November 17, 2023
“If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking” (James 1:5 NLT). It seems self-evident that the one who lacks wisdom would ask the all-knowing God for help. Yet, asking God is often the last choice, rather than the first. Prayer is
November 17, 2022
MOVING TRIALS FROM THE SAD COLUMN TO THE GLAD COLUMN James described the spiritual mindset that the Christian should have when facing trials. What is this mindset? “Great joy.” Not happiness, which is based on external happenings, but “great joy,” which comes from within and is the fruit of the Spirit for the believer that
November 17, 2021
WHY NOT ASK GOD? It seems self-evident that the one who lacks wisdom would ask the all-knowing God for help. Yet, asking God is often the last choice, rather than the first. Prayer is often only considered after every other human resource is exhausted. But why not ask God first? Perhaps it’s because of
November 17, 2020
ONLY GOD CAN HELP US WITH OUR OVER-DESIRE The Greek word translated “desire” is “epithumia,” which literally means “over-desire,” or “over-heated desire.” It might also be translated as “lust.” Desire itself is not evil. God created us with desire. No one has to teach a baby to cry for its mother’s milk. It is
November 17, 2019
MOVING TRIALS FROM THE SAD COLUMN TO THE GLAD COLUMN James described the spiritual mindset that the Christian should have when facing trials. What is this mindset? “Great joy.” Not happiness, which is based on external happenings, but “great joy,” which comes from within and is the fruit of the Spirit for the believer that
November 17, 2017
The Greek word translated “desire” is “epithumia,” which literally means over-heated desire or lust. Desire in and of itself is not evil. God has desires. But God’s desires are under His control, while ours are not. We desire over-much and we become over-heated in wanting, so we take shortcuts and we overeat and we overindulge and we over-do-it in getting things, but our over-desire cannot be fully satisfied because it wants over-much. James is graphic in describing this over-desire as a womb conceiving and giving birth to sin. And sin, as a growing thing that when mature “brings forth death.”
God has given us “every good gift” (James 1:17), yet we desire the gift over the Giver. However, when we receive the “word of truth” (James 1:18), which is the gospel, we are born again of the Spirit of God. And His Spirit gives us His desires and grants us self-control over our “over-desires.” Being born again, we begin to desire the Giver more than the gift.
November 17, 2015
James describes the spiritual mindset that the Christian should have when facing trials. What is this mindset? “All joy.” Not happiness, which is based on external happenings, but joy, which comes from within and is the fruit of the Spirit for the believer that abides in Christ. And not partial joy, but “all” joy. Pure and whole joy that comes from the knowledge that God is sovereign and that all things work together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Rom.8:28). This mindset is a choice of the will, one that can be “counted.” The Greek verb here is in the imperative middle voice, meaning that one is to command oneself to choose joy. Like an accounting term, one can choose to move their emotional response to trials from the sad column to the glad column. Rather than seeing trials as a reason to be discouraged, count them as a reason to trust God all the more.
November 18, 2014
Not just hearers only, but doers of the Word. Many enjoy a good sermon and think how good it is that the person next to them is getting it. Yet a few will hear the Word and repent in tears, not worrying about those around them. Don’t let the Word go in one ear and out the other. Do what it says.
November 17, 2013
Do you need wisdom or understanding? Ask God. Open your eyes to the Lord and His Word. He is a God who freely gives. He wants to reveal Himself to you. He will give wisdom and more… He will give Himself. In most situations that’s the wisdom we most need– that God is with us.
November 18, 2012
Speaking before listening is like lighting anger’s fuse. Many an argument might be avoided by listening before speaking. Once anger is lit, angry words are spoken that can never be taken back. Two ears, one mouth = double your listening, cut your speaking in half. Are you listening?