“Blessed to Serve Here”
It is with deep regret that I inform you that this will be my last Word on Wednesday. Cathy and I will be leaving GMPC.
I will see you at the Combined Worship Service on August 31 at 10:00 am. After that, I will be in Scotland. I have been accepted to the PhD program in the School of Divinity at the University of Edinburgh. My research will focus on apocalyptic literature, especially the book of Revelation. This is a part-time program, and I will return for our last Sunday together on September 21.
We have been blessed to serve here since March 1, 2023. By God’s grace, we have seen the worship attendance, membership, and giving all increase. We have also been blessed to see the addition of a new Spanish language service.
In the life of every congregation, pastors come, and pastors go. But our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has promised to never leave you or forsake you (Hebrews 13:5).
We will miss you and we will be praying for you. We’re looking forward to seeing how the Lord will continue to bless your ministry. And we hope that your next pastor is named David.
In Christ,
Pastor David
“God Is Always With US”
Then Moses called to Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you will go with this people into the land which the Lord has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you will give it to them as an inheritance. And the Lord is the one who is going ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not desert you or abandon you. Do not fear and do not be dismayed.” Deuteronomy 31:7-8
One of the things I have noticed about Coronado is that people are always coming and going. In the summer, the streets are filled with cars that have Arizona license plates because people come here for cooler weather. In the winter, the streets are filled with cars that have license plates from states in the Midwest because people come here to thaw out.
The one thing all these cars have in common is that they are driven by maniacs who don’t realize that they are supposed to give pedestrians a break, even when they are jay walking. Eventually the tourists will leave us so that we can jay walk in peace.
As people come and go in Coronado, it’s a comfort to know that God is always with us. He has promised to never desert us or abandon us.
Joshua learned this lesson when he was chosen to lead God’s people into the Promised Land. Moses was about to die. He had led God’s people for 40 years as they traveled in the wilderness of the Middle East. God had brought them out of slavery in Egypt to the banks of the Jordan River. When it was time for Joshua to take over, he was reminded that God would still be with Him and the people as they crossed the Jordan into their new lives.
No matter what we challenges we may be facing, God is going ahead of us. He will be with us. So, there is no reason for us to be afraid. Even when we’re trying to cross Orange Ave. during tourist season.
In Christ,
Pastor David
“The Holy Spirit”
Now in the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. Romans 8:26-27
All of us desperately need someone to pray for us. We need this like we need air and water and food to survive on earth and to be faithful servants of the Lord. So, do you have someone who is faithfully praying for you as you go through the ups and downs of your life? Yes, you do!
All of us have someone who is faithfully praying for us every day: the Holy Spirit. What’s even better is that the Holy Spirit isn’t just with us-the Holy Spirit is within us.
In Acts chapter 2, the Scriptures tell us that God has put His Holy Spirit into each of His followers. One of the reasons why God has taken up residence within us through the Holy Spirit is found in Romans 8: 26-27. Here we see that the Spirit has been given to us to help us in our weakness.
During those times when we feel lost, when we can’t help ourselves, when we’re all alone, when others have failed us, the Holy Spirit is still with us- helping us to go on. And one of the ways in which the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness is by praying for us.
Can you imagine? What better prayer partner could we possibly have than the Holy Spirit?
We don’t know what we ought to pray for like the Holy Spirit does. We don’t know our own needs like the Holy Spirit does. We don’t understand our own feelings like the Holy Spirit does. We can’t appreciate all that God has done for us like the Holy Spirit can. Even if we could, we can’t articulate our prayers with the same accuracy and intensity as the Holy Spirit can
The Holy Spirit Himself intercedes for us with divine groans that mere mortal words cannot express. What’s more, God hears the Holy Spirit.
When we look for someone to pray for us, we usually seek a godly person hoping that this person will have the Lord’s ear, so to speak. Sometimes people will come to me and say,
“Pastor, I know you have a direct line to the Big Guy. Pass this on for me when you get a chance.”
And they’ll give me a prayer request. Well, who has more credibility and accessibility to God than the Holy Spirit?
God listens to the Holy Spirit because God is the Holy Spirit. God prays the prayer as the Holy Spirit and then God hears the prayer as the Father. And God always prays the prayer right.
It is amazing when you stop and think about it. Right now, the Holy Spirit is praying for each one of us, telling God exactly what we need. God is listening intently to what the Holy Spirit is saying about us.
And God is answering those prayers this very moment.
When we are overwhelmed with pain and are unable to pray for ourselves, the Holy Spirit is praying for us.
When we feel far away from God and aren’t sure the Lord is listening to us anymore, the Holy Spirit is praying for us.
When we are caught in the grip of despair and don’t know what to tell God, the Holy Spirit is praying for us.
When we are consumed with guilt and are too ashamed to turn our faces toward God, the Holy Spirit is praying for us.
When we are struggling with temptations that seem overwhelming, the Holy Spirit is praying for us.
When we find ourselves abandoned without a friend in the world, the Holy Spirit is praying for us.
When we feel lost and don’t know where to find God, the Holy Spirit is praying for us.
We are not alone. Our Divine prayer partner, the Holy Spirit is within us, bringing our every need to the Lord’s attention.
In Christ,
Pastor David
“Jesus Is With Us”
5 But when Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul began devoting himself completely to the word, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ. 6 But when they resisted and blasphemed, he shook out his garments and said to them, “Your blood is on your own heads! I am clean. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.” 7 Then he left the synagogue and went to the house of a man named Titius Justus, a worshiper of God, whose house was next door to the synagogue. 8 Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, believed in the Lord together with his entire household; and many of the Corinthians, as they listened to Paul, were believing and being baptized. 9 And the Lord said to Paul by a vision at night, “Do not be afraid any longer, but go on speaking and do not be silent; 10 for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many people in this city.” 11 And he settled there for a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them. Acts 18:5-11
Beginning in August, we will resume our sermon series on the book of Acts, God willing. We’ll pick up where we left off at the end of October 2024.
In Acts chapter 18 we find the Apostle Paul preaching in the Greek seaport city of Corinth. As in other seaports, it was filled with rowdy sailors. It was also home to a sizeable Jewish community and Paul went there first to tell them about Jesus who was the Messiah they had been sent by God. But the Jews resisted Paul’s message and blasphemed. They probably committed blasphemy by denying that Jesus is God the Son and the Messiah.
So, Paul shifted his focus to the Gentiles: the rough and tumble sailors and their families. And who wouldn’t want to spend time with those rascals, singing sea chanteys and comparing tattoos? Nevertheless, Paul must have been a bit apprehensive about his decision, because the Lord said to him in a vision at night:
“Do not be afraid any longer but go on speaking and do not be silent; for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many people in this city.”
With this assurance of the Lord’s presence with him, Paul stayed in Corinth for a year and six months. He taught the Gentiles and the Jews who would listen the word of God.
Where would you go and how long would you stay if you were assured that the Lord would be with you? God has sent me to some scary places to teach Sailors His word. Even Coronado where there are Sailors and Soldiers and Marines. Oh. my!
After Jesus rose from the dead, He met with his disciples and told them:
“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to follow all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20
Jesus is with us, just as He was with Paul. We don’t need to be afraid to tell others about Him. Even in Coronado.
In Christ,
Pastor David
“My Brothers and Sisters”
My brothers and sisters, if anyone among you strays from the truth and someone turns him back, let him know that the one who has turned a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and cover a multitude of sins. James 5:19-20
Here James is writing to my brothers and sisters, which indicates that these people are followers of Jesus. Sometimes followers of Jesus stray from the truth of the Gospel and we have a responsibility to bring them back to the truth.
These verses come at the end of the book of James and as we’ve seen in this sermon series, there’s been a lot of sinning going on. Lying, slandering, gossiping, judgementalism, harsh criticism, favoritism, spiritual adultery, spiritual arrogance, to name just a few of the sins that James has addressed. It’s been a rough series to preach and there were probably times when folks thought James was all about sheep beating. However, at the end of this, James lets us know that he is writing to turn a sinner from the error of his ways to save his soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.
All of us stray from the truth now and then. And yet, our Good Shepherd comes after us to bring us back from the fold. One of the ways in which the Lord does this is to send someone after the sheep who has wandered away. But this isn’t an easy task. It requires speaking the truth in love, as the Apostle Paul tells us in Ephesians 4:15. Truth and love are both required.
It’s interesting to note that James calls us to pursue a wandering fellow believer after he spends so much time warning us of the dangers of the tongue and the difficulty of controlling the tongue. Some Christians are eager to tell other people the truth, but they do so in a harsh rather than loving way. Other Christians are so concerned with being loving that they are unwilling to deal with the truth for fear of being offensive. Truth and love go hand in hand.
All of us have a responsibility to bring someone who has strayed back to the Lord. After all, God loved the wanderer so much that He gave His only begotten Son to save the wanderer’s soul from death. Just as He saved our souls from death.
In Christ,
Pastor David
“God Heals”
Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray. Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises. Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer of faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him. Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. A prayer of a righteous person, when it is brought about, can accomplish much. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. Then he prayed again, and the sky poured rain, and the earth produced its fruit. James 5:13-18
On the second Sunday of the month following communion, people are invited to come forward and have the elders and I anoint them with oil and pray for their healing. The reason we do this is in response to what James wrote to the church in chapter 5. We are called to pray for healing and then leave the results up to God.
I have seen God heal people physically, emotionally, and spiritually. I have seen God heal broken relationships. I have seen God heal institutions such as churches, schools, and businesses. God will answer our prayers for healing according to His will.
When my mother was struggling with cancer, the elders and the pastor of our church came to our home, anointed her with oil, and prayed over her. She wasn’t healed as I expected-by having God remove the cancer from her body. However, God did bring about healing in my family. And God did bring my mother closer to Him. Eventually, God took my mother home and gave her a cancer free body in heaven.
I know people who have been healed of cancer here on earth. I don’t know why God does this for some but not for others. But I do know that we are called to ask God to heal and then leave the results up to Him. I also know that God always does what is best.
Please let me know if you would like the elders and I to anoint you with oil and pray over you. This doesn’t have to wait for the second Sunday of the month. We would be glad to do this.
In Christ,
Pastor David
“Are You Ready?”
Therefore, be patient, brothers and sisters, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains. You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near. James 5:7-8
When I was in high school in the 1970’s, our youth group had many discussions about the return of Jesus. Back then, we actually expected Jesus to return at any moment. We even sang songs such as, “I Wish We’d All Been Ready” by Larry Norman during our youth group meetings. The lyrics are:
Life was filled with guns and war
And everyone got trampled on the floor
I wish we'd all been ready
Children died, the days grew cold
A piece of bread could buy a bag of gold
I wish we'd all been ready
There's no time to change your mind
The Son has come, and you've been left behind
A man and wife asleep in bed
She hears a noise and turns her head
He's gone
I wish we'd all been ready
Two men walking up a hill
One disappears and one's left standing still
I wish we'd all been ready
There's no time to change your mind
The Son has come, and you've been left behind
This song is based on what Jesus said about His return:
That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. “Therefore, keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. Matthew 24:39-44
After Jesus ascended into haven 40 days after His Resurrection, His followers expected that He would return any minute. Certainly, in their lifetimes. But in the years that followed, the followers of Jesus started to give up on the idea that He was coming back. James and other writers of the New Testament had to encourage them to be patient and remember that the coming of the Lord is near. So, it’s no wonder that 2000 years later we don’t seem too concerned about the Lord’s return.
But this doesn’t mean that Jesus won’t return any moment. Our expectations have nothing to do with His return. The Lord is coming back whether we expect Him or not. Whether we are ready or not. However, it’s best to be ready.
Being ready involves living in a right relationship with Jesus. Repenting of sins and asking to be forgiven is a great way to get ready. Doing the Lord’s work is also an important step in getting ready. Living like Jesus is a big part of getting ready.
Jesus is coming back. When we lest expect Him. Are you ready?
In Christ,
Pastor David
“Pray To Be Rich”
Come now, you rich people, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments have become moth-eaten. Your gold and your silver have corroded, and their corrosion will serve as a testimony against you and will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure! Behold, the pay of the laborers who mowed your fields, and which has been withheld by you, cries out against you; and the outcry of those who did the harvesting has reached the ears of the Lord of armies. You have lived for pleasure on the earth and lived luxuriously; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. You have condemned and put to death the righteous person; he offers you no resistance. James 5:1-6
Some of you may remember the TV show “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous” which was popular from 1986 to 1995. The show featured the extravagant lifestyles of wealthy business executives, entertainers, sports figures, and socialites. The host was Robin Leach, a British-born TV personality. I don’t think James would have been a fan of the show.
As we continue in our sermon series on the book of James, we’ll spend some time on this passage from chapter 5. Here James describes the lifestyle of the rich and famous in the first century AD. Specifically in the Roman Empire. In describing the rich he does not address them as brothers and sisters. Neither does he call them to repent of their sins. Rather he delivers a message of judgement. As a result, biblical scholars have concluded that James is not addressing rich followers of Jesus.
The first followers of Jesus were predominately poor. They were the victims of these rich people. They worked for them but were not paid. They were even condemned and put to death by the rich. James points out that in the midst of all these injustices, the Lord of armies has heard their cries. There will come a day of judgement for these rich people.
James does not condemn these rich people simply because they are wealthy. There were rich Christians among the first followers of Jesus. For example, in Luke chapter 8 we read about Joanna and Suzanna. And in Acts chapter 16 we are told of Lydia. James is pointing out the sins that the rich struggle with as they live lives on their own, apart from the Lord.
In the movie, “Fiddler on the Roof” the main character Tevye sings the song If I were A Rich Man. Before he starts singing, he prays:
"Oh, Lord, you made many, many poor people
I realize, of course, it's no shame to be poor
But it's no great honor either!
So, what would have been so terrible if I had a small fortune?"
Which begs the question, “Is it OK to pray to become rich?” As we’ve seen in chapter 4 of the book of James, it all depends. In James 4:3 we’re reminded:
“You ask and do not receive, because you ask with the wrong motives, so that you may spend what you request on your pleasures.”
If we pray to become rich, and God says “No” it’s because He loves us and is protecting us from the temptations the rich face. Temptations that can lead them away from the Lord and harm His people.
On the other hand, we’re already rich compared to most of the people in the world. So maybe we should spend our time praying that we don’t fall into temptation because of the wealth we already have.
In Christ,
Pastor David
“God Willing”
Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.” Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. For you are just a vapor that appears for a little while, and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.” But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil. So for one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, for him it is sin. James 4:13-17
So, have you made your plans for a summer vacation? How about retirement plans? In our society we are encouraged to make plans and we’re commended for how far our plans go in the future. However, James is pointing out that in the grand scheme of things, our life span is like vapor that appears for a short while and then vanishes.
James also points out, that our lives are dependent on God who has His own plans for us. And since we don’t always see how our plans fit into God’s plans for us, it’s wise to include a caveat in the plans we make: “If the Lord wills.”
Many cultures include this caveat without having to think too much about it. In Spanish cultures, it’s common to hear someone say, “Como Dios quiere,” which means “As God wills.” In Muslim cultures, people say “Inshallah,” which means “As Allah wills”. In red neck cultures we hear, “Good Lord willin’ and the creek don’t rise.”
Thankfully, God is in control of our futures. Thankfully, each moment of our lives belongs to our Lord who loves us and protects us. We can remind ourselves and each other of this comforting truth by simply including the phrase, “God willing” whenever we speak of our future plans.
In Christ,
Pastor David
“Yes or No”
What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is the source not your pleasures that wage war in your body’s parts? You lust and do not have, so you commit murder. And you are envious and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask with the wrong motives, so that you may spend what you request on your pleasures. James 4:1-3
In our sermon series on the book of James, we spent time in chapter 3, and we saw there is a prayer that God will always answer with a “Yes.” Here we see in chapter 4, there is a prayer that God will answer with a “No.” When we ask God for wisdom, He will always say “Yes.” When we ask God to give us something with the wrong motives, God will say “No.” Asking God for something simply because it will satisfy our own selfish pleasures is an example of a wrong motive.
In the original Greek version of James 4:3, the Greek word that is used for pleasures is: hēdonais. This is where we get our English word hedonist from. Hedonists subscribe to the philosophy known as hedonism which holds that pleasure is the ultimate ideal and the pursuit of pleasure should be the primary goal in life.
Yet, isn’t this the American way? After all, the Declaration of Independence says:
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
However, the pursuit of happiness is different from the pursuit of pleasure. The signers of the Declaration of Independence were not hedonists. One of the signers was the Rev. John Witherspoon, a Presbyterian minister. He was the president of Princeton University which was founded by the Presbyterian Church in 1746. He was born in Scotland and was a graduate of the University of Edinburgh. He was definitely one of God’s “frozen chosen.”
In the book, The Bible and the Pursuit of Happiness: What the Old Testament and New Testaments Teach Us about the Good Life, the editor Brent Strawn points out that the term pursuit had a different meaning in 1776 that it does today. Today the term implies “chasing after”, even “hot pursuit”. Back then, the phrase “pursuit of happiness” expressed the idea of “practicing happiness” or “living in happiness” or “experiencing happiness”.
One of the essays in the book, “A Constructed Happiness: A Response from Practical Theology” was written by my former preaching professor at Princeton Theological Seminary, Dr Tom Long.
He uses the term eschatological which refers to the final destiny of the resurrected Christian in heaven, following death and the Last Judgement. Long writes:
This chapter highlights the eschatological dimension of biblical happiness, but notes that this dimension must be kept in constant balance with present concerns. This tensive balance means that happiness (flourishing) will be experienced by those who belong to Christ and yet, insofar as belonging to Christ means participating in the pattern of Jesus’ own life, it will sometimes take forms that those outside this faith will not recognize as “happiness.” Understanding happiness as an eschatological future that impinges on the present in real and often difficult ways should inform pastoral practices, including preaching.
All this is to say, asking God to fulfill our selfish pleasures in life will be answered with a “No.” Instead, let’s find out what happens when we ask God to help us experience true happiness.
In Christ,
Pastor David
“An Ordinary Sunday
Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth. Psalm 46:10
Last Sunday, we celebrated Father’s Day. The Sunday before, we celebrated Pentecost. So, is there anything special about this Sunday? Nope.
This Sunday is an ordinary Sunday. In fact, on the church calendar all of the Sundays until November 23 are ordinary and make up the season called Ordinary Time. The other seasons on the church calendar are Advent, Christmas, Lent, and Easter. The period between the end of the Christmas Season and Season of Lent are also considered Ordinary Time.
This season is not called ordinary because it is mundane, ho-hum, or blaze. Rather it is called ordinary because of the use of ordinals or numbers. There are 33 or 34 Sundays in Ordinary Time, and they’re typically referred to as the first Sunday after Pentecost rather than Pentecost Sunday.
Ordinary Time is a quieter season in the life of the church. We don’t have additional worship services such as Christmas Eve, Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, or Good Friday. Neither do we have extra decorations in the sanctuary as we do for Advent, Christmas, Lent, and Easter.
This time is an opportunity for the experiences of the other church seasons to sink in. For example, it’s an opportunity for us to reflect on how our lives are being transformed by Holy Spirit as we grew in our understanding and appreciation of the Resurrection during the season of Easter.
Ordinary Time is also a season when the worship attendance and income at GMPC drop. This is a historical trend which we have seen over many years. This suggests that folks are using this time for things other than the spiritual growth that takes place in a quieter season of life.
I encourage you to make use of this opportunity that God is giving us to grow deeper in your relationship with Him. This is a season for stillness before that Lord.
In Christ,
Pastor David
“To the Fathers on Father’s Day”
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”
Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. Ephesians 6:1-4
As I was growing up, I learned about the Ten Commandments in Sunday School and Vacation Bible School. When I heard that the commandment about obeying parents came with a promise, it made a lot of sense to me. As a kid, that was the hardest commandment for me to obey, and so I could see why God would give me a special reward for obeying it.
Later on, when I was a teenager in my church youth group, I read the book of Ephesians and saw the verse that was connected to the commandment about obeying parents:
Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.
When I read this, I thought: “Yes! I’m showing this to my dad who is always exasperating me.”
When I became a father, I understood why this verse appears after the commandment. It was because I was constantly being tempted to exasperate my two sons and even my grandson. Usually this takes the form of dad jokes. For example, whenever we go to Hawaii, I look for the opportunity to toss out:
You know what they say, here today gone to Maui!
I also like to make sure that the theme song to Hawaii 5-O is playing on the radio of the rental car when I drive it up to the loading zone at the airport to pick up my family who are waiting for me there with the luggage. It’s the little things that make vacations fun for fathers. Unfortunately, they exasperate the kids.
But then I learned that the Greek word for exasperate, that’s used in the original Greek translation of Ephesians 6:4, literally means, provoke to anger. Could it be that I found a loophole in the Bible that allows me to exasperate my children?
We fathers are a lot bigger and stronger and smarter and more powerful than our children when they are young and growing up with us. It’s not hard to take advantage of this and do things that provoke them to anger. It’s even tempting to make use of this advantage.
Our Father in Heaven knows what it’s like to have this advantage. And yet, God is a loving Father:
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16
When we strive to be loving fathers to our children, as God is a loving Father to us, we won’t have to worry about provoking them to anger. We might even find a way to tell dad jokes in love.
Happy Father’s Day!
In Christ,
Pastor David
“Pray for Wisdom”
Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial, free of hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. James 3:13-18
The James who wrote this book was a brother of Jesus. As in most families, there was probably a bit of sibling rivalry in the family of Jesus. And since it’s impossible to compete with a brother who is God, I imagine there was some jealousy and selfish ambition in the home. In John 7:5 we’re told that the brothers of Jesus did not believe in Him. And in Mark 3:21 we’re told that the family of Jesus told others, “He has lost His senses.”
In the end, Jesus healed His family. After Jesus rose from the dead, He made a resurrection appearance to His brother James. As a result, James was finally able to know His brother and he became a follower of Jesus. Another brother of Jesus named Jude also became a follower and wrote the New Testament book that bears his name.
James and Jude were finally able to give up their jealousy and selfish ambition. They were finally able to accept the wisdom from above which is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial, free of hypocrisy. What a comfort this must have been to their mother, Mary.
In the original Greek version of the book of James, the Greek word that is used for disorder is akatastasia and it conveys the idea of disturbance and turmoil in the church. In Luke 21:9 it is translated as revolts, and it’s used to convey the idea of anarchy political turmoil:
And when you hear of wars and revolts, do not be alarmed; for these things must take place first, but the end will not follow immediately.
The church is a family and so there is bound to be some sibling rivalry. There is competition over status and popularity. There is even competition for power and control. As a result, we’ll struggle with jealousy and selfish ambition.
Just as Jesus healed His earthly family, Jesus will heal His spiritual family: the Church. Jesus will bless us with wisdom from above which is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial, free of hypocrisy. Which brings us back to the very beginning of the Book of James:
But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. James 1:5
Please join me in praying for wisdom.
In Christ,
Pastor David
“Resist the Temptation to Sin”
But no one among mankind can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people, who have been made in the likeness of God; from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brothers and sisters, these things should not be this way. Does a spring send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water? Can a fig tree, my brothers and sisters, bear olives, or a vine bear figs? Nor can salt water produce fresh. James 3:8-12
When I was in grammar school, one of my teachers wrote on my report card, “David’s mouth is getting him into a lot of trouble.” I don’t think this came as a surprise to my parents. They knew about the arguments I was getting into with the other boys in the neighborhood. They also knew from the parents of these boys about how the arguments would often turn into a brawl.
In junior high school, I became a follower of Jesus. The Lord helped me to control my tongue and to turn the other cheek. Unfortunately, when the people I used to fight with saw this change, they took advantage of it and gave me lots of opportunities to turn the other cheek.
As a pastor of followers of Jesus, I see plenty of people who are struggling to control their tongues. I am often involved in conflict resolution with people who just can’t stop gossiping, telling lies, and cursing others. I also see these same people in the worship services using their tongues to praise and bless God.
You have also seen how relationships are harmed when people don’t control their tongues. Marriages, parent-child relationships, friendships have all been harmed by what people say. You have probably experienced how one or two words can cause years of pain and heartache.
We really don’t have to say every word that pops into our heads. And we really don’t have to listen to every word that comes out of someone’s mouth. Whenever we are tempted to lie or gossip or curse someone, we can resist the temptation to sin. And when we hear someone else giving in to these temptations, we can help them to stop sinning by refusing to listen and by refusing to join them in the conversation.
We will be saving relationships, and we will be saving people from years of pain when we control our tongues. Let’s use our tongues as God intended, to bless God Him.
In Christ,
Pastor David
“The Book of James”
14 What use is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone says he has faith, but he has no works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? 17 In the same way, faith also, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. James 2:14-17
As we continue in our sermon series on the book of James, we will consider one of the verses in the Bible that has caused a lot of controversy in the Church, James 2:26,
For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.
One of the core principles of the Protestant Reformation is “faith alone”, or sola fide for you aficionados of Latin. (You know who you are.)
Martin Luther stressed the idea that we are saved by faith alone in Jesus Christ in his treatise, The Freedom of a Christian. Luther wrote this treatise in response to being warned in July 1520 by Pope Leo X of 41 doctrinal errors. Luther was given 60 days to recant or be excommunicated from the Roman Catholic Church. In November, Luther published his treatise. Unfortunately, things didn’t work out between Luther and Pope Leo X.
The idea of being saved by faith alone comes from the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 2:8-9,
For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
The Roman Catholic Church followed the teachings of this verse, since they believe that the Scriptures are inspired by the Holy Spirit. However, the church needed money to finance the building of cathedrals in Europe. When a donation was given, people were told that their relatives who were in Purgatory awaiting entrance into Heaven would benefit from the contribution and enter Heaven sooner. This practice was known as indulgences. Because of this practice, the idea arose that good works, such as financial donations, were somehow linked to salvation. Hence Luther’s corrective, sola fide. Which brings us back to James 2:26.
Luther was not much of a fan of the Book of James. He doubted that James was actually written by James, the brother of Jesus. He also believed that James 2:29, faith without works is dead, contradicted what Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:8-9 that salvation is not a result of works. Luther even went so far as to call the Book of James an epistle of straw. However, Luther did not think that the Book of James should be removed from the Bible. He just put James at the end of his German translation of the New Testament, after the Book of Revelation.
So, who is right regarding the relationship between faith/works and salvation: James or Paul? The answer is: both are right. I’ll explain on Sunday. See you, then.
In Christ,
Pastor David
“Doers Of The Word”
21 Therefore, ridding yourselves of all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls. 22 But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not just hearers who deceive themselves. James 1:21-22
One of the things I love about GMPC is that you are committed to immersing yourselves in the Word of God. You read your Bibles at home, you engage in Bible studies with others, and you almost always stay awake while I am preaching from the Bible. You are doing great when it comes to being hearers of the Word. However, all of us struggle with being doers of the Word.
David Kinnaman, the President of the Barna Group has conducted research about how Christians are living as doers of the Word. In his book, Unchristian, he writes that among Americans aged 16-29, 85% of unchurched people use the phrase “hypocritical” to describe Christians and 47% of churched people use this phrase (page 34).
Kinnaman writes that the lifestyle activities of born-again Christians are statistically equivalent to those of non-born-again Christians.
Born-again believers were just as likely to bet or gamble, to visit a pornographic website, to take something that did not belong to them, to consult a medium or psychic, to physically fight or abuse someone, to have consumed enough alcohol to be considered legally drunk, to have used an illegal, nonprescription drug, to have said something to someone that was not true, to have gotten back at someone for something he or she did, and to have said mean things behind another person’s back (page 47).
Kinnaman concludes:
Here is what all of this boils down to-and, I believe, one of the most important findings of our research for this book: among young outsiders, 84 percent say they personally know at least one committed Christian. Yet 15 percent thought the lifestyles of those Christ followers were significantly different from the norm. This gap speaks volumes (page 48).
The young people in our families, our church, and our community see how we live as followers of Jesus. They know if we are doers of the Word, and not just hearers of the Word.
May God bless all of us, as we seek to live as His faithful people.
In Christ,
Pastor David
“A Legacy of Faith”
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, in keeping with the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus,
To Timothy, my dear son:
Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
I thank God, whom I serve, as my ancestors did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also. For this reason, I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. 2 Timothy 1:1-7
This Mother’s Day we have much to celebrate as we remember the important role our mothers and other women have played in helping us to become mature adults. For many of us, our mothers and grandmothers introduced us to the Lord. They read the Bible to us, answered our first questions about Jesus, and brought us to church.
In chapter 16 of the book of Acts, we’re introduced to a young person named Timothy. The Apostle Paul met Timothy and his family on a missionary journey to Lystra in the modern-day country of Turkey. Timothy’s mother is named Eunice, and his grandmother is named Lois. Both were Jewish. We’re not told the name of Timothy’s father, but we’re told he was not Jewish.
In Paul’s second letter to Timothy, we discover that Lois became a follower of Jesus first. Then Eunice did. And finally, Timothy did as well. Nothing said of his father.
Timothy later accompanied Paul on missionary journeys. Church historians tell us that Timothy became the pastor of the church in Ephesus and eventually he became the bishop of churches in the area. Then as an elderly man, he died as a martyr.
All of us are called by God to pass on a legacy of faith, just as Lois and Eunice did to Timothy. Even though God has not made all of us mothers or grandmothers, God has placed us in the life of a child.
We can spend time with them, listen to them, play with them, and tell them about how much Jesus loves them. Just like somebody did with us. Eventually, the children in our lives will pass on this legacy of faith to a new generation who will thank God for us.
Happy Mother’s Day!
In Christ,
Pastor David
“The Book of James”
After Easter Sunday, the first followers of Jesus spent forty days with the Lord before He ascended into heaven. They had amazing experiences with Him as He showed Himself alive to various people in a variety of settings. The Apostle Paul writes about these Resurrection appearances of Jesus in his first letter to the church in Corinth:
For I handed down to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also. (1 Corinthians 15:3-8).
For the next few weeks, I will be preaching a series of sermons from the Book of James. We’ll see how the Resurrection of Jesus transformed the life of his brother James. We’ll also see how the Lord is transforming our lives today.
In Christ,
Pastor David
“Prayerful Reflection”
They took Jesus, therefore, and He went out, carrying His own cross, to the place called the Place of a Skull, which in Hebrew is called, Golgotha. There they crucified Him, and with Him two other men, one on either side, and Jesus in between. Now Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It was written: “JESUS THE NAZARENE, THE KING OF THE JEWS.” John 19:17-19
We have completed our journey through Lent, and we are now in Holy Week. This is a somber time of prayerful reflection as consider what Jesus has done for us on the Cross.
During Holy Week, we have prepared opportunities to help you draw near to Jesus. We are praying that you will experience His grace and mercy as you face the Cross where Jesus died to free us from the penalty and guilt and shame of our sin.
Tomorrow is Maundy Thursday. We will celebrate the Sacrament of Communion in the Sanctuary at 7:00 pm. This will be a Tenebrae Service. “Tenebrae” is the Latin word meaning “Shadows.” The sanctuary is progressively darkened as candles are extinguished. At the end, only one candle remains burning. This light is, for a short time, symbolizing Christ’s three days in the tomb.
On Good Friday, we will join with other churches in Coronado for a Walk the Cross event. We will start at 3:30 pm at Coronado First Southern Baptist Church which is located at 111 Orange Ave. We will have a devotional and prayer in the sanctuary and then a cross will be carried to the next church. We will end the walk in the sanctuary at GMPC around 5:30 pm.
May the Lord bless your Holy Week with His peace. I am looking forward to spending this time with you.
In Christ,
Pastor David
“Power And Glory”
During Lent, we’ve been preparing ourselves to celebrate the most important event in the history of creation: the Resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In doing so, we’ve been reflecting on the Lord’s Prayer. Since this Sunday is Palm Sunday, I will comment on the final phrase of the Lord’s Prayer in my Word on Wednesday:
For Thine Is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
But there’s a problem. The last part of the prayer that we’ll be reflecting on isn’t in the Bible. Well, at least it’s not in our Bibles. It was added by the early church.
In the fifth century, it was even added to the Gospel of Matthew that was used then.
So, why isn’t this phrase in our Bibles today? Our translation of the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew chapter 6 is based on Greek manuscripts from the second and third centuries. Which begs the question: If Jesus didn’t teach it, why was this phrase added by early church?
This phrase was added because the first believers who prayed it were filled with a sense of awe and wonder after having had a personal encounter with Almighty God.
When the first Christians prayed the Lord’s Prayer, they began with a sense of anticipation. Then they were filled with wonder as they prayed a prayer that Jesus Himself had taught them to pray. When they finished, they realized that they had just had an encounter with the Lord of the Universe.
The only way they could imagine responding was with the words of their ancestor
King David who prayed in I Chronicles 29:11
Thine, O Lord is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted as head above all.
So, when we pray the Lord’s Prayer, are we filled with a sense of awe and wonder?
The Lord’s Prayer is a model for prayer that Jesus has given us. It reminds us of who God is. It shows us that we are completely and utterly dependent on God for our physical needs as well as for our spiritual needs. It teaches us that we need forgiveness, and that forgiven people forgive others. As we bow before the Lord God Almighty, truly acknowledging our own mortality, frailty, and total dependence we can’t help but come away saying:
For thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
In Christ,
Pastor David