Wisdom: How to Proceed in Faith

"James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,

To the twelve tribes that are scattered abroad:

Greetings. My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, WHO GIVES TO ALL LIBERALLY AND WITHOUT REPROACH, and it will be given to him. But let him ask IN FAITH, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For LET NOT THAT MAN SUPPOSE THAT HE WILL RECEIVE ANYTHING from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways." (James 1:1-8)

Liberally and without reproach or nothing more. What makes the difference in what we receive in order to proceed? Asking in faith, single-mindedly!

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good TESTIMONY." (Hebrews 11:1,2)

" 'Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.' And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Then he said to me, 'Write: '''Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!''' ' And he said to me, 'These are the true sayings of God.' And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, 'See that 

you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren 
WHO HAVE THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS.' " 
(Revelation 19:7-10)

Let These Pray and Sing

"Is anyone among you suffering? Let HIM pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let HIM sing psalms. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let THEM pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will lift him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." (James 5:13-16)

Notice that James did not direct those who were suffering or cheerful to call for the elders of the church. They were/are the elders of the church.

"Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy." (1 Peter 4:12,13)

"Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. Then he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit." (James 5:17,18)

Elijah had to understand that his prayer would cause great difficulty for those of that land. They would suffer from the drought. Those circumstances also would give those the opportunity to turn to God. The prayer of Elijah gave those the opportunity to repent toward and trust God, THEN heaven gave rain, and the earth produced fruit.

Hearing and Confessing

"So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does." (James 1:19-25)

"But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, 'Do not say in your heart, '''Who will ascend into heaven?'''(that is, to bring Christ down from above) or, '''Who will descend into the abyss?'''(that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? 'The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart' (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." (Romans 10:6-10)

"So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."(Romans 10:17)

Part of doing the word, after having heard, is to confess it. Confessing the Lord Jesus, in obedience to the word, awakens, reminds, and quickens those who are willing to persevere in His calling. He is our hope and His life our confession: from the new birth through to our bearing our cross, following Him. The word of faith in Christ Jesus!

What Faith Is Now

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which are visible."

"By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks."

"By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, 'and was not found, because God had taken him'; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God."

"But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for He who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him."

"By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with Godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith." (Hebrews 11:1-7)

Certainly, faith is an empowering understanding which turns us to God. The chapter is filled with testimony of those received it.

"And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did 

not receive the promise, God having provided something BETTER for us, that they should not be made PERFECT apart from us. Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses (those mentioned in Chapter 11), let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 11:39-12:2)

A good testimony becomes better ("perfect") in the name of Jesus Christ; through faith in Him, believing. Those who seek Him will receive every empowering understanding.