13 Now listen to me, you that say, “Today or tomorrow we will travel to a certain city, where we will stay a year and go into business and make a lot of money.” 14 You don't even know what your life tomorrow will be! You are like a puff of smoke, which appears for a moment and then disappears. 15 What you should say is this: “If the Lord is willing, we will live and do this or that.” 16 But now you are proud, and you boast; all such boasting is wrong.
17 So then, if we do not do the good we know we should do, we are guilty of sin.
In the 1950 film noir thriller, D.O.A., Edmund O’Brien is told he has been
poisoned and only has days to live, luminous poison. Told from retrospective,
after he bursts into the police station and declares “I want to report a murder,
mine!” the story unfolds as to why, how, where, and when. Showing some great
shots of both LA and San Francisco as he tracks down the murderer. Watch it to
find out who dunnit and why, only 75 minutes, about the same time it takes to
sip your latte. Remade later in 1988, it lacks the suspense, drama, and the
noir of the original. Don’t get it by mistake. Also the jazz club scene in
San Fran is worth it for music the history-and they thought we were wild as
teenagers.
In the sixties, Ben Gazzara played a lawyer who was given as much as 18
months to live in the TV show “Run for Your Life,” the show lasting three years,
or twice as long as Gazzara’s character was given to live. Again a mysterious
disease, and Ben living the short time he had left, doing all the things he
always wanted to do. Fitting a whole life into 18 months, or three seasons,
longer than most gave him to live. A view into a desperate man, trying to live
his life to the fullest. And then along comes The Bucket List, where two
terminally ill men from both economic extremes join together, and try to live
out a list, a bucket list of one of them before they kick the bucket. Which in
our trendy social atmosphere of today, spurred many to write bucket lists of
their own, and set out to fulfill their desires even though not under the threat
of death. A term that has been used freely, and when I was sick, was asked
about my bucket list by some. Never had one, and still don’t, and I came as
close to death as you can without dying. And I do look at things differently,
and am asked many times how this affected my life. But only two of the many
asked the great question, “how has this affected your life with God?” And both
were not surprised by my answer, and allowed me to go into detail about my
Mose’s Experience, and the miracles that God performed in my family, and
myself. And today I still live in a right now situation, time is recalled as
before surgery and after surgery, and I truly take one day at a time, enjoying
the blessings in it, for I know what lies ahead, and I can’t wait to get back to
heaven. With one man adding after asking if I was going to ride more and
farther, added “your whole life is a vacation.” If only it were a paid
one.
James, the half brother of Jesus must have had a tough time growing up with
a perfect older brother. He never could rat Jesus out about not doing his
homework, not cleaning his room, and not doing chores. And if any trouble
brewed, be sure it wasn’t Jesus who ever got blamed. Truly blameless, but tough
to grow up with. So when James penned the book in the New Testament the at
bears his name, he has some insight to Jesus others didn’t. His book often
compared to Proverbs, as a New Testament version. And he deals a lot with
relationships, must have learned that one at home from his brother. But in one
verse in Chapter 4, he gives an outline of what not to do, an anti-bucket list
view point and divine advice. An insight as how to not stray from God, but to
better do His will. He warns “do not say that tomorrow we will travel to such
and such a city.” Boasting of how you have great plans, but not asking God what
His are, like He promises in Jeremiah 29, “for I know the plans for you, for a
hope and a future...” and you think you are smarter than God? “Where we will
stay for a year,” even have the time table worked out. “Where we will go into
business,” again a risky enterprise, Proverbs 3:16 tells us “Commit your works
to the Lord and your plans will be well established.” “And make a lot of
money.” Boastful, arrogant, and self assured-should do well with Donald Trump.
But pride always goes before the fall, and I know many who have gone this
route. Moving to Durango in 1978, I saw many who had vacationed there like us,
start a business, do well until Labor Day hit, and then when business died, so
did their dream. And fortunes along with it. Names available on request.
Proving scripture, just not following it.
So James goes on to say your life is like a vapor, and disappears after a
moment, and is not seen again. And exhorts us to ask if God is willing, then we
should do it. And calls any other attitude boasting. And proud boasting is
wrong. Remember when the disciples approached Jesus and asked Him how to pray,
He offered the Lord’s Prayer, telling us “thy will be done,” on earth as it is
in heaven. We can have heaven on earth, while still living an expectant life of
going to heaven. But it takes courage, trust, and a desire to serve a living
God. And sadly many of us fail, but God has provided mercy for us when we do.
So I ask, will you pray with me, asking for God’s will to be done in our lives?
That no matter the situation, we look to Jesus, and how He will be magnified,
rather than an escape route? We may not be able to live like He did, a virgin
womb to a virgin tomb, but we can enjoy the forgiveness He offers, and follow
Him, instead of our own list. Do we dare fulfill scripture that tells us God
will give us the desire of our heart, and make Jesus that desire? Before you
run for your life, run to Jesus and find life. No man is promised tomorrow,
often heard by patients who are facing death. Why not offer them eternal life,
for those in Christ will never see death, but live forever. I’d rather boast in
that scriptural promise.
So let me ask you the same statement James ends with, if we do not do the
good we know to do, then we sin. Do you know the good? His name is Jesus, and
without Him you are heading for death from sin. Let Him forgive you today, set
you on a righteous path, and deliver you from evil. Boasting in Jesus is the
right thing to do, but you have to know Him to boast in Him. It starts with
faith, are you willing to trust God in the spirit, or rather live like hell and
end up there? Believe me, when the end hits, and you never know when, your last
thoughts will not be of searching for God. And no bucket list will save you.
You are born DOA, and must be born again to inherit the kingdom of God. Join me
in boasting of the things of Jesus, and soon it will be in heaven, but for now
settle for on earth as it is heaven. Your whole life a vacation, when you
follow the right planner. And the plan He has just for you.
love with compassion,
Mike
matthew25biker.blogspot.com