James Chapter 3

Chapter 3

v  The Tongue (3:1–12)

v  The Wisdom from Above (3:13–18)

Taming the Tongue

1Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. 2We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check.

3When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. 5Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

7All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, 8but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

9With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. 10Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. 11Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.

            My Thoughts: v1-6: these are a powerful set of versus.  When getting my nails done this weekend I experienced this firsthand how cutting words could be. I sat there while a lady cut down EVERY person in the salon.  From the jewelry they wore to what she thought their houses looked like.  It made me hurt inside for her, but it also made me stop and think about what I sound like when I am talking.  Are the words I am speaking helping someone out.  I think even if they don’t hear what you are saying it is still hurtful to them and the person speaking as well. I have personally come to the conclusion that the only reason we put someone down or say cutting things is to make ourselves look and/or feel better.

            Proverbs 12:18: The words lf the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.(NIV)

            I do like the first verse of this chapter as it is very true and a lot of people do not think about the fact that once you become a leader or a teacher you are held to a much higher standard than anyone else. 

            I think one question I think we should keep on our minds everyday….where is our tongue leading us today?

Questions: How can we keep our tongues in check and make sure that it is leading us in the way that we should go, or know we need to be going? What are some things that you practice to ensure that you are going in the right direction? Do we have road checks in place? How can we be encouraging even in the most negative of situations?

            My Thoughts V6-8: I like the analogy of the tongue being like a fire and it is a fire.  Fires are VERY destructive and NOTHING good comes out of them….I also like v8 where it says that NO man can tame the tongue…we think we can but we can’t that alone is something to think about mull over.

Second Chapter of James

Here is the second chapter of James:

Chapter 2

v  Warning against Partiality (2:1–13)

v  Faith and Works (2:14–26)

Favoritism Forbidden

1My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. 2Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. 3If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” 4have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

5Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?6But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? 7Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong?

8If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,”you are doing right. 9But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. 10For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. 11For he who said, “You shall not commit adultery,”also said, “You shall not murder.”If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.

12Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, 13because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment

             My Thoughts: We should treat everyone the same no matter if they are rich or if they are poor.  Sometimes it is easy to say “oh I don’t do that” but I thing that we all do in one way or another. I also think that we should not LOVE someone more than another… but on the same hand…… we should love our haters more that we love the people that love us… typing this it sounds like a double standard but I am not sure if it is or not…any thoughts?

             Money does not give us status and if we are “poor” in the eyes of the economy we can be rich in our hearts and be happy knowing that all of our needs are taken care of.  I think it comes down to being happy with whatever ‘economic’ status we are giving as it is ONLY earthly and will not last forever.

None of us are above the law and you cannot pick and choose what laws that you are going to keep and which ones you will break

Faith and Deeds

14What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them?15Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

18But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”

Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. 19You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.

20You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? 21Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,”and he was called God’s friend. 24You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.

25In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? 26As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

            My Thoughts: Wow this is a pretty powerful sent of scripture in that it really its home with the you see someone that needs help… go help them don’t just give lip service and at the same time if you do all the works but you don’t have faith… there really is nothing there.... How do we know that we have the “right” mixture? Have some of my works been dead? How would we know?

                        One was a father going to put his son to death, the other a bad woman betraying her country. Certainly the scripture was fulfilled which said that Abraham believed God. How could he have acted as he did, if he had not believed Him? Works put a seal on his faith: and faith without works is but like the body without the soul, and outward form devoid of the life that animates it. Faith acts in the works (without it the works are a nullity, they are not those of the new life), and the works complete the faith which acts in them; for in spite of trial, and in the trial, faith is in activity. Works of law have no part in it. The outward law which exacts, is not a life which produces (apart from this divine nature)s these holy and loving dispositions which, having God and His people for their object, value nothing else. - John Darby commentary 

            True believing is not an act of the understanding only, but a work of the whole heart. That a justifying faith cannot be without works, is shown from two examples, Abraham and Rahab. Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness. Faith, producing such works, advanced him to peculiar favours. We see then, ver. ( 24 ) , how that by works a man is justified, not by a bare opinion or profession, or believing without obeying; but by having such faith as produces good works. And to have to deny his own reason, affections, and interests, is an action fit to try a believer. Observe here, the wonderful power of faith in changing sinners. Rahab's conduct proved her faith to be living, or having power; it showed that she believed with her heart, not merely by an assent of the understanding. Let us then take heed, for the best works, without faith, are dead; they want root and principle.  By faith any thing we do is really good; as done in obedience to God, and aiming at his acceptance: the root is as though it were dead, when there is no fruit. Faith is the root, good works are the fruits; and we must see to it that we have both. – Matthew Henry Commentary on the whole bible (Consise)

God is still moving.................

Life has been but a blur since Taiwan. Lots of changes ... good and bad but with God's help I am hanging in there.  

I am now in the Midwest and have found and excellent church and a great bible study with some very strong amazing women.  

We have been doing a bible study on James.... I have not been able to go a majority of the study but have been working very hard on this study and was looking for a place to share it and then I remembered.. Hey I have a blog!!!!!!  This is what i have done so far with the study... 

Please feel free to comment and give feedback :) 

Chapter 1

v  Salutation (1:1)

v  Faith and Wisdom (1:2–8)

v  Poverty and Riches (1:9-11)

v  Trial and Temptation (1:12–18)

v  Hearing and Doing the Word (1:19–27)

Trials and Temptations

2Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 6But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.

My thoughts: The verses that convicted me the most…. 6But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.

How many times have I asked and then started doubting…and this is literally how I feel when I doubt…. is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind…

9Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position. 10But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower.11For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business.

       My thoughts:  To me this really speaks about being happy where you are in life because if you are not satisfied where you are you will never be satisfied no matter where you are…don’t flaunt your riches (money wise) because money is fleeting and can be gone in a minute.

12Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

13When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone;14but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. 15Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

16Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters.17Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. 18He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first fruits of all he created.

My Thoughts:  So don’t say “why is God tempting me” as he does not…..but understand that the “good gifts” do come from God.  EVERYONE is tempted with lust (no one is above it) but when we give in to SIN that is when it brings forth death.

19My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. 21Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

22Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror 24and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.

26Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. 27Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

             My Thoughts:  This one is very convicting to me as I TRY but sometimes gives in to the anger and it is true that it does NOT produce the righteousness that God desires. I know that there is righteous anger but it has to be at the right time and the right place and FROM God. Try and rid ourselves of sin and things that tempt us that we don’t fall into sin.

             Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Is VERY convicting we need to live what we hear we need to “practice what we preach” and this is even more daunting Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. YIKES!!!!!

             Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. –To me goes back to practice what we preach and if we preach one thing and do something else we are liars.

             keep oneself from being polluted by the world!!!!!