Daily Inspirations

   Good morning. And though you have not seen Him (Jesus), you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, (In the Upper Room Jesus said to Thomas, “because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are those who did not see, and yet believed.“) obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls. And to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquiries. Imagine the faith that it took for the old testament prophets to speak the words God gave them about the salvation to come, and yet not have a clue of how it was going to come about. Father thank You that You tell us through Your Word what is to come. Help us to act on it in faith.

   Good morning. In this you greatly rejoice (in our salvation and inheritance to be revealed), even though now for a little while (it may seem long while you are going through it, but relative to eternity, it is but a moment), if necessary (not all will go through trials), you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith (James said “show me your faith without works, and I will show you my faith by my works”), being more precious than gold which is perishable (a few verses before Peter said that our inheritance is imperishable), even though tested by fire (remember that “our inheritance will not fade away“ is the negative of quenching a fire), may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Gold is made pure by fire, and so is our faith. Father help us to keep our eyes on the prize and not on the trials that we have to go through for Your sake.

   Good morning. Why did God cause us to be born again to a living hope... To obtain an inheritance which is imperishable (moth and rust do not corrupt) and undefiled (The treasures of earth could be defiled) and will not fade away (in Greek, this is the negative of quenching a fire), reserved in heaven for you, who are protected (as with a garrison of troops) by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time (it has not yet been revealed what we shall be like; but we know that when He returns, we shall be like Him). Exactly what is the extent of our salvation and our inheritance? It is veiled to us right now, but it will be revealed at the end. Father thank You for our salvation which will be revealed in the last time.

   Good morning. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again (this is what Jesus said to Nicodemus, and Nicodemus did not understand) to a living hope (why would the Father have Jesus go through all the pain and suffering, obtaining a way for us to be born again, and then abandon us to the grave? Our hope is not wishful thinking, but confidence that we will be resurrected one day) through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Next time we will see why He did it. Father thank You for causing us to be born again into a living hope.

    Good morning. Today we begin with I Peter. Peter identifies himself as an apostle of Jesus. There was only one, so we know who is writing. To those who reside as aliens (believers are aliens to this world), scattered throughout (different places), who are chosen (we didn’t earn it) according to the foreknowledge (this comes from the same Greek word from which we get the medical term prognosis) of God the Father, and by the sanctifying work of the Spirit (this shows that the third Person of the Trinity is also involved), to obey Jesus Christ (which we are incapable of doing without being sanctified) and be sprinkled with His blood (all articles of worship in the tabernacle and then in the temple were sprinkled with the blood of animals – we are sprinkled with the blood of Jesus): may grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure. Father thank You that You chose us despite knowing all of the awful things that we would do before and after becoming Christians. Help us to wal...

   Good morning. However, if you have committed sins… Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. It is possible that a sickness arises because of some sin that you have done. We have no inkling of just how much can be accomplished through our prayers. James then talks about Elijah: he prayed that it would not rain, and it did not rain for 3 1/2 years; then he prayed again and rain poured down. Can your prayers do that? Can they move a mountain, like Jesus said? If any of you strays from the truth and one turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins. That’s even more powerful than healing. Instead of turning our backs on someone who strays, we should be helping that person to commit their lives to Christ. And that is the end of the book of James. Father help us to ...

   Good morning. Is anyone among you suffering (then be sure to tell everyone in the church so that you can have a pity party, and they can empathize with you – no!)? Then he must pray. Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises. Is anyone among you sick (then be sure to run to the emergency room)? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer offered in faith (not one of those “if it be Thy will“ kind of prayers) w ill restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up (that’s my kind of guarantee), and if he has committed sins (it didn’t say that he had committed sins, and that’s why he was sick), they will be forgiven him (that’s a side benefit you don’t see coming). If the people in the church did just those things in those two verses, it would truly be a dynamic place of God. Father help us to always seek You first for our healing, unlike the king in the Old Testament wh...

   Good morning. Speaking of patience… As an example of suffering and patience, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. We count those blessed who endured. James then talks about the endurance of Job and the outcome of the Lord’s dealings. The Lord is full of compassion and is merciful. Job went through a lot, but in the end he was faithful to the Lord, and He restored all that Job had and more. The Jews used to swear by things (remember Jesus talking about them swearing by the temple, etc.); but your yes is to be yes, and your no, no, so that you may not fall under judgment. When you say yes, you will do something or no, you will not do something, that should be all that you need to indicate certainty. You should not need anything else to emphasize that you are telling the truth. Father help us to endure all that comes against us because we are standing on Your promises.

   Good morning. James then tells us to be patient until the coming of the Lord, just like the farmers are patient about the crops. You too be patient, strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near. Just like Jesus talked about, too many Christians think that because “the coming of the Lord is a long way off”, they can do what they want now and clean up their act later. However, He could come at any moment and find you doing wrong to your neighbor. Do not complain against one another (Ouch!), so that you yourselves may not be judged; behold the Judge is standing right at the door. If we believed that Jesus was going to return at any moment, we would not do or say the things that we do. Father help us to be patient for Jesus’ return and to treat others the way we would if we knew for certain that He would come at this moment.

   Good morning. Come now, you who say, we are going to do thus and so. You do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. Instead, you ought to say, “if the Lord wills…“ As it is you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil. And now an observation that sets the standard high, and one which most of us do not adhere to: therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin. It’s not that you did something that in and of itself was not right; it is that you neglected to do something that was beneficial to others. James then scolds the rich people who treat their workers unbecomingly. He tells them that the workers will cry out unto the Lord of the Sabbath. Father thank You for all that You have given us. Continue to bless the reader and his/her family.

   Good morning. Continuing with those 10 commands: humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you. Again action is required on your part first. This is almost an exact quote from Jesus. This does not mean that you are a doormat. Remember that Moses was known as the meekest man on earth; and yet he got very angry with the people. Do not speak against one another. He who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks against the law and judges the law; but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge of it. Here is another instance where James goes back to the law – as Christians we are not judged by the law. We are held to an even higher standard. If it is wrong under the law to judge or speak against a brother, how much more is it wrong as a Christian? We can’t even want to judge or speak against a brother. There is only one lawgiver and judge, the One who is able to save and to destroy; but who are you to judge your neighbor? ...

   Good morning. He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “God is opposed to the proud (those who think they did it all on their own), but gives grace to the humble“. My Bible says that the following verses contain 10 commands, each of which so stated in Greek that it calls for immediate action and rooting out the sinful attitude of pride. The first one is a positive: draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Note that it requires us to do something first, and then God will respond to that action. If your heart is impure, then you cannot draw near to God. So, cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double minded (literally means two-souled). If your heart is not pure, you will be “touching“ things that you should not. And if you have an impure heart: be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy into gloom. We will continue these commands tomorrow. Father help us to draw near to You, under the shadow of Yo...

   Good morning. You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures. “Gimme gimme gimme, my name is Jimmy.” That’s the way we ask God for things. We don’t ask so that we can help those in need; we ask so they can we can buy the things that we want. Now comes a very sharp rebuke: you adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? They were having “an affair“ with mammon. Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. The things of the world do look inviting; but the end results are things contradictory to the kingdom of God. He jealously desires the Spirit (could be lower case “s” meaning our human spirit) which He has made to dwell in us. He wants our spirit to desire Him and not the things of the world. Father thank You that when we ask for things for others, You give us things for ourselves.

   Good morning. And the seed whose fruit is righteousness (you don’t get the fruit of righteousness from a “non-righteous tree“) is sown in peace by those who make peace (blessed are the peacemakers). Want to know why there is all this fussing and fighting – what is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members? You lust (remember that it just means very strong desire; not necessarily sexual) and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. All of this is obvious, especially today. You don’t get what you want, so you get angry at those who do; even though it’s not their fault that you don’t get what you want. You lash out at them, even possibly to the point of killing them. First of all, did you ask God for it, or did you just assume that it was your right to have whatever it was? Next time we will see that there is a corr...

   Good morning. What about that heavenly wisdom? The wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. That is powerful! First it is pure. You can trust it, unlike the wisdom of the world. As Sergeant Friday on Dragnet used to say, “just the facts ma’am“. It doesn’t use lies or try to deceive you. Is there disorder and discontent? Then that wisdom is not from above. It is gentle and does not try to force you to believe what it says. It only brings forth good fruits (so you know the tree is good). It is steadfast – you don’t have to worry that it will all change tomorrow. Father help us to only listen to the wisdom from above – Your wisdom.

   Good morning. … His deeds in the gentleness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. If you have either jealousy or selfish ambition, many times you will tell lies to your advantage or others’ disadvantage. It may seem like wisdom for the moment. This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic (the devil and his minions are happy to supply you with things to say). In other words, it may seem like the smart thing to do – spread lies. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. We see this today when people tell lies to elevate themselves or or to demote others. Everything is in disarray. Next time we will see the characteristics of the wisdom from above. Father help us to not speak lies out of jealousy or selfish ambition. Continue to go with the reader and his/her family; bringing relief from affliction along...

   Good morning. Continuing with the tongue : with it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way. We “speak out of both sides of our mouths“. In church we say, “bless you brother“. In the workplace ... well, we won’t go there. A fountain does not send out both fresh and bitter water; a fig tree does not produce olives, etc. This reminds us of when Jesus said, “you will know them by their fruits“. Or, you can put lipstick on a pig, but it will still wallow in the mud. Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom. Next time we will see that James explains the difference between the wisdom of God versus the wisdom of the world. Father help us to have good things in our hearts so that we will have good things coming out of our mouths.

   Good morning. James then talks about controlling horses and ships with very small items. So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! - just like a bit for a horse and a rudder for a ship. And the tongue is a fire (tell me about it), the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell. If the devil cannot get you to do wrong, he will get others to say evil things about you. All creatures of nature have been tamed by man. But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison. Father help us to allow the Holy Spirit to control what we say; to speak forth uplifting things and not those that drag people down. Continue to bless the reader and his/her family.

   Good morning. You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone. Just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead. We commented on this last time. Let not many of you become teachers knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment. It is bad when you have wrong beliefs; it is worse when you share those beliefs with others, hoping they will also believe like you do; it is the worst thing possible when you elevate yourself into the place of a teacher, training others to share the same wrong beliefs that you have. The lawyers and Pharisees did the same thing. They came under strict judgment; and so will you. For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man able to bridal the whole body as well. “Out of the heart the mouth speaks“. We all have let things slip that we wish we had never said. You want to be the best of the best? Then watch what you say! Father help us to not dwell...

   Good morning. Continuing with Abraham offering up his son on the altar: you see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works (corresponding actions), faith was perfected (brought to completion); and the scripture was fulfilled which says, “and Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.“ (that would seem to imply that if Abraham had not offered up his son, that he would not have been considered righteous) And he was called the friend of God. He was called the friend of God because he trusted so much that God was going to fulfill His promise that through his son Isaac he would be called the father of multitudes even when it looked like there was no way it could happen. He did what God was going to do thousands of years later with His Son, Jesus. Father help us to exercise our faith in such a way that we will be called Your friend.

   Good morning. You believe that God is one (there is one God). You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. Is that part of your “I have faith“? If so, it’s not very convincing. But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless? That seems a little less harsh than saying that your faith is dead; but the end result is the same. Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? Here is another place that Paul and James seem to disagree majorly. Paul says that we didn’t do anything to obtain our justification. It too was a gift of God. Possibly it was because Abraham was before the cross. No one had obtained justification for him, nor anyone else at that time. And so it was necessary that he do something to obtain justification (just as if he had never sinned). Father help the reader and his/her family to continually show faith that is living and not useless.

   Good morning. If a fellow believer has needs, and you say to them “God bless you – have a nice day”; what use is that? Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. They are both just a lot of hot air. Someone may well say, “you have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works“. Of course you cannot “show your faith“ without doing something to corroborate your statement. It is like Jesus with the paralytic who was let down through the ceiling. “Which is easier, to say your sins are forgiven, or to say rise and walk”. Anyone can say “your sins are forgiven“, and no one except perhaps the person himself will know whether or not his sins are forgiven. But if you say “rise and walk“, he better rise and walk or you will be denounced as a fraud. Anyone can say they have faith and no one will know whether or not it is a true statement; but if you have works (corresponding actions), everyone will know you hav...

   Good morning. So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty. That seems contradictory, a “law“ of liberty. For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; Mercy triumphs over judgment. That seems to go along with “Judge not, lest you be judged“. Now we come to the section that seems to divide James versus Paul - works versus faith. What use is it, my brethren if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him? That is a legitimate question. People today say that they are Christians, but their words and actions seem to contradict that. Just because you say you are a Christian, that does not mean that you are going to heaven. Your words and actions should confirm that. But is that what James means by “works“, or does it have to do with works of the law? Instead of the word “works”, a notable evangelist said that the phrase “corresponding actions” should be used. Can faith without corresponding actions save anyone?...

   Good morning. Continuing with the way you treat the poor versus the way you treat the rich in church: if you are fulfilling the Royal law according to the scripture, “you shall love your neighbor as yourself“, you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all. This is a clear example where James talks about things concerning the law. I have questions about his using this throughout the book. Is he simply writing this because he is writing to Jews who knew and understood all things about the law, and is using the law to illustrate principles of Christianity? Or is he writing this before he came to a full understanding about what it meant to be saved and to live under grace? Depending on which “expert“ you consult, there are differing views about when the book of James was actually written. My question is, was it writte...

   Good morning. We’ve seen what religion is not; now we see what religion should be - pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world. It isn’t whether or not you talk the talk; it’s whether or not you walk the walk. Helping widows and orphans would be disdainful in the sight of religious people. They wouldn’t want to “get their hands dirty”. We can’t go out of the world; we have to live in it. But when you do, it is too easy for the world to “rub off on you“ - to put it’s “stain“ on you. James then admonishes us to not think that just because we are Christians that we are better than the “lowliest” people that come to church, and to give preference to the rich. Father help us to be mindful of those who are less blessed than we are, and when they come to church to treat them as equals with even the rich.

   Good morning. The one who looks intently (this is from the same Greek word that describes how Mary and also John looked into the empty tomb of Jesus) at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does (the word). One does not think of a law as bringing liberty; one thinks of it as restricting what you can do. James reiterates that one must not just be a hearer of the word, but also a doer of the word. OK here’s the litmus test of spirituality: if anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless. There are too many Christians who think themselves “holier than thou“, but their actions and words reveal that they are not. Father help us to allow You to control our words and our actions.

   Good morning. Prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. Too many Christians today merely hear the word of God in church on Sunday mornings and that’s it. If the preacher doesn’t preach what they like to hear, they simply get rid of the preacher. They want to have their ears “tickled“. When you hear what you want to hear, you think you’re doing OK with God. Or if you hear a “hard“ word but don’t do anything about it, it eventually has no effect. It takes your willingness and the Holy Spirit for the word to affect your life. If anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in the mirror and quickly forgets what kind of person he was. You hear a word in church that tells you you’ve done something wrong and you deeply regret that you’ve done it; but as soon as you leave church, you forget all about it, because you do nothing to correct it. Father help us to be doers of Your word and not forg...

   Good morning. Everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God. The complaint of generations – no one listens anymore. It’s open mouth, insert foot. “We have freedom of speech!“ Yes, but there’s a responsibility for what you say. Also people get angry too easily. Sometimes they take offense at nonsense. They want to “get things off their chest“. So what should we do? Putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted which is able to save your souls. If we don’t put aside filthiness and wickedness, the word will not be able to save our souls. Father help us to be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; putting aside filthiness and wickedness.

   Good morning. Do not be deceived. Every good thing and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. In other words, if it is a “good” gift, you didn’t obtain it on your own, and nobody gave it to you, except God. God doesn’t give good gifts today and bad ones tomorrow. He is consistent. In the exercise of His will (we weren’t an accident) He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits among His creatures. The first fruits were the best of the crops, and were always given to the Lord. Father thank You that You are good, and only give us good things.

   Good morning. So if God does not tempt us, where does it come from? Each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Lust does not have to be sexual, though that is the way we interpret it today. It means a very strong desire for something. That is why recovering addicts have to avoid situations that would entice them. As you have heard before, it is not wrong to be tempted. It is wise to avoid those situations where you could be tempted though. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death. Just like the birth of a child is not instantaneous, so the death that comes from sin (thankfully) is not instantaneous. God gives us plenty of opportunity to repent. In fact he gave Adam hundreds of years to repent, and to the best of our knowledge he never told God he was sorry. Father help us to avoid situations where we will be tempted, and help us to not yield to any temptation with which we are conf...

   Good morning. Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial (this is the same word we saw in verse two and can mean temptation); for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. What does James mean by, “once he has been approved“? Does it mean that he has persevered under trial (temptation) with the right attitude? Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God“; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. However, “the Lord’s prayer” does request that He lead us not into temptation. If you have never smoked, and have no desire to smoke, and someone offers you a cigarette, you’re not even tempted to smoke. God is like this with every form of evil – He cannot be tempted to do it. Father help us to persevere under all trials and temptations, so that we may be approved by You.