Category Archives: James

2023, Christian Living, James, Questions

Mirror, Mirror

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This is not a time-intensive post; not much editing. 

James 1: 22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like.  source 

This is so important! HUGE!
If we come to the Word and we read but we refuse to OBEY what we read we have profited nothing! It has given us no RIGHT Standing with GOD and we are not changed.

When we stand in front of a mirror it reflects our appearance. We see our own reflection. We see our face, and our hair, we see what shall be presented to others when we turn from the mirror. The mirror lets us see what needs changing. Is there a smudge on our face, is our hair in place, are our clothes modest, do our shoes match? All these material things.

The Bible has a similar function but for the inside.
What do we see?
Do we see GOD?
Do we see ourselves?
Do we see the filth within?
Do we see our sin?
Do we see The Savior?
What shall we do?
Shall we read and walk away the same?
Will we not allow The Word to remove the smudge on our faces?
Will we not allow the Word to bring our shoes (walk) to match The Bible?
Will we not allow the Bible to determine the clothes we wear? Will we wear the Full Armor of GOD? The-Armor-of-God-2
Will we read The Word and make no adjustments?
Then we have read in vain. We have looked in The Mirror and have decided to go out into the world reflecting our own fallen image instead of JESUS.
How foolish and evil can we be?

James 1: 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.  source 

Shalom, Kathie armor-of-god-cdd53f0d-6b0f-4ca0-9f21-ea844a06ea1-resize-750

2023, For What It's Worth To You, Forgiveness, From the Quietness of the War Room, James, Just a Short Pop-In, YouVersion

Let The Healing Begin

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Good morning.

I am convinced all sickness and disease are due to sin, the original Fall in the Garden, but I think NOT that all illness and disease are due to unforgiveness. I am reminded of when the Disciples asked JESUS who sinned to cause this sickness (blindness) and He said neither the man nor his parents. John 9:2-3.

Even so, unforgiveness is a major sin and causes all kinds of sicknesses. We should be careful about this. We should pray.

Shalom, Kathie

2022, James, Questions, Weekly Planner Reading

Chapter 3

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James 3 

So far I have read about 8 verses. James is penning this to Israel in Diaspora. That means the Messianic Jews dispersed from Jerusalem to parts all around.  Yeshua-loving, believing Jews that left Jerusalem due to life-threatening persecution. 

And by chapter 3 of his letter, he begins with this: Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, since you know that we will be judged more severely. 2 For we all stumble in many ways; if someone does not stumble in what he says, he is a mature man who can bridle his whole body.

I am thinking some of his audience were thinking of becoming teachers of Scripture. He cautioned them.
Teachers use their tongues (today teachers also use keyboards). 

James then goes into an extended exhortation about the importance of the tongue AND the impossibility of controlling it. He gives examples like big ships can be guided by a small rudder; horses can be turned this way and that by a simple bit; one spark of fire can burn an entire forest, but the tongue. 
Oh, the tongue can burn down a life in a flash. and who can stop it? 
7 For people have tamed and continue to tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures; 8 but the tongue no one can tame — it is an unstable and evil thing, full of death-dealing poison! source 

Reading on, what does he say? 

 9 With it we bless Adonai, the Father; and with it we curse people, who were made in the image of God. 10 Out of the same mouth come blessing and cursing! Brothers, it isn’t right for things to be this way.  source 

I think I shall not expound on that but I am glad James did.

He explains only man does this. All the rest of creation produces fruit and actions as it was created. Read the verses and see what he means. 

Chapter 3. It’s plain. It’s direct. It’s undeniable. AND it is disobeyed every day! Brothers, it isn’t right for things to be this way.

 I think we cannot pray too much for each other to obey Chapter 3. 

Love, Kathie

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