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| JAMES LESSON #70 There�s a section of James 5 that without a lot of study, really made me churn. Because I work with many ill people, I struggle a lot with the �heart� of God concerning long term suffering and illness that kills. I�ve watched TV evangelist after TV evangelist get up and say that I simply need to give a �positive confession� from my mouth. �Healing is for everybody,� all you have to do is �claim it.� Wrong wrong and more wrong. I can stand next to the bed of a dying friend and confess with my mouth until Jesus comes that I believe he�s going to get well, and watch him die. I could fast for days, and stand in �positive confession� �claiming healing� for my friend � day in and day out until the strength within me literally failed�and then watch them die. What�s with that picture? One of the greatest moments of disillusionment in my life was over the death of a close friend for whom I�d earnestly sought God for healing. Why is it that I pray for some and they get well � and I pray for others and watch them die? Is it that I�m not fasting long enough? Is it that I�m not giving a �positive confession with my mouth?� Is it that I�m not �enduring� enough? Is it that I�m not praying long enough? Am I missing something that perhaps could release that person into healing? Yes � I am missing a couple of things. From the get go James starts nailing home the difference between genuine faith and a faith that�s a fa�ade. In chapter five he moves his focus to prayer and praise � a faith, that�s evidenced by open and ongoing communication with God about literally every situation. READ James 5:13 The word �suffering� here means long term- enduring hardships- experiencing ongoing no let up struggle- If you are experiencing �suffering� what are you to do? Pray. When you are cheerful, what are you to do? Praise. How often we forget that last one- Communicate with God in the tough stuff- equally communicate with Him when the going gets good. READ On �James 5:14 the word �sick� in the Greek is �asthenei� and it means totally without strength � it means, �really really sick.� READ ON �verse 15 Correctly translated, that reads, �the prayer of faith.� -Sounds like my close friend should never have died � because in terms of prayer, he was surrounded on every corner. READ ON verse 16: The �effective prayer� ��effective� or �effectual fervent� in the Greek is: energeo: it means to be active, energized, working, operative, producing and effect- Ok � so I prayed for my friend, and he died. Maybe I�m not �righteous enough?� Wrong. Remember- �righteousness� is not something we �arrive at� � It�s something that God first of all accomplishes for us through salvation � and then completes in us through sanctification. Ok � so those are both big words � what in the world am I talking about. Back to square one: When you ask Jesus into your life to be the �authority� over all that you are, because of His death, burial and resurrection on the cross He gives you a �new heart� � places His Spirit �in� you � �setting you a part� � �making you clean� � �forgiving you from all sin� � THAT, is making you �righteous.� It�s not about you being good enough: GET THAT. After He saves you, He begins a work of �sanctification� � a big word which simply means, He starts getting all the kinks out of what you�ve become so that you are like Him � complete, and lacking in nothing. So if my friend died � it�s not a result of me �not being good enough� � or not making it on the �righteousness scale.� So what�s wrong with this picture? Keep reading. READ On down through verse 18. Prayer is mentioned in every single verse. Flip over to Acts 6:1-4 When the church first began there were two very different groups of Jews. Hellenistic Jews and Hebrew Jews. The Hellenistic Jews had been raised in a different culture and didn�t share the same views on things � conflicts were breaking out in the church. The two different kinds of Jews were choosing �elders� or �leaders� to represent them � READ Acts 6:4. When James kicks into his letter, from the get go he emphasizes the �Word� of God. Look at James 1:19-23. When you hear truth be quick to what? HEAR � and slow to speak and slow to anger: Basically, �shut up unless called on- let it sink in a little, and own it.� READ On � verse 20-21 �in humility� � that�s a �teachable spirit� � open � ready to learn � �receive� the word. READ on down through verse 23 He continues to talk about the Word. In chapter 2 he shifts to faith: faith that�s not partial � but faith that�s real- So he�s moved from the Word to faith � and now he�s moving into prayer. He�s told us how to ask in James 1:5-6 � in faith. He�s told us in James 4 that we don�t have because we don�t ask- Now he�s moving his focus to a �deeper more intimate� relationship with God: One that communicates with God in every facet of life: If we�re suffering: talk to God If we�re cheerful: share it with God If we�re sick: call the elders..and go to God James 5:14 Is any among you sick, let him �call� for the elders. The word �call� here is a command that is a possibility � it�s totally based on the will of the person who�s sick. You�re sick? YOU call for help. In this situation the subject (the sick person) produces the action (asks for help) and participates in the results. Thing is, can you �call on the elders� if you don�t even go to church? No. You won�t even know who the elders are to call � let alone, know how to connect with them. There�s a very important message in this command. Get active in a church - Where does it say in the Bible that I have to go to church? Flip over to Hebrews 10:25- We�re not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together why? Because it�s in our �connectedness� that we�re encouraged, and strengthened, disciplined, guarded, held accountable, and the list goes on. It�s about �family� � it�s not about �rules and regs..� �get that. James is saying, �You�re sick?� YOU call the elders. READ James 5:14 The word �pray� here is again in the imperative meaning that it is a command. There are two words for the word �oil� here. In the Greek: Shiro and Aleipho. The word for �oil� in this verse is �Aleipho.� It refers to oil that�s used for consecrating something or is used for healing. James says, �let him call for the elders and let them pray and anoint him with oil: Does this mean that they are healing him? No. It means that they are consecrating that person in the Name of the Lord Jesus �for� healing. It�s not saying that the �oil� will heal � It�s saying that the �prayer of faith offered up� will restore. Oil here is used with prayer as a symbol of what prayer is all about � consecrating to the Lord (consecrate? � to devote-to give- to the Lord with deep dedication) Why �devote or give� to the Lord, one who is sick? God has many names � one of which is, �Jehovah Rapha� � The Lord God who Heals. Flip back to Exodus 15:22 The Israelites have just come out of Egypt. They�ve just crossed the Red Sea. Pharoah and his boys have just drowned. Moses sings � Miriam dances- then in verse 22 they come upon �bitter waters.� Moses cries to God and God tells him to put a �Tree� in the bitter water. There, God tests them. READ through verse 26 (notice, that after everything God had done the people GRUMBLED) - In verse 26, the phrase �I, the Lord am your healer,� in the Hebrew is, I AM Jehovah Rapha: that is one of the names of God. I am the God who heals. It�s about My ability. READ Deuteronomy 32:39 If you haven�t underlined that one, do. It�s pretty direct. If there�s going to be a healing, It has to come from the Lord. Flip over to II Chronicles 16:9. This is the story of King Asa who started out loving the Lord, but then became arrogant and dependent on himself. He got pretty sure of himself because of chariots and horses � and basically put God on the shelf. God was not happy�at all. READ II Chronicles 16:9-12 He�s not talking about doctors here. In the context of this story you see a man who�s going to everybody BUT GOD for direction and help. It�s God who chooses to heal. It�s God who chooses to not heal. God didn�t heal my friend � He died after long hours of prayer from so many. God didn�t heal one of my best friends children � He died of cancer at the age of 4, after being surrounded by prayer and people who were �believing� until there was nothing left. God could have healed them both. What happened? Hang on to that question. We�re going there tomorrow! Loving you, Robin � copyright 2001 Jim and Robin Hibschman |
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