James Reed's FORGE

In this episode, we will finish the discussion of Genesis chapter 1 and the first creation week. God was not confused when He created humans in His own image. He was not confused when He created male and female. To the extent that we accept the truth of God’s word on such matters as human origins and human sexuality, will be the extent that we enjoy stability in our culture. As I see my fellow humans as image bearers of the most-high and living God, I begin to love and care for them. If, on the other hand I see my fellow humans as nothing more than a series of unguided chemical accidents, then there is absolutely nothing wrong with hating my fellow man. Indeed, the strongest will survive, right? Is this not what the survival of the fittest is all about? To the extent that I embrace an evolutionary point of view is the extent I make room for hatred, racism, lust, power, and total self-preservation at all cost. On the other hand, if I see my fellow man as an image bearer, I am more inclined to love, look past differences, care for others, and place others higher than myself. The truth of God is the only reason to even offer a standard of “right and wrong”. In the evolutionary world view, concepts of what is right and what is wrong are merely matters of opinion. As Christians, we appeal to an outside source for our direction. That outside source is the living God!

Genesis is the Book of the beginnings. Be on the look-out as we go through it for the beginnings of things- the first man, first family, first sin, and God's plan of redemption. Yes, even in the very first Book of the Bible we see God's plan for redeeming fallen man. This episode is largely introductory, but we will pick up the pace in future episodes and cover more than just 8 verses-- Lord willing.

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May God bless the reading and the hearing of His word!

What does it mean to be born again? This is a question asked by a teacher and ruler of Israel of Jesus in John 3. Being born again is a work of the Holy Spirit. How you answer this question shows a lot about your thinking on the evil in the human heart and the atonement of Christ. Join me as we take a look at some powerful passages of the Bible. You will also want to take a look at Eph. 2:1-10; 4:13, Rom. 5:6; 7: 15-23; 8:7, Titus 3:3-5; John 6:44; 8:36; Phil. 2:13.

This is the final episode for Season 1. I depart from my usual verse by verse coverage to discuss this important topic and appeal to the sinner to come to Christ. The next episode will begin Season 2. 

May God bless you as you grow in Him! 

FORGE SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT- SEASON TWO

Hello everyone! This is James. I wanted to take a moment here for a special announcement.

First, let me say thank you to all who are listening to and supporting me in this podcast. I cannot thank you enough for your love, support, prayer, and belief in me. It truly means more than I can say.

It is my hope and prayer, as I have said many times, that this podcast is a blessing to you. If it has been a blessing to you, then I ask you to spread the word. The best thing you could do for me is to tell others about FORGE. I would like to have subscribers all over the world. That happens through word of mouth. That happens when you tell someone who tells someone, who tells someone… you get the idea. Another way you can help me out is by leaving a review. Give me a 5-star review and leave some comments—that is if they’re nice comments.

Next, I want to let you know that in our second season, you will hopefully notice a massive improvement in production quality. When I started this podcast, I used a laptop, its voice recorder software, and I did almost no editing. With each episode, I began to edit a little more, but the production quality was not that great. You can hear ambient noise to include doors opening, mouse clicks, and dishes being done in the background. I really didn’t care that much, I just wanted to get it out there. Well, the second season is going to be a lot different in that regard. It’s my intention to use quality equipment and software, write and produce my own music, and generally get more professional with each passing episode. I hope you will be able to hear the difference.

I also wanted to let you know that I will be working on my website, jamesreedsforge.com. It’s through Word press, and right now it’s not that great either, but we’re going to be in a constant state of improvement. With that will come blogs, links to other ministries, more original music, and a donate button. If you so choose, donations are greatly appreciated, and will go 100% to further the work we’re doing here. Never let a gift to the FORGE interfere with your giving to your local church. Your local church comes first.

Another thing which I will probably start doing is slowing down on the number of podcast episodes I drop each week. My goal is to do one episode per week. I’m also going to see about making each podcast episode longer.

In the first season we covered Jonah- the only OT preacher- prophet sent to Gentiles exclusively. We also did a study in the Book of James, a NT Book written to Jewish believers in Jesus. I chose these two Books because I thought it would be a help to see God’s love for Gentiles in what many consider to be the “Hebrew Bible”—the OT, while at the same time we could see Jews in the Church from its very beginning in the NT. The Bible is not made up of the Jewish section followed by the Gentile section. In the Lord’s Church, we are all one.

In the second season, we’re going to dive into the Book of Genesis. This Book is 50 chapters long and covers the first 2,000 years of human history. With the new schedule of only one episode per week, and assuming we cover a chapter a week, it will take us a full year to get through Genesis. I could see it taking us even longer; my point is, I’ve got ideas for improvements in quality and content, but we’re also going to remain flexible. This study in Genesis is going to be fascinating.

I’m looking forward to season 2, and I hope you are also.

FINAL THOUGHTS ON THE BOOK OF JAMES

James was written to “exhort the early believers to Christian maturity and holiness of life” (Blue, J. Ronald. The Bible Knowledge Commentary, Colorado Springs, CO, David C. Cook, 1983). As we read James, we find “54 commands” (Swindoll, Charles R. God’s Masterwork,Anaheim, CA, Charles R. Swindoll, Inc., 1998). As I mentioned before, I did not emphasize these 54 commands because I wanted to follow a different outline for this Book. Let me just say here that these 54 commands are what we call imperatives. An imperative is simply something of great importance. It is something which must be done. If we count what are called hypotheticals, that number increases to 60. If you want to do an interweb search, you can find all the references for the 54 commands. I’m not going to list them all here. By reading the Book verse by verse, you have, whether you realized it or not, heard all 54 commands.

So, is James giving us additional commandments? Of course not. In fact, I believe James means to encourage believers. Tradition tells us that James was the leader of the Church in Jerusalem. Hegesippus was a 2nd Century historian who tells us that James knelt so much in prayer while asking for forgiveness on behalf of the people, that James became known as “Camel Knees”. That is to say he developed calluses on his knees from kneeling so often. While we really have no way of confirming this, I believe it is probably a true account. I believe it to be true because the historian was close enough to the time of James that it’s not likely the tradition had enough time to develop from people just making up stories. That said, it is not in the Bible, and thus you have another “JO”- James Opinion. That is—my opinion.

But here’s what we can learn from Scripture. Remember that this James is the half-brother of Jesus, and he came to saving faith later according to 1 Corinthians 15:7 and Acts 1:14. I have often wondered what I would have thought if my brother started telling people he was the promised Messiah. I always get the sense that James was watching his older brother from a distance. As a Jewish boy, James would have been taught the Scriptures from an early age. One thing that most Jewish boys could do was read. There had to be times where he marveled at Jesus, and he had to have privately compared what he was seeing with the Scriptures. But… getting back on focus here… For such a short book, James touches on just about every aspect of Christian character and living: how we ought to talk, behave, serve, and who we are as followers of Christ.

The approach I took with the Book of James was a theme of testing.

1. Test of Faith

2. Test of Obedience

3. Test of True Religion

4. Test of Brotherly Love

5. Test of Good Works

6. Test of the Tongue

7. Test of Motivation

8. Test of Submission

9. Test of Trust

10. Test of Patience in Suffering

I would like to give you a quote from Dr. David Jeremiah-

The most deeply important question asked in Christian circles also divides many believers. It is simply, How are we saved? Is it faith alone? Or must we live in a way that glorifies God if we are to spend eternity with Him? That is an appropriate discussion when it comes to salvation. The NT clearly says that we are saved “by grace… through faith” and that “(salvation) is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Eph. 2:8-9). Yet the apostle Paul’s very next words are that “we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works” (Eph. 2:10). So we are not saved by good works, but we are saved for good works.

The final test we find in James- The Test of Patience in Suffering. Up next we will have some final thoughts on the Book of James. Please consider subscribing and tell others about FORGE. 

We're going to get into another test... The Test of Trust. In whom or what have you placed your trust? Money? Retirement plans? Friends? The political system? Legal loopholes? There's only one you can trust with your eternal soul.

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In James we have been thinking in terms of "tests". We've had the test of: Faith, Obedience, True Religion, Brotherly Love, Good Works, The Tongue, and now we get into the Test of Motivation. As always, James has some challenging words for us.

God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. These words are found in James 4:6. James is reflecting here upon Proverbs 3:34 which states, "Surely He scorns the scornful, But gives grace to the humble." We preach God's Law to the prideful that they may see their violation of God's Law. We preach grace to the humble-- the ones who have been broken before God's Law and see their state as hopeless. But all is not lost! "God, who is in mercy, because of His great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)... (Ephesians 2:4-5).

If you have not come to Christ for forgiveness, then you have no case before God. What are you going to do?