“Is anyone among you in TROUBLE? Let them PRAY. Is anyone HAPPY? Let them SING songs of praise. Is anyone among you SICK? Let them call the elders of the church to PRAY over them and ANOINT them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; THE LORD WILL RAISE THEM UP. If they have SINNED, they will be FORGIVEN (by God alone, Only He can forgive our sins). Confess your (only God can forgive sins not a priest or any man) FAULTS (paraptōma: an unintentional departure from uprightness) to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. “The EFFECTUAL (powerful, successful) FERVENT (energeō: putting forth power) prayer of a righteous man AVAILETH (ischuō: to have power as shown by extraordinary deeds) much. Elijah was a human being, even as we are. HE PRAYED earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land FOR THREE AND A HALF YEARS. Again, he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops. My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, remember this: Whoever TURNS A SINNER from the error of their way will SAVE THEM FROM DEATH AND COVER OVER (covering sin means praying for love to cover the sinner, does not mean IGNORING or pretending it does not exist) A MULTITUDE OF SINS.” (James 5:13-20)
The phrase “cover over a multitude of sins” is an idiom that comes from the Bible, where it says, “Above all, love each other deeply, because LOVE COVERS over a multitude of sins.” (1 Peter 4:8). This means that love can forgive or overlook many wrongdoings, because love is patient, kind, and forgiving. “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. LOVE NEVER FAILS.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-8). However, covering sin does not mean IGNORING IT OR PRETENDING it does not exist we must repent of our sins because only God can and will forgive our sins.
Your Personal Pastor -Bill Stockham