As I recently discussed, James begins his epistle with the admonition to "count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations." But then, James goes on to define some of these temptations for us. Please note that in the first chapter of James, there are two definitions of "temptation." The first is "an enticement to sin." James explains clearly that God Almighty does not tempt in this way. James 1:13 states, "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man." James does, however, write his entire epistle around the theme of overcoming temptations. In the first verses of James chapter 1, James speaks of another kind of temptation - not an enticing to sin, but the "trying of your faith." Notice James 1:2, 3 - " My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience." This is kind of temptation that James writes about in this epistle.
Know this, when you claim that you have placed your faith in Jesus Christ, your faith will be tested. Circumstances will come for the explicit purpose of showing you what is really in your heart. These circumstances are called, "temptations." They are allowed by God to come our way to show us what is really in our hearts. We say we will stand for Jesus no matter what comes. Then, something is hurled our way, and we see that our faith isn't as strong as we thought. When you make a bold claim concerning Christ, your faith will be tested.
The first test of which James speaks is found in James 1:11, 12 - " For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways. Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him." James' admonition here is to the rich. He warns them, stating that there is coming a burning heat, and if all you have is this world's good, you will surely fall away. So, I write to the American church today. There is, without a doubt, coming a burning heat. The heat will be turned up, especially to the preachers of our day. Here shortly, the church in the United States of America will find out how strong our faith really is.
At the time that James wrote his epistle, he was writing to a persecuted church. If you trusted the Lord Jesus Christ to save you in that day, you just simply understood that it meant suffering and persecution. By "persecution," I mean "opposition of one's faith by the government." In the United States, we have seen little of this. However, you can bank on this: more persecution is coming. Recently, in Great Britain, a minister who preached on the streets for 42 years was arrested for telling a passer-by that homosexuality is a sin. ARRESTED! For simply stating a differing opinion than a homosexual passer-by! Not in Iran! In Britain! And it was done in the name of "hate speech." I opposed the Hate Crimes Bill from the beginning, and contacted Senator Richard Lugar concerning the bill. He supported the bill, stating that the bill only covered violence toward minority groups. However, it is my view that, since violence is already illegal, minorities do not need further protection. There's enough laws on the books to protect them from violence. As it stands right now, if I am harmed by a homosexual, he will face assault and battery charges. If I, however, harm a homosexual, I will face assault and battery charges, PLUS the federal charge of a hate crime. There is absolutely no fairness in this. And, it is eventually going to be the law of the land that speaking against the sin of homosexuality will be a "hate crime." Those in the homosexual movement are such cowards that they do not even want any discussion concerning any disagreement concerning their lifestyle. They want to silence the preaching of God's Word. They want people in jail for expressing disagreement with them. That's the cowards we face today. They run to "MOMMY," the government in Washington, begging MOMMY to "make 'em quit disagreeing with me!" And, of course liberal cowards in Washington just bow right down to their wishes. Rather than welcoming free speech, it is clear that they want free speech for themselves, but for no one who disagrees with them. And, that is the purpose of the Hate Crimes Bill - to try to silence the declaration of absolute truth.
Please understand, I do not condone violence to anyone, including homosexuals. Also, my purpose for preaching against the sin of homosexuality, or any sin, is to show mankind his need of a Saviour. But it looks like, the way we are going, that preaching against the sin of homosexuality may very likely become illegal. That's right. The constitutional right to practice religion by simply preaching the Bible will bow to the UNCONSTITUTIONAL "right" of being able live a sexual lifestyle with no voiced opposition!
Yes, the heat will get turned up after a while. If you have to have pats on the back to make it, you'll not be able to stand. I am asking every preacher of the gospel to STAND! Don't stoop to the level of these cowards by being a coward yourself! Preach the Word of God. Declare sin to be what it is! Do not back down to anyone. If need be, we may lose our church building in a lawsuit. If it comes to it, we may have to do jail time for simply exercising speech that used to be "free speech." We'll shut our doors permanently before we open them to something as sick in the sight of God as a "gay wedding." And, should these things happen this way, we will not have lost the battle. The preacher who loses the battle will be the one who compromises. The preacher who tones down his message to please this crowd will be the one who loses. My prayer is not that the heat doesn't get turned up; my prayer is that I will have something more than this world's good to get me through! I need the power of the Holy Ghost! I need a walk with God. Yes, the heat will be turned up in a little bit. But let's go into the furnace with Someone who will not bend, bow, or burn! That someone is Jesus Christ!
Know this, when you claim that you have placed your faith in Jesus Christ, your faith will be tested. Circumstances will come for the explicit purpose of showing you what is really in your heart. These circumstances are called, "temptations." They are allowed by God to come our way to show us what is really in our hearts. We say we will stand for Jesus no matter what comes. Then, something is hurled our way, and we see that our faith isn't as strong as we thought. When you make a bold claim concerning Christ, your faith will be tested.
The first test of which James speaks is found in James 1:11, 12 - " For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways. Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him." James' admonition here is to the rich. He warns them, stating that there is coming a burning heat, and if all you have is this world's good, you will surely fall away. So, I write to the American church today. There is, without a doubt, coming a burning heat. The heat will be turned up, especially to the preachers of our day. Here shortly, the church in the United States of America will find out how strong our faith really is.
At the time that James wrote his epistle, he was writing to a persecuted church. If you trusted the Lord Jesus Christ to save you in that day, you just simply understood that it meant suffering and persecution. By "persecution," I mean "opposition of one's faith by the government." In the United States, we have seen little of this. However, you can bank on this: more persecution is coming. Recently, in Great Britain, a minister who preached on the streets for 42 years was arrested for telling a passer-by that homosexuality is a sin. ARRESTED! For simply stating a differing opinion than a homosexual passer-by! Not in Iran! In Britain! And it was done in the name of "hate speech." I opposed the Hate Crimes Bill from the beginning, and contacted Senator Richard Lugar concerning the bill. He supported the bill, stating that the bill only covered violence toward minority groups. However, it is my view that, since violence is already illegal, minorities do not need further protection. There's enough laws on the books to protect them from violence. As it stands right now, if I am harmed by a homosexual, he will face assault and battery charges. If I, however, harm a homosexual, I will face assault and battery charges, PLUS the federal charge of a hate crime. There is absolutely no fairness in this. And, it is eventually going to be the law of the land that speaking against the sin of homosexuality will be a "hate crime." Those in the homosexual movement are such cowards that they do not even want any discussion concerning any disagreement concerning their lifestyle. They want to silence the preaching of God's Word. They want people in jail for expressing disagreement with them. That's the cowards we face today. They run to "MOMMY," the government in Washington, begging MOMMY to "make 'em quit disagreeing with me!" And, of course liberal cowards in Washington just bow right down to their wishes. Rather than welcoming free speech, it is clear that they want free speech for themselves, but for no one who disagrees with them. And, that is the purpose of the Hate Crimes Bill - to try to silence the declaration of absolute truth.
Please understand, I do not condone violence to anyone, including homosexuals. Also, my purpose for preaching against the sin of homosexuality, or any sin, is to show mankind his need of a Saviour. But it looks like, the way we are going, that preaching against the sin of homosexuality may very likely become illegal. That's right. The constitutional right to practice religion by simply preaching the Bible will bow to the UNCONSTITUTIONAL "right" of being able live a sexual lifestyle with no voiced opposition!
Yes, the heat will get turned up after a while. If you have to have pats on the back to make it, you'll not be able to stand. I am asking every preacher of the gospel to STAND! Don't stoop to the level of these cowards by being a coward yourself! Preach the Word of God. Declare sin to be what it is! Do not back down to anyone. If need be, we may lose our church building in a lawsuit. If it comes to it, we may have to do jail time for simply exercising speech that used to be "free speech." We'll shut our doors permanently before we open them to something as sick in the sight of God as a "gay wedding." And, should these things happen this way, we will not have lost the battle. The preacher who loses the battle will be the one who compromises. The preacher who tones down his message to please this crowd will be the one who loses. My prayer is not that the heat doesn't get turned up; my prayer is that I will have something more than this world's good to get me through! I need the power of the Holy Ghost! I need a walk with God. Yes, the heat will be turned up in a little bit. But let's go into the furnace with Someone who will not bend, bow, or burn! That someone is Jesus Christ!
