Longing

My heart is yearning to help those young people who are in the limbo between their last years at high school and their first at college. I quietly hurt for those young people who step out and get their Christian beliefs kicked and shoved around in the first few years of career building and decision-making.

It's an exciting time but one that lacks serious mentoring, I am finding out. So many - too many - young people lost between the cracks.

That's the group I want to reach, specifically.

Jill shares my burden.

This blog will change, just a degree or two, to aim toward that group.

Lord, please show us.

James 2: 15-17

πίστις = FAITH


What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

One of the most striking lessons I learned in my early ministry was at the Richmond Rescue Mission just outside of Oakland, California. The location of the rescue mission was in the center of one of the worst crime district at that time in the 80s.

I wanted to learn about Christianity that went beyond liturgy and ritual. I wanted to see what it was like to see the Lord working in lives that had nothing else in this world. So I became a resident. I taught some classes in the mission, to be sure, but I also helped out with peeling potatoes, serving meals, helping cook and cleaning up. I slept in the dorm room with the dozens of men who slept on bunk beds through the night.

And I got to see some serious Christianity.

πίστις = faith... I saw this Greek word in a truer sense. There were men who sat and shared with others who had nothing but memories of an alcohol-soaked life in their recent past. I saw men come off the streets, covered with grime and puke ... and be loved and cared for. And I saw a director who was firm yet fair. He was a little man, and I cannot remember his name, but he stood less than 5'5", I'm sure. I'll call him Art.

Art was a man who stood in the face of men and berated them for lapses back into drinking, but Art was also a man who took these same men and sat with them, gave them clothes and food, looked for a job for them, and most of all gave them hope. He showed them Jesus, but he also showed them what Jesus could do. Through Art, men saw that Jesus could live in the slums, Jesus could be colorblind, and Jesus could work and serve until it hurt.

I learned about the truth of James 2 in that rescue mission. It was like going back to college.

The Book of James: Favoritism

James 2:9 - "But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers."

I am not a celebrity-chaser. I don't care what kind of news is in the tabloids at the checkout stand. The Academy Awards show is an embarrassingly boring parade of peacocks. TV and movies are becoming less and less a factor in my routine; even the news shows are celebrity-driven.

But we are a nation of worshippers. Not of God but of other men. We want to show favoritism to the taller, the stronger, the more creative, the person with better teeth or a more distinct voice. While it may be okay to admire certain qualities, there is no place for a Christian to show one person unfair favoritism over another.

In the words of the Bible commentator Matthew Henry:

"Notwithstanding the law of laws, to love your neighbour as yourselves, and to show that respect to them which you would be apt to look for yourselves if in their circumstances... Lev. 19:15, Thou shalt do no unrighteousness in judgment; thou shalt not respect the person of the poor nor the person of the mighty; but in righteousness shalt though judge thy neighbour. Yea, the very royal law itself, rightly explained, would serve to convict them, because it teaches them to put themselves as much in the places of the poor as in those of the rich, and so to act equitably towards one as well as the other. "

Sunday Night Bible Study

Last night was an enjoyable evening at the Zockoll home. Along with my son Peter, we had Sam, Matt, Bret, Noah, Josh, and Jon. We're going into a straight-to-the-Scripture look at contemporary issues as well as dissecting the teaching truths of the book of James, as you have read here in the blog.

This is one of the main reasons, I feel, that the Lord has given us this large home. We are to use it for His glory and in teaching His truths. Jill and I are more than happy to do so. And finding out how they stand strong in the Lord each day is incredibly uplifting to us.

3 John 1:4
I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.

Zockoll's Bridge, new site for young readers

Please visit my new site, an adventure reading page with Christian ethical questions embedded for discussion and enlightenment. Here is the link:

http://zockollsbridge.blogspot.com/

These are stories that I have had published in magazines for Focus on the Family Publishing. Please feel free to leave a comment when you finish a particular story.

Profanity, part 2

“The tongue of the righteous is choice silver; the heart of the wicked is of little worth” (Proverbs 10:20).

I find a very strong tie between the heart and the tongue in the above verse, and in fact, through all of Scripture. You can tell Peter's heart when he cursed, can't you? Fear, anger, confusion. The inner man releases his thoughts through the mouth. Take a look, also, at a passage within our latest study book:

"So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire!” (James 3:5).

I like the words written by Wayne Gruden about this subject:

He first gives a list of verses and then deals with the issue in a pretty sensible summary:

"...we are also commanded to maintain a reputation for cleanliness:

ESV Titus 2:10 not pilfering, but showing all good faith, so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior.

ESV Ephesians 5:4 Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.

ESV Ephesians 4:29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

ESV Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

"Using the words commonly thought to be offensive in the culture seems to me to be sort of the verbal equivalent of not wearing deodorant and having body odor, or of going around with spilled food on our shirts all the time. Someone might argue that not wearing deodorant or wearing dirty clothes are not morally wrong things in themselves, but my response is that they do give needless offense and cause others to think of us as somewhat impure or unclean. So, I think, does using words commonly thought to be "obscene" or "offensive" or "vulgar" in the culture generally. Plus it encourages others to act in the same way. So in that way it brings reproach on the church and the gospel."

Well done, Mr. Gruden.

Gruden's letter was posted on the website title Desiring God

John Piper. © Desiring God. Website: desiringGod.org

Is Profanity Okay for a Christian?

We spent a bit of time Sunday night talking about this. Seems that there are a number of Christians who feel that profane words are acceptable as an expression of speech.

James 1:26 gives us a starting point on this subject: If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.

So what is unacceptable speech?

Col. 3:8 - "But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips."

“shameful speech” (aischrologia ) denotes “speech of a kind that is generally considered in poor taste, obscene speech, dirty talk.”

Most Christians are aware of the story about well-known theologian and sociologist, Tony Campolo who began a speech by saying “I have three things to share with you today. First, I’d like to tell you that while you were sleeping last night 30,000 kids died because of starvation and diseases related to malnutrition. Second, most of you don’t even give a ****. What’s worse is that you’re more upset with the fact that I said **** than the fact that 30,000 kids died last night.”

I find that Mr. Campolo's reasoning is faulty at best. If I were to enter a room and make people aware that one of the local charities is in desperate need of funds, I certainly don't use profanity to awake them - I tell them the need. If I need to display the truth that a man lays dying in a hospital from cancer while nobody in the area has visited or seen to his needs, I paint the picture of the need, not curse or use vulgarities. My life has been built on writing, so maybe I'm a bit more picky about my use of the language. True, Mr. Campolo has written plenty of books, but I've read a few of them and I don't see that he holds the same convictions I do in the area of expression.

Here's my point about his speech : aischrologia denotes “speech of a kind that is generally considered in poor taste..." which sums up his wording. Maybe he wanted to draw attention to himself. Sadly, that seems to be the case. More comments were written about his cursing than the actual plight that was supposed to be the focus of the talk.

Note also: bebeloo is used twice is the Scripture (see Mt. 12:5; Acts 24:6) and is translated “profane” , meaning “to cause something highly revered to become identified with the commonplace, violate sanctity, desecrate, profane” (Danker, 173). We'll talk more about this.

Source for Greek translation: Baur, Danker, Arndt, Gingrich, Greek-English Lexicon, Chicago: University of Chicago, 2000, p. 29, 74

Some key notes to remember in James 1

1. In verse 22 the phrase is to "BE a doer of the Word". Note that it does not merely say "DO the Word." In other Words, acitng upon the truth s of the Scriptures should be your life. It should be the title of your life.

2. A common fault among the leaders of James' day was to dive into a spiritual argument and even presume to speak on behalf of God. Verse 19 warns agains this, and concludes that quick speech leads to arguments, which leads to anger. This is also a common fault among many Christians today - not being able to learn to keep our mouths shut at times.

3. Verse 5 is especially powerful. God gives generously without finding fault. This is amazing. The word is oneidizo and means reproach or throwing something back in one's face. I believe this means an "I told you so" attitude, among other things. I like this verse , because when I come to God and ask for help, He's not going to stretch it out into a "time out" session and harp on my weaknesses; I am pretty aware of them as it is. rather, His loving benevolence causes me to praise Him even more.

4. Verse 25, "the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom" and acts upon that freedom will be blessed. If we could only get this point locked into our hearts! The Christian who studies and understands the law of love knows that he will serve Jesus not out of the system of the Law, but the service of Love - and his service will be even more intense!

How many times have I run into people - even Christians - who grate against the idea of serving God for no other reason than they don't want to be told what to do! I will hear complaining and vacuous arguments about the "fear of rules." The Christian feels that rules and regulations (yea, even the very mention of the words) emits an unknown evil in the presence of the Christian. What tripe!

My wife Jill has a need for medication and tells me I must get to the pharmacy before 7 p.m. because that's when it closes - she has given me a strict rule on beating a deadline. Do I complain? No - because I love her! It doesn't even seem like a rule.

When I played football as right guard and was told by our coach that the movement on the line was at the three count - did I complain? No, because I loved football and respected our coach, and I wanted to be a football player. I was more than willing to get on the field and follow the guidelines.

Christians, are you getting the message here? Re-read all the points above one more time. Think. Quit complaining and grow up.

Continuing in the book of James: the Father of Lights

James himself knew the truth of suffering. In fact, Eusebius, the great church leader and historian, wrote that about the year 66 A.D., James was finally martyred for his faith by being pushed off the pinnacle of the temple by Jews who were incensed with his Christian testimony. The pinnacle was a point in the wall that leaned out over the Kidron Valley and the drop is about a hundred feet. This was the exact place where the devil took Jesus and tempted him to jump off the pinnacle of the temple.
James the Just, the half brother of Jesus, was pushed off this pinnacle and dropped 100 feet straight down into the Valley. Eusebius reports that, incredibly, the fall did not kill him. He rose from that crumpled position and managed to rise to his knees to pray for his murderers. The mob completed the assassination by stoning him to death.

In verse 17 it says:

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

In the midst of this passage on trials and testings, we see James suddenly talking about God giving perfect gifts! What can this mean? He is refered to as the "Father of Lights", and the Greek actually says the "Father of the Lights." This would refer to the familiar lights to the reader: sun, moon, stars...and the gifts he gives have no shifting shadows, such as we see in eclipeses ... no moon shadowing the sun, nor the earth throwing a shadow on the moon, etc. The Father is Light and there is no darkness in Him at all. If I am in the darkness, all I need to do is to reach out to God for safety.

The gifts He gives are perfect, but remember, this is with an eternal picture in mind.

You see, there are times when I get a gift that doesn't seem good right now, but later on I see its worth. For instance, in my first year at college, my brother Bruce sent me an odd package. It wasn't what I wanted, because I would have liked a pie, cookies or cakes. Instead, he sent me stamps, quarters, tape, rubber bands, index cards, and envelopes. I didn't like the package... at first.

It turned out to be the most useful package I received in my four years of undergrad college life. In the long run, it was the best gift I could have received.

Trials right now? No, I don't like them, but through the years, I've seen how tests have helped me in the long run... and each time brings me right back to looking at Jesus. Happily.

What Does This Mean?

James 1:18 - He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.

As you read through this chapter, you can see God’s mercy and love in making the way to our salvation. After all, He made possible our salvation and gave us spiritual life by His word of truth. That explains to me why the Bible is so important in my life, but what does it mean when it says that we might be firstfruits of His entire harvest?

The firstfruits were the first gathered fruits of a harvest, such as grain or grapes, that were offered to God in gratitude for the harvest He made possible. They were also a sign that there was a larger harvest to follow. As I study this word I keep seeing the word "consecrated" used in the reference to the offering. That's what you and I should be - consecrated. Now, some scholars think James could have been speaking of his own generation of believers and others think he meant a wider redemption, and you and I are the firstfruits of that wider redemption to come.

Whatever the specific reference, there is one truth in which we can agree: James wants us to realize that Christians are to be consecrated, so that others might see our testimony and be led to interest in seeing what the Kingdom is all about.

Students often ask me why I don't drink alcohol or smoke or have ever tried recreational drugs. Besides the obvious health benefits (and let's face it, folks, the health risks of these things IS obvious. let's not be blind to this) there is the testimony factor. I want my non-Christian friends to see the joy I have in the Lord and the fact that I don't need a physical diversion to make me happy. I want them to see that Believers are indeed different and in a good sense. I don't need to browbeat people into the Kingdom; I show them that the pathway is a pretty exciting lane to take. That's a bit of what I see consecration to mean.

Standing in the Storm

James 1:12 - Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

In this verse, what does the word "trial" mean? What is the depth of that word?

The Greek word for trial is "hupomeno" and can be translated as "to be able to endure, bear ill treatment bravely and calmly."

That means that I should be able to not only stand in the storm, but also to move forward against the wind. Really, think about this: most people can hang on to a pillar or hide in a trench when a storm hits. But what about the brave souls who must face the storm head-on and walk into it in order to protect a life or save someone from injury? There are a lot less people who would do that.

Why?

Because most of us are afraid. Chicken. Scared of what might happen.

And that's normal. That's human thinking.

But by the power of the Lord Jesus Christ through which we can do all things, we block out the fears, the imaginations and the self-absorbed phobias ... and we go, protected by Him who loves us.

At this stage of my life, more than ever, I want to be able to walk face-on into the storm. I want to take the steps that the Savior would have for me. But often I get confused and even quite a bit scared. After all... humanly speaking, these things are pretty hard to accomplish.

But that's when I let Jesus do it all. It's what I should have been letting Him do all along, but you know how stupid I can get.

He becomes my Umbrella, my Shield, my Tank, my Path, my Light...everything that would lead me to a successful journey for His sake.

Remember, James is saying to do more than hang on through the storm. He's saying get out into the rain and march forward.

Are You Stable?

James 1:5-8
If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double‑minded man, unstable in all he does.

Note that James finds one of the first needs of a Christian is for wisdom.
Not wealth or fame or the accumulation of things. Wisdom. Godly wisdom.

Furthermore, the Christian should ask for that Heavenly wisdom in faith.

Now follow this:

We are told that a man who is double-minded (dipsuchos) is unstable. The definition of double minded says that a person would be "divided in interest." This division makes him unstable.

Sort of like the football player who glances into the grandstands in the middle of a play. He loses his concentration, and the opponent runs right by him.

...or the seamstress who gashes her finger because she was not paying attention to the movement of the needle.

... or the police traffic controller at an intersection, directing traffic, who loses interest and endangers himself by being in the path of an oncoming vehicle.

DIVIDED INTEREST

Like:
my sacrificial walk with God but also my desire for personal comfort
my devotional time but my adherence to mindless games and baubles
my Bible reading and my desire for more TV watching
my memorization of Scriptural truths vs. my love of reading unimportant trivia

...it's like standing with one foot on concrete and one foot ankle-deep in mud. I'm not stable.

This great book of James

I would have liked to have met James. He remind me of the people in my family when I was growing up: open, straightforward, even loud. He'd never be confused with a quiet person, but I don't see him as arrogant, either. You can see James' heart in this book, and yet you can read his no-nonsense approach to letting you know the direction he's heading. I like James because he speaks of God without pomp. He's more concerned with the flooring and stonework than he is the lace curtains. Give me James anytime!

Matthew Henry states that part of the purpose of the writng of this Biblical book is to make us aware of coming judgments "...and to support all true Christians in the way of their duty, under the calamities and persecutions they might meet with."

Verse 2: "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds..." The Greek word for trial is peirasmos and can be translated as a testing, a trial, a proving or even an experiment. These last two definitions stick with me most, because it reminds me of the above picture I've inserted: a proving grounds for automobiles. The picture I've added here is one of the old proving grounds for General Motors near Mesa Arizona. Here the manufacturers would take a car out of these long tracks and run them hard, spin them out, race them fast, keep them going. Why? To prove that the car has the right to be on the showroom floor. To see if the car meets the standards set by the authorities. To see if the car will last. Is it an experiment? Yes. Will some cars come up short. Yes.

Christians get out into the world and are run through the same proving ground. God allows the world to take Chrisians and run them hard, spin them out, race them fast, keep them going.

Why?

To prove that the Christian has the right to be on the showroom floor. To see if the Christian meets the standards set by the Authority. To see if the Christian will last.

Henry, Matthew. "Introduction to James." Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible. Blue Letter Bible. 01 Mar 1996.

Ex. 32:18

18 Moses replied:
"It is not the sound of victory,
it is not the sound of defeat;
it is the sound of singing that I hear."

As the children of Israel waited for Moses to come down from the mountaintop, they collaborated with Aaron to make a golden calf as an idol. Next thing you know, they are worshiping it and claiming that the calf was the source of their deliverance!

God alerts Moses to the blasphemy going on below, and when Joshua misinterprets the noise of the people as that of war, moses responds in the verse that you see above.

The Hebrew word for "sing" is anah and can be translated as confusing noise or the sound of busy-ness.