A powerful weapon

James 5:13-20

 

 

As we read this last segment of James 5 I wonder if we truly believe what it says.  Think of a time when you were in trouble.  What was the first thing that you did in response to that trouble?  What about your second or third response?  Was one of them prayer?  I hope for all of us that prayer would be a natural response to trouble.  Some of us are fix it people, some are head in the sand kind of people and some of us just want to go and hide altogether when it comes to trouble.  However, when we go into battle whether it be a small or big one we need to be ready.  Our “armour” shouldn’t be too far away.  Paul talks of the Armour of God in Ephesians 6.  Once you get through all the pieces of armour that you are to put on what is the final thing he says?  “…Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.  With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for the saints” (Eph 6:18)  After the armour we are to pray, pray and pray.  Prayer is a powerful weapon in a believer’s hand.  Do we really use it?  Whether you are a believer in the God of the Bible or not at some time in your life you have probably prayed.  However, we need to think about who we are praying to.    A verse that keeps crossing my path these days in one way or another is Ephesians 3:20.  “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us…” Not only do we serve and love a God who answers our prayers in accordance with His will but He goes above and beyond that.  The words “exceedingly” and “abundantly” are not describing someone who just does the bare minimum to get by but Someone who can blow your mind and can answer your prayer request in a way that you could never dream about. Stop and think about that for a moment.

Did you really stop and take time to think????

Last night we had some friends over and they were telling us about a recent flight that MAF did for an organization who takes teams into war torn and suffering communities and ministers to them both physically and spiritually.  If you didn’t know the people who were telling these stories you would think they were made up.  However, God is doing an amazing work, the lame are walking again and the blind are seeing.  As our friend said last night some of the stories sound like something straight out of the pages of the New Testament.  God is still in the business of answering our prayers but are we bold enough to pray those big prayers.

In our James passage verse 16B says “…The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.” (NLT).  Are we earnest in our prayers or do we just flippantly send a prayer skywards hoping it gets God’s attention?  Some words that describe earnest are deep, intense and sincere.  Does that describe our prayer lives?  Maybe some of us need to make an adjustment.

Prayer is not just asking things of God and hoping that He will do something about it but it is also a time just to praise Him for who He is.  When we know who we are talking to and know His character it brings Him more alive in our lives.  We trust Him more, we talk to Him more, we involve Him in our lives more and we have a heart that is full of thankfulness. 

I encourage you to click on the following link Names and Attributes of God from the website of the Navigators.  Read through the list.  What name or attribute did you need to be reminded of today in this season of your life? 

In 5:17 we are reminded that Elijah was just a man like us and yet he prayed two audacious prayers regarding rain.  God answered both of them.  Do we have that kind of faith in our God when we pray?  What is going on in your life right now that you need to take to the Lord in prayer, believing that you are talking to a God who answers?  He might just blow your mind away at what He will do if you are willing to take that daring step.

Don't lose heart in the tough times

James 5: 7-12

Being asked to be patient in times of suffering seems like a contradiction.  Often this is the very time we don’t want to be patient.  We want the trial or difficulty to be over quickly so that we can move onto the fun and happy moments in life.  However, as I have mentioned in our Bible studies it is in the times of struggle that we learn the most and lean on God more fervently (or we should be J).  In history we find that it’s the persecuted church which is the church that is flourishing not the one that is just coasting along in life. 

You don’t have to look too far to see persecution happening.  This morning I was reading on the Voice of the Martyrs website (click the following link to read some of the stories Voice of the Martyrs) about people who have endured the unthinkable for their faith in Christ and yet their faith didn’t waver.  It makes you think that if you were in a similar situation what would you do as a believer.  Read the following story about how a difficult situation was the turnaround in this young believers’ life Indonesia: An Explosive Change

So James commends us to be patient.  In the Greek it goes one step further and says don’t lose heart.  When trials go on for what seems to be forever James is saying keep going, persevere and don’t give up.  As I write this Hebrews 12:1-3 comes to mind.  We are not the only ones that have gone through difficult times but there is a cloud of witnesses that have gone before us who have stood the test of time.  We are to fix our eyes on Jesus and to remember what Jesus went through at the hands of sinful men.  The author of Hebrews encourages us to not grow weary or lose heart and to take a lesson out of Jesus’ life.

Sometimes, in the midst of difficulty, we just need to know that it is not forever.  Just as the farmer waits patiently for the seasons to come and go and then for him to harvest so are we to be patient.  We are called to stand firm and have a bigger perspective on our situation.  The Lord is near!  Jesus is coming back and we need to be ready and be expectant for that time.

It is interesting that we are called to stand firm.  Not quake in our shoes or hide in a hole.  The Greek version says to make stable, set fast, to strengthen, to render constant and to confirm in one’s mind.  Does this describe us when we are going through a time of trial?  Sometimes our natural go to response is to grumble and complain.  We just need to look at the example of the Israelites and how many times they grumbled against God.  Some of us would blend in very well with the Israelites in their times of discontentedness.   However, we are told not to do it as there is a time of judgement whereby we will be judged on how faithful we were in the time we had on earth.  We need to be an example to those around us in our time of hardship.  Thankfully we don’t have to go through it alone.  God provides in our times of need.
James writes of the prophets who endured intense suffering and yet they remained faithful.  He points out Job specifically which shows us what God can do through our tough times and although it may feel long in coming we serve a God who is full of compassion and mercy.

James encourages us to live lives of integrity.  We should not be double minded in our dealings with people.   James quotes from the Sermon on the Mount in these last verses.  (Matthew 5:33-37).  Also look at Colossians 3:9-10.  We are commended to have a heart that is honest and transparent.  Let our yes be yes and our no be no.  May we be a reflection of Jesus to those who don’t know Him.

Justice will prevail against rich oppressors

How do you eat an elephant?  The answer:  One bite at a time.  That is what we are going to do with Chapter 5.  We are going to take it one bite at a time.  So for this time around we will only cover the first six verses of chapter 5.

The disparity between rich and poor can be seen in any country you visit.  However, in some countries it just seems more visible.   Examples of this could be when you walk in a neighbourhood where the sewage runs right past the front door of living quarters, when a family of 7 all live and do life together in one small room,  where people queue up for drinking water at the nearest water spout as they don’t have access to it in their homes,  when having electricity is a luxury and the examples go on.

For some people it is difficult to reconcile those who have and those who don’t.  It just doesn’t seem fair somehow.  However, in this passage we see the other side of the story for those who are rich and oppress those who do not have.  Notice I didn’t just say rich J  Being rich is relative.  If I don’t have much money in the bank but I have running water and electricity then I am richer than someone else.  There will also be someone richer and there will also be someone poorer than ourselves.  However, the point is what do we do with our riches?  Where does our full dependence lie?  Is it in God or in our own natural resources?   Are we using our riches against those who do not have?

James warns those who are rich and have no regard for God and His ways.  He says that one day all that you have will be gone.  The clothes you valued so much and the money that you stored.  It will be destroyed.  It doesn’t last forever.  You have made wealth your god and it will destroy you.

The cries of those who have suffered under rich tyrants do not go unnoticed by God.  Notice in verse 4 that the cries have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty.   At some point in time God will make it right.  For those who can’t find justice in this world are promised that God will put all wrongs to right.  He will make it right in His time.

Depending on the version of Bible you have it might say Lord Almighty or it might say Lord of Hosts.    This means armies.  The rich oppressors who have no regard for God in these days will be powerless when they come before the Lord Almighty.  He is seen as Commander in Chief, as one Pastor put it.   For those who are, in Christ, we serve a God who is in complete control.  Justice will be served at the appointed time.  Let us just make sure that we are on the right side.