Hooray! Its the worst!

A long time ago, back before google, before the world wide web, I lived in Visalia, below Fresno and it was always hot. I loved football and was super excited to play football in high school but it was always hot. And when its hot, at that time, there is one thing the team had to do, run. It was called conditioning, everybody does it. We did in om two a days, HOT Visalia days. practice in the morning, practice in the afternoon. Do it when you are tired because the theory goes, if you do it when your tired, that tired doesn’t happen during the game. Tired gets pushed off. .

In life there is no practice, maybe your childhood, but now, your adults. Everyday is a real decision, a real moment of affecting our family, friends, coworkers, neighbors. The moments pop up. The crisis happens, that big burden, that challenge just comes up. But conditioning still happens, it happens in the middle of the challenges.

For me the challenge is August. Some of you might not know what that means but in the life of any teacher in my district knows that means incredible challenges. Because I get this whole new group of students all with their own unique strengths and weaknesses. I can never walk in and teach what I taught last year. That is the challenge of special education. Last year, I might have had people who could talk but couldn’t add. Another year can be no talkers and and great readers, but need help in the bathroom. Every year is different, every student is different. This year not only do I get to set up my whole classroom for all new kids but I am teaching a new teacher. I will be working with a resident, just like in Grey’s Anatomy, but instead of a resident doctor, this is a resident teacher who works watching me to become their own teacher. I play the part of McDreamy. But no one will call me that.

I’m kidding about that last part but the resident is real, so I am doing something I have never done before, which is a kind of a trial for me.

Then the day before school started, everything went bad for the teachers around me, not getting what they need for their students. Students were denied the supports they need because it was felt that there was too much support in one classroom. So my crisis this week was in helping my friends get what they need for their students. And there are many other teachers having issues, having their own crisis. Did I mention that on Sunday night at 5pm, McNair flooded for 12 hours. They were shut down all week and my wife was incredibly sad on Monday? I haven’t even talked about our friends in the church asking for help. Crisis comes all around, even when the sun is shining or the stars fill up the sky so beautifully. Even when the day began with Bible reading, prayers were given, kindness was shown, you can still get bit. Crisis happens. For you biting is metaphorical, for me literal.

Why does this crises, these trials come? What difference does Jesus make if all this crisis can keep happening. Or what if you realize that Jesus died on the cross for your sins and you are so incredibly, incredibly grateful because you know the hell he saved you from, and that’s just metaphorical hell, you are so grateful for the hell you’ll never see, that you want to worship him and follow him. How are you supposed to follow Jesus when those trials come? Whatever your trial is? Maybe your trial is loneliness, tough workers, sickness, sick family members, financial issues, there are so many crisis too choose from right?

Lets see what we learn about God

James 1:1–4 CSB

James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ: To the twelve tribes dispersed abroad. Greetings. Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.

When a follower of Jesus reads the Bible they are reading differently than anything else. It’s not like a facebook post where we say, oh yeah, I like that, that’s good and ignore or even click away on everything else. The Bible is not to be read in a swipe down, swipe left kind of way. Instead when we take in something from the Bible, we work to understand it, and then if our life and what we do in life doesn’t match the whole of what is revealed about God, our lives need to change.

Why do I say it like that, because I want to give you advice. If you know someone going through a major problem, where they are frustrated, angry, sad, hurting and you don’t want them to be mad at you, DO NOT text them James 1:2 unless God specifically tells you to do so.

James 1:2 CSB

Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials,

It’s like we should have someone walk in and say, “you’re fired” and then your Chrisitian friend says, “consider it a great joy!”

Is stupid, offensive and actually mean. In fact, God gives great wisdom to not do that,

Proverbs 25:20 NLT

Singing cheerful songs to a person with a heavy heart is like taking someone’s coat in cold weather or pouring vinegar in a wound.

It’s awful! Don’t do that. But I want you to consider it for yourself today. Not a cheerful song but how, when someone is going through what you are going through could someone consider it joy.

BEcause this is not just put a “smile on your face” when bad things are happening like some maniac, instead God is telling us something about Himself. Because if we don’t feel like doing something it doesn’t mean the Bible is wrong, it means we need to change. If we are followers of Jesus, than we do what Jesus says, not adapt what Jesus says to what we like.

So let’s look deeply at what is written here,

Speaking of Jesus, this writing is from the book of the Bible called James. Ask someone around you if they know what James this is who wrote this book? If you are watching online, ask a friend around you or just think about it. Who is this James?

This James, is James the brother of Jesus. We do know that Jesus had brothers.

Matthew 13:55 NLT

Then they scoffed, “He’s just the carpenter’s son, and we know Mary, his mother, and his brothers—James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas.

Some believe the extra teaching that the Catholic church teaches that Mary never had sex and therefore had no other children, and get really uncomfortable with the idea of Jesus having a brother, but in the Bible Mary is a woman with great faith used by God to bring Himself into the world born of Mary. She was not a person who didn’t ever enjoy her marriage with Joseph or have additional children is unnecessary. Everything else about her in the Bible could assume to be the usual life of an ancient woman.

What is way more important is that James knew Jesus as his brother. In fact, James was part of the family that rejected Jesus as the Messiah before Jesus was crucified.

Mark 3:31–35 NLT

Then Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see him. They stood outside and sent word for him to come out and talk with them. There was a crowd sitting around Jesus, and someone said, “Your mother and your brothers are outside asking for you.” Jesus replied, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” Then he looked at those around him and said, “Look, these are my mother and brothers. Anyone who does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”

So this James, who came to get his brother, thinking he had a Messiah complex, but not really because he actually was the Messiah doesn’t except that his brother is the Messiah until Jesus appeared to him after the resurrection.

John 7:5 NLT

For even his brothers didn’t believe in him.

They didn’t believe him until they saw him die, and then same Him alive again. Jesus appeared to his brother and then James became one of the key leaders in the church.

1 Corinthians 15:7 NLT

Then he was seen by James and later by all the apostles.

This James, who knew his brother quite well, knows what it means to go through trials. After all he saw his own brother take on the world, then get murdered by the government, than learned that He, James, was wrong about his brother Jesus, when His dead brother was resurrected and showed himself to be God. And now He follows Jesus.

If he were sitting here, he could tell you, he went through a lot.

He can say that people don’t understand his struggles because there are only a couple of people who could say, that there step brother actually was God in the flesh and he was a brother to all of them. You don’t know James. He knows trials.

This is the person who God uses to tell us all,

James 1:2 NLT

Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.

Can we get even more nerdy for a second, because I think this English translation can get you thinking something you shouldn’t be thinking.

When it says “consider it an opportunity” that isn’t like considering where you are going to eat after church. It’s not like, I want steak, and then someone says, I want Mongolian BBQ and your like considering Mongolian BBQ, but your like no I was thinking of more grabbing something else. And another person is like I’m considering sushi. No, no, no. It’s not that kind of considering. It’s not considering a different died hair color, like joy can be purchased either from walmart or your stylist. Or you can just go without.

No it’s the kind of considering you make on an adventure, Here is the nerdy place, this is the word translated “consider.”

First aorist middle imperative of ἡγεομαι [hēgeomai], old verb to consider. Do it now and once for all.

consider like bungee jumping, ziplining, or yes, Dave, if your watching, sky diving. Once you make the decision and go, there is no consideration left. The pondering is done. You can’t sky dive and try to hop back on the plane. Ziplining goes one direction.

You’ll see that full commitment is big in the book of James. So make the leap into joy when facing a trial.

Because James joins with most of the Bible when He points out that a key aspect of faith is mindset. It’s not about a happy mindset, but a mindset that this world is not all about us. We, you, me, our children, we are not the center of the universe. We are not the most important. Our happiness is not the most important.

The key most important individual in the entire universe is God. Our life is to be about seeking God first.

Matthew 6:33 CSB

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.

It’s in the seeking of God, pursuing, going after God, that God adds all that we need. Remember we already said in worship, his burden is light.

That’s why it’s not our job to judge the entire world, not our job to gossip about others, not our job to end evil in the world, not our job to bring about anything other than what God desires in our life and the lives of those around us, which is first and foremost to experience Him. Battling evil, doing good, that comes as a result of our love for God.

Do you want to know how kind God is?

Have you ever been around a really grieving person. Not just at the funeral and not someone who is hurting over the same thing you are hurting over. I mean they are hurting over something important to them and you have to choose to make it matter in your life. If you didn’t know them, you might say, “oh that’s sad.” And then if your sweet, you’d say a prayer but if your like most, change the channel. Have you decided to remain with a hurting person like that it’s incredibly difficult.

But we serve a miraculous God who does difficult things. It is said of God.

Psalm 23:4 NLT

Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.

When you are down and out God is there. He doesn’t leave. He remains. When that trial comes He will be there, but this doesn’t mean it is easy. Or that it will be happy. In fact one of the most important early followers of Jesus said he found contentment whenever and wherever, God placed him

Philippians 4:11–13 NLT

Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.

My friends, do you believe what the Bible is saying. Do you believe what Jesus has promised? That we will have eternal life. That following Him is a light burden. That He can do all things.

Than even when the trials come, realize that this is an opportunity to take God at His word. It is because we can know God at his word that even when those really, really hard times happen we can trust God, and even more we will easily spot what He does.

Realizing that God will be with us in the problem. He will be the solution. He will be with us on the other side.

James 1:3–4 NLT

For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.

I want you to be strengthened by a story, not a happy story, but a true story of someone who chose joy and obedience in the darkest time. Consider your faith, consider your willingness to truly follow Jesus and see it through to perfection by the Holy Spirit..

A woman name Bindi met her future husband in 2017, when her father brought a young coworker named Kande to their home in India’s Jharkhand state. Among their earliest conversations was a discussion about someone named Jesus, whom Kande was eager for Bindi to know.

“He told me about his life-changing experience with Jesus and the peace he had been experiencing,” Bindi recalled. “He helped lead me to accept Jesus as my Savior.”

Although Bindi’s parents held beliefs in spirits of all kinds, they approved of their daughter’s decision to follow Christ as well as her desire to join Kande in marriage. After the wedding, the newlyweds moved into a home Kande had built in a nearby village, where they were the first — and only — Christians in the Hindu community.

As they got to know their neighbors, Bindi and Kande often shared the gospel with them and prayed for those who were sick. Soon, however, their Christian faith caught the attention of village leaders. And some in the community started calling them names, eventually leading to threats of violence against the couple. “With prayer and our trust in God, we continued our journey with Jesus,” Bindi said.

An Unthinkable Attack

Kande served at his church in a nearby city and, even after a long day of construction work, never missed a prayer meeting or Bible study. Out of obedience to Christ, he also helped the poor in various ways.

But his active faith continued to irritate local leaders, who eventually asked Kande to publicly renounce his Christian faith at a community meeting. In response, Kande gave a thorough explanation of his decision to follow Christ and said he could not reject Him.

Radical Hindus soon visited Kande at home, pressuring him to participate in a puja ceremony honoring Hindu gods and to contribute to various Hindu causes. When he refused, the radicals threatened to kill him.

Each time Bindi and Kande faced persecution, they prayed for strength to endure the attack. And Kande often read from the Sermon on the Mount: “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:10).

In 2018, shortly after the birth of their first daughter, a group of young men barged into their home, threatening and verbally abusing them for their Christian faith. When Kande responded boldly, the men grabbed Bindi’s mother, who was there helping with the baby, took her into the nearby jungle and sexually assaulted her. Four of the men were later convicted and are currently in prison.

The violence didn’t end with the assault of Bindi’s mother or the arrest of her attackers. The family continued to receive threats for refusing to renounce their faith, and on the evening of June 7, 2020, Kande got an anonymous phone call from a man threatening to kill him. Kande told his wife about the call, and they immediately prayed about it.

Then, at about 8 p.m. that evening, during the family’s regular prayer time, someone knocked loudly on their door. When Kande looked outside, he saw a group of armed men. “If God is willing to take away my life, it is His will,” Kande told Bindi. “If God wants to save me, He will save me. No matter what happens to me, you should not give up your faith in Jesus. In difficulties, you must continue to follow Jesus. Our Lord is able to provide for you even if my life is taken away.”

Moments later, one of the men broke down the door and dragged Kande out of the house. Bindi followed the mob, begging them to spare Kande’s life. When the men chased her away, she ran to a church member’s home, where she spent the night.

The next morning, Kande’s body was found on the side of the road leading to his church. His throat had been slashed.

After Kande’s murder, Bindi and her two daughters moved in with her parents. Although her father had never objected to her Christian faith and her mother had even come to faith in Christ, Bindi’s father suggested that maybe she should stop following Jesus. His wife had been sexually assaulted and his son-in-law murdered, and he simply couldn’t handle it anymore. He worried about losing Bindi, too.

But in reply to her father, Bindi repeated something she remembered Kande once saying:

“I will live for Jesus or die for Jesus,” she said, “but I will never turn back.” - Bindi

Bindi has not returned to her home because Kande’s killer is still free and she fears another attack. But her husband’s murder hasn’t deterred her from following Christ. In fact, it has inspired her to do so more faithfully. “I saw a deep love and commitment from Kande toward Jesus Christ,” she said. “Kande’s life example is helping me to keep following Jesus.”

Bindi said one of the things she misses most is Kande’s steadfast faith. Family prayer and Bible studies are different now. “I still think of Kande’s last words and the way that he remained faithful and trusted the Lord until his last moment of life,” she said. “I must also trust the Lord and continue to follow Jesus.”

Despite the great loss she has suffered, Bindi said she would try to forgive Kande’s killers. “I would dare to tell them, ‘My husband is in eternal peace. Why did you do this? Look at these two small girls; they are now fatherless.’”

Bindi said she has learned more about God’s faithfulness and purposes since Kande’s death. “God has provided what I need,” she said. “God is teaching me to remain strong so I can make other women strong.”

You can not mess with Bindi’s faith. Her life is more than just what we see here.

It is almost a guarantee that you won’t face this trial. But you will face your own. You have an opprotunity to remain faithful to Jesus in the midst of your trial and watch him strengthen you, give you endurance that no amount of running could ever give. Or yo can be like everyone else, living in fear, living to fight for this life.

God is offering you so much more.

James 1:2–4 NLT

Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.