James

January 18th – John 8:11

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John 8:11

Jesus was teaching in the temple when the scribes and Pharisees threw a woman they had caught in the act of adultery at His feet. Expecting the punishment of death, the crowd waited for Jesus to give His pronouncement. But instead of declaring the women guilty, Jesus did the unthinkable. He forgave her sin and sent her on her way. This woman could easily be you or I. Although our sin may not be adultery, we have all been caught in our sins. James 2:10 says, “For whoever keeps the whole Law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.” That makes us all alike. For we all have broken God’s Law. And all have sinned. By not condemning this woman, Jesus was showing that we are all in great need of a Savior to reconcile us to God. That Savior is Jesus Christ. And when we receive Him as Lord, although others declare us guilty, through His precious blood He declares us innocent!

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October 31st – James 1:12

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James 1:12

God’s Promise – “I promise a crown of life to all who love Me despite their trials.” 

No one is exempt from the trials of life. And although painful, James tells there is much to be gained from weathering the storm. For as a Roman philosopher once said, “A gem cannot be polished without friction, nor a man perfected without trials.” In 1 Peter 2:4, Jesus is called a, “living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God.” We too are choice and precious stones to God. He lovingly refines and purifies us until we are smoothed by faith and polished by perseverance. The process at times may be painful. But to those who endure to the end, James promises a great reward; the crown of life. A beautiful crown reserved for all who love God and receive Jesus Christ as their Savior. Life can be hard. But knowing we will be spending eternity in paradise with the Lord, is all the incentive we need to persevere through every trial!

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A Fig Tree Can’t Produce Olives – James 3

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James 3

When we think of sins that grieve God, at the top of the list usually aren’t the wrong doings we commit with our tongue. After all, how much harm is there in sharing a bit of gossip or exaggerating a little here and there. And doesn’t everyone from time to time say things that we regret? Don’t we have more important sins to worry about than the words we speak?

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A Fig Tree Can’t Produce Olives – James 3 Read More »

September 25th -1 John 5:14-15

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1 John 5:14-15

We as Christians are in a battle for our very souls. The apostle Paul tells us in Ephesians 6:12 that there is a great spiritual war waging around us even as we speak. As such, we are commanded to be courageous warriors in God’s army. Soldiers armed against the Enemy’s attacks, and at the ready with our spiritual weapons. And some of the greatest ammunition we have is prayer. Prayer is an unbreakable bond between us and God. There is no special formula, ritual, or words that have to be said. All God wants is for us to come to Him in complete and humble faith. Through the blood of Jesus Christ we have unlimited access to the Father and His throne. And He wants to hear from us! James 4:2 tells us we don’t have, because we don’t ask. So today I challenge you to ask! Go to God in prayer. Give to Him your heart and all it holds. And have unshakable faith that if it is His will, He will see it done!

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August 25th – 1 Timothy 2:1

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1 Timothy 2:1

When someone we love hurts, our first instinct is to want to jump into action and fix the problem. Because their pain is our pain. And our world won’t be right again until theirs is. But what about those times when we can’t make things better? What do we do then? We do one of the greatest and most powerful things we can, we pray. There is great strength in prayer. For as James tells us, the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. (James 5:16) Petitioning God on behalf of another is faith in action. We’re laying the hurt of our loved ones at His feet, and asking Him to take action. And having full confidence that God will do what we can’t. Although it can be hard to, “let go and let God”, we have to remember that as much as we love the people we pray for, God loves them even more. And getting on our knees, praying that He will work powerfully and mightily in their lives, is how miracles happen!

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Focused On His Goodness – James 1

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When each day brings with it new stories of violence, atrocities, and horrors, it’s getting harder to find the good in the world. I often find myself crying out, “Why God? Why did you allow this to happen?” During the time of James, the scattered Jewish Christians shared these same feelings. Tired of the injustice, poverty, and corruption of Rome, they were angry at God for the evil of the world.

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Focused On His Goodness – James 1 Read More »

July 1st – James 1:1-2

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James 1:1-2

I’m a morning person. I love the freshness of each new day and the promise it holds. That being said, I learned long ago that nothing sucks the joy out of the morning quicker than waking up and immediately turning on the television, or getting on the internet. Filled with stories of disasters, tragedies, and divisiveness, far from feeling encouraged or empowered, I feel joyless. So instead I try to start my day with goodness. A goodness that carries me through any trial. That means going to God first. For God is good. And not because He does good, but because He is good. The Lord is the constant and unshakable source of every good thing in our lives. Ruler and Creator of heaven and earth, there is no darkness in Him to be found. And in a world that grows darker by the day, keeping our focus on God and His goodness, allows us to experience joy despite an Enemy who seeks to steal it.

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March 26th – James 1:6

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James 1:6

We all face times of trial and tribulation. And God allows these times into our lives to strengthen both our faith, and obedience. Struggles also remind us how impossible it is to navigate life on our own. But thankfully, we never have to face anything alone. That’s why James tells us to pray for godly wisdom to see us through. But the apostle then goes on to say that when we pray, we need to do so without doubting. Because without faith, we will be tossed around whichever way the wind blows. And instead of being filled with God’s wisdom, peace, and goodness, we will be carried away by a sea filled with false teaching, temptation, and fear. We serve a loving, generous, God who loves nothing more than to answer the prayers of His children. Children who stand rooted in the faith that He will see them through!

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march 17th – James 1:5-6

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James 1:5-6

There are many who have knowledge but do they have wisdom? And what’s the difference? Knowledge is information gained through experience, reasoning, or acquaintance. Wisdom is the ability to discern or judge what is true, right, or lasting. Knowledge can exist without wisdom, but not the other way around. One can be knowledgeable without being wise. Christians are called to be wise. And wisdom comes from spending time in God’s Word. James 3:13-18- talks about two kinds of wisdom, godly and earthly. So how can we tell between the two?

Godly wisdom is pure, peaceable, gentle, and reasonable. It is full of mercy and good fruits. And is unwavering, without hypocrisy. Earthly wisdom is rooted in jealousy and selfish ambition. It is double minded, lead by evil spirits, and loves lies above the truth. And as 1 Corinthians 3:19 tells us, foolishness before God.

So if it’s wisdom you seek, pray and ask God. For He is generous. And to all who ask, He will give abundant wisdom we need to navigate life!

Blessings, Lyn

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March 13th – Matthew 18:19

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Matthew 18:19

I once read it said as prayer warriors we must remember that no matter how hopeless a situation may appear to us, God gives us power in prayer to do something about it. Especially when Christians come together to pray as one. We know that the prayer of one righteous person can accomplish astonishing things. (James 5:16) But when two or three have gathered to pray with one mind, God says He will be with them in a special and unique way. For we are the church of Christ, made up of one body. And we are called to pray together as that one body for God to heal, bless, uplift, and strengthen all. Many times in the Bible we read stories of amazing things that happened when Christian’s prayed together. And those amazing things can happen for us when in unison, we pray for the needs of each other.

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