Jesus Fellowship: Warning to Rich Oppressors. 11/23/15

Day 326

https://www.biblegateway.com/audio/dramatized/niv/Jas.5

James 5

Warning to Rich Oppressors

5 Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on you. 2 Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. 3 Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. 4 Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. 5 You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter.[a] 6 You have condemned and murdered the innocent one, who was not opposing you.

Patience in Suffering
7 Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. 8 You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. 9 Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!

10 Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.

12 Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. All you need to say is a simple “Yes” or “No.” Otherwise you will be condemned.

The Prayer of Faith

13 Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

17 Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. 18 Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.

19 My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, 20 remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.

Supplied Life Devotional by Bill Freeman

November 23rd

Not waiting for a better day

"I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight." Matthew 11:25- 26

Our environment demands an answer, a response. So if you have to answer your environment, how do you answer it? How do you respond to it? When everything was against the Lord Jesus, He addressed the Father as "Lord of heaven and earth." This means the Lord categorically accepted all the defaming, all the rejection-- all the events taking place around Him-- as being one hundred percent from the sovereignty of the Father's hand. By calling the Father "Lord of heaven and earth," Jesus is acknowledging that nothing has gone wrong on the earth, but everything is as it should be. He is not hoping for a better day, not escaping the environment; but He is giving an absolute response to the Father about that environment that is against Him. He is thanking Him for it, praising Him for it. Then the Lord Jesus further acknowledges and submits to the Father's sovereignty and His will:"because You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes" (Matt. 11:25). He is saying, "Father, You have not made any mistakes. You allowed all these things- the rejecting, the defaming. This is from You. This is under Your control."

Brothers and sisters, the hidden self will never be exposed and dealt with until we take our environment absolutely-- until we take our husband or wife absolutely, and until we take the brothers and sisters absolutely. There cannot be even one inch of reservation in us, of thinking that others are wrong, that we are not being treated fairly. As long as there is one little bit of blame toward someone and self- vindication, Satan is still there lurking in our being in this hidden self.

Pray Until Something Happens (PUSH)

Anna, Ariana, Ariel, Georgie, Linnette, Wes, and Zoe.