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.
November 5, 2022
O this is RICH!
YESHUA THE MESSIAH. He gave Himself, the sacrificial, substitutionary sacrifice for us.
Why?
For one thing to rescue us from THIS EVIL WORLD SYSTEM.
The system has been in operation since the fall of mankind in the Garden of Eden.
There was some ugly stuff going on in Galatia. Somebody was stirring up a stink and Paul was not about to let it simmer. He no words minced confronting it.
We don’t do this much these days, not in the spirit of love and unity; perhaps in this new age babble of boundaries and protecting one’s self.
No. Wait. Read me out first.
Our boundaries (and we must have them!) are to be GOD’s boundaries.
Not self-subscribed boundaries that we read about today in book after book after book; the self-subscribed boundaries that fill Facebook News Feeds.
What are these self-subscribed boundaries?
The better question is what are GOD’s Boundaries for me? For you?
And we might say we don’t know what are GOD’s boundaries.
Do we not know Scripture reveals them?
If we don’t know, it’s no one’s fault but our own. AND
If we ask and we look, He will reveal them to us.
It may not be overnight but He WILL educate us if we ask with sincere wills ready to obey.
Verse 10
I’m not going to elaborate on that one at this sitting but ponder these words: “If I were still doing that”.
And as you ponder, remember this: not a word in Holy Writ is a filler — all words mean something; even the word STILL.
Verses 15 & 16
Has GOD picked you out?
Has He revealed His SON to you?
Has this CHANGED you? How?
January 28, 2022
Peter thought he was being generous – much generosity to 7 times.
Yeshua moved him from what Peter thought was generous to infinity.
No limit to the times/amount we forgive.
Then Yeshua gave a parable.
The first servant is us.
We owe a debt we cannot pay. How then do we forgive?
Do we forgive as Father has forgiven us when people sin against us or do we forgive as the first man forgave the second man in the illustration?
And if so, what does Father do? He hands us over to severe chastisement until we repent and forgive.
This explains the misery of people we encounter – let it never be the one we encounter in the mirror.
Click HERE to conveniently read the aforementioned passage.
Saturday, December 11, 2021
Verses 14 and 15.
We could ask this question: why did Moses lift up the serpent in the wilderness?
May I remind us of Numbers 21?
The Hebrews had sinned.
Perhaps you would ask what was their sin? Let’s see.
5 And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread.
6 And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. source
But The LORD did not leave them in that state of death; He made a way for them to live. BUT they had to choose to live.
8 And the Lord said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.
9 And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived. source
Now we see.
JESUS was lifted up for mankind to look to when bitten by sin (the serpent – and we ALL have been bitten) so anyone who looks and places trust in the ONE, the ONLY LORD JESUS lifted up for their sin, they will be saved.
Verse 16. Who can look? Who can be saved? Probably the most well-known verse in the Bible tells us.
16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only and unique Son, so that everyone who trusts in him may have eternal life, instead of being utterly destroyed. source
Everyone. Anyone.
Anyone who will TRUST HIM.
But what are we trusting HIM for?
That His being lifted up as the SINLESS SACRIFICE for we the SINFULL is enough to save even me, even you.
Can you believe that?
IF Holy Spirit is speaking to you, you can.
Is HE?
Saturday, December 4, 2021
Do you want the Father to meet your needs in a supernatural way?
Then you have to say NO to Satan’s way of meeting your (legitimate) needs.
Look at the hardness of Herod’s heart. To keep his place of power he is willing to KILL a child.
Unsaved powerful people have not changed.
They will still kill to hold on to their power.
There are many things the people of this time need to accept, one of those things is the Total Depravity of Unregenerate Men and Women.
We need to forsake the idea that all people are basically good; that there is something good in everyone.
Jesus did not go around telling people how good they were. Because Jesus NEVER lies.
The Bible tells us there is none good but GOD. Matthew 19:17
We call each other good BY OUR STANDARDS, not GOD’s.
It is this fallacy that mankind is good that has engulfed the whole world at this time.
It is this fallacy that has deceived us.
It is this fallacy that has driven us to believe Big Pharma and the Healthcare Industries (and yes the Government) are doing all things for our health and well-being.
To the majority, it is inconceivable that people in power would KILL to keep power or gain MORE power.
And let us not forget to get rich. Yes. Rich. Filthy filthy filthy rich.
And they are — at the expense of the People who believe they care for us.
(Does this mean there are no caring people in healthcare facilities? Of course not!)
O how deceived and foolish is mankind without the washing of The Word for our MINDS.
Without Holy Spirit interpreting and teaching us His Scripture we believe lie after lie after lie.
BUT with GOD, HE does mighty works IN and THROUGH us that brings forth HIS GOODNESS in this world!
Saturday, November 27, 2021
John 21:19 Complete Jewish Bible 19 He said this to indicate the kind of death by which Kefa would bring glory to God. Then Yeshua said to him, “Follow me!” source
I wonder if Peter remembered this at the close of his life?
We don’t know with absolute certainty the physical manner in which Peter died but this we do know – his death brought Glory to GOD. Research Links 1 and 2
However or whenever my death arrives, I pray my Father GOD will be glorified so much so that someone else is rebirthed into His Kingdom. Not that I am an Apostle, nor in any measure such a saint as Peter; even so I pray I too will bring Glory to GOD in my living and my dying.
How easy it is for our flesh to hear what it wants to hear.
But Yeshua knows.
November 19, 2021
The White Stone Blog 