Dudley Rutherford - Keeping a Smile on Your Faith

A Study Through the Book of James

Unlocking the Secret to a Joyful ChristianWalk

by

Dudley C. Rutherford

Smashwords Edition

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Published on Smashwords by:

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CallOnJesus.com

Keeping a Smile on Your Faith

Copyright 2006 byDudley Rutherford and Joy Comes in the Morning Productions

Reprinted 2010 byCallOnJesus.com

ISBN 0-9764289-3-8

Scripture quotations are from: The HolyBible, New International Version, Copyright 1973, 1984 byInternational Bible Society, used by permission of ZondervanPublishing House

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This book is dedicated to my father in whosefootsteps I have carefully followed. His ability to preach and hiscompassion for the lost will forever abide in me. He will always bemy favorite preacher in the whole wide world.

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Acknowledgements

This book has truly been a labor of love. Somany have cared for this project and come alongside to help. Iwould like to thank my editors Rosie Curtis, Jim Dawson, Jeremy andLesley Hoff, Caleb Kaltenbach, Jim and Joyce Kolberg, Kari Macer,Angie Merrill, Paula Morgan, Rebecca Nicely, Carmen Robaina, GraceStrong, Donna Tharp, Ana and Louis Vargas, Whitney Watkins, andElizabeth Wozniak. I greatly appreciate you all for lending yourtime and expertise. Thank you to Danny Caudillo for his creativity,hard work, patience, and dedication in designing the cover of thisbook. Finally, I would like to acknowledge my fellow pastors BruceCramer, Salvador Fuentes, Rick Kasel, Hal Miner and Gene Richardsonfor contributing to this book and for their love, dedication andsupport. The Lord has richly blessed my life with all of you, andothers like you, who help me to keep a smile on my faith each andevery day.

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Preface

Not too long ago I was talking on the phoneto a young man who was struggling with some problems. After I hadfinished listening to his issues, I shared the first thing thatcame to my mind, Brother, you need to keep a smile on your face.There was a brief silence on the other line, and he asked me, Didyou say I need to keep a smile on my faith? I laughed and said,No, no, I said you need to keep a smile on your face.After the phone conversation I sat in my chair and began to thinkabout that phrase, Keep a smile on your faith. Being apreacher, I am always on the lookout for sermon topics and freshnew ways to express biblical truths, so I immediately began tothink about how that phrase could apply to life. Then I thoughtabout that phrase as a way of life. When life gets you down,keep a smile on your faith. When you are being tested,keep a smile on your faith. When there seems to be no lightat the end of the tunnel, keep a smile on your faith.

Any committed Christian can tell you thatthe hardest thing anyone could ever do is be a faithful, consistentbeliever. Weve all seen those whove tried their best to live theChristian life only to turn back when things got difficult. Becauseits so easy for the Christian to give up, we need encouragement tocontinue our walk of faith during tough times. We need to bereminded time and time again to keep a smile on our faith,and the Book of James reveals how we can do just that! We areliving in a pressure-packed society. It seems like it was onlyyesterday that terrorists destroyed the World Trade Center. Ourcountry is now thoroughly involved in the war on terror. Two yearsago Indonesia and other lands bordering the Indian Ocean sustainedincomprehensible damage in the wake of a devastating tsunami.Hurricane Katrina caused New Orleans to be submerged under 10 to 20feet of water.

People cannot watch TV without being exposedto violence and sexual immorality of some sort. It is the age ofanxiety. However, it is not just the people of the world that arehaving problems. It is not just the people of the world that areundergoing therapy. It is not just the people of the world that arecommitting suicide. It is not just the worldly that are beingconfronted with death day after day. Followers of Christ undergothe same type of problems as the people in the world. Jesuspromised us in John 16:33, In this world you will have trouble.But take heart! I have overcome the world. Jesus has given ushope. I have written this book as a message of hope. I pray that asyou continue on your Christian walk, you will keep a smile on yourfaith!

Pastor Dudley C. Rutherford

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Chapter 1: Practical Principles for a PuzzledPeople

James, a servant of God and of the LordJesus Christ, to the twelve tribes scattered among the nations:Greetings. Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you facetrials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of yourfaith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work sothat you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If anyof you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to allwithout finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when heasks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is likea wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man shouldnot think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is adouble-minded man, unstable in all he does. The brother in humblecircumstances ought to take pride in his high position. But the onewho is rich should take pride in his low position, because he willpass away like a wild flower. For the sun rises with scorching heatand withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty isdestroyed. In the same way, the rich man will fade away even whilehe goes about his business.

James 1:1-11

He was certainly a very humble man becausehe identifies himself as a servant of God and...a slave of theLord Jesus Christ. That is pretty amazing. Can you imagine if yourbrother or relative told you that he was the Messiah? Would youbelieve him? Can you imagine writing a book saying that yourbrother or relative was the Lord of the whole world? That isexactly what James did. He humbled himself and exalted Jesus.

However, James did not write this book to define doctrines of thefaith as the Apostles Paul and Peter did in Romans or 1 and 2Corinthians, or 1 and 2 Peter. Instead he wrote to teach aboutwisdom, compassion, prayer, faith, sacrifice, suffering, patience,love, religion, and righteousness. Over and over again, Jamesdrives home the point that we need to live as Christians each andevery day.

He writes this epistle to the TwelveTribes. He was writing to the Jewish Christians scattered bypersecution throughout the Mediterranean world. During the time ofJames writing, many Christians were being persecuted for theirfaith. Some lost their jobs and their families, while others werethrown in prison, beheaded, or burned at the stake. Becoming aChristian was dangerous business, so the early Christians fled likerefugees fleeing their homeland. Im sure some of them werethinking, This is great! I have become a Christian and now nothingbut problems plague my life. Because of the great pressure theywere facing, the early church looked to James for some words ofhope. James wrote to them to give them the hope and encouragementthey so desperately needed. Lets look at the five encouragementsthat James gives these early Christians in the first twelveverses.