Today's Passage: James 5

Do you know of anyone whose faith-walk is not at all what it used to be? They used to be in church whenever the doors where open faithfully serving whenever and wherever they could. Giving to help others less fortunate, until one day you happened to noticed that they were gone from the halls of the church.

For some it seemed a slow-fade, excuses kept mounting up. The desire to serve, to attend even fellowships waned, until finally they didn't want to even talk about God's Word, or have anything to do with our faith.

What do you do when you come across someone like that?

Whenever I think of chapter five in the Book of James, I immediately think of the passage on prayer found in James 5:13-18, and I was prepared today to head there and write another article on prayer, but it was James' closing words that grabbed my attention this time:

"My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back,  let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins." James 5:19-20

 I've always loved the Book of James for it's so practical, and here in the last chapter he seems to be throwing in some eclectic thoughts as he seeks to wrap up his letter, which is why suddenly the thought  struck me, "why does he close so abruptly with this encouragement to go after those who have wandered from the faith?" 

I don't think it was by accident that James writes these verses right after he writes on the power of fervent prayer,(James 5:13-18) do you? I believe James knew that that was where our ministry of reconciliation begins!

Father, Give me a heart of compassion that sees the wanderers as You see them. Give me a heart willing to leave my creature comforts to go after them to win them back to You. Give me a brave heart, that's ready to face rejection and still not be willing to give up on them. Go before me and give me the words needed to win them back to your truth and grace.  Help me Jesus, be "all-in" in Your ministry of reconciliation. Amen

The great news is Jesus' whole ministry was a ministry of reconciliation for He Himself declared, “I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Matthew 9:13). Therefore, we know we have our Savior's heart when we set out to win others back to Him. 

Paul pretty much spells it up for us in 2 Corinthians 5:18-19, "All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to Himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 

Isn't that amazing!? That our Father, Lord and Savior would entrust us with the ministry and message of reconciliation?

Oh beloved, there is a lost and hurting world out there and He has entrusted us with His message of reconciliation! O may we be about our Father's business, for His word promises us in Proverbs 11:30, "The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and whoever wins souls is wise."

Blessings, 
sue