What Is Meant By Healing?

Is any among you afflicted?  Let him pray.

 Is any merry?  Let him sing psalms.

Is any sick among you?  Let him tell 

the elder of the church; and let them

pray over him, anointing him with

oil in the name of the Lord: and the

prayer of faith shall save the sick,

and the Lord shall raise him up;

and if he have committed sins,

they shall be forgiven him.  Confess

your faults one to another, and pray

one for another, that he may be healed.

The effectual fervent prayer of a

righteous man availeth much.

James 5: 13 -- 16

 

     There is much confusion and theological doctrines about this Scripture and the beliefs about healing that we must take a moment of time to reach clarity as to what James was teaching us.  As always I want to remind the reader that it is context, context, context that determines the interpretation of Scripture.  That is, that Scripture interprets Scripture and not man's presupposition and personal beliefs.  The English word "afflicted" does not give us a clearer understanding of the Greek word which means to suffer hardships.  Those hardships could be physical illness, or even mental illness, financial problems, marital problems, or even persecution by others because you are a Christian.  It is  not to be taken as a physical disease.  Some do.  What is a person supposed to do who finds himself in this position?  Pray!  What if the person finds himself to be "merry?"  Let him give praise!  James now addresses those who are "sick."  The Greek word could be translated to six and it does so six times but it also has a greater meaning it means strengthless, feeble, to be weak or weakness within that person and their ability to live a Christian life.  So as not to be taken just as physical sickness.  What is that person supposed to do?  He or she is to call for the elders, and noticed that it is not to call an elder got it is plural "elders."  Too often a single pastor or elder is dealing with a person who is in need of counseling and prayer.  This is not what James is teaching us for a person who is in this need must have more than one elder and they are to pray over that person and anointing him with oil. now here's where a lot of misuse is in regards to anointing with oil. There is nothing special about this oil and lasts this act of being anointed is in the name of the Lord and is accompanied by a prayer of faith.  Two things must be understood here, one, oil was used as an ointment to heal skin diseases, two, it could mean that they simply applied or oil to that person in an act of sacrament.  But the prayer of faith is not to save the sick as in some sort of disease rather the Greek word means to save the exhausted one.  Why is that person exhausted?  Could it be that they are living a life that is hardship?  And is that healing  and prayer of faith and instant thing?James does not say so poor he states that do to that person's faith and prayer of faith that person will be raised up by the Lord and is sins will be forgiven them that he may have committed.  sold the Scripture is speaking more about salvation and they need to confess our failings, R. Sands, our offenses.  James has been speaking earlier that we need to watch our words and if we fail in this regard we are to confess those offenses to one another, that is to the person we have offended.  And if a person does so then they will be healed, not necessarily from any kind of physical or mental disease or problem, rather they will be healed by the forgiveness of your sins and that they would be raised up on the last day when Jesus Christ returns.  You see the prayers and supplications of a righteous man is operative.

     Do not misuse the Scripture and build upon doctrine says many of the Pentecostal and charismatic people have done were the gifts of the Spirit are misunderstood and misused.  People go around finding a few other people through prayer and as I have seen by the baffle students running around trying to pray for people so that they could get healings in front of their eyes so as to have some sort of experience that makes them feel godly.  Do not be one of these people!  The most important thing that you can do is build your relationship with Jesus Christ and if you are in need to speak before an elder so that their prayers of intercession and your prayer of faith and their prayer of faith will heal you and your sins and offenses forgiven.  This is the whole context of the book of James.  Our faith is seen through our works and our works are to be merciful and loving but also we are to build this relationship would Jesus and knowing that He will heal us of our sins. What else do you need?  Is there anything more than having our sins forgiven that is so important?  We need nothing else for a we all know that until Jesus Christ returns and this world is changed from what it is to what it will be we will die.  We do not know when or how bout we do know it will happen.  We may be healed from diseases now only to died later.  Lazarus did not live forever for in time he died.  The man whose arm was healed lived until he died.  The most important thing that we look for and to is that our sins be forgiven and we'd look to Jesus who is no one who will make intercession for us and we'll heal us.  I do not mean to be morbid but I do mean to remind us that our life has a time limit on this earth and while we are on this earth we are to live as Authentic Christians and not run around teaching doctrines that are contrary to Scripture.

      God does answer prayer and you will do it according to your prayer that is in line with His will and not yours.  An example Elias who had the same feelings as we do and he prayed for it to rain but it did not do so and it did not do so for years.  It would be easy to be discouraged but he was not for he prayed and then God or Heaven as stated here gave rain and the earth brought forth fruit.  You see our prayers must be in line with the will of God knowing that he has a time for all things so that His will will be accomplished. Remember James taught us about patience and we are to wait upon the Lord and we do so with great expectation knowing that His will will be accomplished.

     The book of James ends in this manner: "Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; let him know that he which converteth the center from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins" (James 5:19 -- 20). Our business, our responsibility while we build a relationship with Jesus Christ it is that that relationship should be leading us to become those who are spreading the gospel and leading others to the Lord Jesus Christ. Turn off the TV, quit finding other things to do that would hinder it this work that you have a responsibility to do for by your faith you will do these works and by those works we will be able to see that your faith is an Authentic Christian Faith. There is plenty of time to enjoy this life just do not make your goal is simply enjoy this life and leave behind your work assigned to you by Jesus Christ.

 

Blessed is the people that know

     but joyful sound: they shall walk,

O LORD, in the light of thy countenance.

     In thy name shall they rejoice all the day:

and in thy righteousness shall they be exalted.

     For now art the glory of their strength:

and in thy favor our horn shall be exalted.

                            Psalm 89: 15 -- 17

 

 Find  your healing in salvation

Richard L. Crumb

 

How to Become An Image Bearer Of Jesus Christ

Grudge not one against another, brethren,

lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge

standeth before the door. Take, my

brethren, but prophets, who have spoken

in the name of the Lord, for an example

of the suffering affliction, and of patience.

Behold, we count them happy which endure.

Ye have heard of the patience of Job,

and have seen the end of the Lord;

that the Lord is very pitiful, and of

tender mercy.

James 5:9: 11

     The translators used the word "grudge" and they may not fully understand that word in our English today.  The Greek word has much more to say about this word so that we can fully understand what it means to "grudge."  It means to crown, to have a inward and unexpressed feeling of sorrow, grief.  The Oriental style of this word means to wail and a consecrated or semi--- liturgical fashion.  It means to lament and James is simply telling us not to do these things against one another.  Gossip is destructive and yet it is so common and I do believe most of us have had gossip at one time another.  Gossip is idle talk and is generally full of nothing more than rumor especially about the private lives of others.  This should not ever be allowed in ourselves and to occur in our congregations.  God, our Savior Jesus Christ hears every word we say in every thought we think and as James says He is standing at the door. That door is you!

     We have examples of how we are to live our lives, to act and to say, and how to be persons who build up others and not tear them down.  We have the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord do what they say must be heeded by as for God inspired him to speak those words.  Once again we have words in our English translation that in today's context would have a different meaning and that word is "pitiful."  So we must look at the Greek to get a full understanding and bring to our day and age English.  The Greek word that we translate "pitiful," means to be compassionate for the ills of others, to be one of tender mercy and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ as the Greek word states is full of tender mercy and is compassionate.  Image bearers of Jesus Christ we must demonstrate our Savior in our lives and in our words and to also be compassionate and full of tender mercy. 

     James adds this: "But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: not let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation." Does this mean we are never to utter an oath?  No! It does mean that we are to not use other things to be the basis for our oath. We read in Proverbs: "A soft answer turneth away wrath: Grievous words stir up anger. The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness.  The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good."The writer of Ecclesiastes gives us further understanding of our words and our oath and our vows: "When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for He hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed.  Better is it that thou shouldest not vow than that shouldest vow and not pay.  Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou be for the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands?" (Ecclesiastes 5: 4 -- 6). A stain upon the Christian Church is divorce.  Within the church divorce equals that of the world and the same lame excuses are given and many of us have been guilty of those lame excuses.  We make a vow only to break it because we said to ourselves and to others it was the wrong thing to do so I am ending this marriage.  We can be thankful that we can come before our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and ask for Him to forgive us and repent of our sins and he is compassionate and full of mercy and forgiveness. 

     Out of our faith comes works and those works include that we do not gossip, and that we keep our vows, and that we are to be merciful and compassionate. This alone sets Authentic Christians from the world. 

A good name is rather to be chosen

     then great riches, and loving

favor rather than silver and gold.

                    Proverbs 22: 1

Examine your faith with Scripture

Richard L. Crumb

What Is Meant: The Early Rain And The Latter Rain?

Be patient therefore, brethren, but coming

love the Lord.  Behold, the husbandman waiteth

for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath

long patients for it, until he received the

early rain and latter rain.  Be ye also patient; 

stablish your hearts: for the coming of the

Lord draweth with nigh.

James 5:7 -- 8

 

 

     Patience, a thing sought after but seldom found, we think we have it when reality are actually impatient.  This impatience you demonstrated by the tapping of the foot, ringing of the hands, and often mumbling to oneself because time is so slow.  Along with impatience and its demonstration can be seen in the complaining by the one claiming to be patient.  The Greek word used in verse seven gives us a better understanding of what James was writing to us about and that we are to have endurance and long-suffering. James was telling us that we need to preserve patiently and to be brave in enduring missed fortunes and troubles even to be patient bearing the offenses and injuries dealt to you by others and that we are to be mild and slow in avenging. today there is a rush to litigate just about every offense that's possible at all one has to do is watch some of the television judge shows and see how picky and minor that is being brought before the judge that should've been handled between two people involved.  We even see this in the churches, unfortunately.

     I grew up on a ranch farm that had peaches, plums, oranges, walnuts, grapes and even pigs and cattle.  And I can fully understand the illustration by James as to the husbandman.  We had to plow land, to trim the end turned the trees and branches of the grapes and to water at the proper time, to spray insecticides to protect the trees and the fruit.  As a farmer, and even you can get the same, we get good rain in the spring, this early rain that is so badly needed to get the growth beginning so that we can have a good crop.  Then, around September comes the latter rain after a hot summer the plants are glad to have this water.  I know it comes in September for often we had to rush out and wrap up the grapes that were drying into raisins so that they did not mildew due to the rain.  As a farmer we also watched the fruit so that we would know when was the best time to pick the fruit, packet for shipping.

     James is telling us to be patient, watchful, until the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Authentic Christians would care for their hearts, as a farmer cares for his trees and vines, and to establish our hearts.  Unfortunately, some men and women who call themselves pastors and theologians have pulled out of these verses words so that they developed doctrines that these verses had nothing to do and yet many people are misled by these men and women.  What I am speaking about is the words early rain and latter rain. The Latter Rain Movement can be found in such churches as the Pentecostals, Charismatics, and others who believe in Dominion theology and restoration theology.  Here is what we need to come to understand from the words of those involved in this doctrine.

     Today men and women are calling themselves modern-day prophets who have received "new revelations" of the end time which had not before been understood by the Church. This "New Breed" of apostles and prophets believe that they've been raised up to assume the role to lead the church to take dominion and execute God's judgments in the world.  Church ministries such as the Vineyard Ministry and the Apostle, Jack Deere, most others who call themselves prophets, Paul Cain and Bob Jones have led and are leading this heretical doctrine.  This is what Paul Cain had to say: “God is raising up a new standard, a new banner if you will, that’s going to radically change the expression, the understanding of Christianity in our generation…God has invited us to have a role in establishing this NEW ORDER of Christianity…God is offering to this generation something He has never offered to any other generation… Beware lest OLD ORDER brethren rob you and steal this hope from you! (2) Bob Jones has received special revelation about this new hope: Bob Kane goes on to say:

"Are you having difficulty discerning or receiving this “new revelation”? Then perhaps you have been interpreting your Bible in the “old way” — comparing Scripture with Scripture, studying diligently to account for every jot and tittle and being careful to rightly divide the Word of truth.  If this describes you, then you belong to the “Old Generation” which will not enter in to “possess the land” in the Latter Rain Revival.  You may even be a member of a denominational church with its dogmatic confession of faith and statement of doctrine. These legalistic forms will be relics of the past in the up and coming “Postdenominational Church.”  

      Latter Rain doctrine is a modern version of the classic heresy of Gnosticism, which taught that a spiritual elite possessed “hidden knowledge” of the divine realm which placed their personal revelations, spiritual experiences, and private interpretation of Scripture above the ordinary revelation of God’s Word. In Latter Rain doctrine, Pentecost was the “former rain” or outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the Church must yet receive a second Holy Spirit visitation. At this time, the Sons of God will be glorified and manifested to all as they establish the Kingdom on earth before Jesus Christ returns bodily. Latter Rain prophets are now preparing multitudes for this transformation. In a 1991 program entitled “Manifested Sons of God,” Morris Cerullo flattered his audience with the following blasphemy,...

     Today people are looking for experiences that make them feel happy and are not taking a hard critical look at the facts and whether or not that which is making them happy is actually founded on Scripture.  The rush to know about when Jesus Christ is coming and the end times as lead to all kinds of teachings making some of the symbols of the helicopters, tanks, and other such things and people are just following like sheep and the goats that are misleading them.

     Yes, we are to be patient, watchful, studying God's Word, praying to our God to lead us into the truth and away from heresies. this is my attempt to show you that there are many such heresies that is infecting and affecting Christianity and we must know about them and turned from them and live according to what Scripture is actually telling us how to live. Establish your hearts and do this by the truths of Scripture and not simply by men and women who are charismatic and seem to speak the truth and we will not know unless we examine what they say according to Scripture.  Will you do it?

 

All the sinners of my people

     shall die by the sword,

which say, The evil shall not 

     overtake nor prevent us.

                         Amos 9:10

 

Do not allow yourself to be fooled

 

Richard L. Crumb

 

     

 

 

What Is The Meaning: To Be Rich?

Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl

for your miseries that shall come upon 

you. Your riches are corrupted, and your

garments are motheaten. Your gold and

silver is candered; and the rust of them

shall be a witness against you, ans shall

eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have 

heaped treasure together for the last

days. Behold, the hire of the laborers

who have reaped down your fields, which

 is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and 

the cries of them which have reaped are 

entered into the ears of the Lord of

Sabbaoth. Ye have lived in pleasure

on the earth, and been wanton; ye have

nourished your hearts, as in a day of

slaughter. Ye have condemned and killed 

the just; and he doth not resist you.

James 5:1-6

      If there is a hard to understand passage in Scripture I believe this is at the top. What is James telling us and those early Christians? Are we to condemn the rich, to being rich? Or, is there something we must take time to understand so that we do not misunderstand and misuse these verses? Remember that James is an instructive book and that he is addressing the errors that are being inflicted upon these early Christians by the Jews who defied them because they believed upon the One the killed and hated: Jesus Christ. Today in one way or the other there are those who are rich and powerful who have enslaved people so that they must work harder and longer just to have a simple life. The rich seem not to care so long as they receive a fortune. It is not being rich that is at question for there is no sin to be rich, it is to those who misuse their influence and money against others. 

     In Proverbs we can read this to give us what God thinks about those who misuse their riches: "He that trusteth in his riches shall fall: but the righteous shall flourish as a branch" (Proverbs 11:28). Some confusion may come by the words: "Go to now" as we do not use that idiom in our English, the Greek word "αγε" means to lead or to come on, or go to so a better rendering would be: "come on."Come on now" you rich men..... and then James tells them what would happen to them for their misusing of their riches..."weep, howl," why? Do their attitudes, their causing some harm to others who are not rich as they will cause them to have misery. Why? Their riches are corrupted, even their clothing is to be as though they are motheaten. Gold, silver, would become rusted, how can this be? Well in those days from the classical writers it appears that gold and silver coins had more alloy than those of ours today and would be subject to rusting, to be of no use, cankerous. This crying, and the loss of good garments, and the making of their riches as no good would bring upon them public shame in the least. It would be those who condemned the Just One, Jesus Christ, and now were condemning the ones following Him who would on the last days heaped upon them by the Lord of the Sabaoth. Notice the word: Sabaoth as this is not the Sabbath, it is more, it is a military term which denotes armies or hosts as in hosts of armies, and carries the meaning that the One who is the Lord of sabaoth is supreme, the One who is all sovereign. 

     These men who ruled over the poor had lived in worldly pleasure, those who filled their hearts desire with worldly things are being laid up to be slaughtered for they have killed the just, and they have not resisted them, but the day is coming when this will all be settled and not to their liking. The just may be killed, may have to suffer under these men but God has not turned aside but remembers this and will bring upon those who are doing this to have full justice applied to them for their sinfulness. 

     Let us apply this to us. We are to be careful what we say or do as was learned in earlier passages. We are to allow faith to lead us to godly works by God and not from our own desires. We are to be kind and loving to others especially those who are are brothers and sisters. To be rich is not necessarily wrong or sin. One can attempt to rule over others as though they were more righteous, more godly, more powerful, etc., and by this misuse people. The rich will be slaughtered and be condemned, now and in the last days. 

     Let us nourish our hearts, not with worldly ideas and things, no, rather with the word of God. We then find that this pleases God and we become useful to God to accomplish the purpose for why we exist now and wait to go to heaven in the future. We have the responsibility to disciple people, to bring to the world the Gospel. If we are busy with this we will not need to feeling or desire to be rich. We may be poor in the sight of the world and others, but we will be rich in the eyes of God. 

The mouth of the righteous

     speaketh wisdom, and his

tongue talketh of judgment. 

     The law of his God is in his

heart; none of his steps shall slide.

                   Proverbs 11:30-31

Living faith leads to righteousness

Richard L. Crumb

How To Live In The Shortness Of LIfe

Go to now, ye that say, Today or

tomorrow we will go into such a

city, and continue there a year, and 

buy and sell, and get gain: whereas

ye know not what shall be on the 

morrow. For what is your life? It is

eve a vapour, that appeareth for a 

little time, and then vanisheth away.

For that ye ought to say, If the Lord

will, we shall live, and do this or that.

But now ye rejoice in your boastings:

all such rejoicing is evil. Therefore 

to him that knoweth to do good, and

doeth it not, to him it is sin.

James 4:13-17

     Yesterday I had pressing business that took me away from home and the computer but reminds me that we do not always have knowledge of what is to come and what we will do. There is one thing, and those of age will acknowledge, life is short. You are here for a moment then you are gone and in time you will not even be remembered unless you have done something so spectacular that it makes history. How do I know? Ask yourself: what is the name of your great great grandfather, you might know if you have done a genealogical research, but probably you cannot name him or know anything about him, or her. We all live from B to D (birth to death). It is how we live now, in our time, that matters and for an Authentic Christian we live, not in this time, but in eternity for eternity has begun for everyone only for an Authentic Christian eternity is life, for others it is eternal death.

     The world culture is all about a person living for themselves as though it really matters in time. Self-realization the call to people to have is centered on self and self is inherently bad and will do that which is wrong if not guided by the moral law of God. How do I know and can say that people are inherently bad? Just look at a baby and see that without training or instruction they will do bad things: i.e., take away a toy from another, or cry, not in pain, but to get something for themselves. Babies hit each other in anger, etc., but all this is fact that cannot be denied so that we have facts that man is inherently bad. 

     So, man/woman/child, wants to be autonomous and make decisions based on their perceptions and presuppositions. These are not all bad for often those perceptions and presuppositions have a basis in the moral law of God whether a person knows this or not. Man makes plans, and should if those plans are bases upon the will of God. Life is fickle as it has all sorts of surprises (I know this to be a fact as I have had surgery for melonomia cancer, and with those surgeries other problems have come upon me that is leading to a possibility for more surgery) all a surprise, you might know what I am talking about. We make plans and life makes changes necessary to those plans. 

     So, should we just sit by and do nothing? NO! We make plans knowing the fickleness of life, that there are things that might stumble us, might cause us to lose in our endeavors, but we make plans. Those plans are diligently thought out, researched, and brought before the Lord, in prayer and in study of His word that give advice to us when we are making plans to do anything. It is by the will of God that anything is allowed to occur, and in the case of making plans we look to find the will of God for our plans, not just by our own thinking and desire. We live for God, we are th witness for God, we allow our actions, our exercise of our faith in God to be seen in all we do, our plans must if they are to be blessed by God to be based on Him. 

     To rejoice over our plans outside of God is evil: PERIOD! We are his child and if this is true of you and you say that you are an Authentic Christian then your rejoicing is not over what you have done alone but what God has done through you. God did leave us here after accepting Him to live for ourselves: NO! We are to be His arms, legs, mouthpieces to spread the Gospel so that the word of God goes forth so people can hear it and by God's word they receive the free gift of faith to believe upon Jesus Christ as Savior. They come to know that they are inherently bad and that only by Jesus Christ can they overcome this deficiency. 

      We are not here on earth to become rich, or famous, or anything other than to be a witness for Jesus Christ. If by our vocations we do exceptional things that make us money, that make us famous, they must have come by way of us living in the will of God. If this does not occur then this is sin, you are living in sin. 

     Praise God! He is merciful and if we repent then God is willing and able to forgive you. Now with God's forgiveness turn your life and will over to Him and see what God will do with your life. You may see it happen or you will not, but it will happen and when you come before God, at His throne, you will Him say: "Well done, My faithful servant."

Except the LORD build the house,

     they labor in vain that build it:

except the LORD keep the city, the

     watchman waketh but in vain.

                        Psalm 127: 1

Make your plans with God the director

Richard L. Crumb

Is Judging Wrong? Or is it a requirement?

Speak not evil one of another, brethren.

He that speaketh evil of his brother,

and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil

of the law, and judgeth the law, but

if thou judge the law, thou art not a

doer of the law, but a judge. there is 

one lawgiver, who is able to save and 

to destroy: who art thou that judgest

another?

James 4:11-12

     How often and you may have heard: "We are not to judge anyone." If these Scriptures proved that we are not to judge a brother or sister then there is a contradiction in Scripture for we are told to examine people and to remove people who are brothers and sisters in Christ for sin: "But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat. For what have I to do to judge them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person" (1Corinthians 5:11-13). This command requires judging another so what is meant by the words of James? Remember it is context, context, context to be used to understand what a writer is writing about and how to apply what he has written. James if very clear that we are to watch our tongue, our words and our actions to ensure that we do not say that which is condemning our faith and our God. We have been told to submit to God, but, we also have a responsibility to ourselves and the congregation we attend and the body of Christians as a whole. 

     The sinful world has been judged by God and declared to warrant death. We have a responsibility to take the Gospel to the world in hopes that the Holy Spirit will draw men and women to Him as they hear the word of God. We do not judge them to warrant death that is God's prerogative but we do not apathetically approve and accept this world's sinful culture. So in this sense we do judge them to be worthy to be called an Authentic Christian or not and to allow them to either be condemned to the point where they are not given a role in the Church. This is to keep the Church pure. 

      As to our brothers and sisters in Christ: We do not speak evil of them as though we are the law. We can see outward expression of Authentic Christianity and determine from that as to their being a person exercising true Authentic Christian Faith and deal with it as necessary. If it is our duty to approach this one we feel doing evil we must have the authority to deal with that person, if not having the duty then you are to bring this up to the pastor, elders, and then they will research this and determine from Scripture what is the best course to take. It can be seen that far to often in a Church there is gossip, backbiting, worthless debates, etc., and if we participate then we are not following God's law that requires us to be lovingly kind and if we do speak we do so with truth and justice in meekness and respect. 

     Some in the Church just love to point out the flaws in others even going so far as to divulge things that are secret. They spread evil reports (gossip). God warned about such things: "Thou shat not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people: neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbour: I am the LORD" (Leviticus 19:16). 

     What is the role of a believer? it is ensure that the moral law is kept by others and we have the sufficiency of the law to keep us from determining right from wrong by our own presuppositions. God's law is the rule! We must be careful not to judge by our own opinions as though they are the rule, for if we do this, then we are liable to be judged by God. We must be careful, but we are to keep ourselves and our congregations pure but in love and in a manner that is pleasing to our Lord and God. 

If thou be wise, thou shalt

    be wise for thyself: but 

if thou scornest, thou alone

     shalt bear it.

                   Proverbs 9:12

The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the LORD

Richard L. Crumb 

What Is Meant By Being Under Subjection To God?

Do ye think that the Scripture saith 

in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us 

lusteth to envy? But He giveth more

grace. Wherefore He saith, God 

resisteth the proud, but giveth 

grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves

therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he

 will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and

He will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your

hands, ye sinners; and purify your

hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, 

and mourn, and weep: let your laughter

be turned to mourning, and your joy to

heaviness. Humble yourselves to the sight

of the Lord, and He shall lift you up.

James 4:5-10

     Whose responsibility is it for us to be able to draw near to God? Is it the pastor? Is it the Sunday School teacher? Is it a theologian? Or, is it yours? Yes all those mentioned above have a responsibility to teach the truth of Scripture. Yet, the major responsibility for anyone to draw near to God is an individual. No one can act for you! Each person must be intentional, must be deliberate in the action to draw near to God. The message a person hears ought to lead a person to act, but if a person is refusing, as if they were in paralysis never leads a person to change. It is foolishness to see others who have drawn near to God and are living the life as outlined in Scripture and a person does nothing or little to find their way, to be drawn into the life of Christ. 

     Here is the coup de grace the action or event that finally ends or destroys something that has been getting weaker or worse, a final or decisive stroke. James writes under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit: "Subject yourselves therefore to God" (James 4:7a). To allow oneself to subject themselves to anything, as the world culture would admit, is to in someway lose yourself. So, as the world does, they fight anything that would lead them to subject themselves to anything and especially to God. The Greek word used in James 4:7a is an aorist, imperative, passive, plural in the second person. What does this mean? It means that this should be an act that has occurred and that it is not a suggestion but a command to start doing what you have not been doing, and it is passive so it is not speaking into the air, it is speaking to you. True living, true life, is when you live and act with your whole will to live as God commanded and be under His subjection. 

     Have you heard the word, the truth of God? Is so, then, allow that truth of God to become and invade your life and then act upon that truth. This action is not something necessarily physical, rather it is in your will. When a person acts according to God's will, to be under His subjection that person becomes emancipated and all the power of the Almighty God works in your behalf. If you humble yourself before God, before our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ you will be lifted up so that you can put your hand to the yoke with Christ and together be a force for the Gospel. 

     God is calling! Are you listening for His voice? Jesus spoke these words: "Then said Jesus unto His disciples, if any man will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me" (Matthew 16:24). This is putting oneself under subjection to Jesus Christ who died to save you. Do you need warrant to place yourself under Jesus Christ? Are you afraid of what this will mean to you and to others, to your life? Why? Do you believe that Jesus is God? If so then read this: "And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst" "It is written in the prophets, and they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that had heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto Me" (John 6:35, 45). 

     Well! There it is in a nutshell: you have all that God has promised: His presence in your life to help you, and all you have to do is heed the call and come to Him. God will not grab your hand and pull you to Him, but He will call you and your responsibility is to heed the call, subject yourself to Him by coming to Him. You will become linked to God and all His redemptive power. What are you waiting for?

Return, ye backsliding children,

     and I will heal your backslidings.

Behold, we come unto thee; for 

    thou art the LORD our God.

                  Jeremiah 3:22

Humble yourself and be lifted up

Richard L. Crumb 

The Demanding Of Personal Rights: Is It Wordly

From whence come wars and fightings

among you? come they not hence, even

of your lusts that war in your members? 

Ye lust, and have not; ye kill, and desire

to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight 

and war, yet ye have not, because ye

ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because

ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it

upon your lusts. 

James 4:1-3

     James uses an interesting contrast in words: "wars," and "fightings," and it would seem that both are speaking the same thing. So why use both words? The Greek word: "πόλεμοι" means to battle or be engaged in battle, and is not the fighting itself for that is another Greek word: "μάχαι" that means to actually be doing the battle, but figuratively means controversy as in the word for wars is where we get the English word, polemics. Polemics carries the meaning of a controversial argument as against another opinion, and speaks of a person who likes to argue. James is not speaking of an actually war as between two nations or peoples and there was many warfare going on in the world in which James lived, but this is not what he is writing about. The context (remember is is always context, context, context in interpretation of Scripture) for James gives is the reason for his using of those words: "Is it not thence, from your pleasures, which war in your members?" (James 4:1b). James is speaking about a person and the fact that that person is one who is using controversy, that is like to argue and this because he feels that his right to pleasure is being challenged. Is this not a problem in our world today whereby people are always speaking about "their rights?" Yes! We hear and know of the right of a woman to have an abortion even without consulting the father (if he is known), or that homosexuals have rights for their abnormal behavior and both are demanding laws so that there is a legal basis for these "rights." 

     It is true that a person has rights over their own bodies to protect them and safeguard them. Even some protection for their personal rights for their reputation and freedom of movement, to have privacy, and laws have been made to protect those rights. The basic rights and freedoms to which all humans are considered to be entitled, often held to include the rights to life, liberty, equality, and a fair trial, freedom from slavery and torture, and freedom of thought and expression. All rights have a foundation, a basis from which they are formed: A 'right' is a moral principle defining and sanctioning a man's freedom of action in a social context. There is only one fundamental right (all others are its consequences or corollaries): a man's right to his own life. Therefore what must be considered is the morals from which a right is formed and this was done as with no other nation when the United States and its Constitution came into being: "The concept of individual rights is so new in human history that most men have not grasped it fully to this day. 

"It was the concept of individual rights that had given birth to a free society. It was with the destruction of individual rights that the destruction of freedom had to begin. 
"If some men are entitled by right to the products of the work of others, it means that those others are deprived of rights and condemned to slave labor.  Any alleged 'right' of one man, which necessitates the violation of the rights of another, is not and cannot be a right.  No man can have a right to impose an unchosen obligation, an unrewarded duty or an involuntary servitude on another man.  There can be no such thing as the 'right to enslave.' " 
"The term 'individual rights' is a redundancy: there is no other kind of rights and no one else to possess them." 
                                                 -- Ayn Rand in "Man's Rights"

      When a person is demanding a "right" because that right gives them a pleasure of some sort, as in a woman having an abortion so that she will not become encumbered by a child so that she can continue in a life of fornication has stepped on the right of an unborn child, as well as the father may not have agreed to the death of this child in the womb. You see, a woman, and a man do not want an unchosen obligation, yet they knew that to have sex is to have a great probability that a pregnancy could occur. (They do it anyway for they want the pleasure, it is simply lust in action). A homosexual wants to have this euphoric pleasure, even knowing that this lifestyle is in opposition to what is considered normal in society. Yet, they press forward demanding this "right" even if it does harm to society as a whole (all one has to do is look at countries that have allowed this and now find themselves in financial trouble because the future children who would have paid taxes are not being born). 

     A person may ask government, or even attempt to get society on their side, and even go so far as to ask God to give them this "right." A person asks, but does not receive from God what he is asking for he asks for the wrong thing. He asks so that he/she can receive pleasure and will even go to war (controversy, attempting by argument to sway government, or people to their way of thinking just so they can have some form of pleasure). James is not ashamed to give us what he is speaking about for he is speaking about evil and evil is anything that is contrary to the Law and Will of God, not just man for man is secondary. 

     "Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that friendship with the world is the enemy of God? Whosoever therefore with be a friend of the world is the enemy of God" (James 4:4). How serious is this? Most serious for James under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit gives to us the will of God: Do not be a friend of the world! If this is what you desire, and lust after, well then you are an enemy of God and you will be condemned to Gehenna on the Last Day when Jesus returns. You see: an Authentic Christian is not a friend of this world and removes from themselves all stain and stench that they may have acquired before believing upon Jesus Christ and converting to Him. Are you Authentic? Or, are you pretending to be Authentic?

For, lo, they that are far

    from Thee shall perish:

Thou hast destroyed all them

    that go whoring from thee.

                    Psalm 73:27

Christianity is serious business

Richard L. Crumb

God's Gift To His Children: Wisdom

Who is a wise man among you?

Let him shew out of a good conversation

hs works with meekness of wisdom. But

if ye have bitter envying and strife in

your hearts, glory not, and lie not

against the truth. This wisdom decendeth

not from above, but is earthly, sensual,

devilish. For where envying and strife 

is, there is confusion and every evil

work. But wisdom that is from above

is first pure, then peaceable, gentle,

and easy to be intreated, full of mercy

and good fruits, without partiality, and

without hypocrisy. And the fruit of

righteousness is sown in peace of them

that make peace.

James 3:13-18

      Some, if not many, people pretend to be wise, and are not in reality as wise as they pretend. What is meant by the word "wise?" A wise person is one who critically thinks, discerns and judges properly as to what is true or right, or false, having discretion.  A wise person is one who is scholarly, (I do not intend to say that only those with higher education are wise), that is, one who is willing to study, to take time to read literature from various sources, to examine all things, then hold to that which is good, (1Thessalonians 5:21). So then, a wise person is one who has acquired knowledge, is one who is informed. By being one who meets that qualifications of "wise" is one that is not presumptuous, and is cognizant, and is not pretending to be wise. A wise person is known by his/her conduct, whether it be good or bad. A wise person applies good conduct and when speaking he does not have a tongue of fire, rather words that inform, and heal, and do good, these are the marks of wisdom. 

     A wise person is meek, and mild and is in control of their temper, and spirit. A wise person bridles his/her tongue. If this wisdom is not from God then it is from the person and the wisdom of this world. We can see worldly wisdom being applied everyday, by men who are prideful, maligning others, and speak falsehood.

     Wisdom from God cannot reside side-by-side with evil. Envy is evil and seeks it own self, to be self-reliant, and by this envy lies are thrust upon others, there is deception so that this envying person tries to win the support of others to their cause even is that cause is wrong. This wisdom this worldly wisdom is not from God and cannot come from God for He is Wisdom, Good, and does not send out evil (As did the gods of Greece did as can be seen when read the Illiad, etc.). Envy has its foundation in Satan, in satanic thoughts and works. 

     Heavenly wisdom is allied with Christian love, in Authentic Christian Faith and works and every man can ascertained this wisdom. It is not hid from men, but men hide from it. True wisdom from God is God's gift to men, that is a man or woman will receive that gift. This heavenly wisdom will excite a person to love as God love, to have pure respect for others, (not those who are active in sin and will not change), to love this person is to love not as God but as a man and we see the effects of this worldly love with the acceptance of the LGBT society and the laws being made to make them have legal status. Heavenly wisdom is free from iniquity, and will not allow any known sin to be in their lives, to rule their lives. 

     I pray that God will bestow upon us, His children this gift of wisdom, and may we be active in acquiring this gift and then sow the seeds of goodness and righteousness. You will never need to think that you can extinguish this gift for God will replenish you whenever you need it: all you have to do is: ask!

O give thanks unto the LORD;

     for He is good: for His mercy

endureth forever.

               Psalm 136:1

Acquire heavenly wisdom: you will be blessed

Richard L. Crumb

How Can This Unruly Tongue Be Tamed?

For every kind of beasts, and of birds,

and of serpents, and of things in the sea,

is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind:

but the tongue can no man tame; it is an

unruly evil, full of deadly poison. Therewith

bless we God, even the Father; and therewith

curse we men, which are made after God.

Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing

and cursing. My brethren, these things ought

not so to be. Doth a fountain send forth at

the same place sweet water and bitter?

Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive

berries? Either a vines,figs? so can no

fountain both yield salt water and fresh.

James 3:7-12

     The mast savage beasts have come under control of man. Yes, the lion and others like him are wild and dangerous but as the documentary last night in regards to the Asiatic lions that live in the Gir forest in Gujarat, India and have grown to more than 500 lions. The people have come to rely on the lions to keep the grazing animals out of their fields and I even saw that they would be close to them without fear. Although they are dangerous men have tamed them to a point. The huge elephant is used by men to do work. Birds have even been tamed that reside in forest. Yet The tongue has been hard to tame. To tame the tongue man does not have the power to do so and can only be done by the grace of God working in lives.

     Sins may come and go with time, that is, in time sins lose their pleasure and vigor and even become tamed. Yet the tongue remains untamed and even becomes more passionate in its expressions. It does not matter how important, how persuasive, the laws made to tame the tongue, punishments for misuse of the tongue, all this evil cannot be stopped, it may be hindered but not stopped. the tongue must be watched, guarded, and governed as it is an unruly beast. The tongue can hurt, even divide Churches, or brothers and sisters. However, if we bless God who is our Father, our Savior, our intercessor, we will be taught to speak well, and if we are busy blessing God there is no room for the tongue to speak evil. 

     Depending upon the grace of God will give to us success in this matter of controlling the tongue. We need to fill our hearts with love for God, for Jesus Christ our Savior, for our brothers and sisters. We allow our conversation to be salted with grace and kindness and we conduct ourselves as Authentic Christians, not in name but in practice for our faith determines our actions. Will this be easy? NO! But with God all things are possible all we have to do is rely on God and grow in our relationship to Him. 

     Do not become a busybody, rather become a body that is busy, busy for the Lord, for the Gospel then you will speak, act and be an Authentic Christian with Authentic Christian Faith.

All this have I seen, and applied

     my heart unto every work

that is done under the sun: there

     is a time wherein one man ruleth

over another to his own hurt.

                   Ecclesiastes 8:9

Speak truthfully to your neighbor

Richard L. Crumb