For Those in Need (Part B)

Unanswered urgent prayer is one of the most difficult parts of our faith about Christian life would buy on answered prayer. God separates those who are serious about trusting him from those who just want something from him serious business. He says, and the Lord will raise him up.

Save the sick from their suffering. That should be the will of God.

This is cross reference radio with our pastor and teacher Rick Gaston.

Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville. Rick is currently teaching through the book of James. Please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about cross reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching, and now here's Pastor Rick in James chapter 5 with his continuing study called for those in the if it were so simple where he says align them with oil in the name of the Lord will be healed.

Then we would see this happening all the time. We don't see that happening.

That's a fact. So the true that's what we're after the incorrect interpretation springs from absence of the intended meaning at the time. James wrote this James did not say this is sort of up's a Christian lucky charm you put this on the person you get what you want from God is not what he was thinking at all. There is no spiritual power in oil to heal.

The power is in God alone alone their significance to this, especially for the people that he wrote to at this time. All healing is by God. Psalm 103 verse three. Speaking of Yahweh, who forgives all your iniquities who heals all your diseases. It is God we have in this verse coupled together medicine and prayer that is part of the idea, not necessarily healing medicine soothing also the use of oil was used when folks were hurting the good Samaritan what he do to the man he found on the side of the road was badly beaten. He poured oil and wine on the wounds of that man. Isaiah chapter 6 from the soul of the foot, even to the head. There is no soundness in it, but wounds and bruises and putrefying sores. They have not been closed or bound up was sued with oil see the ideas that in those days they used oil on wounds, not every single wound with many of them as Mark when he mentions that Jesus sent the disciples out to heal one occasionally go out with oil and the other occasion. They do not. This Greek word here for anointing him with oil Allee Paul it means to rub in as opposed to the word translated anointing, which we find in for instance, Luke's gospel trio from where we get the word Christ. That's a separate kind of anointing that the spiritual anointing that has to do with the spirit. Where is a people has to do with just start rubbing in more natural things physical things. When Jesus said the spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to preach that word translated anointed in the Greek is Creo. It is only given to the Lord in the New Testament and that has to do with spiritual property. So there's a distinction found in the very language Peter and Paul healed. Throughout the book of acts without oil I mention the use of medicine and faith together well and Paul said to Timothy listen that water you're drinking and SEs bad for you. You need to mix it put some wine in the water in the cut that stuff bad guys out of the water that you drinking in the reader to first Timothy 523 no longer drink only water, but use a little wine for your stomach's sake, and frequent infirmities. So God through prayer of faith, not oil rings the healing the dead have been raised sick of been healed.

The lepers have been cleansed. The blind have been given their site throughout Scripture without oil sorry have to spend so much time on this, but it's it's poor Bible study Beck exegesis. It's was poor extraction of the meaning from the Scripture to say no, this is what we do not years ago there was a child that was very sick in the hospital and the mother was just at her end and she asked me to come up and anoint the child with oil and pray I wasn't going to say while theologically you're not right. I went up to the hospital with oil. Because of that poor woman is hard I rubbed it on the child's head and I prayed and the child got better. The child got better because of the medical assistance those available given by God.

The child was healed by God.

All healings come from him. Whether you are a believer or not.

All he has to do is turn to stick it off and nobody gets well dispensed airline to earth and that's it.

Take away gravity every good gift comes from the father.

He holds the controls and if I were pressed again in another situation like that I would do the same way because they understand what's going on and I want to spend anymore time on this than I have already but the conclusion of the matter is that the sick are to be prayed for and cared for, or should I say it this way there to be prayed for with care who want someone that's insensitive.

Praying for you Shari. I bless you my son.

My next you. You want the person to be part of what is going on in the presence of the Lord and so he says in the name of the Lord. There's no other unseen authority that we recognize as authority of righteousness and good. We understand there are principalities and powers in spiritual wickedness in high places. We understand that, but that's not our authority. That's wicked authority.

When Jesus offended the congregation.

Many of them said that said wearout finding another church. Jesus looked at his disciples said you going to Simon Peter, six where we got ago. John six for 68 Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go. You have the words of eternal life. James is saying if you going to heal, heal with care minister to the body and the spirit in the name of Christ. The Jews would've understood that when he wrote this to them, they would've understood that that the oil was part of the healing process. To this day we as well. You know you have maybe an inner wax buildup that we be talking about that Sunday morning to go to the pharmacist you say you have the extra sweet oil and he'll don't drink it you can it's olive oil, and you put in your year and you can hear me better when I'm preaching on Sunday mornings. That's the whole purpose behind it. Of course I'm sure that verse 15.

Now let me stop there. Now there's anyone here that you insist that the oil is to be put up on okay fine. Don't argue with me about it.

It's not an essential all will do is and I disagreed you if you distribute me and then an open can you do that this fine verse 15 and the prayer of faith will save the sick and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. So the prayer of faith is what does it there's the answer there, not the oil, the prayer of faith. What is the prayer of faith.

The oneness seeks God's will that all the time, wants God's will, and knows that God is fully aware of what is going on and is loving and merciful, but also at some point, sometimes beyond our understanding.

My thoughts are higher than your thoughts. As the heavens are above your I will quote from Dave Hunt.

I like to share. Dave Hunt was a great man of God and if you can read as much of many of his books. As you can get you do yourself a good thing but he's dealing with those who name and claimant insist on there will be done, not God's will because there actually those in some churches that are go out and say it's sweet to say that I will be done. Are they insane. Jesus himself said, not my will be done.

Hunt says to say that failure to be healed.

Results from too little faith and fasting is false that teaching implies that we can cause God to do whatever we pray for if we pray and fast long and hard enough, in other words, that we can impose our will upon him. What about God's will. It also suggested God's will is to heal everyone every time. On the contrary, he has something better for us than perpetuating our lives endlessly in these bodies of sin, a man, brother, and yet there are those that are becoming disillusioned and discouraged because their people, telling them the opposite to this, in second Kings. We read this about the great prophet Elisha, who did twice as many miracles on record as the prophet Elijah's teacher, Eliza Eliza had become sick with the illness of which he would die. We accept the where is he now is a better place.

So I believe the primary reason people are yielded so God can receive the glory because after all, God could've just kept the person healthy.

But should they become sick and God works a healing. We catch a glimpse of his Majesty. We have a platform stronger or taller platform. You might say to preach the glory of God, to those who witnessed God's work. He says here in verse 15 and the Lord will raise him up with the oil again and I don't mean to. What I do mean to keep getting a little bit because it needs to be pointed out again.

Psalm 103 verse three God who forgives all your iniquities who heals all your diseases.

James is not here guaranteeing healing of the fake healers again leave a trail of disillusionment and discouragement behind as they make these promises that God is not promise that uses word to do it. Ignoring the facts that surround unanswered urgent prayer is one of the most difficult parts of our faith of our Christian life, but by unanswered prayer. God separates those who are serious about trusting him from those who just want something from him serious business. He says, and the Lord will raise him up. Save the sick from their suffering.

If that should be the will of God. There is opportunity in unanswered prayer to preach. Of course, stood to tell the truth about God to demonstrate unbroken communion with God in spite of what is going on.

We are saying to the world that we are still active, still persevering, still present and on time for roll call in the presence of the Lord, whether he answers our prayers are not as why we read the story of of Shadrach me shack and Abednego, and in Daniel and was so impressively safe king when not even thinking about how we need answer you here. We arty know God can deliver us from this first and if he doesn't take us out of this hot thing is no less how God was still not bowing down to you, your fake. He's not Joe though he slay me, I will trust him.

We are impressed by that we should be just not that easy to pull it off. Time. I believe that a big help to being able to stand strong is humility. The world often sees humility is weakness we see the strength and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. The gospel insist that sinners can be forgiven. Numbers 21 verse seven. This is when they were badmouthing the Lord as they do the Jews coming out of Egypt. That was the church. No. No man wanted to pastor and Moses got the assignment and is appointed out over again. He said to the Lord, get someone else flat out just like that. And God said no you believe in me, your mind, well Numbers 27 therefore the people came to Moses and said we have sin, for we have spoken against Yahweh and against you. Pray to Yahweh that he take away the serpents from us.

So Moses prayed for the people, and God said put up abreast serving that they look at the serpent they will be healed from the serpents by but if they don't they will perish assisting today. If you come to Christ.

You will be healed from the punishment of sin that lie upon you the curse of sin, and if you don't you will perish. John chapter 3 verse 14 Jesus said, as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up for what purpose salvation forgiveness. If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

First John 19. And so James is he if he is committed sins, he will be forgiven or the next day with this little bit for 16.

Confess your trespasses to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. Effective in fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

There is zero justification in these words for the practice of confessing your sins to a priest. We don't do that.

The Bible never supports that Luther has a comment that stick, hits it on the head.

Strange confessor. His name is one another. Those who practice going to confession to a priest to not confessing to one another.

One is just airing his dirty laundry to the other. We go to God and we you know when folks come to the pastors we don't need details, we need the essentials. What we need to know to understand what needs to happen and if a person starts giving details, we come off as an unnecessary and who wants that in their head anyway.

That stuff will lead you to stumble. This is not mean if you had certain you know you don't say to somebody, you know what I've been thinking about stealing your truck. It's so nice and I have to confess this to you.

That would be stupid. You might beat you up for the thinking about touching a string of car he might say I can. I don't know why you take it, but my truck so we are to confess our sins to God and our wrongdoings to the one we did wrong to what is tricky about that. What happens when we bottle it up when we done someone wrong and we don't go to them and say I admitted I was wrong. What happens then.

Well some of you know, you found out the hard way and so skip that step. For those of you who might not yet have realized this when you have wrong someone. Jesus said you know I don't go going to church talk about how spiritual you are and you've done someone wrong and you've not made it right. Leave your offering and fix it. Goal fix the problem. Some are afraid that if they say you know what I was wrong with you was okay. I know you were wrong on the take advantage of you. That's not it. I can pardon a wrong done by another can I pardon the wrong done to me so confession is certainly has to be limited to that circle of need. Otherwise, it made more harm as header pastors conference once in one of the pastors we were rooming in three of us together room and once again old James is confess your sins to one another and so let's let's do that and he said you know I struggle with, you know, substance abuse, and he went on to some of the details and in the other. Once I struggle with lust eyes can't help myself. I said I struggle with gossip and I can't wait to get out of this room help that really happen. The point is, you just can't go blabbing your mouth every body telling them what your problems are for who was the year I got my own problems. This has to do when you have wrong somebody you've gotta make it right and not pretend that you're trampling on the heart of another is somehow acceptable to God because you've gotten away with it. You think so he goes added.

Confess your trespasses to one another and pray for one another instead of doing wrong and ignoring it. How about praying for the other. If you those of you who do struggle with gossip. For example, you can redirect that you know are you doing the doing of the train track suggests pull the lever and track goes to another direction is one little twist instead of gossiping about the person. How about praying for the person you still get to talk is to get the talk about the person you're just not talking to other people about them you're looking for solutions in another you don't pray God helps them see how messed up they are annoying how I like to kick him off a cliff. Every now and then you start prayer, heartfelt prayer. He's going to talk about that prayer is work. It doesn't come natural to us. It's a spiritual think most people do not like to pray until this something pressing down on them very hard. Even Christians are prayer meetings and never packed some prayers hard work and Satan knows and he loves it, that the Christians just won't won't punch through Matthew seven verse 12 therefore, whatever you want men to do do you do also to them for this is the law and the prophets. This is Scripture, pray for one another. Do you want people praying for you.

Who would be foolish enough to say I don't want to buy. Praying for me you'd be a full. We all need and should want prayer. He says that you may be healed.

So Scripture is connecting now unconfessed sin with sickness and it doesn't only do it here that's important.

First Corinthians 11 verse 30 Paul says concerning the communion table which could be early Christians began to abuse the Christian table. They were getting drunk in church, drinking too much law.

This is wonderful in the early church, cut it out it will fix this is let this happen. So he rises is for this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. The euphemism for many of died as a judgment, because the trampling of the communion table.

Peter said that misbehavior towards a spouse block your prayers. What is that mean to cut your prayers off. That's what it means discussing why my why my wife even talking to me. You got stuff to deal with. You refuse to do it. This is unacceptable. This is not sin that you're struggling with. This is just blatant sin that harms others husband is likewise dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife and then he says that your prayers may not be hindered. Jesus, Isaiah, and James.

They all tell us carnality blocks prayer. Matthew 13 Jesus quoting Isaiah for the hearts of this people have grown dull.

Their ears are hard of hearing in their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them suck Yasmin although don't obey the profits will just keep going your way because I knew I would hate for you to have to come to me and get healed. That's the kind the idea back of that sarcasm works sometimes in boot camp were pretty good. You younger Christians may be well I'll just share this much when I went to boot camp and I've said this before, they never asked my opinion. Not once.

It was their way or that was it was going big, very bad for me and I'm glad they were trying to be like me. In fact, when you first arrive. It Parris Island historic and the drill instructors that you're going to have.

They don't get to see you as a civilian. I think afraid to kill you. So they leave you go through this process. They shave your hair often to give you about a week or so then you meet your teachers, and I guess Mike might move the point. I don't know my point is, I'm having flashbacks of no it's okay to look up to those who are trying to say I'm I want you to be up here it's okay and not resist them, submit to them. Well, he says here, James does in verse 16, effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much effective and fervent in the Greek in this verse is a single word from our English word energy is tied to that Greek word so the energetic prayer the whole hall. I encourage you when you pray for your food to do more than just a you know God is great God is good.

Thank you for the grub. I encourage you to think about saying yes Lord, thank you for my thanks for joining us today as we took a deeper look into the book of Jean here on cross reference radio cross reference radio is the daily radio ministry pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville in Virginia were blessed to bring you God's word with each broadcast. If you like more information want to listen to additional teachings from pastor, please visit our website cross reference radio.com if you've been blessed by this program would love to hear from you when you visit the website. Simply click on the contact us link the top of the page and leave us a message that website again is cross reference radio.com. Please join us again next time.

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