James 1:5 [5] “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” Just because we develop into a more mature Christian, does not mean that we have all the answers. A mature Christian is not marked by how much they speak, but by how much they are able to control their speech. A child may say anything, at any time, to anyone. So it is with less mature saints. The more we learn, the more we realize how little we know. James tells …
“God’s Goal for Your Life”
James 1:4 [4[ “But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” God’s goal for our life is simple. He wants to make us complete in Him. He accomplishes this goal through His son, Jesus Christ. Christ works for us in Salvation. He then works in us by sanctification. Finally, He works through us in service. This is a process for the believer. A process that takes both time and patience. Our verse teaches us to let patience have her perfect work. The word “perfect” indicates that the work has reached its end. It means it has been fully …
“Knowing Patience”
James 1:3 [3[ “Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.” If we are honest, there are some things we would rather not know about in life. There are even some people we would rather not have known in life. We cannot help but feel that life would be easier, less complicated, or less stressful if we could avoid certain issues, or certain people all together. Our flesh says that, sometimes, ignorance really is bliss. If patience were a person, I think I would avoid her altogether. She would slow me down in my daily schedule. She would …
“Joy For The Journey”
James 1:2 [2] “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;” Life does not always go our way. There are mountain tops to enjoy, and valleys to walk through, as we journey along. James understands that his brethren are not only scattered throughout the region, but that they are facing difficult times. They are going through times of testing. In our verse he uses the phrase, “divers temptations”. The word “divers” means “various”, and the word “temptations” refers to trials, or testings. We know that trials come in various forms and fashions. Each trial is unique …
“Who Am I”
James 1:1 [1] “James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.” The first word of this epistle gives us the identity of the author. His name is James. He was the son of Mary, the brother of the Lord Jesus, and the head of the church in Jerusalem. These are remarkable positions, but James mentions none of them. The title he chooses is, “James, a servant”. The word servant is the Greek word “doulos”. This is someone who is considered to be a bondservant. It means they were …
“Face to Face”
3 John 14 KJV [14] “But I trust I shall shortly see thee, and we shall speak face to face. Peace be to thee. Our friends salute thee. Greet the friends by name.” John is giving his benediction with the mindset that he will come to see the brethren soon. He would rather say some things face to face instead of putting them in a letter. In this modern world of technology there are things that are too personal and important to put in a text or an email. A phone call does not even seem sufficient. They bear more …
“So Much To Say”
3 John 13 KJV [13] “I had many things to write, but I will not with ink and pen write unto thee:” Whenever I read this verse I’m curious about the phrase “many things”. John has written about many things in his epistles, but in this third and final epistle he tells us he has so much more to say. I would love to know what more was on the great apostle’s heart. What more did he have to write unto them? How much more detail or doctrine did he want to add? It definitely leaves us wondering, but it also …
“Having a Good Report”
3 John 12 KJV [12] “Demetrius hath good report of all men, and of the truth itself: yea, and we also bear record; and ye know that our record is true.” The brother in our verse was responsible for carrying and delivering this epistle. He had a good report with all of the churches, and is endorsed by the apostle John. The Bible does not give us a lot of information about Demetrius, but it gives us enough to have great respect for him. This man is forever recorded in the pages of God’s Word as having a good report with …
“Whom Will You Follow?”
3 John 11 KJV [11] “Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God.” Today’s verse causes us to reflect back on what we have read thus far in this epistle. Diotrephes had done evil. Gaius had done good. We know that Gaius is of God because he loved and walked in the truth. Diotrephes had no vision of God. He is standing against everything that God is standing for. He is against the preacher, the brethren and anyone who does …
“Dealing with Diotrephes”
3 John 10 KJV [10] “Wherefore, if I come, I will remember his deeds which he doeth, prating against us with malicious words: and not content therewith, neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and forbiddeth them that would, and casteth them out of the church.” The apostle makes it clear that if he is able to come, then he will deal with Diotrephes. He also put it in writing and sent it with Gaius for all to hear, in case he was unable to come. Either way John makes it clear that these types of members cannot rule in the …