Warning!
Entering
James Construction Zone
Spiritual
hard hat and steel-toed boots, required.
The
gospel from parchment scroll to sandal leather.
The
no holds barred, New Testament version of Proverbs.
Exposing
the hypocrisy of believing right and living wrong.
Demanding
sweat equity of faith, not just lip service.
Calling
out couch potato faith.
Speaking
Truth, saving souls, and covering a multitude of sins.
It’s debated, but many agree that James was probably
written around 45 AD. Making it the earliest book in the New Testament.
James, a
common name, then, and now.
Four men by same name are mentioned in N.T.
1. The
apostle James, the greater, son of Zebedee (Matt. 4:21).
2. The
apostle James, the lesser, son of Alphaeus (Matt. 10:3).
3. James
the father of an apostle named Judas (Luke 6:16).
4. James
the Just, half-brother of Jesus,
(Matt. 13:55).
Matt. 1:25 tells us that Joseph didn't have marital relations
with Mary until after Jesus was born. Then they did and had at least six kids. James
the Just was one of them.
Matthew
13:55-56, Mark 6:3
Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His
brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? And His sisters, are they not
all with us? Where then did this Man get all these things?”
Tradition says James the Just, was also known as “Ol’
Camel Knees” because of his intense, extensive prayer life.
He was not one of the twelve but later became leader
of the Jerusalem Church (Acts 15:3, Gal. 2:9).
James was probably in his fifties, around 62 A.D.
when, according to first century Jewish historian Josephus, he was martyred by
order of the high priest because he would not renounce his faith in Jesus.
Reportedly, they threw him off the temple, but he
survived. So, they stoned him. While being stoned, he quoted his Big Brother
saying, “I beg of you Lord God our Father, forgive them! They do not know what
they are doing.”
The just guy just wouldn’t die, until finally, a
fuller (launderer), hit him in the head with his club. (a launderer swung clubs
for a living, beating dirt out of hides and linens).
At that, James the Just, just went to see his Lord and
receive his just reward.
James, the Just, is probably the writer of this
letter.
However, he never played the half-brother card.
He did not say, “I AM JAMES THE JUST, HALF-BROTHER TO
GOD”.
No, he humbly, simply said, “I’m just...
James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,
James, named
after the patriarch Jacob.
Iakóbos, from
Jacob. Which means, heel-catcher, trickster, supplanter, schemer.
Not exactly a great name by definition. Kinda dark.
But God is Light, and He set the precedent. In the
beginning, when darkness covered the face of the deep, He said, “Let there
be light” and the darkness fled and has been fleeing ever since, from that
day to this.
In the beginning of Jacob’s life, he was headed toward
darkness. But God showed up and changed him, and called him Israel, and birthed
the nation that birthed the Light of the world.
In the beginning James and his brothers didn’t believe
Jesus was the Messiah, the Christ, the Light of the world. John 7:5.
He’s my brother, we grew up together, how could He be
the One?
But after Jesus exploded from the darkness of the tomb—then
we’re told, they believed.
1
Corinthians 15:7
He
appeared to Peter... then, over 500 at once, then...
After
that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles.
Acts
1:14
These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the
women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.
So, maybe some of Jesus’ very own brothers didn’t
believe until after His resurrection. So, don’t give up on your very own, keep
believing, keep praying, keep Seed planting...
We may not know exactly when it happened, but we know
it did. James the just, surrendered, wholly, completely, body, soul and
spirit, to his Big Brother, His Master, Lord and Savior.
He opens his epistle by revealing that he considers it
the greatest honor to just be known as a bondservant of God.
James, a bondservant. The
word is doulos, it means a servant, a slave with no ownership rights of
their own. Not by force, but love for their master, they willingly stay, they
serve, they follow, they lay down their life.
So, James doesn’t call himself family, or brother, but
slave.
Like the parable of the Prodigal Son, Luke 15:11-32.
“Give me my inheritance now, dad, I’m outta here.”
Dad did. The kid went and spent it all on wine women and song,
until his only friends were pigs.
Then, he came to himself, and thought, in my father’s
house even the servants live better than this. I’ll go home and say... “ I
am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired
servants.”
Well, you know the rest of the story. Once the kid headed
home, he found out that dad was watching. Dad saw him while he was still a great
way off. Dad ran to him. Dad hugged him (pig stink and all). Dad kissed him and
gave him a robe and a ring and new shoes. He killed the fatted calf and called
for a party, “for my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is
found.”
Dear friend, your Father is watching. Take one step
toward Him, and He will run toward you.
James the Just
learned well, his Big Brother’s words.
“The
Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a
ransom for many.” Matt. 20:28.
But
he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. Matt. 23:11.
Following
the footsteps of Jesus is to walk as a minister, not a master; a servant not a
superstar.
Thus, above every other name or title, or honor, the
highest of all is to be called, a bondservant of God and of the Lord
Jesus Christ.
Notice, James says, a servant of God and of
the Lord Jesus Christ.
We cannot separate the Two.
To serve God is to serve Jesus.
Deuteronomy
6:4-15
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God,
the Lord is one! 5 You shall
love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul,
and with all your strength.
John
1:1
In
the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.
John
10:30
I
and My Father are one.
John
14:9
He who has seen Me has seen the Father
Then, He prayed that we, His family, would experience
that wonderful oneness.
John
17:11, 22,
...that they may be one as we are one.
So, no, all religions do not
lead to God.
No, Islam and Christianity
do not serve the same God.
John
5:23
Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.
John
14:6
I am The Way, The Truth, The Life. No
one comes to the Father except through Me.
John
15:23
Whoever hates Me hates My Father as well.
We cannot accept the Father and deny the Son.
To the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad:
To the twelve tribes...
That means, the ten tribes are not lost.
Which are scattered abroad, none
are lost, forgotten or alone.
Ezekiel 11:16. Thus
saith the Lord God, Although I have cast them far off among the heathen, and
although I have scattered them among the countries, yet will I be to
them as a little sanctuary in the countries where they shall come.
No matter where you’re scattered, wherever you’re
gathered in My name, I’m right there with you.
Matthew
18:20
For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in
the midst of them.”
You’re never lost, forgotten or alone.
Greetings.
Greetings,
Chairó: Rejoice, be glad, be joyful, be calmly
happy.
2 My
brethren, count it all joy when you fall into
various trials,
Joy, Chara: Joy,
gladness, calm delight.
Joy
is peace at play.
Peace
is joy at rest.
When, means, when,
not if.
Jesus used the same word:
Matthew
5:11-12
Blessed are you when they
revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for
My sake. 12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad,
for great is your reward in heaven, for so they
persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Count it all joy when you fall,
peripiptó: Encounter, fall into, innocently, no fault of your
own.
1
Peter 2:19-20
For
this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures
grief, suffering wrongfully. 20 For what
credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you
take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently,
this is commendable before God.
1
Peter 4:12-13
Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which
is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; 13 but rejoice
to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory
is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.
That school of thought replaces, “it’s not fair” with “it’s fantastic”.
Jesus says it like this:
John
16:33
These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace.
In the world you will have tribulation; but be of
good cheer, (joy, calm delight) I have
overcome the world.
Count it all joy when you fall into various
trials.
Life guarantees a wide variety of trials, temptations
of the soul and thorns in the flesh.
And according to the Bible when they
come, we are to count it all joy...
3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.
So, we need to know something here.
We need to know that our faith is tested during
trials, tribulations and temptations.
We need to know that we get to choose whether
we pass or fail the test.
We are Olympians and our Coach Jesus tells us, “When
trials come, (consider them intense workouts), don’t despise them, but count
them all joy, and you will gain strength and endurance—faith
and patience.
Follow His instructions and you’re guaranteed the gold.
Hebrews
6:12 ...imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
4 But let patience
have its perfect work, that you may be perfect
and complete, lacking nothing.
Patience works. That means there’s a process.
Thus, we must be patient with patience.
Like a pregnant mother waits for the perfect
moment, then, the water breaks, the baby is born.
But being born is just the beginning.
Let patience have it’s perfect
work, that you may be perfect...
Perfect,
Teleios: Mature, full-grown. Like a pirate’s telescope extending
from stage to stage until it is fully extended to full strength, completeness,
lacking nothing.
Complete, holokléros:
Whole, complete, entire. From two Greek words. Holo: wholeness. Kléros:
Divine allotment by casting lot.
Follow God's Divine directive regarding counting
it all joy and no matter your lot, no matter the storm, like the eagle
you will soar above it, with feathers unruffled, God will see to it that you
receive your Divine Holy allotment of wholeness, lacking nothing.
King David explained, lacking nothing, like
this:
“The
Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want. Psalm 23:1.
Practically speaking what does it look like?
Kathy Missel:
Doc walked in, “You have cancer,” and walked out.
At first it was, “Oh no!”
But then, she counted it all joy. “I’ll get to see so
many of my family and friends again.” Joy and peace replaced fear and dread. “Hmm,
going to heaven’s not so bad.”
She counted it all joy. She’s still here. Going strong.
Beating the odds. Shining His joy in all kinds of dark places.
Dick Johnson:
Cancer spread too far. It won’t be long.
Family gathering. All weeping. Dick smiling. Counting it
all joy. “Don’t weep for me. I should cry for you. I get to see Jesus!”
He counted it all joy and finished well leaving a
legacy pointing to Jesus, that still speaks to this day.
Hebrews
10:36
For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God,
you may receive the promise:
1
Peter 1:6-7
In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need
be, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 that the
genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that
perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor,
and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ
John
15:11
“These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you,
and that your joy may be full (complete).
Let’s pray.
Lord Jesus, we pray for Your Presence, so
when our faith is tested, we will finish well, with joy, lacking nothing,
leaving a legacy that leads straight to You.
Thank You.
We love You, forever.
Amen.
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1:1-4
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