Ep 59 James Chapter 5 – Pt 3

okay, we’re gonna be talking about national problems. Vicki and I are thrilled that you’ve joined us again for this study uh with James chapter five versus 17 and 18 And come on in and join the discussion? It’s so exciting week after week to be able to share the word of God with our viewers and listeners. So can you imagine if it didn’t rain on the earth for 3.5 years? Not not not 3.5 months, 3.5 years and that would be a major national problem. And the God’s prophet Elijah was the guy that really did it, created it. Uh and and because of Jezebel and Ahab and I mean it’s just an incredible story as we jump into prayerful international trouble and there was national trouble, a terrible king and queen and all the devastation that comes along with it. So let’s jump in Vicky go for it. Elijah was a man within nature the same as ours and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. And then he prayed again and the sky poured out rain and the earth produced its fruit. So can you imagine being a prophet like Elijah to pray to God and people know he’s praying to God Lord don’t let it rain for 3.5 years, no rain. And then okay Lord, we’re ready now and then it rains can or when he fought against the the the bad profits and these 400 guys are cutting themselves And and he says, what’s the matter? Did your God? Is he sleeping? Did he take a vacation and you know, and it’s just an amazing thing that this prophet of God talks about Elijah and moses being up on the, you know the amount of transfiguration. Elijah was an incredible figure. So we’re going to learn a little bit about why it says this in this portion of scripture. Now peter uh in the next chapter 10 verse 26. But Peter raised him up saying stand up I two and just a man. So there, you know the thing about being human, the thing about being Finite with our pressures and our problems. Uh let’s look at another passage. The Lord Jesus Christ says in Luke 181, he was telling them a parable to show that at all times men ought to pray and not to lose heart. We could lose heart very easily. Right Vicky. Have you ever, I’ve never seen you lose heart. Well we all do. And take the next verse of scripture here. First timothy 21 and two. First of all, then I urge and treaties and prayers petitions and thanksgivings be made on behalf of all men for kings and all who are in authority so that they may lead a tranquil and quiet life. Yes. Uh Second Chronicles 7 14 and my people who are called by my name. If they would humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways. See these are wicked, we have wickedness in our life. Then I will hear from heaven, I will forgive their sin and heal their land. But we have to realize that God uh will answer the prayers of people with the nature like ours meaning that we are not perfect, we’re not fully mature yet. Uh and God is put us on his potter’s wheel and it’s constantly shaping us and making us informing us, let’s go to the next one. Uh it’s talking about concerning the whole idea of uh seeking his face and the idea of the same nature Romeo patties. We get homeopathic from it in english in acts 14 15, pick it up there. That that is the only other place that this word is used and saying man, why are you doing these things? We also are men of the same nature as you and preach the gospel to you that you should turn from these vain things to a living god who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them. What is this telling you that look, a man of God knows that he is flawed flesh. A man of God knows that he’s not perfect. And even the angels when when john the beloved disciple uh that jesus loved in revelation went to worship the angel. The angel picked him up and said, don’t get up, I’m just another one of the prophets of God. The angels like the prophets of God worship God only. And here you see the the uh clear indication that hey Romeo Pathiakis, this is uh, with the same nature As we have. It says in James and Chapter five that we have the same nature as Elijah did as moses. And you’re gonna see this now. The word uh means the same as like in a molecule, which means to to confess the same thing as God. When we confess our sins, it’s talking about confessing the same thing and saying the same thing that God says about our sin using the word, the same word, paul instructs uh, instructions on prayer. First of all, then I urge that entreaties and prayers and petitions be done for all men. And this is the passage of scripture in first timothy, for it is sanctified through the word of God and intervention indexes and thanksgiving be made on behalf of all men. It’s it’s uh, these are the scripture verses that show us that we all have a need to turn to God. Therefore I want men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands without wrath or he or dissension theologians, most having uh, you know, double mindedness like an argumentative person, maybe. Yes, yes. So these are the three areas the hands, the heart and the mind that it identifies in verse eight here in first timothy chapter two and verse eight and uh, first peter chapter 2 13 through 17. Talking about how we need to submit ourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether the kings and one in authority, governors and uh for the they are there for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do what’s right, such as the will of God. That by doing what is right, you may silence the ignorance of foolish men. And then it goes on. Uh what what I wanted to show here. Vicky is in the old testament. If you can, I mean, can you think of some things that Abraham or Jacob or any one of these men did That was not really consistent with living a holy life? Yes. Abraham had relations with his handmaiden. And he lied, you know, he lied to pharaoh about who his wife was. No, she’s my sister. He didn’t want to get killed. And uh what about what about Judah? What did he do? He had relations with his daughter in law And he was acting like the righteous one. And yet he was sinful and that whole thing, God even takes and will incorporate all of that in your life and eventually redeem it for a purpose that is higher than you could ever imagine. And that doesn’t give us a license to sin. But it’s just showing you that God works with a fallen race to redeem us and change us and then transform us into the image of jesus christ uh moses who was a murderer, Joshua and Gideon and Samson Samson Samson the Nasserite who just blew it in every which way. Yeah, cutting his hair, uh marrying a philistine, going out to a prostitute like Delilah uh Saul who went out looking for uh sorcery and witchcraft to find out the will of God. David who committed adultery and also murder Solomon who had so many wives. Look these are, these are old testament figures, but in the new testament, why don’t you pick it up and see some of the things in the new testament Vicky luke 9 50 for when his disciples, James and john saw this, they said Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them? The sons of thunder, these guys were supposed to be like disciples to save the world and jesus actually rebuked them. Remember he says you don’t know the spirit that you have, that’s not from me, he says we came to save man, we didn’t come to destroy people. And uh look at look at Peter here, but when Simon Peter saw that he fell down at his feet saying go away from me Lord for I am a sinful man. One more from Peter. Simon. Peter then having a sword drew it and struck the high priest’s slave and cut off his right ear and the slaves name was Marcus. So jesus said to Peter put the sword into the sheath, the cup which the father has given me, shall I not drink it? Now? Here’s a guy who’s supposed to go and preach the gospel, get people safe, ready to chop the guy’s head off and he misses and he gets his ear and we we know that Jesus blew the ear back again and the guy the man’s name was Malka. Can you imagine these disciples ready to rock, ready to attack? You know for jesus, they’re gonna defend the shepherd, the sheep are running around trying to defend the shepherds. It’s kind of encouraging to know that the Lord used such flawed people to accomplish great and mighty things. Why is it encouraging? Well, because we all have so many weaknesses and when we submit to God’s authority. Eventually when we get back under his authority and we realize the power that we have. I mean we have the same nature it said in those verses. And yet God listened to elijah and stop the rain for 3.5 years and now he says we have the same nature as him concerning what’s going on around us. Look at James chapter three verse two for we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man able to bridle the whole body as well. First john two, my little Children, I am writing these things to you that you may not sin and if anyone since we have an advocate? So James says, look, we all stumble with our mouth, john says we have an advocate with the father. He includes himself in there. These are the apostles of jesus christ. These are the most holy people. In fact James is the one that they used to. His nickname was camel knees because he got his knees got so hard from praying. And this chapter is about praying through trouble. Yes, praying through the, the trouble that we go through in our life, all kinds of trouble, economic trouble, personal trouble, ah national trouble here and church trouble. Let’s look down a little bit further. Uh, these are the principles that we can glean from what we have just been reading about these two verses 17 and 18 In James Chapter five. Let me just read them again and then we’ll just continue. Elijah was a man with a, with the nature like ours. He and he prayed earnestly. It’s interesting, he prayed, prayed in the greek that it might not rain and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months and then he prayed again and the sky poured rain and uh, the earth produced its fruit. There’s so many problems in the world, world wars going on everywhere. You have disease everywhere right now as I’m making these messages. Covid’s, this whole Covid era is, is devastated the world. People walking around with masks, people wanting to know. Have you been vaccinated? Did you get the booster? Uh, the fear that’s come upon everybody. How about prayer? Where’s prayer in all this? Is there is there a place for God to answer the spiritual cry of his people into the physical realm and world that we live in? Yes, there is and that’s what this is all about. So here are the principles go for it. Vicky the power is not in him who prays but on in him. God that we pray to. Yes. Ephesians 3 2021 continue now to him who is able to do far more abundantly e paper petty civil. Yes, it’s a three word greek compound. One of my favorite words very rare in the bible. Okay, so tell us a is is above and and or towards you Christina towards you but above all that it’s translated remember above and beyond in english. Okay. Ech is out of and and Betty several is overflowing. So look at this superlative. It’s a phenomenal superlative. Eck. Betty several, I call it on the very bottom. Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. It means extraordinarily good and wonderful and uh that all that we ask or think God is able to all that we ask or thank God. Now this isn’t name it, claim it, this is just that God responds to the prayer and cry of his people according to the power that works within us. That is the, the power of the holy Spirit to him be the glory to jesus be the glory in the church and in christ, jesus to all generations. This isn’t just for the first century believer. Right, Right. What does that mean to you? To all generations? Forever and ever? Amen? Is that you That’s me? Is that all the ladies that you pray with? Yes. Is that the church people? Yes, it is. Is that the people that are crying out to jesus christ? Yes. It’s for us to let’s continue. The second principle is God hears and answers weak, sinful and broken people to accomplish his will and his work continue. Vicki Second Corinthians 12 7 through 10. Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations. For this reason to keep me from exalting myself. There was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of satan to torment me. To keep me from exalting myself. This is paul concerning this. I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. And he said to me, my grace is sufficient for you. For power is perfected in weakness. And then paul says most gladly. Therefore, I will rather Glory in my weaknesses that the power of Christ may dwell on me. So God humbles me through the thorns in my life for seven. God deepens me in Grace in verse nine. And then God strengthens me with his power in my weakness is what he does. And to show us that look, you may have a flawed nature. You may not be perfect. You may not be perfectly strong, spiritual, but I am going to make up for what you lack. That’s what he’s saying. And then he goes on knowing God’s will and obeying God’s word will give me the faith to do his work and exchange my will for God’s will in prayer. And I love this verse first, john five gives us such confidence, especially with our relatives. This is the confidence that we have before him. That if we ask anything according to his will and we know his will is that none should perish. So we we want to pray for those relatives specifically that have not heard the gospel or don’t have christ in their life that he hears us. And if we know that he hears us, we know whatever we ask, we know that we have requested which we have asked from him. That he will give us the request that we have asked from him. Also, God uses prayer to bring the supernatural into the natural and the invisible into the plain sight into plain sight. I must wait for God to work on my behalf. And I love this verse Vicky. Why don’t you quote it? And then we’ll close with this Second Chronicles 16 9. For the eyes of the Lord moved to and fro throughout the whole earth, that he may strongly support those whose heart is completely his. So the problem is not whether God can handle it or whether God wants to do it. The, the problem is, am I in the right place and the right attitude surrendered fully to God that I can actually have power with God in prayer. Like he inbounds wrote a little book power through prayer that I could talk to God and he, he will react on my behalf and he will respond on my behalf to draw near to God and he will draw near to me why? Because I am fully surrendered to God. That’s what that vs saying. Second Chronicle 69 for the eyes of the Lord of going throughout the whole earth, searching for a man, a woman, a teenager whose heart is completely is so that God may strongly support them. God wants to support you and me. God wants to change the complexion of the national trouble. But he needs people who are connected with him. God bless you until next time. National trouble praying through all this national trouble that’s going on. And how Elijah God’s man was right in the middle of everything. I want to just read the verses again. Elijah verse 17 of James five was a man with a nature like ours encouraging us to say, hey look, we’re not perfect, we’re not in heaven. Uh, we’re not superhuman. We are just mortals were humans where we have an old nature. Yes, we’ve been born again. We have a new nature. But we still struggle with a lot of things and that’s what he’s talking about here. Uh And even though he had a nature like ours and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. That’s a long time. And God hears the prayer of his profit. The prayer of Elijah and stops the rain for 3.5 years and then he prayed again and says and the sky poured out rain and the earth produced its fruit. God will use his man, his woman, his prophet Elijah to speak to the whole nation. And what we want to do is look at this passage in first Kings 17. The background of James 5, 17 and 18, Elijah predicts, draw now in verse one, it says Elijah the Tisch bite, who was of the sellers of Gilead said to ahab as the Lord, the God of Israel lives before whom I stand. Surely there’s shall be neither dew nor rain these three years except by my word. And the word of the Lord came to him saying, go away from here and turn eastward and hide yourself by the brook Sheriff, which is east of the jordans and first kings uh following in verse four verse chapter 17, it shall be that you shall drink of the brook and I have commanded the Ravens to provide for you there. Think about God commanding the Ravens to bring him meat of of animals wherever the meat is, and to bring them to the prophet. He went and did according to the word of the Lord. And he went and lived by the brook charity which is east of the jordans. And the Ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening. Some people say well, we should only eat one day. Well God took care of the Prophet in the morning and in the evening bread and meat And he would drink from the Brook. So he had water, he had bread and he had meat in verse seven. It happened after a while that the Brook dried up because there was no rain in the land, and the word of the Lord came to him saying, arise, go to Zara Fat, which belongs to Sidon, and stay there, behold I have commanded a widow there to provide for you. So he arose and went to zero Arafat. And when he came to the gate of the city behold the widow was there gathering sticks and he called to her and said, please get me a little water in a jar that I may drink. And as she was going to get it he called to her and said, Please bring me a piece of bread in your hand. But she said, As the Lord, your God lives! I have no bread, only a handful of flour in the bowl and a little oil in the jar. And behold I am gathering a few sticks that I may go in and prepare for me and my son that we may eat and die. I think of the this widow and this little boy and so he’s and basically asking for her last meal. And yet we also have insight here further that Elijah said to her, Don’t fear go and do as I have said to you, but make me a little bread cake for it from it first and bring it out to me and after what you may make one for yourself and for your son. For thus says the Lord God of Israel. The bowl of flowers shall not be exhausted, nor shall the jar of oil be empty until the day that the Lord sends rain on the face of the earth. Now it’s one thing for someone to say that, but to have the faith to believe that what I’m telling you is actually gonna be fulfilled. And this woman believed his words and uh and it was fulfilled. So he, so she went and did according to the word of Elijah and she and he and her household ate for many days. So now all this food is coming for the household as well. The bowl of flour was not exhausted, nor did the jar of oil become empty according to the word of the Lord, which he spoke through Elijah and I got it already stop the rain and here God is providing for his man. So when, when national Uh tragedy takes place and there’s a draught and famine and other things take place. God is going to be there to meet the needs of his people. Now we’re gonna jump to chapter 19. The first eight verses, Elijah flees from Jezebel, Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah saying, so may the God do, may the Gods rather due to me and even more if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time. And he was afraid and rose and rose up and ran for his life and came to beersheba which belonged to Judah and left his servant there. But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under the juniper. Now watch how depressed this man gets. This is the man, the great prophet of God that just finished killing hundreds of people. That God just answered phenomenal prayer with the the actual elements. The heavens stopped raining. The rain stopped for 3.5 years and yet he’s afraid of this woman. The queen and the bible says he looked and behold there was at his Ahead of let me back it up here verse five and he laid down and slept under a juniper tree. And behold there was an angel touching him and he said to him arise and eat. And then he looked and behold there was at his head at his head a bread cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water. So he ate and drank and laid down again and the angel of the Lord came again a second time and touched him and said arise eat because the journey is too great for you think about this sometimes it’s not about spirituality, it’s about getting some sleep, some food, getting strong eating again because God was going to now give him energy to be able to go for 40 days without eating. So verse eight, he arose and ate and drank and went in the strength of that food. 40 days and 40 nights, the or above the mountain of God. Now I wanna take you to the most famous verse of all in Second Chronicles 7 14 concerning when there is tremendous oppression upon the land and national trouble, God tells us what to do in Second Chronicles 7 14, if my people who are called by my name, humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and forgive their sin and heal their land. Let’s look at this, my people, this is the relationship that you and I have with God uh who are called by my name. This is the authority and the provision and the resources of heaven through the name of God. He says there will be a revival. This is the pattern of God. If you humble yourself and you pray and you seek my face and you turn from your wicked ways then I’m gonna hear the result is the promises of God, I will hear from heaven, this is you know how it affects us mentally. I will uh spiritually I will forgive their sins and physically I will heal their land. Listen this is the same today as it was You know 1000 years ago, 2000 years ago, 3000 years ago, 4000 years ago with Abraham and uh 3000 years ago with David and so you have 2000 years ago with Jesus Christ and his disciples. The principles are the same. My people who are called by my name would humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways. I will hear from heaven hears the promise of God, I will forgive their sin and I will heal their land. The land will be healed, the Children will be healed, the teenagers, the moms and dads, the marriages, the churches, the government, you know in our case America Greece the rest of the world. We can turn to God with all of our hearts and find healing. We can find physical healing, we can find spiritual healing because we are willing to humble ourselves. Now. Elijah is just one person that God used who was willing to do it God’s way. God told him, look, I’m going to take care of you. The Ravens took care of him. The Ravens provided for him. I’m gonna take care of you. The widow provided for him. God took care of him with the, with the water from the brook cherub. We have to also listen to God. Not just do it our way, but listen to God and do it his way. Let’s pray. You know the bible says that whoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Lord. We need physical healing in our nation, in our world, we need spiritual healing in our nation and in our world, help us to humble ourselves and pray seek your face, the face of jesus christ on the cross bleeding and dying for our sins. Turn from our wicked ways and leave our sin there and you tell us you will heal us spiritually and physically in jesus name God bless you until we see you again with it’s all greek to me”