The Book of James is one of the most practical books of the Bible. It covers the spiritual and the physical aspect of life. One of the most important blessings in life is good health and healing when we are sick. Even that aspect of living is covered in the book of James with clear and precise directives for the Christian and for the church. If you want to know more, keep on reading.
May the Lord richly bless you!
Hello:
Book of James Challenge – Day 17 – James 1 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, 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. 5 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, 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. (James 1:1-8)
The book of James is one of the most practical books of the Bible. Like the Book of Proverbs, it tells us how to live our Christian lives on a day-to-day basis. The second verse of the book challenges us in our attitude toward life in general. It tells us that life is difficult, trials will come but our positive attitude towards setbacks will make the difference. “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance (v. 2-3).
The right kind of perseverance brings us success. Perseverance is not useful if we are heading in the wrong direction. That is why James’ second advice to us is to seek out wisdom. We need wisdom to know when to go ahead and when to change course. Proverbs 14:12 warns us about going the wrong way in a one way street, “There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.” So we must ask God for wisdom in faith, because his promises are certain.
Faith is one of the key ingredients to our success. God never fails his Word. Once we get a word from the Lord, once we get a promise of the Lord we must act on it. Without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). We must believe and act with confidence knowing that the Holy Spirit of God is leading us into all good things.
May the Lord richly bless you!
Book of James Challenge – Day 18 – James 2 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)
14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 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.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 2:14-19)
As long as we live in this physical world, we will need both faith and actions. Our faith needs to be manifested by our actions. “What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? (v. 14).” The answer is obviously such a faith cannot save them because it is dead. Often it is not the brightest student who succeeds, but the one who applies himself day after day mastering a difficult task.
” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds (v. 18). They often say that courage is not the absence of fear; rather, it’s choosing to act in spite of the fear. I would venture to say that faith is not the absence of doubt, rather, it is choosing to act in faith in spite of doubt. My doubt can tell me that giving a few dollars toward the elimination of world hunger will not change anything. But I can still give in faith, knowing that the Lord will multiply what I gave.
The invisible must become visible by the actions of men. The Bible says, “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good (1 Corinthians 12:7 ). We need to show to the world the manifestation which was given to us.
May the Lord richly bless you!
Book of James Challenge – Day 18 – James 3 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)
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. 14 But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. 15 Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.
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 3:13-18)
We cannot achieve true success if we let our hearts be a dwelling place for bitter envy and selfish ambition. Bitter envy and selfish ambition are negative forces that if not kept under control will repulse every blessing that God is sending our way. When we are envious of other people’s possession we forget that God is a God of abundance who is willing to make our dreams come true. “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart (Psalms 37:4).” No need to be envious.
Not only envy and selfish ambition hurt us directly, because of spiritual and physical stresses produced by those emotions, they also hurt the very people that God puts on our path to help. Where there is envy and selfish ambition, one finds disorder and every evil practice (v. 16). An environment such as a church fellowship, which is supposed to be conducive to the well-being of the whole person, can turn into a toxic environment if the membership is driving by envy and selfish ambition.
Every one of us has the responsibility to develop into the best we can be. We all need to desire and promote an environment in which the people are peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Such environment is conducive to the success of all. Success begets success. Your success is my success. We sow in peace in order to reap a harvest of righteousness.
May the Lord richly bless you!
Hello:
Book of James Challenge – Day 20 – James 4 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)
What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? 2 You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. 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 4:1-6)
Countless books have been written on the causes of conflicts and applicable solutions to conflicts. However, in three sentences Apostle James inspired by the Holy Spirit gives us the diagnosis and the remedy for all conflicts. The diagnosis is that, “family conflicts, conflicts between siblings, work related conflicts, church conflicts, conflicts between countries, and all types of conflicts come as a result of a perceived lack.” Unfulfilled desire is at the base of all conflicts.
A feeling of lack that would lead to conflict is really a false supposition. God is a God of abundance, so in his presence there can’t be any lack. The Psalmist in psalms 23 recognized that truth when he wrote, “The Lord is my shepherd I will lack nothing.” That truth is not only for the Psalmist, it is for each and every one of us. Everyone who is called by the name of the Lord can declare with the Psalmist, “The Lord is my shepherd, I will not lack.” The Lord is Jehovah Jireh, our provider.
You do not have because you do not ask God (v. 2). It is that simple. I don’t have because I don’t ask God. We can protest that we have asked, we have prayed and we have fasted. If that is the case, James tells us that we have asked with wrong motives, that we may spend what we get on our pleasures (v. 3). This too is very simple. We just need to readjust our motives. Our success depends in humbling ourselves to ask God for his blessings with right motives.
May the Lord richly bless you!
Hello:
Book of James Challenge – Day 21 – James 5 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)
13 Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. 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 5:13-16)
Napoleon Hill, the author of “Think and Grow Rich,” identified six basics fears that keep people from reaching their full potential. Fear of poverty is the top one, followed by fear of criticism, and then fear of ill health. Fear indeed can paralyze the individual keeping them from taking useful actions. But, we don’t need to be afraid. The love of God is the cure to every kind of fear. In 1 John 4:18 we read, “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”
People who know God as a healer do not have to fear sickness. The prophet Isaiah foresaw the crucifixion of Jesus declared, “And by His stripes we are healed (Isaiah 53:5).” Every sick Christian should be confident that God’s provision for healing is still effective. The healing prophesied by Isaiah and fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ is a fait accompli, “by whose stripes you were healed (1 Peter 2:24).” It means the provision for healing has been provided, we just have to receive it by faith.
Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven (James 5:14-15).” This works every time. No need to fear sickness and disease, God is our healer.
May the Lord richly bless you!