James

James 5:17 (NIV) James 5:17 - Comments
Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years.

James 1:2-4 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Comment: The only way testing of your faith builds perseverance is if you hold your ground. You have to hold to your faith and know that God will see you through whatever happens in your life. Obviously, no one wants to have trials or negative circumstances in their life, but if they do it is key to be prepared. If you have the right mindset, if you are focused on pleasing God, and if you have faith in God you can learn from these situations and come out victoruous.

James 1:5-6a If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt...

Comments: Why wouldn't you ask God for wisdom daily? All throughout your day? James says, God will generously give it to you as long as you have faith that He will.

James 1:6-7 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.

Comments: Belief and Doubt are two very different and really opposite things. James tells us if we pray to God and have doubt that He will answer that prayer, we have just waisted God's time. James says that if you doubt you should not expect to receive what you prayed for. He says that a person who doubts is double-minded (undecided; vacillating - To swing indecisively from one course of action or opinion to another.) Who wants to be called double-minded after reading the definition. We either have faith in God or we don't. Make it your goal today and everyday to increase your faith in God. Have an "unwavering faith" in our amazing God and what He can do in your life.

James 1:12 Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

James 1:13 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14 but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

Comments: Don't let yourself be deceived that certain things are happening in your life because God placed them in your life to make your life harder. James says it comes from our own desire. Desire is built by our thoughts. We need to guard our thoughts. James Allen in As A Man Thinketh talked about our mind being like a garden and "If no useful seeds are planted then usesless seeds will fall in (look up quote)". We have to rid our mind of any negative or sinful thoughts asap. Otherwise they we fester and grow and manfest in our lives. If we are not vigilant in this process and let these useless seeds get planted, then over time more and more useless seeds will be planted unconsciously as we create that habit. God is awesome. He wants the best for your life. Remember this throughtout your day. If God wants the best for your life why would He tempt you with things that He does not want you to do. Verses 16 tells us not to be deceived. I think it is easy for us to want to blame someone else for our faults. In this case, James is telling us not to deceive ourselves and start to blame God.

James 1:16 Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. 17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

Comments: Isn't this great! God doesn't change. He made the rules of the universe and they are set. All we have to do is learn the rules that He has set in place and believe without a shadow of a doubt that if we live by those rules we will have an incredible life.

James 1:19 My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20 because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.

Comments: This verse reminds me of what many have said. How many ears do you have? How many mouths do you have? 2 to 1. Then shouldn't we listen twice as much as we speak. Especially, when it comes to your time with God. How many times have you prayed to God and just went on with your day? What if God wanted to give you the answer right at that moment. Start making the habit of praying to God and then taking a few minutes and just clearing your mind and allowing God to speak to you. Books could be written from this verse. How valuable is this verse to you? How could being quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry help your marriage? How could it help your relationship with your children? So many of us severly hinder our impact on helping our children, bu not listening to this verse.

James 1:21 Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

Sin, moral filth, evil, anger...none of these sound good. God wants us to have a great life. God wants to experience love, joy, happienesss, peace and all the wonderful things life has to offer. Please don't start thinking about all the sin in your life and get down and depressed. This section can be a big benefit for you. We need to ask ourselves what things we have that are off-track in our lives, but we do not need to focus on them. What am I saying? You need to be aware of your sin. You need to be aware of the things you need to change in your life. But after that you need to take that awareness and look at what you should be doing in your life. All the good things that the Bible talks about that will bring about the life God desires for your life. Ask God for forgiveness and then don't focus on the sin anymore or all you will do is bring about more of those circumstances. Focus on the good and expect the good and you will be amazed at the wonderful changes that happen in your life.

James 1:22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

- Take action. Bob Proctor quote

James 1:23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.

- Without doing what it says and taking action we are just waisting our time.

James 1:25 But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.

***This verse is awesome. Do you see what James is saying here? Did into God's word. Do it Continually. Meditate on it, Memorize it, and more importantly do what it says. James says you will be blessed in what you do. Repetition forms our habits.(zig ziglar) IF we repeat this formula it will become a habit. Gradually, we will subconciously act in this way and automatically think and act in ways that will produce amazing results in our lives. How cool would it be to know that you automatically act in a way that pleases God?

James 1:27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

James 2:8 If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,”[a] you are doing right.

James 2:10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.

James 2:12 Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, 13 because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

James 2:14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them?

James 2:15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

James 2:18 But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. 19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.

James 2:20 You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless[d]? 21 Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.

James 2:23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,”[e] and he was called God’s friend.

James 2:24 You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.

James 2:26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

James 3:5 Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

James 3:9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. 11 Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12 My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.

James 3:13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.

James 3:17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 18 Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.

James 4:3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

James 4:4 You adulterous people,[a] don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.

James 4:7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

James 4:8 Come near to God and he will come near to you...

James 4:10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

James 4:12 There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?

James 4:15 Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”

James 4:17 If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.

James 5:7 Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. 8 You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near.

James 5:9 Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!

James 5:12 Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. All you need to say is a simple “Yes” or “No.” Otherwise you will be condemned.

James 5:16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

James 5:19 My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, 20 remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.

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