November 9, 2014 Ive had a couple of good days. Less pain, better sleep, and God blessed me to be able to preach this morning. Tomorrow I start my 56 hours of infusion at 8:00 am, and it starts all over again. A roller coaster - but it is the course God has set before me. I ask that you would pray that I run the course well and not give into the temptation of acting like Im on the injured reserved list. Went out to eat last night with good friends, and although they are active members of another church, they worshipped with us this morning - what a blessing. The Mexican food afterward wasnt bad either. I continued preaching in the book of James, where we reached a point where he specifically identifies three problems within the body of Christ that are caused by envy and selfish ambition active in the lives of believers. The issues reflect that too many believers are self-centered, and fail to discover the will of God because they follow their own desires and plans. In chapter 4, verses 11 and 12, he deals with the issue of judging fellow believers. He is speaking to believers about believers. he exhorts them not to slander or judge another believer. Dont talk bad about your brothers or sisters to others, and dont judge their spiritual condition because they are not what you consider a good Christian. We are all sinners saved by grace, and when we judge our fellow believers, we end up judging the law. There is only one Lawgiver - and its not you or me. None of us are in a position to judge or condemn our neighbor. Thats Gods job. So what do we do when we see a brother or sister struggling with sin or other spiritual problems? Should we ignore it and hope it goes away? Our response needs to be one of mercy, compassion, and grace. Go to the brother or sister, talk about the issue and offer to pray for them. Let them know that you have their back and will do whatever you can to help them receive Gods victory - and then follow through. Be there for them. In the following paragraph, verses 13-17, he discusses the practice of scheming and planning without seeking Gods will. He points out that we do not know what tomorrow will bring, so why do we try to plan for it without Gods guidance. We trust ourselves and not God. We rely on the wisdom of the world and not Heavenly wisdom. We are in charge of our lives and dont allow God to lead us on the path that we should walk. Our lives are very short in the grand scheme of things and we should not waste our time by neglecting Gods will. Seek His will at work, at home, in recreation, on vacation, in the neighborhood, and anywhere else you find yourself. When we do things our way, we boast about our successes (or spin failures to sound like successes), and arrogantly act like we believe that we are smarter than God. All of this boasting is evil. The person that knows what to do according to Gods will and fails to do it sins. It is arrogant and selfish. In chapter 5, verses 1-6, he admonishes the rich believers for hoarding their riches while leaving their employees and others in need. He points out that those who fail to be generous to others, and fair in their business dealings, by hoarding their riches, should mourn because God sees and hears the prayers of those who have need, while your riches rust, become moth-eaten and go to waste because they are unused. The rich believer needs to know that God provides them abundance in order to bless others through their generosity. The corrosion of hoarded riches will be all the evidence that God needs to punish the hoarder for his sin. James proclaims that failing to provide a living wage to employees could be tantamount to murdering the innocent - those that did not even oppose you. All the while the rich believer lives in luxury and self-indulgence. All three of these examples reflect people who are self-centered. They are focused on themselves and not Christ. The one who judges, judges by his own standard and believes that they are better than the one being judged. The one who schemes and plans without God, ultimately believes that they know best, and are spiritually qualified to decide the course of their lives without trusting God. The hoarding rich believer, trusts his riches over Gods will. They seek only their own pleasure, even if it is at the expense of others. they are self-centered, self-focused, and self-indulgent - there is no place for God. Be wary of these traps and pitfalls. Dont fall into them. Turn away from any behavior that reflects this in your life. Turn to God and let Him lead the way. Make it about Gods will, not your own selfish desires, and you will be truly blessed. Thank you for your prayers, encouraging messages, and support. Together we will make it through this. God is not done with me yet! Paul LaBonte Pastor
Posted on: Mon, 10 Nov 2014 00:05:09 +0000
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