All posts by Frank Becker

THE DOOR

Week Thirty, 2017

I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. – John 10:9 KJV

Recently I visited The Ark Encounter. It was an awesome experience to see the ark built to the Biblical specifications found in Genesis. It is more than five hundred feet long and eighty-five feet in width. It is a destination that should be on everyone’s “bucket list.”

One thing that impressed me from both inside and outside was the immensity of the door where the animals and people entered the ark. As I pondered it, the thought came to me that there was only one door and all who wanted to be saved had to enter through that one door.

There was one door into the ark that saved Noah and his family from the flood. Similarly there is only one “door” that can save us from eternal judgment. Jesus Christ is that door and He is the only way to be saved from sin.

What will you do with Jesus Christ? Your answer to that question has eternal consequences.

We are all guilty of sinning against our Holy Creator. Because He is Holy, God must judge sin. If you take an honest look at your life, you will know that you have sinned and are in need of a savior.

The Bible states that now is the day of salvation (2 Corinthians). If you have not already done so, will you turn from your sins and call on the risen Lord to save you?

If you have not already done so, enter the only door that leads to eternal life today.

***

Sometimes True Stories

The $20 and the $1 Joke
Two well-worn bills arrived at the Federal Reserve Bank to be retired – a twenty and a one. As they traveled down the conveyor belt, they struck up a conversation. The twenty reminisced about the interesting life he had, traveling all over the country. “I’ve been to the finest restaurants, Broadway shows, Las Vegas, Atlantic City ,” he said. “I even want on a Caribbean cruise. Where have you been?”

“Oh,” said the one dollar bill, “I’ve been to the Methodist church, the Episcopal church, the Lutheran church and the Baptist church.”

“What’s a church?” asked the twenty.

Quotes You Can Use

“Friends will be there for you during good times and during bad times. True friends are with you in all times. True friends are unashamedly loyal to you.
If you read history you will find that Christians who did the most for the present world were just those who thought most of the next.” — C. S. Lewis

“No matter the size of your need, the resources of God are more than sufficient.

If it’s wrong, fight it. If it’s right, fight for it. ” —David Gibbs III

“It is estimated that churches in the United States are closing at the rate of one hundred per week. We cannot blame everything on an ungodly generation. Often the cause is having not a godly enough ministry. ” —Frank Becker

***

Selected portions of Thoughts on Life can also be read at TheLife.com and Thoughts-About-God.com. You can subscribe directly to those on their respective websites.

Your feedback is welcome and if you want to be taken off the mailing list a simple e-mail will do it. Feel free to pass this along to others and to contribute your ideas and thoughts. Address all items and comments to [email protected]. © Thoughts on Life Copyright 2017.

©2017 John Grant | Florida State Senator (Ret.) | 10025 Orange Grove Drive | Tampa, FL 33618

The Depression Proof Church

The title is a bit deceptive. It’s not about money. Or at least, it’s not just about money, although “the love of money is the root of all evil,” and bucks, bricks, and bodies seem to be the principal concern of many church leaders today.

The concept of God’s Church being “depression proof” is of a church that is not focused on its own preservation, but upon lifting up Jesus making disciples, and blessing others. It’s the concept of the New Testament Church, a concept that seems lost in the fogs of time.

The depression proof church is filled with contentment and peace because it is not a place of brick and mortar, but a spiritual building, a fellowship of believers, the Body of Christ.

When The Depression Proof Church was first published, it received praise from several seminary presidents.

Paige Patterson, President of the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (https://swbts.edu/) and former president of the Southern Baptist Convention, wrote this:

“In a day of ‘how to’ manuals on church growth and effectiveness, to find a writer who tells the truth…is a breath of fresh air. Frank Becker in this book, The Depression Proof Church: The Biblical Answer to a Church in Crisis, has clearly enunciated the one essential, namely, a return to the church of the New Testament.”

Dr. John Kenzy, President of Youth Challenge International Bible Institute, called it “compelling and timely,” and added, it “exposes revelation from God.”

Admittedly, The Depression Proof Church is not prophetic in the sense that the Holy Bible is prophetic, but it certainly has proven frighteningly predictive.

Consider Houston, Texas, America’s fourth largest city. Recent events provide several examples of the attacks now being faced by Christians nationwide. Houston is a logical place for the enemies of the Church to focus their attacks because—if they can establish precedents that damage the work of God in the very heart of the Bible Belt—they can succeed anywhere.

Not long ago, the mayor of Houston—a woman who was recently “married” to another woman—demanded that local pastors provide her administration with copies of their sermons. Since this is a clear violation of the U.S. Constitution, as well as God’s higher law, she was forced to back down for the time being, but she wasn’t through.

Later, the city council that she dominated was faced with a court order that requires that the council either put a so-called Equal-rights Ordinance on the November ballot or repeal it. A week later the council voted to put it on the November ballot.

But the city of Houston has not limited itself to these two fronts in their over war against Christians. They are now determined to literally bulldoze two churches that have served their troubled neighborhood for decades, using the excuse that the city wants to condemn the property so that they can build something new and more useful.

Across America, the abuses against Christians, and the insults to God, are too numerous to list. When believers look around them at the abuses, they are asking how we can expect God to bless a nation so deeply steeped in sin, and have begun to pray “God save America” rather than “God bless America.”

Who would have imagined that there would be such seemingly concerted action—such carefully orchestrated conspiracies—to silence the voices of millions of Christians who have done nothing but good for the people of America and the world? The altering of public opinion that is made possible by social media and through false news demonstrates that we are now ruled by the voices of the left manifesting itself through public passions, and that the end of freedom of religion, and America as a democratic republic, cannot be far away.

We have long heard of the atrocities against humanity committed by Planned Parenthood, evils so great that they can only be compared with the Nazi’s laboratory “experimentation” on human beings and their mass-production genocide of millions committed during the 1930s and 40s. The so-called Planned Parenthood organization has been “harvesting” the bodies of unborn babies for profit. Not since the Holocaust have we heard of such horrific crimes against humanity. Yet, Americans do not rise up in horror at these horrors.

Joseph Stalin of the USSR probably murdered more innocents than even the Germans, and the modern left has learned their lessons from him. “A single death is a tragedy; a million deaths is a statistic.” They have supported the slaughter of over 65-million unborn babies.

Now the attacks on the Church and on the principals of liberty are increasing in number and intensity. Even for far-sighted Christians, the terrible events that predicted in The Depression Proof Church are arriving years earlier than anticipated.  Many wonder whether we are beginning to witness the fulfillment of end-times prophecies recorded in Holy Scripture.

The broad attacks on Christians in general, and on the institutional Church in particular, along with the inability of Christian leaders to deal effectively with these attacks, is sobering. Far more sobering, however, is the fact that these attacks are even allowed, even welcomed, by public opinion, and not quelled by the courts.

Whether issues as frivolous as “Inflategate,” or as serious as the Benghazi slaughter, too many of our citizens seem indifferent to sin.  The attitude is, “Hey, these are not crimes. Everyone from President Obama on down does this sort of thing. Most people cheat, steal, and tell lies from time to time. Why get excited about it?” And they ask defiantly, “What are you, some kind of fanatic Christian?”

People seem interested only in their own illusions of security and comfort. Their reasoning seems to take place not in their heads and hearts, but is a matter of their lusts and passions.

Perhaps, as I wrote several years ago in The Depression Proof Church, our Christian leaders are at fault, because everything rises and falls on leadership, and our nation’s slide is ultimately a result of the failures of the Church. I can look back on my own years as a pastor and realize that I too often fell short. But self-recrimination will not bind our wounds or salve our national conscience. America has fallen on dark times.

God, save America!

Touching First Base

Week twenty-eight, 2017

Similarly, anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor’s crown except by competing according to the rules. – 2 Timothy 2:5

The 1924 baseball World Series between the Washington Senators and the New York Yankees remains legendary. It was the seventh game of the series. The Senators and the Yankees are tied, three games a piece. It is the bottom of the ninth inning. The first two batters strike out. The third and final batter approaches the plate. His team is down by one run.

The pitcher releases a fiery curve ball. Strike one! He repeats the pitch. Strike two! Many in the crowd suspect that all has been lost. Then, the third pitch barrels toward the plate. Amazingly, the batter eyes it perfectly. His forceful swing sends the ball well on its way. The crowd erupts into pandemonium as they think that he has hit a homerun.

But, the ball hits a pole and bounces backward into fair territory. The runner makes it around to home plate. As the crowd explodes into sheer exuberance, the home plate umpire surprisingly calls out the runner. The home plate umpire goes to the mike to announce the determination. “The runner at home is called out because he failed to touch first base.”

Imagine that! The entire season and the World Series are lost due to a technicality. The runner in his excitement fails to touch first. Countless hours of practice, travel, and games were summarily nullified by a small yet very significant omission. However, that is also the case with the life of faith.

The game of baseball is governed by a set of rules and must be played by the rulebook. We also have a rulebook in the game of life, and we shall not receive the crown of eternal life unless we abide by the divine rules given to us through God’s Holy Word, the Bible.

The very first base we must touch in becoming a Christian is to believe unquestionably that Jesus is Lord and to confess our sins and turn our life over to Him. We must believe what the Bible says about Jesus and His love for us if we want to score in the game of life.

Committing our lives to Jesus is the first base of the Christian faith. Don’t run the rest of the bases of life until you touch that first base. God so loved the world that He gave us His only son, so that all who believe in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.

Sometimes True Stories

We are in a VERY DRY season.
How Dry is it?

The Baptist are now Sprinkling
The Methodist are using wet wipes,
The Presbyterians are giving out rain checks and
The Episcopalians, Catholics & Lutherans are praying for the wine to turn back to water.

Quotes You Can Use

God Is Not Calling You Somewhere Else until He Needs You Somewhere Else Doing What You’re Doing Right Where You Are. Ken Whitten

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. Reinhold Niebuhr.

Selected portions of Thoughts on Life can also be read at TheLife.com and Thoughts-About-God.com. You can subscribe directly to those on their respective websites.

Your feedback is welcome and if you want to be taken off the mailing list a simple e-mail will do it. Feel free to pass this along to others and to contribute your ideas and thoughts. Address all items and comments to [email protected]. © Thoughts on Life Copyright 2017

 

DECLARE

Week Twenty-Seven, 2017

Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; He is my God, and I trust him. – Psalm 91:1-2 NLT

What is it that we declare about the Lord? Do we, like David, declare “He alone is my refuge, my place of safety”? Do we declare that “He is my God, and I trust him”?

We may say those statements in our minds, say them in our heart of hearts, even say them out loud for all to hear, but do our actions match our declarations? If I say that I trust in the Lord, but my life is riddled with worry, what does that declare about my faith in Jesus.

When we make a declaration on how much we thank God for the gifts, for the talents, for the victories then begin pounding our chests, as if to say, “Look at me. Look what I have accomplished. Look what I have done,” what does that declare about me and my God? I’m not saying that we shouldn’t publicly make our declarations. I just think we need to follow those declarations up with actions that point back to the Most High.

The blessings here promised are not for all believers, but for those who live in close fellowship with God. Every child of God looks towards the inner sanctuary and the mercy seat, yet all do not dwell in the most holy place; they run to it at times, and enjoy occasional approaches, but they do not habitually reside in the presence of God.

That all those who live a life of communion with God are constantly safe under his protection, and may therefore preserve a holy serenity and security of mind at all times. He that dwells, in the secret place of the Most High, shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty; he that by faith chooses God for his guardian shall find all that in Him, which he needs or can desire.

How is your relationship with God? Do you come to Him casually and occasionally or do you keep Him close beside you? Is your life pointed to God at all times?

We can find rest in His shadow. He alone is our ultimate refuge and place of safety. He is our God and we can always trust Him.

SOMETIMES TRUE STORIES

This list breaks down Jesus’ words in Matthew 6:25-34 and puts them into 7 bite size morsels for us to chew on about why we should not worry:

6:25 – The same God who created life in you can be trusted with the details of your life.

6:26 – Worrying about the future hampers your efforts for today.

6:27 – Worrying is more harmful than helpful

6:28-30 – God does not ignore those who depend on Him.

6:31,32 – Worrying shows a lack of faith in and understanding of God.

6:33 – Worrying keeps us from real challenges God wants us to pursue.

6:34 – Living one day at a time keeps us from being consumed with worry.

QUOTES YOU CAN USE

No dream is too big; you just need to become the person it challenges you to be.

How easy it is to forget all the blessings of our lives that we take for granted. God has blessed us beyond our understanding. Dwight Short

Whoever corrects a mocker invites insults; whoever rebukes the wicked incurs abuse. Do not rebuke mockers or they will hate you; rebuke the wise and they will love you. Proverbs 9:7-8

Selected portions of Thoughts on Life can also be read at TheLife.com and Thoughts-About-God.com. You can subscribe directly to those on their respective websites.

Your feedback is welcome and if you want to be taken off the mailing list a simple e-mail will do it. Feel free to pass this along to others and to contribute your ideas and thoughts. Address all items and comments to [email protected]. © Thoughts on Life Copyright 2017.
©2017 John Grant | Florida State Senator (Ret.) | 10025 Orange Grove Drive | Tampa, FL 33618

Prayer for the Lost

THINK

On These

Things

Prayer For The Lost

The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”

(James 5:16)

Many are the righteous mothers and fathers who have prayed a lifetime for the salvation of their children. Their prayers have been fervent. Some have lived to see that wonderful result. Others have gone on to Heaven without ever seeing the desire of their hearts, but with an enduring hope for the future.

How can we best pray for the unsaved: our children, our relatives, neighbors, friends, or even nations? Our prayers must be “effectual.” An “effectual” prayer cannot be based on emotion, desire, hope or even love. To be “effectual” a prayer must be in keeping with the character, plan and provision of God. How then should one best pray for the salvation of a friend or relative? Let us examine some aspects of the Word that relate to this question.

If I tell God how much I love them, value them, delight in them, desire their well-being, I have done nothing. God loves them more than I ever could. He is their Creator, their Sustainer, their One True Source. My love for them is pleasant to God, but it is not a reason for Him to move.

If I tell God how wonderful a person my son is and that He really ought to save him so he can be in Heaven with me, I have done nothing. God knows my son. He knows how wonderful (or not) he really is, far better than I do. Further, my son’s salvation will never be based on my desire. It can only be based on my son’s desire.

If I ask God to give my son the desire to be saved, He will not do it. Verse after verse of the words of Jesus say plainly that the reward is for “whosoever WILL believe.” It is something the person must do themselves. It is a matter of their own WILL. It is a desire that must rise up in them in the face of the evidence of the Gospel. It is a response. It is a decision. God will not force it.

If I ask God to draw my son to Himself, He cannot do it, for it is already done. In John 12:32 we hear Jesus saying, And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.” God draws everyone. The drawing is already in operation. It is not lacking. It is the response that is lacking.

If I ask God to convict my son of his sins, He cannot do it, for again, it is already done. In John 16:7-8 Jesus said,

Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:”

That Comforter, the Holy Spirit came among us on the day of Pentecost and has been reproving the world of sin ever since. He is a constant laborer. There is no man, woman or child who has not been advised by the Holy Spirit that they are sinners. They have simply, willfully, refused to hear the confrontation of the Holy Spirit. While conviction must precede repentance, repentance does not always follow conviction. Very often those who are convicted by the Holy Spirit respond not with repentance but with rebellion. They choose to deny the existence of God to justify their sinful life styles.

If I ask God to send laborers to reveal the Gospel to my son, He can and will do that. But it is not certain to be effective. Where can you live in America and claim that you have never had the opportunity to hear the Gospel. Missionaries carry the Word to far places where it has not yet penetrated. Evangelists circle the 50 states giving opportunity in person, in books, on radio and on TV. No. The Gospel has already been brought, but it has been rejected. Sometimes a special emissary, a special friend or relative might break through. We can hope for that.

To summarize, we cannot achieve our goal by asking God to do what He is already doing. Also, we cannot ask God to impose Himself on the individual. If He did, that person would simply become a slave instead of a willing worshipper. God won’t do that. It would violate His character.

How then might we pray?

What God does do is this: He wrestles with the devil and his angels. This is the battlefield that is before us. This is the place where God is willing and able to operate, in power and dominion. In 2 Corinthians 4:3-4 we read,

But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”

That’s right! We are dealing with blinded minds. The god of this world has done the blinding. Not only that, but he continues to maintain that blinding, lest any should escape his grasp and find the truth and the light. He is powerful and strong. Some among us believers may be able to come against him in the name of Jesus, in that day when our own faith is strong and powerful. But Jesus Himself is strong and powerful against this enemy every moment of every day.

If I ask God to remove the devil’s blinding scales from the mind of my son, opening his eyes to see the light and the truth, then I have asked in keeping with the possible. This is the work in which we must enlist Him. Here is a prayer He can answer without violating His nature or His works of the past. Here is a prayer He desires to hear. 1 John 3:8 says,

For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.”

Some of those works were already destroyed by His death and resurrection. Other works of the enemy are still among us today, such as blinded minds. These works remain to be destroyed. These minds wait to be set free. When they are set free, then it can be said of them also,

The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light is sprung up.” (Matthew 4:16)

As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.” (John 1:12)

Drawing, convicting, preaching, are all important. Freedom to respond is crucial. Defeat the one who keeps the bonds of blindness on his victims, and the drawing, convicting, and preaching of the gospel can bring forth their precious fruit.

The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”

06/17

Presented by Brother Al Salay, Blessed Man Ministries Inc.

1093 A1A Beach Blvd. #273, St. Augustine, FL 32080-6733

www.BlessedMan.net [email protected]

LIFE IS A MARATHON

Week Twenty-Six, 2017

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. – Hebrews 12:1-2

A friend who is a marathon runner recently told me of a recent competition. He said there was a pacer who told all the runners behind to follow her pace and all would finish. Soon a runner who was a star athlete decided to out run ahead. As he passed the pacer she said, “We will see you again.”

Sure enough a few miles down the course the group passed the winded athlete who crossed the finish line forty-five minutes after the original group reached the end of the run. My friend commented that the race was a marathon, not a sprint.

The Christian life is not a sprint. It is a marathon. It is easy to get distracted, but we need to remain disciplined. Like the author of Hebrews says, so that we do not grow weary in the race, let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. He is our pacer and we need to stick with him and not run ahead.

The Christian life is a lifelong race that entails some long hills to climb and some swampy marshes to plod through. To make it to the end we need to get in shape and run the race at the pace our Savior sets.

In a marathon, it’s not the first mile that counts. Finishing the course well is everything. It takes a sustained effort. Our spiritual life required no less. We are competing against the enemy of our souls, who opposes God’s kingdom and wants us to drop out.

In the race of our spiritual life, we must lay aside every encumbrance that holds us and lay aside every sin that so easily entangles us. We must run with endurance the course God sets for us.

This is what Jesus meant when He talked about counting the cost of following Him (Luke 14:28-33). Before you make a glib commitment to be a Christian, think it through. Are you willing to put out the effort, the sweat, the endurance, and the pain of going the distance? Jesus himself is the motivation to keep us running.

The main way to “run with endurance the race that is set before us” is, “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”

***
SOMETIMES TRUE STORIES

“Jesus said to her, “Mary.” (John 20:16 CSB)

Say that out loud, using your name. I don’t know about you, but my stomach did a little flip when I said it because it makes Jesus’ love so personal. Jesus is familiar with me, and with you. Way back in the Old Testament Isaiah wrote God calls us by our name. It is a personal, individual relationship. “Now this is what the Lord says — the one who created you, “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are mine.” Isaiah 43:1 CSB

Jesus is calling you right now, by your name. You are loved and he delights in you.

***
QUOTES YOU CAN USE

Unrepentant Disobedience Isolates Me from God – 1 Samuel 28:3
Unresolved Disappointment Isolates Me from Others – 1 Samuel 28:10, 12, 13-16
Unaltered Isolation Leads to Despair – 1 Samuel 28:20
Ken Whitten

***
Selected portions of Thoughts on Life can also be read at TheLife.com and Thoughts-About-God.com. You can subscribe directly to those on their respective websites.

Your feedback is welcome and if you want to be taken off the mailing list a simple e-mail will do it. Feel free to pass this along to others and to contribute your ideas and thoughts. Address all items and comments to [email protected]. © Thoughts on Life Copyright 2017

©2017 John Grant | Florida State Senator (Ret.) | 10025 Orange Grove Drive | Tampa, FL 33618

“I GOT FAITH! I BELIEVE IN JESUS! I’M GOOD TO GO!” (James 2:14-26)

First Baptist Church, 9 West Main St, Earlville, New York
Series: JAMES June 18, 2017 10:30 AM, J B Stopford, Pastor

TODAY’S SPECIAL: “A New Minister Funny”
A new minister comes to down. Seeking to get to know the town better, he takes a walk downtown and asks a little boy, “where can I find the Post Office?” And is told. Then he asks, “where can I find the grocery store?”, and he is told. Finally, he offers to the boy to come to church Sunday so that the boy can find Jesus. The boy wisely replies, “mister, you couldn’t find the post office or the grocery store. How do you expect to find Jesus?”

INTRODUCTION Around 500 years ago one of the most famous Biblical scholars refuted the book of James as been “canonical” – worthy of being in the Scriptures. His name? Martin Luther! He said that both Romans and Galatians refer to the just must live by faith, alone! No works could earn our salvation. So he openly questioning whether or not this book should be a part of our complete book.
You state: “I got faith. I believe in Jesus. I’m good to go. I need nothing more – Luther must have been right.”
In the section in our outline entitled “Faith Expressed”, what does 2:26 mean “faith without deeds is dead.”? Am I set simply with faith in Jesus alone, or do I need more? PRAYER

#1. PROOF #1: Faith must be active! (vs. 14-17)
James says that it is one thing to SAY you have faith; it is another thing to PROVE you have faith.
He uses the illustration of a brother or sister – i.e., another human being – who is without their daily need: clothes and daily food. What if you began you day praying, “God send someone my way so I can share the love of Jesus.” Then a poor person crosses your pathway, seeking help – with even his daily need. Even as a Christian, it would be easy to send them on their way and say “I’ll pray for you!”. It would be easy to say mentally, “you are an interruption to me – I’m doing the work of the ministry here.” In reality, that interruption IS your ministry for that moment! That interruption IS God’s answer to your prayer. And, in turn, your genuine care for that poor person is vivid proof that your faith is more than just nice words on a paper stating your beliefs. Your faith is active!

#2. PROOF #2: Faith is more than just a doctrinal statement (vs. 18-19)
James now uses an interesting example. Perhaps you go back to your statement of faith. “I have faith! I believe! I’m good to go!”. James then says, “you have just quoted the doctrinal statement of the demons. Illustration: In Matthew 8:28-34, Jesus confronted 2 men who were demon-possessed. When rebuffed by the Savior, the demons said – and note their words – ““What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?”. Whoa. What did they say? “I have faith. I believe in Jesus. I’m good to go – for now, but I know what is coming.” True faith is more than just a doctrinal statement!

#3. PROOF #3: The Bible has 2 good evidences that true faith will be demonstrated by acts of faith
(a) Abraham (vs. 20-24) Note James’ illustration of Abe’s offering his son Isaac. And note in particular James’ insight, in v. 22. Abe had faith – but his faith was empty and not complete until he demonstrated it. And as a result, Abe was credited by God for being righteous. And he was called God’s friend. Why? Because his trust led to action! [Note James application to his readers in v. 24]
(b) Rahab (v. 25) James minces no words when referring to Rehab, the lady that the 2 spies of Joshua met in Jericho. Her occupation – her character – was that of a harlot! But there was gossip in Rahab’s day – they didn’t have TV or the internet, but word spread fast that on the other side of the Jordan, the Israelites had destroyed nations that were bigger, fiercer, tougher, meaner than the land where Rahab lived. Her conclusion? “…for the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath”. (Joshua 2:11) That was her statement of faith! THEN she verified that faith by hiding the slaves from their pursuers. Faith in action. Deeds proving her statement of faith. And she was honored to become part of the lineage of…the Lord Jesus. Check it out in Matt. 1:5 – she’s in Jesus’ genealogy!

CONCLUSION “As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.” (v. 26)
The cart and the horse must be in the right order. Romans does say, “For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.” (4:2). And Galatians does say, “knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.” (2:16). And Paul does say in Titus, “not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,” (3:5).
That is true faith. True faith is in a Person. True faith is a trust, an eternal trust that the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus was accomplished for you to cover your sin. It can’t be worked for or earned. It is a gift from God.
And James agrees. In essence, he says, “you say you have true faith – prove it! Demonstrate it!”
Let’s covenant today together to show to those God purposely crosses your path today that you love the Lord Jesus as Savior! Love them as God does. Put your faith to action!
One last thought: IF you have been convinced that you have been living trusting your good deeds for your salvation, why not cast them aside at the foot of the cross! Trust in the death, burial, and resurrection of the One Who gave Himself for you. Trust Jesus today! John says, “but as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God.” Have you received Jesus as your Savior?

KINGDOM BUILDING

So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied. – Acts 9:31

Weaver birds, found primarily in Africa build exquisite nest structures that are a rival to any human feat of engineering. Some of the nests are the largest structures to be built by birds. The tightly woven nests are truly an engineering marvel.

Ever try to weave a basket out of grass or palm fronds? It’s a bit difficult, right? Takes a while to get the hang of it! Well what if you tried to weave a basket using just your mouth and starting out with one piece of grass? It’d be really tough, right? But it’s nothing for the weaverbird!

Nest building begins with a firm foundation. A good nest needs to be attached to a strong branch. The birds have to learn the art of nest building, so the younger birds fly with the older ones to learn how. The birds have to learn how to be adaptable. Construction differs with different types of available material.

Every species has a predator. So the Weaver birds build good defense to keep the enemy at bay, by grouping in colonies. Often multiple pares live in the same nest, each having their own room and entrance.

As I contemplated the nest building of the Weaver bird, I couldn’t help but think of the parallels of kingdom building in the Christian life. Like the Weaver bird, we have to begin with a strong foundation which is rooted in the Word of God, a foundation firmly attached to Jesus.

We must learn from others who have traveled the same path before. We must be adaptable as opportunities can change with the availability of different challenges in kingdom building. Like the Weaver bird, Christians need a good defense to protect us from the enemy and flocking in a community of fellow believers is a good way to do it.

Have a strong foundation in Jesus, be willing to learn from others, be adaptable and build a good defense. Not only sage advice from the Weaver bird, these principles are essential for kingdom building in the body of Christ.

SOMETIMES TRUE STORIES

“Feed my lambs” “Tend my sheep” “Feed my sheep” “Follow me” John 21:15-20

Peter and the disciples were able to understand both the depth and the simplicity of these words. Teaching, leading, and caring for those in need are simple tasks that we both discount and also forget about while trying to talk on two phones at once or do many jobs rather than the one God has called us to. Don’t make it any more complicated. “Follow me”

THE QUARTER

A mother wanted to teach her daughter a moral lesson. She gave the little girl a quarter and a dollar for church. “Put whichever one you want in the collection plate and keep the other for yourself,” she told the girl.

When they were coming out of church, the mother asked her daughter which amount she had given. “Well,” said the little girl, “I was going to give the dollar, but just before the collection the man in the pulpit said that we should all be cheerful givers. I knew I’d be a lot more cheerful if I gave the quarter, so I did.”

Quotes You Can Use

Forgiveness is a choice, not to remember or bring up the offense any longer.

Reconciliation takes two people; Forgiveness only takes one person. Ken Whitten

Selected portions of Thoughts on Life can also be read at TheLife.com and Thoughts-About-God.com. You can subscribe directly to those on their respective websites.

Your feedback is welcome and if you want to be taken off the mailing list a simple e-mail will do it. Feel free to pass this along to others and to contribute your ideas and thoughts. Address all items and comments to [email protected]. © Thoughts on Life Copyright 2017

©2017 John Grant | Florida State Senator (Ret.) | 10025 Orange Grove Drive | Tampa, FL 33618

“MERCY WINS!” (James 2:1-13)

Series: JAMES June 11, 2017 10:30 AM
Rev. Jeremy B. Stopford, Pastor

TODAY’S SPECIAL: FELINE PHYSICS OR CAT LAWS
LAW OF CAT INERTIA: A cat at rest will tend to remain at rest, unless acted upon by some outside force, such as the opening of cat food, or a nearby scurrying mouse.
LAW OF BAG/BOX OCCUPANCY: All bags and boxes in a given room must contain a cat within the earliest possible nanosecond.
LAW OF FURNITURE REPLACEMENT: A cat’s desire to scratch furniture is directly proportional to the cost of the furniture.
LAW OF PILL REJECTION: Any pill given to a cat has potential energy to reach escape velocity.
LAW OF SPACE-TIME CONTINUUM: Given enough time, a cat will land in just about any space.

INTRODUCTION
The year was 1948, the presidential election pitted incumbent Harry Truman against NY State governor, Thomas Dewey. Remember, these were the years before nationwide tv. These were the years that reporters were dependent upon polls. And all early indications showed that Dewey had won by a landslide. The Chicago Tribune was so sure of that, that its early editions printed “Dewey Defeats Truman”. By the time the polls closed in the eastern states, the election was closer than the predicted landslide. And the ultimate end result is that President Truman won re-election, himself by a landslide.
We like to see the winner. And in our text, v. 13, it boldly predicts “mercy triumphs.” Mercy wins! How does mercy win in the Christian life? Why is this important for James to take up in his new section, chapter 2, entitled in our outline, “Faith Expressed”? PRAYER

#1. WHAT DOES MERCY MEAN?
Someone once illustrated the distinction between the terms “grace” and “mercy” this way: “Grace is our getting what Jesus deserves. Mercy is Jesus getting what we deserve.”
What does that mean? “Grace” refers to all the goodness and victory that should belong only to Jesus – yet He freely bestows that upon His children. “Mercy” is the vehicle by which the child of God becomes that child – he trusts the finished work of Jesus on Calvary as the price God the Father is satisfied with for the punishment of our sins. Jesus took our punishment! Jesus got what we deserved – the cross! That is mercy on our behalf.
Let’s look at a dynamic Old Testament prayer found in the perhaps infrequently read book of Nehemiah, chapter 9. Look up the use of “mercy” and “mercies” in Nehemiah 9:19, 27-28, and 31-32. Each time it is God-initiated toward those who do not deserve it. As was true with Israel, so it is true with us and His church.
Now let’s apply what we’ve learned to James 2.

#2. JAMES’ ILLUSTRATION: RICH MAN, POOR MAN! (vs. 1-7)
a. The rich man was distinguished by 2 things only: his nice clothes, and at least one gold ring or more. His riches were his only treasure; his public display of recognition was his only earthly reward. Apart from that, he had nothing more. But notice: it is not a sin to have riches; but it is a sin for riches to have you!
b. The poor man owned only the clothes on his back – whether shabby or tattered, those were his only physical possessions. But he possessed something the rich man didn’t have: faith. Trust in the Lord Jesus. In essence, by eternal values, he was much richer than the earthly rich man.
c. James applies the illustration to the church wrongly favoring the rich man over the poor. The Amplified Version calls it “spiritual snobbery”. Why, it is these faithless rich people who take the anyone they need to to court in order to suck out all that you have.
d. James applies two thoughts:
#1. We need to see people as Jesus does, and not view according to outward appearance.
Illustration: A young man, highly unkempt, comes to church late. The pastor had been sharing with him throughout the week of his need for Jesus. He walks in the back door – unshaven, unshowered, not “appropriately dressed.” The pastor takes a deep breath and silently prays, “if Jimmy is to come to Christ, his being accepted or rejected by the people will be the turning point. Lord, let him be loved by Your church.” Jimmy was loved, much to the pastor’s and Jimmy’s surprise. He trusted Jesus as Savior, went on to Bible School. He went on to pastor Baptist churches. And for many years he was president of one of the largest Bible colleges in the Northeast U.S.! True story of what God can do through a church like ours loving on people!
#2. We need to apply Jesus’ lesson in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:3): “blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God.” God may bless us with finances, but our greatest riches are found in our love for the Lord Jesus and our walk with Him. Have you found that to be true in your life?

#3. HOW DOES MERCY WIN? (vs. 8-13)
Mercy wins when I see my neighbor as Jesus sees my neighbor! (vs. 8-11) You may say, “I’m no murderer. I’m no adulterer.” But James is saying, if you don’t love on people like Jesus does, then you are guilty of the whole law. Mercy wins when I treat people like I would want to be treated myself. Love as Jesus does – with mercy!
Mercy wins when I display my freedom to love and to treat people kindly. Eugene Peterson, in “The Message” translates the end of v. 13 this way: “Kind mercy wins over harsh judgment every time.”

CONCLUSION
The application today is 2-fold:
#1. Do I treat people the way that Jesus would? Do I love them as they are – OR do I demand changes in the exterior/the outward, before I am able to minister to the interior/the inward? As God to bring at least one person across your path this week who needs to see God’s love tangibly on display through you!
#2. Have I grasped the great mercy which Jesus displayed when He took my sin upon the cross of Calvary? Mercy wins when I receive Jesus as my Savior and live for His glory every day. Have you come to the cross? Are you living as vessels who have been recipients of the greatest act of mercy ever known, when Jesus loved you?
And when we treat people as Jesus does, and when we grasp the depth of the mercy Jesus displayed on the cross and displays daily through us, then…MERCY WINS!

Email: Jeremy Stopford <[email protected]>

THE VESSEL

Week Twenty-Four, 2017

So I went down to the potter’s house, and I saw him working at the wheel. But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him. Then the word of the Lord came to me. He said, “Can I not do with you, Israel, as this potter does?” declares the Lord. “Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, Israel. – Jeremiah 18:3-7

Jeremiah went to the potter’s house and saw him working at his wheel, but what he was making was flawed, so the potter crushed it and used the clay to start again. This time the potter make a beautiful work of art.

Life is like being on the potter’s wheel. God gives us the clay, but often we trip up and our life is marred. He has a beautiful plan and purpose for every life. The plan can become flawed when we trip up by making the wrong choices.

But, the good news is that He will renew any life when we put our lives on the potter’s wheel. With God, failure is not final. We all need to repent and allow God to put us back on the potter’s wheel. He will make you a vessel of beauty regardless of how marred our past may be.

Through the visit to the potter’s house God spoke to Jeremiah and to all of Israel, reminding them of His sovereign right to do what He pleased with a marred or seemingly uncooperative vessel. The illustration at the potter’s house did not only demonstrate God’s right to display judgment, but also His right to display mercy. He was free to work with a previously marred vessel if He chose to do so. Yet He was also free to take back good He had done to a nation if they did evil in His sight.

Aren’t you glad that we serve the God of a second chance?

QUOTES YOU CAN USE

Equality doesn’t require sameness.

God’s goal in marriage is not to make you happy, but to make you holy.
— Ken Whitten

Selected portions of Thoughts on Life can also be read at TheLife.com and Thoughts-About-God.com. You can subscribe directly to those on their respective websites.

Your feedback is welcome and if you want to be taken off the mailing list a simple e-mail will do it. Feel free to pass this along to others and to contribute your ideas and thoughts. Address all items and comments to [email protected]. © Thoughts on Life Copyright 2017