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CHRISTIANITY OASIS
DAILY BREAD DEVOTIONAL
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TESTED AND TRIED
THE GENERAL EPISTLE OF JAMES
CHAPTER 1
Greetings, and
welcome back to Daily Bread. As you know, the Gospels were written by
Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, and the Acts of the Apostles was written by
Luke. The next fourteen epistles of the New Testament were all written by
the Apostle Paul, and now we have a different author to add. His name was
James.
James was a
follower of Jesus’, but as you may recall, Jesus had two Apostles named
James and probably even more followers after His Resurrection named James.
One was the brother of John, but looking back to the book of
Acts chapter 12,
John’s brother James was put to death by Herod, early on in the formation of
the church. The other apostle named James MAY be the author of this letter
that we’ll be studying but it is not certain. Some Bible "scholars"
want to spend all their time debating on things such as this but a TRUE
Scholar would know after reading the entire Bible that it is the fruits of
the tree that counts not what the tree was named, in other words ... What is
within the message being shared. That is what we seek.
James’ delivery,
as you will see, is a bit different from that of Paul, and some of the
things he deems as priorities are quite different as well, but each and
every one of us is different, and what motivates one person in their Faith
may not be the same as the next. So (the church) being one body with many
different parts, and each of them being important, let’s find out what
James’ message is, and how we can apply it to our lives.
It begins ... From
James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes
which are scattered abroad, greetings. My brethren, be joyous when various
trials challenge you, knowing that the testing
of your faith produces patience. But let
patience work thoroughly in you, so you’ll be complete and lacking nothing.
If any of you lack
wisdom, let him ask God for it, who gives to all men generously and without
partiality, and it will be given to him. How about that! Ask God for
wisdom . . . And you’ll get it! What’s the catch?
Ask in Faith. No doubts,
no double mindedness. Whoever wavers is like a wave of the sea, driven with
the wind and tossed. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. If you
ask God for something, then go off and doubt, it’s like being two-faced to
God, and James says, Let not that man think he will receive anything from
the Lord.
Let the brother
who is humble, rejoice in that he is lifted up, but the rich, in that he is
made low, because as the flower of the grass, he will pass away. Because the
sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it dries up the grass, and
the flower of it falls, and the beauty of it dies, as will the rich man come
to nothing in his ways.
Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial
(temptation), for when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of
life, that God has promised to those who love Him. When you’re tempted,
never think, I’m being tempted by God, because God can’t be tempted by evil,
nor does He tempt any man, but every man is tempted when he is drawn away by
his own lust (desires) and enticed (trapped). Then when lust has conceived
(when the desire is created), it brings forth sin (sin is born), and sin, in
the end, brings death. Don’t be deceived, my beloved brethren.
Every good gift
and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of
lights, with whom is no variation, neither shadow of turning (Numbers
23:19). Of His own will He begat us with the Word of truth, that we
should be a kind of first fruits (the best and purest) of His creatures. So,
my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to
anger: For the anger of man doesn’t produce the righteousness of God. So do
away with all filthiness and excess of naughtiness, and receive with
meekness the engrafted (planted) Word, which is able to save your souls.
Be doers of the Word, and not hearers only,
deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the Word, and not a
doer, he is like a man looking at his natural face in a mirror: he sees
himself, and goes his way, and immediately forgets what kind of a man he
was. But whoever looks into the perfect law of liberty, and obeys it, he is
not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work and this man shall be blessed
in his deed(s).
If any man
among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth
his own heart, this man's religion is vain. Pure religion and undefiled
(holy) before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows
in their trouble, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
James doesn’t seem
to be one for lengthy greetings. He doesn’t waste any time and says,
Hello people, you’re gonna be tempted. Be joyous, and be strong. It’s
gonna make you patient, and that’s one of the things God is looking for.
If anyone lacks in the wisdom department, don’t be afraid, ask God. But
don’t be wishy washy about it. You can’t stand on the fence and wonder if
He’s gonna give it to you or not, you have to be certain, or your request
is in vain.
If you’re humble, be glad that you are lifted up. If you’re rich, be
glad that you’re brought low, because if you weren’t, your ways would
bring you to death.
Persevere and you’ll be blessed. If you follow your own desires, they
will breed sin, which leads to death.
All good comes from God, who keeps His Word. Do you love how James
calls Him the Father of lights?
Be quick to listen, slow to speak, and don’t get angered easily. Be
meek and be glad of it, because you will more easily accept the Word of
God, which will save your soul.
Don’t only listen . . . DO!
When you look in the mirror, try and see Jesus in you. Remember when
you go on your way, to act like Him.
Be kind to the fatherless and the widowed.
Keep yourself away from the filthiness of the world.
You’ve got to
admit, James has some pretty good lessons here, and absolutely all of them
can be applied to our lives today. James isn’t one for lingering on one
topic for a long time either. Just for a little challenge, see how many of
these things you can put into practice in your life in the next week.
I’m looking
forward to finding out what James has to say next in his letter, are you? Be
sure to come back again soon and we’ll share in the study of it together,
here at Daily Bread.
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