So many of God's promises are conditional upon our obedience. James 4, verses 6-8, are an encouragement to submit to God and be humble before Him. There is power in your obedience and humility. ‘God opposes the proud but shows favour to the humble. Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and He will come near to you.'
I've experienced the Power of God
How will you see miracles in your life and ministry? By faith in the name of Jesus. It is through power of the name of Jesus and the faith which comes through and from Him, that will work miracles. I've experienced the Power of God all my life; I was baptised in the Holy Spirit when I was 13, now 77 years later, the Power of the Holy Spirit is stronger in me now than it was back then.
The Gift of Perseverance
Perseverance: this is a major issue for us; our faith has to face a test. James is not talking about a gift of faith, but the very faith in God which is the foundation of our salvation; we are saved by faith. James is talking about the testing of the very essence of our salvation. This is the whole theme of this first chapter. The testing of our faith in the very promises of God.
Reconciliation and Transformation through Christ
Will God dwell with us?
We are all so familiar with the Christmas prophecy, Isaiah 9:6, ‘Unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given...’ But Solomon in 2 Chronicles 6:18, at the dedication of the new temple asks, ‘But will God in very deed dwell with men on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You…!’
God's Power breaks every curse
God's Power breaks every curse. I want to tell you, whom God has blessed, no one can curse! No one can curse you, when you have the love of God in your heart. In Numbers 23.19-20, Balaam was paid by Balak to curse the people of God. But this is what Balaam said, “God is not a man that He should lie, neither a son of man that He should repent (change His mind) – what He said, shall He not do it, and what He has spoken will He not make it happen?!” God cannot lie, He cannot change what He has said. And in the next verse Balaam says, God has blessed, no one can change it!
How to see the Power of God in your life
I like to boast about the Power of my God because He is a God of miracles! Yes, God is a God of love, of compassion. But the God I know and serve, the God of the Bible, is not passive, but active on our behalf. A God of love, but also a God of Power. I have Christ IN me and I have the Holy Spirit IN me! That is the secret of 70 years of miracle ministry.
Faithful to the Calling
“Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving” (Colossians 4:2). This theme runs right through Scripture, watching, praying – with thanksgiving – faithfulness in prayer! There is a big responsibility for us in this. Paul says here in v3, “Pray for us that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ for which I am in chains.” There must be constant prayer from me and from you – pray! Just like Paul, I need prayer that God will open doors.
Determined to touch Jesus
Do you need a miracle of healing? Do you question, does Jesus still heal today? The desire of Jesus is that your spirit, soul and body be pure and whole. Then why do we get sick? For the same reason we still sin. We live in a fallen world, and the Kingdom of Heaven is a Coming Kingdom - but there is a day coming when all things will be made new: ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever’ (Revelation 21:4, NLT). Jesus still heals today! I myself have experienced two miraculous healings from cancer, but my wife experienced her healing passing from life into eternity.
Risen with Christ to new life
“If you are then risen with Christ…” You can ONLY have this experience IF you have died with Him! Being dead to the old life is the theme that runs throughout the Gospels and the Letters! Water baptism is the symbol of this! When a Christian dies, your body dies, but YOU are not dead! And when the Day of Resurrection comes, we shall rise with Christ with new Resurrection bodies! Where Christ is, there we shall be. With Him!










