How is your prayer life? I must admit that I am often ashamed of the lack of time I spend with God in prayer. Though I desire to be, I am not what I consider a prayer warrior, a person whose first response to any situation is to talk to God. I suspect many of you are like me, needing a sincere adjustment to your prayer life. For many of us, prayer time tends to be the making of a wish list, similar to what we would present to Santa as children. For others, it’s more like sitting in a sound-proof cell, with little evidence that our voices are heard beyond our own ears. Some prayers have become simply methodical or rote, mere mumbles with little thought. Still others of us sit blankly, not ever knowing the appropriate way to approach an omnipotent God.

If your prayers ever feel like this, James 5:13-18James 5:13-18
English: Contemporary English Version (1999) - CEV
13 If you are having trouble, you should pray. And if you are feeling good, you should sing praises. ¹⁴ . If you are sick, ask the church leaders g church leaders: Or “elders” or “presbyters” or “priests.” to come and pray for you. Ask them to put olive oil h olive oil: The Jewish people used olive oil for healing. on you in the name of the Lord. ¹⁵ If you have faith when you pray for sick people, they will get well. The Lord will heal them, and if they have sinned, he will forgive them. ¹⁶ . If you have sinned, you should tell each other what you have done. Then you can pray for one another and be healed. The prayer of an innocent person is powerful, and it can help a lot. ¹⁷ Elijah was just as human as we are, and for three and a half years his prayers kept the rain from falling. ¹⁸ But when he did pray for rain, it fell from the skies and made the crops grow.

WP-Bible plugin is a helpful reminder of what God desires our communication be with Him. There is, in fact, no one approach God expects all the time, no specific reason or way we must talk with Him, but James does provide an outline of the type of contact God anticipates:

1. Seek God for wisdom and comfort in hard times: “Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray.”
2. Celebrate God’s blessings: “Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise.”
3. Trust Him as the Great Physician: “Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up.”
4. Repent and receive mercy: “If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.”
5. Unify with other believers and utilize the power of intercessory prayer: “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.”
6. Demonstrate your trust in God’s power and promises: “Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.

Hopefully these verses offer you some comfort, as they do me, for they remind believers that what God wants most is to simply be an active part of every area of our lives, those good, bad, easy, or difficult. In the end, the important this is realizing that God desires to hear your voice and for you to hear his. Sometimes, in our prayers it may be best to just “be still,” as Mother Theresa seems to explain in an interview about prayer:

Mother Teresa, when asked by an interviewer what she said to God when she prayed, answered: “I don’t say anything. I just listen.” When the interviewer asked what she heard God say, Mother Teresa replied: “He doesn’t say anything. He just listens. And if you can’t understand that, I can’t explain it to you.”

The early church was disenfranchised. It didn’t get government support or exemption from Roman taxes. Yet somehow, it was able to grow and thrive. Being a Christian wasn’t the popular or culturally acceptable thing, but it seems that many held Christian disciples in high regard for their character. Over time, many officials became openly hostile to the faith, but it still grew. Sometimes it seemed opposition helped the growth!

Today, we often hear that the church has more opportunities than ever. It has more money and facilities than many previous generations could have dreamed. But to many it seems that growth isn’t happening. God has allowed us to live in a time of great blessing – even in the midst of financially darkening times. But often we grumble about what we don’t have, rather than sharing what we do have. And the culture seems to have cast Christians aside as lacking moral character – more likely to be found judgmental, critical and divided than unified and loving, hopeful and sincere.

I mention this to ask, what is different about the way the early Church saw its mission, and the way we see our mission? And is that in any way responsible for our success or failure?

Evangelism is absolutely essential. The good news is the call of every believer. But it isn’t just a story to be told, an experience to be related or a three-step plan to happiness. It is a message that makes sense of radical change. People touched by the early church experienced the Church – a collection of individuals changed abruptly by the power of God. Christians didn’t just speak about the good news – they lived a life that begged people to ask what was going on. They had declared allegiance to Jesus and the Father, and were not about to be found unfaithful. They didn’t have to go door to door, or be taught why they should share their faith. They simply lived a life that proved they believed God was sovereign in their lives, more important than the temporary things around them. And that opened doors for them to meet needs and share the message.

James 4 has a scathing criticism that we need to consider seriously. You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with this world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again, that if your aim is to enjoy this world, you can’t be a friend of God. [James 4:4James 4:4
English: Contemporary English Version (1999) - CEV
4 You people aren't faithful to God! Don't you know that if you love the world, you are God's enemies? And if you decide to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God.

WP-Bible plugin] If we are not careful, we can live lives that blend into the world. We begin to seek what the world seeks at the expense of what God desires. And when that happens, we show that we are not allied with God at all. If our primary aim is to enjoy this brief time on earth, we can’t expect to be fruitful for God. It is faithfulness to Christ that makes people stop and stare. If you want your friends and family to respond to the gospel, then you must start by being a friend of God, rather than the world.

So back to the early church. The early church – that collection of people who had committed themselves to those strange teachings about a man who had died and risen again – had its allegiance set right. Jesus was to worshiped. The kind of adoration offered to Caesar or some local governor was not tolerated. Even when punished for failure to do the culturally acceptable thing, the legally required thing, Christians proved their allegiance to God. When standing for our beliefs is costly, people begin to ask questions. And the world around the early church began to ask questions. Who were these people that could stand up to the pressure to be well adjusted members of the empire? Who were these Christians who claimed to belong to different Kingdom?

Sadly, we often don’t display this level of allegiance. We see Jesus as a good friend or a wise guide, not our King and Lord. It was the experience of Jesus as King that changed the hearts and minds of the early church. It is the lack of experience of Jesus as King that interferes with our devotion. If we want to see the world changed, we must worship Jesus daily as Lord. We must seek him before our own comfort and security. That means finding value in what he finds value in – and it isn’t what the world values.

James has a lot to share with us about wisdom. Our view of wisdom, it’s value and character, is going to affect the decisions we make, the way we accept criticism, success and failure. Wisdom is not some isolated knowledge or mental activity. It is a skill borne out of love.

But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all…

pure. God’s sort of wisdom does not have ulterior motives, conscious or unconscious. When we use our own judgment, we often act with improper motives. We may even convince ourselves that we are being selfless. But wisdom born out of love has no place for divided intention. It is selfless and pure.

it is also peace loving. The wisdom that comes from God loves peace. It seeks it. This is no wishy-washy ceasefire or absence of conflict. God’s wisdom seeks real peace. That means restored relationships – even when relationships have been dead and it seems there is no hope for recovery. Even when it requires our own humility.

If you’ve listened to the news from Israel lately, then you have a recognition that peace is not a one-sided endeavor, nor is it easy, nor is it painless. God in his wisdom knows this, and when we act in God’s wisdom, we realize it, too. The Christian life is not a call to subjugate the unbelieving masses, but instead, to offer a message of peace that the nations will run after.

gentle at all times. This one goes hand in hand with “peace loving”. God’s wisdom is always gentle. Harshness is rarely the path to peace. God operates with a wisdom that is gentle. God of all people could be harsh with us. We are sinners and rebellious often without rational justification. But he remains compassionate towards us, gentle and patient. As we seek God’s wisdom, we need to share this characteristic with those who wrong us.

and willing to yield to others. It doesn’t mean much to give in when you’re unsure of yourself. But what if you know you are right? Not as in pridefully thinking so. What if you are right? Can you still yield to another when they are unwilling to hear it? God is so patient with us. He has told us our disease and offered the cure, and often we spit in his face. Some even go so far as to warn others off of the cure, as well. God is so gracious. So patient. But a wisdom that will seek after peace must be willing to yield.

It is full of mercy. God in his wisdom pours out blessings on everyone, whether they “deserve” it or not. It is this fullness of his provision that is so awesome. He wants to share from his great wealth, his strength and power. What he blesses us with may be satisfaction in a job well done,  the finances to provide for a family, the means to spread the gospel to an unreached people group, or the time and energy to work with at-risk kids. Whatever it is, God wants to meet our needs. He gives out of love even when we have been faithless, merciless, and stingy with what is “ours”. If we are going to display the wisdom of heaven, our generosity must become like God’s.

and good deeds. “Good deeds” are to be in step with “full of mercy”. These are not actions done  because they are good, giving us the impression we can earn or deserve God or anyone else’s favor. These are actions that by God’s standard are naturally good. It can be thought of this way: the fullness is the intent and potential. The deeds are the living out of the heart’s willingness. The wisdom of heaven results in actions that please God.

We don’t often think about widows and orphans in our culture. This is unfortunate. God says he is quite concerned for them. For those in prison, literally, and for those imprisoned, figuratively – God wants us to offer real action. Not just lip service. Not just good intent.

It shows no partiality. God desires us to be loving to all. There is no one who is by nature excluded from God’s reach, from his love. Many reject that love. But God continues to offer it. And so should we.

There is no reason for us to favor one person over another. Yes, there will be some that by upbringing or experience will make for better intimate friends, more suited for service in certain ministries. But, interestingly, we often cannot make that determination on our own. And when we act in our own wisdom, we often fail to recognize those who would be long-lasting friends, powerful servants in the kingdom, excellent vessels for containing and spreading God’s spirit.

and is always sincere. Often I have to make myself say the right thing – something I don’t actually want to say, or something different from what I’d like to say. I’m still learning, still letting God shape me. His wisdom is the sort that is always sincere. It doesn’t have to correct internal conflicts and uncertainty in motives. God sincereley loves, sincerely seeks, sincerely forgives. The wisdom that comes from God helps us to be sincere.

And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of goodness. [James 3:17-18James 3:17-18
English: Contemporary English Version (1999) - CEV
17 But the wisdom that comes from above leads us to be pure, friendly, gentle, sensible, kind, helpful, genuine, and sincere. ¹⁸ When peacemakers plant seeds of peace, they will harvest justice.

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“What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds?  Can such faith save him?  Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food.  If one of you says to him, ‘Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about his physical needs, what good it is?  In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.  But someone will say, ‘You have faith; I have deeds.’  Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you may faith by what I do.”  James 2:14-18James 2:14-18
English: Contemporary English Version (1999) - CEV
Faith and Works ¹⁴ My friends, what good is it to say you have faith, when you don't do anything to show that you really do have faith? Can that kind of faith save you? ¹⁵ If you know someone who doesn't have any clothes or food, ¹⁶ you shouldn't just say, “I hope all goes well for you. I hope you will be warm and have plenty to eat.” What good is it to say this, unless you do something to help? ¹⁷ Faith that doesn't lead us to do good deeds is all alone and dead! ¹⁸ Suppose someone disagrees and says, “It is possible to have faith without doing kind deeds.” I would answer, “Prove that you have faith without doing kind deeds, and I will prove that I have faith by doing them.”

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Let’s get one thing straight: you are saved by faith alone in the redemptive work of Christ on the cross.  No amount of good deeds, monetary gifts, or donations of your time will “earn you points” into Heaven.  There is NOT a giant scale that God uses to weigh out the times of your life to see if the ‘good’ outweighs the ‘bad’.  God does not have a score card in Heaven that he marks each of your good works on to see if you can accumulate enough to qualify to live with him.  The scripture is clear here and many other places that it is faith in Jesus that brings you into a personal relationship with God and gives you the right to become a child of God.  Nothing else.

I have had friends in my life that did not know Christ.  A few of them were such GOOD people that I remarked that they would make “such good Christians” because they were already doing so many good things.  Of course these good things they were involved in were sometimes motivated by a sincere desire to be helpful to others, but other times they were motivated by a hope that they would live a good enough life to “score” points with God.  I know that because they told me.  And then we would begin to talk about this very dichotomy that James 2 addresses.  In one woman’s life it eventually led to her meeting Christ.  In another one’s life it did not.   Her upbringing tied her to the belief that doing good things meant you were a good person, and good people should go to Heaven.

Even Christians can get mixed up with “good deeds” and earning God’s favor.  No one ever said this to me, but growing up I had the belief that God loved me more (or at least liked me more) when I was reading my Bible and walking with him.  That is an easy untruth to slip into.  If that were true, then God would love me less (or like me less) when I am disobedient.  But we have to remember that it was God’s love for us that drew us into a relationship with him.  (1 John 4:101 John 4:10
English: Contemporary English Version (1999) - CEV
10 Real love isn't our love for God, but his love for us. God sent his Son to be the sacrifice by which our sins are forgiven.

WP-Bible plugin)  We were his enemies and had no righteousness of our own.  He loved us and called us to himself.  He did not look at us and think that we were doing such a good job; he’d like to know us.  We have done nothing to deserve his love.  He was the total initiator in our love relationship with him.  And that love never changes, no matter what we do or fail to do.

Now in the relationship with him, we are motivated BY that love to serve others.  Any other motivation (a fear of losing God’s approval) is wrong and will only frustrate our Christian growth.  We need to understand that this whole Christian life–coming to Christ, walking with Christ, loving our brothers, serving those who do not know him, sharing the truth we understand, making it through hard times–it is ALL done by faith.  And that faith does not (or should not) sit silently in our life.  If it is real, it will show.  If it is alive, it will grow.  And if it is authentic, it will produce evidence to all those around us. Like an apple tree produces apples because of what it is on the inside, a Christian will produce good works because of who they are on the inside.   We are saved by faith alone, but that faith is never alone in our lives.  It will show in our words and actions.

Points to Ponder

1.  What kind of evidence is your life producing?   Can the world around you tell that you know Christ?

2.  What is your motivation for good works in your life?  Are they motivated by God’s love in your life, or an attempt to earn his approval?

3.  Are there areas of service that you need to be obedient to Christ in right now?  What is keeping you from displaying your inward nature to the world around you?

Prayer

Father, help me to understand the complete work of your grace.  Help me to realize that nothing good I do can make me worthy of your love, and that nothing bad I do can move me away from your forgiving grace.  Instead, Lord, make my life a display of your love for me and others.  Let me serve others with your strength.  Empower me to live out my faith to the world on a daily basis for the glory of your name.  Amen.

James is my favorite book in the Bible.  Its five chapters are filled with so much practical wisdom and advice; I could read it over and over everyday of my life and never exhaust the resources of its insights.  Because the book is so rich in knowledge, I could write a separate devotion on nearly each verse.  But, for the sake of today’s focus, I want to draw your attention to chapter one, verses 19-25.

My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.  Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.  Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves.  Do what it says.  Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.  But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it–he will be blessed in what he does.

Who we truly are is revealed not by our words, but rather by our actions.  We can talk a good story all day long, but if our words are not backed up by our actions, we’re just blowing hot air.  We’re false, fake, and a fraud.  James is admonishing us in these few verses to not merely listen to the Word of God, but to actually apply it to our lives.  If all we do is continually ingest more Bible verses during our quiet times and hear more sermons on Sunday and attend more Bible studies throughout the week and never actually let the truth of what we’re reading and hearing translate into a changed pattern of behavior, then we’re wasting time!  We’re as absent-minded and incompetent as someone who looks in a mirror and sees themselves and then walks away, forgetting what they saw.  Do I have on a blue shirt today or a green one?  Did I put my contacts in today or am I wearing my glasses?  It’s absurd.  Yet, James makes the point that hearing God’s Word and yet not applying it to our lives is just as absurd.

The Bible was written to be the guide book and road map of our lives.  We’re supposed to be consciously applying its tenets everyday, not taking a day off “for good behavior,” or justifying any temptation we may have to let this or that slip.  How well we apply the Bible to our lives reveals how seriously we take our relationship with God.  (How much time we spend in the Word also reveals the same thing!) What does John 8:31John 8:31
English: Contemporary English Version (1999) - CEV
The Truth Will Set You Free ³¹ Jesus told the people who had faith in him, “If you keep on obeying what I have said, you truly are my disciples.

WP-Bible plugin and 32 say?  Seriously, what does it say?  Are we more apt to put a new recipe from Good Housekeeping into practice than we are Proverbs 3:1-6Proverbs 3:1-6
English: Contemporary English Version (1999) - CEV
Trust God ^{3 1} My child, remember my teachings and instructions and obey them completely. ² They will help you live a long and prosperous life. ³ Let love and loyalty always show like a necklace, and write them in your mind. ⁴ . God and people will like you and consider you a success. ⁵ With all your heart you must trust the Lord and not your own judgment. ⁶ Always let him lead you, and he will clear the road for you to follow.

WP-Bible plugin?  (Yeah, now would be a good time to look see what those verses say too).

We’re taking a peek at the topic of evangelism during our services over these next couple of weeks, and in order to be able to share Christ with others, we absolutely, positively have to be getting to know Him better ourselves.  It has been said that you can’t lead anyone further than you’ve actually been yourself.  How is your knowledge of God and His Word affecting your life?  What does the ratio look like between the amount of info you’re taking in about God and the amount you’re actually applying?

I’ll admit, I struggle at times with the age-old addage of “Do As I Say, Not as I Do.”  When it comes to consistently applying all the knowledge I have acquired during my 31 year walk with God, about how I am supposed to live , I still fail too often.  I’m ashamed of the times when my walk doesn’t match my talk.  I’m still striving to make sure that “doing as I say” is the same exact thing as “doing as I’m doing!”

How about you?  Where do you need to focus your attention to begin living out the Truth you already know in your head?  What has God been speaking to you about that you’ve heard Him saying, yet you just haven’t obeyed?

By the way, it’s gray and I don’t wear contacts or glasses.  Let’s not just listen, let’s do!