I Am Just A Vapor (James 4:13-16)

We plan our plans.

We dream our dreams.

We choose our choices.

We live our lives.

Are we mindful of God’s sovereignty?

And if we are, how does that direct us in directing our lives? 

I do need to plan.

I am going to dream.

I have to make choices.

I will live my life.

But how should I do it differently from a non-believer?

Does life really need to be done different? 

Or does God trump all anyway?

“Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow, we shall go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.’  Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow.  You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.  Instead, you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we shall live and also do this or that.’  But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil.” 

I am just a vapor!

“My life is but breath.”  Job 7:7

Scripture does not teach us to just go about our lives—trusting everything that happens (or doesn’t happen) to be God’s will for us.  I also don’t believe James is instructing us to sit back and wait for God to push us through open doors.  Scripture does state, “The kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing...and forceful men lay hold of it.” (Matthew 11:12)  The word “force” used here is not about physical violence but power, effort, initiative and action!

James is reminding us of who we are and who He is! 

He is the Breather—we are the breath!

The arrogance mentioned in verse 16 refers to being pretentious.  It is to make those plans and dreams on my own—without seeking the wisdom of our Father.  It is to trust those choices and my life to the stability of earthly things and my own resources.  It is to desire independence rather than interdependence—to despise the Divine. 

“Man is like a mere breath; His days are like a passing shadow.”  Psalm 144:4

God’s Word and His plan are eternal.  I will pass away.  His will won’t.  I am subject to His will and blessedly so!  I do have plans, dreams, and choices in this life.  While I may not know tomorrow what my life will be like, as long as I have breath I will seek God’s will by seeking His face!

“Holy Spirit, continually remind me that I am “mere breath” and to actively pursue Christ’s will for my life while vigorously living each day to the fullest!”

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Who Am I To Judge? (James 4:11, 12)

You don’t know my heart . . .

I don’t know yours.

You don’t know my intentions . . .

I don’t know yours.

You don’t know the path God’s walking with me . . .

I don’t know yours.

You don’t know the “where I’ve been” . . .

I don’t know yours.

So why—in heaven and glory’s name—are we so quick to judge one another?  Why do I think I can thoroughly assess your failings and sins?  Why do you try to nail me to mine?

“If you think you can judge others, you are wrong. When you judge them, you are really judging yourself guilty, because you do the same things they do.”  Romans 2:1 (NCV)

Your critical spirit calls me condemning.  

I critically judge you as being a condemner.

“Do not speak against one another, brethren.  He who speaks against a brother, or judges his brother, speaks against the law, and judges the law; but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law, but a judge of it.  There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and to destroy; but who are you who judge your neighbor?”
James 4:11, 12

This is not about coming alongside to pray over areas of struggle. 

This is not about noticing an obvious lack of fruit in another’s life. 

This is not about “speaking the truth in love”. 

(and as a side-note, 

we're not always too good with lovingly presenting—

neither are we too gracious in humbly receiving)

“Do not speak against one another.”

This is about holding our tongue while examining our heart!

Do I need to say anything?  Really? 

Do I really need to comment at all to them or to others? 

Do I see uglies in another while blinded to my own? 

Them planks in the eye can be mighty inconspicuous!   J

What AM I “to do”?
I am “to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with [my] God.” (Micah 6:8).

THAT is a big enough, full-time, all-encompassing task! 

“There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and to destroy.” 

The One who established righteousness 

is the One who has the right to hold us to it!  

We cannot save or destroy.  But in our arrogance we think our judgment ascertains the situation so completely that we believe we could save them, had we the opportunity.  We seek to boost self whilst belittling.  In some ways, we can destroy—possibly a reputation and most assuredly we taint our own as being “without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful.” (Romans 1:31)

Who am I to judge my neighbor?

No one!  I’m just a sinner myself!

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Repentance is All About the Heart (James 4:6-10)

The Scriptures speak of repentance in terms of being a gift granted from God.  Yet the word repentance often stirs up feelings and reactions that are negative—even ugly.  The truth is that repentance is a beautiful gift of God’s grace to us. 

Repentance is the door we walk through 
to power and joy for a transformed life.

“God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that He might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel.” 
Acts 5:29-31

“God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life.” 
Acts 11:18

“Those who oppose Him He must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant  them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth.” 
2 Timothy 2:25

“Do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?” 
Romans 2:4

Repentance is the key to a fulfilled life with Christ!  

Because of God’s loving kindness and patience towards us He reveals to us our sin and the way out of its bondage.  Repentance is the path to restoration, salvation, life and freedom!

“In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength.” 
Isaiah 30:15

Repentance is all about the heart . . . *

1. A heart of humility

Humble yourself:

  

“He gives us more and more strength to stand against such evil desires.  As the Scriptures say, ‘God sets Himself against the proud, but He shows favor to the humble.’”  James 4:6

“When you bow down before the Lord and admit your dependence on Him, He will lift you up and give you honor.”  James 4:10 

2.  A heart of submission

Submit to God:

“Submit yourselves, then, to God.  Resist the devil . . .  Come near to God and he will come near to you.  Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.  Grieve, mourn and wail . . .”  James 4:7-9 

3.  A heart of confession and repentance

Confess sin:

“Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.  Grieve, mourn and wail . . .”  James 4:8b-9 

4.  A heart of aggressive resistance

Resist the devil:

“Submit yourselves, then, to God.  Resist the devil . . .”  James 4:7 

5.  The promise: he will flee

“. . . Resist the devil, and he WILL flee from you . . .”  James 4:7 

When we speak and declare truth in the authority of Jesus Christ, action takes place in the spiritual realm.  As we pursue freedom, we take back any ground the enemy has taken in our lives.  By taking our thoughts captive, we resist the enemy who works through our own thoughts, his twists of the truth and the lies this world feeds us.

We MUST rebuke Satan; exercise our authority over him—and God’s word promises that he will leave us.  He must!  Jesus rebuked Satan when fasting in the wilderness 40 days and Satan left Him (Luke 10:17, 19).  When we rebuke his demons in the name and blood of Jesus they will flee from us too!

We do not have to walk defeated—

we just do because we do not walk in the power 

and truth God has granted us in Christ Jesus!

After the Holy Spirit has revealed to you your sin . . . 

recognize it—

own it—

confess it as your sin.

1.  Repent:  and receive the Lord’s forgiveness—agreeing to go in the opposite direction of that sin.

2.  Rebuke:  demonic influence, and renounce the lies that contradict God’s truth.

3.  Replace:  the lie or sinful behavior with what is true and right by renewing your mind in God’s truth.  A change of mind=a change of behavior!

4.  Receive:  a fresh infilling work of the Holy Spirit

 . . . and rejoice!

*”Repentance is all about the heart” and praying the 4 R’s adapted from the workbook, Living Free, by Mike Riches; copyright 2007; pages 19, 20

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Because He IS A Jealous God! (James 4:4, 5)

"You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God?  Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” (v. 4) 

Friendship with the world is hostility toward God.

Think about that for a minute . . .

Being friends with the world 

is inarguably, incompatible with friendship to God.

What is so enticing about the world’s friendship that we would consciously even consider that which alienates us from God???

Simply put . . . the world satisfies our old nature—the flesh.

From the moment a sinner believes, he has two natures—

the old; as sinful as ever—and the new; which cannot sin.  

The old nature is set aside in the death of Christ.

“Knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, that our body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed (or justified) from sin.” Romans 6:6, 7

Being made free from sin, sin is no longer his master and the believer becomes the servant of righteousness.  But should the believer become lazy and fail to consider himself dead, the old nature immediately pops up by producing its evil lusts.

Believers commit sins.  

Only God is sinless.  

Truly a child of God ought not to commit sin, 

and especially willful sin, 
knowing it to be sin.

Being friends with the world and its unashamed embrace of feeding fleshly sins puts me in tempting situations.  Why make it harder on myself?  My wisdom and strength comes from God, right?  So why willingly, foolishly go where my own strength and wisdom will fail me?

“Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose:  ‘He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us’?”  (v. 5)

Some Bible scholars believe the correct interpretation for the word “spirit” here is not referring to the Holy Spirit but to the fallen spirit of man responsible for our propensity to sin.  The interpretation could also be that the Holy Spirit, which God has made to dwell in me, jealously desires me!

What is definitely definite, however— 
is that Scripture does speak with great purpose.  

That being . . .

God will do what He has said.

God will make good what He has spoken.

That’s why I must daily keep check on the old nature, keeping watch with Christ on what’s going on within me, around me and Satan’s attacks against me.  

Those are our 3 enemies:  

the world, the flesh and the evil one.
  

For He is a jealous God!  

And no god, 

no idol, 

no temptation, 

no flesh feeder, 

no nothing 

in and of this world is worth enmity with God!

“You shall not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.” Exodus 34:14

Do you have an idol you are holding onto?

Is there something or someone you are not willing to give up?

We cannot have both!  

Scripture makes that clear!  

Friendship with the world makes us enemy’s of God!

My idols today are self, recognition and entitlements—

That’s them in a nutshell . . .

O God,

Create in me a clean heart . . .

Renew a right spirit within me . . .

Do not cast me from Your Presence . . .

Or take your Holy Spirit from me . . .

Restore to me the joy of Your salvation . . .

Uphold me by Your generous Spirit . . .

Purify Your child of all that steals Your Glory!

Amen!

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Recognizing The Gift Given (James 4:1-3)

Reading this section of James reminded me of the phone conversation I had with my mother a few months after my Grandmother passed away.  In my Grandmother’s will everything was split evenly between my mother and her brother.  As my mom and I were talking, she mentioned some things to be given to extended family members.  When I asked if there was any mention of my siblings and I in the will and any thing she desired for us to have, my mother simply said, “no”.  

Surprisingly, I was upset.  And my mother knew it.  She pointed out that her portion of Grandma’s “stuff” would eventually be passed down to us three kids.  Of course I knew that, but what neither one of us could understand was why I was so upset about it.  I walked away from that phone call deeply hurt . . . and ashamed of myself! 

Thinking back on it now brings fresh tears.  My thoughts and behavior were so wrong, so selfish.  It made no sense.  I didn’t even want the things they were given!!!  

So what was the problem?  

Was it simply because I wasn’t getting anything right away?  

Was my heart really that ugly?  

Was I that selfish?  

What was it that I really wanted? 

“Do you know where your fights and arguments come from? They come from the selfish desires that war within you.  You want things, but you do not have them. So you are ready to kill and are jealous of other people, but you still cannot get what you want. So you argue and fight. You do not get what you want, because you do not ask God. Or when you ask, you do not receive because the reason you ask is wrong. You want things so you can use them for your own pleasures.”  

James 4:1-3 (NCV)

I wanted what I could not have.  What I would never have this side of heaven, now that she was gone.  Her approval.  I made choices she just did not understand and they frustrated her—disappointed her.  By not being singled out in her will in some way, I felt her rejection over my life’s choices to the full.  I did not want her stuff.  I wanted recognition.  I wanted a letter, a few words, something tangible to “prove” that she loved me.  She was proud of my brother, my sister, my cousins and what they were accomplishing with their lives.  I wanted to know she was proud of me. 

I wanted the pleasure of knowing that our relationship satisfied her—that I satisfied her!

I did not get what I wanted. 

Now obviously, these verses have much deeper meaning than for my simple story.  But sometimes we think we “get” the bigger, deeper meaning from a portion of Scripture we have read over and over and over again that we mentally skip over the message altogether.  We become overly familiar with that which is holy—and in doing so, we become blind.
  

Sometimes we miss the personal message

—the intimate connection—

God intends Scripture to have 

on our own life story. 

When my desire was not met, I responded selfishly. 

I did not ask God to help me let go. 

I never asked Him to heal the wound.

I sought what I thought would please me 
instead of seeking forgiveness.

I failed to recognize the gift God and Grandma HAD given me. 

In my Grandmother's final moments, I sat next to the bed stroking her hand.  Just before she breathed her last, tears fell from her eyes.  She had not been given fluid for days.  There was no moisture in her body to release.  I believed then, as I do now—with all my heart—that she saw the Lord.  I believe what I witnessed was her witnessing Glory.  She gave me a glimpse of the Glory that will be mine some day. 

The spiritual heritage she passed down is priceless.  

Her faithfulness now reflected in the eyes of her grandchildren 

and great grandchildren who walk with Jesus.

What I asked for I did not receive.  In God’s opinion, the recognition and approval I sought was not necessary.  Instead He gave me what I did not even know to ask for. 

Peace!

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Linked up with {Titus 2}sDays and Domestically Divine

My Own Reply To Today’s Post . . .

Earthly                                                 Heavenly

Wisdom                                               Wisdom

Bitter Jealousy                                    Pure

Selfish Ambition                                 Peaceable

Arrogance                                          Gentle

Lies Against Truth                              Reasonable

Unspiritual                                             *(willing to yield)

Demonic                                              Full of Mercy

Disorder                                               Good Fruits

Every Evil Thing                                  Unwavering

                                                               Without Hypocrisy

I’ve got a confession to make!  I keep reading over those two lists from my post earlier today on James 3:14-18 and . . . well, there’s too much of me on that left side.

I get jealous.  I get frustrated when things are not fair—although my Dad always said, “life isn’t fair”.  I struggle with “Sunday Christians” who succeed, having everything work out in their favor while only tipping Jesus on Sundays with a little time and a $20.

I fight “self”.  I don’t die well.  I don’t always stay dead.  I carry my weighty idols and fight laying them down to run into the arms of Jesus.  There is comfort in "self" sins.

I am proud.  I want to be humble.  I have been humbled.  I see the beauty of humility.  I want to live there . . . but I don’t!  I only visit.

I lie.  I became a habitual liar during and after I was abused as a young teen.  The stronghold has been broken and I rarely lie any more, but I battle the temptation.  Why?  It’s an attack against me from the evil one.  He held me captive there for a long time so he knows it's an area of weakness.  He doesn't play nice—he goes after our weak places.  The temptation is there to save myself, save face, save my reputation—again, pride!  Ugly, ain’t it!

I walk too much in the flesh—the natural man—“unspiritual”.  I want comfort and conformity at times more than I want renewal and restoration in Christ.  I daily—moment by moment—seek to seek Him because I desire death to the flesh.  But, as of today, there is too much flesh living.

I live in disorder.  The word means “instability” and “confusion”.  Yeah . . . I got me some of that.  Not as a whole, but there are spiritual matters that confuse me.  My trust in Jesus is more stable than it has been, but it’s not where I want it to be.  It’s not where He wants it to be. 

I do evil things.  The word evil here means “easy; ordinary; mean; worthless; of no account”.  The word things mean “deeds”.  Do I do some worthless deeds of no good account?  Yep . . . guilty!

Satan would love to pound me with these failures.  And he has been trying that most of today.  

This is why taking our thoughts captive IS CRUCIAL!

However—I’ve. Got. Me. Some. Jesus!!!!  J

"I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” 

Galatians 2:20

I live by faith in Jesus!  

He loved me.  

He gave Himself up for me.  

Daily I meet with the Potter.  

Daily He molds me—

shaping me into the vessel He has desired to design me 

since the day His thoughts first thought me!

So I confess . . . I went to my room, kneeled at my bed and repented of the sin of walking in earthly wisdom.  

This wisdom is hard to fight because it comes natural 

and is naturally all around us. 

But God is my Defense.  

Jesus my Savior.  

The Spirit my Counselor, my Guide.

He reveals my sin,

I recognize it—admit and confess,

repent,

receive His forgiveness,

rebuke the evil one,

renew my mind and

request His freely offered gift of True Wisdom.

I walk in newness of life.  

I walk in the opposite direction.  

This is the beauty of repentance!!!

Thank you, Jesus!

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