James Part II

Part II James 1:9 Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted: 10 But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away. 11 For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways. 12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. 13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: 14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.

Today with the help of the Holy Ghost I’d like to give us some practical tit bits of knowledge with the application of wisdom because Someone once said, (that knowledge is the ability to take things apart, while wisdom is the ability to put them together). Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. And folks, I never wanted to be an educated fool. All of us can learn new stuff. Good common sense will carry us a long ways.People are going through a lot in this day and age.

The stuff that people are going through in real life now days is enough to make some of them flip out. And the writer “James, James the Just speaks to us about some real truths.

In verse 9 James says let the brother of low esteem be exalted and rejoice knowing that God has made him/her exalted, but James didn’t have anything great to says about the rich in verse 10 Those who are rich should take pride that God has shown them that they are spiritually poor.

The rich will die like a wild flower in the grass. A rich man don’t want to hear that, because a rich man trust in his riches. vs 11 The sun rises with burning heat and dries up the plants. The flower falls off, and its beauty is gone. In the same way the rich will die while they are still taking care of business. James uses the analogy of Botany meaning the study of plant life to make a vivid description of the character of the rich man. In even more placid terms James says that the the rich man will be like a fading flower or fresh cut grass that as soon as the sun comes out the grass withers away.

And Verse 12 starts a new narrative. Let’s read the text 12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. Let’s un-pack this verse James closed this section with a beatitude: “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation” (James 1:12). He started (James 1:2) and ended with joy. Brother and sisters Our Outlook determines outcome, a lot of times in life it’s how you see things, and I saw on the TV show “Shark Tank” that the rich man make a famous quote, saying that 80 percent of what happens to you is determined by the 20 percent of how you handle what’s happening to you. In other word the glass is half full not half empty. This beatitude is a great encouragement because it promises a crown to those who patiently endure trials. James uses this athletic illustration to make the point. James is not saying that the sinner is saved by enduring trials, no no no. He is saying that the believer ( get this now 2x) the believer is rewarded by enduring trials.

Let me make even more clear. Here’s a few things to help us understand How the believer is rewarded?

1 First, by growth in Christian character. This is more important than anything else.

2.He is rewarded also by bringing glory to God and by being granted a crown of life when Jesus Christ returns.

3. Everybody has a cross to bear. Listen, First of all you carry your cross, then God rewards us with the crown. Saints of God we’ve got to suffer first, so First the suffering, then the glory 3x. I always tell people you‘re looking at my glory but you don’t know my story. God puts us through trials tribulations and tests. And brothers and sisters for the record,God does not help us by removing the tests, but God help us by making the tests work for us!!! The devil meant it for bad, meant it for my destruction, meant it for my demise oh but God, He turned it all around for my good. Satan wants to use the tests to tear us down!!!, but God uses them to build us up. We have to face these trials and tests with a joyful attitude Whattttttt But WHY?

Because God Loves us!!! and because we love God!!! Don’t forget that main principle when relating to this passage of scripture.

Then look at verse 13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: Actor /comedian Flip Wilson had a sit-com long time ago and his favorite line was “the devil made me do it”. a lot of people say stuff like the devil made me do it. But in actuality we when we are drawn away from the faith, we do stuff outside of the will of God. And ain’t no sense in saying not me I’m perfect, because when you say I’m perfect you just lied and have be taken away in the lust of your pride.

You could lust after women after men after sex money and power. You could lust after cars, clothes and creature comforts, like houses, and land,,And some times people can lust after arrival, lust after ambition, lust after accomplishments, lust after acceptance, lust after agreement and sometimes lust after addiction .

Brothers and sisters Lust stands on its own and/or it can be personal. what do you mean Pastor Allen? Lust is Taylor made. because what you lust after I don’t lust after. prime example was 2 weeks ago when I was in Los Angeles to marry off my daughter. A fine fine fine Black Aston Martin pulled up to the downtown Ritz Carlton where we were staying, and The owner pulled up and made the car go WOOOM2x and I said that thing is fine oh but I wish I had my 600 hp Corvette here to go WOOM too to show him I have real muscle too, And the Lord said to me “Don’t you Lust after that!!! because I gave you what you ask me for in 2010. I let you buy your brand new, dream retirement car brand new with only 7 miles on it… And some of us lust behind other people stuff and we got good stuff of our own already!!

You can Lust personally, socially, economically, politically, and universally. And Son in Love taught me this because he just did the series on James last year, Jay said Rev “Lust is not limited to the flesh but it can also be spiritual”, I said go head Boy!!! because what you negatively allow in your spirit-man can be the very thing to un do you. Somebody type in there Amen

14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Satan has devices and Satan entices with his devices… don’t fall for the tricks of the enemy and here’s why look at verse

15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. There are some things, some of us just need to let go of it. Because lust clashes and collides with righteousness and mess us all up!!! You can’t let lust conceive because it becomes a growing bad seed like a weed. Then that weed of that bad seed which is called lust, lust produces sin. And sin is so dangerous until God had to send His only begotten Son Jesus the Christ to and die for the sins of the whole wide world. Write this down because my daughter Chevon the Prophetess said, Sin corrupts, Sin corrodes, and Sin creates catastrophes. Listen folks I taught my children the word of God so much until when I’m working on the Word they want to come in my office and say what you working on Doc? They know that when I’m at this sacred desk it’s Kingdom Business time, it’s study time,, it’s quiet my daddy working… Working for God.... That the home environment my wife and I have created here. I’d intentional Godly Living,, Not perfect nah, but living for God.

Start next week right here

James says to us in verse 16 Do not err, my beloved brethren. If you ask people to be honest about How much their sin cost them. the price was too high, because it all started with a simple thought of lust. And the bible warns us that there are three enemies to mankind The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life.

From the NCV 16 My dear brothers and sisters, do not be fooled about this. Don’t be fooled in other words do not err now, don’t get caught up now, don’t get trapped in the snare now.

James is giving us a fair warning Type in there

“ That’s the fair warning”!!!! I’d rather James the Just telling me the truth in love than a lying deceiver preacher telling me what I want to hear because he doesn’t want to offend me. The late great Rev Samuel Singleton taught me Ray I’m not here to pick on nobody but I sure don’t want to leave nobody out either. and here’s Why I have to give an account of every message to every believer so that I may be found blameless before God where your souls is concerned.

17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. 18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. That was from The Holy Bible: King James Version, Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version. (Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.,

And now from the ( NCV ), Jas 1:17–18. 17 Every good action and every perfect gift is from God. These good gifts come down from the Creator of the sun, moon, and stars, who does not change like their shifting shadows. 18 God decided to give us life through the word of truth so we might be the most important of all the things he made.

God is the Creator the Maker and Supreme Ruler of Heaven and Earth. And since God made me who I am I was marvellously and wonderfully made in the image of God. Because God said in Genesis “Let us make man in our own image. And James 1 verses 17&18 are telling us that, There is no shifting or turning or two faced actions from God and here’s what I mean When God gives us a gift it’s perfect and we don’t have to ask for that gift over and over. If God give you a voice to sing and that’s your gift, you don’t have to ask God for that gift over and over and over. No No No. I don’t have to ask God to give me the gift of teaching and preaching. In fact I receive orders from Him and all I hear is my son it’s time to hit the books and I say ok Lord. My son it’s time to pray time to meditate, and supplicate on the meditation I gave you, so you’ll be ready to receive what I’m telling you to study and I say ok Lord, then God says son it’s time to deliver my message.

And I know that beyond the shadow of a doubt that the Holy Ghost is going to stand up the gift in me and teach and preach that lesson or excerpt or sermon. I don’t have to worry about the authenticity of the source of my gift because every good and perfect gift comes from God. When God gives you a gift you don’t have to beg for that gift over and over.

Listening to God

19 My dear brothers and sisters, always be willing to listen and slow to speak. Do not become angry easily,

Sometimes its better just not to say nothing. It’s better to be slow to speak. To all of the young pastors you don’t always have to have an answer sometimes you can rightly say I don’t know let me get back to you on that matter. Just because I’ve been to college and graduated and got seminary degrees doesn’t mean that I always have the wisdom to answer all the time. SOMETIMES JUST SHUT UP.. Then verse 19 says don’t get mad fast. don’t have a Short fused, and don’t be hot headed,

20 because anger will not help you live the right kind of life God wants.If you’re mad as all out doors you can’t think right you can’t live right you can’t love right.. anger will cause you to sin.

Anger is what made me lose my first church. They didn’t put me out I walked out!!! And if I could go back and tell my younger self something, I would have said “boy you take your self too serious”… It ain’t none of your church it’s God Church…It ain’t none of their church either, it’s God’s church.. I found out something about that “!God will deal with who so ever trys to assume the role of God Almighty in that church”. I’d rather be right with God that to assume a position of power and try to throw my weight around so ya’ll can know that I’m in charge. More and more now I don’t play with God’s Church.... and why look at verse

21 So put out of your life every evil thing and every kind of wrong. We be knowing some of the things we’re doing is dead wrong, we know it!! and the word of power says Put it out your life! “Then in gentleness accept God’s teaching that is planted in your hearts, which can save you. James give a powerful closing to a hard and harsh statement. You have to accept God’s teaching, accept hearing life changing, life altering, and a life rearranging word that transforms our way of thinking So that we can honestly say what James 1:22 says be ye doers of the word and hearers only.

22 Do what God’s teaching says; when you only listen and do nothing, you are fooling yourselves. It’s got people who will say Amen amen amen to the sermon, to the bible study and to the lesson but will not commit to God’s teachings. It would be better if you played the ignorance card than to hear what God say and then not obey. In seminary I learned that it is a sin to hear God’s word and to disbelief and disobey any word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. God’s word is His Mouthpiece. It’s not the preacher’s word, it’s God’s word. And to deliberately disobey that word if to deliberately Disobey God Himself, and we will be held accountable. Well I’m out of time and it’s not a rush through bible study session, because we’re going to be in James for a while. Keep studying keep praying keep praising and keep worshipping God and everything will be alright. And Ya’ll come back now you hear>

23 Those who hear God’s teaching and do nothing are like people who look at themselves in a mirror. 24 They see their faces and then go away and quickly forget what they looked like. 25 But the truly happy people are those who carefully study God’s perfect law that makes people free, and they continue to study it. They do not forget what they heard, but they obey what God’s teaching says. Those who do this will be made happy. Be ye doers of the word and not hearers only.

The Everyday Bible: New Century Version (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 2005), Jas 1:24–25.