Good to be turning our Bibles this evening to the epistle of James in the chapter 1. And while you're finding a place, could I say again that it's a real joy for me to be here in Lough. I don't know how I'm going to preach after a feed like that. It's hard even standing up and never talk about preaching. But it is a real joy to be back with you. I've really enjoyed the warmth of the fellowship, even here on the Lord's Day and again tonight. course I'm gonna have to be very careful what I say tonight because on Sunday I was saying that Mr. Fitton always brings in Australia when he's preaching in Cumber so I got a text the next day from Mr. Fitton I don't always mention Australia so think of a spy someone here is taking information back to Cumber so I'm gonna have to be very careful I want to say today in case I get another text from Mr. Fitton tomorrow morning. But it's a joy to be here. I've really enjoyed the warmth of the fellowship. And I can assure you that you are remembered in our prayer meeting in Cumber, and I know also in many of our other congregations as well. And we trust God will come among you in a mighty way and that you'll see your neighbours and those in the surrounding area brought to a saving faith in Christ and joined even to the work here in Lough. James, the chapter one, and we'll read just from the beginning of the chapter. James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which scattered abroad, greeting. My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divert temptations, knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith nothing wavering, for he that wavereth like a wave of the sea, driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord. A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways. Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted, but the rich in that he is made low, because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away. For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth. So also shall the rich man fade away in his ways. Blessed is the man that endureth temptations, for when he is tried he shall receive the crown of life which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God, for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man. But every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed. Then, when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin, and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. Do not err, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath. For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. Amen. We know that God will bless the reading of his own precious word to each of our hearts. Let's just bow together in a word of prayer. Our Father in heaven, we thank you for thy hand upon our lives. for the warmth of the fellowship that we have enjoyed this evening. We thank thee for the word of God and we pray, Lord, that thou wouldst take even this passage and that thou wouldst make it to live before us. We pray, Lord, that thou wouldst instruct us and shape us through thy word. Lord, to that end, I cry unto thee for help. Make me thine instrument. Lord, may I be a channel of blessing, even in this place this evening. And so, Lord, give us words from thyself and by thy spirit take thy word, hide it in this heart and in each of our hearts even this evening. For Lord, we pray in thy name and for thy glory. Amen. I want to draw your attention this evening just to the verse 17 of the chapter 1 of James. Every good and every perfect gift is from above and cometh down from the father of lights with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." As you read through the history of the children of Israel, we find that it is generally one of affliction, languishing in the chains of Egypt for 430 years. They returned home only to be eventually carried away, can't of again. Finally returning from their bondage in Babylon, the storm centuries later began to blow yet again. This time fanned by Saul of Tarsus' hatred of Christ, Stephen was stoned to death, James was beheaded, and Peter was arrested. Many other believers were cruelly uprooted and treated in a most shameful and terrible manner. Being driven out of Jerusalem, they were scattered abroad throughout Pontus, Galatia, and Cappadocia. And rather than writing to tell them that their sufferings were now over, James taking up his pen, he said in verse 2, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations. And he reminded them that their trials were not yet over. As well as being many and varied, he warned them in verse 13 that there also would be many temptations. However fearing less, some of them would be overcome. He told them then in verse 16 not to err. Lifting up their eyes, he drew their attention to the good and to the many perfect gifts that the Lord had bestowed upon them. And you see tonight the Christian life is not one that is merely negative, but it is also positive, as well as the bufferings there are also the times of blessing. Indeed reminding the Roman believers of their standing in Christ, Paul said in Romans 8, 32, How shall he not with him also freely give us all things? And he reminded them that the Lord had not only given them justification and adoption, but he had given to them all things. In fact, emphasizing that, the psalmist said in Psalm 84 in the verse 11, No good thing will he withhold from them that walk upright like. And walking with God, he assured them that God would withhold no good thing from them. And you see, as well as the trials in life, there are the treasures in life. He blesses us again and again and again. In Morgan, in Queensland, there used to be one of the richest gold mines in the world. And while hundreds of tons of gold were extracted from the earth, yet the family that originally owned the land and originally lived there had absolutely nothing. They had no possessions really in the world. And you know, if we are living in spiritual poverty, it is not God's fault. My friend, beneath our feet, there are all spiritual blessings. God has given all the blessings in heavenly places, my unto us. And yes, there are trials. Yes, there are troubles. But for every trial, for every trouble, there is an abundance, an abundance of blessings. And if God has not given you that thing that you would like, my, the answer is very simple. It's because it was not good for you. My, the Christian life is one of blessing. He has blessed us again and again and again. Can we not say tonight, he has not only filled my cup, but he has caused it to flow over again. And again. And so I want to simply this evening draw your attention to these words. I think as we come into this verse we see firstly here our God. Lifting their eyes beyond the trials he now drew them up into the heavens. Setting before them the greatness and majesty of their heavenly father. You notice here that he is immutable. Unlike the world all around us he said in verse 17. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. The lights mentioned here are many and changing. Even the moon is continually waxing and waning through various phases, and might is always changing. However, unlike those lights, he said that with the Lord there is no variability. He neither waxes nor wanes. Again, our shadow is constantly changing. As we change or we change our position, so our shadow changes. The taller we become, the taller our shadow becomes. The broader we become, the broader our shadow becomes. However, unlike our shadow, His shadow never turns. Why? Because God never changes, nor does He change His position. You see, our God is not only infinite, but He is immutable. He is eternally the same in His character and in His counsel. Indeed, the Lord has said, In Malachi chapter 3 in the verse 6, for I am the Lord, I change not. Some objecting to these words, they point to Jonah chapter 3 in the verse 10, where we are told there that the Lord repented. Repentance being a change of mind. They say there you are, my God changed. He is therefore not immutable. You know sometimes our shadow is longer than it is at other times. And it's not because the sun has changed, but it's because we have changed or because we have changed our position in regard to the sun. And the reason God was said to have repented or in that portion was not because he had changed, but rather because the Ninevites had changed. They had repented or they had turned from their sin. You see, being perfect, God cannot change for the better. And being perfect, God cannot change for the worse. He is eternally the same. You could take your bicycle out tomorrow and you could begin to ride down by the road. And as you ride down the road, the wind is blowing in your face. You begin to turn around gradually to the right. And all of a sudden, the wind is no longer in your face, but at your back. And you might be tempted to say to yourself, the wind has changed direction. But in reality, it's not the wind that changed direction, but it was you that changed direction. And if you don't feel God's love, God's power, God's peace in your life as once you used to, it's not because God has changed, but rather somewhere along the line, you changed. You changed towards God. The hymn writer taking up his pen, he wrote yesterday, today, forever, Jesus is the same. All may change, but Jesus never. Glory to his name. How can I face tomorrow with all the problems and all the difficulties that it may bring? My friend, because I know that the God I serve, my, changes not. He who loved me yesterday will love me today and love me tomorrow. He, my, who has been my help in the past, he will be my help tomorrow. You see, he never changes. All around us changes, we change. But God never changes. His love towards us is constant. He never changes. But I think in these words we not only notice here that He is immutable, but He is invincible. Gazing upon His handiwork, He said in verse 17, And cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. He reminds them that God was the creator of all lights. To the naked eye, the greatest of the lights is the sun. Measuring 865,000 miles in diameter, it has amassed 330,000 thousand times that of the earth. If you could line up all of the planets along the sun's equator three times over, you would still have room for another Saturn, four Earths, and a Mercury. And yet, by the word of his power, the Lord not only created the sun, but he created all of the lights. You see, God is not merely mighty. But He is almighty. He possesses all power. Indeed, speaking unto the Lord, the prophet said in Jeremiah 32 in the verse 17, Ah, Lord God, behold, thou wast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee. And going on in the following verses, he reminded the Lord even of how that he had brought their ancestors out of Egypt and more than that, how he had opened up the waters of the Red Sea. Never forget. that for between two and three million people to cross over the Red Sea in one day, they would have had to have marched at least 5,000 abreast. It would have required an opening at least three miles wide. No wonder the prophet said, nothing is too hard for thee. You see, with God, there is no problem he cannot solve. There is no person that he cannot smite. And my friend, there is no person also that he cannot save. He possesses all power. Has he not already done the most difficult things? My, he created the heavens and the earth and all that in them is by the word of his power, and again he destroyed it by a great flood. My, we think again, has he not also, my, taken the chief of sinners and turned them into the chief of saints? One of the early Christians perplexed over that portion of the word of God which represents the earth being founded upon the waters. He eventually said, I forgot God when I said, how can this be? And why is it that God's people are often discouraged, downcast and perplexed? It's because they forgot God. Oh you see believer, this evening our God is omnipotent. There is nothing that God cannot do. My, there's not a sinner that he cannot save. There's not a society that he cannot shake up. Sometimes people look up and they get discouraged and they say, oh preacher, the day is too dark. My God could not work on our day. God could not send revival. Let me tell you, my friend, the day was much darker in the days of Whitefield and Wesley. And yet God came in. And God changed that society. Oh, the God that we serve, He is immutable. He is invincible. There's nothing He cannot do. I think also we notice in these words that He is illuminating, revealing His greatness, He said in verse 17. and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. John tells us in the opening words of his gospel, the light shineth in the darkness, and the darkness comprehendeth it not. The sun rising in the morning, the night is unable to resist its rays. That which was hidden and menacing in the darkness suddenly becomes clear. You see, the light, it brings clarity and understanding. And being the father of lights, my His presence is illuminating. It drives back the darkness, expelling the confusion that often shrouds us. Indeed, Daniel being asked not merely to interpret Nebuchadnezzar's dream, but to reveal the dream, we find him going and gathering his colleagues and coming together. They fell upon their knees and praying, we read in Daniel 2.19, then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the name of the God of heaven. You see, it was only when they came into the presence of him who is light that Daniel was able to see through the darkness of symbolism and reveal to Nebuchadnezzar not only his dream, but the meaning of it. You see, while information comes through study, illumination, comes through supplication. It is as we sit in the light of his presence that our darkness and confusion is driven away. Have you maybe in the past been walking up some little lane in a dark night and as you've walked amongst the trees suddenly something has brushed the top of your head? And immediately the cold shiver began to run down your back, and you took to your heels and you ran as quick as you could. And you went into the house and you locked the door, and then you put on the light. And then you began to be curious. And you began to think to yourself, I wonder what that was that brushed the top of my head. You rose early the next morning, you went out, and my going down, and my the lane, and coming to the exact same spot, you've discovered an old paper bag hanging off of a branch. and you have laughed, what made the difference? My friend, the light, the light. And perhaps there's things in your life and you can't understand them. Perhaps even when you come to the word of God, there are those doctrines and instead of bringing joy to your heart, bringing gladness to your heart, they terrify your heart. What should you do? My friend, sit in his presence. He's the Father of Lights. As you sit in His presence, the darkness will be driven back. You'll begin to understand. You'll be able to see those things in a very different way. You see, our God, He is immutable. He never changes. Our God is invincible. He's almighty. Our God is illuminating. His very presence brings clarity. and light into our lives. But I think as we look at these verses, not only do we notice in these verses our God, but surely we notice our gifts. Drawing their attention to his hand, he reminded them then of his giving. And as well as having already given to them his only begotten son, you notice here that his giving, that his giving is perpetual. Unlike the giving of men, he said in verse 17, every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and cometh down from the father of lights with whom is no variableness. He uses the phrase cometh down rather than falleth down in order to show that his gifts are not haphazard nor by chance. More than that, it is a present participle which denotes a continuous action. It could be read, it keeps coming down. In other words, James was telling them here, there was no ending to God's giving. It would come and come and come again. You see, God's giving is not only perfect, it is perpetual. It never ends. Nor can it be exhausted. Indeed, coming into the wilderness, the Lord not only gave to the children of Israel the quails, but he gave to them manna. Falling upon the Jew every morning, except the Sabbath morning, it was white, which symbolizes purity. Unfalling, we read in Exodus 16, 35. And the children of Israel did eat manna forty years. until they came to a land inhabited. They did eat manna until they came unto the borders of the land of Canaan. And not only did the manna fall every morning except on the Sabbath morning, but it continued to fall until they came to the promised land. It continued to fall until they no longer had any need for it. You see, God's giving never ceases until our need ceases. He giveth and giveth and giveth again. Many years ago, a number of ambassadors of mine were sent to choose a new king for the nation from a set of twins. They would enter the room and the two twins were in their cots. They were fast asleep. As they looked at the two little babies, they were dressed in identical manner. As they looked at their features, they discovered that their features were identical. They were the same size. Their eyes were the same color. Their faces were the same shape. Wondering which king they would choose. Which one they would choose to be king. They happened to notice that one of the little babies My slept with his hand open, and he chose that babe to be the king. And that little baby came known as the king with an open hand. And you know, we serve this evening a king with an open hand. His hand is always open towards us. He giveth and giveth, and then he giveth again. The hymn writer said, when we've exhausted our store of endurance, When our strength has failed ere the day is half done, when we reach the end of our hoarded resources, our Father's full giving is only begun. And you see, believer, whatever your need is, God is able to meet it. You see, He doesn't merely give peace, but He gives peace that passes all understanding. He doesn't merely give us joy, but He gives us joy that grows and grows until it's climaxed in the joy of heaven itself. If we have not, it's not because God is not willing to give. He giveth again and again. You may have exhausted the resources of today, for today. But my friend, there's more resources even for tomorrow. His giving never ends, it's perpetual. Also you notice there that his giving is perfect. We're told verse 17, every good gift and every perfect gift is from above. Earlier reminding his readers that God tempts no man, he now reinforces these words. Not only does He not tempt men to sin, but every gift that comes from His hand is not only good, but it is perfect. There are no flaws in them. And you see, God's gifts, they're not only rich, but they're righteous. There's no flaws in them. Indeed, the Apostle Paul said in 2 Corinthians 12, in the verse 7, And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelation, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. And you notice here that this thorn, where did it come from? It came from the hand of God. But while it was uncomfortable, while it brought to Paul great pain, yet it was perfect. Because it stopped him being lifted up with pride. You see, God's gifts are not always pleasant. But God's gifts are always perfect. They're for our good. I remember reading many years ago the story of an old African king. And he had a servant. And no matter what happened, the servant would always turn to the king. And he would say, it's good. One day the keen was out hunting and as he took up his gun and fired, the gun exploded and Maed blew off his thumb. And the servant looking at the keen and seeing his thumb gone and the blood dripping from it, he turned to the keen and he said, it's good, it's good that your gun exploded. Well, the keen couldn't see how it was good and he was furious. And so he had his soldiers take the man and to throw him into jail. Many, many months later, the keen was hunting away in a far-off jungle. And as he was hunting, he was captured by cannibals. They brought him in, they washed him, they put him in the cooking pot, they put in the water, and they began to light the fire, when all of a sudden they noticed that the keen had no thumb. And of course, having no thumb, they being superstitious, they said they couldn't eat him. And so they let the keen go. And the king being let go, suddenly his thoughts went to a servant who had said to him, when the gun exploded, it is good. And he thought to himself, it's terrible, I took that servant and I put him in jail. And so he went home and he got, he went home, he went to the jail and he let his friend out. And he apologized to his friend. He said, it was terrible that I sent you to jail. And the friend looked at him and he said, your majesty, it was good. It was good that you sent me to jail. And the king was exasperated and he turned to him, how could it be good that I would take my friend, I would throw him into jail? He said it was good because if I hadn't been in jail, I would have been with you. And you having no thumb, they would have let you go, but they would have eaten me. And you see, believers, sometimes we can't understand. We can't understand why things are happening in our lives. And sometimes the things that are happening, they seem to be against us. But if we're walking with God, his gifts are always good. The thorn may pierce, but if we're walking with him, the thorn is a purpose. The thorn has a reason. And if you're walking with God, those things in your life, they may not be what you want. They may not seem pleasing to your flesh. But my friend, they're good. God has them there for a purpose. His giving is not only my perpetual and perfect, but I think His giving is purposeful. Look at verse 18. Of His own will begat He also with the word of truth. that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures. At the harvest time, the first sheaf being brought in, it was always presented to the Lord. In other words, the reason that he had given to them these good gifts was that they might present themselves unto the Lord. You see, our deliverance demands our dedication. a presenting of ourselves unto the Lord. We often sing, take my life and let it be consecrated, Lord, to thee. And I wonder, believer, tonight, have you done that? Have you taken your life and have you given it to the Lord? You're the firstfruits. Have you given yourself to the Lord? Oh, our God. But my friend, also our giving. How good God is. My, He is given and given and given again. But lastly, I want you to notice quickly here our God. In verse 16, He warned them there not to err. And if we are not to err, we must not be distracted. Fearing less to be overcome, He said in that verse 17, Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Fearing the attack of Satan, he immediately drew their attention here, not only to the character of God, but to the bountifulness of his giving. It was as if he was saying to these believers, if you're not to be overcome, if you're not to err, Then remember God, and remember His goodness to you. Well, the first barrier to error is the judgment of God. The second barrier is the goodness of God. My, it strengthens us, stopping us being overcome. Indeed, Potiphar's wife, tempting Joseph to sin, we read in Genesis 39 verse 7, But he refused and said unto his master's wife, Behold, my master hath committed all that he hath to my hand. And what was it that stopped Joseph that day sinning with Potiphar's wife? It was the remembrance. It was the remembrance of Potiphar's goodness and kindness towards him. And you see, the remembrance of God's goodness is not only sweet, but as a safeguard. It stops us sinning against Him. Oh, my friend, when you're tempted, when you're tempted to err, when you're tempted to go off the narrow way and go in your own way, just stop. Remember God's goodness. Remember how He loved you when you were unlovable. Remember how He lifted you out of your sin. Remember how He blessed you when you deserved no blessing. And I tell you, when you remember those things, you'll not be able to err. Now your heart will be drawn afresh to Christ and to his love. They were not to be distracted. Notice also here, we're not to be deceived. He said, every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and cometh down from the Father of lights with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. The implication surely here is that the gift, if it does not come from God, It is therefore not perfect or good. It'll bring pain and hurt. And that gift, no matter how promising, if it's not from God, it's poison. Rather than bringing delight, it'll bring destruction. I've no doubt the forbidden fruit, it was beautiful, it looked rosy, it looked tasteful, but not being given by God. It brought destruction and death. And my friend, remember that thing in your life, if it comes and if it's not from God, it doesn't matter how good it looks. It doesn't matter how promising it seems. It's not good. Now that promotion may come, that path may seem very attractive, but if it's not God's path, if it's not God's will, it doesn't matter how good it looks, it's not perfect. It'll bring nothing but pain. It'll bring nothing but hurt. Don't be deceived. Also notice here, be not discouraged, he said, verse 16, my do not err, my beloved brethren. He reminded them that not only were they brethren and loved by him, but surely the implication was that they were also loved by God. Another defense against temptation is love. It shields and guards the heart. William Cowper wrote, amidst the roaring off the sea, my soul still hangs or hoping they Thy constant love, thy faithful care is all that saves me from despair. And my friend, when you are under attack and you feel discouraged, remember His love. Remember that love that drew you to Calvary's cross and that cleansed you. and made you anew. How good God is. He is perfect, immutable, immense. My bestowing gifts upon us. How gracious and good he is towards us. And in the battles and trials of life, my friend, remember. Remember he is good. Remember that his ways are always perfect. And remember that his love is sure. and His love is constant. What a God we serve. Let us remember and keep Him in our minds and in our hearts. Thank you.