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Worry Is Worthless – Part One
The following will be best understood by first reading Matthew 6: 27- 34.
Jesus knows human nature. He knows your tendency to worry. He is aware of your proclivity to be pessimistic and look on the dark side of most things. Therefore, “Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?” (Matthew 6: 17).
Mark Twain once wrote: “I am an old man and I have seen a lot of troubles, but most of them never happened.” Can you agree?
The Authorized King James version translates the Greek word “merimnao,” “take no thought.” The Greek word has two parts which are “merim,” meaning “mind” and “nao,” signifying “to divide.” Thus, the word speaks of a divided mind. That is what worry is, a divided mind. It means to fall to pieces. Old timers were known to say, “I just fell to pieces.”
Hence, “A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways” (James 1:8).
Worry divides our mind, that is, our understanding; therefore, we end up wishy-washy and confused.
Worry divides our discernment; therefore, our observations and conclusions are cloudy.
Worry divides our feelings, and as a result our emotions are unstable.
There are physical reasons not to worry. In 1610 and 1611 when the AKJ was translated, “thought” meant a negative attitude, actually worry. For example, writing in that time period it was said Queen Catherine “died of thought.” That didn’t mean she existed without thinking and then one day she had a thought and it killed her like a stroke or heart attack.
Another example of this use from the same period related to a play in which it was said to Queen Cleopatra, “Think and die,” meaning “worry will kill you.” Today medical science has proven this to be true.
The expression “take no thought” isn’t an encouragement to be thoughtless, shiftless, or thankless.
Prudent, practical planning is always appropriate.
What Jesus said meant to His hearers and to us, “don’t worry.” If He tells us not to do it that means it is wrong to do it and there are ways to avoid worry. Incidentally, in this passage in Matthew, Jesus repeats the expression four times. It is as though He knew we needed it emphasized. He wanted to be clearly understood. Take Jesus at His word and don’t worry. Instead, exercise faith today.
A Faith That Works – Part Three
Come look in the looking glass again.
“For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the word, this one will be blessed in what he does” (James 1: 23 – 25).
This graphic example is an instant indictment of many. It speaks of a person who merely glances in a mirror, compares himself to himself, and goes his way forgetting what he saw. When a person looks in the mirror of their own standards they always look good. Many are deceiving themselves by living by their own standards rather than God’s.
The word “look” translates the Greek word meaning to “peer into it,” take an in-depth look. The reference here is the Bible, God’s mirror given us.
Looking only leaves us in moral and spiritual slavery. Doing God’s word sets us free.
We are to “continue” in the word. The Christian life is to be lived in the present tense. We can’t live today off spiritual coupons clipped from yesterday. We are to peer into the word daily and incorporate it into a lifestyle.
The result is found in the word “blessed” (Vs. 25). There are some lifestyles far easier than following Jesus, but there are none better. The life of the doer is the very best because it is the one blessed.
Faith must show itself in action.
Jesus brought the issue into focus with these words:
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” (Matthew 7: 21 – 23).
A person living in deep depravity was the topic of discussion when one of the conversants said, “But he said he is a Christian.” Not! Hopefully as unlikely as it seems he may some day come to his senses and repentantly turn to the Lord and experience the joy of salvation. Such would be a first time act, not a renewal.
If a person claims to be a Christian, the claim can be tested by bringing them face to face with the Word of God. If there is a positive reaction, the claim is real. If not, the claim is false.
The person referred to in the text once looked in the mirror, the Word of God, and saw himself a sinner. While he continues to look into the mirror he is affected, and wishes himself different to what he appears, and forms purposes of doing what he can to render his countenance agreeable. Once away from the mirror he forgets what he once wanted to change and doesn’t do the word.
Good news, a doer of the word, this one will be blessed… (James 1:23 – 25).
A Faith That Works – Part Two
“So with faith, if it does not lead to action, it is in itself a lifeless thing.”
James 2: 17 New English Bible
Our generation has watched the unweaving of America’s moral fabric. As a result many seem to go through life standing at the “complaint counter.” There is a better way. Genuine moral awakening begins when we gain the perspective on life shown by an old Polish Rabbi, Hafez Hayyim, who was being visited by an American. The guest was amazed to see the old man’s home was furnished with racks of books. The only furniture was a table and a bench.
“Rabbi, where is your furniture?” asked the tourist.
“Where is yours?” replied Hafez.
“Mine? But I’m only a visitor here.”
“So am I,” said the rabbi.
Had we that attitude we would tend to focus more on spiritual matters.
As doers of the word we can begin to impact our national moral condition. One young man put it this way.
“When I was a young man, I wanted to change the world. I found it difficult to change the world, so I tried to change my nation. When I found I couldn’t change my nation, I began to focus on my town. I couldn’t change the town and as an older man, I tried to change my family.
Now as an old man, I realize the only thing I can change is myself, and suddenly I realized that if long ago I had changed myself, I could have made an impact on my family, and I could have made an impact on my town. Their impact could have changed the nation, and thus I could have indeed changed the world.”
Get away from the complaint counter, change your own moral life and thereby help change the world.
James relates the same truth in this way.
“For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the word, this one will be blessed in what he does” (James 1:23 – 25).
To know God’s word and not do it is sin.
“Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin” (James 4:17).
Reading in order to obtain Bible knowledge and facts is important, but the listener must translate it into daily life. Otherwise we are like a person who eats often but his digestive system never allows the food to be assimilated. Such a person, though well nourished, becomes malnourished.
To know and not do the word is to deceive ourselves. Get away from the complaint counter and go over to the assignment desk.
A Faith That Works – Part One
Consider this scenario. You have just made a big decision, a transformative decision. You want to be known as a chess player. That is to become your life long persona. From now on you will be known as a chess player. A friend has just given you a helpful book entitled, “How to Be a World’s Champion Chess Player.” You enjoy reading from it for a time, but rarely make the moves taught in the book. You don’t do the things the book advocates. You don’t practice the basics. As a result you never become the chess player you started out to become.
This is a parody of so many Christians. They fail to do, that is practice, what the Bible teaches. Receiving a truth should be followed by learning it. However, it is expedient that learning a truth be followed by making it a part of the inner person. Facts in the head must be infused as truth in the heart. Scripture asserts: “Be doers of the word and not hearers only.”
The Bible teaches that we must practice, that is do the word, not just know it. The Greek word for practice “prasso” refers to continuous action. It means to practice as a habit. The text is a present imperative which means to continually practice Bible truths as the norm in life.
The word “prasso” can also be translated “do.” To know a truth and not do it is failure to “…prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves” (James 1: 21).
Doctors are spoken of as practicing medicine. That is because their profession maintains a normal routine of doing what they know to do. In this light Christians are to practice Christianity.
Upon trusting Jesus as Savior we experience justification by the blood of Jesus. Martin Luther said of it, “Justification is by faith alone, but it is not by faith that is alone.”
True saving faith is “Fides Viva” living faith. That is, a faith that results in the person being a doer of the word and not a hearer only.
With the precision of an Olympic marksman the Scripture fires a well targeted shot: “Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead” (James 2:17).
The Holy Spirit is relentless in pursuing the issue. In staccato fashion, faith and works are linked thirteen times in this brief passage.
It is possible to profess faith without possessing faith, but it is not possible to possess faith without practicing it.
A person can be enlightened in his mind and stirred in his heart and still be lost.
Even demonic faith can be emotional as well as intellectual. The devil is depicted as accepting the facts about God and trembling.
The New English Bible has a clear translation of verse 17: “So with faith, if it does not lead action, it is in itself a lifeless thing” (James 2: 17).To believe in God and not obey Him is the very essence of sin. Faith must show itself in action. Today practice your faith, go do your faith.
A Call to Renewal – Part Three
II Chronicles 7:14
On three occasions before America has been lulled into the sleep of a spiritual slumber.
In the early 1790’s, as this young nation was emerging, a poll was taken at Harvard and could not find a single believer.
At Princeton they found only two. There they found only five who were not members of the “Filthy Speech Movement.”
The Chaplain of Yale opened his Bible and a deck of cards planted there by students fell out in chapel.
At Dartmouth, students conducted a mock communion service.
With a national population of only 5,000,000 there were over 300,000 alcoholics. The Whiskey Rebellion was so destructive that President Washington had to call out the national guard.
The churches were so decadent that Chief Justice John Marshall wrote to Bishop Madison of Virginia: “The churches are too far gone to be redeemed.”
In 1797, a godly Baptist named Isaac Baccus called upon America to wake up. God’s people practiced II Chronicles 7:14 and a great spiritual awakening resulted.
WHAT ARE WE TO DO?
A few believers, there need not be many, need to get themselves right with the Lord.
If you are a parent of a young child and are a nominal Christian, only casually active in the practice of your faith, now is the time to reassess your values and commit yourself and your family to the Lord as never before. That includes getting actively involved in the local church.
My dear young friends, if you are fighting against the tenants of loving Christian parents and inclined toward rebellion, now is the time for your own sake to change. Involvement in the rebellious segment of the youthful society has proven over and over to be self-destructive. That means something beautiful is destroyed. From the vantage point of admirable youth it is impossible to imagine what a beautiful life that destroys. Those of us who have lived it and enjoyed it appeal to you for your own sake “don’t blow it.”
Let them bind themselves together to pray for spiritual awakening. Here is the dangerous step.
Let them put themselves at the disposal of God to be used in turning others to Him.
Part of this involves working to elect responsible people who hold the view of George Washington as expressed in his Farewell Address: “Virtue and morality is a necessary spring of popular government.”
WAKE UP AMERICA. There is a great civil war of values being waged and we dare not sleep through it. If we attempt to, we will die in our sleep.