Meditate on this!

Is there more than one truth in the world around you? Maybe you have not thought about this, but there was a day when Pilate the governor of Jerusalem did and said to Jesus; “what is truth?” Jesus identifies “truth” as His Voice and if you hear His voice… you know the Truth. John 18:37-38.

I was reading an article in the March 2012 issue of, the voice of the Martyrs and I find that there is an alarming battle going on. This is not a battle that we are ignorant of here in the United States of America, nor is it a battle that believers are ignorant of, but it is a battle that we believing and unbelieving sweep under the rug and claim that it does not exist. Dr. Tom White writes this small paragraph. Indonesia is the most populous Muslim nation in the world. Although the Indonesian constitution guarantees religious freedom, Islamic radicals have gained influence in all levels of government during the last twelve years. In the last two years, at least 59 churches have been attacked, burned or vandalized. In addition, the Ministry of Religious Affairs is now considering a bill that would further limit the ability of Christians to practice their faith. If enacted, the “Religious Tolerance” law would regulate proselytism, religious holidays, funerals, religious education and construction of places to worship. The sun may still be shining over “Ole Glory” these days; but I sincerely believe that there is an emblem that has surfaced just over two years ago that is prepping the citizens of this nation to envision a merging of religion and government much like that of Indonesia. The emblem is a circle of blue, with a half moon over red and white stripes, currently used at opportune times by influential people within our current administration.

James 4

Of course the paragraph above involves people and nations, life and property, freedom and liberty. All people of all nations are affected in various degrees by this war. Yet this is not the wars and fights that the apostle James is referring too in this chapter. Yet these wars and fights come from the same source. The battle that has gone on since the beginning is the war between our Creator and the created being God identifies as Satan.

Now we do not have time to go into the fall of Satan when he was the anointed cherub called Lucifer in Isaiah 14:12-19 and perfect when created in Ezekiel 28:14-19; that is perfect until iniquity was discovered in his heart. Also note that at the moment this iniquity was discovered, Jesus who is God dethroned Lucifer as the anointed cherub and shot him out of heaven like a bolt of lightning. Luke 10:17-20. But there is enough scripture here for you to do a study on your own.

Verse 1-3 – The battles referred to by James are from our own source of reference; you know those emotional desires of selfish content. We often come away from a conversation or encounter with someone with thoughts that build strong illusions of being mistreated in some way. Our minds race with murderous convictions, coveting thoughts of gaining the upper hand the next time of encounter. This inward practice of wound licking derails our ability to pray. The battle is not the LORD’s but our own, then when we do remember to pray our direction of prayer is not outward to glorify God, but inward to spend on our own selfish pleasure. God does not answer these prayers, can you blame Him?

Meditate on this!

Jesus prayed for His disciples before He returned home with His Father; He also included all believing people in that prayer. Believing people? What does believing mean? Those who believe in Jesus Christ through the Word of Scripture written by the disciples who gave witness of Him, these are the Believers. John 17:20 and 1 John 1:1-4

Religion speaks of war… have you noticed that? War with God, war with angels, war with people and war with yourself; religion speaks of unrest, anger and fear. So if there is unrest in our souls these days it is because we live in a religious culture that wars against God; Romans 1:28-32. The angels as the man Eliphaz in Job 4:12-21. Your friends and self, Proverbs 27:1-9 or if you have time all of chapter 27. What should we do? Seek the LORD while He can be found. God calls this nation to repentance. For thus says the LORD to this nation. Seek Me and live. Amos 5:4-15. Some will say that God had Israel in mind when He had Amos pen these words. True ole chap! But while you sit on your laurels and say those things, remember that religion was the cause of Israel’s failure to evangelize and in our current day our religion reeks of the same odious condition.

James 3

I am not sure where we are in this chapter so I will pick up at verse 8. Have you ever said something to someone and wish that you had not said it? If you are honest with yourself you will say; yes. Yes I have! James clearly says that this tongue is not tamable and also that it is full of a deadly poison. Did you notice that James does not say that the tongue is poison, but that it is full of poison! So where would this poison come from? The recipe is found in the heart; this is where we cook and cool the poison we spread with our tongue, waiting for the opportune moment to strike.

Have you not noticed how easy it is to bless God one moment and then as if, or maybe in the same breath unleash a curse on someone. Now the tongue sounds responsible, but again it is not the tongue that is bitter, but the heart that is a vigilant oppressor. So blessing and cursing ride on the same expressive outlet; our tongue.

Nature does not have this problem, spring water is and always will be spring water, just as the fig tree will always produce figs (unless the LORD curses it!) Matthew 21:18-19; but in this we need to understand that the fig tree did what was commanded of by the LORD, it did not produce another kind of fruit such as the wagging of the tongue will always do.

Meditate on this!

Do you weep over your unbelieving children, in many this is a hard truth; we watch as they find happiness in things that are temporal. We help them pick up the pieces when the temporal melts like the thin ice it is. We point them again to Jesus who has overcome the world. John 16:25-33.

When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and the nature’s God entitled them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving there just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security…

Yes this is the beginning statements found in “The Declaration of independence” the Congress of 1776, then the thirteen States of the United States of America. The last sentence of this great work of freedom and independence reads

And for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.

The thought in my mind is that a reoccurring evil is present with us these days. Not a nation like Britain, but a history of men who desire to dictate government from their own evils. Refusing to enforce laws for the good of the people and enforcing laws on economy and prosperity that destroy freedom. Laws that fatigue citizens into submission, exposing our freedoms to the watchful eye of an enemy who in these days stand in our cities and town, mocking our Constitution and have absolutely no regard for being legal on all fronts.

I do not know what you may think about this, but if you did give it just a little thought you might not have to “spike” your hair today or hide behind the ornaments hung on your face, lips and tongue. I believe that we should memorize the Declaration of Independence and memorize James Chapter Three. This just may help us get back to the basics of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Of course this is not the solution… but it is a start!

Meditate on this!

Some people fill positions and have no thought of doing a good job. Their actions speak volumes but their production book is full of blank pages. The world does little to encourage productivity, even to the point of hating those who do. However, God uses this worldly condition to perfect His Love and Joy in His disciples. John 15:9-17

The other day the washing machine water valve shut and for the first time in years I heard a familiar sound of old; a water hammer. Well that is what it is called on submarines. The vocabulary of the military person is much different than that of the civilian, but as a side note. With our military becoming more and more liberal and full of men and women who are citizens of other countries, much of the old command and response language of the military has fallen by the wayside. A water hammer on a submarine is not a good thing since it will tell the enemy where you are, so when I heard this sound in my home I immediately began to reminisce of another sound. The rapid release of the air relief valve when the air compressor is pumping more air into the system then required. Often the sound is like that of a machine gun. Once we had a few marines on board our sub and we were taking them somewhere (who knows where?). One of the Machinist Mates ran the air compressors to the point of releasing the relief valves, scaring all of the marines. We all thought of how funny that was, except when we found the Officer in Charge of those marines, knocked out and bloody. He had been asleep and the noise caused him to bolt out of bed, he banged his head on some piping and his injuries were significant. The rub! Ephesians 5:1-7 sets the pace for walking in love as followers of God and we sometimes forget that we are in the LORD’s army.

James

James 3:3-4 – It is awesome what can be done with a little effort and a lot of pain. Placing a bit in the mouth of most any animal will control them, but I would not try it on a lion or tiger; you might get bit. And as you know, the technique works well on horses, ponies and other like animals. We are able to get these animals to do what we want with a small item weighing about a pound, controlling an animal that weighs nearly half a ton. Then we have those large ships at sea, so large and weighty often weighing in at over a thousand metric tons being steered by a rudder weighing less than 2 tons.

James 3:5 – I heard on the news recently of people who claim to be somewhat of a military hero, with ribbons, badges and decorations to back up their false stories. One such individual is said to pastor a church! All of this nonsense does not just happen. The clothes, ribbons and decorations did not just one day land on the body of that individual and oops; he or she made up a story to tell. No! That is not how it happened. A lie comes from the heart, it is thought through carefully. Then before it is told; it must be told to one’s inner being. A person must lie to themselves first, then when believed it can be told to others who will believe it too.

You may say and so people have said that these types of lies are gross errors committed by pathological liars and that the little so called white lies we commit daily have no bearing on this. Also white lies would never start a forest fire, but do these lies encourage health or destroy health. Proverbs 12:17-22. One demonstrates his or her wisdom and foolishness by the use of the tongue. Proverbs 15:1-2. David says in Psalm 12:3-4 that the liar allows his or her tongue to be the lord of their life. In Psalm 73:8-9 says that the liar scoffs at the heavens while his or her tongue walks through the earth. I reckon you could call that person a dirty mouth, or one who starts a forest fire. You choose!

Meditate on this!

When seeking to accomplish a task greater than one can legally do, a person or group may say; “I come in the name of so-in-so who has the legal authority. Emergency personnel do this all the time and their works prove who they are, just as Jesus does in John 14:7-11

Power in simple human terms is defined as motive or potential but I believe that this is looking at the energy of the word from the bottom up and not as God does from the top down. Notice if you will the statements of Jesus in Matthew 9:1-8. First He forgives the sin of the paralytic and He is charged with blasphemy by the ambulance chasers. Jesus replies; “Why do you think evil in your hearts? For which is easier to say, your sins are forgiven you, or say, arise and walk”? (Arise and walk looks easier, but the statement lacks power and is not easily justified). Then Jesus says, “That you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins” He said to the paralytic, “Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house”. Jesus uses faith in His Father and neutralizes the scribes accusations by using the same power used in forgiving and healing the paralytic. So does this provide ample information about the power of God? By His Word, God created the heavens and the earth, Genesis 1. By His Word, He rebukes the wind and the sea and there was a great calm, Matthew 8:23-27. By His mercy we are not consumed, because His compassions toward us do not fail, Lamentations 3:22-23. The apostle Paul puts the power of God into action with the words; “LOVE never fails.” Walking in the power and authority of God with our neighbor, friend or loved going in the healing power that overcomes the world… faith working through love. A power that works from the top down; 1 John 4:17 through 1 John 5:1-5.

James

James 3:1 – For all teachers of the Living Word of God this is a verse that can be very alarming. Early in my personal relationship with the LORD Jesus I knew nothing of this verse. Then while preparing to teach in Hartford, CT one Friday evening I stumble across the words, “receive a stricter judgment. I though! Oh boy… I am in trouble now! As time has gone by (30 plus years) the LORD has calmed my heart over this subject and I hope that for all teachers of the Living Word of God that your heart is calm. Remember, Jesus calms all storms.

James 3:2 – none of us are perfectly mature, but in more places than here in the Epistle of James we are challenged to be perfect and complete and to be ready in season and out of season to give convincing evidence of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Why? Because there is, as the Day of the LORD draws nearer a falling away of many who will not endure the solid foundation of DOCTRINE. Many already today have fallen from truth and have turned aside to contemporary fables, calling for reformed theology as if it were necessary. Bah! Humbug!

What is necessary then? Should we bridle the tongue and force ourselves to speak only from the KJV as some would dictate? I do believe that all of these translations of the Living Word of God has placed a dark and confusing cloud over doctrine, but again 2 Timothy 4 does not mandate us to teach from just the KJV, but as the apostle Paul charges Timothy by challenging him to endure the affliction of those who apply a stricter judgment to simply do the work of the evangelist and fulfill the ministry that God has given you. This same charge applies to all who preach the Word.