Donna Mae

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 descriminate against those with influence, or those who are rich. I assume that they are full of pride, wanting to use their position to gain some power and control where they can. Yet, if I was rich, I might be just that type of person. I don't know, but it seems that we are in danger of becoming those very people that we find it hardest to forgive. Bitterness can take hold if we let it. Donna

Q3. (1:5-8) How do trials help cure us of "double mindedness"? How do trials help us grow in faith? 5If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; 8he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does. Trials to me are like a sharp edge of a knife, through them either you cut another or you are being cut. God wants us to die daily(painful to us) not to kill others with our actions or words (painful to them). When the going gets tough we are sort of forced into choosing....'do we choose Gods way of 'love one another',(selflessness) or do we go our own way and defend self (selfishness)? Of course there are many forms that these two choices can manifest themselves in, but when in a corner, we can no longer be double-minded. It's one way or the other. Trials on the other hand can help us grow in faith as we choose to do things Gods way. For example, in my own life, just recently, I decided that I would not try to wriggle out of a situation that clearly I needed to own up to. I stood firm with the Lord (by His grace of course and through keeping my mind focused on Him and on good things(Philippians) ) Then, to my delight he opened my eyes to the whole situation and how to address it with wisdom, and it will teach lessons and edify/chasten all parties involved. My faith has grown in great degrees in this area, and all because of my choice(God's Grace) to go His way. Before, I never really believed that good would come out of standing naked so to speak before God with my faults laid open, not trying to deny that I was guilty. I somehow thought that God would abandon me in the midst and I would end up ashamed, stupid and silly. This time I decided that no matter the cost, I would just stand that way before him, and the results are, He has covered my nakedness and made me to not be ashamed, while still dealing with the situation. He has provided a way of escape for me that I never thought he would, and I am so Grateful for this!!! So I have learned that no matter the cost, do it God's way He will direct your path. They that wait on the Lord will renew their strength. God gives wisdom to those that ask. Let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me. His word is true through and through!!!!!

Q2. (1:13-15) Why do people blame God for evil? Does God tempt us with evil? Does he tempt sinful people with evil? Why does he allow people to sin? Why does he allow evil to exist at all? 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 one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. We tend to wander away from God and righteousness much the same way Eve wandered away from Adam and ended up eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. 'Wandering' is inherent in our sinful nature. Now granted there are apparent instances where it seems that there was no wandering involved, and people suffer for no apparent reason, but we cannot see or know how many times God has called them away and into his safety before the thing has happened. For example the destruction of Jerusalem in 40 a.d. All of the Jews were called out, but only the ones that responded were saved from that horrible end. The believers who held fast to Christ, chose to listen to his voice and harden not their hearts. A good lesson for us as Christians, both to listen to the voice of God (requiring a close relationship with him) and to share the gospel with those who do not know Him, so that they may be saved, both from an ungodly, needless suffering as a result of ignorance and disobedience in this world, and from loss of eternal life in the next. Incidentally, those prophets/evangelists in times past, who were martyred for their faith (another example of suffering), chose that death through faith, it did not sneak up on them and catch them by surprise. They were not victims but 'victors'. Often times noted as rejoicing in their trial for the strength and peace of God was upon them as they went forward in faith. That same strength and peace of God to rejoice in trials is also available to you and all who are in this world faced with trials and problems, Christians and non-Christians, and it's up to us to tell them about it.

Hi There; You sound a little tired. Trials can do that! Trust me! But even more importantly, your focus on them, keeping them 'before your eyes' is the real problem. If God would allow it (which He wouldn't unless it was your choice) satan would destroy you with these thoughts. Yes, the problems are there, we already know that, but is it really our job to think about them? To figure out the solutions to them? No! 'Trust in the Lord with all of your heart, and lean not unto your own understanding, .....' to me this says, any worrisome thoughts that pop into your head are not from God. Any fearful or confusing thoughts are not from God, therefore, by surrendering thought by thought and choosing to think about 'good things', we gain the victory. It is a moment by moment battle, and if we resist each problematic thought soon the battle subsides and we see the solutions 'resist the devil and he will flee from you'. Incidentally ...this process of Godly victory when followed. works with every temptation. God is with you...thought, by thought let him take the wheel! Sincerely In Christ Donna

Q1. (1:2-4) What value have trials had in your life? Have you let Satan destroy you with those trials? Or allowed God to refine you? How have you changed? Trials, we all have them, but it is good to know that indeed they don't come from God, but as I understand, we have certain, maybe not even conscious evil desires, that God knows are there, and the only way to show them up to us so that we can confess them and He can clean them away from us is through certain trials/ problems. When we encounter the problem, our human sinful nature wants to run and hide, or fight, etc in other words, we naturally have the desire to deal with it our way, not God's. We eventually come to the place of .waiting patiently on the Lord. This is a good place to be because we are calm and at peace. How do we arrive at this point? Our focus. Every vengeful, fearful thought, every tempting idea, surrender it to God over and over again 100 times per minute if necessary, (resist the devil and he will flee)and choose to dwell instead on anything good,... bible promises,bible stories, picture Jesus with his disciples along the beach at sunset, whatever you can to get your mind off of the trial..... "though wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee. Remember, there is nothing that can separate us from the love of God! As you progress in treating the trial like this, ask God to show you what it is you are supposed to overcome in this situation. In this state of focusing on the Lord, and dwelling in his peace, it is easy to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit showing us 'the way" both of the fault we possess that he is trying to cleanse us of, and the way to deal with our problem. We may fail, flounder, and fall, but, no worries, He will allow the same problem in another form our way again, so that we can finally be cleansed of that particular sin. Why? Of course, because he loves us and wants to spend eternity with us and this my friends, we can count as "All Joy"!