My neighbor is about opportunity not geography (James 2:1-13)

The best film of 2019 is A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood about the life of Fred Roger's from the popular TV show Mr. Roger's Neighborhood. I love the film because it's well written and completely different than any other movie. It shows a life of "living faith."

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Barrier against temptation - God's divine nature within (James 1:18; John 3:6; 1 Peter 1:23)

In Be Mature, Wiersbe has three ideas on resisting temptation from James 1:13-18. The first two are to beware of God's judgment and his goodness. Now we consider God's divine nature within (James 1:18).  The big idea remains that the mature person is patient in trials.
 - Love is patient and kind (1 Cor 13:4‭). Love is the spiritual force behind the imperative James gave us.
 - We face trials with a joyful attitude, an understanding mind, surrendered will and believing heart because of our Love to Christ (James 1:2-12)

3. Consider God's divine nature within (James 1:18)
The first barrier God says, "look ahead and beware of judgment", the second says "look around and see how good God's been to you." Now God says, "Look within and realize that you have been born from above and possess the divine nature."
 - James used birth to picture desires leading to sin and death (James 1:15), now he shows birth by the word of truth (James 1:18, 1 John 3:9, John 3:1-7). It is the work of God. Just as we did not generate our own human birth, we cannot generate our own spiritual birth. When we put our faith in Jesus Christ, it was God who performed the miracle (Eph 2:8-9).
 - Our divine nature is gracious and the finest birth possible.

It was of His own will that He gave us birth [as His children] by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits of His creatures [a prime example of what He created to be set apart to Himself—sanctified, made holy for His divine purposes]. James 1:18 AMP

who were born, not of blood [natural conception], nor of the will of the flesh [physical impulse], nor of the will of man [that of a natural father], but of God [that is, a divine and supernatural birth—they are born of God—spiritually transformed, renewed, sanctified]. John 1:13 AMP

Just as every human birth has two parents, so divine birth has two parents: the Word of God and the Spirit of God. "That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit (John 3:6)."

for you have been born again [that is, reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, and set apart for His purpose] not of seed which is perishable but [from that which is] imperishable and immortal, that is, through the living and everlasting word of God. 1 Peter 1:23 AMP

The Word of God is living and powerful (Heb 4:12). Never underestimate the power of God’s Word to change a person’s heart.

Granting us new birth, God declares that He cannot accept the old birth. Throughout the Bible, God rejects the firstborn and accepts the secondborn. He accepted Abel, not Cain; Isaac, not Ishmael; Jacob, not Esau. He rejects our first birth (no matter how noble it might have been in the eyes of men), and He announces that you need a second birth. - Wiersbe 

It's the experience of the new birth that helps us overcome temptation. If we let the old nature (from the first birth) take over, we will fail. We received our old nature (the flesh) from Adam, and he was a failure. But if we yield to the new nature, we will succeed, for that new nature comes from Christ, and He is the Victor. - Wiersbe

The new nature must be fed the Word of God daily, that it might be strong to fight the battle. Just as the Holy Spirit used the Word of God to give you spiritual birth, He uses the Word to give you spiritual strength. "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God (Matt 4:4)." Wiersbe

If we heed the barriers we win a crown (James 1:12), break through the barriers we find a coffin (James 1:15). Which will it be?

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Sanctification before service

Reading Be Mature, God wants us to grow in patience through trials. I like how Peter shows a progression of sanctification in 2 Peter 1:1-11

 - 2 Peter 1:4 talks about God's promise for us to partake in the divine nature, escaping the world's lusts. We do this through God's discipline. Heb 12:10 says "But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness." - I love this. It' like God come in and clean up the "kitchen" of our lives showing us how to make a meal clean, healthy and delicious. Discipline and wisdom go together. Do what's right, not what' easy. 

Lord, thank you for correcting me like a loving father. You bend down to show me and lead me. Let me count these moments with a joyful attitude, an understanding mind, a surrendered will and a believing heart. Thank you Jesus for all you've done and continue to do - may many people see you and live to escape the darkness and evil and receive eternal life (John 3:14-21)

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In love to Christ when trails come: count, know, let, and ask (James 1:2-12)

Reading Be Mature,
Trails are what God uses to mature us and this is shown in patience and endurance (Rom 5:3-4). Patience is not passive, it is a courageous perseverance in the face of suffering and difficulty. Immature people are always impatient. "Be... followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises (Heb 6:12 also Heb 10:36)." God wants us to be patient because that is the key to every other blessing. When the believer learns to wait on the Lord, then God can do great things for him. Abraham ran ahead of the Lord, married Hagar and brought great sorrow on his home (Gen 16), Moses ran ahead of God, killed a man and spent 40 years learning patience (Ex 2:11), Peter almost killed a man in his impatience (John 18:10-11). Maturity comes when we:
1. Count - A Joyful Attitude (James 1:2): Outlook determines the outcome, and attitude determines action. God tells us to expect trials (John 16:33, Acts 14:22, 1 Peter 4:12) and to endure as Jesus did - with a joyful attitude (Heb 12:2). With the right outlook on trials we are made better, not bitter - like Job (Job 23:10).
2. Know - An Understanding Mind (James 1:3): Satan can defeat the ignorant believer, but he cannot overcome the Christian who knows his Bible and understands the purposes of God.
3. Let - A surrendered Will (James 1:4,9-12): God can't build our character without our cooperation. If we submit to Him, then He can accomplish His work, not a halfway job but perfect, mature, complete.
4. Ask - A Believing Heart (James 1:5-8): People James wrote to had problems with their praying (James 4:1-3;5:13-18). What should we pray about? Ask God for wisdom (James 1:5;3:13-18). Knowledge is the ability to take things apart, while wisdom is the ability to put them together. We need wisdom rather than strength, grace or deliverance for this reason: We need wisdom so we will not waste the opportunities God is giving us to mature. Ask in faith, it was doubt that made Peter sink (Matt 14:22-23).

All of these help us resist the temptation to doubt God and be blessed (James 1:12). This blessing is a great encouragement because it promises a crown to those who patiently endure trials. We do all these things from LOVE. We count with a joyful attitude because we love God. We know with an understanding mind because He loves us and has shared His truth with us, and we love him in return. We let our will surrender to Him because we love Him. Where there is love, there is surrender and faithful obedience. We ask with a believing heart because love and faith go together. When you love someone, you trust him, and you don't hesitate to ask him for help.

Love is the spiritual force behind the imperative James gave us. If we love God, we will have no problem counting, knowing, letting, and asking. Love keeps us faithful to the Lord.

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James is about spiritual maturity

I love Warren Wiersbe, reading Be Mature  he talks about the four factors essential to become spiritually mature:
1. We are born again from the Word of God and Spirit of God (James 1:18, 1 Peter 1:23, John 3:5-6)
 - Saved by faith (Eph 2:8-9), which comes from the word of God (Rom 10:17)
2. The Word is the mirror, we should be able to clearly examine ourselves in (James 1:22)
3. We must obey what God teaches us, no matter the cost. Unless we are willing to obey, the Lord is not obligated to teach us (John 7:17).
 - As I've been studying I've thought about people's ability to begrudgingly obedient. So I've replaced obedience with faithful and true. 
4. Be prepared for extra trials and testings, because the enemy will oppose your progress ("tribulation worketh patience" Rom 5:3)
 - When we see our need for patience and ask God for help, God grants us the opportunity to be practice patience. It's in our choice that we grow in patience or continue to be inpatient. This is what it means to be tested by God, while the devil tempts us with doing the opposite (i.e. being impatient).

Maturity is both automatic and unstoppable but can be hindered and unfruitful. Never underestimate the power of God’s Word to change a person’s heart
 - We measure maturity by the word of God and the Son of God (Eph 4:13), not by comparing ourselves to other Christians.
 - Wisdom comes with age, but oftentimes age comes alone
 - Mature Christians are happy, useful, encouraging others and build their local church

The early church is described as "scattered seed" in that they carry God's word with them and plant in good soil. It's important not to retreat in the midst of conflict because God is using this to test our faith. We can prepare ourselves before conflicts or trials come by seeing ourselves against God's standard in his Word and Son and commit ourselves to the needed change. To say yes to God and no to the devil.

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James affirms Jesus words on who we should live to become

Reading Be Mature by Wiersbe he shows how James was influenced by Jesus, Sermon on the Mount. Having read through this makes me clear on what life leads us to.

AIM: learn about blessing in opportunity, growth, simple relationship with God, listen then do, a mirror of your soul is desire, bonus: we can impact our own desires.
 - Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. (Psalm 37:4)

Blessing in Trials, as an opportunity for righteousness James 1:2—Matthew 5:10–12 
Trials coming from outside are a joy, we are blessed by God when persecuted for righteousness in Jesus' Name.

Grow up, live your identity in Christ - BE PERFECT James 1:4—Matthew 5:48 
"Grow up. You’re kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you." MSG
 - perfect as your father in heaven is perfect, lacking nothing

Simply ask God for wisdom, help James 1:5—Matthew 7:7–12 
Don't know what to do? Ask God who gives generous wisdom when we ask. “Don’t bargain with God. Be direct. Ask for what you need...Here is a simple, rule-of-thumb guide for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you, then grab the initiative and do it for them. Add up God’s Law and Prophets and this is what you get."

Listen to God's word and do what is says James 1:22—Matthew 7:21–27
 24-25 “These words I speak to you are not incidental additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundational words, words to build a life on. If you work these words into your life, you are like a smart carpenter who built his house on solid rock. Rain poured down, the river flooded, a tornado hit—but nothing moved that house. It was fixed to the rock.

26-27 “But if you just use my words in Bible studies and don’t work them into your life, you are like a stupid carpenter who built his house on the sandy beach. When a storm rolled in and the waves came up, it collapsed like a house of cards.”

See yourself in truthfully, live rightly and faithfully - not against others James 4:11–12—Matthew 7:1–5
Don’t speak evil against each other...your job is to obey the law, not to judge whether it applies to you. God alone, who gave the law, is the Judge. He alone has the power to save or to destroy.

Don’t pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults— unless, of course, you want the same treatment. That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging. It’s easy to see a smudge on your neighbor’s face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own. Do you have the nerve to say, ‘Let me wash your face for you,’ when your own face is distorted by contempt? It’s this whole traveling road-show mentality all over again, playing a holier-than-thou part instead of just living your part. Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face, and you might be fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbor.

What you put your life into, is where your desire is James 5:1–3—Matthew 6:19–21
...greedy luxuries are a cancer in your gut, destroying your life from within. You thought you were piling up wealth. What you’ve piled up is judgment.
Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.

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All faith is tested, revealing truth (James 1:1-18)

A) Faith under pressure shows what it truly is (diamond or dust)
1:1) James is a slave to God and Master Jesus, writing to Jewish believers
2-4) Consider gift/count it joy/ when trials/test, challenges/temptation - your faith-life is forced in the open, let it be matured/endurance/perseverance
5-8) Confused/Need wisdom? Ask the Father who loves to help, but trust God completely - worried prayers are keeping options open - follow the Master only
 - Wisdom is understanding God's ways (James 3:13)
 - Live Well, Live Wisely James 3:13-18 (MSG)
 - A gift of the Spirit (Isaiah 11) is wisdom and understanding, knowledge and fear of the Lord (11:2) leading to the "Belt of Truth" (Ephesians 6:14), being "Righteousness and faithfulness" (Isaiah 11:5)
9-11) God honors believers who are poor and humbles believers who are rich - that's awesome. Prosperous life fades away like a flower
KEY VERSE:
12) Anyone who meets a testing challenge head-on and manages to stick it out is mighty fortunate. For such persons loyally in love with God, the reward is life and more life. (MSG)
 - Jesus teaches love precedes obedience and the indwelling Holy Spirit (John 14:15-31)
 - Loving obedience will characterize those who belong to God
12) God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward, they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. (NLT)
 - What does this look like? 1 Peter 3:8-22, sympathy, brotherly love, tender heart, humble mind: 1 Peter 3:9 do not repay evil for evil, but bless - turn away from evil and do good (Ps 34:12-16)
 - Eternal life starts now and lasts forever, like a bubbling string well up inside (John 4:14)
 - It's fruit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Gal 5:22-23)
13-15) No one is tempted by God, God isn't evil, temptation comes from our own desires we've harbored
16-18) Don't be misled, every desirable and beneficial gift are rivers of light cascading down from the Father of Light. There is nothing deceitful in God, He gave life by the True Word - that we should be firstfruits of his creatures
 - A pure diamond reflects light beautifully, like the sun coming in the airplane window and hitting my wife's engagement ring. This was the most expensive gift I had given someone at that time in my life.
 - Sometimes we can feel like a lump of coal, it just soaks up the sun and is warmed. Be comforted if that is you, see the hope perseverance can bring. 

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To overcome EVIL, LIVE in the TRUTH

Years ago I took a course called Faith Biblical Counseling at Grace Church. Grace Church and Faith Biblical Counseling provide the tools and education needed to help others arise victorious over the burdens of life... to support people as they transform their marriages, heal broken relationships, and overcome sin. I remember the contrast of what the world says to do vs what the Bible says to do.
Biblically for those who follow Jesus, they will know the truth and the truth will set them free.

So He (Jesus) said to the Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, you are truly My disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”  John 8:31-32

Jesus answered, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. If you had known Me, you would know My Father as well. From now on you do know Him and have seen Him.” John 14:6-7 

Recently I've been making new friendships with people overcoming alcohol addiction. I've had the opportunity to read the AA Big book and Allen Carr's easyway. The big take away for me is that drinking alcohol doesn't live up to its promises. The more a person believes the promise of alcohol the worse their life becomes. The only way to health and well-being is to know the truth. The truth shows lies of the evil one for what they are, lies. Allen Carr talks about two monsters the little monster (physical addiction) wears a "hunger" outfit and the big monster (psychological) wears a "desire" outfit. Hunger and desire are good things the monster wears to trick us into traps of temptation. Pretty simple - but you really have to read the whole book to get his message.

This week in BSF we are studying James and going through COVID-19 and the beginnings of a global depression. The big idea here is authentic faith continues to actively follow Jesus' instructions. James 1-2 is about trials, temptations and faith. The verse that came to me clearly is James 2:21, the message version puts it like this: "So throw all spoiled virtue and cancerous evil in the garbage. In simple humility, let our gardener, God, landscape you with the Word, making a salvation-garden of your life."

Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ Anything more comes from the evil one. Matthew 5:37

What the evil one does and doesn't do

• And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.' Matthew 6:13
• When anyone hears the message of the kingdom but does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path. Matthew 13:19
• The field is the world, and the good seed represents the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, Matthew 13:38
• I am not asking that You take them out of the world, but that You keep them from the evil one. John 17:15
• In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Ephesians 6:16
• But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one. 2 Thessalonians 3:3
• Our faith is a response to (and sustained by) God's faithfulness
• I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I have written to you, children, because you know the Father. 1 John 2:13
• Jesus answered, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. If you had known Me, you would know My Father as well. From now on you do know Him and have seen Him.” John 14:6-7 
• Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he slay him? Because his own deeds were evil, while those of his brother were righteous. 1 John 3:12
• And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants. John 3:19-21
• We know that anyone born of God does not keep on sinning; the One who was born of God protects him, and the evil one cannot touch him. 1 John 5:18
• Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.” John 3:3

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