much to parents, teachers, and other kids.  To them, I was still Steve. 

In the 1 Corinthians 12:14 passage in The Message, they use the word significant to describe how each member of the body of Christ is important.  In fact Paul said God has arranged each part of the body of Christ exactly as he chooses.  I am not significant because I have a certain role/responsibility as a pastor/chaplain, but I am significant because I am an equal part of the entire body of Christ in its creation.  John says to us who have believed:

Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. John 1:12 and 13 (NIV)

By God's personal will, he has "born" me and I am his.  I really do matter to him as a loving father to his child. 

And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. “Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. Matthew 10:30-32 (NIV)

Even though I have significantly less hair than in high school, I know God does care for me--a matter of significant importance to him.  You see, God pledged his Son for my redemption and Jesus paid the cost which is significantly more than a box of donuts. 

Fear of New Things

In a couple of day we will begin a journey going through the Max Lucado book, Fearless.  Dealing with a family member the other day discussing the physical decline of her mother, I used the very lesson we will discuss this Thurday: finding the peace of Christ in the midst of the storm.  I hope we all don't expect a storm in church this week, but we may have begun to sense a fear of things like, "What if I don't fit in?" or "What happens if I break down and cry in front of others?" or "What if they don't like me?"

Twenty-nine years ago this August I was facing the same doubts and fear.  I was a twenty-seven year old hitch-hiking to Rhode Island to start college for the first time.  All I had were two duffle bags with clothes and about twenty dollars in my pocket.  I got dropped off on I-95 in the Bronx and the houses over the side of the highway were like those barns Lucado speaks about in Chapter 1.  I asked God for another ride and sat there for three more hours watching the sun sink toward the western sky and soon coming darkness.  I began to pray, "Lord, Send me a Christian!  Someone who lets me know I am here because you want me here and not of my own accord."  Shortly someone pulled over and picked me up and took me to Stanford, CT.  I stuck out my thumb and a car pulls up--with a large Bible on the front seat and Christian material in the back--Jay Orvis, who brought foreign Christians to study in the United States.  He took me home and fed me after introducing me to his family and a couple from Israel.  Amazed?  So was I!

If you starting to wonder about the class-STOP.  Don't let fear stop you from being fearless.  Pray for God to impact you these next ten weeks like he did for me so long ago.  The end of the story is this--if I had not gotten a Bachelor's degree then, I could not have entered seminary years later when God called me out of the hotel industry into vocational ministry.  I had learned to trust God more by that time but it was still a struggle leaving. 

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11

Love Conquers Death

As I watched the end of a marriage yesterday it was not in a courtroom being dissolved by a judge but death. This loving couple faced the greatest enemy to marriage as they had faced years of struggles--together hand in hand. In the midst of dying there was compassion, care, concern and love. They built their love like they built their home--piece by piece and without debt. Each new window they replaced sealed the home from the cold yet it warmed their hearts as an accomplishment shared. Each new nail hammered into place was another anchor as two worked and became one flesh. Their joint faith became the picture which years later would have their daughter to become a lay-minister. And as the hour approached, the three of them shared one last bed together, arm in arm, united by their love.



Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. Hebrews 2:14-15

Man fears death but it was the Love of God made flesh which defeats this fear. Anyone who does not know the Lord is in a prison of their own making. Death is the warden which anchors man. He struggles against its oncoming and the cosmetic industry rakes in billions of dollars from those seeking to hide the onset of aging.

Though they now be apart for a short season, by faith they can say:

“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Darkness--Our Foe!

As I sat this morning in the small glow from our Christmas village soon to be taken down for another year, the balance of our apartment was dark.  The pictures of our daughter and the Christian decor were covered by this heavy darkness and the light from my laptop screen seemed brighter because the darkness was complete.  As it has happened every day since creation, God brought forth the sun for light to our eyes and warmth to our day.  As a child, I ran from the darkened halls of my parent's house when I would get dressed for bed. Forgetting to say good night, I would race through the dark tunneled hallway to the living room and light.  I could have turned on the switch by my bedroom, but the fear of the darkness removed reason from a six year old.

This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed.  (John 3:19-20 NIV)

Has anyone ever seen a bar at nighttime with the lights turned up?  The answer is no.  Many of us remember the name, Studio 54.  This famous New York disco of the 70's and 80's was famous for
the "beautiful" people hand selected to enter into the world of drugs, drink, and debauchery.  Within the walls of Studio 54, the creators of the venue walked in darkness stealing millions of dollars and eventually spending time in prison for their crime.  Man loves the darkness because he thinks he can hide his deeds.  As children of God we need to act like children: we need to run from the darkness toward the light.  In the light there is my heavenly DAD where there is no darkness.  Not a bad place to be for a child afraid of the dark. 

This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. (1 John 1:5-6 NIV)

The Defeat Of Fear!

In Isaiah 6 he records a vision of the heavenly court and the praise and adoration which was
being given to God. This soon turns to a personal fear because of two things: his speech and the speech of his people. In The Message of Isaiah 6, we read:   Look. This coal has touched your lips. Gone your guilt, your sins wiped out."And then I heard the voice of the Master: "Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?"I spoke up, "I'll go. (The Message Isaiah 6)

In this passage we can see what a godly-fear does and what it produces in man. When faced with the high holiness of God we recognize the deficit in our lives. We were born into sin and continue in the life of sin with all of its destructive behaviors. Recognizing the fact like Isaiah that every word and deed we have ever done is tainted-even blasphemous (The Message Isaiah 6:1-8) brings redemption and justification. The payment of Christ's righteousness bring a new status as children of God and a different fear-awe of what God has done to us and for us. With this fear-awe, we become willing for service.

“I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him. (Luke 12:4-5 NIV)

There is another type of fear which reveals itself in such things as fear of success, failure, etc., and this type of fear immobilizes us. In my past I had such a fear of failure I either choose to do nothing or to strive so hard to cover all the bases failure was not an option. I feared what others might say if I failed and so I did not try. How did I overcome this? I chose to accept the fear-awe of God and not fear what others might say. This is not an arrogant thought but giving more credibility to God than man. I know I am his son by adoption and his outlook for me is eternal.

I Resolve ...

It would seem odd for a blog relating to New Year's Eve resolutions to come out three days later, but I figured by now a majority of those resolutions so resolutely made Saturday night no longer are valued or maybe on life-support.  Companies like Weight-Watchers, Jenny Craig, and gyms advertise around this time trying to gain business from those who resolve to lose weight or to join and gym.  Why is it most people wait to the beginning of a new year to make such resolutions?  Could it be the significance of beginning anew each January 1st gives people the motivation to make such resolutions?