Author: Nick Booth

James 1:1

“James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,
To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations: Greetings.”

The letter of James is a letter for modern times. It is a letter addressed to migrants across national borders, in particular migrants who have fled persecution and conflict. 2019 figures showed that globally around 71 million of the 272 million (3.5% of the global population) migrants who had crossed international borders are those who have fled violence of one form or another. Many more have migrated within their national borders. When numbers are this great it impacts, even if it is indirectly, on all societies.

However, James is not only relevant to displaced persons as all Christians are in a crucial sense foreigners and aliens called to be distinctive and showing the light of the gospel within whatever culture we reside. ‘But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.’ 1 Peter 1.9 James terms such a life as keeping the Royal law, ‘Love your neigbour as yourself.’ James 2.8

James is a highly practical letter describing how to be Christ’s community in a world that does not worship God or follow in Jesus’ way. It recognizes that to follow Jesus will involve trials of many forms. James is a pastor’s letter to a flock he can no longer meet with personally as persecution has spread his people out across the world he knows of. It is the letter of a servant leader, a servant of Jesus Christ and a servant of his people.

James was a brother of Jesus. Mathew 13.55 He did not follow Jesus during his ministry John 7.5 and only became a believer after Jesus’ death. It is likely he was converted when Jesus appeared to James following his resurrection. 1 Corinthians 15.7 James became leader of the Jerusalem church and became widely acknowledged as a wise and good man earning him the title “James the Just” in the Jewish population as well as among Christians according to both Jewish and Christians traditions.

James wrote his letter to the dispersed Christians following the rise in persecution after the killing of Stephen and so it was addressed to Jewish Christians. However, in the New Testament, ‘the twelve tribes scattered among the nations’ v1 is also used to refer to the people of God of the last days, Jews and Gentiles alike. 1 Peter 1.1 It is therefore also a letter for all who believe and trust in Jesus for their forgiveness, eternal life and resurrection. It is a letter to teach, encourage and warn the people of God in their trials and exhort them to live faithful Christian lives whatever circumstances they find themselves in.

If we are a Christian with responsibility do we consider ourselves simply a servant or do we give ourselves greater status than that?

When experiencing trials do we first of all turn to the bible for guidance, encouragement and warning?

Do we live according to the Royal law, loving our neighbour as much as ourselves?

Build your kingdom here – Rend Collective

Mark 6:26

Mark inserts his account of John the Baptist’s killing as a back flash between Jesus sending out his inner twelve disciples throughout Galilee to preach and heal and their return to Jesus for a debriefing. Herod as king of Galilee was getting reports regarding Jesus as to how his ministry was stirring the people up throughout Herod’s region. The reports were not necessarily accurate and were laden with various interpretations. ‘Some were saying, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him.” Others said, “He is Elijah.” And still others claimed, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of long ago.” v15 All the reports inferred that God was actively at work through Jesus, Elijah appearing again was associated with Israel’s end times.

The reports of Jesus deeply concerned Herod because he was carrying a burden of guilt for killing John who he knew to be a holy man sent from God. Herod had originally protected John from his wife’s plots to have John killed. Herod feared John because he knew him to be righteous and holy. v19 Now along came Jesus doing even greater things, speaking more truth and Herod jumped to the conclusion John had been raised from the dead even though he witnessed for himself that John’s head had been separated from his body. v16

Herod was trapped in his own spiral of sin. He had married Herodias against God’s law. John had condemned him for that. He was fascinated by John and what he had to say about the kingdom of God and the coming Messiah but he could not get beyond being fascinated. In one sense Herod was an enquirer and fascinated by things of God. That though is not sufficient. Interest alone doesn’t cut it. He was still trapped in his sin and refused to repent no matter how many times he heard the good news of the kingdom of heaven. What trapped him was a combination of things. His wife did everything she could to stop his interest up to and including murder. He was not prepared to lose face and admit he was wrong in front of others. His pride was for him an obstacle that prevented him from knowing God and receiving eternal life. v26 He was more controlled by sexual desire v22 than his knowledge of what was righteous and holy.

In the end he was such a slave to his sin that he preferred the friendship of a local Roman governor (Pilate) to justice for the Son of God.

Herod had a sense of guilt, he experienced inner turmoil but that counted for nothing because he refused to repent of his sin. A sense of guilt is not the same as repentance. Repentance would have meant he would have refused Herodias’ daughter her evil request. Repentance would have meant he would have judged righteously in Jesus’ trial. Repentance would have meant he would have undergone a major lifestyle change as Zacchaeus did when he met Jesus and gave back the money he stole with interest. There is no eternal life without repentance.

Are you stuck at the fascinated stage?

Are you too proud to confess your need of forgiveness?

Are you carrying an inner guilt that prevents you turning to Jesus?

Are you listening to the voices of others who prevent you from doing what you know is right?

And can it be that I should gain – Charles Wesley

Mark 6:14-29

How independent in our decision making do we think we are?
How different are we able to be from either our immediate contacts or the general prevailing culture? Who controls our sense of right and wrong? Have you ever behaved in a way you consider shameful or wrong through the influence of external factors? Have you ever experienced a sense of remorse even while you repeat a behaviour you already feel bad about? Do you blame external factors for bad decisions even though at the time you had a nagging feeling it was not right? Have you buried regrets by pursuing friendships that confirm your bad decisions?

If you feel that the questions above are hinting at addictive behaviour then you are correct. However not necessarily addictions as we commonly mean, such as gambling, drink, drugs or excessive shopping. The questions also apply to a much more generalized addiction to sin. Sometimes sin in our minds seems to focus on one particular thing, such as demeaning speech, because our conscience is sensitive to that, but it is all those things that are offensive to God. Additionally, we can attempt to offload our responsibility for our own sin pointing to external influences. Jesus does not accept that it is possible to bypass personal responsibility in that way. Although he was speaking about whether failing to abide by cleansing rituals before eating or consuming certain foods can corrupt people, Jesus was clear. Sin comes from the heart of the person, ‘For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and defile a person.’ Mark 7:21-23

When we read Mark’s account of Herod’s treatment and murder of John the Baptist we find a man internally conflicted, entwined in a set of circumstances of his own making, indecisive and eventually weak willed. He finally covers his conscience by befriending people of power who are like minded.

Is there any aspect of Herod’s character that we consider is like ourselves?

Whose friendship and affirmation do we value the most?

Tasha Cobbs – Break Every Chain 

Psalm 86:11

When we feel in some way in particular need or estranged from God it can be difficult to order our thoughts and prayer. We are in those moments particularly prone to be governed by our feelings as opposed to the nature and person of God. We have then centred our thoughts on ourselves and not on him. In David we have a guide who has experienced the highs and lows of spiritual life. Some of his actions have been catastrophic at other times he has lived closely unified with God. He has experienced the intimate love and blessing of God and also God’s discipline when he has gone directly against God’s ways. David like modern Christians was a flawed but loved servant to the living God. David’s prayer in psalm 86 provides us with a framework for prayer in times of urgent need. We however have the additional benefit of knowing how God has fulfilled his plans through Jesus and so are in an even more fortunate position than David.

David bases his prayer on his knowledge of God as forgiving, good and loving. v5 When we approach God because he is good we know he only wants what is good for us. Because we live in the New Testament age we know that God expressed his good, forgiving and loving nature perfectly in Jesus’ death and resurrection and as believers we are enabled by him to abide in his love. ‘So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.’ 1 John 4:16 It is God who stirred up that love in us, ‘We love because he first loved us.’ 1 John 4:19 We need not have any fear when approaching God because Jesus has already taken our righteous judgment upon himself through his wrath bearing sacrifice. ‘In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.’ 1 John 4:10

Whoever we are and wherever we come from it is right for us to be able to approach God as Lord and give him praise for the ‘great and wondrous things he alone has done.’ vv 9-10 John confirms this confidence in Revelation 15:4, ‘Who will not fear you, Lord, and bring glory to your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.’

Frequently when approaching God people try to make God confirm to their desires, in effect attempting to create God in their own image. It is not enough to intellectually accept the presence of God, it is when we want to be united with God so that we conform to his desires that we have made the step into being a Christian. Which is why the ESV translation of verse 11 is so helpful using the phrase ‘unite my heart’ because it is when our desires are aligned with his that we will pray and live aright. ‘Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name.’ v11

The Lord knows our frailty and tendency to divert from his ways which is why we need to restore our ongoing relationship with him through confessing to him our weaknesses and sin. We can do so in confidence because his love for us is unchanging. We do not fall in and out of being a child of God but just as a child may spoil their ongoing relationship with a parent so through sin we can spoil our relationship with God. Therefore, David is able to pray, ‘But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. Turn to me and be gracious to me; give your strength to your servant, and save the son of your maidservant.’ vv 15-16

Do we want God to be in our image or do we want to conform to him?

Undivided (acoustic) // Emu Music

Psalm 86:2a

‘Guard my life, for I am faithful to you’

How do you cope and how do you pray in times of trouble? Let us not minimize the amount and level of trouble Christians experience across the world and in their everyday lives in our country. I am not disregarding troubles faced by those who do not share faith in Jesus but the Psalm is specifically that of a servant and faithful follower of God, King David. Although the psalm opens with a general cry for help vv1-3 he becomes more specific later, ‘Arrogant foes are attacking me, O God; ruthless people are trying to kill – they have no regard for you.’ v14 This then is a psalm with direct application to very many followers of Jesus. It is also an experience shared by Jesus throughout his life, from his attempted murder in infancy by Herod the Great until the eventual successful conspiracy between the religious leaders and another Herod brought about his crucifixion. There are millions of Christians who live at constant risk of violent attack and so this psalm has particular relevance to them. (See Open Doors and Barnabas Aid websites.) However, significant troubles are faced on a daily basis by Christians in all settings over a wide range of issues. It can be unjust treatment at work, abuse at home and in other settings, being a victim of bullying, suffering crimes against the person or property and although it is a different type of focus experiencing serious health issues or the effects of natural disasters or suffering the multiple consequences of poverty.

What then can we learn from David’s prayer? Firstly, he comes to God with a simple confession of helplessness and need. ‘Hear me, Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and needy. v1 At the same time he recognizes and address God as his Lord. In the psalm he uses two titles for God both translated Lord in the NIV. Four times he uses God’s personal, covenantal name, Yahweh or the Lord. (vv 1,6,11,17) In doing so he is affirming God’s sovereignty, holiness and greatness. He is also placing himself within the covenant that God has made with his people and asking God to keep those covenantal promises. Followers of Jesus now are included in the new covenant made by God through the death and resurrection of Jesus and may with humility and confidence call upon God to keep them.

David also refers to God as ‘Adonai’ or Lord. This is a term considered somewhat less awesome and holy, more intimate, and so can be more easily uttered. Whilst it is difficult to directly translate the full intended meaning it is commonly compared to master. Three times David reinforces this relationship by calling himself servant. The basis of David’s approach then is one in a covenantal relationship with a totally reliable and all powerful God and yet this is not a remote depersonalized contractual relationship such as we might have with a powerful government or company. It is an intimate relationship in which David can bring his inner feelings and fears as he would to a loving master.

Even though David had one of the most privileged relationships with God in the bible, Christians now are in an even more privileged position. Through faith in Jesus Christians are granted new life and to become children of God. This is the new covenant relationship all followers of Jesus have with ‘Yaweh’ and are able to come to him with confidence. ‘But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,’ John 1.12 ‘See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.’ 1 John 3:1 ‘The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.’ Romans 8:16

Before we come to the Lord with our honest need and cry to, “Guard our life” we can be confident of our relationship with him.

Oh to see the Dawn – Getty / Townend