James 5:9 (KJV) Brotherhood over Riches

James 5:9 (KJV)

Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door.

 

I see two audiences in the chapter.

The rich men

Vs 1-6

Whether they sit in the congregation or not, this is a scathing blast against them. Certainly, our world is filled with people just like this. Unfortunately, some of them find their way into churches and, though professing faith, have little change of character.

 

“My brethren”

Vs 7, 9, 10

Whether the writer is contrasting the two is worthy of consideration. Could it be within the same congregation there are those who are brethren and those who are just “rich men?” If so, this might be viewed as intending to cut those rich men to the quick. No doubt verses 1-6 mean to do that.

 

But then there is verse nine.

Grudge not one against the other

I can see it could be understood that the brethren must not hold ought[1] between each other because they need to support themselves against the rich men. Or else it could be understood to mean that the brethren and the rich men ought[2] not to hold grudges against each other.

·       The brethren have something far superior to riches

·       The rich men have no reason to grudge the brethren

 

The fact is we all will stand before God and give an account. There is no reason to hold a grudge against another, but every reason to draw near to God.

 

#RichMen #CongregationCritique #BrothersInFaith #Accountability #NoGrudges #ecclesiology

The Judge is at the Door: Brotherhood over Riches

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[1] This is an archaic Biblical use of the term meaning “anything.” Mark 11:25 (KJV)

And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.

[2] Used in this case to meaning duty or correctness; the right thing to do.

To my readers:
Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 6200 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

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James 5:9 (KJV) The Judge is at the Door: Brotherhood over Riches

Ecclesiastes 3:15 (KJV) Time, Eternity, and God’s Unchanging Presence

Ecclesiastes 3:15 (KJV)

That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past.

A discourse on time. 

It’s important to remember that, though the preacher describes a period of rebellion against God, he writes after he has repented and gotten right with God. Interjected among his ventures into vanity are these portions that bring us back to reality. 

Chapter three is all about time.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (KJV)
To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

Ecclesiastes 3:17 (KJV)
I said in mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.

Vs 15 summarizes perhaps the most challenging of all concepts regarding the Eternal and time: that God has no time. 

That which has been is now
There is no past for God. All that ever has happened is happening in the presence and mind of God. Imagine then God forgiving your sins. In His reality the sin He forgives is being committed now. When Christ died on the Cross, He gave His life for the sin Adam was committing in God’s presence, at that moment. 

That which is to be hath already been
We speak of sins past, present and future, but we are mistaken. All of them are now present, real time in God’s world. 

God requireth that which is past
It’s due date is current. It’s not past due because it’s now. But it is due now. 
2 Corinthians 6:2 (KJV)
(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)

#EternalTime #GodsTiming #EternalReality #TimelessGod #SalvationNow #theology
Time, Eternity, and God’s Unchanging Presence: Beyond Past, Present, and Future

To my readers:
Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 6200 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

Ecclesiastes 3:15 (KJV) Time, Eternity, and God’s Unchanging Presence

Ecclesiastes 2:15 (KJV) Squandered Talents

Ecclesiastes 2:15 (KJV)

Then said I in my heart, As it happeneth to the fool, so it happeneth even to me; and why was I then more wise? Then I said in my heart, that this also is vanity.

Solomon’s reflection in verse nine is profound. Despite his sin, he retained the wisdom he had sought from God. The Lord did not withdraw it from him. However, he realized that this wisdom was meaningless unless it was centered on the Lord, a concept we’ll resolve at the end of the book of Ecclesiastes.

The lesson for believers is clear: the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.[1] God never takes them from us, even when we find ourselves amid sin and rebellion. However, these gifts go to waste and lose their purpose if we are not walking in close fellowship with the Lord.

It’s disheartening to possess God-given talents and be unable to use them for His work. This holds true in various life situations, such as when a person called to be a pastor is disqualified due to divorce.[2] The feeling of vanity, frustration, and the constant agony of possessing a gift from God but not being able to employ it for His purpose is deeply challenging.

This situation reminds me of Proverbs 31:3, emphasizing the urgency for young men and women to guard themselves both from each other and for God’s purposes. As we near the end of our earthly lives, we come to understand the immense value of reserving what belongs to God solely for His service.

#GiftsOfGod #WisdomInSin #GodsCalling #DivineGifts #ValuingGodsGifts #godlywisdom #spiritualgifts

Squandered Talents: Guarding What’s God’s

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[1] Romans 11:29 (KJV)
For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.

[2] This is a painful, and controversial but obvious illustration of a principle that can apply to any number of areas. For instance, in some cases a person’s poor use of finances, or lack of health may also disqualify them from exercising spiritual gifts that are intended for ministry.

To my readers:
Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 6200 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

Ecclesiastes 2:15 (KJV) Squandered Talents

Ecclesiastes 1:4 (KJV) Seeking Purpose

Ecclesiastes 1:4 (KJV)

One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.

It would not be difficult to see in this, “vanity.” We come, we go, and nothing really changes. History is marked by men who have gained renown:

• Alexander the Great
• Cleopatra
• Henry VIII
• Napoleon
• Washington
• Hitler

Some have caused memorable harm. Others have made considerable advances. Most of us do well if we earn a piece of marble with our name engraved upon it. I suspect most of the world’s population don’t even get that.

We pass away.
The next generation takes over after us.
And nothing really changes.

What’s the point?
Too many people have consigned themselves to pointlessness. They believe mankind is nothing more than an animal. We come, we go, and the world continues.

Unless there is a point. 
Only the Word of God provides for the possibility of something beyond this world. Something eternal, something where good and evil have their place. The best part of the Bible? Jesus Christ lived a sinless life, died a vicarious death, and rose victoriously from the grave. And Jesus Christ – the only one to have done all that – endorses the Bible as the truth!

#anthropology #Bibliology #soteriology #EternalHope #BibleWisdom #LifeBeyondEarth #LegacyOfFaith #JesusChristSaves
Seeking Purpose: Discovering Significance in the Midst of Pointlessness

To my readers:
Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 6200 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

Ecclesiastes 1:4 (KJV) Seeking Purpose

Proverbs 31:3 (KJV)Lessons for Men

Proverbs 31:3 (KJV)

Give not thy strength unto women, nor thy ways to that which destroyeth kings.

It’s worth noting that the king’s mother is the one teaching him the truths found in this chapter of Proverbs. Among the lessons we find:

Don’t give your strength to women 
Vs 3
This implies the importance of not fixating on romantic relationships with the opposite sex before marriage, especially during career training and youth. Many young individuals, both boys and girls, end up with emotional scars that can last a lifetime due to unhealthy relationships during their youth.

Don’t waste your life on booze
Vs 4-7
It exists for medicinal uses, but it is abused in every other way. A mother’s heart breaks when it happens. 

Be thoughtful and compassionate 
Vs 8-9
It would be the mom who wishes her son to be known for fairness and compassion. 

Find a virtuous woman
Vs 10-31
Nothing burdens a mother more than the desire for her son to find and marry the right kind of woman. She, perhaps better than anyone, understands both the potential for goodness and the capacity for wrongdoing that can exist in women.

#Proverbs31 #YouthfulWisdom #MotherlyAdvice #anthropology #marriage
Lessons for Men in Proverbs 31: Strength, Compassion, and Virtue

To my readers:
Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 6200 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

Proverbs 31:3 (KJV)Lessons for Men

James 3:13 (KJV) Mastering the Power of the Tongue

James 3:13 (KJV)

Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.

I am attempting to follow a line of thought from the beginning of this chapter to the end. 

The trouble with leadership, and I believe the setting of that leadership is in the assembly of the local church (James 2:2) is that, by nature of the work, we will offend a lot of people (everyone eventually) in one way or another. Knowing this is the case the chapter narrows the possible means of offense to the tongue. 

The “master” is called upon to work at mastering his tongue. 
By first recognizing the power of the tongue
Vs 2-8
If a man can bridle the tongue, he is far above most men. It is such a powerful instrument that most can never tame it. 

By recognizing the hypocrisy of the tongue 
Vs 9-12
How is it possible that we can preach the glories of God but slay a brother or sister in Christ with the same tool? It ought not be that way.

By recognizing the wisdom of meekness 
Vs 13
Meekness is demonstrated in the verses above through the bridling of the horse, and the helm of the ship. Meekness is power (some even say anger) under control. 

By recognizing the different sources of wisdom
Vs 14-18
Bitterness, envy, strife, confusion is earthly sensual and devilish wisdom.
Pure, peaceable, gentle, and intreat-able is wisdom from above. 

Who is a wise man …?

This is the only man who ought to have an office in the assembly of God’s people. 

#TamingTheTongue #ThePowerOfWords #SeekingMeekness #ChoosingWisdom #LeadershipInChurch

To my readers:
Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 6200 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

James 3:13 (KJV) Mastering the Power of the Tongue