Three Minute Bible

January 4, 2020January 17, 2020

Stop the Spinning! – James 1: 19 Part I

My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry…

Today James gives us a recipe for harmony: Be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry. How many situations have gone bad because someone did not listen? Have you ever opened your mouth and stuffed in a foot or two? When your feelings are hurt do you become angry before stopping to figure out what happened?

If I were to chart out all the problems I have suffered in my life, I wonder how many would be the direct result of doing the opposite of what James suggests. Just guessing, I am inclined to think that the answer is upwards of ninety percent.

Think about that for a moment. If you could eliminate ninety percent of all your unhappiness by following these three simple rules, would it be worth it?

January 3, 2020January 4, 2020

Salt & Pepper – 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.

By now we have seen that James is a salt and pepper kind of guy. His writing is not bland or detailed. He is a man with a mission and he wants to fulfill that mission with as few words as possible. This sentence in James 1: 18 is a perfect example. Let’s unpack it a bit and look at all the treasures James has placed here.

January 2, 2020January 2, 2020

The Perfect Gift – James 1: 17

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

What did you get for Christmas this year? Did you enjoy receiving a gift? Was it a good gift? Was it perfect? Does it need batteries? Does it break? Does it wear out? Did you have to return it?

January 1, 2020January 2, 2020

Wisdom Wednesday – Happy New Year!

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,
but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Proverbs 1: 7

There is a theme that runs through Scripture and underlies every great piece of human literature as well: Good Guys vs Bad Guys. In Proverbs, this eternal battle is often characterized as a conflict between the “wise” and the “fool.” (See our discussion under the post, “The Big Picture.”)

December 31, 2019December 31, 2019

Blindness – James 1: 16

Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters.

Today we jump back into James, chapter 1. James has been instructing us about trials and testing. He then mentions the importance of believing in God if we want to receive anything from Him. Almost instantly he starts putting the “rich” in their place, and then he explains the difference between being tempted by our own desire and being tested by God. At this point, he takes a breath and says, “Don’t be deceived…”

December 30, 2019December 31, 2019

Affirmation Monday – Romans 5: 8

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Whose Rules?

Yesterday, Psalm Sunday’s post generated some interesting discussion on what it means to be wicked and righteous. From God’s point of view, we are all unrighteous in a practical sense.

What I mean by that is that a practical righteousness would be sufficient to allow a person into heaven without any help from God. In effect, such a person would be as good as God himself. The Pharisees in Jesus’ time measured their righteousness by their compliance with the laws of Moses. Unbeknownst to them, there was a little flaw in their measurement system. Because they wrote most of the rules, they were a bit blind to how well they fulfilled them.

Imagine that you want to play baseball. You make the rules so that the pitcher can only pitch balls to you that you can hit. Then you demand that the umpire is a member of your team. Better yet, the umpire has to be a relative and a member of your team. When you hit the ball nobody on the other team is allowed to touch it until you have made it safely to home plate. Sound like a fun game? It is if you are on the right team.

December 29, 2019December 30, 2019

Psalm Sunday – Psalm 1: 4-6

Not so the wicked!
They are like chaff
that the wind blows away.

Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.

The Big Picture

As I read this passage, the Pharisees of Jesus’ day come to mind. They seemed to think of themselves as righteous. They certainly acted like they thought they were God’s gift to humanity. Yet, what they did in conspiring against Jesus was very wicked.

Among all the righteous men who have ever lived, Jesus is by far the most righteous of all. Being without sin, he defines what it means to be righteous. It might be unfair to compare these people to this verse, but it might also open the door to understanding something about God’s perspective.

December 28, 2019December 29, 2019

A Monster Named Desire – James 1: 14-15

…but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

Inside each of us is a monster. In this passage, James gives the monster a name. He calls it, Desire. This particular monster has a twin, whose name is Desire, too. This other desire is good. The Good Desire longs to be with Jesus and do his will. The Bad Desire… Well, Bad Desire is one that leads us away from God’s will.

The monster named Desire is hard to recognize because it is so adept at changing size and shape. Look around inside your head and your heart. Are you burning with desire? Is there something you want more than anything else? Is it a good desire or a bad desire? When we are content, Desire shrinks down into the shadows. Desire hides, but it never leaves.

December 27, 2019December 29, 2019

Tempting or Testing? – James 1: 13

When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone…

Let us be clear on this point: Tempting and testing are two different things.

Testing is a processed used to measure or strengthen. (e.g. – I took a test to see if I qualified for a job I wanted. See James 1: 12)

Tempting is an attempt to entice a person to do what they know is wrong. (e.g. – A coworker tried to tell me it is okay to steal supplies from work.)

God is okay with testing people. Testing has a wide range of uses in the Bible. God is not okay with people doing what they know is wrong.

James is clear on this point and we need to be, too.

December 26, 2019December 27, 2019

Trials – James 1: 12

Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

Why do we receive the crown of life? Is it something that we earn? Is it something that we can earn?

James’ letter stands out as unique in the New Testament. James presents a “no-nonsense” approach to believing in Jesus. But remember, James himself is unique.

No other New Testament writer grew up with Jesus in the same family. No other writer knew Jesus as a child. No other writer gave Jesus such a hard time when he was alive – before his resurrection. James carries a special perspective on Jesus and a special kind of guilt for his past behavior.