princesskitty

Q2. (2:4) In what way does favoritism make one a judge? How does favoritism make one a judge with "evil thoughts"? It all boils down to being led by the flesh rather than the spirit. It is the poor, elderly, homosexual, alcoholic, sex offender, prostitute, addict, and all the other kind of people that may make us uncomfortable that are the lost and stolen vessels for the darkness, and in need of the salvation of Christ. Because we see them how the darkness has burdened them, rather than believing in the power of our Lord to change them and set them free. How could we turn them away because of a calloused self righteous heart and call ourselves believers? Were our own sins not so ugly? It's not easy, but I think if we stay in prayer regularly, we will remain humble at the feet of our saviour, and He will lead us by his love to see what the ugly people in this world really are---hopeless and lost without Him, just as each of us was also before we knew Him.

Q1. (2:1-3) What kind of person or what kind of sinner do you tend to discriminate against? What kind of people are you (or your church) trying to make a good impression on? I tend to have very little patience with belly-achers and complainers. Most often they just rant and never lift a finger to change their situation. The poor me, why is my life this way victim really gets on my nerves. I also have little patience for christians that do everthing right exept love their fellow man. They don't do this, they don't do that, and sit in judgment of anyone who isn't in as good of a place as them. We are supposed to be leading by example, not by critizing. I have a hard time loving people like that. I haven't really noticed my church trying to impress anyone. The pastor and the leaders thus far seem to be spirit led and compassionate to all kinds of people, which is probably why there are so many different kinds of people there.

Q4. (1:26-27) Why does James make taming the tongue and caring for the poor the prime tests of pure religion? Why not the quality of our quiet time or worship? I'm the type of person that can take a great amount of physical pain without shedding a tear. (broken bones, labor and delivery) However, I have wounds that my Lord is working on healing still to this day that were inflicted by the tongues of those I have loved, and still love. Just to think on them puts a knot in my throat. It seems as if in times of weakness, those harsh words are brought to my mind by a foul spirit seeking to condemn me to my past, and I admit, they still hurt and if I dwell there the tears will come. It is a continuing struggle to keep those thoughts out of my mind when I am weak, and remember that my Lord thinks better of me than that. Some things He has already moved me past, and they don't hurt anymore, however, some wounds linger. An apology has helped immensly in the past with one particular person, however, not all people are willing to do that, and it's still my part to forgive and rely on the Lord heal me. Still, even now, I have to confess forgiveness for the person/people and not dwell there and try to let the pain go. It is not the will of our Father for brothers and sisters to do such things to one another! For words spoken out of hasty anger can continue to tear someone down for years to come, and it takes an immeasurable toll on a relationship. How many years of comfort and laughter are lost because of the walls of unresolved words?! Surely the tongue has the power of life and death.

Q3. What is this "perfect law" that James mentions? The perfect law is the law of love: to love God with all your heart, soul, and mind, and to love your neighbor as yourself. God is love. How would you define it?I would say that being right does not make you righteous. It is the spirit in which instruction or the word is given. Some brothers and sisters get so caught up in "knowing" what is right and wrong and telling everyone around them about it that they forget that it is the letter of the law that brings death, but the spirit that brings life. We should ache to minister to others as the Lord does to each one of us: with patience, kindness, "quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry", and with all gentleness of the Holy Spirit. When it is God speaking the word and not our own self-righteousness, it will always be kind. We won't need to add any righteous anger in our tone. The word is a double-edged sword that speaks for itself. If their hearts are ready to recieve it, they will, and if not, no amount of shouting will make it so. How does it relate to the "royal law" (2:8)? I have a hard time distinguishing the two seperately, but I would think that the Royal Law is to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to give to the poor and needy. Poor, needy, afflicted, and fatherless doesn't always mean without money, but also without God: the spirit of life and love. How often has our loving father met us where we were, in the mist of our dark trials, when we are laden with sin just to cry with us? Then when we have been prepared, instructs us in the truth and the word. He doesn't come in and say, "Look at you! This is what my word says and you are on the wrong side of it! You are getting just what you deserve!" As the old saying goes, " people don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care." In what sense does it bring liberty? It frees us from having to know what to say and do. When the Lord is in control, there is absolute peace and it is easy to follow Him. How freeing it is to not have to decide and be responsible for the outcome. If we just do what He says how the Spirit leads us, it will allways be in His hands! This, is truly our struggle.

In what sense are we given spiritual birth by the "word of truth"? What does spiritual life have to do with the Word? Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictonary states: life: the condition that distinguishes organisms from inorganic objects and dead organisms, being manifested by growth through metabolism, reproduction, and the power of adaptation to environment through changes originating internally. birth: an act or instance of being born; the act or process of bearing or briging forth offspring; lineage or descent; any coming into existence; origin; beginning It seems to me that the word of truth brings us out of the physical realm in which we were born, and into the spiritual. Which seems to me is not just internal (our thoughts, feelings, etc.) but external and invisible (Eph. 6:12). Before we are brought there (birth into the spiritual) we are blind and have no real knowledge of things unseen, just an instinct I suppose that something is there. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen. (Heb. 11:1) Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God.

1. they blame God because they are blind and lacking knowledge 2. no 3. no. I like the one post that mentioned that temptations and such only bring out what was already there. 4. He allows people to sin because it's their own choice, and He has allowed us that. 5. It is my understanding that He allows evil to continue to exist here on earth because He loves us. Let me explain. This is the way I see it. When man was created He gave man dominion over the earth. God no longer had it. He gave it to us. Adam and Eve screwed up, and in their ignorance that they were already created in God's image, wanted to be "like God" said the devil, and disobeyed God, thus giving this dominion over to Lucifer and his crew. If God were to intervene where He no longer had dominion, he would be in violation of His own laws, word, and creation, and destroy it all. Jesus through His sinless life was the perfect and final sacrifice for our sins, thus bridging this gap between God and man, and through the miracle of His resurection, defeated the enemy and took back dominion over the earth! We, as his diciples through faith in Him, are led by the Holy Spirit to take back what was stolen from us. Jesus has won us the victory. We must perservere and walk continually towards it. There is evil in the world, I believe, because man allows it. Hearts are turned towards it, rather than towards the will of God, which is for sin and evil to be purged from the earth forever. That's my take on it. Be blessed.

What value have trials had in your life? To teach me that God is ever faithful, even when we aren't. I am a living testimony that the Lord will never leave or forsake His own. Have you let Satan destroy you with those trials? Yes, I did. I did not perservere to the end, and it eventually brought me to my end. I came to the place where I thought God only wanted misery and suffering for my life, and so I didn't want to live for Him anymore. I hadn't yet recieved the full knowledge of His love for me, and believed the lies the enemy was feeding me. Angry at God, I walked away, to do my own thing and have fun for once. What came to pass I don't like to talk about much. I've been where I've been and done what I have done, the Lord knows. The enemy could not take my life. Had I not repented and continued on that path I can't be sure that would be the case. When I had finally had enough pain, I cried out to the only hope I had and he was still there. Still there waiting for me, to walk me back step by step out of the wretched life I had created for myself. My savior! The Lord is good. Or allowed God to refine you? Yes! The former things have passed away and I am a new creation in Him, even better than before, because now I do not doubt my Lord, and I feel and see the evidence around me (my life now) of His love for me every day! How have you changed? I don't think I can ever again take out my frustration and anger on God again. He is my strength and my salvation, my God. In Him will I trust. I now have a well of joy and peace in my soul where there used to be dispair! I am excited about the future! Not because it will all be peaches and roses, but because God will see me through it! And in the process, I'm being not only refined, but restored, into the person he created me to be, before this world's ugliness got a hold of me. And I'm finding out, I don't have to pretend or try so hard--people actually like ME! and I do too!

Jesus said that a wicked and corrupt generation seeks for a sign, however, this man had total faith in God, and wasn't asking for any godlike manifestations. He was seeking that character would be revealed to him. It was himself he doubted, and the stakes were too high for him to be wrong. Considering the task at hand and what all was at stake, the servant wanted peace and confirmation in his own mind, and had faith that God would provide it. I don't think it was hasty. With all that pressure, I think it was very human.

What sticks out in my mind is the illustration, once again, that death comes before inheritance. Of course now through Christ Jesus, our battle is a spiritual one, putting to death daily our "self" (the flesh and former us) to let the life of the spirit of the Lord shine brighter. The death of our flesh leads us to the inheritance of the spirit, ever growing one day at a time. Just as the tomb and land were just a small start to something greater and larger.

It truly is a miracle I could keep up since I had my first baby in the middle of it! This study was just what I needed at this time, as I have been missing church due to all the new adjustments, and needed some good spiritual food! It was excellently timed for my life, praise the Lord!, and fed my faith immenslely, which I needed since I had decided on a natural childbirth and I was nervous. (Had her at home in 5 hours. We'd planned on a birth center, but the midwife and assistant and doula all got there in time and it all worked out wonderfully!) Halleluia! The biggest revelation I recieved in this study was about the Law. It hadn't been given to man yet and God was just first revealing Himself. I had always wondered about why Abraham would be asked and be willing to kill his son, when that's wrong to do, but this study shed light on those things in his life I didn't understand. It's always amazed me how something so simple can be right in front of you and you never see it until someone points it out! I really enjoy reading everyone's posts and gaining different perspectives on the questions. I also appreciated the time to catch up, since this was a very long and in depth study. I liked your research into the orginal language in order to gain a better understanding of the scriptures. It saved me some time from diving into my Strong's exhaustive concordinance on my own, which I've done on many occasions to clarify what the word is saying. Thanks pastor Ralph for such good work! I have enjoyed learning from you and the other people taking this study, and I really don't have anything to say in regards to improvement. It's just fine by me! Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and I look forward to meeting you all in New Jerusalem!

Good answers everyone. I want to apologize for bringing up that sad topic in my previous post on this question.

1. I can say that I have learned to trust Him to provide my needs. 2. When I was homeless and living out of my car, He provided that I had a place to stay, and sometimes even a warm couch! When I was hungry, I found enough change for some chips! When there was danger, He guarded my life. (amazingly!) And when I cried, He was with me. He was always with me. 3. I'm now expecting Him to provide the abundant overflow, that I may move forward quickly into the rest of His plan for me! He has already provided all that I need and then some. Now it's time for me to move past that and start giving to others! I expect to hear later today that I have a job that will be the stepping stone to what's next! And if it doesn't happen today, well, then it's just too soon. But it's going to happen! He's not going to lay the plan out and show me where to walk without providing the means! I just have to go when He says, and that's what I did, so it aught to work out! I'm soooo excited!

1. We can know of Him, but not really know Him. He is love, and until we surrender ourselves fully, we can't experience that fully, and it is heartbreaking. What I mean is---to know God and His love for us and then to see others sitting in their miserable bondage because they themselves refuse to walk in whatever faith they have towards God. They don't know what they are missing, and they do suffer for it. 2. Yes I have!!! 3. Well, I gave my soul to Him in the second grade, when I felt the call to do so, and it took quite some time for me to learn to give Him my life as well. For some time, I did not trust God with all of it, just this or that, and "I could figure out the rest". This, of course, didn't work out very well, and I blamed God for it, and lost my trust in Him completely, and decided that if all He wanted for me was a life of pain and misery, then I would just go about things myself and hopefully have some fun along the way. Ironically, (logically) I got so much pain and misery I finally couldn't stand it anymore and asked for help. He drew me back one step at a time from where I was until the light of revelation came in and God showed me what all He had done for me since I asked, and then I gave it ALL to Him! Sometimes I've gotten stuck and had to repent. Sometimes I've held on to some things and had to repent, but oh how faithful He is! He knows I want to go forward and not back, and is patiently working it all out. And oh how far we have come and what a joy it has been! 4. He has blessed me so abundantly sometimes it's hard to handle! I never knew I could be this happy! I struggle with fear and guilt because I don't deserve to be this happy! ((When is something going to come along and take it all away?---however Ecc. 3:14!)) But that's not the point now is it? He LOVES us! Of course we don't deserve it! We're all sinners and condemned by the law, but the blood of Christ has set us free! And now we can live in the spirit with all the fruits thereof and life abundantly! I have to remind myself of these things almost every day, and it has come to my attention that living in victory and joy and success is a test as well. But oh what a happy one! A few months ago I found a piece of paper I was writing my feelings on in 2000, before the worst of it all, and before my total surrender. I was asking questions and trying to figure things out and pouring my heart out saying "all I really want is......is that too much to ask?" Well, let me just say that in just a few short years God has given me everything on that piece of paper! (Things I was trying to get on my own and couldn't do.) I've been through so much since then and got so sidetracked I'd forgotten I'd even wanted those things, but God knew!--and even saved the paper for me to remind me at the right time! And I'm just so thoroghly delighted I'm beside myself! I sit in awe of Him!.....and sometimes I sing and dance! The best part is I know it's not over yet! This is just the beginning! We're moving on. He's got more for me to do and my work and service I now know will be joyous to my soul, because I have been created for it! How good it is to know The Lord and be used by Him!

1. Satan wants to condemn us. He wishes to use it to show us that the word of God is not true, at least not for us, because how could God love US? How could we be that strong?. He wants us to stay down under foot and not rise up above him to our rightfull place bought by the blood of Christ. 2. God already knows what we can handle at the time, and will never put more on us than we can bear. I believe His intentions are to prove us to ourselves. Most people say that "I couldn't handle that.", but the truth is most people can endure anything that they have to. We just don't know how strong we are until the time comes. Then once passed we can look back and say, "Hey, look how far I've already come! This little problem now is a piece of cake!" 3. Yes, I have been through a trial that strengthened and invigorated me. Basically, my whole life up until a few years ago. Then I repented, and God has been revealing to me my place and His glory ever since. Passing through the darkness by His grace and love---well, I'm never going back! 4. I don't know if I've inspired anyone. Nobody knows the extent of my trials, as I was alone, but who knows. I've definately been inspired by others, and they don't even know it! So maybe someone has stood by and been inspired by me! We just won't know some things until the end, when all things will be revealed.

I just have to say that it is profoundly humbling. What is man that you are mindful of him? Especially after all the wrong I have done to Him, the one who loves me eternally and created me. Knowing Him has made me more patient, to not get ahead of myself and do His job (like Sarah), and accept that I am but dust, and my "flaws" are part of that, and will be worked out by the Master in His time, not mine. The works of the Lord are forever, nothing added and nothing taken away. What can I myself do that lasts? Nothing. All I have to do is accept, and follow His leading, and it will all work out. The transforming power of this love awes me as I bask in it, and turns my heart toward doing what pleases the father, not because I am so righteous, but because He first loved me. I seek to one day hear those blessed words, "Well done, my good and faithful servant.", in spite of myself and all that I lack. It will truly only be by grace, and faith in His love for me. I thank Him everyday that He never gave up on me, and is still working me into the Dawn He created me to be.