It would be impossible to count the number of times that people have shaken their fist up toward Heaven and said, “God! Why did you?” Don’t be confused, there is nothing wrong with asking God why bad things are happening, but there is something wrong with blaming God for the bad things that happen. Sin is the root of all our troubles, not God. Especially, and more to the point, our own sins. James said “13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. 14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. 15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.” (James 1:13-15). 

It is our nature to cast blame on others, but when we do, we really harm ourselves more. It is always good advice to look into the perfect law of liberty and examine ourselves first before we think of blaming others for our troubles. 

In the churches of Galatia there were Jewish Christians who were trying to force members to include and keep parts of the old covenant, including circumcision. Paul in his letter to those saints strongly condemns this calling it a perversion to the gospel of Christ. He further adds that when you add anything to the pure gospel of Christ you will bring a terrible curse upon yourself. Paul declared “But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be [b]accursed” (v.8). The pure gospel message that Paul preached did not come from man, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ (vs.11-12).

Unfortunately, still today men have perverted the pure, true gospel of Jesus Christ in such smooth ways, that millions of people now believe outright lies with such veracity (uncountable truthfulness) which is to say they believe and defend the lie. “Faith only Salvation”, “Once Saved Always Saved”, are false doctrines that accompany almost every denominational church that exists today. 

How does this happen? Simply put, people don’t have a love for the truth and as a result they believe the, “. . . deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (2 Thess. 2:9-12).

The truth is God’s word, (John 17:17), and like the saints in Galatia if you believe things that are not found in the word of God, you will also perish in your iniquity. The truth is in there, you only need to read it for yourself. 

We live in tumultuous times and there are often many reasons to feel anxious, depressed or sorrowful, but for the child of God, even amidst the most difficult of trials we have reason to rejoice. Add to this being poor, and for some this would be unbearable but not for the Child of God. We know with certainty that Jesus our Lord is risen from the dead, that He is ruling His kingdom, the church now from His throne in heaven, and that He will one day return and take us up to meet Him in the air, then to meet the Father face to face. With this hope before us nothing we have but one way to go, up! We can rejoice in our exultation. 

A play on words, we all seem to have a story of the worse day of our lives. For some tragedy strikes and hearts are broken, other experience loss of income, property or old friends. My “worse day”, was nothing like that. In fact looking back at it I find some of it was actually amusing. But as this lesson reveals there will be a Day we will either rejoice and be exceedingly glad or realize once and for all what the “worse day of our life” really means. 

It is amazing what many Christians tend to do when life throws a road bump. When various trials are presented to us we don’t always look to the Mighty God, our Creator for wisdom. How do I handle this trial? Which direction should I go? What is the right choice that will glorify God in the process and guide me in the right way? Too often we tend to ask a friend, even one of the brethren for advice. Too often we search the internet, or buy some, “Christian Self-Help Book”. Far too often we listen to radio or T.V. personalities. But the one place we all should go–is to our loving Father who promised us that when we are facing hard times, various trials, He would supply us with wisdom. James will say, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. . . ”  (James 1:5). God will supply you with all you need to face each day in victory but, there are stipulations, there are prerequisites namely, “But let him ask in faith, with no doubting. . . ”  (v.6a). Together let us see by the inspired words of James what the stipulations are and what the happens when we ask in faith, what happens when we doubt.  

Listen along as we continue in the first chapter of James with this second lesson from James’ letter where James tells us when, not if, but when trials come the right thing to do is to allow them to increase your steadfastness and to use them to glorify God. When we apply various trials to our steadfastness something happens to us. The steadfastness produces endurance. When we use the trials of life to glorify God we are being perfected lacking nothing. 

We will all face “various trials”  and he “testing of our faith”  is constant. But what do we do in those times? How do we effectively hands the trials and testing in a way that will increase our patience, our steadfastness? James gives us the answer to these questions in the first four verses of his letter. This letter was written to “the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad”, which refers to the tribes of the dispersions. James is trying to reach a broad audience with this letter that when read, and applied can decrease the affects of life’s trials, and strengthen the child of God to be ready to stand firm amid the hardest of times. In the simplest way, James is showing us that when, not if, but when trials come the right thing to do is to allow them to increase your steadfastness and to use them to glorify God.

There are many kinds of workers in this world. Some work in office buildings and dress up, wear colon and then some work in the sewers. To the one when approached you might welcome them, shake their hand, invite them over for coffee or just to talk. The latter when they approach you, quite possibly you might hold your nose and say, stay back a little. In the church we all should have a distinctive aroma, that is to say we should all smell like Jesus.  In his autobiography golfer Walter Hagen wrote: “Don’t hurry. … And be sure to smell the flowers along the way.” That eventually was paraphrased to what we often hear today, “Stop and Smell the roses”! And—believe it or not—not making time to stop and smell the roses spiritually speaking . . . can be connected to the lack of understanding of spirit and truth, to a weak faith instead of a strong faith. When we don’t stop and take time to breath in the sweet smelling fragrance of Christ, of God’s word, we will struggle, and. . .

Are social activities wrong? Is the church of Christ anti-social? Thankfully, with context in place, I can say no to both questions. But many falsely accuse the church of Christ to be anti-social because we don’t include basket ball courts, day care, quilting classes, financial education courses, dinners, kitchens, dining halls, family life centers, food courts, etc., in the work of the church. All these things done outside the church are perfectly acceptable as long as they aren’t interfering with your work and family life. When we ask the question are social activities within the church ok, then the answer is no. Simply put, the church you can read about in your bible has a job to do, fashioned and ordained by. . .

Are you for the Lord or are you with the Lord? Moses said, “Whoever is on the Lord’s side—come to me!” It is a question which every person should seriously consider with respect to his own status now. Are we really on the Lord’s side? implies the possibility of being on a side other than the Lord’s. The other side, of course, is the side of Satan. All responsible beings are on one or the other of these two sides. Though many try to “play both sides right down the middle” such cannot really be done. The Lord declared, “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon” (Matt. 6:24). He further said, “He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.” (Matt. 12:30). Notice the word “with” in the above statement! The original language signifies “to be with one. on one’s side” (Thayer, p. 403). Matt 28:20 “teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.”