Inside Out Devotions

Restoration

2008-08-06T00:01:00.000-05:00

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Since we are winding down our “FaithWorks” sermon series on the book of James, today will be the last day of our daily devotions for a while. As we evaluate this tool, please leave a comment below with your name so that we can discern who has been reading the blog postings and plan for the future. Thanks again for reading!

“My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.” –James 5:19-20

Often when I’m talking to old friends, a name will come up that I haven’t heard in a while. In the midst of the conversation I will discover that the person is no longer following Christ. Sometimes it is a blatant rejection. Other times it was a gradual slip. However it happens, I can never get used to it. What is worse, often times I will wind up running across that friend either in person or online somewhere. There’s always this very awkward feeling that is tough to get over. But rarely do I know what to say.

James closes this book with a note of encouragement towards us who are striving to restore someone. He in essence tells us that our work with people who have fallen away may ultimately have eternal consequences. We can make a huge difference in their lives by bringing them back to God.

One thing is for sure: it is rarely easy to bring people back to God. Often times there are hard feelings, hardened hearts, and sometimes hard liquor that have to be overcome. There’s no guarantee that anything we do will work. But we are called to persevere and to continue to love no matter what happens.

It is fitting that this passage comes right after a section that focuses on prayer and healing. While most people who have fallen away are not yet ready to have us pray for their restoration while they are around, I think the principle is certainly there that we must pray without ceasing for them. We should pray that God would work in their lives in order to open their hearts back towards him in any way that he can. He will be faithful to work. Whether they are faithful to respond or not is totally up to them.

Have you noticed that someone has slipped away lately? Is there someone who has been on your heart that needs restored? If so, pray. Pray for opportunities to share with them. Pray for the courage to share. Pray that God would be working in every area of their life to bring them back.

May you experience the joy of seeing a dear friend come back to Christ when you are faithful to seek them out and to pray.

Praying the Tough Prayer

2008-08-05T00:41:00.000-05:00

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Since we are winding down our “FaithWorks” sermon series on the book of James, tomorrow will be the last day of our daily devotions for a while. As we evaluate this tool, please leave a comment below with your name so that we can discern who has been reading the blog postings and plan for the future. Thanks!

“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.” –James 5:17-18

Earlier in this passage, James mentions praying the ‘prayer of faith.’ This has often been abused to say that whether our prayers are answered or not are dependent upon the amount or quality of our faith. This, amongst other things, causes people to really twist their interpretations of events in order to protect their dignity. It also makes a lot of people feel bad because they didn’t get what they asked for.

Here we see that this is not at all the case. Unless Elijah was some kind of traitor, he would not have wanted to pray the prayer that he prayed. This was something that he did because he was able to discern the will of God for Israel. When he as a prophet made this decision, it was not popular. But it was for the best of God’s people. You must understand that a modern day equivalent would be for Christians in America to pray for the stock market to collapse so that people here would start seeking God again. It would not be a popular prayer at all.

I’m not sure how to instruct you to pray the tough prayer for our country today. But I can tell you that there are a lot of tough ‘prayers of faith’ for you to pray for yourself. Maybe a prayer for God to reveal any idols that you might have in your life would be tough. Or how about asking God to remove any distractions that you have in your life that keep you from him? I know a girl I went to college with prayed that prayer. She was an avid fan of music. The next day she went out to her car to find that her new car stereo and all of her music had been stolen. Now I know you can over interpret that one, but she got the point. Her music had been distracting her from God. She prayed, and she will tell you that he got rid of it. It wound up becoming a period of great spiritual growth in her life.

Are you willing to pray the tough prayer? It may not be easy. It may even cost you now. However, in the long run it will be worth it.

Confession

2008-08-04T00:01:00.000-05:00

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Since we are winding down our “FaithWorks” sermon series on the book of James, this will be the last 3 days of our daily devotions for a while. As we evaluate this tool, please leave a comment below with your name so that we can discern who has been reading the blog postings and plan for the future. Thanks!

“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.” –James 5:16

Over the past few years, the idea of confession has become quite twisted. I remember hearing the advertisement for a show called ‘Taxicab Confessions’ where people would talk in front of a camera in a taxi and tell all kinds of raunchy details of their lives. But instead of this being a remorseful confession, it was almost a celebration of their depravity. It was more boasting than confession.

This type of behavior has continued today. Look at the shock treatment that we receive from our so called heroes from Hollywood and the rest of the entertainment industry. We celebrate their immorality, and then are shocked when they die young. This was very apparent to Kristen and me when we visited the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. So many of the greats that we saw all seemed to die between 27 and 29 years old. Yet we celebrate their lifestyles.

Christian confession is much different. It is the willingness to open ourselves up to other people and to reveal our sins and sinfulness so that we might find forgiveness and healing. Often we dismiss confession to others and convince ourselves that we just need to tell God about it. However, there is great value in humbling ourselves to others and speaking words of forgiveness to each other. I’ve heard it called the physical representation of the spiritual reality. In some ways it is a lot like the Lord’s Supper. Is it symbolic? Yes, but it is not just symbolic. It is the physical representation of the spiritual reality. So when we speak those words of confession, it is very much a representation of us speaking the words to God. And when we hear the words of forgiveness, it is a representation of God speaking those words to us. It is quite meaningful.

Do you have someone you can confess to? This may be one of the single greatest needs in today’s church. Who is it that you can trust and relate to? I encourage you to find someone who would listen, challenge, and offer those words of forgiveness to you. I think you’ll find that in confession there is great healing.

Breakin' Out the Oil, Part 2

2008-08-03T00:01:00.000-05:00

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Since we are winding down our “FaithWorks” sermon series on the book of James, this will be the last 3-4 days of our daily devotions for a while. As we evaluate this tool, please leave a comment below with your name so that we can discern who has been reading the blog postings and plan for the future. Thanks!

“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.” –James 5:14

Yesterday we asked whether this passage is referring to a physical or spiritual healing. We looked at the inconclusive evidence surrounding anointing. Today we will ask what it means to be ‘sick.’ Well, here James uses the Greek word astheneo, which is also a very generic word that has a wide range of meanings. Paul uses it in 2 Corinthians 12 when he describes his thorn in the flesh (NIV translates astheneo as ‘weakness’). It can mean a physical or spiritual weakness. We also have to ask ourselves whether they would have even seen a difference between physical healing and spiritual healing. The answer to that is: probably not near as big of a difference as we do today, but there would have been at the very least a slight distinction. Unfortunately, the other pieces of evidence in the passage leave us as confused as ever. So what do we do with it?

I’d like to recommend that there are two very good sides to an argument over this passage. While I think it is important to take a look and figure out what we believe, ultimately there really isn’t anything here on either side that goes against scriptural teaching (except for the extreme views, which are, well, extreme). So, my basic philosophy is to say this: I think we should be more than willing to practice these basic principles when people call for us in both physical and spiritual sicknesses.

That being said, when I look at this passage, what I come away with more than anything is not the principles to guide me in praying, but rather that in every circumstance, I should pray! Prayer needs to be our first response in both times of pain and times of celebration. We should be quick to turn to God in prayer in all circumstances. How can you turn to God in prayer this week in a way that you did not last week?

Breakin' Out the Oil, Part 1

2008-08-02T00:01:00.000-05:00

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Since we are winding down our “FaithWorks” sermon series on the book of James, this will be the last 4-5 days of our daily devotions for a while. As we evaluate this tool, please leave a comment below with your name so that we can discern who has been reading the blog postings and plan for the future. Thanks!

Breakin’ Out the Oil, Part 1

“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.” –James 5:14

Since this passage has its fair share of difficulties and intriguing notions, we’re going to spend a few days on it. The first is simply asking the question, “What does it mean to anoint someone or something?”

The concept of anointing is very simple: It takes place whenever we set someone or something apart for God’s service. This was often done by pouring oil on a person’s head. Whenever someone was to become the king, they would be anointed. There are also many prophecies of Christ where he is referred to as the ‘anointed one.’ In fact, in the New Testament, the original word for anoint in Greek is chrio, which is where we get the name Christ (No, Christ is not Jesus’ last name).

So, it seemingly makes this passage simple. James is talking about a spiritual anointing here, right? Well, it would be that easy except for the fact that James doesn’t use chrio, he instead uses another generic word that can be used for a spiritual anointing, but is more commonly used for any type of the rubbing of medicine on a person’s body. For example, in the story of the Good Samaritan, it says that he anointed the person’s wounds. In modern words, he broke out the first aid cream.

So, is this referring to a physical or a spiritual anointing here? Well, there is more evidence to be examined later, but for today let us simply reflect on Christ, the anointed one. God set him apart so that we might be saved.

Choosing to Pray

2008-08-01T00:01:00.000-05:00

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Since we are winding down our “FaithWorks” sermon series on the book of James, this will be the last 5-6 days of our daily devotions for a while. As we evaluate this tool, please leave a comment below with your name so that we can discern who has been reading the blog postings and plan for the future. Thanks!

“Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise.” –James 5:13

At first glance this verse looks pretty simple: If things aren’t going well, you ought to pray. If they are going well, then praise him, which is really a form of prayer too. So, no matter what you are doing, pray. There’s nothing wrong with that interpretation, and it is certainly valid with Scripture. However, I think there is an even more significant meaning when we look at the book of James as a whole.

If we look at the immediate context of the book, we will see that the previous section just talked about how we are to be patient in the midst of suffering. When we look at the book as a whole we see that this is a recurring theme, from the beginning to the end. So, while it certainly includes praying always, it has a more significant meaning of choosing to praise God and pray in the midst of suffering.

Whenever we face hardships and suffering, we also find an open door for spiritual growth. Whether God causes or just allows these situations, we can always grow through them and become more like him as we endure. Sometimes we will even find ourselves cheerful (this is closer than the NIV’s ‘happy’) in the midst of that suffering. This is next to impossible to explain, but it happens. When it happens, we should simply praise God. But there are other times when in the midst of trouble and trial when it absolutely gets a hold on us. When this happens, our response should essentially be the same: pray.

When you face a trial, no matter whether you are cheerful or downtrodden, may your response be the same: turn to God in prayer and praise.

Trustworthy People; Trustworthy God

2008-07-31T00:28:00.000-05:00

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Since we are winding down our “FaithWorks” sermon series on the book of James, this will be the last week of daily devotions for a while. As we evaluate this tool, please leave a comment below with your name so that we can discern who has been reading the blog postings and plan for the future. Thanks!

‘Above all, my brothers, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. Let your "Yes" be yes, and your "No," no, or you will be condemned.’ –James 5:12

We have all been lied to. We have all had people break their promises to us. Maybe it was an investment gone bad or something that someone never had the intention of carrying out. We’ve probably had a car or furniture salesman take us a time or two as well. And unfortunately, we’ve probably been on the other end of it as well where we are the ones who have broken our promises.

God designed our church, our family, to be a very vulnerable community. It is a place where God desires us to be able to share everything about ourselves in a trustworthy environment. We shouldn’t have to worry about people stabbing us in the back or gossiping about us. We should be able to depend on each other for support, encouragement, and nurture.

James is responding to a culture where there were very legalistic teachings about when a person could break their vows. It is very similar to the teachings of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. Some have taken this to extremes to say that we shouldn’t take any oaths at all, such as in a courtroom or in any type of legal contract. That kind of teaching is missing the point. James is challenging us to be trustworthy people who keep our word based on who we are, not merely upon a legal document that we sign.

How do people take your words and promises? One of the best places to evaluate yourselves is in your home. Do your children and your spouse see you consistent with your promises, or do you way too often fail to live up to your words? The home is both the best and the toughest place to start, as it is there that you tend to be the most comfortable.

May you be a person who is absolutely trustworthy in everything you say and do, and through your words and your actions may both the church and the world know that our God is absolutely trustworthy too.

Hebrew Heroes

2008-07-30T00:01:00.001-05:00

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Since we are winding down our “FaithWorks” sermon series on the book of James, this will be the last week of daily devotions for a while. As we evaluate this tool, please leave a comment below with your name so that we can discern who has been reading the blog postings and plan for the future. Thanks!

“Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.” –James 5:10-11

No two situations are exactly alike. Every time we suffer, it is a little different than what we have experienced before, and it is different from how others have suffered. Yet we can still find a common bond of identity in the experience. James gives two examples of Hebrew heroes that would have hit home with his audience: the prophets and Job.

The prophets were generally regarded as outcasts. They were people that were willing to be unpopular, even if that was hard on them. They considered the message that they had to share more important than their popularity. Often they suffered from ridicule and scorn. It seems that certain prophets even struggled with depression. Yet look at the mark that they left behind. They stuck it out and persevered without compromising who they were in the Lord. We too will face seasons of ridicule and scorn. May we find comfort from identifying with them.

Job’s situation was completely different. Here was a guy who was highly regarded in his days. He was rich. He was healthy. He was successful. He had a great family. And then Satan took it all away (of course, he only took what God let him take). He went from being visibly blessed to apparently cursed. His friends told him to curse God and die. They tried to talk him into a lot of bad theology. Yet he (for the most part) stuck it out. Ultimately, he saw God in the end. God finally brought about a great blessing for him. We also will face seasons where we lose our health, our wealth, loved ones, etc. May we find comfort from identifying with Job.

May we realize that perseverance is not just an extreme form of stubbornness, but rather is something we learn when we come near to Christ. May we not only identify in the great examples of the prophets and of Job, but most importantly, may we find our greatest example in the perseverance of Christ.

Patience with Others

2008-07-29T00:01:00.001-05:00

Patience with Others

“Don't grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!” –James 5:9

This last weekend at a softball tournament, the game just before ours got a bit heated. There were no punches thrown and the language really didn’t even get nasty, but people got pretty ticked off at each other. We really hadn’t seen it all year, but since this was the elimination game of a tournament and things got urgent, everyone started taking things into their own hands and were very impatient with each other. It is amazing how a little adrenaline really sets people against each other.

This Scripture interests me, because often times Christians get overly zealous when we start talking about the urgency of the faith. Sometimes we start getting pushy with each other. Other times we get extremely defensive of ourselves. I think that the urgency of the faith in and of itself can be a healthy thing. We need to understand the importance of what we do as followers of Jesus. However, we must be patient with one another through it all. We must be peacemakers, especially within the body of Christ. Before we can be peacemakers, we must first be peaceable people.

To live out this Scripture, we cannot merely wait until we are in the situation in order to make decisions as to how we will treat others. We must prepare our hearts and change our bad attitudes before we ever face the situation. Often that means guarding ourselves from gossiping about people who we have regular conflicts with as well. There is such a thing as wise counsel, but generally we overstep those bounds rather quickly.

Who is it that you have a tendency to ‘grumble’ about? Is it your parents? Your spouse or boss? A neighbor? Be patient and know that God wants to bring peace into the situation. He can change your character if you let him.

So When is it Going to Happen Anyway?

2008-07-28T00:01:00.000-05:00

“You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near.” –James 5:8

I think we’d be lying if we said we weren’t curious as to when or how it is going to happen. I mean, look how many books have been sold that talk about the return of Jesus. While I don’t agree with the theology of most of them, it is impossible to deny their popularity. If you really wanted to simply boost attendance at your church, just publicize that you are going to be teaching on the end times, and you’ll perk everyone’s attention in a hurry.

But here’s the reality: we really don’t have a clue as to when it is going to happen. People have been speculating since day one, and nobody’s got it right yet. Jesus even said that only the Father in heaven knows when it is going to happen. But it will happen, and it could happen at any moment in time.

But there is something that has always intrigued me about the debate. It is that no matter what your end times theology is, anyone who has studied the issue will tell you that along with any prophetic passage about the second coming, there is always a biblical call to holiness. One of the most famous comes at the tail end of I Corinthians 15, and we see one here too. People like Dr. Lowery at Lincoln Christian Seminary would even argue that the entire book of Revelation is not about foretelling the future, but rather about making disciples of Jesus. I don’t suppose that is as exciting, but it is true.

So James continues here by not telling us when it will happen, but encouraging how we are to live until it does happen. It is simple: we must remain patient until it does. So here’s to not having it all figured out, but simply hanging in there until Jesus is revealed.

A Lesson from the Farmers

2008-07-27T00:01:00.000-05:00

“Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains.” –James 5:7

OK, so Kristen and I both grew up in farming families, so I’ve got to confess: this Scripture makes me laugh. Really, James? Are farmers really that patient? I mean, I remember growing up around farmers, and it could quickly turn to panic time if we didn’t get a good rain. This year we even saw the opposite, where we got too much rain. The farmers were waiting for it to stop raining. But I wouldn’t call them all that patient.

But then I realized what James is talking about. You see, we seem to make patience into some type of feeling rather than a demeanor. When I think back to the seasoned farmers that I know, I realize now that while they always talked about the weather, most of them realized there wasn’t much they could do about it, except wait. That’s what they do. They probably pray more when they really need rain, and they can certainly get testy as well. But they wait, knowing that they are totally dependant upon God’s provision.

In the same way, this is what we are called to do. Just like the farmer plants his seed in the spring, fertilizes it throughout the year, and harvests it at the end of the season, so we are called to live out our lives in faithful obedience to serving God where he has placed us. But ultimately, just like the farmer, we have to realize that we are totally dependent upon God’s provision. While we will see much of that provision here in this world, we will only see it fully and completely when he returns. May we be patient until then.

Ouch.

2008-07-26T00:01:00.000-05:00

“You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter.” –James 5:5

Ouch. That’s all I can really say when I read this. Ouch. I can get through the first part of this passage ok, because I guess I don’t consider myself rich—not that being rich in and of itself is a sin. I even do ok with the ‘hoarding wealth’ part, because I know that there is a balance to keep between being generous and saving for the future. I’m ok with that. But this is tough. Luxury and self-indulgence. That strikes right at the heart of America. And too often, it strikes right at the heart of Dustin.

I know what you’re thinking. Most of us really don’t live in luxury, right? I mean, I’m a sucker for the simple in many ways. I hate high-class restaurants. My father in law would call them ‘hoidy-toidy.’ I don’t live to extremes. But the trouble is I’ve been other places. I’ve seen people who have next to nothing sacrificing for the needs of others. I’m confident that what we often call necessity is really luxury. If you don’t agree with me, then that’s fine. But how often do we excessively hoard things for ourselves and call it God’s blessing rather than seeing if God really wants us to bless someone else with it. Which brings us to self-indulgence.

So maybe we aren’t willing to confess to luxury, but self-indulgence abounds in us. Maybe the best way to reveal this is by looking at how we over-entertain ourselves. Think about how much of our time we spend always listening to music, watching TV or movies, playing video games, going to concerts, or just overdoing it when we eat. Self-indulgence is something we take pride in doing here in America. Unfortunately, it desensitizes us both to God and to those who are hurting around us.

When I look at Jesus, I see someone who put his focus on God. While he still took time to relax and refresh himself, he was not someone who lived luxuriously or a self indulgent life. He had an excellent balance that we should also seek. So I would simply encourage you to do this: turn off the TV for a few days and pick up the Word. Take a look around you and see if there are people in need that you haven’t seen before. Take a look at your life too and see where you are living in excess and self-indulgence. Simplify. It will make your life much more useful to God.

A Heart for the Working Class

2008-07-24T23:58:00.000-05:00

“Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty.” –James 5:4

My generation is one that has grown up with a large number of corporate scandals. The most famous one was Kenneth Lay and the Enron scandal that cost thousands of people their jobs and their retirement plans. As a result of this and other scandals, we have become very conscious about corporate responsibility, especially making sure that people are treated with honesty and respect in the work place. This is a very good thing.

What we see here is that this is a reflection of the heart of God. While there will always be differences in pay scales in this world, it does not mean that people should not be treated appropriately and fairly. God desires for business owners and bosses to treat their employees fairly, even when it may mean personal sacrifice.

It is tempting for me to drift to tangents in this discussion about when and where unions are a good or bad idea, but that is not the point of this Scripture. The point is that when we are put in positions where we lead others in the workplace, we are called to treat them fairly. If we cheat them, there will be both earthly and eternal consequences.

Does your heart towards those who have served under you reflect the heart of God, so that you treat them fairly and with respect?

Rusted Gold

2008-07-24T00:01:00.000-05:00

“Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days.” –James 5:2-3

You might have to worry about a cheap ring turning your finger green. You might even have to worry about white gold turning yellow. But you should never have to worry about one thing: gold should never rust. Some people think that since James was most likely poor, he just didn’t know better, as the literal word here is not corroded, but rather is rusted. But I don’t think that is the case.

James introduces a section of Scripture that speaks about the ‘last days,’ which generally in Scripture is not speaking of an immediate coming of Christ, but rather an eminent return, meaning it could happen at any moment. It may not be for 1,000 years, or it could be before you finish reading this sentence. But yet James does not say that moths will eat your clothes and that the gold will rust. He says it is already happening.

I believe that James is warning us that even though our gold might not rust now, it really is rusting. In other words, it is becoming less and less satisfying every day, or they are corrupting us more and more every day.

Have you noticed how money changes people? Have you seen people get corrupted by putting too much trust in their stuff? It doesn’t take being rich—it can happen even with middle class and poor people. It could happen to you.

Gold may not rust, but it sure can corrode our hearts. How much are you trusting in wealth and stuff instead of God?

A Little Harsh?

2008-07-23T00:01:00.000-05:00

“Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you.” –James 5:1

Now before we look into James 5, I think we may have to do some damage control first. I can hear what some of you are saying: “Isn’t James a little harsh in his language?” It’s a fair question. But James is referring to the language that the prophets regularly used in order to call the people to repentance. In all reality, we don’t look at this type of literature nearly enough. So, let’s simply spend today reading some of these Scriptures where the prophets use similar language to call the people to repentance:

Wail, for the day of the LORD is near; it will come like destruction from the Almighty. –Isaiah 13:6

"In that day," declares the Sovereign LORD, "the songs in the temple will turn to wailing. Many, many bodies—flung everywhere! Silence!" –Amos 8:3

They do not cry out to me from their hearts but wail upon their beds. They gather together for grain and new wine but turn away from me. –Hosea 7:14

Wail, O pine tree, for the cedar has fallen; the stately trees are ruined! Wail, oaks of Bashan; the dense forest has been cut down! –Zechariah 11:2

In the streets they cry out for wine; all joy turns to gloom, all gaiety is banished from the earth. –Isaiah 24:11

For Me, or for Humanity

2008-07-22T00:01:00.000-05:00

“Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you.” –James 5:1

I remember being stressed upon me from the very earliest days of my life that “God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life.” Now this is great, and in and of itself I don’t have a problem with it, when it is understood in its right context. However, the problem is that we understand it within our plan, and not God’s plan. In other words, we think that God blesses us so that we can live in the upper tier of society, or so that we can one-up our neighbor when it comes to having the most or the nicest toys. All this and yet we claim to have a sacrificing God. We claim that Jesus came and denied himself so that he might die for our sins, yet we can’t see past ourselves.

It seems that we focus an awfully lot on God’s will for my life without ever taking into account God’s will for humanity. This has to change. To think that we are favored above the poor in God’s eyes is a farce. If there are people living in poverty around us and yet we have an abundance, we have to consider what we can sacrifice to improve their lives. And this cannot be forced upon us, but come from our own desire to see the basic needs of humans met.

It just can’t stop with our neighbors either. We must also look to how we can make a difference around the world. There are millions still going hungry and without clean drinking water, not even to mention the billions who have never heard the Gospel, let alone don’t even have a Bible in their own language.

So are you looking for God’s plan for your life, or are you looking for God’s plan for humanity? Because what you are looking for will greatly affect what you find.

The Haves and the Have-Nots

2008-07-21T00:01:00.000-05:00

“Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you. . . . Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains.” –James 5:1; 6

There is something very appealing about wealth. There is a sense of power when we can totally disregard any concern for the cost of anything and simply live the way that we want to live. But yet wealth never lasts. Either we’ll lose it here in this world, or we won’t be able to take it with us.

One of the more interesting stories over the past couple of months was that Ed McMahon, Johnny Carson’s long-time sidekick, was going to lose his house because he couldn’t make his house payment. The 80+ year old McMahon explained that he hadn’t been able to work lately because of a neck injury. He was several hundred thousand dollars behind on his payments. But just how long did he think he was going to be working anyway? I mean, was he planning on retiring at 95? It just didn’t make sense.

James chapter 5 begins with a word of warning to the rich, but continues with a word of comfort and hope to the Jewish-Christian believers, most of who would have been impoverished. On the surface, this looks like a story of the haves and the have-nots. And it is, but not like you might think. You see our definition of the haves are those who have financial wealth. But in God’s eyes, those who have nothing, yet have him, have everything. It is the rich who are the have-nots, as they have so often found comfort in their wealth and cannot see their need for God.

Are you content being a ‘have’ if your definition of ‘have’ has nothing to do with wealth, but everything to do with God?

A Little Batman

2008-07-20T00:01:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow we’ll get back to the book of James, but today I want to talk to talk a bit about Batman . . .

Throughout the book of James there has been a continuous theme of the need for our humility. We must realize how desperate for God we really are, which means understanding how little we can do without him. For leaders, it also means that we need to understand that we can’t be a one-man show, but that our goal must be to equip and empower others to do the work.

So what does this have to do with Batman: The Dark Night? Well, this Batman was different, as a continuing theme throughout the movie was that Batman was not the answer to stopping all the crime in Gotham City. Rather, the people had to emerge and step up to the plate themselves. But that transition has to work in two ways. First, Batman has to get out of the way. Secondly, the people have to step up and take responsibility. But how tough it is to get out of the way . . .

In our Christian lives, the temptation of leadership is to make everything revolve around us, so that we are the only ones who are empowered to do anything. Rather than people seeing a need and meeting it, they are simply trained to call the leader. I suppose part of the problem is tradition—you know, it goes all the way back to the priests being the only ones allowed to do ministry. We have never fully gotten over that. But a huge part of it is that often leaders need to feel needed. Too often we get our self-worth from the ministry that we do for others, rather than the sacrifice that Christ has made for us.

So, do you stand in the way of others doing ministry, or are you constantly walking alongside of others and encouraging them to get their hands dirty too?

Are You Ready?

2008-07-19T00:01:00.000-05:00

“Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins.” –James 4:17

I have heard a great deal of excitement both in our church and in our community about our upcoming Together for Lincoln project on September 28th. On that day we will worship at each individual church in the morning, go and serve out in our community in the late morning-early afternoon, and gather that evening for a combined worship service at Lincoln Christian College. We currently have about 13 churches participating, so it should be a real hoot.

But before we go and serve together in the streets of Lincoln, I feel like I need to warn you as well. What we are doing is basically taking a one day mission trip into our own community. We will go and serve people we may or may not know. We will go to parts of town we might generally just ignore. We will go and meet needs that we never even realized existed before. When we do that, God is bound to do something even larger than us. As much as we are hoping and praying that God does something through us, we are also hoping and praying that God does something even bigger in us.

Our prayer is that while this is technically only a one day event, that it will plant a seed within us for something much greater. We hope that we would begin to see the needs in our community not just when an application for help comes in, but whenever we go out. Chances are, if we really let God move, this could radically change the way that we live. We will begin to have a greater passion to serve people that will require us to either bury those desires or to choose to go and to live them out by serving others. This could be a very costly day.

Are you ready? Are you prepared to see Lincoln like you’ve never seen it before. Are you willing to let God move in your life in order to meet the needs of others? Are you ready to truly be the hands and feet of Christ?

The Good Samaritan Law

2008-07-18T00:01:00.000-05:00

“Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins.” –James 4:17

I must confess that my favorite television series of all time is Seinfeld, although The Office is quickly catching up. In the very last episode of Seinfeld, Jerry finally lands a contract with NBC, so they offer to allow Seinfeld and his friends to use the corporate jet to fly anywhere. Well, on their flight, they have engine trouble and have to land in a small Massachusetts town. After they land, they decide to take a stroll around town. There on the town square, they see an overweight man being mugged. Instead of helping, they instead start laughing and making fun of the man. People see them laughing as the thief gets away, and the police arrest Jerry and his friends for breaking the town’s ‘Good Samaritan Law.’ In other words, if you can help someone and don’t, you are breaking the law. They are arrested, and at their trial, they bring several of the past season’s characters to testify against them in a humorous trial. Of course, they are found guilty and sent to the clink, where Jerry does stand up comedy for the inmates.

It is an absurd notion, isn’t it? Do you really think that we could be arrested for the things that we don’t do? Well, I’m sure a law like that would never stand in America. However, the Bible tells us that we are not just held accountable for the things that we do, but also for the opportunities that come our way to help others.

This verse is in the midst of a passage that talks about our own plans and how foolish they are compared to God’s will. It is here that we read James saying, “Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.” It is an interesting notion, isn’t it? After we stop trying to control every aspect of our lives, we start to see that God has a bigger plan that includes others. And we just can’t say, “Nah, no thanks. Maybe later.” When we see people in need and don’t help, we sin.

I want to be careful here because I think that we could easily think that we must go overboard and spend every second out helping everyone that we possibly can and berating others who don’t. While God definitely puts people in our path, we could easily develop a ‘messiah complex,’ thinking that we are the only ones who can make a difference and wind up taking too much on our plates and burning out. That isn’t healthy either. Chances are, you and I don’t have that problem though.

Would you consider taking a look around you and observing whether or not you are doing the good that you should? How often have you diverted your plans in the last year to help someone in need? Maybe it’s family. Maybe it is someone you work with, or someone you don’t even know. Remember, sins aren’t just things that we do, they are also things that we know we should do, yet don’t.

Not Where, but Who

2008-07-17T00:01:00.000-05:00

Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. –James 4:15-16

I hate it when people ask me questions about the future. People often ask me, “Where do you see yourself in 5 years?” Or, “How long do you see yourself living here in Lincoln?” Of course the worst and most frequent question of all is, “So when are you going to have kids anyway?” I would love to tell you that I hate these questions because we’re just trusting Jesus to guide us and we don’t ever worry about the answers to them. I suppose that would be the Sunday school answer. Perhaps we do live that out to a certain degree. But the real reason that I hate them is because there is a certain part of me that thinks that I do have it all figured out, and I’d love to give my answer based on my plan. And it isn’t even that it is a completely pagan plan. However, it is me trying to discern how God will lead, rather than me simply being faithful.

James says, “As it is, you boast and brag.” When we think we have God’s plan cornered, that is really what we are doing. When we share with others the lofty plans that we have, we are often encouraged and celebrated as people with great plans, rather than rebuked as people who aren’t leaving enough room for God to work. Kristen and I were at a conference this past year where they introduced a boy who was around 8 years old who knew every presidential fact that you could ever imagine. It was his dream to be the President of the United States—and he had it all figured out how he was going to get there. In fact, his plan had him landing in the White House at a ripe old age of 35! Everyone in the arena clapped for him and celebrated his plan. Now, I hate to be the sour puss here, but really? Do we really want a 35 year old president? Shouldn’t someone have the guts to say to this young man, “Hey, don’t you think you should wait until you are at least 45 or so and have a little more wisdom?” Now granted, I know you are thinking, “Easy, Dustin. The kid is not even 10! Give him a break!” I understand that, but the problem is not the kid, but the culture that we have created.

I have mentioned before that I am not against planning. In fact, I am very much in favor of wise planning, so long as it is made by people who are seeking after God’s heart and is open to his continued leading. But here is a challenge for you: rather than planning where you are going to be or what your career will look like in 5 years, wouldn’t it be a better investment of your time to discern who you would like to be in 5 years? You know, how you would like to deepen your walk with God, how your character would be better, how you’d treat your spouse differently?

More importantly than where we are is who we are. I don’t know where God will send you, but I can promise you this: whenever and wherever he sends you, he wants you to be like Jesus.

A Lousy Night to be an Atheist

2008-07-16T00:01:00.000-05:00

In honor of baseball’s All-Star Break, we’re going to take a little break from our postings in the book of James. So here’s a story that has refreshed me a great deal:

I normally get sick of Christian athletes who talk about how Jesus helps them hit home runs. It generally borders on health and wealth teaching. However, Josh Hamilton’s story is far from typical. Josh was selected as the number one overall pick in the 1999 Major League Baseball draft. But Josh’s personal life was a mess, as he quickly became addicted to drugs and alcohol. From 2002-2006 he did not even play baseball, as he was even barred from baseball at one point for failing multiple drug tests. By all accounts his career was over. Even worse than that, he regularly overdosed with the hopes that he simply wouldn’t wake up.

But God didn’t give up on him, and neither did his wife or grandma. His wife, a devout Christian, often told him that he wasn’t done yet, and that he would play professional baseball again someday. Eventually, Hamilton surrendered his life to Christ. He is very specific about that word ‘surrender,’ as he acknowledges that of all his natural abilities that he has, there is no way he can overcome the addiction on his own. Since his surrender, God has done an amazing work in his life, as he has been clean since October 6, 2005. Through this time, God has also restored his relationship with his wife, Katie.

But we can’t forget the baseball! In 2007, the Cincinnati Reds picked up Hamilton and he had a successful rookie season. More importantly, his witness was incredible, as opposing players and even the umpires regularly encouraged him. His teammates even did not make him perform one of the rookie duties of making him carry the beer onto the team plane, as they were aware of his addictions and wanted to see him succeed. Over the off-season, the Reds traded Hamilton to the Texas Rangers, where he has simply been stellar. He was elected as a starter on the All-Star Team and was also selected to hit in the Home Run Derby on Tuesday night, which was simply amazing.

Back when he was still strung out on drugs, Hamilton had a dream that he would be hitting in the All Star Home Run Derby at Yankee Stadium. He didn’t even know that there would be an All Star game at Yankee Stadium, as it had not even been selected yet. In the dream, he also gave glory to God for his performance. Well, Tuesday night that dream came true as Hamilton stepped up to the plate as the eighth hitter in the home run derby. The leader at the time had 8 home runs, and Hamilton absolutely shattered that lead by hammering 28 out of 38 swings as home runs. These were no cheap home runs either, as many of them were over 500 feet. Just as the players and umpires had been behind him before, the 56,000 fans in attendance were going crazy. While he didn’t eventually win the contest, everyone will remember his performance, as he obliterated the previous one round record. After the derby, he shared this account of his dream a few years back:

“I was at the plate, I saw all the guys sitting around and then I was at the plate walking toward them and actually a lady came up and interviewed me,” Josh said. “I was able to show everybody how I was there, why I was there and that was because of God's grace.”

Well, all of this happened and more. Here is the quote from the interview Hamilton had with the ‘real’ lady who interviewed him on Tuesday night: “It's amazing in the past few years what God has done in my life and how quickly he has done it. I just really want to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for all of this. I just want to glorify him.”

As powerful as Hamilton’s words were, the quote of the night came from famous sportswriter Rick Reilly, who simply said, “It’s a lousy night to be an atheist.” A lousy night indeed!

Hamilton has not let his success go to his head. His addiction definitely keeps him humble. He has three drug tests a week my MLB, which he welcomes because of his self-awareness as an addict. He also keeps a busy schedule of going and sharing his message with other addicts, as well as young people. And with a story of grace like that, why not? If he keeps playing like he is and sharing his story, there cold be a lot of lousy nights for atheists for a long time to come!

To read other articles about Josh Hamilton, click on one of the following links:

Sports Illustrated Cover Story from June 2008
ESPN.com - Hope is Never Lost

Are we seeking God's will or God himself?

2008-07-15T00:01:00.000-05:00

Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." –James 4:15

It is easy to read this verse and to think that this verse is just talking about words. You could say that James just wants us to talk about God’s will, like we are putting God’s approval upon our plans. But this isn’t what James is talking about. When we look at the verses around this one verse, we see that James is referring to people who are boasting in their own plans, rather than trusting in God’s plan. This is especially true in America today, where we simply separate out God’s will into some different area of our lives instead of really applying it to all of our lives. We try to have control of everything, from when we’ll have kids to the exact day that we will retire without really seeking God through prayer, Scripture, and godly wisdom.

Let me be clear that I am not discouraging planning. God does not want us to just ‘wing’ everything. However, a little trust wouldn’t hurt anyone here. We could all use more discipline in seeking God’s will.

But while we’re talking about God’s will, let me caution you here too. I do believe that we are to seek God’s will in our daily decisions and for major guidance in our lives. I’m just concerned that all too often we seek God’s will without seeking God. We want more of God’s blessings and more of his wisdom to keep us from falling flat on our faces, but if we’re really seeking him, then maybe it begins when we are flat on our faces, humble before him and longing to know him for who he is. My guess is that if we are truly seeking God in all that we do, we won’t have any trouble seeking God’s will.

Vapor Trails

2008-07-14T00:01:00.001-05:00

“What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” –James 4:14

When I was a kid, I used to love to sit outside and look into the sky and watch the jets fly overhead. I got to be pretty good at identifying the different types of planes. I especially enjoyed when an occasional B-52 would fly over with its 8 jet engines. But what always fascinated me was that as each jet flew over, it would leave behind a white vapor trail. The vapor trail would be solid and unbroken at the back of the jet, but as the jet moved along, the vapor trail would start to dissipate. Within just a few minutes, it would completely disappear.

If James were writing this Scripture today, he might say, “You are a vapor trail that appears for a little while and then disappears.” Interpretation: Your life is short and quickly forgotten. If we could only truly understand just how short this life really is, we would be much better off.

But what are the benefits of truly understanding how short our lives really are? There are several. Here are a few: 1) We are more humble 2) We learn to rely on God more 3) We don’t waste as much time on meaningless things 4) We value our relationships more. These are just a few, but they all are significant in shaping our lives.

Have you embraced the brevity of your own life? We won’t be here for long, but when we submit to God, we can make a huge difference while we are here.

The Wisdom and Folly of Planning

2008-07-13T00:14:00.001-05:00

‘Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow.’—James 4:13-14

In the Bible, planning is commended as a wise action. Yet here, we see that planning without seeking God’s wisdom is a very foolish thing. This hypothetical situation that James brings up is a very structured business plan. It describes the when (today or tomorrow), the where (that city), the how long (spend a year there), the what (carry on business), and the why (make money). It looks like wisdom to me! This is a plan that I could see myself buying into. Yet James seems to consider it foolish.

So what are we supposed to do? Are we just supposed to make it up as we go along? Do we need to even have an idea about what we are supposed to do in life? I think it is safe to say that planning in and of itself is wise. However, we have to ask ourselves, where is God in all of our planning? Are we seeking his will, or just doing what we want?

God may or may not allow you to be successful at your plans. Sometimes our plans fail so that we have to learn to rely on him. On other occasions, we simply are never content, no matter how successful we may be. God will do everything he can to get our attention without violating the free will he has given to us.

So, here’s the question: how has God ‘ruined’ your life? Are you willing to listen when his plan goes against your plan?