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Psalms
147:11-20 The LORD
takes pleasure in those who fear Him, In those who hope in His mercy. Praise
the LORD, O Jerusalem! Praise your God, O Zion! For He has strengthened the
bars of your gates; He has blessed your children within you. He makes peace in your borders, And fills you with the finest wheat.
He sends out His command to the
earth; His word runs very swiftly. He gives snow like wool; He scatters the
frost like ashes; He casts out His hail like morsels; Who can stand before His
cold? He sends out His word and melts them; He causes His wind to blow, and the waters flow. He declares His
word to Jacob, His statutes and His judgments to Israel. He has not dealt thus
with any nation; And as for His
judgments, they have not known them. Praise the LORD!
Father God, open our minds to the
writings of James your Apostle. Help us to understand what he is telling us and
help us to apply what he is telling us to our daily life. In Jesus name we pray, Amen!
Book of James Introduction
NKJV
I have chosen the Book of James to
study next. This book has a great many things that apply to our daily living
that we as Christians need to live by. The following is taken from the KJV Life
in the Spirit Study Bible that gives us some good information about James and
his writings.
Author: James Half Brother of Jesus
Theme: Faith That Works
Date of Writing: A.D. 45-49
Background:
James is classified as a "general epistle" because it was originally addressed to a wider
audience than a local church. The salutation, "to the twelve tribes which
are scattered abroad" (James
1:1 James, a bondservant of God
and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad:
Greetings.), along
with other references (James 2:19; 21), indicate that the letter
was written initially to Jewish Christians living outside The Holy Land. It is possible that the
recipients of the letter were among the first converts in Jerusalem who, after
Stephen's martyrdom, were scattered by persecution (Acts 8:1-2 Now Saul
was consenting to his death. At that time a great persecution arose against the
church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the
regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. 2 And devout
men carried Stephen to his burial,
and made great lamentation over him.) as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, Antioch and beyond (Acts 11:19 Now those who were scattered after the
persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and
Antioch, preaching the word to no one but the Jews only.). This would explain:
1.) The letter's opening emphasis on joyfully enduring trials
that test faith and require perseverance (James 1:2-12),
2.) James's personal knowledge of the
"scattered" believers, and
3.) The authoritative tone of the letter.
As leader of the Jerusalem church, James was writing to his
scattered sheep.
The author's prominence is indicated by the way he
identifies himself simply as
"James" (James 1:1). James, the half-brother of Jesus and the
leader of the Jerusalem church, is generally regarded as the author. His speech
at the Jerusalem council (Acts 15:13-21) as well as descriptions
of him elsewhere in the NT (e.g., Acts 12:17; 21:18; 1
Corinthians 15:7; Galatians 1:19; 2:9, 12) correspond perfectly with
what is known about the author of this letter. James most likely wrote his letter during the 40s. This early
date for writing is indicated by several factors, such as the fact that James uses the Greek
word “synagogue” to refer to the Christians' place of meeting (James
2:2). According to the Jewish
historian Josephus, James, the Lord's brother, was martyred at Jerusalem in
A.D. 62.
Purpose:
James wrote:
1.) To encourage Jewish believers who were suffering various
trials that were testing their faith,
2.) To correct erroneous ideas about the nature of saving faith,
and
3.) To exhort and instruct the readers about the practical out
workings of their faith in righteous living and good deeds.
Examination:
This letter covers a wide variety of topics related to living a
genuine Christian life. James urges believers to:
1.) Endure their trials
joyfully and benefit from them (James 1:2-11).
2.) Resist temptations (James
1:12-18).
3.) Be doers of the Word, not
just hearers (James 1:19-27).
4.) Demonstrate an active
faith, not an empty profession (James 2:14-26).
He solemnly warns about:
1.) The sinfulness of an unruly
tongue (James 3:1-12; 4:11-12).
2.) Worldly wisdom (James
3:13-16).
3.) Sinful behavior (James
4:1-10).
4.) Presumptuous living (James
4:13-17).
5.) Self-centered wealth (James
5:1-6).
6.) James concludes with an
emphasis on patience, prayer and reclaiming the wandering (James
5:7-20).
Throughout its five chapters, the relationship between true
faith and godly living is emphasized. Genuine faith:
1.) Is a tested faith (James
1:2-16).
2.) Is an active faith (James
1:19-27).
3.) Loves one's neighbor as
oneself (James 2:1-13).
4.) Manifests itself in good
works (James 2:14-26).
5.) Keeps a tight rein on the
tongue (James 3:1-12).
6.) Seeks God's wisdom (James
3:13-18).
7.) Submits to God as the
righteous judge (James 4:1-12).
8.) Trusts God in daily living
(James 4:13-17).
9.) Is not self-centered or
self-indulgent (James 5:1-6).
10.) Is patient in suffering (James
5:7-12).
11.) Is diligent in prayer (James
5:13-20).
Special
Features:
Seven major features characterize this letter.
1.) It is most likely the first book written in the NT.
2.) Although it contains only two references to Christ by name,
there are more reminiscences of Jesus' teaching in this letter, including at
least 15 allusions to the Sermon on the Mount, than in all the other NT letters
combined.
3.) More than half of its 108 verses are imperatives or
commands.
4.) In many ways
it is the Proverbs of the NT, for:
a) It is full of godly wisdom and practical instructions for
living a genuine Christian life, and
b) It is written in terse style, with crisp commands and vivid
analogies.
5.) James is an astute observer of the operations of nature and
of fallen human nature. He often draws lessons from the former to expose the
latter (e.g., James 3:1-12).
6.) It emphasizes more than any other NT book the necessary
relation between faith and works (esp. James 2:14-26).
7.) James is sometimes called the Amos of the NT, because he
vigorously addresses issues of social injustice and inequality.
We will start out next week with
Chapter One.
Colossians 1:16 For by Him all things were created
that are in heaven and that are on earth,
visible and invisible,
whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers.
All
things were created through Him and for Him.
Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of
the glory of God,
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our
Lord.
John 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, Most assuredly, I say to you,
unless one is
born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
Bill
Wiesbrock https://www.facebook.com/bill.wiesbrock?ref=tn_tnmn
The
Lighthouse Full Gospel Church
Sinners Prayer; Pray this, and if you believe
it with your heart, Jesus will save you!
“Lord Jesus
I know I am a sinner. I confess my sins
to you; I am sorry for my sins; I repent (Meaning, desiring to turn from a
sinful lifestyle.) of all my sins, and I am asking for your forgiveness of all
of my sins. I believe that only you can
forgive sin. I commit my life to you and
ask you to come into my heart, direct, and take charge of my life. I believe that you died to set me free from
my sinful lifestyle and you rose from the dead to give me eternal life, and
right now you are seated at the Right Hand of God Almighty. I believe you are
the Son of God; the only Way, the only Truth, the only Life, and my
Savior.” I believe this and have faith
you will make a new person out of me, by sending the Holy Spirit to dwell in my
heart and lead me in a new life. In Jesus name I pray Amen.” (John 3:16,17;
Romans 3:23; 6:23; 5:8; 10:9-13; Ephesians 2:8-10; 1
John 5:11-14; 1:6-10) (Sin: Rom.
1:22-32; Gal. 5:19-21; Eph. 5:3-7)
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