James

James 4:7-10

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James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.
10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
 
Clearly we should know if we submit ourselves to God completely we should be able to resist the devil so that he leaves us alone. God will not over-rule our will. He gives us the power to choose. We must decide right, or wrong, for ourselves. The minute you emphatically say no to the devil and his temptations, he will go on to someone else and leave you alone. The closer we try to get to God the closer He will come to us and the way we draw closer is to cleanse our hearts and our minds and keep our hands from clean from all unrighteousness and be not torn between right and wrong. As a sinner we mourn over what we have done even to the point of weeping. The worldly laughter that we have will be turned to mourning in a heart of true repentance and our joy in repentance will be turned into heaviness. But that repentance brings a humble spirit in the sight of God and He will lift us back up and restore a new joy to hearts.
James

James 4: 5-6

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James 4:5 Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?
6 But He giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
 
The spirit being referenced her is not the Holy Spirit but the human spirit that dwells in each of us and we should know that the scripture tells us that lust to envy is not of God and is a sin. Then in the next verse we see that our only hope is the grace given by God. It states that God resists the proud, because pride is usually the culprit that cause people to envy or lust after things of this world. The Bible tells us to come humbly before the Lord and He will give us grace. This is what it takes to be able to be a servant and that is what God ask us to do, to be His servants. We are saved by the grace of God, and we have nothing to be proud about. Salvation for us is a free gift.
1 Peter 5:6 “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:”
James

James 4: 4

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James 4:4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
 
When we here these two names called we first think of the human aspect of what this is saying but what James is referring this to is the way people are with their Christianity. Being spiritually unfaithful which is just as much a sin as as adultery between two people. You say how do we commit spiritual adultery? By being a friend to everything the world has to offer and still trying to be a Christian. We have to be careful how we allow things of the world to affect our lives. As the scripture says to be a friend of the world is to be an enemy of God. Adultery is one of the worst sins because it affects the body, By being a Christian having the Holy Spirit and living a life lead by the flesh you would be involving the Holy Spirit in sin and that cannot happen. So in essence you would not be a friend or child of God. Either live and walk by the flesh or the spirit, if you are in the flesh the flesh rules and you are not of God. I pray you will be a Bible believing and truth teaching church today and let God fill your heart with His love and mercy.
James

James 4: 1-3

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James 4:1 From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?
2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.
3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
 
In this scripture James is talking about the the disunity in the church itself caused by the desires of the people of the church which cause internal conflict in the church. This discord that is sown in the the church is not what God intended. When we lust after things and go to any length to obtain it then we are not acting in the way a christian should act. It is not by our might that we are to have what God has for us but God intends for us to ask for what we need. When we go to God in prayer to ask him for what we need He will fulfill our needs but if we ask because it is something we want that is probably not good for us or someone else then we ask amiss and God will not fulfill that. The way this scripture started with trouble in the members is usually caused by people praying for personal things that are not beneficial to the body of Christ and when we ask amiss it cause this strife in the church. So we really need to concentrate on focusing on what the will of God is when we pray so we accomplish the will of God and not be consumed in our own lust.
James

James 3 : 13-18

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James 3:13 Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.14 But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.
15 This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.
 
Wisdom, the kind that comes only from God, is a gift from God. Those who have wisdom, and the Holy Spirit has given them knowledge of God’s Word, show the world by their actions and their speech, they are believers.This is just saying, your life and your speech will reveal to those around you, who you are in Christ. Each of us has his own special place with Christ. He has not called us to the same job as someone else. We should never look at someone else and be jealous, or want what they have. To want something someone else has, even if it is their relation with Christ, is coveting. God called each of us to do a job for Him that He could entrust us with. Bitterness and strife of all kinds come from the devil. All things that please the flesh are earthy, or of this earth. The spiritual things are not based on things of the earth. Lucifer was jealous and wanted to be God. You can see that this type of earthly wisdom and power is not spiritual. The natural man does not receive the things of God. Envy and strife are of the flesh. We must crucify the flesh to live with Christ. Envy causes many other sins. Christians are in this world, but we should not be controlled by earthly desires. Notice the word “but” in the verse above. It shows a direct contrast to the earthly man. This has jumped to those who are sold out to God. The wisdom from above comes to the believers. This wisdom is stored in a heart that is pure. Knowing of the security that is in Christ brings peace. When we are at peace with God and man, we are gentle. If we expect God to be merciful to us, we must be merciful to others. Christians should bear good fruit. You cannot be a Christian and a hypocrite at the same time. A true Christian is 100% the Lord’s. Righteousness flourishes in a climate of spiritual peace.
A Note from Hope

The Good Samaritan : A Note from Hope

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My mom loves to watch movies; one of her favorites is Forrest Gump. She likes that Forrest is very smart, even though most folks don’t realize how smart he really is.

Mom says one of the things he says that she likes is “I may not be a smart man, but I know what love is.”

It’s good to know what love is, and it’s even better to have people (and puppies and kitties) to love you. But Mom and I were sad earlier this week –   Mom was crying about a puppy that someone threw out on the side of the road. l  guess that puppy didn’t have anyone to love him. Mom said the puppy had mange- I don’t know what that is, but it sounds pretty yucky.

But one of my mom’s friends found the puppy and stopped and picked it up. She took it the vet and got it some medicine; then she took it home. She  put it in a safe place and makes sure it has lots of fresh water and plenty of good food to eat.  She plays with the puppy every day and gives him a bath when he needs it, to help his skin get better.

Mom says her friend is a good Samaritan – I didn’t know what that was either, until Mom told me the story. It’s in the Bible in Luke 10:25-37.  You see, some guy was out walking on a trip, and some bad guys beat him up and robbed him, and then they just threw him in the ditch. Then some people came by, but when they saw him, they were afraid to help him, so they just pretended like they didn’t see him.

But this other guy comes by – a Samaritan- and he sees the hurt man. He stops and picks him up and takes him somewhere to get him some help. The Samaritan tells the people there to take good care of the man, and he pays for everything and says he’ll come back on his way home to make sure there isn’t any more money on the bill.

Isn’t that a great story? Jesus says that we’re supposed to help take care of others… that we’re supposed to show love to folks just like He loves folks.

***************

Mom said to make sure that I tell you the rest of the story of the Samaritan; I didn’t know this part, but the man who got hurt was a Jew… and Samaritans and Jews didn’t like either. In fact, Jews sometimes called Samaritans “dogs” (I guess some people think being a dog is a bad thing).  Even though the Samaritan knew that the hurt man was a Jew, he helped him anyway. I guess Jesus even wants us to love the folks that hate us.  I think I’m gonna have to go gnaw on my tennis ball and think about that a little.

Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. Luke 6:28

James

James 3:9-12

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James 3:9 Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God.
10 Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.
11 Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?
12 Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.
 
James explains that man is made in God’s image so to curse people and yet bless God is inconsistent. Though the fall of mankind has marred that image or likeness, James teaches that it still exists. It is an impossibility to love God and hate His creation. To say we are a Christian is not enough. We must become Christlike, to truly be a Christian. When He was persecuted, He blessed. If our heart is truly stayed upon God, there would be no evil proceed from our mouth. In our every speech we need to watch what we say because a lot of times we say things without realizing we are speaking either a blessing or a curse. A well does not produce both bitter and sweet water at the same time. The well spoken of here, is the heart of man. It is more than obvious in all this; a tongue that speaks evil comes from an impure heart. As salt water cannot make sweet water, so the person who curses others cannot bless God. The cursing of people truly indicates what lies within a person. Light and darkness cannot dwell in the same place; the darkness is overcome by the Light. We must decide whether we will follow God, or whether we will follow Lucifer. We cannot do both. The Light of God, within us, does away with all darkness. The Light represents the sweet water. Darkness and salt water go hand in hand.
James

James 3:6-8

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James 3:6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.
7 For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind:
8 But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
 
Like fire, the tongue’s sinful words can spread destruction rapidly, or as its accompanying smoke, those words can permeate and ruin everything around it. In its course of nature the tongue’s evil can extend beyond the individual to affect everything in his sphere of influence.Hell conjures up not just the place but the satanic host that will someday inherit it – they use the tongue as a tool for evil. The tongue is a system of iniquity that sets on fire the whole course of life, and is even set on fire by Satan . When He has your tongue, He has you. Verse 6, above, is speaking of the tongue, before we turn it over to the Spirit of God. The taming has nothing to do with domesticating animals or training them to perform. The meaning is control or dominion. Mankind can control every lesser creature, but no one can control his own tongue. Only God, by His power, can tame the tongue. In the verse 8 we see that the tongue is the most difficult thing in the world to tame. In fact, man cannot tame the tongue. Only God can tame the tongue. The only way that any of us can speak pure words is with a heart, mouth, and tongue dedicated to God. Let Jesus wash your heart in the blood of the Lamb and speak pure words from a pure heart.
James

James 3 : 1-5

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James 3:1 My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.
2 For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.
3 Behold, we put bits in the horses’ mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.
4 Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth.
5 Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!
 
 
Masters,meaning teachers, a word that refers to a person who functions in an official teaching or preaching capacity. This is not meant to discourage true teachers, but to warn the prospective teacher of the role’s seriousness he true Teacher of all of us is the Holy Spirit of God. He will teach us all truth. the tongue can be considered an evil part of the body. This is why it is so important to allow God to control your tongue. The words that proceed out of a man’s mouth reveal what he really is. James provided several analogies that show how the tongue, even though small, has the power to control one’s whole person and influence everything in his life. This is saying that a tongue controlled by God can cause the whole body to follow God. A ship is guided by a very small part of the whole, likewise the heart is what we really are. The mouth, speaking from that heart, reveals to the world where we stand with God. Words we speak affect those around us. If we speak evil, we will stir up strife among others. If we speak soothing words, the fire of hate and anger will be extinguished.
James

James 2 : 25-26

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James 2:25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?
26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
 
The Old Testament records the content of her faith, which was the basis of her justification before God. She demonstrated the reality of her saving faith when, at great personal risk she protected the messengers of God. James did not intend however, for those words to be a commendation of her occupation or her lying. The actions that Rahab took revealed that she had faith in God. She helped the messengers, because her faith in God was greater than her fear of men.The point of this analogy between the body and one’s faith is that both require an energizing element. The absence of that element renders the other component dead. The spiritual body that lives within this body of flesh is the part of us that will live on. When the spirit leaves the body, the life is gone. Faith that is not acted upon is like this empty shell of the body. Faith is not real, until the actions show the faith of the person.