Three key ingredients are typically found in effective prayer: 1. praying in the name of Jesus; 2. praying in faith; and 3. praying from a position of your righteousness in Christ as a man or woman who maintains a right heart toward fellow believers. (See yesterday’s entry on James 5:16; http://www.firstofallpray.com/?p=6405.)

James wrote that effective prayer “can accomplish much” and, according to the Amplified Bible, “makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working]” (James 5:16b). He continued with this thought by citing the example of the effective prayers of the prophet Elijah.

Elijah was a man with a nature like ours…

James did not connect the name of Elijah with his calling, “prophet”. He meant no disrespect; on the contrary, he highlighted Elijah as a model of an effective man of prayer. But James was not interested in titles or callings in this context; instead, he sought to draw attention to Elijah’s humanity—as a man with a nature similar to everyone else.

Why would James do this? Wasn’t the prophet Elijah a set-apart, powerful prophet of faith? Matthew Henry wrote, “He was a zealous good man and a very great man, but he had his infirmities, and was subject to disorder in his passions as well as others” (see http://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/mhc/Jam/Jam_005.cfm, emphasis added). It is due to Elijah’s humanness that you can take courage through his example. You may not be able to relate to the prophet, but you can relate to another fallible human being. And James was saying, in essence, that powerful, effective prayer is available to everyone—not just for certain elite “holy men”.

…and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months.

Elijah came on the scene during a long span of corruption in Israel. King Omri had done evil in the sight of the Lord, and acted more wickedly than all who were before him (1 Kings 16:25). But after him, his son Ahab, who was on the throne in Elijah’s time, did evil in the sight of the Lord more than all who were before him—even more than his wicked father Omri (see Kings 16:30). Ahab not only walked in the sins of those who went before him, but he added insult to injury by marrying Jezebel, daughter of Sidonian king Ethbaal, whose name revealed that he was a worshiper of Baal. Ahab followed Jezebel into her family’s worship of idols and built a house and altar for Baal in Samaria, the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel. On top of that, he also made an Asherah—a goddess viewed to be the consort of Baal by the nations around Israel. “Thus Ahab did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel than all the kings of Israel who were before him” (1 Kings 16:33b).

Enter the prophet Elijah. Gripped with zeal for the one true God, Elijah confronted Ahab and said, “As the Lord, the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, surely there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word” (1 Kings 17:1b). And so it happened—no rain for three and a half years.

Then he prayed again, and the sky poured rain and the earth produced its fruit.

In the third year, the Lord told Elijah that it would rain. But there was some business to accomplish first. He was to face Ahab and the priests of Baal—despite the fact that Ahab had called Elijah a troubler of Israel—and confront them about Baal worship (see 1 Kings 18:1, 17-19).

1 Kings 18 chronicles the confrontation between Elijah and the priests of Baal. God displayed His mighty power while at the same time He exposed the impotence of Baal as a testimony to Ahab and all of Israel that Yahweh alone was God. After Elijah slaughtered every one of the false prophets of Baal, he spoke to the king, “Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of the roar of a heavy shower” (1 Kings 18:41) when there wasn’t a single cloud in the sky. The Bible reveals that Ahab did as Elijah commanded, but Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he crouched down on the earth and put his face between his knees (1 Kings 18:42).  And thus Elijah prayed—earnestly and with effectiveness, with undivided attention upon gaining his request from God.

Despite all of the spectacular miracles surrounding Elijah prior to that, he didn’t see the answer to this prayer immediately. As he crouched, praying, he asked his servant to check seven different times to look out over the sea in hopes of rainclouds approaching. “There is nothing” the servant replied six times (see 1 Kings 18:42-43).

But on the seventh check, the servant returned with this report: “Behold, a cloud as small as a man’s hand is coming up from the sea” (verse 44).  And soon, the sky grew black with clouds and wind, and there was a heavy shower (verse 45).

Remember, Elijah had a nature like the rest of us have. And as he listened to God and refused to waver, his prayers prevailed.

Like Elijah, as you seek to obey the Lord and follow Him in your life, refusing to waver in your prayer of faith—your prayers will prevail. The Lord is faithful.

Dorothy

Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised). Hebrews 10:23, KJV

Therefore, confess your sins to one another…

James described the kind of atmosphere in which prayers are more readily answered. This is the environment in which people of God feel safe enough to freely confess their sins to one another. This should be the environment found in every Bible study, prayer group, and church. However, when members carelessly toss aside concern for the dignity and privacy of others, that Christian circle is no longer a safe place for those who are vulnerable and hurting. In fact, it becomes unsafe for everybody involved until—you guessed it—the offending individuals wake up and repent. If you’ve had difficulty respecting the private concerns of others, take care of business right away. Humble yourself before the Lord and confess it to Him. Don’t be guilty of undermining the safe environment in your fellowship. When you continue in careless discussion you—not those about whom you gossip—become the weak link in your group.

…and pray for one another…

In a safe, privacy-respecting environment, praying for one another comes naturally—and it brings supernatural results. In such an environment, men and women look out for the interests of others, not merely their own (see Philippians 2:4). Whether praying for someone else face to face or on your own, your genuine, heartfelt prayers of faith—saturated in love—pave the way for the power of God to take over. In such an environment, both leadership and members take their stand in prayer, opening the door for an atmosphere conducive to breakthroughs and miracles.

…so that you may be healed.

This is the environment where healing becomes common place. Broken, diseased bodies are healed, and tormented minds are delivered from bondage. Instead of being dismissed as having little faith, those who remain long in a weakened condition are encouraged and lifted up in faith and love before a God who is ever-present in times of trouble. Instead of being pounded with impatient Bible instruction, those who are still believing for their healing are honored for their gallant stand of faith. This is the environment in which people can be healed.

The effective prayer of a righteous man…

What is effective prayer? Much has been written and preached on this subject by men and women of brilliant, effective faith. In their instruction, these individuals have gone into great detail to depict what effective prayer really is. In fact, in the next verse, James himself depicted such prayer by using the example of the prophet Elijah.

But I want to stick with this verse—verse 16—and the two preceding verses (…he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up...) to discover a little bit about effective prayer.

Effective prayer will always contain these three ingredients:

Effective prayer is prayed in the name of Jesus. It is because of Jesus’ substitutionary death that you have the right to go before God with boldness in the first place. You pray in the name of Jesus because you are His. You pray in the name of Jesus because His name is above all other names, and in Him all the promises of God are yes and Amen (see 2 Corinthians 1:20).

Effective prayer is prayed in faith. The eye of faith is less upon:

• me
• my execution of the prayer
• my faith

and more upon:

• the Father who sent His Son to die for me
• the resurrected Lord in whom all of the promises of God are Yes
• the Spirit of God who quickens His Word to my heart

Effective prayer is prayed by a righteous man or woman. All who are in Christ have been made righteous, yet to piggy-back on today’s title, “Environment for answered prayers “, consider this. The man or woman who endeavors to maintain an atmosphere of safety within their fellowship by keeping private the concerns of others is living out their righteousness in day-to-day reality.

…can accomplish much.

Such genuine respect for the dignity of others combined with the prayer of faith in the name of the Lord is the hallmark of the true Christianity. The body of believers who pray this way—in faith, in the name of Jesus, and with godly respect for one another—will be able to accomplish much through their prayers. The Amplified Bible declares in this verse that the prayers of such individuals will make “tremendous power available, dynamic in its working”.

Dorothy

Confess to one another therefore your faults (your slips, your false steps, your offenses, your sins) and pray [also] for one another, that you may be healed and restored [to a spiritual tone of mind and heart]. The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working]. James 5:16, AMP

Is anyone among you sick?

Sickness. Its oppressive grip was rampant in James’ day, and despite today’s “miracle” of modern medicine, it remains one of humanity’s most vicious foes. In contrast, the topic of healing is all over the Bible, and the good news is this: God specifically saw fit to include your healing and mine in the atoning work of Jesus.

The fact that sickness still stalks the earth in our time does not negate the truth that the apostle Peter so eloquently shared in his first letter, borrowing from Isaiah 53: “…and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed” (1 Peter 2:24).  Matthew’s gospel also borrowed from the same chapter: “When evening came, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed; and He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were ill. This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet: ‘He Himself took our infirmities and carried away our diseases’” (Matthew 8:16-17). The bottom line is this: By the wounds of Jesus you were healed, just as you were saved due to His atoning death and triumphant resurrection. You access both—healing and salvation—the same way: By grace, through faith in Jesus (see Ephesians 2:8).

So what do you do if you are sick, and despite praying, you just can’t seem to shake it? James gave clear instructions.

Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him…

If you’re sick, it is very appropriate to request prayer from the leadership in your church. In fact, James wrote “he must call”, lending urgency to his instructions. Don’t neglect that important aspect of church life if you are struggling with symptoms. Sure, see a doctor; but get the big guns of pastoral prayer behind you as well as you seek your healing.

…anointing him with oil…

Why oil? Oil represents the anointing of God, and it is a tangible, physical sign to you of your stand of faith. If symptoms persist or come back, you have a point of reference from which to position yourself; you can declare to your body, your mind, the devil, and the Lord: “I called for the elders of the church and they prayed over me, anointing me with oil in the name of the Lord. I’ve done my part, and I’m sticking with it. God, You are faithful to stick with Your part, and devil, in the name of Jesus, you must stick to your part—to flee from me. And good news, body—you get to stick with your part—to be wonderfully healed, you blessed thing!”

…in the name of the Lord…

When the leaders pray over you, they will pray in the name of Jesus, that name which is above every name. At His name, every knee must bow; every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father (see Philippians 2:9-11). And it’s not just physical knees that have to bow—every spiritual knee must bow as well. You hold fast to His name; those symptoms are subject to the name of Jesus, and to His name they must bow.

…and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up…

Much has been said about the prayer of faith. One thing that the prayer of faith was never meant to be is a club to beat you over the head with as inadequate or defective when your prayers are yet to be manifested. No, that’s the devil’s scam; don’t dance with him to that tune.

A note about symptoms—they come and they go. I am learning not to ask my symptoms if I am healed. I have all the information I need on the topic straight from God’s Word. I know that the Lord is the Healer; I trust Him to work mightily in my mortal body as I look to Him. Again—don’t be afraid or ashamed to seek out a doctor; just make sure you also get the full-force of the Word and the prayer of faith behind you with every symptom you face.

The Lord is in the restoration business. The prayer offered in faith is designed to restore you and raise you up. Don’t shy away from receiving prayer for your body due to fear that it won’t work; it is written that the prayer offered in faith will restore you. Again, don’t ask your body if that prayer is working—take God at His Word, and trust that He’s working inside of you. When you are raised up out of that sickness, He will get the glory—and you’ll be the picture of health.

…and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him.

God is so good. Sometimes—but not all the time—we bring sickness on ourselves with unwise  or ungodly choices. Here’s the good news: if you have committed sin—even if your actions opened the door for you to get sick—that sin will be forgiven you. What wonderful relief! The powerful one-two punch of this kind of prayer is that you get to watch the door slam shut on both the sickness and the sin—and you get freed from both.

Are you sick? Don’t hesitate any longer. Call for the elders of the church and have them anoint you with oil in the name of Jesus. That prayer, offered in faith, will restore you—and the Lord will raise you up. And bonus—if you’ve committed any sins, they will be forgiven you.

Dorothy

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget none of His benefits; Who pardons all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases…Psalm 103:2-3

No matter your shape or condition, go to God. Whether you’re hitting rock bottom or are happy as a clam, make it your practice to look to the Lord—for help or to praise.

Is anyone among you suffering?

Are you suffering? Be honest about it—many times Christians don’t like to admit when their circumstances are too much for them. As a result, they neglect finding the help they need by pretending nothing’s wrong. However, God is intimately acquainted with your stress, pain, anxiety, frustration, shame, and fear. He not only knows all about it but also understands how it grew to be so enormous. He knows more about it than you do yourself—and He knows how to bring the remedy and solution into your situation. Why live with the knots in your stomach, the sleepless nights, the crying jags, or the fits of frustrated rage any longer? Are you suffering? You must pray.

Then he must pray.

When you’re facing incredible frustration, agonizing stress, or unbearable heartache, the last thing you should do is “not bother God”. Bother Him! He knows the number of hairs on your head (Matthew 10:30); He knows when you sit down or rise up; He scrutinizes your path and your lying down, and He’s intimately acquainted with all your ways. Even before you say a word, He knows what you’re going to say (Psalm 139:2-4). He knows more about you than the NSA (they may read your emails, but they can’t read your heart—that ability belongs to Him alone!), and He loves you with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3). He’s on your side, and He has all the answers—along with the power and desire to bring those answers to you.

Is anyone cheerful?

Much of what is written in the Bible concerning our day-to-day lives is to equip you to stand fast in the Lord during troubles and tests of all kinds. However, you’re not always in the middle of an intense trial, and this little phrase in James’ letter acknowledges that fact. Do you feel great? Are things going well? Have you just experienced one of God’s blessings? Is it hard to wipe that smile off your face? Then there’s an app for that—a “James app”:

He is to sing praises.

Sing. Sing to the Lord. Sing praises to Him. Make singing to Him a practice every time something wonderful, sweet, kind, or merely pleasant happens to you. Give Him the glory—He is so worthy of it. You don’t have a decent singing voice? Join the club! Sing to Him anyway. Sing songs that you know and songs you make up—sing about the specific blessing He’s given you. It may sound funny to others, but you’re not singing for them—it’s to the Lord on High that you lift up your voice.

Moses spoke to a people on the verge of entering into great blessing. He said, “When you have eaten and are satisfied, you shall bless the Lord your God for the good land which He has given you” (Deuteronomy 8:10, emphasis added). Singing to the Lord is a tremendous way to bless Him.

Moses went on to explain why it is so imperative to prioritize blessing God. He said, “Beware that you do not forget the Lord your God…otherwise, when you have eaten and are satisfied, and have built good houses and lived in them…and all that you have multiplies, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God who brought you out from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery” (see Deuteronomy 8:11-14).

You bless the Lord so you don’t forget all that He has done for you. You sing praises to Him so that you don’t take His kindness for granted. And there’s something about singing to Him—your heavenly audience of One—that is deeply personal, vulnerable, and intimate. What a way to draw close to Him! What a way to minister your love and appreciation to His heart!

Are you suffering? Then pray. Are you cheerful? Sing praises. Your God is with you in tight places, and He’s the Architect of your breakthrough and blessings, as well. He never fails.

Dorothy

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. James 4:8a

All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out. John 6:37

But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath; but your yes is to be yes, and your no, no, so that you may not fall under judgment. James 5:12

But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath…

Jesus said something very similar to this in the Sermon on the Mount: “…I say to you, make no oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; anything beyond these is of evil” (Matthew 5:34-37).

The Lord said, “Make no oath.” James said, “Do not swear.” Both of these words, “oath” and “swear”, are the same Greek word, omnyō, which means “to affirm, promise, threaten, with an oath” (see http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=Jam&c=5&t=KJV&ss=1#s=1151012).

Why would this be such a big deal to the Lord and other writers of the Holy Scriptures? Does He not want us to make promises or enter into covenant with others?

I believe the central issue here is integrity. People often “swear to God” or “on a stack of Bibles” or make oaths of outrageous declarations such as I swear on the life of my firstborn. If you swear to God and do not fulfill your promise, your oath is meaningless—you can’t make God do a thing about your ill-conceived oath. He doesn’t answer to you! If you swear on a stack of Bibles and don’t follow through, your oath does not change one letter in the Word—your oath is meaningless. I swear on the life of my firstborn. Oh, really? So you’re ready to lose the life of your kid if you don’t follow through? If anyone falls for that, I have oceanfront property near Ferguson to sell them. And how about my personal favorite, Cross my heart, hope to die, stick a needle in my eye? That was an oath I often swore throughout my childhood. I broke most of those oaths but never stuck a needle in my eye—and I’m still alive to this day. Lord, help us!

…but your yes is to be yes, and your no, no…

James started this verse with the words, Above all. Above all, have integrity in yourself. Don’t enter into a pattern of outrageous swearing by or on anything. Instead, let your “yes” mean “yes” and your “no” mean “no”. And then follow through. Others will start seeing you as reliable and trustworthy, and you will earn the reputation as a man or woman of your word. You won’t need to swear extreme oaths to gain someone’s trust.

…so that you may not fall under judgment.

Again, why is the prohibition against swearing or making oaths such a big deal in the Bible? James answers it this way: so that you may not fall under judgment. I know from my vast history of crossing my heart, hoping to die, etc., that I rarely kept my promise. And if I was so quick to break my promises, I surely wouldn’t keep my flamboyant oaths any better. I may have promised to keep your secret about who you liked; I may have uttered cross my heart, hope to die, stick a needle in my eye; but if I felt like telling your secret to someone else the next day, all bets were off—I told. And then I made them swear to secrecy. I no more hoped to die than the man in the moon! And forget sticking a needle in my eye! Without knowing it, I put my little blonde girly self under judgment.

Do you realize that adults are very often no better? We may not use the same juvenile terminology, but we are capable of swearing and making oaths, nonetheless. Oh, but the Lord knows my heart, we think flippantly; and then we spill the beans on someone who had entrusted us with their deepest concerns. Ouch! This pains me to write; but I get the feeling that so much of the stuff that we brush off as innocent conversation is—in reality—quite destructive. I include myself in that assessment.

What should you do if you’ve ignored the warnings of Jesus and James and find yourself in a bind with something you’ve unwisely sworn or promised? Psalm 15:4b says this about the man of integrity: “He swears to his own hurt and does not change.” You swore it; you stick with it—even if it hurts. That’s a big reason I believe the Lord is so adamant about oaths—He knows they are typically extreme, often hasty, and He wants to protect you from having to face the painful outcome. Whether it’s the agony of following through with a nearly impossible oath or the prospect of being judged for your lack of integrity—it’s best to avoid swearing and making oaths altogether.

What do we do? We practice integrity. We practice being slow to speak. We check with the Lord before answering. We listen carefully to Him and develop the ability to recognize when we’re starting to run off at the mouth. We practice saying “yes” or “no”, period—no oaths; and we back our yeses and nos with action.

The Lord takes us seriously. May we take His concerns seriously, as well.

Dorothy

O Lord, who may abide in Your tent? Who may dwell on Your holy hill?

• He who walks with integrity
• and works righteousness
• and speaks truth in his heart.
• He does not slander with his tongue
• nor does evil to his neighbor
• nor takes up a reproach against his friend
• in whose eyes a reprobate is despised
• but who honors those who fear the Lord
• he swears to his own hurt and does not change

…He who does these things will never be shaken. Psalm 15:1-4, 5b

We count those blessed who endured.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3). Because of your relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, you are blessed, before, during, and after every trial, despite the outcome. It’s a standard feature of your new birth. But there is something uniquely remarkable about the man or woman who endures to the end under hardship, oppression, false accusation, or outright persecution. God counts all of His children blessed; we count those who endure blessed. Faithful endurance seems to crank up the “bless-o-meter”.

I think it has something to do with the thing called grace. Those of us who know the Lord are aware of how abundant His grace toward us is. We were saved by grace; we remain saved due to the sustaining continuance of His grace. Without His grace, we would all be, as my pastor often says, “burnt match heads”. When we fall (I’ve lost count of the spills I’ve experienced throughout my life), God’s grace is there to pick us back up, dust us off, clean us up, soothe our wounds, and put us back on the path. But as James wrote in chapter 4, verse 6, “But He gives a greater grace.” Those who have endured through thick and thin have learned the secret of accessing God’s greater grace. And that sets them apart from the pack.

You have heard of the endurance of Job…

 No one in their right mind would want to swap places with Job—at least during a certain two years of his life. The things that happened to him over a short period of time and then lingered while so-called friends accused him of bringing it all on himself would have driven many of us to complete hopelessness and despair, to the point of—like Job’s wife advised—cursing God and dying (see Job 2:9).

This woman viewed the very beginning of Job’s two-year stand of endurance—and despised him for it. In the same verse she raged , “Do you still hold fast your integrity?” Don’t be surprised if others mock your desire to stand fast in the Lord when under an attack. The natural way is to give up. The carnal method is to ditch the Word and get mad. The fleshly thing to do is to wallow in self-pity. And yes, Job was tempted to do all of the above—and even dabbled in a bit of it, too—but he kept coming back to his first love, God. After approximately two years, Job emerged from his ordeal. But not until he had endured the following:

• Sabeans raiding all his donkeys and oxen and killing all of those servants
• Chaldeans raiding all his camels, killing all of those servants
• His oldest son’s house collapsing on top of all of Job’s children in a huge windstorm, killing every one of them
• Being covered in painful boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head
• A foolish, antagonistic wife
• Three friends who told Job that he brought all of this on himself; they were pushing him to accept the blame for what he didn’t cause

A fourth man, Elihu, witnessed the escalation of all of the accusations as Job and the other three clashed against one another. When he had heard quite enough, he stepped in in an attempt to bring order and stop the blame game; and then the Lord spoke. He set Job straight: “Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said, ‘Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Now gird up your loins like a man, and I will ask you, and you instruct Me!’” (Job 38:1-3).

The Lord then arrested the finger-pointing of the three friends as well, saying to one of the men, “My wrath is kindled against you and against your two friends, because you have not spoken of Me what is right as My servant Job has. Now therefore, take for yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, and go to My servant Job, and offer up a burnt offering for yourselves, and My servant Job will pray for you. For I will accept him so that I may not do with you according to your folly, because you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has” (Job 42:7-8).

… and have seen the outcome of the Lord’s dealings…

“The Lord restored the fortunes of Job when he prayed for his friends, and the Lord increased all that Job had twofold… The Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; and he had 14,000 sheep and 6,000 camels and 1,000 yoke of oxen and 1,000 female donkeys. He had seven sons and three daughters… In all the land no women were found so fair as Job’s daughters; and their father gave them inheritance among their brothers… And Job died, an old man and full of days” (Job 42:10, 12-13, 15, and 17; emphasis added).

…that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful.

James wrote, “Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him” (James 1:12). The Lord is with you in the midst of every difficulty. As you choose to cling to Him and tune out the voices—both from others and yourself—to “curse God and die”, you will be strengthened by His mighty power to access His greater grace—the grace that will power you across the finish line.

Enduring to the end is rarely ever pretty. It is gritty, sweaty, agonizing, often lonely, very often tear-drenched, and in extreme cases, bloody. But the end of endurance is this—the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful.

Listen to the prophet Jeremiah who endured nearly constant persecution at the hands of those to whom he was sent: “Surely my soul remembers and is bowed down within me. This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope. The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:21-23).

Don’t give up. Run your race with endurance; when you have finished your course, you will receive the crown of life. We count those blessed who endured. You are called to be in that company.

Dorothy

My guess is that it has never been convenient or comfortable to be a messenger of righteousness in the midst of a godless or backslidden generation, even back in the days of Noah: “For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of darkness, reserved for judgment; and did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, with seven others, when He brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly…” (2 Peter 2:4-5, emphasis added). I can picture Noah preaching repentance and righteousness to the rebellious pre-flood world the whole time he worked on the ark—more than likely being scorned and mocked the entire time.

…take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.

Isaiah, Jeremiah, Hosea, and Amos spoke to God’s people living in the midst of prosperity. While the people conformed to a display of religious tradition, many also cozied up to pagan worship. Leaders were becoming more and more corrupt, families were growing increasingly unstable due to widespread immorality, and class hatred was on the rise (taken from notes on the Book of Isaiah and the Book of Hosea, Spirit-Filled Life Bible, Thomas Nelson, Inc., ©1991).

Joel prophesied during an interruption to the prosperity in Judah when it was overrun by a devastating plague of locusts that stripped the land of all vegetation within a few short hours.

Micah saw the beginnings of the divided kingdom and witnessed the spread of idolatry as it competed with the worship of God. Zephaniah was the last to prophesy to Judah before its captivity; and Habakkuk witnessed increasing violence against citizens, oppressive treatment of the poor, and the collapse of the legal system in Judah, just before Jerusalem fell (taken from notes on the Book of Micah, the Book of Zephaniah, and the Book of Habakkuk, Spirit-Filled Life Bible, Thomas Nelson, Inc., ©1991).

Daniel and Ezekiel prophesied during the time of exile; Haggai and Zechariah prophesied in the days following exile as the people returned to their land, and by the time of Malachi, the final prophet in scriptural record before the birth of Christ, the people had become immoral and careless once again (taken from notes on the Book of Malachi, Spirit-Filled Life Bible, Thomas Nelson, Inc., ©1991).

None of these godly men had an easy task; with fire in their hearts and tears in their eyes, they warned a rebellious people of God’s judgment.

As an example, brethren, of suffering and patience…

Although some of those prophets met with seasons of favor, none of them saw lifelong celebrity or fame. It didn’t matter; what did matter was the message God had branded upon their hearts.

Prophets had a unique manner of staying separated to God even as they connected with people. They were often loners who were misunderstood because of the message God gave to them and the methods by which He led them to share that message. They were the proverbial sore thumb, sticking out in the crowd. They were typically unpopular. They were rarely viewed as rock stars.

Although Isaiah enjoyed more favor than most of the others, it is traditionally thought that he was sawn in two under the reign of wicked king Manasseh. Daniel, another more favored prophet, was deported to Babylon as a teen at the beginning of the captivity of Jerusalem, never to return home. Ancient historian Josephus wrote that this godly youth was likely made a eunuch early in his captivity (see http://www.biblestudy.org/question/what-is-a-eunuch.html), and as an older man under the reign of Darius the Mede, Daniel was thrown into a den of lions. His crime? He violated the edict created to ensnare him by jealous satraps and governors—he prayed to the one true God instead of the king. Isaiah and Daniel each patiently served God in their time and were both willing to suffer death if necessary to maintain their loyalty to Him alone.

God directed Hosea to disrupt his domestic peace and expose himself to heartbreak by marrying a prostitute.  In this way, Hosea’s life became a living sermon about the agonizing waywardness of God’s people and the greatness of His mercy, forgiveness, and love.

And then there was Jeremiah. Called as a young man, Jeremiah was immediately informed by God that his message would not be well-received. The Lord told him, “Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you” (Jeremiah 1:8). He also said, “They will fight against you, but they will not overcome you, for I am with you to deliver you” (verse 19).

He was commanded by God not to marry and to remain childless as a sign of the destruction coming upon his generation (see Jeremiah 16:1-4). When Jeremiah prophesied in the court of the Lord’s house about the coming doom, the son of the priest struck him and put him in stocks outside at the gate, leaving him there all day and all night (see Jeremiah 20:1-3). When he later prophesied concerning King Zedekiah’s soon undoing, he was imprisoned within the king’s house (see Jeremiah 32:1-3).

While in prison, Jeremiah continued prophesying, not shrinking back from the word of the Lord despite the consequences. The king’s officials begged Zedekiah, “Now let this man be put to death, inasmuch as he is discouraging the men of war who are left in this city and all the people, by speaking such words to them; for this man is not seeking the well-being of this people but rather their harm” (Jeremiah 38:4). The king responded, “He is in your hand,” so they took the prophet and threw him in a dungeon filled with mire—deep, slimy mud (and who knows what else)—leaving him there to die (see verses 5-6). But, praise God, an Ethiopian eunuch, Ebed-Melech, pleaded for Jeremiah’s life before the king, and in response, Zedekiah ordered the release of the prophet (see verses 7-13).

James wrote, “As an example, brethren, of suffering and patience, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.” You have a rich heritage, passed down from men of faith, running through your veins. Stand fast in that Truth; it is the Word of life that can set men free. Cling tightly to Jesus; He is the Rock that will never roll; He will never leave you or forsake you.

Dorothy

And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death. Revelation 12:11

James wrote, “Be patient. Strengthen your hearts. The coming of the Lord is near” (see verse 8). He was girding believers for long-haul Christianity in the face of gross misrepresentation and ill-treatment. And then he admonished, “Do not complain, brethren, against one another, so that you yourselves may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing right at the door.”

The fledgling Church, arising on the scene in a hostile world, found herself under assault. In light of this, James advised the believers to be vigilant in three areas: “Be patient. Strengthen your hearts. Do not complain against one another.” This thought is enormous—and it’s probably bigger than any of us have imagined.

To navigate effectively and with integrity in the midst of a “Christophobic” environment (the direction in which our culture appears to be heading), you must exert patience and strengthen your heart. This is so you can outlast every strategy the enemy throws at you while you wait expectantly on God. But of equal importance is this: you must zip your lip when it comes to your brothers and sisters in Christ.

Being patient and strengthening your heart makes sense as a firm defense against both the schemes of the devil and those who seek to undermine your faith. But James revealed that what you say about fellow believers is equally as vital when it comes to standing solidly in Christ in the midst of a wicked and perverse generation. In other words, if your lips are loose about your brethren, you weaken yourself. You make yourself vulnerable to diabolic schemes without even realizing it. You give the devil an opportunity (see Ephesians 4:26-27).

Jesus said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.” He then went on to say, “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (see John 13:34-35). Remember, Jesus commissioned you and me to make disciples of all nations (see Matthew 28:19), but how will they know for sure that we really do represent Him? According to the Lord, it’s by the love we have toward one another. Since this is so, how can someone who shreds disciples with their words make disciples by their example? Who would want to be a disciple of that kind of bitter, fault-finding, contentious “holy” person?

When people see the love of Jesus demonstrated among believers, they have something very real to think about—something which can turn their cynicism into faith. If they choose to reject the truth in the face of God’s love in action, then they have no one to blame but themselves. But if they reject what they see in the church due to the back-biting and accusations they’ve witnessed within our ranks, then we believers have played a part in their ultimate destruction.

This doesn’t mean that you can’t get counsel about issues with others; it doesn’t mean that you must embrace an “anything goes” attitude when it comes to sin in the Church; it doesn’t even mean that you must accept everything you hear from every pulpit. It simply means that you are to treat your brothers and sisters with love and respect as joint heirs with Christ.

However, if you realize that you’ve been keen to blab about someone’s irritating quirks, sinful indiscretion, or even what you perceive as someone’s imbalanced grasp of the truth, sober up. James is talking to you—you have positioned yourself to be judged.

The coming of the Lord is near; the Judge is standing right at the door. The apostle Peter, writing about the end of our age asked, “What sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness?” (See 2 Peter 3:11.) And the writer of Hebrews declared, “…let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near” (Hebrews 10:24-25; emphasis added).

It makes sense then, as the age comes to a close, that Satan will seek to stir up complaint, indignation, bitterness, and outrage—believer against believer. First, if he can lure us off of our prayer post by distracting us with petty offenses, he will effectively strip away any threat or restraint we pose to his agenda. Oh, we may rant and rail about the wicked trends of this dark generation; but if we refuse to walk in love with one another, we forfeit the power of God moving on behalf of our prayers for the culture—because faith works through love (see Galatians 5:6).

And secondly, as the Lord’s return draws near, Satan is seeking to block the light of the gospel from the unbelieving. When we lose ourselves in pettiness and strife, looking down our noses at other believers, the love of God is nowhere to be found among us. If lost men and women search for Him and turn to us for help as we stew in indignant pettiness—they won’t find Him. Our strife will block His light.

If you persist in complaining against another Christian, you do so at your own risk. Instead, trust God with the whole situation. Repent for not releasing your concern to Him before now, and forgive that person for their offense. Then purpose to walk in love.

The Judge is near; He is standing right at the door.

Dorothy

Do all things without grumbling or disputing; so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world. Philippians 2:14-15

Therefore be patient, brethren…

James had just written about the self-absorbed, inhumane behavior that some who were wealthy displayed toward souls more righteous than they—men of whom the world was not worthy (Hebrews 11:38a). In the face of such treatment, James wrote “be patient”. The Greek word for “patient” is makrothymeō, which means “to be of a long spirit, not to lose heart”; “to persevere patiently and bravely in enduring misfortunes and troubles”; “to be patient in bearing the offenses and injuries of others”; “to be mild and slow in avenging”; and “to be longsuffering, slow to anger, slow to punish” ( see http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/Lexicon/Lexicon.cfm?strongs=G3114&t=KJV). When suffering unjustly, no one feels like responding that way. Yet this is what James taught.

The first meaning for makrothymeō is telling—“to be of a long spirit”. Your spirit, made in the image of Jesus Himself, is capable of bearing long under anything. As unpleasant as this may sound, the “long spirit” outlasts everyone and everything else. A man or woman with a “long spirit” is the last one standing, and hence, through Christ, is more than a conqueror. But how long must you exercise this “long spirit” of patience?

… until the coming of the Lord.

You are called to be patient until the coming of the Lord. Jesus did not return in James’ time, therefore, the patience of his audience was to extend to the end of their days. You and I are called to this duration of patience as well—until the coming of the Lord or the end of our lives, whichever comes first. And remember: the Lord never calls you to do anything for which He does not equip you. You are equipped; through Jesus you have been given a “long spirit”.

The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it…

Farmers have patience. They understand sowing and reaping, and they understand the necessity of waiting out the process for seeds sown to develop into a fully mature harvest. Jesus said, “The kingdom of God is like a man who casts seed upon the soil; and he goes to bed at night and gets up by day, and the seed sprouts and grows—how, he himself does not know. The soil produces crops by itself; first the blade, then the head, then the mature grain in the head” (Mark 4:26b-28). The farmer doesn’t dig up the seed every day to see if it has sprouted roots yet; he waits and lets the seed and the soil do their thing.

The church world today has viewed sowing and reaping and the patience of the farmer primarily in relation to the things we’ve desired. And that is fitting. Yet here, James was likening the patience of a farmer to believers enduring through ungodly treatment. Even when others look down on or misuse you, remember the farmer’s patient sowing and reaping. You sow peace; you sow integrity; you sow love and endure patiently, and you will reap an enormous crop of righteousness—if not now, then later. If not later, then in the world to come. And according to the Word—great shall be your reward (see Matthew 5:12).

…until it gets the early and late rains.

In James’ day, the early rains started in October (see http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/Lexicon/Lexicon.cfm?strongs=G4406&t=KJV). The late rains were in March or April, just before the harvest (see http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/Lexicon/Lexicon.cfm?strongs=G3797&t=KJV).

Patiently waiting for a mature crop was the way of life for James’ readers, and they knew the importance of rainstorms. Yes, it was muddy. Yes, the air was heavy with a damp chill. Yes, it was gloomy and dark. But the rains were necessary for the harvest to spring forth from the ground in all its abundant glory. Waiting in the damp, muddy, gloomy chill for a bumper crop was well worth every dark, dank, sticky, icky minute.

You too be patient…

James reminded them of the patience which farmers exerted through the often unpleasant, long wait and urged: You too be patient. He was encouraging them to view their harsh circumstances as the rain necessary to produce an abundant crop. If they encountered ill-treatment or distorted misrepresentation, it was like torrential downpours and angry thunderstorms. They, like farmers, could endure it all for the sake of the coming harvest.

…strengthen your hearts…

How do you strengthen your heart? Psalm 27:14 declares, “Wait for the LORD; be strong and let your heart take courage; yes, wait for the LORD.” Patience—waiting on God—has a strengthening component to it. As you wait on Him, you gain new strength (see Isaiah 40:31). And as you wait on Him, your heart takes courage, enabling you to stand. When you have done everything to stand, His courage within you empowers you to keep standing.

… for the coming of the Lord is near.

The endgame is not what evil men and women envision with their cleverly crafted social engineering. The endgame is not the ultimate triumph of man’s methods, ways, and ideologies over the beliefs of “unevolved clingers to an archaic Deity”. No.

The endgame is this: The coming of the Lord is near, and every eye will see Him (see Revelation 1:7). And the end of the matter is this: Because Jesus is Lord, you win. You—man or woman of the “long spirit”—have within you the ability to outlast and surpass the most unnerving, depressing, manipulative, wicked, undermining schemes concocted by man or by devil. Exert patience. Strengthen your heart.

The Lord is coming soon.

Dorothy

O love the Lord, all you His godly ones! The Lord preserves the faithful and fully recompenses the proud doer. Be strong and let your heart take courage, all you who hope in the Lord. Psalm 31:23-24

Although Matthew Henry’s commentary suggests that this portion of James’ letter was aimed at those among the Jews who didn’t know Jesus as Lord, I feel that Christians would do well to take this stern warning to heart. It focuses on attitudes concerning the use of money and is absolutely relevant.

In recent years the news has been filled with the outcry of the so-called “99%” against the supposed “1%”. According to those protesting the affluence of others, possession of wealth alone is an indictment against the rich (except for the wealthy who invest big bucks in their cause).

If he were alive today, James would not join in on the “occupying”. How do I know? He cared less about what someone owned and more about what—or who—owned them. If you’re shouting at people with money because they have money, you’re not driven by the wisdom from above—which is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy (James 3:17; http://www.firstofallpray.com/?p=6136 ). You’re being driven by the wisdom from below—and it’s earthly, natural, and demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing (see James 3:15-16; http://www.firstofallpray.com/?p=6131 ).

If James wasn’t against being rich, then why did he seem to come down so hard on affluence? Again, he didn’t care how much wealth someone had accumulated. What he did care about was the driving force within the man—was it to serve God or mammon? His strong comments were directed to believers who evidenced a stronger allegiance to money than to the Master.

Behold, the pay of the laborers who mowed your fields, and which has been withheld by you, cries out against you; and the outcry of those who did the harvesting has reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth.

I understand that most believers don’t think of themselves as employers. However, this verse is not merely speaking to business leaders or company owners. This verse hits closer to home. It addresses every kind of transaction in which you pay for work done on your behalf. Do you ever go out to eat? If so, what’s your attitude about tipping? How do you treat the person who cuts or colors your hair? Do you hire someone to clean your house? Have you ever hired someone to work on your yard or repair things around your house? Have you ever hired a baby sitter? A dog or a cat sitter? If so, you do hire laborers.

Check the state of your heart when the transaction takes place. Do you begrudge that money? Do you tell others that the worker tried to rip you off? Do you seek to pay as little as possible? Then you need to reread verse 4: Behold, the pay of the laborers who mowed your fields, and which has been withheld by you, cries out against you; and the outcry of those who did the harvesting has reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth.

You see, your attitude toward the money you pay to the various people doing different jobs for you is huge to God. Any money you withhold from them—pinching and manipulating to get a “good deal” out of them—cries out against you! And take a peek at whom those tightly clutched dollars cry out: the Lord of Sabaoth—the Lord of the armies of Heaven! God means business when it comes to withheld money.

I don’t want the squeezed-out, “good deal” money I hold back to shout to the Lord, “She refused to give me to the young man who did her yard work! You know You told her to pay more, Lord!” I don’t want to hear the cash in my wallet scream, “She kept me back, God, from the woman who colored her hair when she knew good and well that I should have gone to that hairdresser!” And I surely don’t want to hear it cry, “Lord Jesus! She stiffed the gal who cleans her house again! That lady needed a blessing, and Dorothy refused to give her a dime more than the bare minimum.”

God hears the pay of the laborers crying out against you when you withhold what is justly due. In order to keep your funds from protesting with loud cries to God, be generous and bless others who work or provide a service to you.

You have lived luxuriously on the earth and led a life of wanton pleasure; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter.

The Lord knows that you need to live. He knows you need to eat and that you need shelter and clothing. And according to God’s Word, it’s not sinful to enjoy comfort and nice things (see 1 Timothy 6:17b). However, James wrote here of excessiveness—the pursuit of luxury and pleasure which focuses solely upon self. The outcome of this kind of extreme indulgence is not nice—like cattle led to slaughter, the excessive individual is actually fattening his or her heart for a massive downturn—for a day of slaughter.

You have condemned and put to death the righteous man; he does not resist you.

Refusal to pay others fairly combined with the funneling of your income entirely upon self-indulgent pleasures—such behaviors do not reflect the Lord Jesus in your life. Instead, without realizing it, your excesses end up condemning and putting to death the righteous man [the person who provides you a valuable service for very little output when you could easily afford to pay more]; he does not resist you [he or she does not complain, but barely makes a subsistence living when the services provided to you genuinely streamline and/or enhance your life].

Yes, this is extreme language; this is why Matthew Henry did not think it was written to believers. However, those who serve or do work for us have needs; perhaps their needs are enormous and their lives are hanging in the balance; perhaps offering a bit more of your resources would tip the scale in their favor and bring blessing and relief to their depleted lives. Conversely, your disregard for fair payment could become the proverbial straw that breaks the camel’s back. Don’t let this happen on account of you. Remember, the Lord of Armies is listening to the cries of money withheld from those who work for you.

Be on your guard against a mindset of “me, me, me; mine, mine, mine”. Recognize the behaviors that are linked to a self-indulgent lifestyle. And if you find yourself in that place—stuck on self—then throw yourself in reverse, back-pedal out of that “fat” place, and high-tail it out of there, far, far away from the day of slaughter.

May the Lord help all of us to be blessers rather than withholders!

Dorothy

Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it. Proverbs 3:27

There is one who scatters, and yet increases all the more, and there is one who withholds what is justly due, and yet it results only in want. The generous man will be prosperous, and he who waters will himself be watered. He who withholds grain, the people will curse him, but blessing will be on the head of him who sells it. Proverbs 11:24-2