Drawn Away

James 1:14-15 … "every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death." K.J.V.

"… every person is tempted when he is drawn away, enticed and baited by his own evil desire (lust, passions). Then the evil desire, when it has conceived, gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is fully matured, brings forth death." Amp.

It is true that external temptations to sin may be placed before man, but they would have no power if there was not something within man to which they respond. There must be some lust, some desire, some inclination; something which is now unsatisfied, which responds to the temptation and gives the temptation all its power.

The first of three steps that lead to sin …

Drawn away … the beginning step in temptation, we are drawn away by our own lust. Let's face it; we each have something in our flesh that we battle against. It may be something different for each one of us. Paul states in 1st Corinthians 9:27 …"But I keep under my body, (I subdue it) and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway."

Enticed … literally, "taken with bait," as fish are; entrapped, caught, seized by a power and held fast like a hook in their flesh.

When lust hath conceived … sin's course is described as that of a birth. It's when we make the lust or desire our own; then yielding to the sinful desire brings the conception; which then births the sin; moral and eternal death are the final result.

Because we are free will agents even Satan himself can not make us yield to his temptations before they are made our own. But know that all temptations are not always from him.

1st John 2:15-17 …"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever."

The following three lusts are natural to the world and man; although one could say they are indirectly from Satan … who is the god of this world and its social system.

The lust of the flesh … The word lust used here is in the general sense of desire, or that which is the object of desire and not in the narrow sense in which it is now commonly used to denote sexual passion. It denotes that which pampers the appetites, or all that is connected with the indulgence of man's appetites.

The lust of the eyes … That which is designed merely to gratify the sight. This would include costly clothes, jewels, houses, furniture, cars, things wasted on pleasure, etc. The object is to refer to the frivolous vanities of this world, the things which bring pleasure to man's eye, usually associated with the pride of life. It does not, of course, mean that the eye is never to be pleased, or that it is sinful to find pleasure in beholding objects of real beauty … for the world, as formed by its Creator, is full of beautiful things; so God could not have intended that we not see His created beauty and enjoy it as such.

The pride of life … by which seems to be meant; ambition for honor, chief seats and high titles as did the Scribes and Pharisees; or having the appearance and desire of the living of life in a luxurious, pompous manner, in rich costly apparel and things or having fine palaces; all of which Solomon, from his own experience said is only … "vanity and vexation of spirit."

Are these lusts sin? Will they stay just unanswered temptations to you; or will you allow them to have a life of their own?

"When lust is conceived … it bringeth forth or births sin."

I didn't say that … it's in the Book.

Let's face it; man is … "fallen." There is something within man that draws us to the bait, the desire; the three lusts … flesh, eyes, pride and even more. But temptation only becomes sin when we give birth to it.

Otherwise it's just … temptation; and temptation in and of itself is not sin; for Jesus was tempted in all points … yet without sin. He was never drawn away and therefore never gave birth to it.

Let me repeat the words found in 1st John …"these things write I unto you, that ye sin not."

In My Name

What did Jesus mean when He said …"in my name?"

Mark 16:17 …"And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they …" K.J.V.

The Amplified reads …"And these attesting signs will accompany those who believe: in My name they will …"

It is generally held that this is a promise limited to the apostolic age, to the disciples of that age, and not even to all of them, but just a few; and it would not be forever, but only for the time necessary for the establishment of Christianity in the world. Notice I used the term "generally held" which means it is widely accepted but not by all, including me, because even yet today God still performs many miracles in and through the name of Jesus.

The miracles the disciples had continued for a considerable time with their use of the powerful phrase "in the name of Jesus." In the Arabic version of the Bible, the word "believe" is joined to the first half of this verse and rightly so … for you must believe it is by the authority of Christ in giving the disciples the right to use that name as if they were acting in His stead, as His Power of Attorney more or less, and speaking on His behalf for Him to accomplish His will on earth.

God has many believers; some believe the power is in the name itself, while others like me believe the name represents the authority and power of God given to believers. Before my parents came to the point in their old age where they could no longer carry out all their business, they appointed me as their Trustee and Power of Attorney. As such I had the very same authority and power when I spoke or signed legal documents as they had. They put their trust in me.

This is exactly what Jesus has given to us still today … He has appointed some, but perhaps not all believers to be the Trustee, His P.O.A. over His Word, just like the disciples were in the apostolic age as they declared healings and miracles everywhere they went with the authority given them to act … in His name.

I am coming to believe that this phrase "in the name of Jesus" as the disciples used it, does not mean at the end of a declaration of faith or a prayer you … tack on … "the name of Jesus." They used that name as if it was a legal document giving them His authority.

What I am beginning to question is how we use that name; and what really happens in the spiritual realm when we use that name. Do demons really tremble when any believer "tacks" that name on the end of their prayer? I don't think so.

Just speaking the name of Jesus won't make the devil tremble. You must believe in that name and even more than that, in the power His name gives you as His representative to speak the truth of His Word in the court room of the world as they place us on trial and ridicule us for our belief in Jesus.

Look what is recorded in Luke 10:17 where it states …"And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name." K.J.V.

The disciples were sent out by Jesus in His stead; and they went in His authority and power, not in their own and as such they came back and reported … "even the devils are subject unto us through thy name."

The disciples had success in healing and even casting out demons because they had been given the authority by Jesus to stand as His representative so that the word or command spoken by them was as if Jesus had spoken it Himself.

In the Book of John, there is one word spoken by Jesus that gives me pause and complicates my own teaching about asking … in the name of Jesus.

John 14:13-14 …"And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it."

What wonderful verses of promise from the lips of Jesus Himself. But I find one word in them that complicates or hinders my asking with faith each time I need to ask or pray; and that one word in these two phrases that Jesus spoke is the word "will" … "I will do it" and "that will I do."

How can I ask in faith the next time when it didn't come true, when it wasn't fulfilled; let's get right to it … when He didn't do like He promised … the last time or the time before that?

Do you see where I'm going? I have asked many times in the past for various whatsoever's in the name of Jesus; and some are granted by God and some are not. So what I am saying is this; just by speaking what many believe is the magic formula … "the name of Jesus"… most of the time won't do it.

This is why I am saying we must believe it is by the authority of Christ; that we are acting in His stead, as His Power of Attorney, speaking on His behalf for whatever He wants to do through us; and not because we get all our ducks in a row, cross all our T's and dot all our I's or use the so called magic formula … the name of Jesus.

This is also where the sovereignty of God plays a role in all we receive or don't receive from Him. Let me give one example.

I know a woman who has been used mightily of God with the gift of healings operating in her life. I was talking with her one day about praying for people when she surprised me with a statement she made. It was this … "I don't go and pray for everyone who asks me for prayer. I only lay my hands on the ones God tells me to. I must be led by the Holy Spirit, and not my feelings. I have found out from past experience, when I depend on being led by God's Spirit, the one I am praying for is usually healed. It must be something the Lord wants done."

I can attest to that fact; I have seen terminal cancer disappear after she was told by God to go and pray for a man that I worked with. This is just one of many healings from God through her hands. But God must be the one who directs us to perform His will.

I believe this is also what happened with Peter at the Temple gate when he spoke to the lame beggar. I am convinced it was the Holy Spirit that stopped Peter and had him say what he did to this man. God wanted this man healed at this time for the purpose of establishing the early Church with signs and wonder through many great miracles performed by the apostles. It's found in Acts 3:6-16 …

When asked for money … "Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.

And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God. And all the people saw him walking and praising God: And they knew that it was he which sat for alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple: and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him.

And as the lame man which was healed held Peter and John, all the people ran together unto them in the porch that is called Solomon's, greatly wondering.

And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk?

The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus … And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all."

I must conclude then … this lame man's healing was not so much that Peter used "the name of Jesus" as the answer, but rather the healing came from what was within Peter, for he had an anointing on his spirit; because the authority as a Trustee and representative for Jesus had already been given to him.

It was this anointing that caused Peter to voice some of the greatest words found in the Bible … "but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth …" and the man was healed.

God wanted it done; He had Peter and John to stop. It was God's will; it was His purpose and plan drawn out and worked for His glory and amazement of the Church as it grew in reverential fear and wonder.

So today when we say … "In the name of Jesus" … we should also be declaring the position and authority He has given the Church as the Trustee of His Word and name.

May we speak as He would speak; and then just maybe … "wonder" … instead of doubt, would once again come to His Church.

A Simple Period

Romans 8:1 …"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus …"

There is more to this verse than I have written down; this is just the first half, but I believe it's the most important half. I would also like to propose a change to it by placing a "." right at the end of this first half. In fact I would go so far as to add not only a "." to the scripture but the word … "period."

What, you may ask, how presumptuous are you anyway? How can you add anything to the Word of God? Well, isn't that what the translators have already done with many of the scriptures, including the one in question above? In fact some Bibles are not even translations but are "interpretations" by well meaning people who could be totally in error … in other words … wrong.

Why cut this verse in half? Let's look at the whole verse as it is "now" in our Bibles; at least the two I mainly use. The K.J.V. reads … "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit."

The Amplified reads …"Therefore, there is now no condemnation (no adjudging guilty of wrong) for those who are in Christ Jesus, who live and walk not after the dictates of the flesh, but after the dictates of the Spirit."

Many of the earliest manuscripts do not even have the highlighted last half of this verse in them as it is given in the K.J.V. and others. Why? What does the last half hurt being "added" by the translators?

With the last half added, it totally changes the meaning of what Jesus did with the condemnation that comes from sin. The last half of this verse, if included, then requires … an act on our part … to make it sure, rather than what God has already done for us through Jesus. It then becomes all about us, how we perform in our faith walk, instead of being about Jesus and His righteousness.

Paul in this verse does not speak of the power of the blood of Jesus that has already done away with our sin; but rather he speaks of the new position that is … entirely beyond the reach … of everything to which the judgment of God is to be applied some day. And that new position is that we are in Christ Jesus and therefore any condemnation awaiting sin's judgment … can not reach us … because the whole sin issue, not just part, stopped with Jesus on the cross.

Christ felt the effect and was under our sin's condemnation while hanging on the cross in our place when He became sin, paying the total price for our sin.

Later, after His resurrection He appears before God and stands there knowing full well there could be no more condemnation for sin, or wrath to come, or judgment for sin. It had already been settled before the foundation of the world, before the cross, before He ascended to stand before God as the risen Lord.

He was there because it was settled … and that is also the position of the believer in Christ … it's settled; there is now no condemnation … period. We need that "period." It means it's final. It is finished.

Paul in the preceding chapter spoke concerning the struggle believers feel within themselves; and the main cause and reason behind that worry and question is … the sin issue and the condemnation of that sin … which brings them to question the security of their own souls. But here in this chapter he proceeds to show the solid ground and sure foundation believers have in Christ Jesus.

Chapter 8 begins with the best words of assurance concerning the security of believers in Christ … "no condemnation." However, if the truth would be told, the apostle Paul does not say there is nothing condemnable in them, for he has just acknowledged sin is in them and sin is condemnable, and it is even self-condemned by them; but He states even so … it cannot bring them into or under condemnation, because they are "in" Christ Jesus.

He says there is "not one condemnation" against them coming from God; but even so they are still liable to many illegal condemnations from their own hearts, from the world and from the devil; but of legal, justifiable ones, there are none from God the Father, for He justifies; nor from the Son, for they have His righteousness; nor from the Holy Spirit, who bears witness to their spirits, that they are … in Christ.

There is not one condemnation that now lies against them, with respect to their actual sins; though every sin deserves condemnation. Not one from the law of God, of which sin is a transgression, condemned by the law; yet it is only condemnation to them that are under it, not to them that are in Christ, of whom He has redeemed from that very law.

The word "now" in this verse must not be considered as if it supposes … nor does this suppose … that there may be condemnation later brought to them for their future sin, though not just now at this present time.

Since Christ has already borne in Himself all the condemnation their sin rightly deserved; meaning their justification is from all sin … past, present, and future … then it would be unjust for God to lay any condemnation or judgment on those who are in Christ Jesus. God's justice will not allow that to happen. If that would happen, Jesus would have borne it all … for nothing.

If the first half of this verse is not the greatest words in the Bible, especially now with the new "period" attached, I don't know what they would be.

In my opinion, which means nothing to anyone but me … I can't think of a more meaningful set of words than these in Romans 8:1 …

"There is now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus …" period.



Thank you Pastor Jason for reminding me of this verse and the promise behind it when you preached one of the most powerful sermons I have had the privilege of hearing in a long time. I needed to hear about that … "period."

God's blessings back to you.

I'm Hurting

Really I am, in a couple of ways. As I sit here my hip and hamstring muscle down the back of my leg hurts as well as my calf and ankle; both of which have had a constant dull to moderate ache for about two weeks now as the result of once again injuring a compressed disc in my back. If I move wrong the pain goes from being just bearable to … "ouch" … I don't want to do that again.

I believe it's called a ruptured or a herniated disc. I had one four years ago that needed surgery to repair and remove the pressure on the nerve that causes the pain. As if the pain isn't enough, my toes and the bottom of my foot go numb so that I can't feel them … weird. Last time I couldn't walk; but this time I can.

Physical pain … that's the first way I'm hurting. Spiritual pain, if I can call it that, is the second way that I'm hurting. Why call it spiritual pain?

I trust God daily to watch over my family, which He does. But I was hurt this time doing what I considered "the Lord's work." If I had been playing around doing something I shouldn't have then okay Lord, I'm on my own. But I was loading a 60 lb. dinner bag of "Meals on Wheels" into my van and twisted my back the wrong way. "Come on Lord, I was trying to help." Did you ever feel that way?

It sounds like "poor little me" doesn't it? But I know better, for I haven't had to shed my blood like many in the past have while doing the Lord's work.

Part of the hurt, part of what causes the spiritual pain, is the fact that what I see in the Word of God that looks to me like … a promise for healing … most of the time doesn't work, and I just don't understand why not. Last week I called upon "the elders of the Church" to anoint me with oil and pray the prayer of faith over me as it says to do in the Book of James, believing that the Lord would heal this disc and raise me up.

Well … it's obvious; if I'm still in pain then the Lord chose not to heal me at this present time. But I believe He will … because it's in the Book … and God doesn't lie. There has to be a reason, so what is it? Am I supposed to learn something from this; or was it that I wasn't really believing, you know … with the kind of faith needed … the kind of faith that Paul said caused God to "call things that were not as though they were." Should I have done something else … if so, what?

Like most people I have been sick in the past and had to go to the doctor for an anti-biotic prescription to fight infection. When I picked up my meds I received more than just one pill. I needed two each day for ten consecutive days, because one "dose" just wouldn't fix the problem. It wasn't enough. I had to get more of the prescription inside of me.

So why do we think that just one simple little prayer will always "fix" the problem?

Could this be the reason Jesus said in Luke 11:9 …"Ask, seek, and knock and you will receive." In fact, I like even better the way verses 9 & 10 reads in its more useful translation in the Amplified Bible …

"So I say to you, Ask and keep on asking and it shall be given you; seek and keep on seeking and you shall find; knock and keep on knocking and the door shall be opened to you.
For everyone who asks and keeps on asking receives; and he who seeks and keeps on seeking finds; and to him who knocks and keeps on knocking, the door shall be opened."

In other words Jesus is saying don't give up concerning prayer. God certainly can heal or give the answer immediately … He has that right. But I also say, "if God so chooses" … He likewise has the right to keep you talking to Him, asking, seeking and knocking at Heaven's door. Remember, He alone is God.

But getting back to my hurt, not the physical but the spiritual, it's not just that I wasn't healed; this is not "all about me," it's more than that. How can I pray with the "faith needed" when asked by others to pray with them or for them … when I can't even get myself healed? What's the problem? Is healing a "promise" or is it just a "hope" we have in Jesus?

What do I do with the words of James when he said … "pray one for another that you may be healed?" Are these empty words or can they be taken as a promise? Do I have to qualify by my performance as a believer to receive healing? The answer should be …"no"… or none of us will ever receive an answer to prayer. We must trust Him no matter what the answer is … but I would still like to know.

I'm going somewhere now … be patient and stay with me.

I'm reminded of Peter at the gate to the Temple; he didn't pray for the lame man did he? Peter had something within himself and he knew it. He didn't have to ask for it in prayer; Jesus had already given Peter the right and authority to declare by faith the power that was and is today in that name … "but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk."

Now I'm thinking of Paul in A.D.67 as he writes Timothy while facing death under Nero in a Roman prison ... "Trophimus have I left at Miletum sick." Paul left this man sick. I would assume that Paul had already laid his hands on him and prayed for him … but he left him sick. Paul is the one who taught the church about the gifts of the Spirit, including healing, but he … "left him sick." Did Paul change … not in what he believed, his doctrine, his faith … but maybe in the importance or the effort it takes to receive "healing?"

I wonder why Paul told Timothy to … "use a little wine for thy stomach's sake and thine often infirmities." So I ask, where is healing in this counsel from Paul? Had he given up after years of prayer for Timothy's infirmities that up to then had not been healed by the Lord?

I'm going now to John on the isle of Patmos 60 years or so after the death of Jesus. John is an old man, dying a natural death; there would be no healing for him now either. He had reached the number of his appointed days.

What am I trying to say with just these few examples? We know that Jesus never had any failures when He healed people who asked it of Him. We also know that Peter spoke and acted on the authority he believed Jesus had left him and the other disciples. But a few years later Paul had to leave a man still sick; his healing didn't come immediately, if at all, as it always did with Jesus and as far as we know also did with Peter and those of the early church. Paul instructed Timothy to take a little wine … why? What happened to healing?

Would I be doing the scripture injustice if I were to conclude that over time things have changed … not the power of God … but maybe how, why and even when God gives the anointing to speak healing unto the sick and dying? I'm just thinking out loud here … for I have no answer as to why we don't see healings like the church saw when they first started preaching Jesus.

Could one answer be just exactly what Paul reminded Timothy of when he wrote to him these words … "Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands."

This gift … perhaps healing … was still in Timothy, and yet it seems as if there was some decline, a cooling off and an indifference to exercise it; he might have been too negligent or forgetful of the gift; so the apostle reminds him to "stir" it up. The phrase "stir up" is a metaphor taken from the coals of a fire covered with ashes, as if almost extinct, and the need to be blown up into a flame by stirring up the ashes. Was Timothy just like us … a little unsure that God could or would use him?

The gifts of the Spirit, especially "healing" can be and has been allowed to burn down from the burning flame of the early church to just embers today, covered up by the ashes of past miracles and these embers are now at the point that if we don't "stir up and rekindle the flame" … they will die out.

Remember … I'm hurting … not for me, but for all those I have prayed for over the years who were not healed; some of which even died and went to be with the Lord. Well, maybe it is also for me … for it does hurt … it hurts my faith.

I have to remind myself often about the heart of God, about His motives and purposes and all the blessings of God's Providential care which proceeds from that heart, which is "a heart of love"; including all the tests and trials … and pain … which really seem, or are thought to have come from God fulfilling His design, purpose, counsel, and "will" for our lives.

We should have enough confidence in God's conduct toward us to believe that all His dealings are ordered from that heart of love. But if … He takes away our possessions, or visits us with pain, will we lose all our confidence in Him? Will we still submit to God without a complaint only during good times … or even when painful natural events come in their place?

The breath we breathe, the food we eat, the health and freedom from "pain" we enjoy are God's … but if … He takes one or all we have away, do we feel that He has taken only what belongs to Him … of which we have no right or claim to anyway?

I can't answer your questions about unanswered prayer … especially healing … I can't even answer my own. So what am I to do? I'm going to try and "stir up" those embers in my life if they are still burning … so that the flame burns as it should.

Why am I taking the time to sit at my keyboard … still in pain … writing about this?

I have been inspired by a man I know who wants others to see only Jesus in him.

Let each of our flames burn bright and not be just smoldering embers under dead ashes from the past.