Soaring with Eagles: Reveling in Sunny Spaces and Diving into Gorges Devotional Meditations Upon the Book of James

By James Gibson

Soaring With Eagles is a book of devotional meditations upon the book of James. It helps us to deal with our trouble and suffering. I want to be in the line in Heaven, waiting to talk to James about his book. I want to recite my heartbreaks and ask James, "Should I have been happy about these?" I already anticipate his response, "Yes, for suffering stretches you and brings all the character that God has already placed within you to the surface, or it diminishes you because you do not see its intended purpose and accept it."
The growth that suffering awakens in us will produce real faith, which shows itself in ministry to the poor, disenfranchised, downtrodden and needy people around us. This book is for all those who want to become real Christians instead of plastic Christians. All who yearn for true greatness should benefit from reading Soaring With Eagles. Readers should learn to laugh when suffering comes their way, knowing that suffering can be a gift from God.
Soaring With Eagles should prepare readers for the time when life tumbles in. And, when it does, we will be drawn toward God instead of retreating away from Him.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trafford Publishing
• Release date: Sep 23, 2011
• ISBN: 9781426974458

James Gibson

James Gibson was born and reared in central Texas. He completed undergraduate studies at Rice University in Houston, Texas in 1958, and completed theological studies at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas in 1962. After graduating from seminary, He studied under Dr. Nat Tracy at Howard Payne University in Brownwood, Texas—auditing his undergraduate courses for several years. Dr. Tracy and James Gibson served together as co-chaplains at the State Juvenile Rehabilitation Center in Brownwood, Texas for five years. He was pastor of three churches in central Texas before founding an experimental house church on Lake Brownwood in 1968. This made it necessary to become a bi-vocational minister. This church pioneered in providing outdoor worship services for visitors to Lake Brownwood. Church by the Lake focused upon spiritual formation and experimented with various spiritual growth techniques. He remained the spiritual leader for Church by the Lake for 26 years until his partial retirement in 1995. James’ bi-vocational ventures were varied in nature. He was involved in residential home building for 34 years. Simultaneously, his wife, Pat, and he constructed and operated a mini-storage business in Bangs, Texas for 20 years and have operated a service ministry to hunters in Colorado for 30 years. James led in the formation of a partnership to purchase and operate a small ranch in Southwest Colorado. Until just over one year ago, he served as managing partner for this venture. In their partial retirement they served as International Service Corps missionaries for the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. Writing has been a longtime interest for James. In addition to this book, he has published two other books, “Cosmic Warriors”—Partners in the Ultimate Triumph of God and “Soaring With Eagles”—Devotional Meditations upon the Book of James

Book preview

© Copyright 2011 James Gibson.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored

in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic,

mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written prior permission of the author.

Printed in the United States of America.

ISBN: 978-1-4269-7444-1 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4269-7445-8 (e)

Trafford rev. 09/19/2011

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Contents

DEDICATION

PREFACE

INTRODUCTION

God’s Servant

The Beauty of Servant Life

Spontaneous Servanthood

Many Changes

Unity and Community

Laugh at Trouble

When Life Tumbles In

Patience

Problems–A Threat or a Gift?

Ready for Anything

Recognizing God’s Voice

Am I A Misfit?

Core Values

Material Values

Love The Right Self

Temptation

The Evil Within

God Chose Me!

The Word of God

Anger

Healing of The Inner Life

Looking Good Versus Being Good

It Automatically Happens

Honesty With Myself

Free to Look Inside

Personality Murder

Authentic Christianity

Anemic Churches

Leaking Values

Wrong Again

Blessed Are The Poor

Living in Another Domain

Made for The God Kind of Life

God Loves the Guilty

Behavior Matters

Pseudo Christianity

Useless Faith

Authentic Faith

Friends With God

New Vision

Confrontation

Consequences for Our Mistakes

Life Taker or Life Giver?

Control of Our Lives

Tame Me

Untangle Me

The God-Kind of Life

Evil Desires

Real Prayer

With Friends Like This—God Needs No Enemies

An Incomplete Journey

The Pilgrimage Within

Arrogance and Humility

Closeness With God

Lifting Others

Soaring With Eagles

Major Issues

The Dangers of Wealth

A Person or A Thing?

Breaking The Spell

The Lord’s Return

Is It Near?

Wrong Again

Suffering Is Our Friend

Suffering, God’s Tenderness and Mercy

Privileged or Victimized

Props Are Not Necessary

Keep Praying

A Healthy Spirit

Koinonia*

Healed Spirits

Confession, Where God Can Be Touched

Healing Our Past

Great Power

Wanderer Or Rescuer

The Spirit of James

EPILOGUE

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Living Bible.

Copyright 1971 by Tyndale House Publishers,

Wheaton, Illinois 60187

DEDICATION

To the memory of K Blair

Who demonstrated for so many of us

the reality that we could be grateful for sufferings

and thank God for them.

PREFACE

I kept a journal of my daily meditations for years. They were based upon scripture, as are these in Soaring With Eagles. Ultimately, they were shared with more than 60 subscribers over the Internet. Positive responses prompted me to write the book hoping that you and others might benefit from it.

I have recorded my prayers as a conclusion to each devotional meditation. Most of these prayers include a response that I perceive coming from God. I hope this will not be misinterpreted as trying to speak for God. Those responses are my honest interpretation of how God responds to me. I am fully aware that I am capable of misunderstanding God. But, I strongly believe that prayer should include time for listening to God.

I have recently shared these meditations with a men’s Bible study that meets each Sunday morning at a local restaurant. Their responses have also encouraged me to undertake writing the lessons from James into publishable form. James is not an easy book to study, but it is one of my favorites because it never fails to challenge me to become a better person. It is my hope that readers of this book will join me in wanting to become better persons. Receptive spirits are the key to becoming better persons, for God can take open, hungry hearts and make something beautiful of them.

James Gibson

May 1, 2011

Bangs, Texas

INTRODUCTION

James, Jesus’ half brother, has left us a treasure. He has instructed us in the way to live a Christian life. He tells us how to deal with suffering better than any other biblical author. He speaks to many, for there are many who have experienced and who are experiencing suffering. When friends ask, How can I tell if I am going to experience suffering? I answer, Place three fingers upon your forehead, and if you are warm, then you will experience suffering.

James tells us that we are to be happy when suffering comes upon us. The line waiting to speak with James in Heaven is going to be a long one. I hope to be in that line, for I want to recite my heartbreaks and ask, Did you intend that I be happy about this? I already anticipate James’ answer, Yes! Suffering stretches us and awakens the character that God has already placed within us. Or, it diminishes us because we have not seen its intended purpose and accepted it. I hope that readers of this book will learn to laugh when suffering comes, knowing that suffering can be a gift from God.

James also calls us to living a servant life and demonstrates servanthood in his own life. He instructs us in the meaning of genuine faith and tells us that real faith results in ministry to the poor, disenfranchised, downtrodden and needy people around us. He tells us that a controlled life is possible for all who have a close relationship with God. It is in our relationship with God that our imaginations are captured. Captivation results in a changed inner being, which emanates into behavior that is real and not contaminated by human efforts. James helps his readers to understand the difference between real Christianity and plastic Christianity. He tells us that God has already placed qualities within us that need to be awakened. All who yearn for true greatness should benefit from the study of James.

God’s Servant

Scripture reading: James 1:1. This letter is from James, a servant of God and of