Category: James

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Thankful for Wisdom

I have to share with you briefly this morning. Yesterday morning, as I sat here in my chair talking to the Father about some things that had been keeping my mind in a spin I received the clarity I needed to make what I know is a right decision.

Here’s how it happened: I was talking to the Father. We’ve been praying over some real decisions for the past four months. Each step we have taken, we have taken with peace. However, in the last few weeks Dave and I have had multiple situations coming in from all sides. There are times when one or the other of us has been overwhelmed.

We know that’s not God, that’s not His peace. Friday night was like that, so much so that I couldn’t sleep. I asked for wisdom…

“If any of you need wisdom, you should ask God, and it will be given to you. God is generous and won’t correct you for asking.” James 1:5 CEV

So I was laying everything out to the Father. I knew He knows the details but it helps me to speak it out or write it down so I can see my thoughts clearly. I had a peace that everything would work out right but I still didn’t have the way to do it.

I began to write to a friend. I was emailing her and began telling her the same thing I asked the Lord about. As I was putting it down on the page the answer came to my heart. I told her thank you for listening and helping me see the right path. But more than her, for she had said nothing, it was the Lord directing my path.

I am so thankful for God’s wisdom!

“Share your plans with the Lord, and you will succeed.” Proverbs 16:3 CEV

God is faithful. We can never take Him anything that He has to stop and say, “Wow, that’s a big one Kris. I’m not sure what you should do”. No, He has infinite wisdom. He is wisdom! If you’re struggling today with decisions bring them to the Father. Lay them before Him and ask for wisdom and then thank Him for the answers.

“The angels who stood around the throne knelt in front of it with their faces to the ground. The elders and the four living creatures knelt there with them. Then they all worshiped God 12 and said,

“Amen! Praise, glory, wisdom,
    thanks, honor, power,
and strength belong to our God
    forever and ever! Amen!” Revelation 7:11-12 CEV

All of heaven praises the Father for His wisdom, power, glory and strength – we should too!

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So Help Me God

Before I start with today’s blog, let me explain what happened yesterday.

Our day started about 2 am with hard winds and blowing icy rain. About 4 am, that changed to snow. I’m not sure if the small booster antenna I have iced over and it prevented me from getting a signal but from 3:30am to almost 12 pm, my phone screen read “no service”.

But, I’m back today.

Dave and I were watching a movie, an old western, the other night and the character had to place his hand on the Bible and swear to tell the truth, so help me God. That got me to thinking – why and how did they practice become a part of court testimony?

Since most of our laws are based on Biblical instruction, I assume that this procedure also has its basis in the Bible.

“Humans have control over every kind of wild animal, bird, reptile, and fish, and they have controlled all these things. 8 But no one can control the tongue. It is wild and evil, full of deadly poison. 9 We use our tongues to praise our Lord and Father, but then we curse people who were created in God’s likeness. 10 These praises and curses come from the same mouth. My brothers and sisters, this should not happen.” James 3:7-10 ERV

Most all of us have had a problem with our tongues at one point or another. We had been known to embellish, exaggerate, gossip, criticize and twist the truth ever-so-slightly to make it fit our account or remembrance of an event. We need God’s help in controlling our words – it’s with His power that we can have victory in this.

We need God’s help to speak truth, the whole truth. Even God, Himself, when He needed to swear an oath, swore by His own name because there was nothing greater than Him.

“God wanted to prove that his promise was true. He wanted to prove this to those who would get what he promised. He wanted them to understand clearly that his purposes never change. So God said something would happen, and he proved what he said by adding an oath. 18 These two things cannot change: God cannot lie when he says something, and he cannot lie when he makes an oath. So these two things are a great help to us who have come to God for safety. They encourage us to hold on to the hope that is ours. 19 This hope is like an anchor for us. It is strong and sure and keeps us safe…” Hebrews 6:17-19 ERV

Each morning, our attitude should be “Lord, put a guard over my words. Let me speak the truth in every situation with a loving heart”.

“I know that you heard about him, and in him you were taught the truth. Yes, the truth is in Jesus. 22 You were taught to leave your old self. This means that you must stop living the evil way you lived before. That old self gets worse and worse, because people are fooled by the evil they want to do. 23 You must be made new in your hearts and in your thinking. 24 Be that new person who was made to be like God, truly good and pleasing to him. 25 So you must stop telling lies. “You must always speak the truth to each other,” because we all belong to each other in the same body.” Ephesians 4:21-25 ERV

Let’s be like that old cowboy in the movie, “I swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, so help me God!”

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Preparing for the Future

Fall has come. The leaves are turning and the gardens which were planted in the Spring and Summer have been harvested. Now, the soil is being turned over and will lay dormant over the winter. But a good farmer or good gardener is already preparing for the future.

We should be of that same mindset.

This morning while reading in Proverbs I saw the instruction to the farmer who was tending his goats and his sheep.

“ …the harvest is over, 26 you can sell lambs and goats to buy clothes and land. 27 From the milk of the goats, you can make enough cheese  to feed your family and all your servants.” Proverbs 27:25-17 CEV

His diligence during the summer provided for his family later in the season. From there, I began reading in the book of James and the words jumped from the page as I read about our uncontrolled conversations and critical words.

“My dear friends, with our tongues we speak both praises and curses. We praise our Lord and Father, and we curse people who were created to be like God, and this isn’t right…”

We should be preparing for the future by the words we speak. Critical words, harsh words, words spoken in jealousy have no place in the life of a believer. In fact, these very words can and will destroy the crop of God’s blessings in our life.

“Whenever people are jealous or selfish, they cause trouble and do all sorts of cruel things. 17 But the wisdom that comes from above leads us to be pure, friendly, gentle, sensible, kind, helpful, genuine, and sincere. 18 When peacemakers plant seeds of peace, they will harvest justice.” James 3:16-18 CEV

The words we sow in our lives can bring life or death. The power rests in our tongues.

“Words can bring death or life! Talk too much, and you will eat everything you say.” Proverbs 18:21 CEV

We should be like a farmer – plow up the field of harmful words and begin sowing seeds of kindness, life, encouragement.

“Again Jesus said: God’s kingdom is like what happens when a farmer scatters seed in a field. 27 The farmer sleeps at night and is up and around during the day. Yet the seeds keep sprouting and growing, and he doesn’t understand how. 28 It is the ground that makes the seeds sprout and grow into plants that produce grain. 29 Then when harvest season comes and the grain is ripe, the farmer cuts it with a sickle.” Mark 4:26-29 CEV

We will eat well when we sow words of life. Start now preparing for the future!

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Delayed Expectations

This morning I woke and found another email regarding my computer order!

E-gads!!

At this point it has been two weeks of anticipating and waiting for its arrival. Delayed expectations.

Now if we were in a larger city it would be no problem, it would just be a drive to the local electronics store or big box discount retailer, to pick out the one that suits me, pay for it and home I’d go to set it up.

However, in rural, small town Arizona that isn’t the case. Each morning I fight back the frustration. But with each morning I also step out my door and thank the Father for the beauty I see. The benefits of living here far out weigh the frustration I am experiencing.

“My friends, be glad, even if you have a lot of trouble. 3 You know that you learn to endure by having your faith tested. 4 But you must learn to endure everything, so that you will be completely mature and not lacking in anything.” James 1:2-4 CEV

I remind myself daily that the Lord has promised me His peace that surpasses my understanding and that when I’m in His presence I will be filled with joy. If those two qualities are lacking it’s up to me to adjust my focus.

That’s simple to say but not always easy to do! We now live in a world that offers “instant gratification”. No patience required, no waiting necessary.

We have overnight shipping, on-line purchasing, microwave cooking, research at our fingertips, cameras on our phones, instant sharing. But things like relationships are developed over time; wisdom and knowledge must be learned; kindness and compassion are developed through experience. The things that make us better come through growth.

“We have everything we need to live a life that pleases God. It was all given to us by God’s own power, when we learned that he had invited us to share in his wonderful goodness. 4 God made great and marvelous promises, so that his nature would become part of us. Then we could escape our evil desires and the corrupt influences of this world. 5Do your best to improve your faith. You can do this 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 1:3-8 CEV

I ask myself daily – am I displaying the character that Christ desires in me or am I being selfish and wanting instant gratification?

I choose to be patient so that His perfect will is done even if it means delayed delivery!

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It Never Gets Old

Sometimes we take things for granted. They become mundane or expected. Things lose their ability to inspire and/or be appreciated.

Several years ago I damaged my back and lived in constant pain for over two years. Since that time I have never taken a pain-free day for granted. It is something I am always grateful for.

I had a friend who was once homeless. Devastating circumstances had them on the streets with no place to call home. She was young and felt completely alone. She told me that sleeping in her car night after night brought on a depression she thought she would never be able to break. Then a kind and loving person took her in and gave her a place to stay. She says she remembers that first long, hot shower – it was life affirming. She has never taken living in a home, with clean sheets and warm water for granted again.

Maybe you’ve had experiences like these or something similar. These memories are triggers of joy – not for the circumstance but for the deliverance from them.

“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

Our Father is the giver of every good gift!

We should be living life expectantly; never taking these gifts for granted. Look for the joy in each day, the opportunity to give and to share what the Lord has blessed us with.

Each time I see a sunset like I did last night or watch the sunrise over the pines, my heart is filled with wonder and awe that the God who paints the sky is my Father and He fills my life with blessings.

That truth, dear friend, never gets old!

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Come On In!

In the kingdoms of the world very few people are allowed access to the throne room. But in God’s kingdom we are welcomed – invited in without hestitation.

The book of Psalms has so many verses which emphasize the blessings of the righteous man. Now, as I read them, no longer is my thought “I wish that could be for me” but it is “Praise God, that’s mine!” Our righteousness is part of our inheritance, we are joint heirs.

Let us look at a few of these verses in Psalms that hold promises for the righteous man. I will leave a few here for you to read and then at the end of this chapter there will be a list of other verses that you will want to read.

“For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous; With favor You will surround him as with a shield.” Psalm 5:12 NKJ

“Less is more and more is less. One righteous will outclass fifty wicked, For the wicked are moral weaklings but the righteous are God-strong.” Psalm 37:16-17 MSG

“Once I was young, and now I am old. Yet I have never seen the godly* abandoned or their children begging for bread.” Psalm 37:25 NLT *righteous

David was now an old man and he said that in all his years he had never seen God desert those that He called righteous. Praise God, He has voluntarily made provision for our righteousness!

“The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.” Psalm 92:12

The palm tree is resilient and can grow even in the hottest climates with very little water. They become tall and beautiful shade trees. The cedar tree is a sign of strength and endurance. By comparison the righteous man will grow tall and strong because of the Lord’s blessing upon him.

“Make this your common practice: Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed. The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with. Elijah, for instance, human just like us, prayed hard that it wouldn’t rain, and it didn’t—not a drop for three and a half years. Then he prayed that it would rain, and it did. The showers came and everything started growing again.” James 5:16-18 MSG

In this verse we find that we are to confess our faults to one another. Faults are shortcomings or situations in our lives that need to be corrected and by the prayer of a righteous man they will be rectified.

The prayers of a righteous man are tremendously effective in obtaining answers from the Lord. Why would his prayers be more effective than an unrighteous man? I am glad you asked.

The righteous man is in a place of authority; he believes God’s Word and put it to work in his life. Verse seventeen of this chapter shows us the power in a righteous man’s prayer. It says Elijah prayed and it did not rain for three and a half years, then he prayed again, and it rained. Now that is a powerful prayer. The prayer of a righteous man is strong.

Righteous means we have been placed in right standing with God. This realization should never create an attitude of arrogance, but it should bring a sense of worthiness and confidence. We no longer need to crawl on our hands and knees before the Lord feeling we have no right to bother the King of Kings. No, we are entitled to come boldly to the throne.

Enter the throne room. The door is open and the Father is waiting for you!

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Happy Kids!

We are going to continue for a few more days looking at what God, the Father, has provided for children, for us. He has planned for us to live joyful lives…

Jesus refers to the Holy Spirit as a good gift. A gift from the Father.  The Holy Spirit was sent to help us. He is also called the Comforter, and by definition, that means counsellor, intercessor, advocate, strengthener and standby. He intercedes for us.

This verse also says the Holy Spirit will remind us of all things Jesus spoke and He will teach us all things. When the Holy Spirit comes to our aid, He reminds us of God’s Word and instructs us on how to show our love to the Father.

The Father only gives us good gifts. He is not looking to make our lives miserable or downtrodden.

      “Now you are sad, but I will see you again, and you will be happy. You will have a joy that no one can take away. 23 In that day you will not have to ask me about anything. And I assure you, my Father will give you anything you ask him for in my name. 24 You have never asked for anything in this way before. But ask in my name, and you will receive. And you will have the fullest joy possible.” John 16:22b-24 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 those lights. He is always the same.” James 1:17 ERV from

As I said, our Father is wanting to place His best at our disposal. Let’s look at one other thing the Holy Spirit does for us. He fills us with the power or ability that we need to victoriously defeat Satan, our enemy, who tries to deceive us and steal our inheritance.

      “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes into your life. You will tell about Me in the city of Jerusalem and over all the countries of Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8 NLV

With the Holy Spirit constantly reminding us of God’s Word and giving us the power to follow it, failure is less of an occurrence in our lives than when we try to do it all on our own. Now, that is a good gift!

As sons of God, we have been given the same power as our older brother, Jesus. It is only through our ignorance of the Word and/or our willful disobedience of the Father’s instructions that Satan can steal our power.

      “Jesus has the power of God. And his power has given us everything we need to live a life devoted to God. We have these things because we know him. Jesus chose us by his glory and goodness, 4 through which he also gave us the very great and rich gifts that he promised us. With these gifts you can share in being like God. And so, you will escape the ruin that comes to people in the world because of the evil things they want.” II Peter 1:3-4 ERV

These verses plainly state that we have been given everything we need for life and godly living. The Father’s exceeding great and precious promises have been given so that we might reflect God’s divine nature. This is a facet of our relationship with Him. He wants us to be victorious while we are here on earth as well as in heaven. He wants us to imitate Him, just like Jesus did.

The Father has placed His light in us so that we can shine brilliantly, “Like A Diamond”, and as His joyful children we bring the light of His goodness to the world.

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Thankful for Protection

I was sitting here for the last few minutes mulling over what I might share with you this morning. Several different things were running through my mind but nothing seemed to gel.

It was then I felt something crawling on my ankle. It was something small and I figured it was a moth. I uncrossed my ankles and looked down but didn’t see anything. I sat here a bit longer and there it was running across my keyboard. Now, don’t freak out when I tell you this but it was a baby scorpion!

Yikes! I had a tissue handy so I pinched it in the tissue. Problem solved. No more scorpion. Living in an arid climate we find scorpions in the house on rare occasions. It’s something we learn to be on guard for.

Years ago Dave and I learned to take these words of Jesus at face value:

“Jesus said to them, ‘I saw Satan falling like lightning from the sky. 19 He is the enemy, but know that I have given you more power than he has. I have given you power to crush his snakes and scorpions under your feet. Nothing will hurt you. 20 Yes, even the spirits obey you. And you can be happy, not because you have this power, but because your names are written in heaven.’” Luke 10:18-20 ERV

Jesus had sent his disciples out to surrounding cities to preach the good news or the Gospel. He told them to heal the sick, cleanse lepers and cast out demons in those places to demonstrate the power of God. When they came back to where Jesus was they were telling Him of the miracles they had seen.

Jesus’ comment was what we read above. “I have given you power over the enemy, over serpents and scorpions but the greater miracle is that your names are written in heaven. The greater miracle is that you have relationship with the Father”. (my paraphrase)

Our hearts should be overflowing with thankfulness because our names are written in heaven’s Book of Life when we come into relationship with the Father. God has been gracious and kind. There may have been disappointments and even heart aches in the last year but God remains faithful and trustworthy. He continues to bring blessings and benefits into our lives. He protects and provides! He covers us with His love.

“Whatever is good and perfect comes to us from God. He is the One Who made all light. He does not change. No shadow is made by His turning. 18 He gave us our new lives through the truth of His Word only because He wanted to. We are the first children in His family. 19 My Christian brothers, you know everyone should listen much and speak little. He should be slow to become angry.” James 1:17-19 NLV

He is the giver of every good and perfect gift and He does not change. We need to listen more and murmur less.

“We praise you, Lord God! You treat us with kindness day after day, and you rescue us. 20 You always protect us and save us from death.” Psalm 68:19-20 CEV

One translation of this verse says ” Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.”

Daily, He loads us up with benefits…Selah (stop and think). As we get ready to go about our day let’s stop and think about the ways the Lord has been good to us. You probably haven’t started your morning by killing a scorpion but I know you’ve already experienced some of God’s goodness.

Be thankful for protection!

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Mirror Mirror

Every morning I stand in front of the mirror to brush my hair and put on my make-up. If I’ll be going out to the store or an appointment I check my outfit to make sure everything looks ok. Then I walk away and go about my day. Later I may double check my appearance and quite often I’m surprised to see how messy my hair has gotten or that there is a spot on my shirt.

What mirrors do for us physically the Bible does for us spiritually. Both reveal areas that need correction and areas of beauty.

“Do what God’s teaching says; don’t just listen and do nothing. When you only sit and listen, you are fooling yourselves. 23 Hearing God’s teaching and doing nothing is like looking at your face in the mirror 24 and doing nothing about what you saw. You go away and immediately forget how bad you looked. 25 But when you look into God’s perfect law that sets people free, pay attention to it. If you do what it says, you will have God’s blessing. Never just listen to his teaching and forget what you heard.” James 1:22-25 ERV

The Bible doesn’t distort like those goofy fun house mirrors. It will accurately portray our appearance and show us the areas where we need to improve. Each time we read or hear God’s word preached we should be looking for a nugget that we can apply personally.

This morning I started reading through the book of James again. I can’t tell you how many times I have read this book over my lifetime. Each time I find something new or am reminded of something I have let slip.

Those who compiled the Contemporary English Version of the Bible write an introduction to each book. I’d like to share with you, in part, what they wrote about the book of James.

“For James faith means action! In fact, the entire book is a series of examples that show faith in action in wise and practical ways. His advice was clear and to the point: If you are poor, don’t despair! Don’t give up when your faith is being tested. Don’t get angry quickly. Don’t favor the rich over the poor. Do good things for others. Control your tongue and desires. Surrender to God and rely on his wisdom. Resist the devil. Don’t brag about what you are going to do. If you are rich, use your money to help the poor. Be patient and kind, and pray for those who need God’s help.”

James is a book for every day Christian living. I always find something that I need to work on while reading it.

I am so thankful for God’s word. I can reflect on who God is and what’s important to Him.

“I will study your commandments and reflect on your ways. 16 I will delight in your decrees
    and not forget your word.” Psalm 119:15-16 NLT

Mirror, Mirror on the wall – Let me see all that God wants me to be!

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Good & Healthy

How many of you are already planning your holiday baking and the menus for Thanksgiving and Christmas meals? Does the word “healthy” fit with those culinary delights? Or is your attitude more along the lines of indulgence and it’s only once a year?

I was going to use the “just this once” phrase but realized that has kind of been a pattern of late. Camping and cookies – just this once. Grandchildrens birthday cupcakes – just this once (three months in a row). Yes, I’ve let those just-this-once treats and snacks add some extra pounds that need to be removed.

So, this morning I’m going to talk about exercise for a bit. Not for you but for me. I need to put this out there and be accountable.

When we first realize that we “need” to exercise it’s never pleasant. Accepting that we are out of shape and not as healthy as we should be is the first step. So we decide to exercise.

The first few days we have a real commitment or at least that’s what we tell ourself. But then comes day seven or eight; and it becomes harder to stay committed to the goal. Our muscles hurt, we’re not seeing any results yet, we start making excuses and when we do that we are on your way to failure.

I know, I’ve failed many times.

Now think back to our childhood days – exercise wasn’t a bad word. In fact, it was called play. To be outside with our buddies playing ball, running through the yard playing tag or football. Going hiking to your favorite fishing spot or walking the mile to the swimming pool in the afternoon heat (my personal favorite). It was fun and we were in shape.

Of course you know this is going to have a spiritual correlation.

When we face trials and temptations it is an opportunity to exercise our faith. James tells us to count it joy because we will be developed and end up lacking nothing. Exercising our faith builds spiritual muscle.

“My friends, be glad, even if you have a lot of trouble. 3 You know that you learn to endure by having your faith tested. 4 But you must learn to endure everything, so that you will be completely mature and not lacking in anything.” James 1:2-4 CEV

Facing trials is like building muscle. At first we see little victories but then to continue to develop a muscle we must increase the weight, the repetition or both.

In walking with the Lord, we’re never left to do this on our own. We have a great coach who is with us every step. Under His direction and inspiration we come out the winner.

“You are tempted in the same way that everyone else is tempted. But God can be trusted not to let you be tempted too much, and he will show you how to escape from your temptations.” I Corinthians 10:13 CEV

Jesus knows what this is all about because He went through every temptation we experience while he was here on earth. Who better to coach us than someone whose been there, done that and emerged as the Champion of Champions!

“We have a great high priest who has gone to live with God in heaven. He is Jesus the Son of God. So let us continue to express our faith in him. 15 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 4:14-16 ERV

Thank you Lord for coaching me through life and providing all the help I need to develop and finish as a winner! And thank you for giving me the power to resist that pecan pie and stay on track with my daily exercise!

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