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Wise Use of God’s Riches

5:1

James begins this portion of his letter chastising Rich Believers who have not used their wealth for God’s purposes! Immediately, he tells them to weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon them! Wow, that is a frightening warning to those of us who are ‘rich’. Guess what, we, as Americans, are ALL considered rich according to the world’s standards. We have the most wealth, the most affluence, the most luxurious homes, cars, appliances, all kinds of technologies that make our lives ones of ease and convenience! We wallow in materialism and selfishness, caring little for the sufferings of those less fortunate than ourselves. The love of money is the root of all evil. 1 Timothy 6:10.

5:2-3

Our riches are corrupted, and our garments are moth-eaten? Our Gold and Silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against us; and destroy us. So, how can we think about this in our age? Perhaps our “God and Silver” represents our ‘Investments’. If those investments are for our ultimate ease and pleasure, with no thought of the needs of others, God cannot be pleased. God sees our attitude about our wealth; He sees our self-indulgent ways and thoughts. Those evil desires and feelings James just admonished us about, seem to be shouting in our ears and minds: We need to change our attitudes and actions from Selfish Boasting and Arrogance to an attitude of seeking God’s Will for the Riches He has given us. How much is too much? Only you, and God, can answer that. Consider asking God what He wants you to do with your ‘excess’. That excess is anything you don’t NEED. If you are like most of us, we say, “BUT WHAT IF….” and then we begin to justify why we ‘need’ all those ‘extra’ whatever it may be. Yet, if we are wise planners, planning according to God’s Will, then we will have sufficient material wealth to meet our needs. Notice we may need to make a decision to use our wealth for the NEEDS of others, and sacrifice some of our WANTS. Is this easy? Of course not! But IF God is directing you to help others in need, and you refuse, you are in disobedience. Notice that James is referring to heaping up wealth in the ‘last days’. Are WE in the ‘last days’? Most serious Bible students believe we are in those ‘last days’. So, it appears that James is speaking directly to us.

5:4

Now James is speaking to those who hire others to work for them. Hopefully, you are paying a fair and honest ‘wage’ to all who do work for you. Hopefully, as the laborer, you are also working hard for the wages that are paid to you. If we have not paid someone a ‘fair wage’ for work done for us, we need to correct that sin. If we are the laborer who has not done the best work possible, we need to correct that sin. You and I are probably on both sides of this equation. Note that these scriptures clearly show that citizens have a right to own real property, yet it is their use of the property that can become sinful. The Truth is that the rights of private property ownership and personal liberty are inseparable. If we cannot own any real property, then we cannot have personal liberties. Our right to worship God in Truth and spirit is then seriously jeopardized.

5:5

Are we living on earth in pleasure and luxury? If so, then we have led lives of luxury and self-indulgence. Our lifestyles here in America certainly seem to fit this description. This means we must do some serious self-assessment. Perhaps it is time to begin seriously sacrificing to assist those who are in serious need. Start with areas God has spoken to your heart about. Perhaps more generously donating to your Food Bank, or Samaritans Purse, or other charitable organizations that seek to alleviate hunger and suffering for poor people in our world. Pray about how you can increase your sacrificial giving to help poor, hungry, suffering people in our country and around the world, all in the name of Jesus.

5:6

How have we ‘condemned’ and ‘murdered’ the just? With our LACK of words and actions, by not assisting and standing up for those who have been condemned unfairly! How about those in other countries who have been murdered, and martyred, and yet we have done nothing to help them? It is now time to begin supporting organizations that strive to bring help to these suffering people and their families. You and I know that in our world today thousands of Christians are being condemned and murdered; being martyred. By not doing something to help them, we are, in effect, contributing to their sufferings. Pray about sacrificially supporting Christian organizations that seek to help Christians around the world who are suffering severe injustices, and often death, just because they believe in Jesus.

5:7-8

THEREFORE, be patient, Believers; this type of Patience, is one of active action, being obedient to do whatever ‘opportunity’ God has given us. Those who are actively patient, are looking for the coming of the Lord, Jesus, with ACTIONS. We know He is coming; will He find us faithfully striving for Eternal Fruit? Are we prayerfully searching for every opportunity to share the GOOD NEWS of Salvation with a lost and dying world? Remember, we must help people with both their Spiritual Needs and their Physical Needs, or they will never believe we truly care about them, nor will they come to know how deeply God loves them!

5:9

True Believers will not spend their time and energy grumbling and complaining about ANYTHING. They will take God-directed ACTION. You see a problem, so what does God want YOU to do about it? How can YOU assist in doing God’s work here on earth in your own sphere of influence? At work? In Church? In our community? Our Nation? Wherever God places us, we must look for opportunities to reach the lost for Jesus. Begin now, to speak the Truth of Jesus, in Love, in every area of your life. Jesus is standing at the door of eternity, judging our thoughts and actions.

5:10

James reminds us to look at the Prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example to us of suffering and patience. We must persevere in doing whatever we can, wherever we can, to bring forth Eternal Fruit for the Kingdom of God. The time is coming when some of us will be called upon to suffer for Jesus. Are you ready? You should be! Jesus warned us repeatedly that “IF you are truly My followers, you WILL SUFFER for my name’s sake.” God is NOT punishing Believers when He allows suffering to enter our lives, He is BLESSING us by giving us the opportunity of changing our attitude and character to become more like Jesus! Use the sufferings that come upon you, to allow the Holy Spirit to transform you! This is how SANCTIFICATION is performed in our lives. Remember, if we fail to speak out for Jesus, and support those who strive to share the Gospel in good times, we will never have the courage to speak out for Jesus in tough times.

5:11

We often stumble at the thought of enduring through a trial as being ‘blessed’. Why? Because we fail to realize that the ONLY WAY, we can possibly stand strong and endure whatever trial we are facing, is because of the Mercy and Grace of the Holy Spirit within us. God alone provides the strength and fortitude to endure and persevere! Never think, falsely, that you somehow mustered the courage to persevere. Perseverance is always the result of our obedience to the Power of the Holy Spirit within our souls and spirits.

5:12

This reference to ‘swearing’ means our speaking. Words are powerful, and our words will bring goodness or evil depending on what, and how we speak. We must guard our speech; seeking to speak only the Truth of God’s Word into our lives and the lives of others. ‘Yes, or No’, means that we are Truthful and loving in our speech. We must NOT compromise the Truth to accommodate anyone, or in any situation. If we use our speech to judge ANYONE, we are acting out of arrogance. Only God is to judge. Certainly, we must speak out against any evil, and act in faithfulness, but God will judge all those who commit evil. Our faithfulness means we will take action against the evil being committed. How? Personally, in our own lives and our sphere of influence, as well as support those who seek to expose evil and provide God’s goodness.

5:13

SUFFERING. Not our favorite topic, is it? Yet, we all experience it in some way, to different degrees. If you are not suffering in some way right now, be thankful, and seek ways to help others who are suffering. If you ARE suffering, notice that the first thing the Holy Spirit tells us to do is PRAY! This is exactly what we should ALREADY be doing every moment of our lives. What? Pray ALL the time? Yes! Remember, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-19: “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit!” Memorizing, and praying this Scripture into your life, will change you forever! If we pray without ceasing, we will not fret and worry, because we are seeking God’s mercy and grace; and receiving it as we pray! Suffering? Then we pray, asking for God’s strength and power to endure the suffering; seeking to learn the ‘lessons’ He is trying to teach us. Perhaps it is just learning to persevere in the face of adversity. That is exactly what Jesus did His entire life! You want to be more like Jesus? Then prepare for suffering and learning to persevere and endure whatever God allows in your life. Avoid the pity party! That is not persevering. Be joyful, thankful, appreciative of the blessings you DO have. Thank God for allowing you the privilege of suffering for His sake. Rejoice Always, Pray without stopping, Give Thanks in EVERY SITUATION! This is how a mature Believer will live and act, no matter what suffering enters their life. Are you prepared? Are you seeking God’s Will? REALLY? Take a good, honest look at how you respond to any type or kind of suffering! As you pray God’s Word into your life, don’t rush, take time to experience His Word, let it sink deep into your mind and soul, and absorb His Word into your very being.

5:14

SICKNESS. Another area all of us suffer with to some degree. Again, our first response is PRAYER. We admit we need prayer from others, by humbly asking and seeking prayers from others. Serious illnesses should cause us to humble ourselves and ask Believers to pray over us. ‘Elders’ could refer to any mature Believer. Even being anointed with oil, in the name of the Lord, shows our Trust in God’s Word. All these actions show our Trust in Jesus, His Word, and our belief in prayer. We say we want to be like Jesus; then this is the ultimate test in our life, the sufferings, trials, tribulations; whatever the situation may be, we must respond first with prayer, thankfulness, rejoicing, and perseverance, always seeking God’s perfect will for our lives. God will BLESS you as you Pray. God ALWAYS gives us His Best, as we obey Him.

5:15

Be careful to understand that the prayer of faith will save the sick, not necessarily be a guarantee of complete physical healing. As the Lord ‘raises him up’, this could mean complete physical healing; yet immediately notice that the emphasis is on forgiveness of sins.

5:16

Confession. Our admission of our sins must first be to ourselves and God. God clearly tells us that we must confess and repent. Just admitting the sin is not true confession, we must repent, that is, turn away from, evil actions and thoughts. If we have harmed another, then we must FIRST admit our wrong and seek God’s direction regarding how we should confess to that person. Then our confession of our sin should be to the person we have harmed. We admit we committed a wrongdoing, and ask for forgiveness, being mindful that we must be prepared to make amends for the harm we have caused. This can be difficult, and sometimes we cannot ‘undo’ the damage we have caused. Praying for one another for healing may be for spiritual healing, or physical healing, or for both. The ultimate ‘healing’ is for our souls and spirits. We NEED forgiveness and healing. Ultimately all forgiveness and healing, both spiritual and physical, comes from God.

The effective fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

5:17

Understanding that the previous sentence refers to this verse, helps clarify the reference to Elijah. We are told that Elijah had a human nature just like us, that is, he was sinful. Yet he prayed earnestly… See 1 Kings 17 and 18. Elijah stated that there would be no rain for three- and one-half years. Yet the Jewish Talmud states that Elijah prayed for rain to be withheld from the land for three- and one-half years. God is the one who withheld rain from the land for that entire time. This was a judgement on the disobedient King Ahab and the Jewish people, who were sacrificing their children to false gods. Then after the predicted 3 ½ years of no rain, then Elijah was told to pray for the rain to come, and it came, allowing the earth to once again produce crops to feed the people and animals. When we read the entire verses from 1 Kings, referred to in these verses; we understand that Elijah was praying in OBEDIENCE to God’s direction, despite the severe sufferings he also had to endure for three- and one-half years. Think you are suffering for a long time … how about how severe the sufferings were for Elijah, even WHEN he was obedient to God’s commands? Remember, it’s NOT about us, it’s about God’s Eternal Plans!

5:19-20

James last plea to us, as Believers, is that if anyone wanders away from the Truth of God’s Word, that we would share the True Truth with them, and bring them back into God’s Word. In the current world of lies and half-truths (really lies in disguise) and all sorts of false teachings, even in our churches, we MUST be diligent in correctly understanding God’s Word. Turning a sinner from the error of his ways, clearly is a reference to teaching the truth of God’s Word to unbelievers, and to Christians, who are believing false teachings. The unbeliever, who becomes a Believer, will be saved from hell. The Christian, who is given the Truth, will be covered from a multitude of sins. Many people, who are Christians, have been deceived into promoting, or participating, in things that are not of God; thus, they are evil. So, helping Believers correctly understand God’s Word is crucial in these last days. Praying the Truth of God’s Word, on a daily basis, is crucial to being effective in this spiritual battle we are in, in these, the last days before the return of Jesus as Lord, God, and Ruler of Heaven and earth.

What a powerful, and challenging, book the Holy Spirit has given us to study and apply to our lives. There are no short cuts, or quick methods, to learning and applying God’s Eternal Word to our lives. It is a day by day, moment by moment consistent struggle to be obedient to the Holy Spirit within us. May each of us humble ourselves, seeking to understand and obey the will of God as the Holy Spirit reveals His Truth to us. The powerful and emotional language James uses in this book should jolt us into prayerful action on a daily basis. Our lives, the lives of our family and friends, even our world, are all at stake for all eternity. Nothing is more serious than this fierce spiritual battle you and I are involved in. We dare not ignore the importance of praying, studying and obeying God’s Word.

Jesus told us: “Heaven and Earth shall pass away, but My Word will endure for all Eternity.”
Shalom

Desires of Our Heart

4:1

Wrong and evil desires! We are immediately told that the desires, or motives, of our hearts and minds influence both our feelings and actions. None of us like to admit that we have wrong, or even evil desires; yet we do! So, these fleshly desires cause us to act in ungodly ways that bring about arguments and fights. Ever insist that you want things YOUR way? Sure, we’ve all done that. And what is the result? Others are unhappy with our selfish, dictatorial, demands and actions. So, the end result is quarrels and fights; none of us like to be used and abused by others, and that is exactly what is being done to us when others act from wrong desires. Just because we FEEL like doing something, doesn’t mean it is right, or good. Remember, those ‘feelings’ come from those evil desires! These selfish, evil desires are in ALL of us! However, that doesn’t excuse us; we are to use our God given abilities to control those selfish desires; and develop character traits that reflect Jesus’ character. We must seek Wisdom from the Holy Spirit to know how to subdue those evil desires and replace them with desires that will be pleasing and honoring to God.

4:2-3

James goes on to tell us that we are jealous; coveting what others have. Thinking that somehow, we want, or must have, something that others have. Money, Home, Vehicle, Vacations, Clothes; and an endless list of Worldly possessions! You can fill in the blanks with THINGS that you WANT! How many of us foolishly think that “If only I had _____, I would be happy, or satisfied.”? We are delusional, lying to ourselves as nothing will truly satisfy us except being in the Will of God! So, those who desire what others have, often try to get them by some evil manner. Even resorting to murder, to obtain another person’s possessions. Well, you think, I would NEVER murder someone for anything!! So, James immediately reminds us that to be envious, angry, and hateful is the same as murder. Oh, oh, we are all in trouble! Then suddenly James tells us that we don’t have something because we have not asked for it. 3. OR, now James gets to our selfish, evil desires; we ask God for things with a wrong purpose, or motive. That would be a selfish, evil motive. We want something to simply satisfy our worldly sensual pleasures. Jesus clearly tells us what we should be concerned about and pray for. See Matthew 6:19-34. So, what are you seeking?

4:4

Adulterers and Adulteresses! Wow, James identifies these desires as not just UNFAITHFULNESS, but calls such desires ADULTERY! that seems a bit harsh and extreme to us; yet let’s think it over carefully. Moral unfaithfulness comes when a person is not satisfied, or content, with the husband or wife that they have. They may not even be conscious of the fact that they are eyeing other men or women with wrong desires. Yet, God warns us that we must GUARD our hearts, to be Pure and Holy, seeking what is good and honorable. We must cultivate an attitude of thankfulness and gratitude for our spouse; remembering that they are a gift from God. Are we the loving, kind, thoughtful, considerate, hardworking, and loving spouse that we should be? If not, then the problem may be us, not them. Or perhaps we have both failed and need to seek Jesus as the center of our lives. But notice that this goes beyond marital infidelity, to being morally unfaithful in our desires for worldly pleasures! Our attitude of being discontent with whatever we have, or the situation we are in, to the point to desiring worldly comfort ABOVE our desire for a holy and pure heart, is sin. So, James tells us that loving the world is HATING God! Remember, even Jesus called his generation a wicked and adulterous generation. Our current generation is even worse! See Matthew 12:39, and 16:4 We actually become God’s enemy! Since we really do not want to be God’s ENEMY, then we must rethink our priorities, our values, and the desires of our hearts.

4:5

James again reminds us that the scriptures warn us of our selfish fleshly envy. God has clearly told us that we should be desiring that which is good, honorable, kind, generous, loving… essentially seeking all the fruits of the spirit. If we seek those attributes, and character traits, in our lives, then the THINGS will lose their evil appeal to us. Even desiring another person, when you know it is immoral, is idolatry! Why? Because you put that person, or thing, before your love for God. Proverbs 21:10a The soul of the wicked desires evil. Our desires reveal the true nature of our very souls, our IDENTITY. This is a crucial point to understand, as our identity as a person, is our soul. So those who have a wicked soul have a wicked identity and are wicked persons; unable to EVER have a personal relationship with God; THEREFORE, they exclude themselves from all love, joy, glory, peace, happiness, honor, goodness, satisfaction, personal relationships; and all the other wonderful promises of God. Instead, they destroy their own soul, and at death, becoming evil forever; and will have the same end result as demons; HELL, and the LAKE OF FIRE; just as the demons are forever doomed to eternal agony and suffering, so will the wicked condemn themselves to eternal agony and suffering.

4:6

BUT HE GIVES GRACE! That is the gift of God that we ALL so desperately need. None of us want to condemn ourselves to eternal suffering, so we must humble ourselves and accept God’s gracious gifts of Mercy and Grace. He provides His Mercy and Grace to enable us to overcome those evil, selfish desires. We absolutely must humble ourselves to obtain His Grace; there is NO OTHER WAY! That is why James quotes from Proverbs 3:34, reminding us that God opposes the arrogant, but gives grace to those who are humble. To continue to seek our own selfish desires is ARROGANCE! Then when we bring disaster upon ourselves, we cry out for God’s mercy and grace! Are we seeing ourselves as Hypocrites and LIARS? We should because that is exactly what we are.

4:7

THEREFORE, as always, whenever we see this word, we should pay special attention as there is something very important the Holy Spirit is revealing to us. Submit and humble ourselves, our minds, and hearts to God through prayer. Seek the Holy Spirit’s Wisdom in dealing with our selfish desires. As we chose to obey the Will of God, we are taking a strong stand against our adversary, the devil. Will he flee immediately? Usually not, but as we continue to pray for power and strength from the Holy Spirit, and remove whatever is feeding our selfish desires, we will be given the strength to resist evil. Ask God to give you a godly desire, something that will bring Him honor and glory, and at the same time bring you peace and joy. Pray for others, seek to do good for someone else. As you direct your focus away from the selfish desires, they will diminish and be replaced with a new desire, in God’s Will, that will be far more satisfying, and truly bring glory and joy to God.

4:8

How do we come close to God? Draw near, that means we need to make an effort! Pray, read, study and apply His Word to our lives, just as you are doing right now! Then Pray again! We want to be close to Jesus; so we must confess our sinfulness, seeking God’s forgiveness as we repent of our evil desires. James tells us to clean our hands and purify our hearts. This means we are to stop doing evil things and seek God’s Will for our lives. This change in attitude will bring new and godly desires into our hearts and minds. None of us become godly overnight; it is a process called Sanctification. We know that it takes a lifetime. Yet, the more we seek God’s Will, the easier it becomes to avoid evil desires and thoughts. Fill your heart and mind with His Word. Memorize scriptures and they will become the desires of your heart. The Holy Spirit wants the VERY BEST for you ALL the time. So, seek God’s Will and you will receive His VERY BEST!

4:9-10

If you are struggling with true and honest repentance, James clearly tells you that you must grieve and be sorrowful over your evil desires. You must honestly and sincerely seek to rid your heart, mind and soul of those worldly sinful desires that bring nothing but grief, destruction and evil to yourself and others. 10. As we humble ourselves before our God, seeking His forgiveness, healing and restoration, He will give it to us. Will it happen instantly? Usually not, we need to continually seek to turn away from those evil desires and feelings. Yet continue to trust God, He loves you with an Eternal Love, and will give you the strength to overcome those evil desires and feelings. We must persevere!

4:11-12

‘Brothers’, James is obviously speaking to fellow Believers; clearly telling us we are not to speak any evil words, even if it’s True, about another person. Why? Because as we speak evil of a fellow Believer, we are, in effect, judging that person. We are NOT the Judge and Jury of anyone! We do not know ALL the circumstances, nor do we know the intent of another person’s heart. 12. James reminds us that there is only One Lawgiver ~ God! And there is only One who is both able to save and to destroy! You and I know that God Almighty is the ultimate Lawgiver and Judge of ALL men. So, in effect we try to usurp God’s authority when we arrogantly judge others. Gossip, slander, repeating evil words, all these evil words from our mouths, fall into this category. Our tongues, once again, get us into trouble and sin, and bring suffering to others!

4:13-14

This ‘come now’ is more like “Pay careful attention!” You people who say we will do this, or that, go here or there, all to make a profit. Clearly, we are instructed to plan for the future, but to seek God’s wisdom and guidance, in all we do, so that whatever ‘we plan’ is really God’s Will and Plan for our lives. 14. Why should we seek God’s Will? Simple, we don’t know the future. An unforeseen catastrophe could occur at any time, changing our situation so drastically, that even carefully laid plans and investments, can become disastrous. Accidents, illness, disastrous weather, war, pandemics, or even the mere possibility of war and widespread pandemics, can trigger Stock market crashes, loss of jobs, loss of basic necessities of life, utilities, water, electricity, medical provisions, communication disasters, the list goes on and on. Some of us have even recently experienced these! James reminds us that our very lives could end in a moment; we are like a vapor, that may appear for just a very short time, and then just disappear.

4:15-16

So, in effect, this is such an important FACT of life, that we should carefully consider that ‘our’ plans should really only be God’s Plans. James carefully warns, and tells us, that we are to rely on, and Trust God for EVERYTHING, EVERY SINGLE DAY! We should pray first, then plan, with spiritual wisdom and insight, about whatever it is we are doing in life. Does this mean we need to consult God about what to wear, eat, say, etc.? Well, in effect, YES! We need to be tuned in to God’s Word and perspective, that whatever, we DO, SAY, or even THINK, would bring Him Glory, Honor and Praise. Only then, can we know that we are in His Will. 16. Yet, most of us conduct our lives, under the foolish delusion that we are in control! Nothing could be further from the Truth! God is in control, has always been in control, and thankfully, will always be in control. He allows us to operate and function as human beings, with the ability to think and make decisions and choices; clearly showing us that the BEST choices, will only be those that are IN HIS WILL! So, what do we do? Most of us flounder through life, trying to make life choices on our own, rather than seeking God’s Will for the BEST choices. Remember, for 100% of the choices you make, you are the one who made the choice! So those ‘poor life choices’ that brought you pain, suffering and hardship, were probably choices you made without God. Making life decisions our way, rather than consulting God, is called BOASTING. This Boasting is always evil. Proverbs 27:1-2.

4:17

The quick summary is simple: Now that you know what to do to do good, and yet, you do not do it, then that is SIN. So, is it a sin, not to consult God for your life decisions? James says it is. Think about it, why in the world would we go on making life decisions without consulting God and His Word in prayer? Because we cling to Arrogance and Boasting, both of which are evil attitude decisions! A decision to continue in this manner will continue to bring you ultimate failures in life, pain, and suffering. So, make a firm commitment, RIGHT NOW, to consult God, and His Word, through prayer, for ALL your life decisions. That is the wisest choice you can make to receive God’s very Best for you. After all, God knows what the BEST for you is, and He can guide you into making wise, godly decisions.

Our Life Choices determine the direction and quality of our lives. Each day brings us new opportunities to make godly Life Choices. Only a fool would continue to make choices that bring them sorrow, suffering and pain. So, be wise, Pray, consult God’s Word, seek His Will for your life, and make God-guided Life Choices that will bring you the VERY BEST God has for you! Not sure how to follow God? Then take the time to study these chapters again, looking up each scripture, and praying God’s very Word into your life. God will give you the Wisdom you need, as you obey Him.

Controlling Our Tongue

3:1

Not many, meaning only a very few, should even attempt to become teachers. James is speaking about Teachers of God’s Word. Why Not? Because those people are able to discern the true meaning and understanding of God’s Word in application to our lives. This is a serious responsibility, requiring power from the Holy Spirit. Without God’s special power, direction, guidance, insight and wisdom, teachers can make grave and serious errors, thereby leading Believers astray! Teachers will be judged by a much higher standard, and with greater severity, than other Believers. This Truth is overwhelming and should be very carefully considered before anyone attempts to teach others. Not only do teachers have much greater accountability but will receive greater condemnation! Notice that this infers that teachers willingly assume and accept a greater accountability, responsibility and condemnation! Please, please pray for all those who act in the capacity of teachers, (or daring to write commentary on God’s Word). They need your fervent prayers, and God’s constant and continual admonition, to speak and share only His absolute Truth.

3:2

Our sins and errors offend and harm others. Often, we offend, or harm, someone without even realizing it. A person who NEVER offends anyone with their speech, would be a perfect man; one who controls his entire body, including his tongue, ALWAYS! Have any of you every met someone like that? We should not think this is some mandate to not confront evil, or try to rectify wrongs, for fear of “offending” someone. Otherwise, we could never mention God or Jesus because someone would claim we had “offended” him. The type of “offense” that James is speaking of, was something done or said, that actually harmed someone in some way, not just ‘hurt their feelings’, because we pointed out a wrongdoing, or evil. Speaking the Truth about spiritual matters is something we are commanded to do. However, remember, we are to speak the Truth in Love. Think about Jesus, He spoke lovingly, patiently and clearly, speaking the Truth of Himself and God, and yet He was attacked on a regular basis by the Pharisees and Sadducees. Why? Because they refused to recognize, or admit, the Truth about themselves, and their own hypocrisy. Finally, after they accused Him of being possessed by a demon and of doing miracles by the power of Satan, He then called them a brood of vipers, hypocrites, and accurately told them they were going to Hell! Jesus clearly “offended” the Pharisees and Sadducees on a fairly regular basis, after various incidents in all four gospels. So, remember, that our current worldly definition of “offense” is clearly not the same meaning, or connotation, that James is speaking of. James wants us to realize that we must not say anything that would bring harm to others, even if it is true! If there is something that needs to be addressed, then do it tactfully, privately, and lovingly.

3:3-4

So, now James gives us a few simple analogies. Both animals and vehicles are easily controlled by a small apparatus. Bits in the horse’s mouths, and rudders, or steering mechanisms of some sort for all our various types of vehicles. We now even control all kinds and types of things with our electronic gadgets.

3:5

Yet, we seem unable to control our little tongues; meaning our speech. Good, and wise speech, can, and does, lead to great things. “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” Matthew 12:34. Psalm 141:3-4: “Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips. Incline not my heart to any evil thing.” We are inspired by a passionate plea for something that would bring about great good for others. Godly Pastors can, and do, encourage, and inspire us to rethink our foolish sinful ways, and repent, and chose to follow godly inspiration. A passionate plea to help the poor and needy can encourage us to reach out generously to a lost and dying world. A fire can be good, if is used to cook a meal, heat a home, or operate a furnace, boiler, or some type of machinery. However, that same spark that lit the stove, can also ignite an out-of-control fire; destroying homes, buildings, forests, and do millions of dollars of damage, even killing people and animals.

3:6

So, when we say something we know is wrong, foolish, or harmful, we nearly always say, or think, “me, and my big mouth!” We wish we could ‘take back’ that foolish and hurtful comment. Yet, once the words are spoken, the damage begins, causing untold damage and disasters, to others, and often ourselves. James calls that uncontrolled tongue, a FIRE, indicating the source of the evil that is caused is from Hell itself. That uncontrolled tongue is called ‘wickedness, evil, depraved’. The wrong words, and speech, have caused untold damage to children; teens, adults, and even caused wars! Remember, in chapter one, James admonished us to be ‘slow to speak’, now we are beginning to better understand why; to avoid allowing evil to come forth from us, hurting others! It is interesting that James says that the source of this evil is from Gehenna, or Hell. This would seem to indicate that we may be influenced by demons, lurking around us, looking for an opportunity to use us, and our tongue, for evil. As we study God’s Word, we are reminded how often words were used to attack Jesus. Evil tongues, that is words, were used to plot His suffering and death. So, James’s advice to be ‘slow to speak’ would mean ‘think, and pray, BEFORE you speak.’ Anyone you know that needs that advice? Maybe you?

3:7-8

James again gives us the examples of animals, birds, and sea life all being able to be ‘tamed’ or controlled. 8. Yet, our tongue cannot be ‘tamed’, or controlled, by any man. James tells us our tongue is unruly, evil, and full of deadly poison! Keep in mind that the deadliest poison is one that is tasteless and odorless! We don’t realize we are being poisoned until it is too late! So also, is the deadly poison of gossip, criticism, lies and slander; it destroys people, families, churches, businesses, and nations! Churches are especially vulnerable to this type of verbal venom. This is one area of our life we all need to do some serious soul-searching! According to Jewish teachings, the sin of ‘lashon hara’, meant the ‘tongue of the evil’. See Proverbs 12:22. To speak evil this way was considered to be the same as denying God; and was treated as though the person had committed idolatry, sexual immorality or murder! Remember, only God, through the Holy Spirit, can tame your tongue! Let’s all pray for God’s ‘taming of our tongues’.

3:9-10

Now James tells us clearly what we are doing. With our tongue, that is our words, we bless and praise our God. Yet, even in the same day, we curse, or speak evil of people who were created in the image and likeness of God. So, in effect, we are lying to ourselves, claiming we are praising and worshiping God; and then we speak evil of God’s creation, by cursing them! 10. James pleads with us, saying that as Christian brothers and sisters, out of our mouths come both blessings and evil! James tells us we should not be doing these things and speaking these evils! So what does this tell us is REALLY in our hearts? We should be praying for the Holy Spirit to thoroughly cleanse our hearts and minds.

3:11

James asks us IF a spring, or fountain, can bring forth both good, fresh water, and bitter, or contaminated water? We know the answer: It can’t. Clean, pure water is crucial for our survival. So is a clean, pure heart. Are we contaminating ourselves and others with our polluted words? Proverbs 12:18: “There are those who speak rashly, like the piercing of a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” Proverbs 18:4: “The words of a man’s mouth are as deep waters, and the wellspring of wisdom are as a flowing brook.” Proverbs 18:21: “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” Proverbs 10:11: “The mouth of a righteous man is a well of life”. Is the Holy Spirit telling us we need to memorize some of these scriptures for our lives and make them a part of our very soul and spirit?

3:12

Just in case we foolishly ignored, or missed, all the analogies James has given us; he asks if a fig tree can bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs. Again, we know the answer. Absolutely not. So, also a brackish spring can never give us pure drinking water. Controlling our speech and our words is crucial to our spiritual walk. We deceive ourselves if we continue to use evil words, speak evil of others, complain, and especially engage in gossip. The list goes on beyond these: ANY WORDS that do not honor and edify God are EVIL. Repeating criticisms and complaints is NOT uplifting and encouraging. Think before we speak. PRAY before we speak. Think over this past week, did you say ANYTHING that was not honoring to God? Do we realize that we bring evil into our own lives by our own words? Is life difficult and full of problems? How is your speech? Matthew 15:18 Jesus says: “But whatever comes out of the mouth comes from the heart, and this is what makes a man unclean and defiles him.” Repentance is available and necessary. Begin by giving God BOTH your Heart and your Tongue. Then select scriptures to memorize, to encourage yourself to begin now to control your tongue. Proverbs 4:23: “Guard your heart with all diligence, for out of it flows the springs of life.” Proverbs 10:21 “The lips of the righteous feed many”. Remember what Jesus told us in John 6:63: “These words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life.” Isaiah 50:4: “The Lord God has given me the tongue of a disciple and of one who is taught, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him who is weary. He wakens me morning by morning; He wakens my ear to hear as a disciple.” Jesus did this: Mark 1:35: “And in the morning, long before daylight, He got up and went out to a deserted place, and there He prayed.” Do you PRAY each morning, before starting your day? Jesus always did.

3:13

WISDOM. So, we think we are pretty smart, wise, and oh, so intelligent, knowing this or that. Most of us have a higher opinion of ourselves then we should, a much higher opinion than reality! We think, oh, I’m pretty good; or I’m better than so and so. You get the idea. So, James asks us ‘Who is there among you who is Wise and Intelligent?’ Then let that person show how “wise and intelligent” he is by his noble living, good works, and humility of true wisdom. Proverbs 4:7, tells us: “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore, get wisdom: and with all your wisdom get understanding.” This is godly wisdom, not earthly wisdom! Knowledge and Wisdom are two different things: Knowledge is changeable, Wisdom is Eternal; confusing the two is deadly; and leads to disaster and death. Proverbs 9:10: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.” So where do we get this wonderful spiritual Wisdom? From Jesus: Our wisdom is of Christ ~ 1 Corth. 1:24, 30; Col. 2:3. Our sure Wisdom is found in the Word of God: Deut. 6:4, 5-6, 2 Tim. 3:15; Psalms 119:97-100. Wisdom also comes from believing prayer; James 1:5. Remember, as you ask God for Wisdom, be prepared to OBEY HIM. God will NOT give you Wisdom if you have no intention of obeying His Word.

3:14-15

BUT here it is, the word we need to pay attention to. Whenever we have these attitudes of jealousy, envy, rivalry, selfishness, and bitterness in our hearts; we should never focus on these ungodly attitudes and ideas. If we continue with any of these attitudes, or feelings, then we are wallowing in our own self-pride! We deny the Truth of God’s Word, by following ‘worldly wisdom’ which is demonic! 15. How do we know that, because James clearly tells us this superficial, earthly, unspiritual ‘wisdom’ comes from devilish and demoniacal sources. A strong warning to all of us!

3:16

Now James tells us how we can easily spot this type of evil: Wherever there is any kind or type of jealousy, envy, rivalry and selfish ambition, contentions and the like; they will bring disharmony, unrest, confusion, rebellion and all sorts of evil and vile and foul practices. Ever see, or experience, evil words that cause the entire situation to explode into name calling, anger, hate, and viciousness? We must make wise decisions to avoid participating in any of these practices. Remember, wrong thinking produces wrong living. If anyone tries to involve you in any type of verbal language that you know is not honoring to God; then remove yourself from the situation; do whatever it takes. You may need to interrupt someone who is venting evil words, and simply state: This type of conversation is upsetting to me, and I believe God is not honored by these words and conversation. ‘Please change the subject, or I must excuse myself’; or say, ‘this conversation has ended’ and hang up the phone. Do whatever is necessary to remove yourself from any ‘evil words’.

3:17-18

BUT now comes the contrast between good and evil. Wisdom from above, is clearly spiritual wisdom from God; the kind we all want in our lives. This type of Wisdom is first of all pure; notice that PURE is first! What a contrast to impure words, ideas, thoughts, and actions. No wonder the Holy Spirit wants us to seek a Pure Heart! Now this spiritual Wisdom is peaceful, kind, gentle, courteous, considerate, reasonable, full of compassion, mercy, and good fruits, wholehearted and Truthful, impartial, and unfeigned. 18. Peacemakers who speak in such a way, will influence others to speak and act in similar wise ways, bringing forth righteousness that honors and glorifies God! Believers who obey God’s Will in their speech will bring forth good fruit of harmony, peacefulness, agreement, and a sense of unity togetherness and love in their relationships. Isn’t that the kind of relationships we want in all areas of our lives? Words spoken wisely, will bring forth Truth and Righteousness; causing all to honor and glorify God. We should all pray to become that kind of obedient, wise person, speaking words of Wisdom!

Practical Biblical Advice for Believers

2:1-3

Again, James uses the full title of who Jesus is Lord Jesus Christ; Adonai Yeshua Messiah. This Chapter is a continuation of Chapter One, verse 27, immediately following the admonition to keep oneself morally uncontaminated from the world. So, in addition, James is telling us we are to emulate our Messiah by not showing any favoritism to any person. Our tendency to judge or evaluate a person’s worth, or identity, is nearly always according to the values of the world, not the value Jesus places on a person. 2. – 3. Therefore, we are to treat the rich, beautiful, handsome, richly adorned, refined people the same as the poor, uneducated, ignorant, shabbily dressed people. Our true heart condition is revealed by the way we perceive and treat ‘the least of men’. The value of a person is NOT measured by their looks, wealth, position, or education; rather, it is their value as a child of the Living God, Creator of the Universe. Peter learned this lesson and revealed this truth in Acts 10:38, 42-45. We are also to treat unbelievers with patient, loving truth; realizing that they are being held captive by an evil force ~ SIN! If they are not ‘born again from above’ then they really don’t know who God is; nor do they really understand who Jesus is! They are influenced by the world, the flesh and the Devil. You and I are PRIVILEGED to be influenced by the Holy Spirit, the Word of God, and Jesus. Can you see the difference? We have all the advantages of being able to see and understand the truth of God’s Word; clearly being shown what is righteous and holy; they can’t understand true righteousness, nor recognize what is evil, and are without hope! See 1 Corinth. 1:26-29. Our only hope, and theirs, always lies with Jesus.

2:4-5

Now, once a person becomes a Believer, accepting Jesus as their Lord, God and Savior; they are just as valuable as you, or the wealthiest or poorest person in your community of Believers. 5. We tend to think persons like Billy Graham have more value to God then we do, or the person who seems less ‘spiritual’, less value. We are all guilty of judging others. ‘Well, they don’t attend Church every Sunday, and they do such and such, so they’re not such good Christians.’ Sound familiar? We are just as guilty when we judge people to be less valuable, because they are only ‘pew warmers’, or some other label we attach to others who may appear to do less than we do. We tend to ‘judge’ others based on our ‘self-perception’! Who do we think we are! Would Jesus approve such spiritual snobbery? Hardly! See Ephesians 2:11-22. We should be thankful that we are able to serve our Christian Community in some manner, not somehow think, foolishly, that we are ‘better’ than some other Believer! Shame, shame, on us. Remember, in James’s day and age, the Jews never even associated with the ‘lowly’, often hated, Gentiles! Yet here they were, gladly, and lovingly, welcoming those ‘lowlifes’ into their spiritual community of Believers! See 1 John 4:20. What a lesson for us, the 21st century spiritual snobs! Think of Jesus, as a human being, He was so poor, that He was born in a borrowed stable. He had to borrow loaves and fishes from a little boy to feed the crowd. In Matt. 8:20 he stated that He had nowhere to lay his head, meaning He was homeless! He even borrowed a donkey to present Himself to Jerusalem. He borrowed a room to celebrate Passover. He even died on a ‘borrowed’ cross, remember, it was really meant for Barabbas, not Jesus! Again, we should hang our heads in shame, and repent of such an unspiritual and unscriptural attitude.

2:6-7

Now James really lays it on by pointing out that we insult and humiliate the poor by our treatment of them. Then he correctly points out the truth that it’s the rich men (who were the most powerful in their day) who take advantage of the people in the legal arena. In our day, the corrupt politicians continually take advantage of the average person, for their own gain. We need to continually pray for those who are in leadership, that they would do what is right and just, according to biblical values, not for their own agenda. 7. It is not only our politicians, but those who are wealthy who promote evil. Billionaires, like George Sorros, and others, promote immorality, murder, and plunder of the poor under twisted terminology, to confuse the average person. The rich people in the entertainment industry, blaspheme our Lord and Savior and dishonor our Country and those who promote Biblical values. Our beloved Country was founded on Biblical values, yet they have been stripped away, twisted, and distorted to allow evil men to rule us in a way that God never intended. Our Country was founded on Biblical principles, with the miraculous help of God; with the intent that we, as Believers, would bring the good news of Jesus, as Lord, God and Savior, to a lost and dying world. We must commit ourselves to continue to pray for that goal, and to do everything within our means to share Jesus with the spiritually lost. Anyone who wishes, may use our Live Forever flyer and Thank You note to reach out to those who are poor and needy. You are strongly encouraged to support a godly group, or organization, that seeks to help the poor and share the Truth of Jesus.

2:8

James now comes to the ‘bottom line’; the ‘royal law’: Loving your neighbor, as you love yourself. See Leviticus 19:18. Who is this neighbor? See Luke 10:25-37. Keep in mind that obeying this command, given by Jesus, makes you royalty, along with your King Jesus. Disobeying it makes you a slave. It’s your choice, remain a slave, or chose to become Royalty. Keep in mind that true LOVE which refers to AGAPE, is a choice, not an emotion. This kind of true LOVE is UNCONDITIONAL. We make a deliberate choice to love the poor and needy by donating to the Food Bank, Samaritan’s Purse, using the Thank You card, etc., all to reach the poor for Jesus. Remember, if we do NOTHING to help a person with their physical needs, they will never believe we care about their spiritual needs. Jesus fed the poor, after telling them about the Kingdom of God. He preached truth and salvation and healed the sick and dying. He shared the truth of Eternal Life with His Father in Heaven and cast out demons. Wherever Jesus went, He did good for people; both physically and spiritually. Does this tell us how He wants us to reach the poor? I think it paints a very clear picture and guideline of how we are to be following Jesus, doing just as He did.

2:9-11

BUT here it is again, so pay attention: IF you favor the rich, good looking, influential, powerful people, over the poor and lowly, you are committing sin. Oh, Oh! 10. James reminds us that if we just sin in only one area, we are guilty of all areas. We are guilty before God, and absolutely MUST commit our lives to Jesus for salvation. 11. Now James names just two of the ten commandments, Murder and Adultery; reminding us that we are guilty as lawbreakers, even if we only break one commandment. Keep in mind what Jesus taught about these same two commandments: IF you even think an immoral thought; then you have committed adultery. IF you hate, or are even angry, with someone, even just in your mind; then you have committed murder. Stop and read Matt. 5: 21-22, 27-28. So, how are we all doing? Guilty, or innocent, on both commandments? Now, we see and understand why we so desperately need Salvation through Jesus. There is no possible way we can be justified before our Perfect, Holy, Pure, Sinless, Creator, God and Lord; without the redemption given by Yeshua on the cross.

2:12

James tells us that we must speak and act as people who are judged under the law of Liberty. This Law of Liberty refers to the commandments given by Jesus, to us, as Believers, especially regarding Love. Judged? Since you and I know that Jesus will not judge us for our confessed sins, yet we also know our ‘works’ will be judged and rewarded. See 2 Corinth. 5:9-10, Col. 3:22-25. Yet, we must remember that our WORDS will also be judged. See Rom. 14:10-13. Jesus warned us for every ‘idle word’ we speak, we must give an account of on the day of judgment. See Matt. 12:36. So both our works and words will be judged. God will remember our sins no more, See Heb. 10:17; but those sins, both words and actions, affect both our character and our works. We say we want to develop godly character traits; yet our words and actions affect this aspect of who we are, our very souls. We want to follow Jesus and have fruitful works that count for all eternity. Yet, our words and actions affect and determine our relationship with Jesus, and the works we perform.

2:13

Judgment and Mercy. This is James Key Point, so don’t miss it! We often forget that God grants us Mercy by not Judging us for our sins; we deserve to be judged GUILTY, GUILTY! Yet, Jesus’ death on the cross PAID for our Death sentence, which we rightly deserved. Yet God also gives us Grace, which is what we do not deserve, giving us Freedom from the Power of Sin, and Eternal Life with Him. That undeserved Grace should jolt us to realize how much Mercy and Grace we should bestow on others. Even though someone ‘deserves’ judgment, we can choose to give them undeserved Mercy. Is it easy? Never! Especially if they have harmed us, or a loved one, in some way. Yet, we must have a drastic ‘attitude adjustment’ to truly grant Mercy and Grace to others, especially those that we judge as ‘not deserving’. So, James wants us to realize that IF we FOOLISHLY refuse to show Mercy, then God MUST judge us accordingly. God is gracious, yet He IS going to Judge us. That Truth should cause us to seriously reconsider our unforgiving attitude. Notice how James ended his admonition? That MERCY rejoices, or exults victoriously, over and against Judgment! So many people, both Believers and unbelievers, say that they want JUSTICE, which is asking for JUDGMENT! They fail to understand that True Justice, will NEVER be what they want, what they really should be asking for is MERCY and GRACE. None of us should be so foolish to demand “What I deserve!” Why? Because we ALL deserve DEATH! See the Charlotte Elliott story. (Author of: Just as I Am).

2:14

True Faith ~ EXACTLY What is it? This is a Key Truth that all of us MUST grasp and understand, not just intellectually, but deep within our heart and soul. It is a Truth that ONLY the power of the Holy Spirit can make a REALITY in your soul and spirit. So, we are going to search God’s Word for the correct understanding of True Faith. 14a. The SINNER, (that’s us) is saved by Faith! Eph. 2:8-10. 14b. The True Believer MUST walk, that is LIVE, by Faith. 2 Cor. 5:7. (Read Amplified Version for clarity) 14c. Without True Faith it is IMPOSSIBLE to please God. (Heb. 11:6. 14d. Whatever we do, without Faith, is SIN! Rom. 14:23, 1 Cor. 3:11-15. TRUE FAITH is a sure confidence that God’s Eternal, inerrant, Word is always TRUE. Notice that it is not a “feeling”. So, what kind of Faith saves a person? James now outlines for us the three kinds of “faith”: What good is it if a person claims to have faith, yet has no works? Can that kind of ‘faith’ save him? Good question… let’s get some True Biblical answers.

2:15-16

If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, this would indicate that person is in a needy condition! See Galatians 6:10. Also see Matthew 25:31-46. 16. So, your response to the person in need is a lovely prayer and a wish for them to become warm and have food. Yet, you physically do nothing to alleviate their desperate needs. Read 1 John 3:17-19. Referring to ‘Rich’ people. Also see Luke 10:25-37. Priest, Levite, and Samaritan. Any so-called Faith, that does not demonstrate a changed life and practical works, in obedience to God’s Word; is a false declaration of ‘faith’ and cannot save their Eternal soul.

2:17

Just in case you missed this Truth; James clearly states that ‘faith’ with no godly works, is DEAD, WORTHLESS, USELESS, A LIE! John Calvin stated that ‘It is by faith alone that one is justified, but faith that justifies is never alone.’ Faith without authenticating actions is a VAIN faith. That ‘faith’ Cannot save your soul. Ephesians 2:10: “For we are God’s handiwork, recreated in Christ Jesus, that we may do those good works which God predestined for us, that we should walk in them.” God created us as His workmanship, Born Again; and planned a good life for us, that we are to live out in doing His pre-planned good works for His Kingdom.

2:18-20

Now James deals with ‘arguments’ or ‘self-justifications’. Read Amplified Version of verses 18-20, for clarity and understanding. 19. But, I believe in God! I even believe in The One True God! How many of us have heard this claim, or a variation of this? So, James deals with that statement. He rightly points out that Satan, and his demons, ALL believe in God; in fact, they are so sure that God is Almighty God, Creator of the Universe, and their Creator; that they shudder in terror and horror, knowing what is coming to them in the end times! The demons bore witness to His Sonship in Mark 3:11-12; Matt. 8:29-34 & Luke 8:26-37. The demons know and acknowledge the existence of a place of punishment, See Luke 8:31, Mat. 8:29. They know Jesus is the coming Judge of the Universe. Mark 5:1-13. They are terrified of the Eternal Lake of Fire! We should pay close attention to what is revealed through the demons’ fears! This should confirm, without a doubt, the existence of Eternal Punishment! Those who claim to not believe in Hell, are fools. 20. James is so concerned about this issue of True Faith, that he continues with Biblical Proof of the necessity of Faith producing godly works, by quoting from Genesis 22:1-14. All these Believers clearly knew who Abraham was, their forefather! He recounts how Abraham was willing to sacrifice his beloved son of God’s promise, Isaac, on an altar to God; in OBEDIENCE to what he believed God had asked of him. No argument, no bargaining, just Faith-filled Obedience. James knows that people can be enlightened in their minds, and even stirred in their hearts, and yet still be lost forever, because they refuse to accept True Faith!!!

2:21

James tells his readers that certainly they must now see, and understand completely, that Abrahams Faith was proved, or shown by, his actions in obeying God’s command. Abraham was justified by his works, based on his True Faith. We sometimes fail to realize the extent of Abrahams Faith. He trusted that God would bring both he and Isaac back from the mountain. See Gen. 22:4-5 & Heb. 11:17-19. Justification is not a process; it is an act of God on behalf of the sinner. Our minds must understand the Truth; then our hearts must desire the Trust; then our wills must ACT ON the Truth. Skip any one of these, and faith is nothing, absolutely worthless!

2:22-23

James continues his brilliant explanation of how Faith and Works work hand in hand to confirm a Believers’ complete Trust in God. Faith made perfect, refers to the active expression of one’s Faith in the obedient works. 23. This supreme expression of Faith, which results in works, reveals to us why God determined that Abraham was righteous, and calls Abraham His Friend. Gen. 15:6, II Chron. 20:7, Isa. 41:8; Also see Rom. 4:1-5 & Gal. 3:6-7.

2:24-25

Now in summary, James tells his readers, and us, how we must surely now see and understand how, by godly works, a man is justified, and not by Faith alone. Although we know that we are saved by Faith; that Faith must be proved by our actions. It is oh, so easy to say, “I believe in Jesus”, and quite another thing to be willing to die, to self, for Jesus. IF we truly believe Jesus is our God, Creator and Savior, and that ALL He reveals to us in His Word, is to be obeyed and acted upon, then our entire lives will be lived out in Faith and obedient works. On the flip side, Titus 1:16 tells us that those who claim to believe in Jesus, yet live out their lives only for themselves, are disobedient, disloyal, rebellious and are unfit and worthless for any good work. 25. James also gives the example of Rahab the harlot, as being justified, meaning she was also pronounced righteous before God by her good works. See Joshua 2:1-21. James uses two people, one considered the Father of the Jewish people, highly esteemed and honored; and the other, a despised foreigner, a woman, the lowest of the low, a prostitute; as an example, to us. Can we see how God’s Truth of a person’s value and worth is different from our perception?

2:26

James gives us the final summary of True Faith and Works. He tells us that our body without our spirit is dead. Faith without godly works is also DEAD, meaning worthless, useless, powerless, counterfeit, an imposter. Only God knows a person’s heart, and their Faith. Is it time to Pray about YOUR TRUE Faith?

Lord, we pray that we will honestly assess our lives to determine IF we are True Believers. If you have any doubt, pray, seek God’s wisdom, by going back over ALL these scriptures, asking the Holy Spirit to enlighten your mind and heart. This is far too important an issue to just skip over; your Eternal destination is at stake! You owe it to yourself, and those you love, to make certain you are a True Believer!

Encouragement and Advice for Believers

1:1

This letter was written by James, who identifies himself as a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. This title clearly identifies Jesus, as the Lord and God of the Universe, as well as the “Christ”, the Messiah, or Savior, of the world. James was also the leader of the Messianic community in Jerusalem. Many believe he was the chief Rabbi of this Messianic Jewish community. It is interesting that James did not identify himself as the half-brother of Jesus. Matthew 13:54-58, clearly shows that he was indeed, the brother of Jesus. Yet, because he did not believe that Jesus was the Son of God and the Savior of the world until after His resurrection, he perhaps did not feel worthy to even claim the relationship. After all, he, and his family, often thought Jesus was mentally “off”. (Matthew 12:47-50) James is writing this letter specifically for the 12 Tribes of Israel, who had been dispersed from Jerusalem, during the persecutions, into other lands. Since James is writing to ALL 12 Tribes, it would be common sense to assume that the 12 Tribes were still able to be identified. Thus, any references to so-called “lost” tribes of Israel, is erroneous. James personally knew many of these Jewish believers and had heard about others who came to accept and believe in Yeshua. Some Jews may have not been believers in Yeshua until after they had left Jerusalem; yet the letter was for ALL of them. (See Acts 8:1-8) The letter is also for the Gentiles, who were believers in Yeshua, as Lord, God and Savior; so that includes us! James begins his greeting with SHALOM! This would mean a joyful greeting of the Peace and Love of God! Perhaps we should begin greeting friends with the words of God’s Peace and Love ~ Shalom!

1:2-3

Immediately James begins with an unusual reference to their trials and sufferings, not with sympathy, but with great encouragement! James says to consider, or regard, it ALL as JOY! We think, what! are you nuts? Joy? Suffering and trials are to be considered as ALL JOY?? Is James delusional, or out of touch with reality? No! He understands the connection between our trials and suffering, and following Jesus with all our hearts, minds and souls in FULL TRUST of Jesus being in TOTAL CONTROL! There is no other ABSOLUTE TRUTH more important to us in times of trials and sufferings. We must focus on, and believe with all our hearts and minds, that Jesus is in Control, and everything He allows is for our best interests, even the sufferings. This is hard to fathom, as we are so influenced by the worldly values of ease and comfort, that we forget that to follow Jesus WILL BRING SUFFERING! We are guaranteed by Jesus in many scriptures, that the World will persecute His followers. The reference to “temptations” is actually a “testing”. This “testing” is allowed by God to TEST US. How do we respond to the testing trials and sufferings? Complaining? Crying out for deliverance? Get me out of this mess!? Or do we consider that God IS IN CONTROL, thus He has allowed the testing, trials, suffering, whatever form it is; to strengthen and “prove” we are His. How can we even know we will be true to Jesus without a Test? We can’t! Only through these “testings” can our faith be proved and strengthened. So, what does this Testing of our Faith and Trust prove? We are given the answer right here: PERSEVERANCE! Yes, the only way to learn and gain Perseverance as a true Character trait, is through testing of some sort. Do we know we can persevere with just one little testing? Of course not, we need testing, after testing, our entire lives to build and prove our character trait of Perseverance in following Jesus. Remember, to become a true follower of Jesus, we must be transformed in our character traits. This transformation takes time and effort. We must repent of selfish worldly character traits and seek after godly character traits. Perseverance is a godly character trait that Jesus exhibited His entire earthly life. We must develop this same trait IF we are to become true followers of Yeshua.

1:4

Letting Patience run its course and do a thorough work, would mean that we make the effort to persevere and be patient. The patience we must cultivate, is one that causes us to obediently follow Yeshua, even in the storms and trials. We must pray, and make the extra effort to trust Jesus, through the Holy Spirit; listening for His voice to guide us in our trials and tribulations. Too often we seek the counsel of men, rather than God. Your first response should be to call out to God, seeking His guidance, direction, wisdom, and strength. Remember, He knew this trial was coming long before you did!

1:5

WISDOM! That is the one thing we need most during the tough times. And Who gives the quality kind of Wisdom we need? Only God; as He alone knows what is best for us, and what we need to pray for, what action to take, or just wait patiently and let God work out the details. Too often we jump ahead and try to “solve” the “problem” without consulting God. This type of action usually makes the situation worse. So, the very first thing we should do is ask God for His Wisdom, His insight, and His discernment in whatever way we should pray and act. This shows, and proves we DO Trust God! Remember, if we ask for God’s Wisdom, and then ignore Him, and disobey His voice, we have chosen to put ourselves outside the Will of God. Not a good place to be, especially when we are facing trials and sufferings.

1:6-8

Here is the heart attitude we absolutely must develop: Obedience; not wavering or vacillating and hesitating about following and trusting God. If we truly want God to lead, then we MUST be ready to follow, with no doubting and wavering. 7. The Believer who wavers and doubts God, will NOT receive what they are asking God for. You think God has NOT answered your prayers for help? Have you acted obediently, asking in Faith, Trusting God and patiently waited for Him? God cannot answer our prayers if we refuse to Trust Him! 8. Why Not? We are unstable and unreliable and uncertain, and really NOT TRUSTING God; so He cannot lead us if we refuse to follow Him. Think carefully about your trials, are you seeking His Will, seeking His Wisdom, and NOT doubting and wavering? If not, then you now know where the problem lies, with you! God truly wants to see your Faith grow and mature, but He will not force you to obey Him.

1:9-10

Those “brothers” means BELIEVERS. When we are in humble circumstances, that would refer to a situation, or trial, or tribulation, some sort of suffering; we should ‘glory’ in that situation, meaning we should give Glory to God for His provisions, His guidance, His healing, provision, or whatever way God is leading us. As God provides the way through the difficulty, we must give Him the Glory. Be careful not to take ‘credit’ for the ‘solution’ ourselves; always give God the Glory. Remember, He is truly the One Who provides the strength, healing and answers to our difficulties. Too often people may think ‘they’ figured out the solution, but it is God Who provides the True answers. 10. A ‘rich person’, (and that means most of us), is to remain humble, realizing that ‘for the Grace of God, I could be in that situation’. None of us ‘deserve’ to be immune from trials and tribulations. Yeshua has PROMISED that ALL of His true followers WILL SUFFER! That is one promise NONE of us want to claim, yet all of us must be prepared to face. That ‘suffering’ is the ONLY WAY we can be tested and proved in our Faith. There is an old truism: Calm seas does not a sailor make. Anyone can ‘sail along’ in life just fine, IF there are never any problems. But Life itself is filled with all sorts, types and kinds of problems. C. S. Lewis once stated that Christians should NOT be concerned that so many faithful Believers are subjected to trials and sufferings, they should be concerned that some ‘believers’ do not suffer at all. Remember, to be a True Believer is a GUARANTEE of being subjected to trials, tribulations, persecutions and suffering.

1:11

We see this reference to tender flowers and plants, all eventually withering away and dying, to remind us of how fragile and short life really is. None of us get out of this World without dying. The ONLY exception, MIGHT be the Rapture. However, none of us should be counting on that ~ we need to remember that we are only one breath away from Eternity. Today might be your last day on Earth! Are you living your life each day like it might be your very last day on earth?

1:12

James reminds us of the words of Jesus, from Matthew 5:10, (from the ‘Sermon on the Mountain). It would be good to read Yeshua’s Words right now to give us encouragement and wisdom. Read Matthew 5:1-16. These are just some of the reasons we absolutely MUST LEARN to be more like Yeshua. Notice that we cannot just read about how Jesus prayed, spoke, acted, and thought, we must Live it out in our own lives! We are promised the Crown of Life, which Jesus promised to all those that truly love Him and obey His words. This Crown is Eternal, and we should seek to be worthy to receive Crowns promised by our Messiah. Rewards and Crowns are promised to faithful Believers by Jesus, so they must be extremely valuable and important!

1:13

Temptation. Let’s look at it carefully, and analyze what it is, and how we are deceived and led astray by ‘temptation’. First, we must always remember that God NEVER temps us, NEVER! Remember, Temptation NEVER looks like it is evil, it is deceptive and looks like an attractive option. Plus, the world, the flesh, and the devil, constantly deceive, lie and trick us into evil. Satan is very clever, he knows our weaknesses, and takes unfair advantage of us when we are suffering, no matter what the cause.

1:14-16

Now we are given the progression of Temptation into Evil. Notice that first there is a desire, or enticement; we are ‘baited’ by deception of foolishly thinking that the desire, passion, or enticement is a ‘need’, not a ‘want’. The beginning of the Battle is actually in our MIND. Then, we do exactly what Eve did in the Garden of Eden. She listened to the lies of the tempter, then she looked at the ‘fruit’ and saw it was ‘attractive’, then she believed the lies of the evil one, foolishly believing the lie that it would ‘make her wise’, then she succumbed and committed the sin of ‘tasting the evil’. 15. Notice James uses another analogy to show us the progression. First, the evil desire is conceived, grows in our mind. Then we falsely convince ourselves the evil is ‘o.k.’ We actually LIE to OURSELVES! Then when we commit the sin; and it bring forth…. Enjoyment? Fun? Satisfaction? NO! NO! NO! SIN always bring forth DEATH! We don’t physically die from every sin, but we do remove ourselves from God’s Grace, and place ourselves outside His Will and that is a form of spiritual death. Unconfessed sin will bring Suffering, Sorrow, Shame, and eventually DEATH. 16. James warns us DO NOT BE DECEIVED! Remember, there is ALWAYS a choice. We must ‘turn away’ from the deception, whether it comes from outside forces, or from within our own minds or emotions. Too often we follow our emotions… this must be o.k. because it ‘feels’ like it brings me pleasure, fun or whatever; that is exactly how we are deceived, we fall prey to our temporary emotions and feelings, rather than what is True and Good. Think about it, every poor decision, that led you to sin and suffering, you made! You chose to think, do, and say the wrong thing! We are not robots; we can choose to say NO! NO! NO! to sin; instead make the choice to do what is good and right for our lives. It requires power and strength from the Holy Spirit, we cannot just rely on our own strength. We must PRAY to avoid all sin, and instead chose to follow the perfect Will of God.

1:17

Now James shifts to what is actually Good for us; what is a Blessing from God. He confirms that all good gifts, that is Blessings, come from God. James wants us to focus our minds on what is GOOD, not what is Evil. This is sound advice. Keep in mind that those people that insist on having one pity party after another, are NOT healthy folks to be around. They are depressing to everyone, including themselves! So, when we suffer, we should avoid the “Oh poor me,” pity party language and attitudes. Instead, look carefully at ALL the good things God has blessed us with; EVERYTHING good comes from God: Our minds, our bodies, our Eternal Salvation, our family, and friends; things like food, clothes, a place to live, and be secure and safe, and a safe place to lay our head at night. Remember, Jesus said of Himself: “The Son of man has nowhere to lay His head”; meaning He was homeless! (Matt. 8:20) We forget that stark fact about Jesus; He suffered much more than we can ever realize, or fathom. Not only was He homeless, but He, and His followers often had to just eat the grain from the fields, as gleaners, as they had no other source of food. They were a band of men that were constantly traveling, without any place to sleep at night except out in the open. No hotels, no restaurants, no vehicles for transportation; NOTHING! Think about it, the Creator of the Universe denied Himself all the creature comforts that we just take for granted. Does this stark truth help you put your situation in a different perspective? It should if you are honest with yourself. So, begin, right now, to focus on, and thank God for, the numerous Blessings God has given you. Why not name a dozen, or so, right now?

1:18

This verse is extremely crucial to our correct understanding and appreciation of our Salvation. We did ABSOLUTELY NOTHING of ourselves to obtain the Mercy and Grace of God needed for our Salvation. His, God’s, OWN FREE WILL using the Word of Truth, brought light and truth to our stubborn, sinful hearts the truth and conviction that we are sinners. We, of ourselves, could do NOTHING to remove ourselves from our ETERNAL DEATH SENTENCE! Only the Mercy and Grace of God, through the Sacrifice of Jesus and the Truth of God’s Word: JESUS DIED ON THE CROSS TO PAY THE PENALTY OF ETERNAL DEATH AND SEPARATION FROM GOD. That was our fate: Eternal Death and Separation from God! The Holy Spirit is the one who enabled us to realize our sorry state of sin, and confess our sins, repent of our sins, accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, and accept the FREE ETERNAL GIFT OF SALVATION. So, we then, become the kind of First Fruits of His Creation. Oh, we’re not there yet, we still have a lifetime of SANCTIFICATION to slowly transform us into the image and likeness of Jesus. These GOOD GIFTS referring to our Gifts of Eternal Life, Sanctification, and Glorification; all with the incredible Joy of being with our God Forever, ALL come from God. Heaven help anyone who thinks for even a second that he/she did ANYTHING to merit or earn these incredible Gifts from God!

1:19

So, now, knowing this, HOW DO we respond? James tells us: Let all of us be quick to hear (the Word of God, the Truth) and slow to speak. It is amazing how many people fail to realize that we only learn while LISTENING, NOT when speaking! Notice that we listen to understand TRUTH, then in understanding the Truth, we apply what we understand, the Truth, to our lives! So those who talk a lot, and like to hear themselves speak, are not learning. They are foolish, and often arrogant and self-absorbed, or just plain selfish. When you hear someone talk, talk, about themselves, watch out, these folks are fools. Our words are very powerful. We must remember this Truth. Everything we think and say has repercussions. Is what you are saying True? It is helpful? Gracious? Is it needed? These few reflections can keep us out of a lot of trouble; and avoid damage and hurt to ourselves and others. Notice that James also tells us that we are also to be slow to become angry. So, let’s analyze this a bit, why do we become angry? Because we do not get what we want, or things don’t go the way we would like, or something similar. Now, there is something called “justifiable anger” meaning we see a wrong being done to someone else and want to do something to ‘right that wrong’. There are, of course, a lot of situations that are not right, that means they are evil, or against the Will and purpose of God. These are the areas we should be angry about; yet we should ‘sin not’, thus we should determine, with prayer, and Godly direction, what action we should take to assist in changing the evil that is being done. Yet, the Anger James is teaching us about, is the selfish anger that directly affects us and others. Now, keep in mind, that sometimes what was done to us was wrong, or evil, yet we are still cautioned to be ‘slow to anger’.

1:20

So WHY should we be slow to anger? James tells us: Man’s anger does NOT promote God’s HOLY righteousness. God wants righteousness. God wants us to carefully analyze and chose our response to the evil, rather than just REACT. That is what most of us do, React! Usually a reaction is an emotional ‘revenge attitude’ of some sort. Anger also leads to hating. Hating leads all the way to MURDER! So, do we see how our emotion of Anger has now become our BOSS, actually having control over us? And who is behind this BOSS? You guessed right, satanic demons. These evil entities want us to be controlled by our emotion of Anger, rather than Trusting God. Jesus warned us about that more than once. A RESPONSE would be carefully thought out, prayed about, and, ideally, would be a Response guided by the Holy Spirit. Sometimes, God just wants us to let Him handle it. That is absolutely the hardest thing for most of us to do. Why? Because we want it our way, right NOW! Plus, when we wait for God, and Trust Him; we must admit that we are NOT in control. Remember, we must remember the TRUTH, we just think we are in control. Who is really in control?

1:21

James continues with his lessons for us by telling us what we should do. SO, (because of what he has just told us), this is what we should do: “Get rid of, (purge)” Then he begins to tell us exactly what we need to purge from our character. This means we need to have a heart change and attitude adjustment. Confession time is coming! We need to admit our tendencies to uncleanness and evil and seek Gods Word to cleanse our minds and hearts. Our ‘flesh,’ and ‘emotions’, wants it ‘our way’ rather than seeking after God’s Will and righteousness. This is a crucial issue. Most of us pray for God to ‘correct the evil done to me’ rather than praying for purity of heart, mind, and soul. Think about most of our prayers: We pray for safety, protection, provision, healing, etc. Very seldom do we fervently and continually pray for purity, for selflessness, for a humble heart, to deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Jesus, with all our heart, soul, and mind. True repentance will be when we cry out to God, I don’t want to be like this (meaning selfish), anymore. Then, and only then, will we seek, and pray for, purity and holiness in our lives, day after day.

1:22

Now James hits the nail right on the head. This is the result we must attain: We MUST become DOERS of God’s Word, not just Hearers. WHY? Because we DECEIVE OURSELVES. That means we LIE to ourselves and believe the lie. What fools we are! So, let’s look at some ways we are “hearers only”: We twist the truth to accommodate ourselves, we use subjectivity and relativism. We are superstitious, we are emotional, we are oh, so, ‘Theoretical’, instead of being OBEDIENT to God’s Word. Whenever you find yourself telling others, or God, ‘but, this and this was done to me, or they deserved that, or…’, you get the idea. Instead of focusing on how we ‘justify’ our actions, let’s look at some ways we can become DOERS of God’s Word. Looking intently; searching the Scriptures, digging deep into God’s Word, just as we are doing right now. Devotional reading is NOT EVER enough! Reading, praying, studying, and applying God’s Word EVERY DAY! Memorizing, and praying God’s Word during those ‘challenging times’. Write down an area you need the Holy Spirit to REALLY do a work in your heart. Seek God with all your heart, mind and soul, every single day. Remember, you are either in God’s Will or your will. God’s Will is becoming more and more like Jesus, your will, is worldly backsliding, which means you are following someone other than Jesus. Pray fervently about the areas you need a heart of obedience. Remember, you have not, because you ask not. God will Sanctify you, and transform your heart attitude, as you truly seek Him.

1:23-24

So, if we carefully LISTEN to God’s Word, then verbally, or mentally agree with it, yet do not OBEY His Word, then James says we are like a person who carefully looks at himself in the mirror (thinking ‘yes, I need to do something about myself’) 24. Then the person goes on their merry way and does NOTHING to change themselves. Why even bother listening to God’s Word, if we don’t intend to OBEY it? We are actually treating God’s Word as if it was useless and futile. Do we realize this is one of the ways we BLASPHEME God’s Word?!! We are lying to ourselves, actually deceiving ourselves, about the very nature and purpose of God’s Word. We are fools if we claim ‘salvation’ and yet persist in sin which leads to death. Romans 6:23 “The wages of sin is DEATH! (that’s what we earn!) “Yet, the gift of God is Eternal Life through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior”. Notice that the gift is THROUGH, or IN, JESUS AS OUR LORD AND SAVIOR. If we refuse to obey Him, then He isn’t our LORD and SAVIOR, because we have refused His LORDSHIP and SAVING GRACE! This is such a crucial issue; we must come to a full understanding and knowledge of what it means to truly be a FOLLOWER OF JESUS.

1:25

BUT, remember this is one of those words that should grab our attention. Because now James is telling us what is needed by true Believers. We must carefully search God’s Word. Notice he calls it the ‘law of LIBERTY’! Not restrictions, but LIBERTY. Why, because God’s Word (Laws and commands) actually give us LIBERTY which is TRUE FREEDOM! See James 2:12. Remember, Patrick Henry crying out to his fellow countrymen, “Give me LIBERTY or give me death!” He was seeking true FREEDOM! Jesus told his ‘followers’ IF you TRULY LOVE ME, YOU WILL OBEY MY COMMANDS. See John 14:15. Why? Because Jesus knows that ONLY through obedience to His Word can we ever hope to be truly Free ~ Free to be the perfect person that God created! YES! God created YOU to be PERFECT! Then Jesus tells his disciples, and us, that only by being obedient to His Word, are we truly united with Him in Love, and can expect to bear eternal fruit, and be confident that He will answer our prayers. See John 15:1-14. Why is this so important? Because when we obey God’s Word, we are LIVING IN HIS WILL. That is the PERFECT place to be, in God’s Will! This is TRUE FREEDOM! Freedom from the evil and suffering of sin! However, disobedience is living outside the Will of God; and that means we are living outside of REALITY. That is crazy! Why would we be so foolish as to try to live outside of true reality? Because we believe the LIES of the evil one! Sometimes, we tell ourselves these foolish lies ~ ‘this one time won’t matter’, ‘it’s no big deal’, ‘no one but me will know’, you can add your own lies that you have been a VICTIM of. Notice that we are ALL VICTIMS of LIES! LIES are evil and destructive, they all come from Satan and his demons! So, why do we fall Victim to these Lies? We are in a vicious BATTLE between our Fleshly desires and our Spiritual desires of our Soul. Which one is our ultimate Goal? Of course! Our souls are ETERNAL, our flesh will one day get old, sick and die. So, we must make an EFFORT to seek the Spiritual well-being and PERFECTION of our Eternal Souls. See John 8:36, Matt 7:21-24, Psalm 19:7-11.

1:26

Now James says IF you think you are ‘religious’ which means outwardly observant of the ‘rules’ of religion, and do not CONTROL your tongue; that is, your words, but lies to (actually deceives) your own heart, then your religious service is absolutely WORTHLESS! This may seem harsh to us, but it is the HARSH TRUTH! Notice that the word ‘Religion’ is used only a few times in the New Testament. The Greek word means ‘fearing or worshiping God; to tremble or be fearful’. In our world, ‘Religion’ is defined as a system of faith and practice. The forms and ceremonies emphasize outward observances. Remember that Jesus was NOT religious, He was always obedient to His Father in Heaven! Jesus told us He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father except through Me. John 14:6. Following Jesus is a Way of Life, not a ‘religion’. This is one of the ways we can know what is in our hearts, by what comes out of our mouth! Our Words are very POWERFUL! Those who speak evil, curse, criticize, gossip, or speak forth anything else that is harmful; are speaking EVIL. Notice that one of the most painful and destructive is Gossip. This is a form of BETRAYAL. This sin undermines trust, relationships, confidences, and spreads injustice. Gossip is slander of others! See Rom. 1:30, 2 Cor. 12:20, James 4:11, John 8:7. Even the Old Testament gives us clear instructions regarding this evil: Lev. 19:16, Prov. 11:13, 18:8, 26:20, 26:22.

1:27

James refers to True Faith as Pure religion and being undefiled before God the Father. This would mean we are to be OBEDIENT to God’s Word. James addresses two areas as being specifically identified: We are to have a personal walk of being holy and pure, being ‘unspotted from the world’. This would mean we are morally obedient to God’s Word. See Isaiah 1:15-17. We must have a true, real concern for others, especially the ‘needy’, specifically those who are fatherless and widows. It is interesting that James did not say ‘orphans’ meaning children who had no father OR mother, but ‘fatherless’. How many children today are ‘fatherless’, with no father to really love or care for them? The numbers are staggering. These children are ‘starving’ for a real father. In James day, a widow had no way to support herself, she was usually destitute and had to depend on extended family to survive. So, when we care for the ‘needy’ we should be wise and discerning to help those who are truly needy, not ‘wanting’, or ‘irresponsible’ or just plain lazy. James was not just a ‘moralist’, keeping a list of ethical guidelines, he was one who was committed to demonstrate by his very life, day in and day out, that he owes everything to his King. See Matt. 23:23. So, if we truly ARE followers of Jesus, we must heed James’s encouragement to the reality of applying God’s Word, and nature, in our Christian lives. See Gal 5:14. Are we living identifiable as His First Fruits in His redemptive work, though Jesus Christ, as our Lord, God, and Savior?

O, Lord, our God, plant these seeds of Truth of Your Word, deep into our mind and soul. Transform our rebellious heart into a heart of Obedience to You, and to these Truths we have studied to understand. Remove our selfish tendencies and replace them with a generous heart and spirit. May each of us, deep within our Eternal souls, with the transforming power of the Holy Spirit, truly desire to make a new, fresh commitment, to live faithful, true Christian Lives, as First Fruits of Jesus, every single day of our lives! Shalom!