Are you exalted or humbled? We can rejoice either way.

This video helps us understand how we can rejoice regardless of our postion

Are you exalted or humbled? We can rejoice either way.

James 1:9 Let the lowly brother glory in his exaltation,

James 1:10 but the rich in his humiliation, because as a flower of the field he will pass away.

James 1:11 For no sooner has the sun risen with a burning heat than it withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beautiful appearance perishes. So the rich man also will fade away in his pursuits.

This is a call to both the lowly brother, and the rich brother. It's a call to glory ( that is, to glad, or to rejoice in )

For example, the lowly brother, or the poor man, is to glory in his exaltation. That is, while he may be poor on a material and monetary level, and may be lowly as far as society is concerned, it’s not so in God’s eyes and truth. He is exalted, in that he is in Christ. James was writing to christian brothers, and this exaltation is true of everyone that has come to faith in Jesus Christ. We are exalted in Christ. We are joint-heirs with Christ. So, that’s one thing.

But, now to the rich man. It’s just the opposite in some ways. He is to rejoice in, or glory in the fact, that he has become humbled. The truth of God can come home to a rich man, and enable him to see the end of the matter, and the truth about his riches and position. James gives the illustration of the flower of the field. It’s no sooner bloomed, then along comes the sun, and it causes the flower to wither. It falls, and all of it’s beauty vanishes. This is just what will happen to the rich man ( in terms of his physical riches and so on )

So, James is helping to show, “let’s measure our lives from the perspective of God’s Word and God’s truth. Let’s have that eternal perspective about our lives.”

Are you poor and lowly, then rejoice in your position in Christ. Are you a rich man, then remember, you have eternal riches, and the temporal things will just pass away, but not the eternal life that has been given to you.

Thank You Lord. We appreciate You telling us the truth about life. Help Us Lord, to take it to heart, and to put it into application day by day. We love you. In Jesus name. Amen.

Pastor Bob Grenier

Calvary Chapel Visalia

Application/Promises.

1. Which position are you in right now?

2. Has God exalted you?

3. Has God humbled you?

4. Either way, we can rejoice in the Lord.

"Why didn't the Lord give me wisdom? "

James answers this in the first chapter of his epistle........

"Why didn't the Lord give me wisdom? "

James 1:6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.

James 1:7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;

James 1:8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

These verses explain the answer to the question, "Why didn't the Lord give me wisdom?" It's because we are to ask in faith, with no doubting. It's that simple.

In asking God for His wisdom, we must ask in faith, or believing, or trusting, and we are ask without doubting. ( or without misgivings, or secret doubts, hesitations, waverings ) Or to put it another way, when we ask the Lord for wisdom, we are to ask in sincere faith, without any secret doubts as whether we really want God's help or not.

James goes on to describe all this for us in a picture. The man who asks and doubts at the same time is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the winds. We can picture a wave out in the ocean being blown about, going here, going there, not having stability. Doubting means to go back and forth between unbelief and belief.

So, we are to understand that if we ask doubting, it means we will not receive anything from the Lord. For when we ask/doubting, we are double-minded, and unstable in all our ways. To be double-minded is to have "divided allegiance. A man of divided loyalty. It's a person who can't make up their mind. Going back and forth in everything they do. Instability.

God has called us to just believe Him, not doubt Him. It's through faith in God that we receive from Him.

Father, thank You for the faith we have, help us to simply believe You, to put doubting out of our minds and hearts, and just lean in to you, to rely upon You, to have confidence in You, to rest in You, to take You at Your Word. And give us Lord, the wisdom we need. In Jesus name, amen

Pastor Bob Grenier

Calvary Chapel Visalia

Application/Promise.

1. You have a measure of faith from God.

2. Unbelief or doubting is not from God.

3. Reading the Bible will help our faith.

4. God calls us to believe Him, it's that simple.

5. We need wisdom, so, we must believe Him.

6. God will honor your faith.

7. The Lord will give you wisdom.

8. Let's read the Bible more often, it's good for us.

"I don't know what to do"

This video helps explain from James 1:5, what we can do, when we do not know what to do. And, it tells us a number of things about our God.

"I don't know what to do"

James 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

If there is any christian, who does not know what to do, then, here's what they can do. They can ask God for the wisdom they need, then, ( because God will give them wisdom ) they will know what to do.

Wisdom, is having the skill, or being clever, and knowing what to do when you face a challenge, or are in a trial. In fact, wisdom really is knowing what God wants you to do in the situation, it's understanding His will for you in your circumstance.

Asking God, is simply praying to God, and requesting from Him, the wisdom you need. We can pray, and God will answer, He will meet the need that we have. He will give you the wisdom you need.

We are told several things about God in this verse. God can hear you, that's number one. God will give the wisdom needed to any who ask Him, and He will give it liberally. Finally, He will give you the wisdom without reproach. This means that God will gladly give you wisdom, and He will tell you what He wants you to do. And, He will not resent your asking Him.

Let's pray together right now.........Father, I'd like to pray for myself, or for anyone I know who at this moment, and at this time in their life may not know what do to in a given situation. They do not know what Your will is. We are asking for ourselves, and praying for our brothers and sisters that You would according to Your promise, give us, and them the needed wisdom. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Pastor Bob Grenier

Calvary Chape Visalia

Application/Promises

1. God's ears are open to the prayers of His children.

2. God never resents it when we come to Him with our requests.

3. God has the very thing that we need.

4. God is willing and ready to give to us what we need.

5. Praying, or talking to God is how we ask.

6. Let's believe God today, for the wisdom we need.

The 2 reasons we go through trials and tribulations

This video explains why we go through trials, and additionally, it explains what we are to do in them, or how we are to cooperate with the Lord in trials...

Why do we go through trials?

James 1:3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.

James 1:4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

These two verses help explain why we an count it all joy when we fall into various trials and difficulties. The first thing in these verses, is what we are to know, and the second thing, is what we are to do. So, knowing and doing are both mentioned here. And, they both help us understand why we “can count it all joy” when we fall into a trial.

So, first of all, “Knowing”.......that is, the Lord wants us to know what He intends through the trial that we may be going through. A trial is a test or proving of our faith, and through the testing process, the trial will produce endurance, or patience in our lives, the ability to persevere under and in difficult situations. ( By the way, the proving of our faith, is not for God to know if we have faith as it were, but rather the proving/testing of our faith is for us to know and be aware of )

Sometimes a trial will be with a person, or persons, and sometimes it can be with a circumstance(s), and sometimes, it can be with both people(s) and circumstances.

Regardless of which it is, the same goal is in mind from the Lord. He wants to make you more patient and able to endure. So, a trial is designed to give us more patience. Trials make us able to endure.

Secondly, “Doing”.....or as it’s stated in verse 4, “but let patience etc, etc...” The letting, is what we are called to do. And, that is to let the Lord to do in us what He wants to do. We are called to cooperate with God’s will and His purposes in our lives. In other words, we are not to try and run from the trial, or pretend it’s not there, or become bitter and angry, or discouraged. And, we can’t hurry the process, but, we can “Let” and if we do, we will come out more mature, and more complete as people if we go through the trial God’s way, and in God’s time.

When a christian allows the Lord to work in their hearts through a trial, they will ultimately become a more well rounded person. That’s what trials do in us.

Let’s pray. Father, again, Your Word hits us right in the heart, and rings true to us, and helps us so much. Thank You for Your Word. And, may You find us “letting You do in us whatever You want to do”......That’s our prayer Lord. Develop our lives, that they may be a witness for Jesus Christ.

Pastor Bob Grenier

Calvary Chapel Visalia

Application/Promise

1. No trial is ever more then we can handle

2. God knows what He is trying to do in us.

3. God has wisdom that we don’t have about what He is doing in our lives.

4. We don’t need to try and get out of the trial.

5. God loves you, and will bless you in the end.

6. Strength to endure, actually comes from God.

7. Be encouraged, God is faithful.

How to view trials and temptations

“It really is a joy”...........

James 1:2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,

The first thing that James says to Christians about trials, is “count it all joy”.......the Phillips translation of the Bible says it this way, “When all kinds of trials and temptations crowd into your lives my brothers, don't resent them as intruders, but welcome them as friends!” Or to consider it an opportunity for joy.

The phrase “count it all joy” means to consider, to think it through to it’s logical conclusion, just the way you would if you were working out a math problem. There is a right sequence to go through in the problem, and it comes to right ending. That’s the meaning here. We are to look at trial, and then consider what it’s going to bring into our lives. It’s a matter of Joy.

So as Christians, this is how we are to, and how we can, and how we ought to regard the trials ( and even the temptations ) that come into our lives. This is contrary to how we feel, and it’s not my first reaction, but, it’s how our Father directs us. We are to welcome them as friends.

A true friend will not hurt you, and trials ( while they can be very painful to say the least ) are not going to hurt us when it’s all said and done, but rather help us and encourage us in our walk with the Lord. Trials in that sense can become our friends.

As we go through James 1, it will become apparent to us why we can welcome them as friends.....but suffice to say, they will bring benefit into our lives.

Please take a moment to consider what is said by way of explanation in James 1:3. “knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.”

Trials will produce something very helpful in our lives. Patience. That’s what the Lord gives us as we walk through a trial with Him. Let’s pray.

Lord, Your Word is like nothing else in the world. You speak right to our hearts and minds, and You tell us the truth, and here You tell us about trials, and what they will bring into our lives, and how we ought to look at them, and understand them. Thank You for that Lord. And, help us to take Your Word to heart, and to put it into application. In Jesus name, amen.

Pastor Bob Grenier

Calvary Chapel Visalia

Application/Promises

1. We can be completely sure of God’s Word.

2. What He says to us is precisely correct and true.

3. The subject of trials and temptations is important.

4. This is God’s counsel to us about trials.

5. Looking back on your trials don’t you see how they do help us?

6. God will get you through any trial.

7. Blessings of Grace, Power and Peace to you.

God restores ......

Mark 16:7“But go, tell His disciples--and Peter--that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you.”

The angel in the empty tomb, gave the women their marching orders and message. They were to go and tell His disciples that He was risen from the dead. But, you can see that there was special mention made of Peter. It's as if he said, now make sure you "tell Peter also, don't leave him out, let him know about Jesus etc"

The other part of the message to the disciples and Peter was that Jesus would meet with them up in the Galilee, just as He had said.

The compassion of the Lord towards those who have failed is evident here. Jesus wound up restoring Peter, and then using him as the first preacher in the Book of Acts, where 3000 came to salvation through his preaching.

Peter had denied Christ, during Jesus's darkest hours. Not once, but three times. He had a lapse of faith. It's not hard to imagine how Peter must have felt. Defeated, discouraged, hopeless, condemned and so on. I doubt he had any idea of what the Lord was going to do for him.

But, restoration to fellowship and to ministry is what the Lord does. He will take any person and restore them, and use them once again in service to God.

The reason for this restoration, is the compassion and the mercy of God. He is compassionate, He is full of mercy, and He forgives, and cleanses and blesses because of grace.

So, if you have failed the Lord in some way, don't be discouraged, and don't think there is no hope for you, because there is.

Father, for the discouraged person(s) who may be reading this today. May grace, mercy and peace come into their lives in abundance. Restore and renew them Lord. And give them hope and encouragement this day, and use them once again in ministry. In Jesus name, amen

Pastor Bob Grenier

Calvary Chapel Visalia

Application/promises.

1. His mercies never run out.

2. His mercies are new every morning.

3. Turn your eyes upon Jesus and see His grace today.

4. Let God wash and renew you this very day.

5. Oh how He loves you.

6. Leave your doubts, and by faith look to God.

Funny how we blame the Lord......but, it's true.

Proverbs 19:3 The foolishness of a man twists his way, And his heart frets against the LORD.

Here we see something about man, and what man can do to himself.

In fact, the truth contained in this verse is explained to us in great detail in the New Testament book of James.

The foolishness of man twists his way. In other words, it’s what’s in a man’s self that actually twists or troubles his own life. But, what he winds up doing is blaming the Lord for the troubles that he has brought on himself.

James 1, explains it clearly to us.

James 1:13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.

James 1:14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.

James 1:15* Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.

The Lord tells us here not to blame God as the source of our being tempted to sin. God Himself cannot be tempted, and He does not tempt anyone to sin.

The cause of temptation comes from within man himself. It’s when he is drawn away by his own lusts, or desires. And then, when he gives into those desires, that’s when he sins. And sin when it’s full grown or gone through it’s process if you will, brings death.

So, sin is the problem within man, and that’s why God sent Jesus Christ into the world. It was not to condemn man, but rather to save man. Sin came into the world through one man, Adam, and it’s been passed along to all men who have ever been born. Thus, we are born sinners.

But, we can be born again, ( this does not mean we will never sin, or never have problems with sin ) but, it does mean we have a new life in Christ, we are forgiven, set apart to God, purchased by Him, and made joint heirs with Christ.

And, it means that we can live a different kind of life then we lived before we were saved. We have God’s Holy Spirit in our lives, to be our strength, and to teach us the truth, to guide along the right way, the way of God, and find God’s help and victory day by day in our lives.

So, rather the blame God, we can thank Him for what He has done for us.

Thank You Father. You are the giver of good gifts, and You have given us salvation through faith in Your Son Jesus Christ. We are indebted to You, and could never ever pay You back for what You have done for us. Nor do You ask us to pay You back. But, You do call us to, call upon You and take the cup of salvation, that is to walk with You. In Jesus name, amen.

Pastor Bob Grenier

Calvary Chapel Visalia

Application/Promises.

1. God’s Word makes things clear to us.

2. God’s Word explains to us what things we need to know.

3. God helps us to get unconfused as it were.

4. God’s Holy Spirit is the one who really teaches us.

5. God also helps us by forgiving us, and giving us hope.