We continue with James 4. It is a fascinating chapter in which we are admonished as to what to avoid and then encouraged as to what to practice. It all comes down to our free will and the choices we make. But I would like to encourage you not to be caught up so much with what Christianity is against, but to concentrate much more on what it is for! That way, you’ll be so busy doing the “do’s” that you won’t have time for the “don’ts”! Sin is sin—God will deal with that. You concentrate on what God is for (Galatians 5:22-23):
Previous Messages On James - If you missed the previous three messages on the Book of James, we have included the links below for your convenience. If you have never put your complete faith in Jesus Christ for your eternal salvation, why not believe what God's word says and call on Jesus Christ to save you right now? Click here and let us show you how you can KNOW JESUS.
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Through His creation of dogs and other animals who find a kinship with mankind, the Lord gave us some wonderful examples of how we should live. There is a direct lesson in love, loyalty and patience found in these beautiful creatures that we can learn and follow. Open your heart to God’s love and be a willing student. Like Christ, we should have a servant’s attitude born out of love. But, as humans, we are often weak. Rather than trust our God-given instincts and directions, we often go against them and selfishly serve only ourselves. Let the Master teach you the ways you can glorify and honor Him. Trust, honor, love and obey our Master Jesus Christ. Philippians 2:13, “for it is God who works in you to will and act according to his good purpose.” [Be sure to view the video below that was referenced in Pastor Ted's message.] If you have never put your complete faith in Jesus Christ for your eternal salvation, why not believe what God's word says and call on Jesus Christ to save you right now? Click here and let us show you how you can KNOW JESUS.
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Remember, it’s one thing to be convinced of the need for the new life, but it is an entirely different thing to acquire the new life! The fruit of the Spirit of God is the key in this whole thing! The fruit of the Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit are not the same…the fruit of the Spirit is what we ARE and the gifts of the Spirit are what we DO. No one can be or do what God desires without the indwelling of the Spirit. Go ahead; ask Him to come inside…your whole life will change! If you have never put your complete faith in Jesus Christ for your eternal salvation, why not believe what God's word says and call on Jesus Christ to save you right now? Click here and let us show you how you can KNOW JESUS. That is the usual response from most sane people...no one looks forward to suffering. But can we learn something in it and gain something from it? The Book of Job certainly covers the issue and answers many questions regarding suffering. Just the word “suffering” brings a creepy, crawly feeling to most. So much so, we prefer to do without it forever! But let’s look a bit closer at the reality of suffering. It is really a two-sided coin. On one side, suffering could be seen as coming from God to bring out the best in us (squeezing the grapes to make wine, so to speak). On the other, it could be seen as Satan trying to use the same circumstance to bring out the worst in us. Your response to suffering can be to despise it, faint under it or receive instruction from it. If you realize the purposes of suffering, then maybe, just maybe, you can receive instruction from it. “Purposes” to suffering—yes, I said purposes to suffering. They are to produce fruit (patience, knowledge and maturity), to silence Satan, to glorify God, to become more like Jesus, to teach us dependence on God, to refine our lives, to rebuke our sin and to enlarge our ability to minister to others who are suffering. In Hebrews 12:11, we are told that discipline is sorrowful but if you are trained by it, it yields the fruit of righteousness. The entire Book of Job is glorious, really, when you see what God does to Job in his sufferings and the changes that came about in his life…it explains so very much and shows God’s supreme wisdom. Of course, we all know the ending...Job not only changes but has his health and his wealth restored to him doubly. Read Job 1-42, it’ll do a body good! Also, listen to the attached audio of the sermon and be blessed. Audio: (Click forward button below to play audio of message and/or download mp3 file.)
Study Guide: (Download file to print Study Guide for message or view embedded file below.)
Quick Access to Previous Message on the Study of Job: If you missed the first part of this two-part study, here is a quick link: Job - How God Turns Suffering and Loss Into Joy and Gain.
In the account of Job, we see a man who had everything. He was a man who loved God and was blessed mightily by Him. Satan, of course, didn’t like any of that and challenged God regarding Job. Satan accused Job of loving God only because Job had been blessed. He intimates that God used those blessings to bribe Job into loving Him. God proves His point in this account and allows Satan to torment Job, but not to take his life. Satan gladly obliges and throws it all at Job causing him to lose everything, even his health. But Job refuses to stop loving God. Job is tormented, he complains, he questions God, etc., but he never stops loving God and acknowledging God’s greatness. We all know the end of this story...even though Job lost everything, God restored him many times over. Job never got his original kids or servants or business back, but he received many times over a NEW and wonderful life to live. God is great and gracious in all His ways. He loves us and knows the depth of our suffering. Our problem is that we don’t wait long enough for God to fix or restore what is broken and lost. And, sometimes, even though things may never get fixed or restored, He will give you the strength and courage to get through it all and STILL have NEW life of joy and gain to make up for the suffering and loss. Joni Erickson was paralyzed in a diving accident at 15 years old. She never got the use of her body restored, but God blessed her with a determined spirit and a whole new life that she says would never have existed if she were not paralyzed from the neck down! She is a singer, artist, speaker, and philanthropist. She is married, and she and her husband started an organization that repairs old wheelchairs and delivers them to paralyzed youths in poor countries. Wow—what was taken away in one way was totally restored in another. Don’t try to figure God out...just let Him work His marvelous ways in your life. To Him be all the glory! (Scripture Reference: Job) Audio:(Click forward button below to play audio of message and/or download mp3 file.)
Study Guide: (Download file to print Study Guide for message or view embedded file below.)
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