James 4:13-5:12 (verse-by-verse)

Passage: James 4:13 – 5:12

Title: The Test of Dependence & Endurance

Summary: The Book of James, this epistle speaks clearly of the things that get the Christian distracted, off course, and how to get back on course and head in the direction God has willed for our lives. In our passage today we have a clear call of God to examine our dependance (do we plan our day or allow God to plan our day), and secondly….. when life gets tough do we endure, or check-out. Join us as we dig into another passage of how we can live the victorious Christian life…. Today!

James 4:13–17 (NKJV) 13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; 14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” 16 But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. 17 Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.

James 5:1–6 (NKJV) 1 Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you! 2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have heaped up treasure in the last days. 4 Indeed the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out; and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. 5 You have lived on the earth in pleasure and luxury; you have fattened your hearts as in a day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned, you have murdered the just; he does not resist you.

James 5:7–12 (NKJV) 7 Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. 8 You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. 9 Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing at the door! 10 My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience. 11 Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful. 12 But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your “Yes” be “Yes,” and your “No,” “No,” lest you fall into judgment.

Illustration

Maybe you heard or read the story, as we here in our region live in what is known as the Chesapeake Bay. A large container ship, carrying close to 5,000 cargo containers, ran aground because it veered off course, and was stuck in the mud of the Bay for over a month. The reason being….. the pilot was on his cellphone and simply missed his turn. What is equally interesting is that one of the officers knew they were going off course, announced the errant direction (161 degrees), he did it three times, but did not say clearly to the distracted pilot, that 180 degrees was the correction heading. So 19 degrees off was all it took to run aground.

Coast Guard: Ever Forward Pilot Distracted By Cell Phone Prior to Grounding

Mike Schuler

December 7, 2022

U.S. Coast Guard Sector Maryland-National Capitol Region completed its marine casualty investigation into the incident on Tuesday.

Coast Guard investigators found that the embarked Maritime State Pilot was relying solely on his Portable Pilot Unit (PPU) to navigate the vessel as it departed Seagirt Marine Terminal in Baltimore, Maryland en route to Norfolk, Virginia, with 4,964 containers aboard.

During the course of the outbound transit, investigators discovered the pilot made a series of five phone calls amounting to over 60 minutes. He also sent two text messages and began drafting an email immediately before the grounding occurred regarding issues he experienced with line handlers back at the terminals—issues that slightly delayed the vessel’s departure. A few minutes before the grounding took place, the pilot had also exited the active navigation of his PPU to view a previous transit.

The Hong Kong-flagged ship grounded a little after 8:18 p.m. local time outside the Craighill Channel, east of Lighted Buoy 16, after failing to turn at its charted waypoint, while traveling at a speed of approximately 13 knots.

Ever Forward’s Master was not on the bridge at the time of the grounding, as he had departed more than a half hour before to get dinner. On the bridge at the time was the Third Officer, Deck Cadet, and an Able Bodied Seaman, who was at the helm, along with the pilot.

“At approximately 2017, the Third Officer announced on the bridge that the vessel’s heading was 161 degrees and speed was approximately 13 knots. Pilot 1 verbally acknowledged the Third Officer and took no action. The Third Officer stated that the Pilot was still looking at his phone at this time,” the report said in a timeline of events. The ship ran aground the next minute, at 2018.

The Report of the Investigation determined the incident’s causal factors to be the pilot’s failure to maintain situational awareness and attention while navigating, and inadequate bridge resource management.

The Ever Forward was eventually refloated with the help of two anchor barges, five large tugboats, and a full moon on April 17, following dredging of more than 200,000 cubic yards of material from around the vessel and the removal of 505 containers.

Based on the finding of facts, the Coast Guard is recommending that marine operators develop and implement effective policies outlining when the use of cell phones and other portable electronic devices is appropriate or prohibited, and that vessel owners and operators ensure and promote crew awareness of policies regarding the duties and obligations of officers on watch for the safety of the ship, even when a pilot is embarked.

The Test of Dependance and Endurance

I love the Book of James, as this epistle speaks clearly of the things that get the Christian distracted, off course, and how to get back on course and head in the direction God has willed for our lives. In our passage today we have a clear call of God to examine our dependance (do we plan our day or allow God to plan our day), and secondly….. when life gets tough do we endure, or check-out. Join us as we dig into another passage of how we can live the victorious Christian life…. Today!

Written by James / Didn’t believe – to Leader / Hindsight / Everyday Living

The Book of James was written by none other than Jesus’ brother James. James was a leader in the church, a pillar in the church (Acts 21). James didn't believe that Jesus was God when He walked this earth (John 7:5); but after the resurrection Jesus appears to him (1 Cor 15:4-7), and everything changed. James is going to write us this letter, he will talk about everyday practical stuff. He will talk about trials in life, our works, our tongue, prayer, and other things; as he writes these things, no doubt he will be remembering how Jesus handled them, reflecting back on watching situations, and watching his oldest brother. He will reflect on Jesus’ life of love, and a life of sinlessness, in a world that can be so hateful at times, and so full of sin. James will write these things based on hindsight, based on first hand witnessing of how his older brother lived life, everyday. James watched Jesus handle everyday life, and that is what this book is about; it is about living everyday life as a Follower of God, in a fallen world.

Jesus Rubbed Off / Nature Illustrations / Favorite Teacher - Sermon on Mount

We can see how much Jesus rubbed off on James, for James style resembles his brother so much. Like Jesus used nature as illustrations for His teaching points, so does James some 30 times. He uses nature analogies such as the sea, flowers, sun, fire, horses and ships to name a few). It is obvious who James favorite teacher was, because this epistle covers every topic that Jesus covered in the Sermon on the Mount. There is amazing parallelisms between the two; James does not actually quote the Lord’s words, but he obviously had internalized Jesus’ teachings and reproduced them with spiritual depth. Jesus covered about 30 topics in the Sermon on the Mount, and we will see that James touches on every one of them in this epistle. The Book of James is Sermon on the Mount 2. The Book is also very quick and concise, moving from thought-to-thought quickly. So the Book of James is the New Testament Version of the Old Testament Proverbs. It resembles Proverbs because it is very poetic the way it flows its thoughts using illustrations and analogies.

So We can Examine Self / How am I Doing

Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount so that we might examine ourselves and ask the question, “so how am I doing in each of these areas?” James writes to the church, to us, and as we read, we have to ask ourselves, “so how am I doing in these areas?” This book is practical and applicable for us living in the year 2022, and the ultimate goal of this epistle is giving to us in verse 4 of chapter 1, to bring us into maturity, perfect and lacking nothing.

As in school, we take tests to see how much of a handle and mastery we have on a subject, we will do the same in this book.

3 Key Verses

Here are three key verses to get us going:

James 2:20 (NKJV) 20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?

James 1:22 (NKJV) 22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

James 1:4–5 (NKJV) 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

The Outline of the Book of James:

Chapter 1

Introduction (1:1)

The Test of Perseverance and Suffering (1:2-12)

The Test of Blame in Temptation (1:12-18)

The Test of Response to the Word (1:19-27)

Chapter 2

The Test of Partiality (2:1-9)

The Test of the Law (2:10-13)

The Test of Faith and Works (2:14-26)

Chapter 3

The Test of the Tongue (3:1-12)

The Test of Wisdom Applied (3:13-18)

Chapter 4

The Test of the World’s Influence (4:1-12)

The Test of Dependence (4:13-5:6)

Chapter 5

The Test of Endurance (5:7-12)

The Test of Prayerfulness (5:13-20)

Their Going Through It / A Message to Endure

We started this book out with:

(James 1:1 NKJV) James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad: Greetings.

(James 1:2 NKJV) My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,

These people are going through it, no doubt many are ready to hang it up. Have you, or are you there? Well this is a message, a passage, for us to endure, to continue on, to hold on to the promises that God has given us. In this passage of James God gives encouragement, and a promise to hold on to.

Prayer

The Word of God is Living and Powerful, and is ready, and will do a mighty work in our lives.

Hebrews 4:12 (NKJV) 12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

In Every Study

· Who Is God? (How Great is He?)

· What Does He Think of Me? (How Wonderful Are His Thoughts Towards Me?)

· What Does He Want Me to Do?

· What Can I Boldly Request of Him?

· What Do I Need to Be on Guard of When I Leave Here Today?

Boldly come to the throne of grace, ask God to reveal Himself in a mighty way to you, and to do I might work in you, and through you.

Hebrews 4:16 (NKJV) 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need

The Test of Dependance (4:13-5:6)

(James 4:13 NKJV) Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit";

(James 4:14 NKJV) whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.

Life is a Vapor

Have you ever noticed how rapidly vapor vanishes? Next time you get out the vaporizer, as the steam comes off the vaporizer or you put on the teakettle and the steam comes out, notice how quickly the steam evaporates into the air—five seconds, seven seconds? What is life? It’s like a vapor, it’s just there for a moment and then vanishes. Seven seconds compared with eternity! It’s just as there, we’re us here just a moment. But then there’s eternity

Vapor

Life is a vapor we're told and the word is then back to our study last week and why are you warring with each other why are you at war with each other your life is so short why do you waste it selfish reasons

James 4:1–3 (NKJV) 1 Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do theynot come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? 2 You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.

(James 4:15 NKJV) Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that."

(James 4:16 NKJV) But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.

Sermon on Mount Cross-Reference:

(Matthew 6:9 NKJV) "In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.

(Matthew 6:10 NKJV) Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.

(Matthew 6:11 NKJV) Give us this day our daily bread.

(Matthew 6:12 NKJV) And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors.

(Matthew 6:13 NKJV) And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

Arrogance

Arrogance - This attitude overlooks the simple fact that we don’t even know what will happen tomorrow; we are like ‘a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes’. It is hard to see how anybody could be dominated by self-interest and self-assertion when Scripture says, ‘You’re like a mist’!

Instead of this arrogant, self-sufficient, self-assertive, self-interested lifestyle, which is the antithesis of a humble dependence on God and obedience to his commands, we ought to be saying, ‘If this is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that’ (verse 15). And if you persist in arrogance and refuse to humble yourself, you’re not just creating all kinds of division and tension in your marriage, family and church; to put it bluntly, you’re sinning. Because if you know the way to go, and you won’t do it, that’s rebellion. (Briscoe)

If the Lord Wills

So we ought to say, if the Lord wills, we shall live and we’ll do this or that—if the Lord wills! And we should always take that factor into all of our planning. If this is the will of God, this is what we hope to accomplish. These plans are subject to the will of God. My life is subject to the will of God—if the Lord wills.

DV

The writer emphasized the need for considering the will of God in making plans. At one time when Christians wrote of future plans in correspondence they used the letters D.V. They stand for the Latin words Deo volente, that is, “God willing.”

Harris, R. W., ed. (1989). Hebrews–Jude (p. 239). World Library Press.

Proper Planning / Life is a Vapor

There is definitely a place for proper planning, the Book of Proverbs teaches us that, but trusting in my planning is evil. Our hope must be in the Lord, we are not to have tremendous confidence in the things we are planning for it can, like life, be a vapor. To watch people invest their whole life into something that is apart form the Lord, and then to watch it, or their marriage, go down into a vapors is such a waste of life:

(Matthew 6:19 NKJV) "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal;

(Matthew 6:20 NKJV) "but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.

(Matthew 6:21 NKJV) "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Cliché

If the Lord will has become such a cliche now among the body of Christ and the church becomes kind of a caveat that no one truly really believes or yields to. Because the most part people determine this is my plan and this is what I'm going to do and that's the direction I'm going and then if for some reason it doesn't play out I'll say OK the Lord's will. But there is a total power if we wake up and say Lord what is your will I want to do your will please direct me in your will and let's go and carry forth the will that you have for me on this day and see the difference is we're starting the day or we're processing and heading in the direction that in our heart mind and soul we're saying I'm doing what is the will of God and I'm going to ask him to come alongside me and be part of his will and his desire or maybe better said I'm coming alongside the Lord to do and fulfill what his will and his desire is for that person place or thing as I am just a vessel for the Lord to flow through. Oh Lord may we live lives that in all of our doing and dealings we say Lord what is your will give me the wisdom of your will and give me the power to carry forth your will which comes straight from the heart of God.

What Have Me Do

A power start of any day and every day is “Lord what will you have me do today…. So that I might bring You glory!”.

And living in brevity, that life is a vapor, but God holds my very breath in His hand, therefore “He (GOD) is holding me right now. I rest in the sweetness that my life rests in Him.

Daniel 5:22–23 (NKJV) 22 “But you his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, although you knew all this. 23 And you have lifted yourself up against the Lord of heaven. They have brought the vessels of His house before you, and you and your lords, your wives and your concubines, have drunk wine from them. And you have praised the gods of silver and gold, bronze and iron, wood and stone, which do not see or hear or know; and the God who holds your breath in His hand and owns all your ways, you have not glorified.

Job 12:10 (NKJV) 10 In whose hand is the life of every living thing, And the breath of all mankind?

(James 4:17 NKJV) Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.

Not Optional

To do good, to do the right thing, is not optional

There are those who say, “I’m going to do this. I’m going to retire there. I’ve got my future all worked out.” But when asked if they’re going to church on Sunday or if they’ll have devotions tomorrow, they say, “If the Lord wills.” Do you see the irony? “I’m going skiing next week, or on vacation in July,” we say. But regarding church tomorrow night, we say, “We’ll see what God has in store.” We have it backward! We should be saying, “I may go skiing next week if God wills. Or, I may take a vacation in July if that’s what the Lord has for me. But as for going to church on Sunday? I’ll be there absolutely!” That’s why James says, “If you know what’s right, but hide behind the excuse of waiting for God’s leading before doing it, it’s sin.”

This is what we call the sin of omission. Now there are many sins of commission. I commit an evil. But there are also many sins of omission. Things that I should do that I don’t do are just a sinful as things that I do that I shouldn’t do. And as a child of God, there are many things that are required of me. And if I know to do good and I have the opportunity to do good, and I don’t do it, it is just as sinful as doing something I should not have done—sins of omission. And we’re all of us, guilty of both. Sins of omissions, sins of commission

Love Lord – Love Neighbor

Mind you, verse 17 (to know to do good), wraps tightly around the Royal Law, which is love the Lord your God, and love thy neighbor. So to know a neighbor in need, and not respond is sin; to know the heart and will of God (whether sin, or any command) is sin.

James 2:8 (NKJV) 8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well;

Matthew 22:37–40 (NKJV) 37 Jesus said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

(James 5:1 NKJV) Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you!

(James 5:2 NKJV) Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten.

40yrs God Kept Them

I am reminded of the children in their wilderness wandering, yes because of lack of faith, but nonetheless the 40 year circle they walked was still walking where God had purposed and willed for them. And we know the story, their shoes and garments didn’t wear out or rot, for it was supernatural. Yet, our our purposed will, or seeking and trusting in riches, rot, fade, or are stolen.

Deuteronomy 8:4 (NKJV) 4 Your garments did not wear out on you, nor did your foot swell these forty years.

Deuteronomy 29:5 (NKJV) 5 And I have led you forty years in the wilderness. Your clothes have not worn out on you, and your sandals have not worn out on your feet.

(James 5:3 NKJV) Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have heaped up treasure in the last days.

Sermon on Mount Cross-Reference:

(Matthew 6:19 NKJV) "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal;

Interestingly, gold doesn’t corrode, and it takes a lot of time and certain conditions for silver to corrode.

(James 5:4 NKJV) Indeed the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out; and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth.

No doubt, referencing the Lord of the Sabbath, is making an indictment against the cruel and greedy business people who overworked their employees, and worked every possible day they could, giving no day off to worship the Lord and fellowship among the saints.

God is not condemning wealth, but if giving the warning to each person (remember this written to the believers), you wealth came by

· What means (harsh business, shady business, cruel business).

· What attitude (proud and take credit for it all, not God).

· And how is it utilized, used (for self only or others).

(James 5:5 NKJV) You have lived on the earth in pleasure and luxury; you have fattened your hearts as in a day of slaughter.

Jesus gave a picture of this in His teachings:

(Luke 12:16 NKJV) Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: "The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully.

(Luke 12:17 NKJV) "And he thought within himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?'

(Luke 12:18 NKJV) "So he said, 'I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods.

(Luke 12:19 NKJV) 'And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry."'

(Luke 12:20 NKJV) "But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?'

The Great Tribulation

Revelation 18, shows the ultimate culmination of this on the earth, and God judges swiftly, in one hour, he crushes man’s economic center, and man’s self-dependence, He leaves them weeping:

(Revelation 18:1 NKJV) After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illuminated with his glory.

(Revelation 18:2 NKJV) And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, "Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird!

(Revelation 18:3 NKJV) "For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury."

(Revelation 18:4 NKJV) And I heard another voice from heaven saying, "Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues.

(Revelation 18:5 NKJV) "For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.

(Revelation 18:8 NKJV) "Therefore her plagues will come in one day; death and mourning and famine. And she will be utterly burned with fire, for strong is the Lord God who judges her.

(Revelation 18:9 NKJV) "The kings of the earth who committed fornication and lived luxuriously with her will weep and lament for her, when they see the smoke of her burning,

(Revelation 18:10 NKJV) "standing at a distance for fear of her torment, saying, 'Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! For in one hour your judgment has come.'

(Revelation 18:11 NKJV) "And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise anymore:

God says to rejoice, for man’s self-dependence on riches has lead many to the pit of hell:

(Revelation 18:20 NKJV) "Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you holy apostles and prophets, for God has avenged you on her!"

(Revelation 18:21 NKJV) Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, "Thus with violence the great city Babylon shall be thrown down, and shall not be found anymore.

Remember Abraham and Lot / Destruction of Sodom

Refer back to our studies on the life of Abraham and Lot (Genesis 19). Lot and wife were devastated over the destruction of Sodom, but as for Abraham I am sure He was sad for the people, but not for the material loss, for Abraham’s life was defined by two things, he pitched tents and built altars. Abraham had not invested a dime in Sodom, and when judgement came it did not disturb him because there was nothing in Sodom that attracted him.

(James 5:6 NKJV) You have condemned, you have murdered the just; he does not resist you.

This epistle is written to believers, so they are not murdering physically (else the call for justice), but they are murdering (as we studied last week), by having hatred in their hearts, for Jesus said in Matthew 5 if you have hatred towards a brother/sister you are guilty of murder:

Matthew 5:21–26 (NKJV) 21 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire. 23 Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 25 Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. 26 Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny.

It is a small “h” for “he” does not resist you. These greedy people were dependent on their wealth, and ran their workers into the ground, many who were their own brothers and sisters in the Lord.

But other translations make it a capital “H”, He as in God, does not resist you. This passage grips me greatly, because I see in it, regardless which “h/H” it is….. that a person (that means it could be me – or you), could be so induced by their sin (condemning/murder)

So, the Test of Dependence (do we plan our day and dealings, or do we let God), so how are we doing?

The Test of Endurance (5:7-12)

(James 5:7 NKJV) Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain.

Perspective – King is Coming

Verse 7 – until the coming of the Lord: the Lord coming is the perspective of all of this and it should be the center of every test that's soon and very soon we're going to see the king.

Hebrews 10:25, why we need and should be in fellowship, to remind each other the King is coming. It is part of communion, the reminder that the Lord is returning.

Hebrews 10:25 (NKJV) 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as isthe manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

1 Corinthians 11:22–26 (NKJV) 22 What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and shame those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you in this? I do not praise you. 23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke itand said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 25 In the same manner He also tookthe cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.

The Farmer & Seed

The farmer has to trust the seed, to do what it was designed to do. So too for us, as we are firstfruits of His creation: James 1:18 (NKJV) 18 Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.

(James 5:8 NKJV) You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.

Establish – the Weighty Things

Establish means “strengthen”, and there is something that can only come and be done in the struggle, the hard things, the waiting….. last weeks message, the “kabod – glory”, the weighty things.

Illustration

An amazing story is told of our 1st President George Washington. I find it a great reminder and application, for all of us, that God has a plan, and most all times they take time to come to fullness, but nothing nor no one can stop God’s plan for our lives. Maybe that Word is very, very, very a word some young people need to hear as they are waiting and wondering what God is doing in their lives.

The French and Indian War: Account of a British Officer - JULY 9, 1755

The American Indian chief looked scornfully at the soldiers on the field before him. How foolish it was to fight as they did, forming their perfect battle lines out in the open, standing shoulder to shoulder in their bright red uniforms. The British soldiers—trained for European warfare—did not break rank, even when braves fired at them from under the safe cover of the forest. The slaughter at the Monongahela River continued for two hours. By then 1,000 of 1,459 British soldiers were killed or wounded, while only 30 of the French and Indian warriors firing at them were injured.

Not only were the soldiers foolish, but their officers were just as bad. Riding on horseback, fully exposed above the men on the ground, they made perfect targets. One by one, the chief’s marksmen shot the mounted British officers until only one remained.

“Quick, let your aim be certain and he dies,” the chief commanded. The warriors—a mix of Ottawa, Huron, and Chippewa tribesmen—leveled their rifles at the last officer on horseback. Round after round was aimed at this one man. Twice the officer’s horse was shot out from under him. Twice he grabbed a horse left idle when a fellow officer had been shot down. Ten, twelve, thirteen rounds were fired by the sharpshooters. Still, the officer remained unhurt.

The native warriors stared at him in disbelief. Their rifles seldom missed their mark. The chief suddenly realized that a mighty power must be shielding this man. “Stop firing!” he commanded. “This one is under the special protection of the Great Spirit.” A brave standing nearby added, “I had seventeen clear shots at him . . . and after all could not bring him to the ground. This man was not born to be killed by a bullet.”

As the firing slowed, the lieutenant colonel gathered the remaining troops and led the retreat to safety. That evening, as the last of the wounded were being cared for, the officer noticed an odd tear in his coat. It was a bullet hole! He rolled up his sleeve and looked at his arm directly under the hole. There was no mark on his skin. Amazed, he took off his coat and found three more holes where bullets had passed through his coat but stopped before they reached his body.

Nine days after the battle, having heard a rumor of his own death, the young lieutenant colonel wrote his brother to confirm that he was still very much alive.

As I have heard since my arrival at this place, a circumstantial account of my death and dying speech, I take this early opportunity of contradicting the first and of assuring you that I have not as yet composed the latter. But by the all-powerful dispensations of Providence I have been protected beyond all human probability or expectation; for I had four bullets through my coat, and two horses shot under me yet escaped unhurt, although death was leveling my companions on every side of me!

The battle on the Monongahela, part of the French and Indian War, was fought on July 9, 1755, near Fort Duquesne, now the city of Pittsburgh. The twenty-three-year-old officer went on to become the commander in chief of the Continental Army and the first president of the United States. In all the years that followed in his long career, this man, George Washington, was never once wounded in battle.

Fifteen years later, in 1770, George Washington returned to the same Pennsylvania woods. A respected Indian chief, having heard that Washington was in the area, traveled a long way to meet with him.

He sat down with Washington, and face-to-face over a council fire, the chief told Washington the following:

· I am a chief and ruler over my tribes. My influence extends to the waters of the great lakes and to the far blue mountains. I have traveled a long and weary path that I might see the young warrior of the great battle. It was on the day when the white man’s blood mixed with the streams of our forests that I first beheld this chief [Washington].

· I called to my young men and said, “Mark yon tall and daring warrior? He is not of the red-coat tribe—he hath an Indian’s wisdom and his warriors fight as we do—himself alone exposed. Quick, let your aim be certain, and he dies.”

· Our rifles were leveled, rifles which, but for you, knew not how to miss—’twas all in vain, a power mightier far than we shielded you.

· Seeing you were under the special guardianship of the Great Spirit, we immediately ceased to fire at you. I am old and shall soon be gathered to the great council fire of my fathers in the land of the shades, but ere I go, there is something bids me speak in the voice of prophecy:

· Listen! The Great Spirit protects that man [pointing at Washington], and guides his destinies—he will become the chief of nations, and a people yet unborn will hail him as the founder of a mighty empire. I am come to pay homage to the man who is the particular favorite of Heaven, and who can never die in battle.

This story of God’s divine protection and of Washington’s open gratitude could be found in many school textbooks until the 1930s. Now few Americans have read it. Washington often recalled this dramatic event that helped shape his character and confirm God’s call on his life.

· Though a thousand fall at your side,

though ten thousand are dying around you,

these evils will not touch you.

PSALM 91:7 NLT

Tait, M. with TobyMac. (2004). Under God. Bethany House.

(James 5:9 NKJV) Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing at the door!

Sermon on Mount Cross-Reference:

(Matthew 7:1 NKJV) "Judge not, that you be not judged.

(Matthew 7:2 NKJV) "For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.

Sermon on Mount Cross-Reference:

(Matthew 5:12 NKJV) "Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Sermon on Mount Cross-Reference:

(Matthew 7:15 NKJV) "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.

(Matthew 7:16 NKJV) "You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?

(Matthew 7:17 NKJV) "Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.

(Matthew 7:18 NKJV) "A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.

(Matthew 7:19 NKJV) "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

(Matthew 7:20 NKJV) "Therefore by their fruits you will know them.

Sermon on Mount Cross-Reference:

(Matthew 5:6 NKJV) Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.

(Matthew 5:7 NKJV) Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy.

Those who judge, critic, slander, teardown, gossip another…… will face the Judge (God), for God looks out for those who are being mistreated.

See people judge complain and war against others but really it is against God because they don't trust God can do or will do what they desire.

I think of Sarah and Abraham where she says take my handmaiden Hagar we're going to birth something even if it means birthing by some other means than God's way and sadly we see so many people birthing things that are anything but God's will and God's way.

(James 5:10 NKJV) My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience.

(James 5:11 NKJV) Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord; that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.

Devil Fueled

Job we know the story of his perseverance, but let us not forget the fueling behind it, all the turmoil and torment that came upon, was fueled by devil. Remember that, that many of your struggles against you is because of spiritual warfare. Be encouraged in your struggle that God sees you, counted you worthy to represent Him before the world, that is my champion who endures, and doesn’t quit. And be warmed, that in your struggle, hardship, long wait….. that God sees and His heart is moved towards you, and (verse 11), is “very” not just a little, compassionate and merciful, for what you are going through.

James 3:15 (NKJV) 15 This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic.

James 4:7 (NKJV) 7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

Wait Beloved – It Shall Come to Pass

Empty Promise / Hasn’t Happened / Strength Just to Take It

Initially it takes all the faith in the world just to hold on to it, its empty, it’s just a promise, it isn’t real, it hasn’t happened, we are so far from it in a matter of fact that just to believe that it could ever be so takes all the strength in us just to claim it. Just to take that verse and put it in our pocket, or post it on the refrigerator, or tack it to the mirror and say I believe it God. It almost seems ludicrous to even claim it for it seems so unattainable. Just to believe it and hold it out for a few moments at a time takes all we got.

Learn Twice / 1st Hear it’s a Wonderful Concept / Now Try It Out

So often that is how God works, for everything we learn, we have to learn twice. The first time we hear it we say ohh yes, that is wonderful, it rings true in our hearts once we read it, or hear it preached. We say yes, this is true. But it isn’t yours yet for you haven’t learned it yet, for all you got was the concept. God has a way of giving something to us and then he comes and says do you believe it? Then let’s try it out. That is when we so often say ohh no Lord, not me, I just wanted to subscribe to it, I don’t actually want to try it. I don’t want to endure all that comes with it, all that it is going to take to make it come to pass. I just want it to come to pass, I don’t want to go through the testing and endurance it will take to get there.

Sharing with Others / Words Mock Us / Trouble Holding on to them Myself

How many times in our lives we have preached or shared things with others, things I believe theologically to be true, but experientially I am still struggling with personally. At the very same time I am sharing these things with others, those very promises are mocking me for they have not yet be fully claimed by me. I am having trouble holding on to these things myself, they are just empty potato bags.

God gives and Says Hold on to Them / But They seem so Far Away

God has a way that He works with us; He gives us a promise about our marriage, finances, children, health, or ministry where He calls us and gives it to us and says claim these as your own. But at the time it is given to us it may be far far away.

Our Family

He gives us a word for our family like:

(Psalms 128:3 NKJV) Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine In the very heart of your house, Your children like olive plants All around your table.

(Isaiah 44:3 NKJV) For I will pour water on him who is thirsty, And floods on the dry ground; I will pour My Spirit on your descendants, And My blessing on your offspring;

(Isaiah 54:13 NKJV) All your children shall be taught by the LORD, And great shall be the peace of your children.

(Isaiah 54:14 NKJV) In righteousness you shall be established; You shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear; And from terror, for it shall not come near you.

Israel in Shambles / Empty Sacks / Maybe That’s You

When these promises were given to the people of Israel their nation was in shambles and chaos. Yet these promises were given to be claimed. Imagine what it must have been for Isaiah to have to preach this promise. It was like an empty potato sack, it was just a promise, the people would want to claim it, but how. Maybe that is your family today, God has given you a promise about your family, but it is in shambles and you ask how could that be God, it seems so far away. Yet God says take these sacks and hold on to them.

Our Salvation

He gives us a word about our salvation:

(James 5:7 NKJV) Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain.

(James 5:8 NKJV) You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.

People Dispersed / Empty Sacks / Maybe that’s You

These people James was writing to were dispersed, they were spread out from family and home, everything seemed so far away, especially the coming of the Lord. But the Lord says hold on to your sack, hold on to these promises. Maybe your walk has become dry, lifeless, like the Lord seems so far away, God says hold on to your promise, hold on to your sack, it will come to pass

Our Provisions

He gives us a word for our daily provision:

(Psalms 147:14 NKJV) He makes peace in your borders, And fills you with the finest wheat.

(Joel 2:26 NKJV) You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, And praise the name of the LORD your God, Who has dealt wondrously with you; And My people shall never be put to shame.

Making Ends Meet – How / God says Claim It

You are just trying to make ends meet and you hear this word and you say Lord how could it ever be. Yet God gives us a promise and says claim-it. Now I’m not talking name it claim it, you know that. But we are to take God at His word, His promise, and know they will come to pass.

Our Marriage

He gives us a word for our marriage:

(Genesis 2:24 NKJV) Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

(Proverbs 5:18 NKJV) Let your fountain be blessed, And rejoice with the wife of your youth.

Not Much Rejoicing / Not Much Unity

You may say there isn’t much rejoicing going on in our marriage, there isn’t much unity, but God says claim this, take it, trust and rely on me and me only.

Our Protection

He gives us a word for His protection upon us:

(Psalms 27:1 NKJV) The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?

David in a Cave

David at the time he writes this was in a cave surrounded by 3,000 men of Israel, no way out, waiting to kill him, yet he writes you light and my protection. Is there is something you are afraid of today? Has God given you a word and a promise not to fear, then He says hold on to your promise.

Our Ministry

He gives us a word for our ministry:

(Acts 9:15 NKJV) But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel.

To Use You

Maybe God has given you a word, a Scripture, a Vision of using you for His glory, but right now you seem to be stuck in neutral, or maybe you have blown it and you question if that was really from the Lord. That the promise seems so impossible that it couldn’t be from the Lord.

(James 5:12 NKJV) But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your "Yes," be "Yes," and your "No," "No," lest you fall into judgment.

Sermon on Mount Cross-Reference:

(Matthew 5:33 NKJV) "Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.'

(Matthew 5:34 NKJV) "But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God's throne;

(Matthew 5:35 NKJV) "nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.

(Matthew 5:36 NKJV) "Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black.

(Matthew 5:37 NKJV) "But let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No.' For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.

Not only are we to be doers of the word (and not hearers only), but we need to be doers of our word, and do what we said we were and would do.

James 1:22 (NKJV) 22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

Slipped in Here

This verse is kind of slipped in here between the Test of Endurance and the Test of Prayerfulness. But it is really something that we need to have consistency and endurance in, and we need to continually be praying that the Lord would make us man and woman of our Word. We need the power of God to do that.

But Above All

Interesting, all the things that James has said (glance at the book outline), yet he says "but above all", let your yes be yes. Why, because our words are important, as we have studied they either delight or they destroy, they communicate what is truly in our hearts, what type of person we really are.

In Accordance of All we have Studied

James says do what you say, say what you will do, all in accordance with what we have studied, in the integrity of what we have studied, do it in accordance to what we have studied and you will never have to promise, just says what you are going to do and people will believe that is what you will do, you will never have to promise because your words are promise enough.

Teaching Our Kids This

Letting your yes be yes, and your no, no, is one of the most powerful witnesses a Christian has. I go through this a lot with my 10 year old. He will say something to a friend, but then a better deal comes along in the meantime and he wants to change. I tell him that he has to let his yes be yes, for even at 10 your friends will see it. Parents develop this in your child, let them see the importance of their words, and their promises.

God Honors Your Yes

Know this believer, God honors your yes - yes. He will bless it because you submitted to His Word, and not your emotions or flesh.

The Test of Endurance, so how are we doing?

Prayer

The Word of God is Living and Powerful, and is ready, and will do a mighty work in our lives.

Hebrews 4:12 (NKJV) 12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

In Every Study

· Who Is God? (How Great is He?)

· What Does He Think of Me? (How Wonderful Are His Thoughts Towards Me?)

· What Does He Want Me to Do?

· What Can I Boldly Request of Him?

· What Do I Need to Be on Guard of When I Leave Here Today?

Boldly come to the throne of grace, ask God to reveal Himself in a mighty way to you, and to do I might work in you, and through you.

Hebrews 4:16 (NKJV) 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need