James 1:14-15

The Message: The temptation to give in to evil comes from us and only us. We have no one to blame but the leering, seducing flare-up of our own lust. Lust gets pregnant, and has a baby: sin! Sin grows up to adulthood, and becomes a real killer.

NKJV: But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.

Woah, those are strong words indeed! James is telling us here that we are our own worst enemy. The temptations we face are because of our own desires, our own wish to enjoy or acquire something, to satisfy a craving within. The desires we have will be different for each person. One person may love chocolate and will give in to the temptation of eating chocolate even if they have had more than enough to eat. Another person may like fine wines, so is always out looking for wines, researching, tasting, buying them. Others may enjoy sex, and always seek out the next partner, try different ways and methods, whilst some people may like the thrill of adventure, or taking risks, and will do anything to get the adrenalin rush of excitement. Some people take pleasure in being in charge, exercising their authority and are guaranteed to do or say the very thing that makes you feel small and belittled, and themselves feel superior and powerful.

So when we give in to those desires, take that extra piece of chocolate, tell that little white lie, read or watch something we shouldn't, thump our brother or sister ("because he/she made me tends to be a common excuse in our house!), then why should we blame God for this?

God may have given us the liking for chocolate, the ability to see, hear and listen, strong muscles so we can use our arms and legs, and so on, but He is not the one who made us gorge on chocolate, cakes, and sweets, gossip, lie, cheat, steal, drink to excess, be proud and self righteous, look down on others, etc. When we give in to temptation, we ourselves are the only ones to blame.

Yes, the devil may be the one tempting us but really, who is it that says yes, that does those things, says those words, watches those films, behaves in that way? We have to take responsibility for our own actions.

There is also a tendency these days to blame our upbringing, lack of parenting, the area we live in, lack of a job and whatever else people may come up with as an excuse to blame bad behaviour. You only have to read about court cases and how the lawyers for the accused come up with all sorts of reasons why they robbed a bank and knocked the security guard on the head. Not one of those reasons will be the fact that the accused saw this as a way to make easy money without having to work 9 am to 5 pm everyday and just wanted to get rich quick at the expense of others.

What about rapists and child pornographers who say that the woman, the child made them do it because of their behaviour, the way they were dressed? Since when does a child of six dress or act provocatively to seduce a grown man? Or a woman wear a low cut blouse and short skirt so she will be attacked on her way home?

At the end of the day, we are each responsible for the things that we do or choose not to do. It is no good telling ourselves that it's because we had no mother, no education, no money and so on, or saying that it is all God's fault. We always have the choice to do right or to do wrong, to do good or evil. And no matter how much we may try to convince ourselves otherwise, to blame our circumstances, other people, or God is ridiculous, because the only one to blame is ourselves. We are the ones that give in to temptation instead of running as fast as we can in the opposite direction, and on the Day of Judgement, God is the one who will point out to us each and every single time we did this.

James 1:13

When tempted, no-one should say, God is tempting me. For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone(NIV)

It is not unusual in our house for the children to quarrel, to get angry with one another and start fighting. It usually ends in tears from at least one of them, and the one who did the thumping, the pushing, or whatever it was usually says "he/she made me do it". I really do not believe that my daughter made her brother hit her so hard he left a red mark, or that one of my boys forced one of his brothers to push the door into his face. It just doesn't work that way.

In exactly the same way, when we are tempted, it is not God doing the tempting. He is not the one forcing us to chose the wrong path, to make the wrong decision, to give in to the lure of whatever it is in front of us. God gave each one of us choice. He freely allows us to choose to do right or wrong, good or evil, follow Him or the enemy. God does not want his church to be mindless slaves or robots, doing whatever He says just because He has said it, with no thought or mind of their own. We each have freewill, and are able to choose for ourselves what to think, what to believe, how to act and so on.

These verses clearly tell us that God cannot be tempted because He is holy:

You are to be holy to me because I, the Lord, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be my own (Leviticus 20:26, NIV)

The definition of holy is as follows:

holy adj (holier, holiest) 1 associated with God or gods; religious or sacred. 2 often ironic morally pure and perfect; saintly or sanctimonious. holily adverb.

ETYMOLOGY: Anglo-Saxon halig

Morally pure and perfect. If someone is pure and perfect, they never do, say or think anything wrong. Everything they do is pure and perfect. So God, who is holy, is unable to do anything that is not holy, anything that is not pure and perfect. He is unable to tempt us, because that would be enticing us to do evil, which is unholy, and He himself is unable to be tempted because He is holy. Even the merest hint of temptation would never cross His mind. It’s kind of like mercury, when you pour it out and try to touch it, it rolls away from you. Well, that is like God and temptation, sin, as He cannot be anywhere near sin because He is so pure and holy. Just as He cannot be tempted himself, so He cannot tempt others.

He does, however, allow us to be tempted. You only have to read all that happened to Job to realise that. Job was going along, minding his own business, and wham, he loses sheep, goats, herds, servants, all his children are killed, he ends up with raging sores and boils all over his body and is an object of scorn and ridicule to all around him, including his wife, yet he had done nothing to warrant this. As a result of these trials though, Job's faith and trust in God was strengthened and he is now an example to us all of faith under adversity.

God has promised never to let us be tempted by more than we can endure:

No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it (1 Corinthians 10:13, NIV)

This means that when we are tempted, when faced with watching that pornographic film, reading that book, fighting with our siblings, taking what is not ours, gossiping, swearing, sleeping around, taking drugs, whatever it may be, God will provide an escape route, something or someone else that we can do instead. We always have the option to give in or to withstand and take the escape route God has given us.

It is a case of standing strong in our faith, of trusting in God no matter what (which is not always easy) and asking Him for the help we need to overcome temptation when it arises.

James 1:12

Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. (NIV)

Anyone who meets a testing challenge head-on and manages to stick it out is mighty fortunate. For such persons loyally in love with God, the reward is life and more life. (The Message)

Blessed means fortunate or happy. And as for endure, well Chambers online reference gives the following:

endure verb (endured, enduring) 1 to bear something patiently; to put up with it. 2 intrans,formal to continue to exist; to last. enduring adj. enduringly adverb.

ETYMOLOGY: 14c: from French endurer, from Latin indurare to harden

So James is telling us that when we bear something patiently, we will be blessed by God. It is a case of standing strong, of standing firm, of continuing to believe in God no matter what we are facing. Just take a look at the definition of trial:

trial noun 1 a legal process in which someone who stands accused of a crime or misdemeanour is judged in a court of law. 2 a an act or the process of trying or testing; a test; bas adj provisional; experimental • on a trial basis. 3 trouble, worry or vexation; a cause of this •Her son is a great trial to her. 4 sport a preliminary test of the skill, fitness, etc of a player, athlete, etc, especially one undertaken by a manager, coach, etc before deciding to offer them a job, a team place, etc. 5 a test of a vehicle's performance held especially over rough ground or a demanding course. 6 a competition, usually over rough ground, to test skills in handling high-performance cars or motorcycles. 7 (usually trials) any competition in which the skills of animals are tested • sheepdog trials. 8 an attempt. verb (trialled, trialling; US trialed, trialing) tr & intrto put (a new product, etc) to the test • trialled the new TV sitcom in our area. trialist or triallistnoun. on trial 1 in the process of undergoing legal action in court • on trial for murder. 2 in the process of undergoing tests or examination before being permanently accepted or approved.stand trial see under stand. trial and error the process of trying various methods, alternatives, etc until a correct or suitable one is found • got there by trial and error.

ETYMOLOGY: 16c as noun; 1980s as verb: French.

Trials here mean a testing, when we are tried to see if we are strong enough to measure up, to stand up to whatever things life may throw at us. This testing, and how we fare, will show exactly what we are Made of, how strong, how deep our faith is.

When bad things happen, when there is illness, death, lack of money, no work, no job. Problems left, right and centre, what do we do? Do we blame God for all that we are going through? Do we recant, deny our faith, tell ourselves there is no God or of there is, He just doesn't care about us? Do the things we go through in life weaken our faith, our resolve, or do they strengthen it, deepen out belief and trust in God, in Jesus, and in the guidance of the Holy Spirit?

What do we really believe when there is no way to turn, no way out?

The way we behave when we are going through trials, through life's problems is an encouragement to other believers. It can also be an encouragement to ourselves as we carry on and realise we are stronger than we thought. Of course, if we are unable to withstand the trials, the temptations, it can also be a warning. You only have to look at the high profile pastors who have been found out in adultery and so on, and how this gets portrayed in the press.

But if we continue to have faith in God, no matter how small that faith may be, we will be blessed by God and will receive the crown of life. This is the gift of eternal life given to those who endure because their faith is real, genuine, just like Job who underwent so much. This is the victor's crown that was placed on the head of the winning athlete in ancient Greece. It is not glory and honour here on earth, instead it is the reward of eternal life in heaven.

It can be a struggle to hold onto our faith when things get hard. After all, how can we trust a God who lets us go through illness, financial problems, job worries, and everything else we have to face? But as Paul says:

Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. (Romans 5:3-5, NIV)

James 1:9-11

NIV: The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position. But the one who is rich should take pride in his low position, because he will pass away like a wild flower. For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich man will fade away even while he goes about his business.

The Message: When down-and-outers get a break, cheer! And when the arrogant rich are brought down to size, cheer! Prosperity is as short-lived as a wildflower, so don't ever count on it. You know that as soon as the sun rises, pouring down its scorching heat, the flower withers. Its petals wilt and, before you know it, that beautiful face is a barren stem. Well, that's a picture of the "prosperous life." At the very moment everyone is looking on in admiration, it fades away to nothing.

When these verses talk about the poor man taking pride in his high position, this means his standing before God because of the sacrifice that Jesus made. Because he died on the cross for our sins, we can all stand righteous before God. It's not a case of standing tall because we have money in the bank, a nice house, a new car, designer clothes, we live in a "good" neighbourhood, have that high powered job., No, God doesn't look at the things of this world, God looks straight through to our hearts, each and every one of us. He treats Bill Gates and his money exactly how he treats me and my money (or lack of it!). He does not look o see what I have got on this world, the material possessions I have, but looks to see the treasures I am storing up in heaven, what I have done with the gifts He gave me.

The rich man cannot take anything with him to heaven. There is that story of the rich man dying, and his lawyer is with him as the family anxiously wait outside the room. The lawyer comes out and says that the man is dead, and one of the family ask how much he left. The lawyer replies that the man left everything…...

A man's wealth and prosperity may be taken from him in an instant. He may lose his job, his home, his land, his belongings, there may be illness and death in the family and he is left with nothing. James compares the rich man and all his wealth to a wildflower. When it blooms, it is beautiful to behold yet in the sun and wind, it soon fades and its petals fall off. God may send trials and tribulations to each one of us, but if we depend on our material possessions alone, we will have nothing left. The poor man, however, has nothing to start off with, but he has a greater treasure with his faith in Jesus, and because of this, he can stand tall and stand proud.

Look at Job, who was a one of the richest men in his time. He loses his flocks, his herds, his servants, his children and his body is covered with sores. His wife tells him to curse God and his friends tell him he must have committed some sin for God to punish him like that. Job had nothing left - he was mocked and ridiculed by those who used to respect him, and had the grief of losing all his children to contend with. Yet he remained firm in his belief and trust ion God. Yes, he questioned what God was up to and why these things had happened for no apparent reason, but his faith remained strong.

Catastrophe can happen to anyone at any time. In the blink of an eye we could lose all that seem important to us - job, position, power, fame, family, wealth. If these are taken away, what do we have left?

If God looks on our hearts, not on how much money we have ion the bank, why do we place so much importance on the things of this world, on the material possessions? We need to get our priorities right and to make sure that God is first in our lives, not second, or third or even lower down the list. The devil would keep us busy working to earn money, to build up our assets, get that nice house, those new clothes, provide for our family and children and to be able to sit back and take pride in our achievements, on how well we have done for ourselves and our families.

I'm not saying we don't need to go out and get a job, work to provide money to pay the bills. What I am saying is that this should not be the be all and end all of life, the only thing we do. Are we seeking after God? Do we trust and believe in Jesus? Have we set our hearts and minds on the things of this world, or the things of heaven? Where do our priorities lie and in what have we placed our trust?

As Jesus says in Matthew 6:21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Where is your treasure?

James 1:7-8

That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does. (NIV)

Don't think you're going to get anything from the Master that way, adrift at sea, keeping all your options open. (The Message)

This is the continuation from verse 7 and basically, this is saying that if we allow ourselves to be tossed and turned like the waves on the sea, if we are full of doubts, worries, and don't really trust God, don't believe He can answer our prayers, if we think more of the things of this world than the things of God, then He won't answer our prayers. Why should we expect, even half heartedly, God to provide, if we don't believe He can or will? Why should He answer our prayers if we have one eye on God and the other on what we can achieve for ourselves in this world?

It's a case of seeing where our loyalties lie. Do we really, truly trust God, or do we put more faith in the things of this world? Do we rely more on our money, our jobs, our friends and neighbours, than we do God? Do we think more highly of gaining prestige, getting our five minutes of fame , getting that promotion, that new job, than we do of God? What idols are we putting in our lives before God?

It says in my commentary that the actual translation of verse 8 is having one's mind or soul divided between God and the world. It is hypocritical to sometimes believes in God but fail to trust Him when times are hard, when the time of testing comes. Such a person, such a non believer, receives nothing and it is clear that this verse refers to non believers, not those who are full of genuine doubt but have a real faith in God.

You can't only trust and believe in God in the good times. A genuine faith is put to the test when the hard times come, when things don't go as we want or expect. How do we react when under pressure or stress? Do we say that following God has only brought us to this point and give up? Do we curse and rail at God because things aren't going our way, we can't get what we want, or feel that we deserve? Do we blame God for the things we are going through, the problems we are having? Do we seek God at all times and in all circumstances no matter what we are going through, whatever hardships and troubles we may be experiencing?

Sometimes we go through trials because God is refining us, making us stronger, deepening our faith. Sometimes we go through trials because God has allowed the enemy to test us. Just take a look at Job and all he went through because satan happened to be walking to and for over the earth and see Job, and thought that he would be able to get Job to curse God if bad things happened to him.

Bad things happen, even (maybe especially?) to Christians. Life hurts at times and often it feels as if the odds against us are overwhelming, but we have faith in one who ahs overcome this world and all that is in it. Because Of Jesus, we can rest easy knowing that everything we go through here on earth is temporary, fleeting, and will be gone in an instant in comparison to the time we will spend in heaven for eternity.

I was watching Max Lucado last night and one thing he said really struck me. Here on earth is the closets some people will get to hell, but then here on earth is also the closest some people will get to heaven. Where do you put your trust, your faith? Is it in the things of this world, that will be here today and gone tomorrow and is earth the closest to heaven that you will get? Or do you trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, having accepted him as your Lord and Saviour, believing he is the Son of God and that he died on the cross for your sins, my sins? Is earth the closest you will get to hell?

James 1:6

But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. (NIV)

Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought. People who "worry their prayers" are like wind-whipped waves. (The Message)

This is all about faith, about really believing when we ask for something in prayer that God is there, He is listening and that He does and will answer our prayers.

It's not always easy to do this. Doubts creep in, little niggles here and there telling us we are not worthy, that God doesn't listen to the prayers of people like us because we're "not good enough". Then there are the doubts that what we are asking for is something God can provide, can answer, can help with. An don't even begin to mention that doubts about God not caring!

But it does not actually say in the bible that God will only answer your prayers if you have been good, if you have never done anything wrong, if you act in this way or that way. Yes, it does talk about faith, about believing that whatever we ask for in Jesus name will be ours,

John 14:12-14 (NIV) I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

This is not a case of using Jesus' name as a magic talisman, the closing words to a prayer so that you get what you have asked for. This is a case of praying in faith, in line with the Father's will. And how do we get to know the Father's will? By reading the bible, listening for God, watching the times around us. After all, you have to ask your self whether God really does want you to have the big house, the fancy car, latest designer fashions. Some would have you believe that because you do not have a new car, you do not have faith, that somehow, God is a magician who wants you to have all the good things in life and the only thing stopping you is the lack of faith.

But take a look around. Look at the Christians in Africa who are starving, the women in the Sudan who cannot leave the camps in safety because they are liable to be raped or worse. What about in Orissa, where there IS extreme persecution from Hindu extremists? Or in Pakistan where Islamic extremists burnt alive 14 Christians in their home? Is what they are suffering due to their lack of faith, their lack of belief? If so, how do you reconcile this with the miracles that are taking place there? The healings, the dead being raised, the amazing things that are happening and the absolutely awesome faith of the believers despite all that they are going through?

We need to really trust in God, to believe without a shadow of a doubt that God is listening each and every single time we pray. That when we pray, we are entering into the presence of the Almighty, having a special audience with the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the Creator of all, the Father, Holy One, Lord God Almighty. How can we even presume to come before him not even trusting in His word, in his faithfulness, His love and compassion?

James says that when we doubt we are like a wave of the sea being tossed about by the wind and Eugene Petersen in The Message talks about people worrying their prayers. We need to live our faith, to really and truly believe in our heart of hearts that when we pray, things move in heaven, that God hears our cries, no matter how softly spoken, how garbled they come out. We need to trust God at all times and in all circumstances. Because God does care. He cares when we haven’t got enough money to put food on the table, when we can't pay our bills, when a loved one is ill or dying, when we don't know which way to turn because of all the problems around us. So take everything to God in prayer, the bog things in life, and the little things. Look for God in everything and anything around us, in the people we meet, the things they say and do, the events happening around the world. See the glory of His creation every day from the birds singing in the morning and the chill of the Autumn air, the rain falling outside, the sun shining down on everything, to the evening stars, when the night draws in and you can see the bats flying around outside (at least you can here where we live!).

God is all around us in everything we see, in the people we meet, we just have to open our eyes and see Him, trust Him. God does care, God does love us, no matter how big or small our faith, how good or bad we have been, no matter what our lifestyle, our habits. And He will answer our prayers. It may not be in the way we expect. After all, if we have no money to pay the bills, we may not get an envelope of money shoved through our letterbox, but we may get an amenable person on the other end of the phone when we ring to say we can't pay who agrees an instalment plan. Our prayers may call for instantaneous action for God so that as soon as we have finished praying, we expect to get what we have asked for, but if a days is as a thousand years to the Lord and a thousand years is as a day (1 Peter 3:9), then ten years is actually only 14.4 minutes to God, so we also need to learn patience!

Don't let yourself be tossed this way and that by your doubts, your worries, the cares and problems of this world. The enemy is always prowling around, seeking to sidetrack us, to get us to take our eyes off Jesus, to turn away from God. Do not be a wind swept wave, tossed hither and thither, never knowing which way you are going and letting the trials of life blow you around. Ask God for the faith to believe, to not doubt. Remember the father in Mark 9:24 "I do believe, help me overcome my unbelief" (NIV).

O land, O land, O land, hear the word of the Lord

O land, O land, O land, hear the word of the Lord (taken from Jeremiah 22:29)

2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land (NIV).

A member of our church was out shopping earlier this week and kept having the phrase "the devil is in the detail" running through her head whilst she was at the checkout at the supermarket. She felt very strongly that she should go sit and read a newspaper, so went and had a cup of coffee and took the only newspaper that was in the rack, The Independent.

It was as if God was directing her thoughts and her eyes as after reading one or two articles, she was told to "keep going, keep going". She carried on reading and then on page 9 of the newspaper came across an article on the Copenhagen global climate summit which will take place 7-18 December 2009. The article was headed "Bureaucrats clash on shape of climate deal" but what really caught her eye was the by line:

"The devil is in the detail ahead of next month's summit, as representatives of 192 countries struggle to reconcile their often conflicting priorities. Michael McCarthy reports"

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Genesis 2:15 (NIV) The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it

From the time the earth was created, it has been man's responsibility to work the earth and take care of it. There has been a great deal of concern in recent years about carbon emissions and the effect these are having on the atmosphere. The fourth report of the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change was published in early 2007 and this said that there is no longer any doubt that the earth is warming, and that there is a 90% chance this is caused by man. If this continues, then according to the report, the global average temperature could rise by as much as 4C (or even in the extreme case, 6C) by 2100, which would, in effect, make human life on Earth impossible.

In 1997, an internationally binding treaty, the Kyoto Protocol, was signed by 184 countries and subsequently ratified by them all. This treaty commits the rich industrialised nations to quantified cuts in their carbon emissions by a given date, and it is legally binding in international terms. The USA also signed the Protocol but has not ratified it, since President George W Bush withdrew the USA from Kyoto in 2001 as his administration considered it gave an unfair advantage to China.

Kyoto did not go far enough, however, as the cuts are insufficient to reduce the anticipated global warming and unless the agreement is renewed, it will run out by 31 December 2012. At a subsequent UN climate conference held in Bali in December 2007, it was agreed to negotiate a renewal of the Kyoto Protocol to give a "second commitment period" for member states to undertake emissions cuts, from 2013. It also agreed to work towards a wholly new climate treaty, which would:

○ involve the US;

○ oblige China, India and the other developing countries to cut their own emissions;

○ compensate the developing countries for doing this; and

○ set a very ambitious level of new medium-term targets for the rich countries, in an attempt to hold the warming to below the danger threshold of C above the pre-industrial level.

The EU, including Britain, want to have a new treaty based on the Bali action plan which would be legally binding and with a compliance mechanism and international rules for carbon accounting. The USA, however, wants nothing to do with Kyoto or its architecture. It has put forward a wholly new model for a climate deal in which countries would set out what they are going to do without being bound by international compliance regimes, or international carbon accounting. The developing countries, collectively known as the G77+China, are insistent that the Kyoto Protocol be renewed, and its rich country member states sign up for new emissions cuts from 2013 onwards . Three potentially opposing viewpoints. Any deal on carbon emissions and funding for developing countries to enable them to cope with the changing climate needs to be both strong and fair. Bureaucratic detail should be the last thing that prevents an agreement to save the planet from climate change.

For more details, see:

http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/bureaucrats-clash-on-shape-of-climate-deal-1817259.html

And

http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/britain-rules-out-climate-treaty-at-summit-1815728.html

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God made the world for us, chose us before He even created the world and all that is in it so that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love:

Ephesians 1:4

For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight (NIV).

Long before he laid down earth's foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love (The Message).

His deep desire for a people to love came first. Then a world for them to live in was created. And with the world He gave us all that we needed: the night to rest, the day to wander, water to drink, seed bearing plants, fruit bearing trees, the sun, the moon and the stars, fish, birds, and animals. What an awesome testimony of His love for us.

We are called as Christians to care for others, to care for the world that God created, and yet here we are on the path to heating up the world so it is inhabitable for mankind. This is something that we as a church, as a body of believers, should pray about. We desperately need to turn to God, to seek His will, and ask for Him to move in this situation. We are destroying the very land that He gave us through our behaviour, our lack of regard for the environment, our disregard for others and our continued determination to make sure our own countries are not penalised in some way. We have raped and pillaged God's planet for long enough. This should not about the bottom line. We are all at fault here. We cannot point the finger at our governments, at the industrialised nations, at world powers, at our neighbours. We are all to blame.

There is very little time between now and the start of the summit on 7 December, so please, please pray about the summit, however you may be led. The devil is in the detail here, and he is at work creating havoc, causing the nations to disagree, creating disharmony and strife. There is a spirit of mischief at work, designed to sidetrack the summit and take the earth off course.

We need to pray that God will be at work in the leaders, politicians and civil servants taking part in the summit, that there will be a real spirit of harmony, a genuine desire to reach a compromise and reconciliation and not a spirit of territorialism, of protectionism as countries seek to do as little as possible so as to protect their foreign trade and their own industries and economies. We have a corporate need to humble ourselves and pray and seek God’s face and turn from our wicked ways. Then He will hear from heaven, forgive our sin and heal our land.

But one church cannot do this on its own, it needs all churches, not just the church here in the UK, but the worldwide church. We have a God given mandate to look after the earth and all that is in it, so please, forward this email to your friends, family, brothers and sisters in Christ to mobilise the global church to prayer. We need to seek God’s will here and ask for his Spirit to be at work before, during and after the summit. This prayer request needs to hit as many inboxes as possible in as many countries as possible in the next 24 days (at the time of writing) so that the church is actively seeking God’s will on this matter and praying for all involved. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much (James 5:16). Like the widow in Luke 18 who kept going to the judge for justice, we need to seek God’s face. Now, will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them? I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. Luke 18:7-8 (NASB)

James 1:5

If you don't know what you're doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You'll get his help, and won't be condescended to when you ask for it. (The Message)

If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. (NIV)

How many times a day do I sit here and wonder exactly what I am doing, what job to do next, what task on my never ending to do list should be done first? How to phrase that email or letter, what to say to a friend or loved one, what to do, how to do it. There are a myriad of things running through my mind at any one time and confusion is generally uppermost. I know I for one need wisdom and guidance on many many things, yet when you are "all growed up" with a family of your own, responsibilities, cares and worries, who do you turn to? Who can help? After all, you are supposed to be able to deal with things yourself, not ask for help every five minutes.

But life isn't like that. It is not always easy and sometimes, making the right choice is difficult. You may have no one to ask, no one to turn to, no one who’s opinion you trust. Then again, you may have everyone and his dog giving you advice, each piece of advice different from the next one. So what do you do? Where do you go? To whom do you turn and who can you trust to give you the right advice, the right answer?

James knew. He wasn't just talking here about intelligence, the ability to solve problems, do maths, understand scientific formulae, remember facts and figures. He was also talking about making the right decisions, the right choices, walking down the right path. After all, the road to hell is paved with good intentions, so making the right decision is crucial.

The Jews to whom James was writing knew that he was talking about the understanding and practical skills needed to live their lives as Christians to the glory of God. It’s the wisdom to be able to put into action the things that need to be done instead of just sitting there working out solutions (or looking for problems). You can have the intelligence to know there is a problem, eg the car won't start, but you need wisdom to work out that you have run out of petrol.

It's more than just having common sense too. It’s the wisdom to know the peace and joy that comes from knowing God and doing His will. We are called by God, chosen, sealed with the Holy Spirit, and we each have an assignment(s) from Him. Sometimes those assignments take us to places we don't want to go, like missionaries in other countries who face imprisonment and persecution, where no one in their right mind would choose to go because of the dangers. Other times we are asked to stay exactly where we are, in that awful job where the boss is a hard task master, always expecting more and more but paying less and less. Maybe it's at school or college, where everyone makes fun of us because we are Christian. Sometimes, we don't even know what we are there for, why we are where we are, what God is calling us to do.

But God knows. God cares. And He has all the answers. We just need to ask Him.

After all, isn't that what Jesus did all the time? Wasn't he always going off by himself to find a quiet place where he could be with his Father, without all the worries and distractions of this life interfering? And is Jesus felt the need to do this, how much more should we in this day and age when we have an expectation that everything should be instantaneous? We have ready meals, microwaves, fast cars, aeroplanes, the internet and computers. With modern technology we can reach any part of the world, any time of the day or night. We can come home and have a meal ready within 5 minutes, we can watch umpteen different channels on television and can get information on just about anything at the touch of a button.

But in the hustle and bustle of this world, when do we find time to spend time with God? To rest on His presence? Read His word? Really get to know God and see His will for our lives? Do we really want to and can we spare the time?

We need the wisdom that can only come from God to discern the truth of this world, to see beyond the lies of the enemy when he tells us we need to work late, to have an extra 5 minutes in bed instead of having a quiet time, to not bother reading our bibles because we can hear all about Jesus on Sunday mornings in church. After all, no one else we know reads their bible and they would only make fun of us if they knew we read ours. And as for praying, well, God never sees fit to answer my prayers so why should I bother?

But God is there by our side at all times. He answers each and every one of our prayers. He sees everything we go through, he hears the words we speak, knows the thoughts we never utter. We just need to ask Him. He won't laugh at us when we ask a stupid question, or state the obvious. He loves us and cares for us, no matter what we perceive our level of intelligence to be. We don't have to have first class honours degrees to turn to God. We don't have to be able to read and write even. We just have to have a heart that is turned towards God, is seeking after him and his ways, wanting to do His will, despite whatever circumstances may surround us.

He won't look down on us or despise us when we ask for help, for guidance, for wisdom, telling us we should know better at our age and we should be able to work it out for ourselves. He is a God of mercy, of justice, of love and faithfulness, full of forgiveness, slow to anger. He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure. (Isaiah 33:6,NIV)

Proverbs 3:13-14 Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding, for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold. (NIV)

James 1:4

Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything (NIV)

So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way. (The Message)

When things are going badly, when times are hard, all you really want to do is curl up into a ball, make the world go away, walk out on the situation, the people and go to a desert island or some place where you won't be worried or bothered by what is going on around you. When you are trying to do your best, be patient, considerate, kind and caring and all people do is throw it back in your face, ridicule and taunt you, or when the day to day problems seem insurmountable, money problems, job worries, illness, stress, you name it, today's world is full of problems, what do you do? How do you cope?

Well, James is telling us to be patient, to persevere, to carry on, and just lean on God, trust in Him. How we react when we are under pressure, when the stress is too much to bear, shows exactly what type of person we are, whether our Christian beliefs are just skin deep or really go all the way down into our hearts. Can we really be patient when our children are yelling at one another, wrestling on the floor with one of them trying to kick and bite the other? What about when we have no money to pay the bills, the mortgage? When everyone is demanding this, that or the other expecting you to pull it out of a hat like a magician with his rabbit? And what about work, or the lack of it? Can we really demonstrate the love of Jesus when people are being laid off all around us and there are no jobs to be found anywhere?

Then what about your faith, how people treat you when they know you are a Christian? Do they ridicule you, watch you closely to see how/when you slip up? Do they change their habits, their language, when you are around? Or maybe no one knows, it is a secret you carry around with you and never talk about because you know your life would be made a misery if others knew.

We each have our own problems, our own troubles in life. But how do we react when under pressure? Do we try and wriggle out of it, put the blame on others, run away and hide, or do we persevere, carry on despite the problems, trusting in God to see us through it?

This letter was written to the persecuted church. They had left their homes, possibly their families, and moved away, to different towns and cities, even different countries as there were people out to kill them because they believed in Jesus. The same thing is happening today in many parts of the world. In Orissa, Christians have been burnt alive in their own homes by mobs of Hindu protestors. In Nigeria, Christians have been hacked to death, there have been mass burials as there were too many dead to bury individually. In North Korea, you, your husband or wife, children, brothers, sisters, parents can all be imprisoned just because you yourself are a Christian. In Eritrea there are currently around 2,500 Christians in prison because of their faith. Being a Christian is a matter of life and death in those and many other countries in the world. Yet how do they react? They count it all as joy.

I read of the troubles they go through and I am in awe of their faith, of how they react when their husbands are beaten to death, when they are forced from their homes, lose their jobs, have no recourse other than to sell their bodies to provide for their families. Hate and despair does not fill their lives, in fact exactly the opposite. They are so full of love it shines out of their eyes and faces. Their troubles have refined and honed them to be more like Jesus and just imagine what joy awaits them when they get to heaven?!!!

I want that in my life. Not the persecution, obviously, as it is definitely not something on my Christmas list although even here in the west there is persecution of Christians, but for the love of Jesus to shine from me no matter what I am going through, what struggles I am having.

So how do we get that in our lives? How do we persevere no matter what the odds facing us? It is a case of trusting in God, of turning our hearts and minds to Him at all times and in all circumstances. We are never alone, God is always with us :

Psalm 73:23 (NIV) Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand.

Psalm 16:8 (NIV) I have set the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

So we have to change our mindset, to stop focusing our eyes on ourselves and our problems, our worries and turn them to Jesus. Jesus told us in no uncertain terms not to worry:

Matthew 6: 25-34 (NIV)Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labour or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendour was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

And then look at what he says in Matthew 11:28-30:

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

They have to be some of my favourite verses. The sheer peace that those verses bring to me is unbelievable. To know that I can cast all my cares, all my worries on Jesus, and He will take care of each and every single one of them is such a relief, such a lightening of the load on my shoulders. No matter what I am facing, He is there by my side and I can leave everything in His hands. It doesn't mean I can sit back and expect money to pour into my bank account without me going to work, or that a meal will miraculously appear on the table without anyone cooking it, or that this morning my husband will wake up with no trace of depression ever again. What it does mean is that I can rest my heart, because I know all things are in God's hands, that He knows the Master Plan, He knows the full picture and all things will work out according to His will in time, his time, not mine. It means those Christians in Orissa can face each day because they have Jesus, they carry the Holy Spirit within them and they know that the things we go through here on earth are just temporary, fleeting, because we will spend eternity with Jesus in heaven.

We need to let our lights shine, to face the world with joy in our hearts, peace in our minds, because we are not of this world. We need to demonstrate our faith by our actions, our deeds, our perseverance in times of trouble, how we react to the bad things in life (and there is certainly no shortage of those).

I pray that we will each have peace in our hearts today no matter what we face, that the love of God will shine from us and through us, and our reactions when under stress, under pressure, others may be drawn to Christ.

James 1:3

06:09

James 1:3 Because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance (NIV)

The testing of your faith develops perseverance. So what, exactly, is testing and perseverance then? Well, according to the Oxford English dictionary, testing means difficult and the verb, to test, means:

test1

• noun 1 a procedure intended to establish the quality, performance, or reliability of something. 2 a short examination of proficiency or knowledge. 3 a means of testing something. 4 a difficult situation that reveals the strength or quality of someone or something. 5 an examination of part of the body or a body fluid for medical purposes. 6 Chemistry a procedure for identifying a substance or revealing whether it is present. 7 a test match.

• verb 1 subject to a test. 2 touch or taste before proceeding further. 3 try severely; tax (a person’s endurance or patience).

So to me, testing is not a case of sitting an exam, of seeing if I have passed, or got a particular grade. Instead, testing means seeing how strong something is, what the quality is like how it reacts under stress. How will you ever know how strong your faith really is if only good things happen to you? If you were born with a silver spoon in your mouth, if you always have enough money, have a nice house, good clothes, pots of money in the bank, a wonderful marriage, well behaved and intelligent children, and never have a days illness? It is when the bad things happen, when life hits with a vengeance, that you really know just what you are made of and whether you really do believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who died on the cross to save each and every one of us and that He is now seated in heaven at the right hand of the Father.

Look again at the definition for test. In chemistry, a test is a procedure for identifying a substance or revealing whether it is present. So the tests we go through identify or reveal whether faith is really present in our lives.

Trust also means a difficult situation that reveals the strength or quality of someone or something. The tests we go through show us (and others) what our faith is made of and whether it stands up in the face of opposition or when things don't work out the way we want or expect. It demonstrates the quality and strength of our faith.

Remember the parable of the sower (Matthew 13:1-23) when some of the seed was thrown onto a footpath, some fell on rocky ground, other seeds fell amongst the thorns and some seeds fell on good ground? The seed that fell on the footpath represents those people who hear about Jesus but don't understand it and the enemy comes and snatches it away. The seed that fell on the rocky ground represents those who hear the message, receive it with joy but do not have deep roots. When times of trouble come, or they are persecuted for their faith they turn away. The seed that fell in the thorns is the people who hear the word but it gets crowded out of their lives by the cares and worries of this world, by the desire for wealth and other things. The seed that fell on the good soil, however, represents those who truly hear and understand God's word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, even one hundred times as mush as had been planted. It is when the times of testing come that you will know whether the seed has been planted on good soil, a footpath, rocky ground or in thorns.

So where has the seed been planted in you? When you face problems in life, do you get down on your knees and pray, turn to God? Or do you look to man, try and sort things out yourself, believe God is punishing you for some wrongdoing, or turn against God because bad things are happening and you thought you would lead a charmed life once you became a Christian? As the saying goes, the proof of the pudding in in the eating.

And as for perseverance:

persevere

• verb continue in a course of action in spite of difficulty or lack of success.

— DERIVATIVES perseverance noun.

— ORIGIN Latin perseverare ‘abide by strictly’.

-perseverance

• suffix forming nouns: 1 denoting a quality or state: perseverance. 2 denoting an action: utterance.

— ORIGIN French, from Latin -antia, -entia.

This means carrying on believing in Jesus regardless of everything that is happening, trusting in Him no matter what we are going through, whether we have money in the bank, full health, a roof over our heads, clothes to wear, food to eat or not. Continuing to believe even when we seem to be getting nowhere and everything is going wrong.

The Message translates this verse as:

You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colours. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.

Woah! Isn't that amazing? Our faith life is forced out into the open and shows its true colours. Times of testing are times when we can allow our faith to grow, when we really show what we are made of, what we believe in, and it is a witness and encouragement to others.

So what do we do when trials come, when the time of testing seems never ending and there is no light at the end of the tunnel? When life seems unbearable, when it is just one problem after another, yet another set back or hurdle to overcome, we know we can take it all to God. God is there right by our side no matter what we are going through, no matter how hard life is. We need to hand everything over to God, to trust in Him even when things seem impossible, and then to turn our eyes on Jesus, to fix our sight on the truth.

The trials we face strengthen us as Christians. They demonstrate to ourselves, and to others, exactly what we are made of and show up our faith for what it really is. Do we really stand on the Rock, under the shelter of the Lord God Almighty, in the shadow of His wings? Or do we flit here and there, trying out this faith, this religion, this idea, until we find one that we are comfortable with , one that lets us do everything we want to do without fear of criticism? After all, everyone has a right to be happy, a chance at life, a shot at the best things, don't they? So why not follow a religion that lets us be happy, use those drugs, sleep around, take what we want, when we want? Ignore the bad things in life, concentrate on what we want and everyone else can go hang themselves. God helps those who help themselves so go for it, don't worry about the next man because he can look after himself.

If you are truly a believer in Jesus, you will know that He is the only way to God. No other religion, no matter how good it sounds, how believable it is, how logical, how promising can ever lead you to God. Jesus said "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6).

Which way are you going?