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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pastor Bob Grenier

Calvary Chapel Visalia

Application/Promises.

1. Which position are you in right now?

2. Has God exalted you?

3. Has God humbled you?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pastor Bob Grenier

Calvary Chapel Visalia

Application/Promise.

1. You have a measure of faith from God.

2. Unbelief or doubting is not from God.

3. Reading the Bible will help our faith.

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

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

6. God will honor your faith.

7. The Lord will give you wisdom.

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

"I don't know what to do"

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

"I don't know what to do"

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pastor Bob Grenier

Calvary Chape Visalia

Application/Promises

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

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

3. God has the very thing that we need.

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

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

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

The 2 reasons we go through trials and tribulations

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