In this sermon, the speaker focuses on James chapter 4 and encourages the audience to approach the Word of God in its entirety. He emphasizes the importance of not neglecting or bypassing difficult portions of scripture. The speaker highlights the issue of wars and fighting among believers, attributing it to the lustful desires within them. He urges the audience to examine their own hearts and surrender their thoughts to God's Word and the Holy Spirit.

Hello, this is Brother Denny. Welcome to Charity Ministries. Our desire is that your life would be blessed and changed by this message. This message is not copyrighted and is not to be bought or sold. You are welcome to make copies for your friends and neighbors. If you would like additional messages, please go to our website for a complete listing at www.charityministries.org. If you would like a catalog of other sermons, please call 1-800-227-7902 or write to Charity Ministries, 400 West Main Street, Suite 1, EFRA PA 17522. These messages are offered to all without charge by the free will offerings of God's people. A special thank you to all who support this ministry. Jesus, the very thought of Thee. Jesus, the fairest of ten thousand to my soul. Hallelujah. Greetings to all this morning. In Jesus Christ's name. God bless you. Thank you for coming this morning. I trust that you're here not out of obligation or duty, but because you love the fellowship of God and the fellowship of God's people. I had begun to preach some messages through the book of James, and then I felt the Lord prompting me to just sort of put that in the bank for a little, as it were. But as I was seeking the Lord about what He would have me to share today, I felt the Lord prompting me to look back into the book of James again. And where we had left off was at James chapter 3 and verse 18. We had completed James chapter 3, which brings us to James chapter 4. And I believe we'll see how the Lord orders things, but it would be my heart to take James chapter 4 verses 1 through 12. You know, there's something about taking the Word of God as it comes in its entirety. I know that I have subjects I love to preach on, and I may tend to go there out of my immaturity or weakness. And so it does us good to take this scripture and take a portion and just take it as it comes. That we get a whole, that we get a balance. It also causes us to have to examine our own hearts as we search the scripture. And it causes us to not be able to bypass or neglect a portion because it's difficult, because it's not easy. And so this morning, it is my heart's prayer and desire that I along with you can just open our hearts to the Lord and hear what God has to say to us in James chapter 4. I know we've been standing, but if you can, you have no little baby on your lap that's sleeping, I would ask you to stand with me please. And we will read James chapter 4 verses 1 through 12. From whence come wars and fightings among you? Come they not hence even of your lusts that war in your members? Ye lust and have not, ye kill and desire to have and cannot obtain. Ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. Do you think that the Scripture saith in vain, the spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy, but he giveth more grace? Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners, and purify your hearts, ye double-minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judges his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judges the law. But if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. There is one lawgiver who is able to save and to destroy. Who art thou that judgest another? Let's pray together. Father in heaven, we bow our hearts before you, Lord. We come in Jesus Christ's name, and through the blood of his cross. We have no other merit whereby we can come, but by the blood of the Lamb of God, that was slain for the sins of the world. Yea, for my sins, for our sins. Father, this morning, I just confess, I wanted to run away from this scripture. I'd much rather preach something else. So, Lord, I do ask in Jesus' name, please have mercy upon me, Lord, and grant unto me utterance, Lord, humility, and brokenness, Father. Lord, I don't want to get in the way. I don't want to scold, or shout, or lift up my voice against your people in any way. Father, please, cause me to be out of the way, so that I wouldn't be an offense to anyone. But, oh Lord, grant utterance, truth, revelation, by the Spirit of God, humble boldness to say what you want me to say. Father, in mercy look upon us. Send your Spirit upon us for all is vain unless your Spirit comes, Lord. But, oh Father, your Spirit anointing upon the Word, it makes it quick, it makes it sharp, it makes it powerful, Lord. The discerner of the thoughts and the intents of the heart. Father, this morning, would you visit us in mercy as we look into your Holy Word. Thank you. Thank you, Lord, that we have a Bible in our own language that we can read, and we live in a nation where we can gather together and bring our sons and daughters with us and gather in the house of the Lord. Thank you, Lord. Father, we commit this message to you and pray thy will be done. In Jesus' name, Amen. You may be seated. James, chapter 4, and the title this morning taken from the verses right here in the beginning From whence come wars and fightings among you? Now, remember, the book of James is not written to the heathen, rebel unbelievers, but it is written to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad. It is written to the church. From whence come wars and fightings among you, Christians? This is nothing new. This is an age-old problem that goes back to the beginning after the fall and sin entered into the world. And Cain rose up and slew his brother Abel. This is seen in the early church in the writings inspired of God in the Corinthian church bringing correction because they're suing each other at the law. The saints at Corinth there was fightings among them. There was divisions among them. There was cliques among them. In writing to the believers at Galatia, he warned them lest their fightings they devour one another in biting one another in devouring one another. To the Philippian church there was two women there that he exhorted to be of the same mind because there was division. There was a problem. From whence come wars and fightings among you? This word, fightings in Strong's concordance first definition is a battle. Figuratively, a controversy. From whence come controversies among you? Thayer says it this way. It is used of those in arms. We take up our position and we take up our arms. Used of persons at variance one with another. Those that have disputes one with another. Strife and contention a quarrel, says Thayer's Greek lexicon dictionary of fightings. From whence come wars and fightings among you? This is a blot on Christianity. This is a blot on the name of Christ whom we confess to be born of and love if there is fightings and wars. From whence come wars and fightings among you? James points out several different kinds of disagreements or controversies among the saints. If we remember James chapter 2 he says there is a controversy. There is a difficulty in the body because there is respect of persons in James chapter 2. The rich versus the poor. The well-dressed versus the shabby-dressed one. And he says you are partial in yourselves by giving respect and honor to the one who meets the qualifications and who passes your judgment with your eye as you look upon them as they come into your midst into your worship service. In James 4 we read the verses he says in verse 12, verse 11 he says there is evil speaking and he says he that speaketh evil of his brother and judges his brother speaketh evil of the law and judges the law. But if thou judge the law thou art not a doer of the law but a judge. There is one lawgiver who is able to save and to destroy. Who art thou that judges another? You know if the truth about a brother is harmful we should cover him in love. But if he has sinned we should go to him personally and try to restore such a brother. You know Jesus prayed in John 17 verse 21 that they all may be one. What a tragedy it is that the wars and the fighting among Christians are on display before an unbelieving and a lost world. Isn't that tragic? As in the Corinthian church brother against brother going to law. And it's a sad thing to have to say this but you know sometimes leader against leader and elder against an elder in a church. And then sometimes a denomination against another denomination and there is strong contention and fighting and all this before an unbelieving and lost world. Oh Lord deliver us from these things. From whence come wars and fighting among you? Come they not hence even of your lusts that war in your members? Why? Why James? Is there this controversy? This tension? Why these taking up in arms and setting the battle in array? Brother against brother. Elder against elder. Congregation against congregation. Why Lord? I believe he gives us the answer. He says come they not hence even of your lusts that war in your members? Even of your lusts that war in your members. From within, out of the heart. If we back up just a little bit to James 3 and verse 14 he says if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts glory not and lie not against the truth you see this is an attitude of the heart a heart that is not at rest and at peace within themselves and there is a strife and a fighting going on in the heart. Verse 16 of James 3 he says for where envying and strife is there is confusion and every evil work. The essence of sin is self. It's the big I. Me. Selfishness. My will. My desires. Wasn't that the essence of the sin of Eve? I want my way. Yes I know Lord you said but I believe I'm wiser and smarter and believes the lie of the devil and takes what God has forbidden. My way. The sin of Achan taking that Babylonish garment that wedge of gold wasn't it uncrucified carnal lust that led him to do that? Self. Selfish desires. Often we try to veil our quarrels under the guise of spirituality. Think of Miriam and Aaron as they complained about Moses wife. Was that really the issue? No. There was another issue and it came out and that was they were really envious of Moses and his relationship with God and his God given authority and leadership and they said I mean who does Moses think he is? Doesn't God speak to us too? And they were envious and jealous. How about James and John asking for special thrones in heaven? Was it selfishness? Was it wanting recognition? Oh, we're going to have a special place in heaven. The Lord Jesus granted it to us and that would have puffed them up and elevated them before the other brothers. Both of these actions like Miriam and Aaron, James and John it resulted in a division and a contention in the brotherhood, in the church. May I say it that clearly? It caused controversy and it brought God's chastening upon them. People at war with themselves they tend to be at war with the people around them. Did you get that? When I am not secure in Christ and He is my all in all and I have nothing to defend or protect but the Lord Jesus Christ and His glory and His testimony and it's not I but Christ be honored, loved, exalted and there's a peace and a rest in the soul. Oh, that makes for peace and rest with my fellow men. But you know, people at war with themselves and having controversies in their heart and issues in their heart they will tend to have issues and controversies with the people around them. Selfish, carnal desires are dangerous. Uncrucified, unsurrendered lives before the Lord are dangerous. They lead to wrong actions. Verse 2 Ye lust and ye have not ye kill and desire to have and cannot obtain ye fight and war and yet ye have not. In fact, He says because ye ask not but let's tie that right in verse 3 He says ye ask and receive not because ye ask amiss that ye may consume it upon your lusts. You know, an unyielded surrendered heart where self is uncrucified it even leads to wrong praying and we can even say but I prayed about it. But let's examine our prayer. Was it a selfish prayer to consume it upon my own lusts or was it a prayer that was prayed out of a sincere heart saying, Lord not my will I surrender all but Thy will be done, Lord. Not my reputation not my testimony but Thy reputation, Lord Thy glory many problems would be solved if I and you, my dear brothers and sisters would look into our own hearts and see is a battle raging there from whence come wars verse 4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. Looking now deeply at the root heart issue of fighting and wars isn't the root cause rebellion against God stubbornness and iniquity in the heart against God How is it that a Christian, a believer becomes a friend of the world? How does this happen? And when we say the world we are speaking of society that is against God the worldly society that is anti-Christ and you might say, well that doesn't apply to us we live in a Christian nation Oh really? Is that true? I am very grateful for the respect of the word of God in our nation but brothers and sisters not all who say Lord, Lord not all who profess Christianity are Christ In fact, Paul says I tell you weeping some of those that say those things are actually enemies of the cross of Christ How does a believer become a friend of the world? You know, I believe it's a gradual process really, many times It begins with a friendship of the world and then that results in being spotted by the world because now we're we're a friend of the world and so now we become spotted by the world in areas of our life so that we can meet and have the approval of the world and then the friendship of this world it leads to loving the world it's progressive it doesn't just stay there at one spot and it leads to loving the world which we know what John 2 tells us about that 1 John chapter 2 and then if we're loving the world it makes it easy to conform to the world you see the world rubs off on us its priorities its loves its lifestyles its value system and all of these things rub off on us and it makes it easier for us to conform and be pressed into the image and mold of the world brothers and sisters this is very serious with God the sad end result is to be condemned with the world do we believe that? God calls us to a holy life and to come out and to be separate from the world and not touch the unclean thing and I will receive you but if we become conformed to the world loving the world being a friend of the world can we expect to not be condemned with the world? friendship to the world here in James 4 verse 4 is compared to adultery he says the adulterers and adulteresses know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God you know Israel and Judah were judged and condemned as unfaithful to God because of their mingling with the practices of their worldly neighbors and mixing together with those around them rather than keeping themselves wholly set apart unto God spiritual adultery we are espoused to Christ we are His Paul said I have espoused you as a chaste virgin to Christ therefore cleanse yourselves keep yourselves from the sins of the spirit and of the flesh both of them these are serious words to our hearts ye adulterers and adulteresses know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God you know the lines get pretty confusing these days little bit like our brother Jeff was sharing this morning is there somehow some neutral ground between these two is there somehow some neutral ground somewhere in the middle here between love and hate some neutral ground in there we don't really love with all our heart but we don't hate so we are somewhere here in the middle is that possible? oh I like the testimony of Abraham he was a friend of God he loved God can God say that of you and I this morning? you know Jesus had a lot to say about this subject this could be a whole sermon right here in itself He said if the world hates you know that it hated me first but He said if the world speaks well of you then beware because so did they also of the false prophets you see the world and the kingdom of Christ and our God is at odds with each other there is a war going on reminds me again of the Russian Christians coming out of persecution I had the privilege of visiting in Romania and the church was strong and pure and I mean they saw the world for what it was and they wouldn't give their hand to the world and try to become like the world to win them it was clear battle lines there was no question because the world persecuted the church does the world persecute the church today in United States? yes but the tools have changed and the methods have changed the world persecutes the church in the wearing down of the saints with words like legalism oh you think you're so holier than thou now those things can be true in our hearts and God convict us if that's the case but the Christianity of the New Testament today is derided and put in a box as something strange and weird and cultish don't be surprised my brothers and sisters if the day when they will also persecute us physically is not far around the corner and they'll put us away as weird and strange and off the wall from whence come wars and fighting verse 5 do you think that the scripture saith in vain the spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy you know the flesh this lust that is within the old carnal nature that we inherited from Adam that is prone to sin that's where these wars and these fighting come that old carnal nature the lust that war in your members ye ask and receive not because ye ask you to miss it you may consume it upon your own lust and there's a war going on the carnal mind is enmity against God to be carnally minded is death there's no neutral ground there's no peace treaty you know you can't you can't make a treaty with the flesh and try to bring it subject and bring it along no the flesh must die God told Israel don't make any agreements with the heathen rid them out of the land or they will be thorns and pricks in your side and they will bring you back into bondage we cannot make a treaty with the old man and try to appease him and bring him along no the old nature must die the carnal mind is enmity against God and to be carnally minded is death Romans 8.6 oh but to be spiritually minded is life and peace this is how we win the war so we war against the flesh and the flesh is the cause of this lusts and warring that comes out of our members but it doesn't stop there verse 7 we also war against the devil resist the devil and he will flee from you the devil has been at war with God ever since he lifted up himself in pride and he said I will does that sound familiar in your heart? have you ever said I will? or I will not that is unreasonable I don't have to do that I don't have to do what they say I'll do it my way pride is his chief weapon that old serpent, the devil it was pride that caused his fall his rebellion against God he still is at work today inflating the ego of unyielded, unbroken vessels you can do it my, the church needs you they need your gifts and talents they just don't recognize how gifted you are push yourself forward confidence in self confidence in my abilities pride is the devil's chief weapon if I may say so how many wars and fightings could be resolved if men would humble themselves from whence come wars and fightings yes, they come of the flesh of our carnal nature that is rebellious against God they come from wrong affections affections toward the world they come from cuddling and giving room to the flesh the old carnal nature and yes, these wars come from listening to that old deceiver, the devil like Eve listened to him and chose her own way from whence come wars and fightings among you come they not hence even of your lusts that war in your members how can we overcome our enemy how shall we have unity love, peace, joy I believe he gives us the answers right here in chapter 4 of James you see he saith in verse 6 he giveth more grace however, God resisteth the proud you see, that pride me and I, my way what an awful thing to have the God of heaven resist that should arrest our attention pride, God hates it and he resist the proud but he giveth grace to the humble how shall we overcome our enemy, the world, the flesh and the devil that would turn us away from God and would war inside of our hearts how shall we do so well, the answer is clear submit yourself to God and this submission as I studied this this is a military term it means get in your proper rank get in your proper rank and place looking at a military when a private acts like a general there is going to be trouble right? and there is going to be discipline the private doesn't order the general right? submit yourself to God he is the captain he is the master he is the Lord he is the King and I am an unworthy servant Lord, what will thou have me to do yes, unconditional surrender is the only way to complete victory but I don't feel like it you don't have to feel like it you need to agree with God and humble and break your stubborn will and as an act of the will surrender to God and give yourself to Him I believe it is in Ephesians it tells us neither give place to the devil I believe that Satan needs a foothold if he is going to fight against God in and through us and we give him that foothold through our selfish unsurrendered pride is that right? when we respond in defensive pride and upholding ourselves we give room to the devil we give him place the way to resist the devil is clear it is to submit yourselves therefore to God let's not get this order wrong first we submit ourselves to God and then we have the blessed promise resist the devil and he will flee from you that's God's word but how sad today have you ever heard people ordering the devil around but their lives were so full of self and pride did the devil obey them? no, you can examine the evidence for yourself but I am concerned that we don't just pick up some cliche of binding the devil and rebuking the devil and everything is the devil here and that and now we found him here and we rebuked him there and we resisted him there and now the job is done has it worked? has he obeyed you? true power with God is a humble submitted life to God and yes then you resist the devil and he flees from you and I am not talking this morning about some unattainable perfection all I am talking about is being real you know what I mean? being real not fake having a heart that is real before the Lord and genuine then as we draw an eye to God in verse 8 he will draw an eye to you and then he says cleanse your hands ye sinners and purify your hearts ye double minded be afflicted and mourn and weep ah now that is some serious resisting of the devil when we get earnest before God and transparent and open and we start to humble ourselves and confess our sins ah the devil is not going to hang around real long in that kind of a confession meeting will he? you know how do we overcome? we draw an eye to God we cleanse our hands and purify our hearts we afflict ourselves and we mourn and we weep over our sins we humble ourselves we give up ourselves we confess that pride we confess that wrong attitude and we humble ourselves under the hand of the Lord confession of sin brings cleansing do you have a problem drawing near to God? does God seem far away? examine your heart my brother, my sister sin in our lives separates us from God it cuts off the intimate fellowship and communion you know it's humble I mean it's possible, I'm sorry it's possible to submit outwardly and yet be chafing and striving inwardly let me say that again it's possible to have an appearance of humbleness and brokenness and submission and yet be chafing and striving and silently rebelling inwardly you know you know it's the fight over or you're still standing entrenched with the battling array remember? that's the definition of fighting amongst the Christians very practical areas yeah I'll do what he says but I really don't agree with it you know this can happen in husband and wife relationships I'll submit but yet the heart is still chafing it can happen in family relationships with children, with young people yes, I'll submit outwardly but inwardly I'm still standing it can happen with brothers and sisters in the congregation yes, I heard what they shared I heard the admonition they gave and yes, I'll submit but I don't agree inwardly I'm still holding on to my position from whence come fighting you know in just about every human relationship when there is a controversy and there is a division how many times, just think in your own heart how many times is it rooted in James chapter 4 verse 1 that fighting comes from hence even of your own lust how many problems could be solved if I get honest before God if I will search my own heart draw nigh to God and ask Him to search me, to try me and see whether there be any wicked way in me and turn that searchlight on and then respond with a humble, broken heart a season of repentance a time of purifying the heart stop being double minded a time of affliction and mourning and weeping humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord and He shall lift you up are you caught today in any of these things oh the Lord Jesus is standing saying, whosoever will let him come unto me whosoever that is weary and burdened and heavy laden you know that war within oh it's heavy isn't it you know that holding on to self against what God is calling us to surrender yieldedness confession release love forbearing you know all those things that our brother Jeff shared this morning I was so blessed how the Lord prepared the way for these two messages to just flow together my brothers and sisters is the fight over have you given it all to Jesus I'd like to read one more scripture in Isaiah I believe it is Isaiah 32 Isaiah 32 and verse 17 oh it's such a beautiful verse and the work of righteousness shall be peace and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance forever and my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation and sure dwellings and in quiet resting places oh hallelujah that speaks of a blessed peace and oh I hardly want to say the word tranquility and yet it's what comes to my mind it's a place of where there is love and peace and righteousness and surety it's confidence it's quietness and freedom from all the strivings and the wrestlings against the boss against the elder against my brother against my husband against that decision I don't agree with it hmmm you know oh but when the war ceases hallelujah what peace and what rest let's kneel together in prayer oh lord thou who knowest all things thou who knowest the thoughts and the intents of our hearts oh father in heaven please have mercy upon us lord I confess my need of you lord I haven't arrived but lord I want to go there of that place of sweet fellowship and rest of the soul oh father bless this congregation with the peace and the joy and the rest that only Christ can bring as we surrender all to him and the strifing ceases hallelujah lord father thank you that you invite us to come to you and to humble ourselves and to repent and then you give grace thank you lord father this morning have your way with each and every one of us lord this we ask in Jesus name amen thank you brother Aaron you know as we consider James here I was thinking of that scripture this morning also where it says in 1st John that 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 you know are we caught up in any of those aspects of the world this morning um desired position you know the pride of life is that where the striving is you know is that where there may be strivings in your heart and fightings like it says there in James I think of chapter 3 and 4 you know chapter 3 is on the tongue chapter 4 is on friendship with the world and how that if we are if there is friendship in our hearts with the world we are at enmity with God and then it says in verse like brother Aaron shared the spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy it just seems like seems like James is saying that that is where a lot of our a lot of our fightings from within come from is when we begin to lust after the things or the positions of another and we begin then to use our tongue in ways that hurt and devour one another the spirit in us lust it says here that the scripture sayeth not in vain the spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy so let's remember to guard our hearts in this matter of of friendship with the world of lusting after another's position or coveting another's possessions all that is in the world, the lust of the eyes the lust of the flesh and the pride of life is not of the Father but is of the world ok, is there anyone that cares to share this morning can we get the mics, ushers get up your hand and maybe there is a confession that you may have this morning after a message like this that God has worked in your heart and you want to confess a need in your life or a testimony that you may have to share also so get your hands up and the ushers will get the mic to you at this time are there any up front here I have to confess this morning that I have need in those areas of my life resisting the devil it's so easy to get lured away and to get trapped you know you know in the care of this life even the deceitfulness of riches and things I don't want that in my life I know that when I engage my heart in those things that are against God when I listen to the voice of the accuser you know when I give my heart to those things I'm an open door to the devil to be used of the devil and it is not my heart to be used of the devil to destroy the work of God my prayer this morning is that my heart would be true to God that I am not that vessel for the devil to use I want to appreciate the things that God appreciates I want to love the things that God loves I want the heart of Christ Jesus beating in my breast you know that is my plea, that is my longing you know I want to say you know just I want the things that God wants God bless you I appreciate the message this morning Amen Thank you Dase I thank God for your message this morning Brother Aaron I just really felt need in my heart it hurt really good to feel that relief of seeing whose pleasure am I here for such a good reminder am I seeking my pleasure and I just yeah I see the spikes in my heart so I just thank God I praise the Lord for the message and his word to us today as I was thinking of the message of God brought me back to the work he did in my own heart 5 or 6 years ago we heard about having a critical spirit when God did a work in my heart and brought me back to where, to my first love where Jesus Christ was the center of my life and all those critical spirits they passed away the things that I had to deal with, thoughts I had about certain people they were no longer there did those people change? I don't think so they probably still had some black spots in their lives but the critical spirit was not there because my focus was on Christ and he was the center and the one and only person that I desire to please a verse here in 1 John but if we walk in the light as he is in the light we have fellowship one with another and the blood of Jesus Christ his son cleanses us from all sin we have fellowship we have unity one with another as we walk in the light so if we are struggling with unity and having fellowship with the believers in the body as we come together Sunday mornings, we need to check our lives, are we walking in the light or is there some darkness in our heart and flipping over to the next chapter chapter 3 in 1 John we know that we have passed from death unto life because we love the brethren we need to continually check our hearts and I have found it a gauge in my life when I find myself again becoming critical of some of the brethren where is my love for Christ am I still walking in the light fully or have I strayed am I becoming lukewarm I have learned and am learning that that is a gauge where my love is for Christ if I am critical of the brethren and the verse goes on and says he that loveth not his brother abideth in death pretty strong words but bless God for the message I thought of that verse this morning also if we walk in the light as he is in the light we have fellowship one with another as we consider let's keep our conscience clear yes we all know the rest of the verse and the blood of Jesus Christ his son cleanses us from all sin the first part of that verse says we have fellowship one with another if we walk in the light as he is in the light let's remember that to keep our conscience clear walking in the light as God prompts us and works in our hearts that we continuously walk in the light so we can maintain beautiful fellowship in our midst is there any others? brother up in the middle here yes when Aaron had read the scripture or quoted the scripture that what Paul said even in weeping that they are enemies of the cross of Christ I looked up that that scripture to try to find it I wanted to read a little bit more about that I also was thinking about the question he said how do we begin to be friends with the world and Aaron said it doesn't start it starts a little bit at a time and when I looked up that scripture about that they are enemies of the cross of Christ I read on and it says whose end is destruction whose God is their belly and whose glory is in their shame and this is the part I want to zero in on who mind earthly things I think that we've heard it many times that the battle is within ourselves in our mind and that was my downfall four or five years ago I've allowed certain thoughts to come into my mind and left them there and let them work in my heart and I became friends with the world I was going that direction and I've repented of that scriptures tell us to set our affections on things above and to take every thought into captivity into the obedience of Christ so my exhortation for everyone including myself is that we would not let those thoughts come into our mind and leave them there about something about I don't know something that would make us become friends with the world let us draw our minds to God's Word and to the Spirit of God and let Him wash our minds and bring every thought into captivity, into the obedience that's all I wanted to share, thank you Amen George thanks for that exhortation I was thinking too, if there's some among us this morning that are really in a battleground in this area, maybe you're even entrenched and have you know given in and the enemy has, you know or this thing has a hold of your life you know the antidote there is like further in red to humble yourself let's just read those scriptures once again verse 6, but he giveth more grace wherefore he sayeth God resisteth the proud but giveth grace unto the humble submit yourselves therefore to God, resist the devil and he will flee from you, draw nigh to God, he will draw nigh to you, cleanse your hands ye sinners, and purify your hearts ye double minded, be afflicted and mourn and weep, let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to heaviness, humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord and He shall lift you up, so I believe there's if you're having struggles in this area of friendship with the world, where you're you know, your spirit is lusting and envy against others or you have problems with criticalness or problems in the area of your tongue and evil speaking and so forth this is the antidote I see of for chapter 3 and 4 if we're entrenched in these areas that we get before the Lord and draw nigh to Him like Aaron shared I believe that is as we humble ourselves I don't believe it's so much resisting the devil with our mouth, but it's humbling ourselves in submission under the almighty hand of God and then as we you know, it says draw nigh to God, cleanse your hands it says be afflicted and mourn and weep you know, maybe there's a need in your life to enter into a time of afflicting yourself before the Lord, whether it's fasting or just drawing nigh to God and letting your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to heaviness for a season in order that these areas of your life may be cleansed and God promises in verse 10 if we humble ourselves in the sight of the Lord He shall lift you up so I see that I see these verses in context with chapter 3 and chapter 4 here if there are given needs and areas that you're entrenched in in these things that Aaron has shared here this morning and chapter 3, there is an antidote by humbling yourself before the almighty one any others yet? I was asking the Lord today, yesterday why I wasn't didn't have a peace in my soul and I found that I was doing things that were good things and making things that needed to be done but there was in my inner man I was minding earthly things I had some things that I wanted to do I was thinking, making decisions that just by what was convenient and what what I wanted to do and instead of having that glad surrender to the Lord's will and a hearing heart why I wasn't able to hear is what I was asking why wasn't I walking in the spirit why was it, felt like I was being driven by the flesh and that hearing heart comes from that glad surrender where I can make those wise choices, hearing the voice of wisdom by having that moment by moment surrender, ok, this didn't happen according to my will what are you bringing into my life Lord, and that constant communion with the Lord of surrender to his will this was an interruption to my plans but this is your plan for me Lord, and keeping us in that connection with the Lord will keep us from loving the world and being caught up in the cares of life and having them destroy our fruitfulness by by the necessities of life but that we have that communion with God and that's where I want to be that's where I want to walk in, that constant communion and surrender glad surrender to the will of God just help me to see that more clearly to meditation thank you for that I think of that verse, it says, set your affections on things, if you then be risen with Christ seek those things which are above and then it mentions about setting our affections on things above and not upon the things on the earth I would like to thank our brothers for the two sermons that they brought forth but the sermon that I'd like to bring forth is what our brother spoke to the children this morning it touched my heart from God's word in Exodus 20 verse 12 honor thy father and thy mother that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee this is aimed at all the boys and girls in this room and also the young men and young women to honor your father and your mother I did honor my father and my mother and the Lord gave me 80 years I just thanked him, I can't thank him enough for what he's done for me and he's not through with me yet honor has many facets and one of them is obedience to the young boys and girls when your father or mother tells you to take out the garbage take it out right away, not when you're ready, when they tell you to clean your room and have it ready do it when you're supposed to do it and not when you're ready and when they tell you something and you mumble and grumble, that's not honoring your father or your mother and so this is on my heart that the boys and girls will honor their father and the mother and the young men and women here for this is God's way, not my way I wasn't perfect I made a lot of mistakes myself, but basically I did honor my father and mother because he lives we can face tomorrow because he lives all fear is gone God bless you all in Jesus precious and worthy name Amen Thank you Victor that's a blessing for the children to hear from an older brother exhorting your children to honor your parents, to honor your father and your mother did I miss anyone?