Category: James

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Annoying Circumstances

There are little circumstances that can cause big annoyances. Let me explain.

We have been dealing with a refrigerator issue for about a month now. The freezer stays at a constant -2 degrees, however, the refrigerator won’t cool below 44 degrees. This isn’t a big problem for most of the items but things like milk, mayonnaise and eggs get a little too warm.

The manufacturer of our RV has been great. First, they sent us some “trouble shooting” guidelines. Perfect. We followed them step by step. Everything checked out. Next instruction was call a mobile tech. Check. He came and assessed the issue. Sent pictures, written explanations and waited. We received another more detailed check list from the manufacturer’s of the refrigerator. Really???

Notice, I am now getting annoyed. Emails are being exchanged a couple of times a day. Had one arrive yesterday morning at 5 am my time. I responded immediately. As Dave and I were talking, trying to keep our blood pressure down, the phone rang. It was the RV manufacturer. The rep on the other end was very sympathetic and knew our need to have a working refrigerator in place before we leave in three weeks for the mountains. She listened to our frustration and assured me she was on it.

Within two hours she sent another email. A new refrigerator is on the way. It will be there in four business days.

Big sigh and a “thank you Jesus”!

Each day that we have been dealing with this Dave has been saying, “I will not let this spoil our summer. We’ll work it through one way or another. We just need it fixed and God knows that”.

Truly, He did. He knows all the little things that come about to steal our joy and when we trust Him he will bring us through with a proper attitude.

“Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.” James 1:2-4 NLT

“The Lord is your God. He is the God of gods and the Lord of lords. He is the great God. He is the amazing and powerful fighter. To him everyone is the same… 21 He is the one you should praise. He is your God. He has done great and amazing things for you. You have seen them with your own eyes.” Deuteronomy 10:17-21 ERV

Will we have annoyances? Yes. Will we face circumstances that are frustrating? Yes. Do we have to give in to them? No.

If we trust Him, our Father will guide us through each situation. He is the amazing and powerful fighter. He will be the one to defend and protect. When we keep our focus on Him and His ability we will have joyful victory over annoying circumstances.

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Hard to Be Humble

Those of you who remember the country music of the 80’s will remember this song by Mack Davis:

Oh Lord, it’s hard to be humble
When you’re perfect in every way
I can’t wait to look in the mirror
‘Cause I get better lookin’ each day

Humility is lost to a great many in today’s society. Taking sole credit for the good and putting all responsibility for things going wrong on someone else seems to be the norm.

Yesterday we found a list of qualities that the Father wants us to add to our lives. Qualities that will reflect His DNA (divine nature attributes) and when displayed will show that we are like the Father.

“Do your best to improve your faith by adding goodness, understanding, 6 self-control, patience, devotion to God, 7 concern for others, and love. 8 If you keep growing in this way, it will show that what you know about our Lord Jesus Christ has made your lives useful and meaningful.” II Peter 1:5-7 CEV

Goodness, understanding, self-control, patience, devotion, concern and compassion could all be used as descriptive terms for a person of humility. These are the characteristics of Christ; they show that we are conforming to His image.

“God has chosen you and made you his holy people. He loves you. So your new life should be like this: Show mercy to others. Be kind, humble, gentle, and patient. 13 Don’t be angry with each other, but forgive each other. If you feel someone has wronged you, forgive them. Forgive others because the Lord forgave you.” Colossians 3:12-13 ERV

Oh yes, it’s hard to be humble; to respond like this when we are treated poorly is often a monumental task. To be kind and forgiving when we are maligned is not easy but it is Christlike.

“Don’t be jealous or proud, but be humble and consider others more important than yourselves. 4 Care about them as much as you care about yourselves 5 and think the same way that Christ Jesus thought: 6 Christ was truly God. But he did not try to remain equal with God. 7 Instead he gave up everything and became a slave, when he became like one of us.” Philippians 2:3-7 CEV

Jesus never compromised on the Word of God. He never apologized for His hatred of sin and evil but He never retaliated in a selfish or unloving way. His mission was the message of forgiveness and reconciliation to those on earth and He did that by becoming one with us.

Everything He did, He did to honor the Father. His life is our example.

“In fact, God treats us with even greater kindness, just as the Scriptures say, ‘God opposes everyone who is proud, but he blesses all who are humble with undeserved grace.’

7 Surrender to God! Resist the devil, and he will run from you. 8 Come near to God, and he will come near to you… 10 Be humble in the Lord’s presence, and he will honor you.” James 4:6-10 CEV

Humility is a lifestyle that reflects the Father. He gives us the grace we need to live in such a way and honors us for our obedience.

Be humble!

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Prayer Warrior

Last night, before I went to bed, I was praying over some situations that involve my family and the families of my friends. I take teaching God’s word very serious, and I am just as diligent when it comes to praying God’s word for those I love.

This past week I have been asked to pray about certain situations – circumstances where those requesting prayer have felt weak and in need of support and answers.

All through the night, I would wake with the words to this song filling my heart.

“When all I see is the battle
You see my victory
When all I see is the mountain
You see a mountain moved
And as I walk through the shadow
Your love surrounds me
There’s nothing to fear now
For I am safe with You

So when I fight I’ll fight on my knees
With my hands lifted high
Oh God the battle belongs to You
And every fear I lay at Your feet
I’ll sing through the night
Oh God the battle belongs to You. by Phil Wickham, Battle Belongs

Prayer is not a cute, little ritual of “now I lay me down to sleep”; it’s a battle against things that are contrary to God’s word. It’s taking a stand of spiritual strength.

“Pray in the Spirit at all times. Pray with all kinds of prayers, and ask for everything you need. To do this you must always be ready. Never give up. Always pray for all of God’s people.” Ephesians 6:18 ERV

“So be ready all the time. Pray that you will be able to get through all these things that will happen and stand safe before the Son of Man.” Luke 21:36 ERV

“ It is true, we live in a body of flesh. But we do not fight like people of the world. 4 We do not use those things to fight with that the world uses. We use the things God gives to fight with and they have power. Those things God gives to fight with destroy the strong-places of the devil. 5 We break down every thought and proud thing that puts itself up against the wisdom of God. We take hold of every thought and make it obey Christ.” II Corinthians 10:3-5 NLV

Prayer is a place of battle. Notice some of the phrases above; “never give up”, “be ready”, “stand safe”, “fight”, “destroy the strong places”, “break down”, “take hold”.

Some years back a movie was produced called “War Room”. It was the story of a woman who learned to pray diligently for her family. She made a prayer closet, literally, a place she went to pray. She did spiritual battle for the people she loved.

There’s nothing spooky about prayer but it is definitely a strong spiritual act.

“Tell your sins to each other. And pray for each other so you may be healed. The prayer from the heart of a man right with God has much power. ” James 5:16 NLV

Jesus lived a life of prayer and He was powerful. Our lives should be a reflection of His example.

Join the battle. Stay in the fight. Become a prayer warrior!

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Slow Is Good

Over the years Dave and I have learned to slow down. This, in itself, is a real miracle! I don’t know how many times we have said “we’re burnin’ daylight” and charged out to get things done. But now we are living by a different slogan, “slow down, you’ll get a more harmonious outcome”.

Yesterday Dave completed yet another honey-do project for me. This was a several day project and along the way he needed my help. That meant I would put down what I was working on. At first this was a little irritating, just being honest, but I really did appreciate the opportunity. I had to remind myself, he was doing this for me.

When the work was done we sat and talked – Dave said he’s having to adjust to the fact that things are taking longer than they did when he was younger. I concurred. Since retirement, I have felt that “multi-tasking” is an ugly concept and not one to be pursued.

Slow is good!

“My dear friends, you should be quick to listen and slow to speak or to get angry. 20 If you are angry, you cannot do any of the good things that God wants done.” James 1:19-20 CEV

Slow to speak and slow to get angry. Good advice. When we are slow to speak, we improve our listening skills and that makes the person speaking feel valued; their words are important. If we jump in while someone else is still talking, we often misconstrue what they are saying because we haven’t heard their whole thought.

“Good people think before they answer, but the wicked speak evil without ever thinking.” Proverbs 15:28 CEV

“It’s stupid and embarrassing to give an answer before you listen.” Proverbs 18:13 CEV

We had a friend who practiced slow speech. I had never met anyone before or since that spoke as slowly as he did. However, he was also one of the calmest, unstressed, unangered persons I have ever met as well.

His words were kind; he was a genuine listener. He wanted to hear your heart and share your thoughts. Love is patient, gentle and kind. Jim was all that and more!

In case you haven’t noticed God’s not in a hurry. He does things at the right time and in the right way.

“ Dear friends, don’t forget that for the Lord one day is the same as a thousand years, and a thousand years is the same as one day. 9 The Lord isn’t slow about keeping his promises, as some people think he is. In fact, God is patient, because he wants everyone to turn from sin and no one to be lost.” II Peter 3:8-9 CEV

The Father is patient. He waits for us – He doesn’t force us to accept His ways. Patiently He waits and gives us one opportunity after another. He knows that true love never fails.

“Love is kind and patient, never jealous, boastful, proud, or 5 rude. Love isn’t selfish or quick tempered.” I Corinthians 13:4-5 CEV

Slow is good!

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Revealing Character

Talk about getting to practice what you preach, this morning brought a whole new object lesson and a reminder of why I need to experience more growth in the “fullness of God”.

Dave and I are heading out for an early appointment this morning. I got up intending to have my Bible reading, prayer time and writing the blog before I jump in the shower. I had an idea of what I thought the Lord wanted me to share this morning, so I turned the coffee on and sat down to pull my thoughts together, praying, and waiting for the coffee to finish.

Really no time to spare before we need to head out the door.

Coffee’s done – yes! Picked up my cup and was filling it when I realized the auto shut-off didn’t. There was coffee running down on the burner plate and I had a mess! This was not my idea of what the verse “my cup runneth over” should mean.

Darn it!! I discovered that the filter, for whatever reason, hadn’t drained the way it should. When I opened the filter basket, it was still filled with hot water and grounds were everywhere. That also meant that my coffee decanter would have grounds in it. This morning I get to chew my coffee – not my favorite thing.

I wish I could say that the first thoughts that came to mind were “oh good, another example to share on growing in Christ”; those were not my first thoughts. I was frustrated and still am. The coffee pot will have to wait until later to be cleaned but my heart and my mind needed an immediate tending too.

“And we are also happy with the troubles we have. Why are we happy with troubles? Because we know that these troubles make us more patient. 4 And this patience is proof that we are strong. And this proof gives us hope. 5 And this hope will never disappoint us. We know this because God has poured out his love to fill our hearts through the Holy Spirit he gave us.” Romans 5:3-5 ERV

Happy with troubles? I will be perfectly honest. I handle big situations quite well, it’s the small and unexpected things that catch me off guard. Patience proves our strength and gives us hope. A hope that doesn’t disappoint because God has poured out His love to fill our hearts. (There’s that fullness again that we were talking about yesterday.)

“If you let that patience work in you, the end result will be good. You will be mature and complete. You will be all that God wants you to be.” James 1:4 ERV

Am I glad for the coffee failure this morning? Not at all. Am I thankful that the Lord can speak to my heart through the little things? Absolutely!

The Father isn’t chastising or condemning me because of my immediate frustration. Instead, He is teaching me through it and revealing His character for me to conform too. He wants me to grow up into Him!

What areas of character growth is He revealing to you today? Be happy – you’re growing!

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No Need To Update

Does change bother you? I have to admit some changes bother me. Some I find exciting and completely embrace, like our decision to sell the house, downsize and move into the RV fulltime. I am loving that!

However, I don’t like it when my favorite stores do a “reset” and move the things I’m looking for. I’m also not so crazy about updating my computer systems and finding new internet service. Those things really annoy me…just sayin’.

Three days ago, we changed our internet service provider. It didn’t work the way it was supposed to, and our frustration level increased. Two days ago, my computer said I needed to do a system update. I try to avoid those whenever possible but since it had to be done, I clicked on the button and let it do its thing.

Yesterday with the internet still not working correctly and with a new layout on my screen (because of the update), I was almost at wit’s end. Now I know those of you who are computer savvy will find this trivial and wonder why it bothered me so. But, it did.

I made a call to the internet company. The tech made some corrections while I was on the phone and everything is working properly. After doing my regular work with my laptop yesterday I am more comfortable with the changes this morning. Aww, I’m breathing easier.

However, there is one thing that will never change. No update needed. No tech support to make adjustments.

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” Hebrews 13:8 ERV

“Everything good comes from God. Every perfect gift is from him. These good gifts come down from the Father who made all the lights in the sky. But God never changes like the shadows from those lights. He is always the same.” James 1:17 ERV

There is such assurance and comfort in knowing that the Father will always be the same. God’s word will not change or lose its power and effectiveness. He isn’t old-fashioned or outdated; He is always current. He is eternal.

“The whole world, earth and sky, will be destroyed, but my words will last forever.” Matthew 24:35 ERV

“I am the Lord, and I don’t change.” Malachi 3:6 ERV

God will always hate sin but He will always love the sinner. His lovingkindness will last forever. He will always be compassionate and forgiving. He will always answer when we call. He will always extend mercy to us who come to Him and provide help when we are in need!

“Jesus, our high priest, is able to understand our weaknesses. When Jesus lived on earth, he was tempted in every way. He was tempted in the same ways we are tempted, but he never sinned. 16 With Jesus as our high priest, we can feel free to come before God’s throne where there is grace. There we receive mercy and kindness to help us when we need it.” Hebrews 4:15-16 ERV

God never changes. What changes is our understanding of Him, we gain depth in our relationship with Him.

He is the giver of every good and perfect gift. He is always the same!

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Unshakable, Immovable Part 2

This morning’s blog will be the conclusion of yesterday’s teaching.

I want everyone to realize that God’s promises are still true. They haven’t lost their power and they aren’t being withheld because we aren’t worthy to receive them. That’s just not the case.

Let’s continue…

But it’s not a given – the promises of God are true, but we have to appropriate them.

We all have electricity in our houses. But if we don’t know to turn on the switch we will sit in the cold and the dark. It’s that simple. Christ paid the bill, the power is flowing, we have to release that power.

2nd reason: There is a very real devil who is working against us. He wants to destroy us and he will if we don’t fight back.

“A thief comes only to rob, kill, and destroy. I came so that everyone would have life, and have it in its fullest.” John 10:10 CEV

When satan came and tempted Jesus, He resisted the devil’s attacks by using Scripture.  We must follow His example.

 “7 God cares for you, so turn all your worries over to him.8 Be on your guard and stay awake. Your enemy, the devil, is like a roaring lion, sneaking around to find someone to attack. 9 But you must resist the devil and stay strong in your faith.” I Peter 5:7-9 CEV

3rd reason: We get rebellious and want to do things are own way.   Just like a child who is told not to touch the stove because its hot – if the child reaches up to touch the stove, ignoring the father’s advice, and gets burned that’s not the father’s fault. He didn’t allow it or cause it. It was an act of our will.

“16 Whenever people are jealous or selfish, they cause trouble and do all sorts of cruel things.”. James 3:16 CEV

4th reason: We get tired of fighting and give up. Seeing God’s promises come to pass is not for the faint of heart.  The Apostle Paul says it’s a spiritual battle. Don’t be moved away from God’s word, therein is our victory!

“Our fight is not against people on earth. We are fighting against the rulers and authorities and the powers of this world’s darkness. We are fighting against the spiritual powers of evil in the heavenly places. 13 That is why you need to get God’s full armor. Then on the day of evil, you will be able to stand strong. And when you have finished the whole fight, you will still be standing.” Ephesians 6:12-13 ERV

Never, ever, are we alone. The Father has promised to never leave us or abandon us.  We might get weary and want to give up but if we ask, God will give us all the strength we need.

“Christ gives me the strength to face anything” Philippians 4:13 CEV

God will not force His protection and blessings on us. We have to believe and receive His promises. There’s nothing the devil wants more than to defeat us and make others think God’s word doesn’t work. If he can deceive, he can defeat.

God’s word has stood the test of time, the very gates of hell cannot prevail against it. When we stand on God’s word, we will be unshakable and immovable!

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Don’t Forget What You See

Have you looked in the mirror this morning? That reflection first thing in the morning can be a bit unnerving. Everything seems a bit undone after a night of sleep. It takes time to get things in order – hair, makeup, men need to shave, etc.

I am reminded of what James says about looking into a mirror.

“Obey God’s message! Don’t fool yourselves by just listening to it. 23 If you hear the message and don’t obey it, you are like people who stare at themselves in a mirror 24 and forget what they look like as soon as they leave. 25 But you must never stop looking at the perfect law that sets you free. God will bless you in everything you do, if you listen and obey, and don’t just hear and forget.” James 1:22-25 CEV

We are quite intent on having everything look good when we stand in front of a mirror but are we just as intent when we look into the Word of God. The Bible gives us instruction on how God sees us. He was us to reflect His character to the world.

King Solomon put it this way in Proverbs 23:7. “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he:”

If we see ourselves as God sees us and we meditate on His word, we will be victorious when the battles and the challenges come. Let’s look at a few things the Bible tells us about ourselves:

…I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

…My God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory.

…The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

…If God be for us, who can be against us

…the thief comes but to steal, kill and destroy but I am come that you might have life and have it more abundantly

…if any of you lacks wisdom let him ask of God who giveth to all men liberally

…He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was upon Him and by His stripes we are healed

…(Abraham) And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.

God tells us that the battle is in our minds and we are to renew them to His way of thinking and not to be caught up in man’s natural way of thinking.

“Dear friends, God is good. So I beg you to offer your bodies to him as a living sacrifice, pure and pleasing. That’s the most sensible way to serve God. 2 Don’t be like the people of this world, but let God change the way you think. Then you will know how to do everything that is good and pleasing to him.” Romans 12:1-2 ERV

In preparing for the day, take a little longer looking into the mirror of God’s word. Let the image that He has created for us be the one we hold in your heart. Like Abraham, let’s be fully persuaded that what God has promised He will do.

Don’t forget what the Father sees in us and who He created us to be!

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We’re His Kids

This morning I’ve been sitting here thinking about our kids and praying for each of them. One will be flying home, one will be working, and one will be running a half marathon.

Their mates will be busy preparing for their arrival, taking care of children and waiting for them to come home. Each of them is loved and being prayed for. They are in our hearts and our prayers.

Then I stopped and imagined the Father taking inventory of what His kids will be doing today. Some will be flying, some working, some running, some watching, some worshipping, some fishing…you get my point. Each one of us are special to Him; He desires good things for us.

“Yet some people accepted him and put their faith in him. So he gave them the right to be the children of God. 13 They were not God’s children by nature or because of any human desires. God himself was the one who made them his children.” John 1:12-13 CEV

God’s plan was to make all mankind His children but He will never force us into His family. He gives each one of us a free will to exercise. We can accept or reject His invitation.

“But when the time was right, God sent his Son, and a woman gave birth to him. His Son obeyed the Law, 5 so he could set us free from the Law, and we could become God’s children. 6 Now that we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts. And his Spirit tells us that God is our Father.” Galatians 4:4-6 CEV

Our Father, our loving Father, is concerned with all the details of our life. Every good thing that we have comes from Him.

“Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ for the spiritual blessings that Christ has brought us from heaven!” Ephesians 1:3 CEV

It really bothers me that some have a misconception of my Father. He has been portrayed as Someone who is angry and mean. Someone who condemns and destroys but that isn’t true.

He’s watching over me today, and He’s watching over you! I desire good things for my kids; how much greater is His desire for those of us who are His children?

“Everything good comes from God. Every perfect gift is from him. These good gifts come down from the Father who made all the lights in the sky. But God never changes like the shadows from those lights. He is always the same.” James 1:17 ERV

I think sometimes we need to be reminded of just how much our Father loves us. We’re His kids and His love is unconditional!!

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Does God Know?

Sometimes I ask that question. Does God know? Does He know when my heart aches and when fear creeps in; does God know that I have concerns over what the future holds?

The answer: of course, He does!

After I finished writing yesterday’s blog, “Not Today”, I read about Joshua. Moses was 120 years old, and he knew he was going to die. Joshua was his God-chosen replacement and would be responsible for leading the Israelites into the land God promised them. The Israelites were not an easy people to lead.

They had a history of complaining, rebellion, and questioning God’s word. These are the people Joshua would lead; this is the group he needed to be united; these are the ones who would be the called to fight and would need to follow orders.

Did God know what He was asking of Joshua? Of course, He did. And this was the Lord’s word of encouragement:

“Be brave and strong! Don’t be afraid of the nations on the other side of the Jordan. The Lord your God will always be at your side, and he will never abandon you.

7 Then Moses called Joshua up in front of the crowd and said: Joshua, be brave and strong as you lead these people into their land. The Lord made a promise long ago to Israel’s ancestors that this land would someday belong to Israel. That time has now come, and you must divide up the land among the people. 8 The Lord will lead you into the land. He will always be with you and help you, so don’t ever be afraid of your enemies.” Deuteronomy 31:6-8 CEV

God knew! He gave Joshua an irrefutable promise! It was unconditional – the Lord will ALWAYS be at your side; He will NEVER abandon you.

Always, Never – it can’t be any more inclusive than that. I’m sure Joshua had his times of doubt, even fear, as he looked at some of the impossible situations they faced but he held on to God’s promises and went forward and the enemy was defeated.

We also have some ALWAYS and NEVER promises, they cover the small insignificant issues in our life as well as the larger ones which are life-threatening.

“I always remember that the Lord is with me. He is here, close by my side, so nothing can defeat me.” Psalm 16:8 ERV

“The Lord is my shepherd. I will always have everything I need.” Psalm 23:1 ERV

“Everything good comes from God. Every perfect gift is from him. These good gifts come down from the Father who made all the lights in the sky. But God never changes like the shadows from those lights. He is always the same.” James 1:17 ERV

“Keep your lives free from the love of money. And be satisfied with what you have. God has said, “I will never leave you; I will never run away from you.” Hebrews 13:5 ERV

“Pray in the Spirit at all times. Pray with all kinds of prayers, and ask for everything you need. To do this you must always be ready. Never give up. Always pray for all of God’s people.” Ephesians 6:18 ERV

Does God know? Yes. Does He care? Yes. He will always be with us, He will never leave us. That is for certain!

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