Don’t just listen to God,” writes James, Jesus’ half brother, in the late 40s (first century A.D.), ” You must do what He says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.” (James 1:22)
If we are born-again, saved Christians, we do not just talk the talk, we must walk the walk. Our family, friends, and acquaintances will not believe a word we say if we don’t. It is about integrity.
James’ focus of his epistle is on ethics, how we live out our life of faith. He further writes that our life should flow from our faith in Jesus and and should witness to others through our deeds. It shows itself on how we live.
James reminds us that we encounter many trials that test our faith, and this testing “produces endurance. and let endurance have its perfect work, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. … But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all without hesitation and without reproach; and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from The LORD – he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways” (James 1:2-8)
Paul echoes that in his letter to Romans, saying that “suffering produces perseverance; perseverance character; and character, hope … you become stronger, more steadfast, more confident, and, ultimately, full of hope (Romans 5:3-4)
Those above are words of advice to be servant leaders to help each other and those without faith to turn away from our selfish ways, from temptations that comes from our own desires, and turn back to God Almighty, and humbling seek His face and He may heal us and our land. (2 Chronicles 7:14)
How does faith start? Jesus is the initiator and finisher of our faith. And in His Word, God taught faith to His people, the Israelites, through his kept promises. But first, He asked them obedience by giving them the Ten Commandments after He brought them out of Egypt, where they were slaves.
Many of our fellow Americans are slaves of deception, anger, and fear. They are held captive. Many follow false teachers, missing the mark, and turn to fruitless discussion, not understanding what so dogmatically they assert.
How do we rescue our fellow Americans from slavery? Let’s start from the very basic, logical beginning: The Ten Commandments. “The law was given … to the lawless and rebellious … for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, the sexually immoral, homosexuals, slave traders, liars, perjurers, and for anything else that opposes sound doctrine.” (1 Timothy 1: 5-11)
The Ten Commandments, that have been taken away years ago from American schools and public places, are:
- I AM The LORD your God, You shall have no other gods before Me.
- Do not make for yourself a graven image and do not make you serve it, for I AM a jealous God, bringing iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Me, but showing lovingkindness to the thousands of generations of those who love Me and keep My commandments. (Italics are mine).
- You mustn’t take the Name of The LORD your God in vain, for The LORD will not hold him guiltless that takes His Name in vain
- Remember the Day of Rest, to keep it holy
- Honor your father and mother, so that your days may be long upon the land which The LORD your God is giving you.
- Do not murder (including with your tongue, Proverb 18:21, James 1:26 and 3:6, Matthew 12:36-37)
- Do not commit adultery
- Do not steal
- Do not bear false witness against your neighbor
- Do not covet your neighbor’s house, wife, or property.
Do we think for a minute that if our fellow Americans obeyed these commandments, and our younger generations observed them, we would have such a corrupted government, with people lying even in the high spheres of authority and of the Justice Department? And what about the protests that destroyed so many livelihoods and properties, would have those protestors fallen for the lies and temptations presented by the organizers?
Are we breaking the laws above, by justifying it? Oh let me take a few company’s pencils and tools, they buy them by the hundreds … Oh let me take a longer breaks and take a sick day, I am entitled to it and cannot hurt anyone … Oh let me pursue that him (or her), it is just an indiscretion that will hurt no one if I can keep it secret … If I just pray for that position and cast a shadow against the reputation of my coworker, maybe I can get a promotion and raise that I need …
But, if instead we look intently int the perfect law that gives freedom, and we continue in it – not forgetting what we have heard, but doing it, we will be blessed in what we do (James 1:25) and the God of hope will fill us with all joy and peace as we trust in Him, so that we may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13)
Fellow Americans if we want to be patriots, before we do anything we need great for our Country to clean our act in the small and great things of our private lives. Because by just believing in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the only One of Israel, and saying you know Him, you do not say much. Like James said “You believe God. You do well. The demons also believe – and they shutter!” (James 2: 19)
Our Founders were sincere followers of Jesus, they listened to great revivalists like George Whitefield, Jonathan Edwards, William Tennent and Gilbert Tennent. They sprang from the Great Awakening, the spiritual revival of the American colonies. Without this spiritual revival, they would have never been able to found this great Country and win against the greatest empire of the times which held a solid grip over them.
My dear Fellow Americans, we are held by the greatest forces of darkness today. Allowing God to be thrown out from education, government, and public places, we have allowed God’s spiritual enemy to strengthen his strongholds and now he holds America captive. It is the time to fight back, but not with human and worldly weapons, but with the spiritual ones, because today more than ever and like always, the true battle is fought in the heavenly realms and spills over on our world.
Shall we become part of the Hosts of Heaven’s Army? Or shall we weep, lament, and whine while the enemy keeps us captive?
Just a reminder, there are no whiners in the Kingdom of God. He fights the battles and victory is His! Satan must ask and obtain permission to do anything. Satan and his army of mignons are strong today only because we allow them to; they are empowered by us and our apathy. Raise up America! Look up to our God Who causes the enemy to come against us one way, but be defeated, and flee in front of us seven ways! Our God full of mercy and love is slow to anger and great in power; He is avenger of His adversaries, and will by no means acquit the guilty! (Deuteronomy 28:7 and Nahum 1: 2-3).
I pray that you and I will ask the Holy Spirit to let us see what He sees and hear what He hears, to lead us to victory in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
And if you do not belong yet to this Victorious Savior, I pray that you accept today without delay Jesus in your heart, by sincerely repenting of your sins, asking Him His forgiveness, and to come into your heart. Don’t delay! There might be no time left! Once life is over, your choice to whom to belong is over too, no appeals, no second remedy. The time to choose between Jesus and Satan is now. and by default, you belong to the prince of the world, the great foe Satan himself.
I pray you choose Jesus today, and you commit to Him with full loyalty. Because our Triune Almighty God has already committed full loyalty to you once you accept Jesus as your Savior.