Shabbat Shalom. Turn with me to the New Testament, to the letter that Yaakov James wrote to the early first century Hebrew believers to the 12 tribes which were scattered abroad. In our previous meeting, we gave the introduction to this book, this letter. This letter was written by Yaakov, by James, about 45 to 50 AD. As I mentioned before, this must have been the first letter that was written in the New Covenant. Yaakov is writing it to the 12 tribes, Jewish believers who were scattered around this world. And everyone today is privileged to listen to this and really it is applied to every believer in the present day dispensation. I'm reading today from verse 2 to verse 12.

My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into diverse temptations, knowing this, that a trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God that giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering, for he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord. A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.

Let the brother of Lord degree rejoice in that he is exalted, but the rich in that he is made low. Because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away. For the sun is no sooner risen with the burning heat, but it withers, the grass and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perishes. So also shall the rich man fade away in his ways. Blessed is the man that endures temptation. For when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to them that love him. And I'm stopping here with verse 12 of James chapter 1.

James 1 verses 2 to 12 is our subject today in our study.

Now this portion of this early part of this letter that Yaakov wrote to the first century dispersed Hebrew believers is very important because right here in these first 12 verses James is encouraging them to realize that there is a reason why they were going through tribulations in their life in fact I want you to notice here in the first verses some of the words that he is highlighting notice for example he used in verse 2 the word count in verse 3 know in verse 4 let in verse 5 ask here James Yaakov is emphasizing the importance of the experiences that the believers going through their life and therefore he is to count it he is

to know it he is to allow it and he is to ask and share his burdens with the Lord and so in these first 12 verses of James chapter 1 James the writer Yaakov is pointing out to four things about the trials that we experience in our lives now remember that those people to whom he wrote they were dispersed they were away from the promised land the land of Canaan they were part of the 12 tribes of the people of Israel they became believers in Yeshua the Messiah they have experience persecution on the one hand by their own brethren on the other hand by their own gentile nations of the world imagine they had twofold

problems number one they were jewish number two they were jewish believers but to apply this to every believer today because we became believers in yeshua the messiah we discover that we are going to go through some trials and exercises in our lives.

I don't believe for a moment that there is any believer in Yeshua the Messiah that can say in his or her life, listen, I'm free from problems. No one can say so because every one of us who believe in Yeshua the Messiah have not only the problems that every human being have in this world, but we have the problems because we identify with the rejected Mashiach. When we believe in Yeshua the Messiah we identify with one that was rejected by the whole world and because we belong to him we will experience some trials in our life so Yaakov now in these 12 verses pointing to four things related to our outward experiences in our lives as believers in Jesus the Messiah in Yeshua ha-Mashiach.

The first thing is found in verses 2, 3, and 4. James emphasized the need of joy in the midst of trouble. Now when you have trouble, naturally speaking, how can you have joy? How can you be happy? How can you have joy in your life when you have problems? Well, Yaakov is telling us the importance of going through trials in our lives, and that those trials are to speak to us in our life. Notice that it says in verse 2, first of all, my brethren, count it all joy when you go into diverse temptation. Now the word for temptation is better to use the word trials. In other words, he began to say that we are to count joy every time we encounter some problems in our life.

Now why is it? How can we encounter through problems joy? Let me just describe some problems that you and I might go through today. Maybe some of us are going through some problems physically. We have some problems with sickness.

some in my own family member that was born an autistic child and imagine for parents and some of us here have an autistic children and you ask yourself the question Lord why couldn't I have a normal child a son or a daughter that grow normally without any problem and how can I count it all joy God when I'm going through this problem of raising a son or a daughter that have such a problem of autism what about problems with no means of even eating some christians some believers in yeshua have no food to eat and how they can count it all joy when the next thing in mind that they have is what i'm going

to eat where i'm going to find my next meal what about some individuals that have a problem with a spouse as husband and a wife when the one person is a believer and the other one is not a believer and the struggles in a home that are going through when you want your family members to become people of God that love the Lord Yeshua and live for Yeshua the Messiah and yet they don't want him in their life and you ask yourself the question God what have I done wrong in my life that you allow me to experience this and yet God says count it all joy brethren when you fall into diverse trials in

your life and we can go on we can build up on these now those hebrew believers in yeshua the messiah were persecuted because they believed that yeshua was their messiah their mashiach and they were scattered abroad in a gentile world and as a believing jewish people they have been persecuted not only by their own people but also by the nations of the world and imagine how they felt then look at the kind of life i live persecuted running from place to place no place to live no place to find rest like we see today that happened in iraq by the believers that are being persecuted by those that hates them and some of them behead

them some of them do all sort of things to them if they will not convert and leave faith in a messiah imagine what it means so it's easy to sit here it's easy to preach this but imagine when you fall into diverse testing you are exasperated and sometimes you cannot take it anymore and Yaakov James were actually killed later on in the city of Jerusalem it had been said that he was killed at about 62 82 a.d in the city of jerusalem and because he was faithful to his mashiach his messiah yeshua and so here he's saying count it all joy now let me just remind you please a few things yohanan john who wrote

the gospel of john yeshua is speaking to his disciples there John 16 Yeshua is speaking before he went to the cross before he went to the altar you might say before he was crucified by the Romans Yeshua sat with his disciples in the upper room in the city of Jerusalem and he said to them look at this at the end of the 16th chapter of the gospel of John He says in verse 32 and 33, he says, Behold, the hour has come, yet now is, that ye shall be scattered every man to his own, and shall leave me alone.

And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me. Verse 33, this is the last verse of chapter 16, he says, These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have shalom, peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. So Yeshua ahead of time, long before the disciples even anticipated his death, when he said to them, listen, in this world, I can tell you, you are going to have trouble. You are going to have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.

you have me you have a hope in me you have eternal relationship with me even though in the world you will have tribulation but you belong to me i have overcome this wicked world in the world he said ye shall have tribulation but was it only yeshua that said look at this in acts chapter 14 here we have now Shaul Paul presenting himself after he went from various cities he get to a place called Derby he was encouraging the believers and he said to them in verse 22 confirming the souls of the disciples and he exhorting them to continue in the faith and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of god

paul you just told us about the love of god about yeshua the messiah and his work of redemption for us this is for the people who need to be saved and come to know him but once you become a believer and you become a disciple a talmid a follower of the messiah paul is telling you you know i'm not different than what yeshua said in john 16 i want to tell you beloved brothers and sisters through much tribulation we must enter into the kingdom of God in other words you are to expect to go through some trials in your life through much tribulation you will enter into the kingdom of God in other words part

and parcel of the disciple of the Messiah Yeshua is to experience some trials and tribulation in life in additional trouble that we usually have as an individual here in this world because of the sin nature that we have so Yeshua said in John 16 33 Shaul Paul spoke in Acts 14 22 look what Peter said Shimon Petos he also wrote to Jewish believers.

Notice what 1 Peter says in chapter 2 and verse 18. Peter says, servants, he's speaking to those who are serving there, be subject to your own masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward or to the wicked. For this is thankworthy if a man for conscience towards God endure grief suffering wrongfully for what glory is it if ye be buffeted for your fault ye shall take it patiently but when ye do well and suffer for it ye take it patiently this is acceptable with God and then he gives us an example of Yeshua the Messiah where he says for even there unto where ye called.

Because the Messiah also suffered for us, leaving for us an example that ye should follow his steps. Now, brothers and sisters, if there is anyone who suffered in his life and in his death, is Yeshua, the Messiah. All have rejected him here. His disciples didn't understand him. They all left him and forsook him when he was captured and hung on the cross, on the tree. Even Peter who says, though all will deny you, I will not deny you. When the test came, Peter denied Yeshua three times. God tests his own people. And we find out how often times we fail our Lord, we fail the Messiah.

Yet, nevertheless, he promised that we are going to go through tribulation. Now, notice in 1 Peter chapter 4, what Peter also said in verse 12. Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange things happen unto you. But rejoice inasmuch as ye are partakers of the Messiah's suffering, of Christ's suffering, that when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. Now when we go through problems, Peter is saying to them, Beloved, he says, don't count it strange when you go through some problems. Don't think it's strange. Oh no, I don't know why. I thought I should have everything smooth because I became a believer in Yeshua.

And now look at what I'm experiencing. Problems at home, problems at work, problems with my friends. Even an internal problems among the believers. That we often have frictions and conflict and all the conflict that we go through. And yet we are exhorted to count it all joy and to behave in a way that is pleasing to the Lord. And so all the men of God pointed at the fact that we are going to experience trials in our life. And yet James says, James 1 and verse 2, My brethren, He says, Count it all joy when ye fall into diverse trials, diverse temptation. Now notice he used the word fall.

Now it is interesting, in Greek, The word for fall is perapipto. If you would look in your Greek text in the Bible, perapipto. Perapipto means that it happened in your life. Certain things do happen in your life. There is another way in which we use the word perapipto in Greek in Hebrews chapter 6 and verse 6. When you fall away, it says that if someone fall away, that means perapipto, but more than just fall. but falling away from the things of the Lord, drifting far away from the things of the Lord. But here he used this expression, count it all joy when you fall into diverse testing.

Now the word for fall here is very interesting because what he's really saying that there is a sure thing in the life of the believer that it will surely happen to you that you're going to fall into or experience in your life some sort of problems and trials. You know, that word fall is mentioned three times in the New Testament in Luke 10, where Yeshua spoke about the parable, a certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among thieves. Now, what does it mean he fell among thieves? It's not that he fell from a cliff. It's just that it happened to be that as he came down from Jerusalem to Jericho, the thief captured him.

And then they stripped him. And then they left him half dead until the good Shomroni, the good Samaritan, came and assisted him and healed him and restored him and brought him to the inn. This is a type of the Mashiach, Yeshua, who pick us up when problems coming to us in our life. In this case, this man who fell among thieves. Paul mentioned this in Acts chapter 27, he also pointed out this expression of falling into a certain situation. Acts chapter 27 and verse 41, and falling into a place where two seas met. As they were traveling on the way to Rome, they fell into a place where two seas met.

In other it happened to be that as they were traveling by ship they came to a place where two seas have met together so really that word for fall simply means you are going to encounter the want it or not like it or not enjoy it or not it is going to happen and here count it all joy when it's happened to you when you're going through testing. Recognize that there's a reason why God allow us to go through trials in our lives. Now, one more point here. Some trials come in because we are guilty. We produce this trial in our life. Instead of submitting to the Lord, we disobey the Lord, and problem came because we disobeyed the Lord.

This is our fault.

And how many times we have problems because we didn't do the right thing we should have done the right thing we've done the wrong thing and then problem came because we have done the wrong thing and what do you expect send we have other trials there are trials that come here because satan sending it our own way satan and the world the enemies of god he knows your weakness and he shoots these arrows to cause you to stumble but then there is a third way in which we're going through trials those are trials that God sent them to us God is going to test every one of us in our life and he's gonna send

a challenge for us in our life I give you a great example when Abraham our father was tested it says in Genesis chapter 22 verse 1 it says and it came to pass after these things that God did test Abraham in the King James he says tempt but it's not tempt it's the Hebrew word Nisa God is testing Abraham and he said to him Abraham and he said here am I and he said take now thine only son Isaac whom thy lovers and get thee into the land of Moriah and offer him therefore burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of now Abraham must have scratched his head because he

was saying wait a minute God I was waiting for this son you promised me this son long time ago that through my seed there will be blessing to the nations of the world and now God you are asking me to take the very son that came to my very old age and you ask me now to kill him well God tested Abraham he didn't want to kill Isaac Yitzchak but he wanted a heart of Abraham just like God wants our hearts God do not want us to be merely religious people attending church meetings and leaving the meeting and carrying on in our life as if nothing had happened God wants us to live for him

he wants us to love him he wants us to serve him And therefore he allows and he sends away some tests in our lives.

The test is not to cause you to fall, but the test is to mature you and to develop you so you can grow and become a servant of the Lord. The Hebrew word nisa, it's not tempt but tried. As I mentioned before, when you go to school, the teacher teaches all year round and at the end of the year she gives us or he gives us a test an examination to see whether we have learned anything at all hopefully we're going to get a high score if we have learned if we haven't learned we're going to get a pretty poor score and not a passing mark you might say and so there's a need of joy in the midst of tribulation counted all joy when you go through trials and problems in your life but the answer now is why in verse 3 why should i counted joy when i go through various trials he answered in verse 3 knowing and here's the second word know this that the trying of your faith worketh patience now i've seen many times on a desk of a secretary in various places, they have a sign that says, God give me patience and I want it now.

Have you heard this? Have you seen this? I'm sure you must have seen this. You know, the thing all of us need to learn, that God never going to press a button and going to say, okay, how many pounds of patience would you like? And I'm going to press this button and here I'm going to send you 10 pounds of patience, 100 pounds of patience, as much patience that you need. I'm going to send it your way. If you only ask for that, then, well, listen, the only way to learn patience is through tribulations. That's the formula. That's the biblical formula that we have in God's Word.

You want to have patience? Well, God is going to send you tribulation. That's the only way. That's why many people never ask for patience. Never pray, oh God, please give me patience. Because if you're going to pray for patience, God knows the formula is right there in the Bible. You ask for patience, fine, I'm going to send you patience. And he sends some trials. And then when we get those trials, God, please take away these trials. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I've asked for patience. But that's the formula, brothers and sisters, Biblically speaking, this is the formula. Look at the history of our people, Israel. Look at the history of our people.

Every man and woman of God always experienced problems. No one had an easy road. No one, not Moshe, not Yehoshua, not any of the leaders, not of the judges, the Shoftim, not Avraham, not Yitzhak, not Yaakov. Look at Avraham. He wanted so much to have a son. And instead of waiting on God, he was impatient. And he ended up to have a son from the maiden woman that up till the present day our people Israel, the descendants of Abraham, have a conflict with the descendants of Yishmael. Had Abraham had waited and had patience, it would be so much better for the whole world, you might say.

What about Adam right back to the Garden of Eden? Had he not disobeyed God and waited when God said to him, you shall not eat of this fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, because the day that you will eat thereof, you shall surely die. Adam didn't wait. And therefore, he didn't have patience. And so then he ended up to plunge the human race into sin. And that's why we are all sinners here today. If you would have been there, you would have done the same thing. If I would have been there, I would have done the same thing because all of us are descendants of Adam with a human nature, we're sinful.

But all believers, as time went on, they experienced tribulation. Whether it is Moshe, whether it is Avram, whether it is Yitzhak, Yaakov, all the men and women of God, Sarah and Rebecca and Rachel and Leah. And we can look at all the men and women of God. They have always have gone through tribes, Old Testament, New Testament, in the time of Peter and James and John and Jude, the early disciples have had nothing but tribulation in their life, which taught them patience in as they serve the Messiah. And so notice it says in verse 3, knowing this, the trying of your faith, work at patience. The testing that we go through teaches us patience.

You know, mothers, praise God for mothers. Those of you that are mothers here, How much patience you needed to learn by raising children. This child cried for this. This child cried for this. This was rebellion and disobedience. And mothers need to be able to be patient with raising children. The difficulties that they have gone through. And fathers is the same way and so on. Patience is a part and parcel of the need of all the human race. And that's why James Yaakov says, Why should you count joy when you go to various trials? Because tribulation, it's a way whereby you learn to be a little bit more patient than what you have been yesterday.

So you will be able to handle things in life. You will be able to treat others in a better way instead of just getting angry and frustrated like sometimes we cannot take it anymore and the way we behave to each other and to others in anger and without patience. No more patience! I cannot take it anymore! And we get angry and we are not representing rightly our Lord Yeshua, the Messiah. Turn back to Romans 5 for a moment. Listen to that, brothers and sisters. Romans chapter 5. Here Paul, Shaul, writing to the brothers and sisters at Rome, and he's saying in verse 3, he says, Not only so, but we glory in tribulation.

He says, we are glowing in tribulation. Why? Knowing the tribulation workers' patience. That was Paul saying to the Romans believers. Glowing in tribulation? Saying, oh Lord, I'm glowing in tribulation. Well, humanly speaking, it's not right. It's not true. But like Yaakov, Shaul Paul, in the same way, he says, listen, we are glorying in tribulation. Knowing why, that when we are going through problems, it works about in our life patience. And as we become more patient, we become more useful. Useful for the Lord, useful for the service, useful for the things of the Lord. Patience, it's amazing how it is teaching us many, many, many lessons.

Now, I don't know if you remember, but last week we read Psalm 119. And look what David, Melech Israel, the king of Israel, said years ago when he was writing the Psalms. Psalm 119, verse 67, David says, Before I was afflicted, I went astray. But now I have kept thy word. The word for afflicted is the Hebrew word lehita'anot or ani. Before I went through trials and problems and suffering, I've gone astray. Don't you notice something that happened to us in our life when we go through trials? It seems to be that we turn closer to the Lord. When we are on easy road, when things are fine and no problem, we say, Lord, I'll talk to you later.

I don't need you right now. But when trouble comes, when trial coming our way, we become more dependent upon our Lord, Yeshua the Messiah. So David said, Before I was afflicted, I went astray. But now I have kept thy word. Notice verse 71, what David said in Psalm 119. it is good for me that i have been afflicted that i might learn thy statutes now david says you know it is really good for me that i've gone through problems because once i've gone through problems and afflictions and trials in my life i have learned your ways your statutes your word i've learned i've identified with the sufferings of yeshua our mashiach who has suffered who was rejected by men the scripture says isaiah says that when he came to this world he was a despised and rejected of men in fact the description of him that he was called a man of sorrows that have been acquainted with grief.

You know how much he, Yeshua the Messiah, suffered? We sometimes sing that song, Man of sorrows, what a name, for the Son of God who came, ruined sinners to reclaim. And then we say, Hallelujah, what a Savior. Look at Psalm 119, verse 75. I know, O Lord, that thy judgments are right. And that thou in faithfulness have afflicted me. You know, when God sent a trial and a problem into our lives, he's right in what he's doing, even though we don't think so at times. We don't necessarily agree with him at times because we think I cannot take it, I don't like it. But yet David said, you in your faithfulness have afflicted me.

You have allowed me to experience this. And look at verse 92 of Psalm 119. David, it says, In other words, the delight that I had in your law, in your word, in the Torah, in Dvar Adonai, in the word of God. Help me as I have gone through affliction. And that's what happened, brothers and sisters, when we go through trials, we are to count it all joy, verse 2, and realizing that testing teaches us patience. Now, back to Jacob, James, chapter 1, this time, verse 4, in connection with the need of joy as we go through trials. Look what it says here in verse 4 now. Yaakov is saying, look, patience will lead into spiritual maturity.

Because God doesn't want always to have babies that don't grow spiritually. And so he says in verse 4, let patience have her perfect work. that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. Now you see what he's really saying? That if we are really spiritual-minded individuals, and he's speaking, of course, to those Jewish believers who were scattered abroad from the 12 tribes of our people, Israel, who have gone through a lot of sorrows and trials. Of course, he's speaking to them first. But we apply this to ourselves, Jew and Gentile alike. We are all part of the body of Messiah. This verse 4 really teaches us importance. He says, you know what?

Let patience have her perfect work. That ye may be mature. The word for perfect means mature. Mature here and entire, complete. And then he said at the end of verse 4, wanting nothing, not lacking spiritual maturity. You see what happened, brothers and sisters, And we need those individuals in our midst, the grown-up, not babies, the grown-up believers. Now, we have babies, we have young men, we have fathers. There are three stages in the walk of the Lord among the people of God. But we cannot stay babies all our lives. Now, imagine, what is a Christian or messianic baby? Constantly complain, need to be burped every time, change the diapers all the time.

What a baby! It's a baby that is not growing, not moving forward, not useful, always in demand, always needs something and someone, and always complaining and grumbling. Well, do you want to stay like this all the time? Do you think God wants? Now, if you had a baby born into your home today, would you like him to stay one day old all his life? Don't you want this baby from now changing the diapers to later on crawling and then walking and then running? and then starting to be useful? Do you want him or her to stay babies all their lives? Well, you see what he's really saying.

Problems lead us to patience, and allowing patience to work in our life leads us to spiritual maturity. This is the formula. And so it's so beautiful to see a believer that first of all, he or she become children of God, they've accepted Yeshua the Messiah, But then they move on and they mature. Now they are no longer just babies that need milk. They can now take the meat and they chew it. And they can digest it. And then they can teach it by example to others. That is maturity. God do not want a group of babies all along. He wants us to mature. If you read in the epistle of John, Yohanan, who wrote, and he says, I write unto you little children.

I write unto you young men. I write unto you fathers. These are three groups. The little children just came to know the Lord a few months ago, a few years ago. They are growing. But you better be young men, young women who are strong for the Lord. And then fathers who are mature and able to give counsel, to be pillars among the assembly of God. God wants us to grow spiritually. And if we don't grow spiritually, it is extremely sad. And no wonder today, brothers and sisters, I'm telling you, not by criticizing, God forbid. When people are going to and fro, never found themselves settled in their path.

they know what they believe they don't need from every wind of doctrine to be swayed no i know what the scripture says i've learned a little bit yes i need to grow but i know what the bible says sufficient enough and i make a decision yes i will fail a time i will not be always in the way i should be but i will confess my sin before the lord i will repent to him and i will go back i will get up from my knees to serve him and to live for him that's what we need to learn in our lives as believers look what Job said in Job chapter 23 and verse 10 but he knows the way that I take when he has tried me I shall come forth as gold you know God tests me because he want to try me so I will now shine I will become more mature in my life as a believer in Yeshua the Messiah, Job said, I shall come forth as gold.

You know, what do you put gold? You put it in a fire in order to test all what is not gold will be burned, but only the pure gold remains. One more verse. 1 Peter chapter 1 verse 5 to 8. It says this, you are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time. Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold testing, temptation. And now listen, verse 7, that the trial of your faith be much more precious than of gold. In other words, Peter is saying, you know what, every trial that you go through, believers, it's even more precious than gold.

Why? Because as Job said, I will be tested, I will be tried, and I will come out as gold, serving the Lord, useful by the Lord. I will mature, spiritual maturity, that I will be able to be a vessel honoring unto my Lord Yeshua the Messiah. Now, having said that, brothers and sisters, it's easily said, and I'm confessing that, when the test's coming, we are on our own in that sense. People do not understand us often. People do not realize what we go through. It's only us and our Lord and our Mashiach. And we need to realize that he is the one that is the source of our blessing and our help.

And so notice in verse 4, patient lead us into maturity. The word for perfect, mature. The word for entire simply means complete. And the word here lacking nothing. In other words, there is growth, and we will be more capable to serve the Lord in our life, to serve Yeshua, the Messiah, in our life. So, the first thing that Yaakov pointed out in verses 2, 3, and 4 is the need of joy even when we go through trials. Now, let's move on. Verse 5, 6, 7, and 8. The second thing that he pointed out is the need of wisdom while we go through trials. The Hebrew word for wisdom is chokhmah, to be wise while you go through trial.

And so he began in verse 5, If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God that giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not, and it shall be given unto him. Now he is not talking about wisdom in general in this context. But he's talking about wisdom while we go through problems. If you have problems in your home, you need to have wisdom on how to deal with this problem. If you have a problem with your job, you need to have wisdom from God about this issue. In other words, every trial you need a wisdom from God to deal with this situation that is here before me, here and now.

Many times we are not wise enough, we are hasty. And instead of waiting, remember the scripture, they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. You remember Psalm 27, wait I say on the Lord. In other words, to wait on Him, to trust Him, to stay put until things change, until He moves. This is very important. So we need wisdom to know how to handle the situation that we are going through right now.

You might have a wisdom for today, for this problem, but you will need wisdom for tomorrow or next week or next year for the next trial so James is saying we need wisdom while we go through trials well what is the first thing to do is to pray you know it is amazing to me because we are so human if you have problem the first thing to do is you make a phone call you call a friend or you call somebody else and you tell everybody else instead of taking your problems and my problem to our blessed Lord Yeshua the Messiah and so he says if any of you lack wisdom about this problem that

you are facing today well let him ask of God the word for ask is simply pray go to the closet go to your room go on your knees and ask God and express before him the problem that you are facing oh there are so many problems that we are facing in our life God is inviting us to pray James Yaakov saying to the brothers and sisters let him ask of God let him pray we have many time verses in the Bible to pray always 1st Thessalonians 5 pray without ceasing Colossians talk about always praying the Bible teaches so many times the importance of prayer and talking with the Lord about the problem and notice what

he's saying here in verse 5 if one have a problem let him go to the father go to god and ask him in prayer you seek wisdom from the lord how to handle the problem that you go through right now in your life yeshua said in the sermon on the mount he says in matthew 7 and Verse 7, ask and it shall be given unto you.

Seek and ye shall find. Knock and it shall be opened unto you. The problem with us is that we often don't ask, we often don't seek, and we often don't knock. We just don't do it. We know better than God, you see. I can handle my problem on my own, we say. But we don't know better than God. we need him we need him every moment of our life we need him we need God for every situation in our life we need him and that's why Yaakov says listen ask of God make sure that you don't neglect to ask for wisdom how to handle the problem that you go through right now you know King Solomon the king of Israel, before he was established as king, God appeared to him by night and he said to him, Shlomo, Solomon, Shlomo, ask of me whatever you want and I'll give it to you.

But he asked God, he says, God, here's this nation and I'm going to lead your people. You are giving me the kingdom. How would I handle all this? Give me the way whereby I can handle these people and to lead them in a right way and you know ask God for wisdom for that and you know what God said to him first Kings chapter 3 it says here in verse 12 behold God said to him I have done according to your word law I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart so that was none like unto thee and before thee neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee.

God said to Shlomo. Shlomo was the wisest man on earth because God gave him wisdom. Unfortunately later on in his life he didn't use the wisdom that God had given to him and unfortunately he have fell into sin and because of his failure the kingdom had been divided. The kingdom of Israel and the scattering of the nation And brothers and sisters, we need as well. So therefore, let us not be hindered by asking God in prayer for every problem that we have. And we need to encourage each other to pray. When you have a problem, let's pray. Let's ask God to help us. So let's pray in faith.

And now notice verse 6. He continues the need of wisdom when we go through trial. he's saying ask in verse 6 pray in faith without to doubt but let him ask in faith nothing wavering for he that wavers is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed in other words God wants us to pray believing you see no doubting now we know how we often doubt God. Can he fix this problem in my life? Can he help me with this situation in my life? What's going to happen? And you know, he gives us an answer, not necessarily the answer that we like. Sometimes he says, yes.

Sometimes he says, no. It's still an answer. Sometimes he says, wait. And if we want wisdom in light of the situation that we go through we have to ask without doubting and as he mentioned here let him ask in faith nothing wavering for he that wavers is like the wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed you know have you ever been on a sea where the waves are coming they go up and the wave come down go up and down not steady staying in one level but go up and down and can you imagine when the withcoming the wave is changing and that's what God is saying through Yaakov to those Hebrew believers he says listen brethren if you pray well ask God talk to God but don't wave don't ask God and doubt is he able to help us is he helping to deal with our need and it's like a wave when we doubt.

Ephesians chapter 4 says in verse 14 that the gifts that have been given to the body of Messiah to believers were given so the believers will no longer be tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine. You know we have to also be sound in our teaching and learning from the word of God just the same like we need the help of the Lord to help us with practice in our life when we have problems. Ephesians 4 and verse 14 said that we henceforth be no more children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the slight of men and cunning craftiness whereby they lay in wait to deceive.

And so when we are to ask in prayer, we are to ask without doubting, asking, simply believing, trusting that the Lord is able to answer our prayer. And now he's explaining what he's going to do if we doubt. You know, you can't expect God to give you an answer I cannot expect God to give me an answer if I doubt him and so he says in verse seven for let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord in other words if you are doubting and you're really not praying sincerely trusting by faith that the Lord is able to answer your prayer my prayer our prayer their prayer well if you are doubting don't expect from God an answer.

You cannot say, God, help me, but I will work it out another way, you know. And then God says, well, why are you expecting an answer from me? You try to work it out on your own. You are doubting me. Well, I cannot help you, and I will not help you. As it says in verse 7, let not this man think even that he shall receive anything of the Lord. I'm not going to give you an answer. Really, God is saying, if you are doubting me, I'm not going to give you an answer. You're not going to receive an answer. And then he tells you what is the state of the doubter.

Look what he says in verse 8. The state of a doubter is a state of double-mindedness. A double-minded man is unstable in all his way. Now I was looking at this expression double-minded. You know, double-minded means one mind and another mind. Two minds. One mind, God help me. Another mind, I'll fix it myself. One mind, I'll do it this way. And another one, oh no, I'm going to get my own way. This is a double-minded man. He says here in verse 8, he's unstable or she's unstable. We are unstable when we are doubting God being double-minded. There's an interesting verse in the book of Psalm. If you turn with me to Psalm, chapter 12, verses 1.

This is again the writing of David, Melech Israel, the king of Israel. He says, oh, help, Lord, verse 1, for the godly man ceases, for the faithful fail from among the children of men. In other words, we have been persecuted. Help, Lord, because the godly men, the faithful men, fail because of men persecute him. And then he says, they, this is the men of the world, they speak vanity, everyone with his neighbor, with a flattering lips, and with a double heart. Do they speak? See, that's the unbelieving world. The word here for double heart in the English, It's the Hebrew word balev, valev, in heart and heart.

It used twice the word heart here, lev. And I guess the writers in English converted it or translated it saying a double heart. But it's really heart and heart. Lev, valev, one heart for God, one heart for the world.

one heart for God one heart for me one heart of trust and another heart of lack of trust that's what he's really saying that's how the world is and that's how we when we don't wait on the Lord and trust him and that's why Yaakov understanding what David wrote Yaakov in a sense repeating it and he's saying listen a double-minded man verse 8 is unstable unstable in all his ways now let me give you a verse that we all know very well from proverbs chapter 3 verse 5 trust in the lord with all your heart and lean not unto your own understanding you see that trust in the Lord with all your heart this is

one heart and lean not unto your own understanding because sometimes we are exactly like that we are double-minded double-hearted a heart for God and a heart to do it on our own that's what Yaakov is saying by the way this expression double-minded is mentioned twice in the book of Yaakov the book of James if you turn to chapter 4 and in verse 8 you notice what he says there draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh unto you cleanse your hands ye sinners and purify your hearts ye double minded and by the way he doesn't talk to unbelievers he's talking to believers in Yeshua the Messiah he's talking to you and I he's talking

to those Hebrew Christian Messianic Jews the Meshachim who was scattered abroad so the first thing verses 2 3 and 4 the need of joy through trials the second point verses 5 to 8 the need of wisdom when we go through trials now back quickly to James chapter 1 verses 9 to 11 the need of accepting the place where God has situated us in society.

To accept our position in life. Some of us are better off than others. Some of us are lesser off than others. And so he's saying now in verses 9, 10, and 11, There is a need to accept where God has allowed you to be placed here in this world as a believer. Notice that. Verse 9. Let the poor brother rejoice in that he is exalted. Verse 10. But the rich in that he was made low, because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away. For the sun is no sooner risen, with a burning heat, but it withereth, the grass and the flower, the row falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perishes.

So also is the rich man fade away in his ways. In other words, James, Yaakov is saying, you know, brothers and sisters, in the dispersed Hebrews, I'm telling you that except where God has allowed you to be in your life, Some of you are rich, some of you are poor. Some of you have a better position in your life, others have a lesser position in your life. In other words, to have accept where God placed us. You know, one of our problems that we have, we are not content where we are. We are not content with the things that God had given to us. We want more, we want something else, we are not satisfied.

You know the expression that we often use, The grass is greener across the street. In the neighbor's house, it's much greener. In case in our place, I think it is really greener. And the neighbors have it much greener. They work all day long. They fertilize it, they water it, and so on. We don't have as much time. Though, thank God for my wife, Irene, she really works hard on the grass. We have a very nice garden. But nevertheless, everything seems to be greener somewhere else. And somebody else seems to have a better role. He doesn't understand what I go through. and we say, well, if he have mine, you will try one time to get somebody else's problems, and you will say, Lord, I thank you with what you have given to me.

And sometimes we think that the rich man is far better off, doesn't it? We think that the person is richer and he has everything, and the one that is poor is not having enough, and we look at them and we say, boy, I wish we were like them. I wish we had what they had. So, Yaakov, James, Yaakov, he's saying to them in verse 9, let a man, let a person who is of poor degree, that has to do with a brother that is poor, he says, you rejoice in that he is exalted. You know what? You have to realize that even though in this world you don't have much, but you know, God will exalt you one day.

He's going to give you a place. He has wealth that you have waiting for you in glory in the presence of God. One day God is going to lift you up and accept the way you are right now. Don't be envious of somebody else. Look at chapter 2 and verse 5. How can my beloved brethren, has not God chosen the poor of this world, rich in faith, heirs of the kingdom which he has promised to them that love him? He says, in other words, even if you are not in a position as a rich man, be satisfied with what you have. Hebrews tell us, be content with such things as you have.

Hebrews chapter 13 and verses 5 and 6. But then on the other hand, he's talking to the rich. Because the poor brother, his poverty is a test for him. And the rich brother, his prosperity is a test for him. And so he's saying in verse 10 and 11 to the one who is rich, he says this, but the rich in that he's made low because as the flower of the grass, he shall pass away. Do you know, brothers and sisters, when the time comes, even the greatest and the wealthiest person in this world, just like the grass will fade away when the heat come, just like the flower of the grass will burn and fade away, Even the wealthiest people in this world, if they trust in their wealth, they're going to find out that wealth ultimately will be fading away as time grows by and time passes by.

By the way, Yaakov, as I mentioned before, he knew the Tanakh very well. And he's quoting here various verses in Scripture. He's quoting Isaiah chapter 40, verses 6 and 7. He's quoting Psalm 103. He's referring to these chapters that even the best, even the most, the flower, the richest, the wealthiest is ultimately is going to fade away. Isaiah 40, verse 6, he says, The voice said, Cry and say, What shall I cry? All flesh is as grass, and all the goodness thereof is as the flower of the field. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth, because the Spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it. Surely the people is grass, and the grass withereth, the flower fadeth, but the word of our God shall endure forever.

This is Isaiah 40, verses 6, 7, and 8, the word of God. In other words, eventually he's saying to these brothers and sisters, Be content where you are because you will see one day that even the poor will be made rich because of what Yeshua has done for us and the one who trusts in his wealth. He ought to realize that he cannot trust his wealth and that he is to entrust himself unto the Lord. But yet, brothers and sisters, some people God made them as believers are wealthy. Some people in the body of Christ, in the body of Messiah, God have allowed them to be poor. and don't think for a moment that the basis of your spirituality depends on how rich you are that is a poor way to interpret it sometime you read and you hear on television that people say you know if you will obey the lord you become wealthy and rich and all these things well it didn't happen to paul it didn't happen to peter it didn't happen to james it didn't happen to any of those disciples.

In other words, we are not to depend on that. Spiritual maturity does not mean that one is physically rich. There are those who are poor, and yet in James 2 he says, they have been rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which has been promised unto them that love him. Well, let's close with verse 12. And again in connection with the trials And so verse 12, and he's pointing out the last thing. There is a need to remember that there are promises for all of us. When we go through trial, never forget today's promises of reward for everyone that belonged to Yeshua the Messiah and go through these trials and trusting Yeshua.

And he says in verse 12, Blessed is the man that endures temptation or trials. For when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord had promised to them that love him. See what he's saying? Blessed, asheri, happy is the man that endure the testing. When you allow yourself to say, Lord, I don't like what I go through, but I am trusting you, you will help me to go through this experience. I'm going to follow you, Lord, help me. I lean on you. The Lord might not take the trial away, but he will allow us to go through the trial and to come victorious on the other side.

And so there is a promise to those that endure testing. What is the promise? When he or she is being tried, he or she shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord promised to them that love him. Now, crowns, that's in the Greek, Stephanos. This is a crown of a victor. A crown of a person who victoriously, successfully, with the help of the Spirit of God, have gone through this trial and have trusted in Yeshua throughout the trial. They're waiting for him. They're waiting for her. That crown, that crown means a reward. The crown of life, which the Lord himself have promised to them that love him.

That crown, by the way, it's really speaking of a reward. And why do we get rewards? every one of us who are going to live for the Lord here in this life. We are going to receive rewards. Now why are those rewards? Those rewards will be given to believers in order for us to use those rewards in the Messianic kingdom. In the Messianic kingdom, we're going to come with Yeshua the Messiah, the church, the ecclesia, are going to come with Him. And we're going to reign with Him over this world. And He's going to tell us, You have been faithful in so much. I'm going to have you, I'm going to reward you in so much so you can use it for the kingdom age in which we're going to rule and reign with Yeshua the Messiah upon the face of this world.

Crowns are a representation of rewards that believers will receive when they are going to reign with Yeshua the Messiah here in this world. I want to read a final verse in Revelation chapter 2, the letter that Yeshua wrote to the church of Smyrna. Smyrna, more, come from the Greek word, from the Hebrew word bitterness, mar, bitter, suffering. The church that suffered, the assembly that suffered in the city of Smyrna. And he wrote to those suffering believers, and he said to them in chapter 2 of the book of Revelation, in verse 10 he said, Fear none of those things which you shall suffer. Behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried, and ye shall have tribulation for ten days.

But be thou faithful even unto death, and I will give thee the crown of life. Here's the second time where the crown of life is mentioned. The crown of life is a reward that was given to people that have suffered and have gone through trials and they lean hard on Yeshua, the Messiah, as they have gone through this trial. They will receive a crown. And the crown speaks about the crown of life, crown of blessings. When they're going to use that crown, it's a reward and they are going to use it in the Messianic kingdom, in the future day which is coming ahead of us.

And brothers and sisters, this is something to challenge all of us. What do you do when you go through problems? What do I do when I go through problems? Are you leaning hard on the Lord? Am I leaning hard on the Lord? Do we trust the Lord? Do we have a double-minded heart in the heart? Or do we trust the Lord and say, Lord, help us? Help us so we can go through this trial, get wisdom from you, and then recognize that now there is a reward when I go through those trials victoriously. Lord, help me to live for you even though I'm going through this trial.

And I know some of us today going through some problems and we cannot enter into what you go through. But I encourage you, on the basis of James 1, Yaakov 1, Lean hard on the Lord. He's going to be your reward.