Breath's Revelife

James Bible Study

Sat, 11 Oct 2008 14:38:59 GMT

(Sorry this is a day late.)

James 2:1-13

1My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don’t show favoritism. 2Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby 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: 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 insulted 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 slandering 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, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do 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!

Showing favoritism. I don’t know about you, but I sure have been guilty of that before. And for what purpose? Nearly every instance I can remember came from somehow trying to promote favoritism of myself a.k.a. sucking up.

In this case, James speaks of showing favoritism to the rich, but it certainly isn’t the only application. What is one thing the world has taught us about money? Money = Influence = Power. Who are we most likely to suck up to? Someone with influence or power. It can be on a large or small scale. For example, a student may suck up to the teacher who has power over his or her grade. Or we could glance at the shady world of politics for a larger scale model.

James says in verse 5 that God has chosen the poor to inherit His kingdom. Let’s take a quick look at Matthew 5:3 – Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Neither Matthew nor James is referring exclusively to people with little or no money. “Poor in spirit” is a term that is used (according to my footnotes, once again) to contrast the spiritually proud and self-sufficient. Basically, what they both are saying is that the kingdom is not something you can earn. It is a gift. It is a gift that God will give anyone who asks, be they rich or poor, sick or healthy, man or woman. “…the kingdom he promised to those who love him,” (v.5).

By showing favoritism among ourselves (Christians) we are opening a can of worms that we really don’t need. James says in response (v.4), “…have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?” Don’t we get that enough from people outside Christianity? Why bring it in? What’s the point? Having an in with someone who has worldly power isn’t going to impress God whose power is unfathomable.

That doesn’t mean scorn the rich/influential/powerful/whatever you’re not and wish you were. Then you’ll be showing favoritism the other way. We are equal in the eyes of the Lord. He treats us equally so we should treat each other the same.

The same applies to “the royal law found in Scripture,” (v.8) Violating one part of the law is violating God’s will and thus the whole law. Breaking one commandment is not worse than breaking another. Just as we are equal in the eyes of God, so is sin. None of it is good and none of it is welcome in His house.

A reminder: We ALL are sinners.

By freaking out at someone because of his sins, we are discriminating against him. Instead, we should show mercy. Be loving and accepting of the person. Help him fight the sins. We’re in the same boat. It wouldn’t be very nice to chuck him overboard and beg for our own rescue. That might make God frown.

Check out those last two verses again. James reminds us that we are going to be judged, too, so we should keep that in mind when we speak and act. As believers we know our eternal destiny lies with the Lord. That’s not being questioned. He is referring to when the Father asks what we have done with our lives as Christians.

“…”

Personally, I don’t want the divine crickets to be chirping. James says if we show mercy to others, mercy will be shown to us. Be nice to people!

What are your thoughts? Should we suck up to the wealthier people in the congregation in hopes they will put more in the offering plate? Is all sin equal?

Fruits of the Spirit

Thu, 09 Oct 2008 10:00:00 GMT

Love: There are some people I have a difficult time being loving toward.
Joy: No matter what James says, taking joy in my trials will continue to be a struggle.
Peace: Will this world ever be at peace?
Patience: The light turned red as I pulled up. I had to wait a whole minute and a half.
Kindness: Sometimes I have to bite my tongue. My thoughts are not always kind.
Goodness: I walked past three people today that I could have stopped to help with small tasks.
Gentleness: I once brought a Marine to the fetal position (true story).*
Faithfulness: I find myself relying on myself when I should be relying on the Lord.
Self-Control: Sometimes the cupboard doors get slammed a bit when I'm upset.

Even though we may completely disagree with one another, I still love you.
The joy of the Lord really is my strength.
The world may not be at peace, but I am.
Time is rarely as important as I make it; I will wait patiently.
Though I may struggle with my thoughts, I can still be kind to you.
I strive to be an example of the goodness and mercy Christ shows.
When he fell I was gentle, rubbing his shoulder and sitting with him until he could stand.
The Lord is faithful to me, and I shall endeavor to be faithful to Him.
When I am upset, I will control myself and pray for help.

I find some fruits of the Spirit to be easier than others. Do you struggle with any of them?

*It was an accident, but my lack of (physical) gentleness played a part in it. And I still laugh when I think about it - not so gentle or kind...it's a work in progress. *giggle*

A Challenge

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 10:00:00 GMT

Sunday morning I woke to a sink full of dirty dishes. I had been too tired to take care of them the night before. As I began to tackle them I decided to try and make it a spiritual exercise. Every item I began to clean (that’s right, no dishwasher!) I tried to find a metaphor to fit and turn the whole chore into a prayer. For example, the first thing I picked up was a fork. “You placed a fork in the road before me, Lord,” I said, “and either path may have been good, but I saw more blessings down this path. You left the choice up to me, which path to choose. Thank you, Lord, for freedom and guidance in my life.” The serving spoon: “Let me serve you, Father, by serving others.” And so on. Sometimes it wasn’t easy to find a really great metaphor, so I would just use the image of washing away the grime as an example of Christ washing away my sins.

The dull chore didn’t feel so much like a chore and I felt blessed when I finished. I challenge you to make a chore into a prayer today!

Explicit Content

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 10:00:00 GMT

    There has been a lot of talk on Xanga and Revelife about pornography. There are people that strongly oppose it and people who don’t believe it’s really that bad. I am writing this to everyone. To the people who think porn is alright, see how it can tear the soul and drive a person mad. To the people who are strongly opposed, I warn you not to be judgmental of those who watch porn. They may be sitting right next to you in church, wishing they could kick the addiction. Your hateful words may be hurting them deeply, giving them more reason not to share their burden and ask for prayers.

    My first experience with porn was back in the day when the Internet was still kind of new and filters were pretty much nonexistent. I was a child, and had either accidentally or naively clicked a button that I should have stayed well away from. Suddenly a large image popped up in the middle of the screen of a cucumber being abused in a way that had, until then, been inconceivable to me. I stared in fascinated horror for a moment before gathering hold of myself and trying desperately to close the box. The Internet would have none of it. There were still images loading, each more enlightening than the last. Click! Click! Click! The screen would not be budged. I heard my mother’s footsteps on the stairs. I tried just minimizing the window. Nope. Closing it still wasn’t working. I completely freaked out and jabbed the power button on the monitor. I nervously tapped my fingers and gave my mother an overeager smile as she walked by. I pretended the computer was restarting – the darned thing was just moving so slow! Eventually she went back downstairs, thankfully not kicking me off the computer. I would have died of mortification if she had seen that. By the time I turned the monitor back on and beheld the human body in all of its many creatively athletic glories, the Internet had decided it didn’t mind me X-ing out of the screen. I couldn’t look at cucumbers for months without feeling like I had been horribly naughty and needed to take a scalding shower.

    Fast forward to college. I was in my room, alone, surfing Xanga. Someone had a video on her site. It looked like Youtube, but not. I clicked on it. Definitely not Youtube. My mind spun back to the cucumber. There were no cucumbers here, but there was action as opposed to a still picture. I turned down the volume and watched, horrifically fascinated until the end. I had never heard of this website that was a perversion of one of my favorites. I typed it in the browser, expecting the site to be one of those “Join now and download free videos!’ things. Instead, it was very much like Youtube. Just click and watch. This is wrong. My conscious said. Yeah, but I’m curious what sex is like, I thought back to myself. I had heard people talk about it. I had actually heard it going on, thank you College Roommate Number One. But I had never been anywhere close to sex, myself. I wasn’t entirely sure I knew what an adult penis looked like. I knew there were different Positions, but I couldn’t quite figure out, mentally, how they worked. Guess what, Tiger, that sucker’s more flexible than it looks. A “hard on” or a “stiffy” doesn’t mean it’s stuck in one direction. That was new to me, a sheltered naïve twenty-something.

    Living with an emotionally unstable roommate who could come home and walk in the room at any moment kept me from checking out the site too often. I felt dirty, but I was an adult, I could handle it. Besides, wouldn’t I feel deliciously dirty when the day came that I actually, you know, did it? I wouldn’t want to be a total loser would I? I hadn’t French-kissed a guy until college, and even then I didn’t really know what I was doing. I felt like such a dork. Girls in Junior High were getting more action than I’d ever had. I didn’t want to be a total loser on my wedding night. Right?

    The next year I managed to score a dorm to myself. I never had to worry about someone walking in on me. Gloriously wonderful. I didn’t immediately hop over to that site. In fact, it didn’t even cross my mind for a while. I honestly don’t remember what it was that made me think of it and convinced me to head back over. I eventually did, though. I watched video after video out of sheer curiosity. How does ______ work? What does ______ mean? How can she have two guys at once? Three holes? OH. Ew. Weird. At some point I had to have seen it all. Yet I kept coming back. Do they have anyone who can actually act without giggling or looking like she’s going to eat the camera? Does anyone on here have a larger vocabulary? Meanwhile I began to feel more comfortable with my own body. Before, I was locking the bathroom door while I took a shower and would knot a robe around myself before emerging. Now I would wander around my room naked, comfortable and slightly turned on. Wasn’t that a good thing? To be comfortable with my own body?

    Once I was comfortable with myself and could even sleep in the nude, I began to be curious about my private areas. I wondered what I felt like and what it would feel like to be felt. It kind of hurt. Tampons really aren’t all that big, especially compared to some of those Internet guys. Jeepers! There was no way one of those would fit in there! Physical exploration made it a little easier to imagine what it would be like to really have sex. I could imagine two slender fingers becoming something thicker and longer. I could imagine the pain of my body stretching to accommodate it. I could imagine the feeling of being part of a rhythm, now that I knew what that was all about. I never was able to imagine it in a loving situation, though. I felt worthless.

    When life called me away from the computer, I would find myself wondering what people looked like without clothes on. Wondering if they had sex or if they were virgins. Wondering what kind of sex they had. I felt humiliated and rotten and yet I kept going back. Why? My body wanted to try it, but my morals were still hanging on for dear life. So if I couldn’t try it, I could at least see it and hear it. I tried to stop. And sometimes I would for a while. Then I’d feel horny and wander back. I progressed (or regressed) to going to a new website, chatting with people. I discovered cybersex. I didn’t do video chats, but I did post pictures. Never without my panties, but provocative enough to keep men coming. “I have to clean up before my wife comes home,” one man wrote. Oh my gosh. What was I doing??? I felt convicted in church that Sunday. I came home and immediately deleted that account and email account with it, never to return.

    I didn’t go back to the video site, either. One evening, I was feeling those sexual urges again, happened (by accident) across another site, and ended up setting up yet another account and another email address. I chatted again. Some guys had live video feed. I could see them though they couldn’t see me. It was that horrifying fascination all over again. I received hundreds of emails, requests for chats, pictures of yucky things (for the record, I still don’t understand why guys think that turns girls on), and so on.

    I had recently seen and felt God really moving in my life. I felt absolutely putrid before Him. I could literally feel His disappointment. I struggled to stop. When I got the urge, I would open my Bible and turn to Song of Solomon, reading about sex in the pure form it was intended to be. Sometimes I found myself back at that ugly site. I couldn’t find a terminate account button. I felt that if I could find one, I would be done and never come back. Maybe that would have been true. However, I never found such a button. I hid my profile so I wasn’t inundated with suggestive emails and chat requests. That made it easier to break away. Meanwhile, my Bible, still lying in a corner, open to Song of Solomon, was staring at me, emanating waves of conviction and self-guilt that even the best mother can’t match.

    Finally. Finally, I broke away. I laid myself bare before God. I cast my sins at the feet of my Lord and begged Him to take it from me. I don’t want any part of this! I could feel that God has something in mind for me. He wouldn’t mess with my life like He did without a reason. I was holding myself back from being a part of his plan, though, by giving in to fleshly desires. Christ’s words, “But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart,” pierced my soul. I was an adulterer. My heart ached for a man’s wife I had wronged. My soul ached for a Savior I had wronged.

    Christ’s love is so great that He kneeled down next to me and said, “I forgive you, child. I love you. Get up and sin no more.” I am not sinless. I will continue to struggle. Even now, I am curious about that un-deleted account. But I will not bow to sin so easily. The Bible is my bread, and Christ is my living water. When I feel temptation I cry out to my master. I quickly find something to distract myself with and I pray, “Lord, deliver me from evil.”

    He is always there for me. He is always there for you. Just ask for His help and He will give it freely.

Studying James

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 10:00:05 GMT

Hello, friends. As I mentioned earlier, I am going to continue my study of the book of James on Mondays and Fridays. Today is Monday, so here I go!
Come, join me.

James 1:19-27

19My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life 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 a man who looks at his face in a mirror 24and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it - he will be blessed in what he does.
26If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his 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.

Quick to listen, slow to anger. I don’t know about you, but I’ve heard this phrase before, and many variations of it, frequently. It’s one thing to think it and reflect on it now, while I have nothing to be angry about. It’s quite another when the lava has built up and Mt. Breath over here is about to erupt.

I like what James says in between those two phrases: "[be] slow to speak..." He is reminding us to take a moment to gather our thoughts before opening our mouths.

Let's try to avoid this.

How many times have you misunderstood someone? How often have you been upset over something only to find out later that it had never been as it seemed? When you feel your temper starting to stir, take a moment to really think about the facts of the situation. Do not even open your mouth until you're sure you won't verbally slaughter someone. Be slow to speak.

James tells us that man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. God's anger is righteous, ours is not. Often, our anger is not even directed properly. God knows the facts of the situation and can even do one better - he knows the intentions behind peoples actions and words. He knows their very thoughts. Let Him take care of the situation as He sees fit.

I enjoy watching Dog, the Bounty Hunter. In fact, I like it so much I got his autobiography. In the book, Dog gives an excellent example of letting go of one's anger and letting God take care of it. A man that had been one of his friends ran off with his wife and children. Dog carried a lot of anger and bitterness toward him for years, but finally let go of it and gave it up to God. Later, Dog heard that man saw his own mother commit suicide. He had wanted the man to pay for what he did, but that was such a hard blow, Dog begged God to cease His mighty vengeance against his former friend.

God knows when we have been wronged. He does not want us to carry around the anger, becoming bitter. That is why James tells us to get rid of all moral filth and evil. I know that when someone really lights my fuse, I tend to want to think nasty thoughts about him or her, which is exactly what I shouldn’t be doing. Instead, I should humbly accept the word of God that is in me, deferring to the Holy Spirit and letting the Father do as He sees fit.

Why do I keep saying “let” God take care of it? He’s God! He doesn’t need my permission! No, He doesn’t. However, I think He would rather wait until my heart is in the right place. If God struck my antagonist with lightning right away, I might say, “Ha! Serves you right!” Does that seem like the right frame of heart and mind? Not at all. If, however, He waits until I am humble, I will probably feel more inclined toward forgiveness. We should forgive our enemies, just as Christ forgave us. Before His sacrifice, our sin made us like enemies to God.

Regarding verse 22, have you ever tried to offer someone advice and he seems to be listening and agreeing with you, but then he completely ignores it later on? Isn’t that exasperating? Don’t you just want to shake him and say, “I told you that was a bad idea!”

God’s word comes in many forms. It is the message in our Bibles. It is the Holy Spirit dwelling in you and in me. It is Christ and it is the Father. John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. How precious that He gives us Himself, the beginning and the end of all things. Yet when we listen and nod our heads and then go and completely ignore His message to us, we become like our friend who chose not to take the good advice. Completely exasperating to our Master.

God’s blessings are truly wonderful. Why not take His advice and be blessed along the way? James says to “look intently into the perfect law that gives freedom.” Since when do laws equal freedom? Well, if you think about it, what happens when you break the law? You go to jail. That, to me, seems like a significant lack of freedom. Breaking the perfect law means to sin. When we sin, we lack the freedom that God gave us through His Commandments and that Christ perfected through his sacrifice.

So, stick to the Ten Commandments, listen to God’s word and act on it, let Him deal with those who wrong us, and give yourself a moment before biting someone’s head off.

But wait! There’s two more verses! Verse 26 says, “If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.”

My Bible references Psalm 39:1 I said, "I will watch my ways and keep my tongue from sin; I will put a muzzle on my mouth as long as the wicked are in my presence."

If we publicly pray, go to church, and do other things that make it obvious we are “religious,” we completely undermine ourselves when we speak with a sharp tongue, lie, or say something nasty. How can we demonstrate the good Word when our own are rotten? However, if we place God first, help those around us, and don’t let ourselves be sucked in to the world of rebellion and alienation from God, we are practicing His true religion that is pure and faultless.

What are your thoughts? What is your interpretation of this passage? Do you find yourself struggling, as I do, to keep your mouth shut sometimes? Can acting on the word be difficult in this world?

Happy Sunday To You

Sun, 05 Oct 2008 09:00:08 GMT

It's Sunday! Church day! Unless you're Seventh Day Adventist, then that was yesterday, sorry!

Does anyone have any prayer requests or Praises?

I made that big mostly as a reminder to myself. So often I come to God and it's whine, whine, whine! Lord, please help me with this, please help me with that. There certainly are times to pray and ask for help - don't be afraid to request prayers from your brothers and sisters, by any means!

I just need to remember to PRAISE God, too! God in Heaven, hallowed be thy name! Great and Mighty are you, Lord! Your presence fills me with joy!

Right now I am praying for this cold to leave my body. My throat hurts from coughing!
And I am praising God for my new friends on this site! Thank you all who have been sharing your beautiful and insightful thoughts! Thank you, God, for these wonderful people!

My Brother is the Messiah?

Sat, 04 Oct 2008 21:00:00 GMT

The Logistics:

Alright, I think I figured out how I want to do this. I will do the...what did I call it? Babbling Blog Bible Study? Yeah, that thing. I'll do that on Mondays and Fridays so it's something to think about at the beginning of the work (or school) week and the beginning of the weekend. How does that sound?

And by all means, keep going back and writing your thoughts on the old posts! I've considered updating the time stamp so people can see the new comments, but I don't want to be a pain the patookus. I don't know. What do you think? You're the ones who will be seeing it!

***

The Post:

Having started a study of the book of James, I started thinking about the person, James. Did you know this book was most likely written by Jesus' brother, James? As in one of Mary and Joseph's kids. James didn't believe in Jesus at first. Can you blame him? In fact, can you imagine growing up with Jesus as your older brother? I am picturing a nine-year-old James being chastised by his mother, "Why can't you be more like your brother, Jesus?"

<cue the dramatic 9yr old groan> Oh, great. Not this again. "But Mo-om!"

"Go help your father with that chair."

And there he goes, grumbling, kicking a stone down the street as he sulks all the way to his father's workshop.

It would be hard growing up with the perfect older brother. Especially when that older brother is so special his conception and birth were announced by angels. Or so Mom and Dad say. Maybe they're a little off their rocker. Though there are some precious gifts in the house that there is no way they could have been able to afford. So that little nugget of maybe stays. I don't really believe it, but I'm not going to totally discount it, either.

When Jesus was grown, James and his other brothers still didn't believe their brother was the Messiah, even when he was teaching and performing miracles (John 7:5). Despite this, James ended up believing and becoming prominent in the early Church. He was one of the select few Christ appeared to after his resurrection (1Co 15:7). He ended up being a pretty well-known guy.

I didn't include verse one in the Bible study, so here it is: James 1:1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations: Greetings.

He's acknowledging Jesus as the Christ, and himself as Christ's servant. I don't have any Biblical basis for my portrayal of a young James. I'm going solely on human nature - siblings bicker and demand their parents' attention. It seems likely to me that James would have been annoyed with perfect Jesus while growing up and getting into trouble. But here, in this letter to other believers, he is humbly conceding Jesus is his Lord and Master. The Greek word for "servant" means both (1) a "slave," who completely belongs to his owner and has no freedom to leave, and (2) a "servant," who willingly chooses to serve his master. He has given himself completely over to the one he called brother.

Can you imagine growing up as Jesus' little brother? Can you imagine acknowledging one of your siblings as Christ, your master?

Studying James

Sat, 04 Oct 2008 00:22:54 GMT

I really like the book of James. Even though it was written to "the twelve tribes scattered among the nations," I feel like it was written to you and me as well. It feels more personal than some of the other books of the Bible. It's also not very long, so it makes for a nice read. When I signed up at revelife I didn't have the intention of doing a Bible study. I also didn't have the intention to speak so vehemently to leaders and readers, yet my first two posts came out that way. So now, here I am, sitting at my kitchen table, hacking up a lung and having a mini-Bible study.

Come, join me.

James 1:2-18

    2Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; 8he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.
     9The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position. 10But the one who is rich should take pride in his low position, because he 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 man will fade away even while he goes about his business.
    12Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God 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 one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away 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. 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 firstfruits of all he created.

Trials suck. And James wants us to be joyful for them? What, is he nuts? He says the testing of our faith develops "perseverance." I know what perseverance means, but I looked it up anyway and was surprised to find a theological definition with it. Perseverance is defined as:

1.	steady persistence in a course of action, a purpose, a state, etc., esp. in spite of difficulties, obstacles, or discouragement.

2.	Theology. continuance in a state of grace to the end, leading to eternal salvation.

Oh. Well, when you put it that way...I wouldn't mind being in a state of grace forever. So, if we stay strong in our faith and keep putting our trust in the Lord through these yucky trials, we will be in God's favor. If there's anyone's favor I want to have, it's His. I'm thinking back to some trials I've been through that I'm far enough removed from to look at them clearly. I can't honestly say I was joyful as I went through them, but looking back I can see how God used those situations to be a benefit. In fact, if I hadn't gone through them, I would be in a very different place now. I have learned from them and matured, both in attitude and in faith, which is exactly what James was saying. Trials bring maturity, and for that reason alone, I am thankful I went through them. Who wants to have the maturity of a Jr. High girl? Imagine never growing out of that. People around you would go nuts. That's probably how God feels if you never learn to grow up spiritually.

Part of growing up is through experience (trials), but also through gaining knowledge and wisdom. James says that if we lack wisdom, we should just ask! Recently, I was unsure of a point of dissension in the Church (I'm capitalizing Church as I am referring to the collective community of Christians, the building down the road will just be the church) so I prayed about it. I looked at verses in the Bible, but I was still unsure. God gives us resources to use if we are curious, we just need to acknowledge them. I emailed an old pastor of mine. He was able to explain to me exactly what I wanted to know. I had faith that God would answer my question, but I did not just sit back and wait for a booming voice or a hand on the wall. I took the initiative and his answer was revealed to me.

James' description of the doubter being blown and tossed by the wind portrays the instability of the immature Christian. I know my parents loved me when I was in Jr. High, but I also know that I was a royal pain in the patoot. They did not give me everything I wanted. In fact, the more I whined and complained, the less inclined they were to give me something other than a grounding. The same could be true of God. Not only does the immature Christian likely not know what is best for her, but she probably is trying God's infinite patience. "You want to try that again with a little less attitude?" We should be humble before God. Who are we to demand things of Him?

Now, I'm all over verse nine! I'm living in my first apartment, paying BILLS. Yuck. My income is modest, to say the least. I'm pleasantly surprised every month when I actually have enough money in my account to pay all the bills AND buy food. Rock on! I am in a humble circumstance! James said I ought to take pride in my high position. Eh? A second ant just crawled across my keyboard. Not only am I poor, but now I have an ant infestation. How exactly is this a high position? The footnote of my Bible explains, "The Christian who suffers the trial of poverty is to take pride in his high position as a believer...." I guess that makes sense. By having faith and persevering through this trial I am finding favor with God. Those who find favor with kings tend to be in good positions, no? How about when that king is the cosmic creator of everything? I'm down with that. I'm proud to be on His good side.

And then he goes on to say that the rich Christian should take pride in his low position. Hold up. Low position? He's a Christian AND he's rich. How's that low? James is referring to the trials that bring him low. Even loss of wealth. He's saying to take pride in things that keep you humble. Remember how Jesus said that it's easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter Heaven? It's not impossible. That camel can do it, but it'll be a trial. And when he makes it through, he can look back and say, "Heck, yeah! I did it!" and take pride.

[tangent alert!] Regarding verse 12, I love when someone says "Blessed is the man who..." I wonder how many times I've been blessed. One of my favorite verses is when Jesus says, "...blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." (John 20:29) That's all of us who believe in Him! Jesus blessed us!

James also warns us not to blame temptation on God. I had never really thought about that. The phrase "...and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil..." (Matthew 6:13) comes to mind. I struggled with this a bit because Jesus is teaching us to ask God not to lead us in temptation, whereas James is telling us God will not lead us in temptation. I think, perhaps, what Jesus is saying is that we should ask God for help overcoming our fallen nature. He does not lead us into temptation, we lead ourselves there just fine on our own. Deliver me, God, from another stupid mistake. This brings me to another point. I've often heard, "The Devil made me do it." Maybe he did. And maybe you did it on your own. We are sinful creatures. Frankly, I imagine Satan sits back and chuckles when he sees God's children falling into sin on our own. As long as we have faith in Christ, I don't believe Satan can make us do anything. He can make our lives suck hardcore so that we might turn from God. But when the light of Christ is shining in us, I don't believe he can slip inside us and force our bodies to sin.

Finally, I had to look at the footnotes to understand "firstfruits." It says, "Just as the first sheaf of the harvest was an indication that the whole harvest would eventually follow, so the early Christians were an indication that a great number of people would eventually be born again." So it refers to those first Christians - the twelve scattered tribes. The end of this passage is a reminder to us that God does not change. I enjoy reading Greek mythology because the stories are so fascinating and full of everything imaginable, including gods and goddesses that change positions and stances, totally screwing over humans in the process. The one true God is not like that. He will never suddenly say, "You know, I'm tired of Californians, I think I'm going to abandon them for a while." No way! He is steadfast and true.

So there we have it. A babbling-blog Bible-study! Does anyone have any thoughts to share? Points you agree or disagree with? I'm just an average person trying to understand the scripture, so don't feel bad about offering corrections or suggestions!

Hey You! Person I've Never Met!

Thu, 02 Oct 2008 02:53:27 GMT

I can't believe you think that. How can you call yourself a Christian?

Excuse you?

How dare I question your faith? What gives me the right? Since when have differing opinions on doctrine cast doubt on your personal relationship with Christ? And what do I know of that relationship, anyway? I don't live in your heart, feeling your pains and your joys. I've not lived your life or walked in your shoes. I know nothing about you! How dare I?

If I have a problem with you, shouldn't I discuss it calmly and lovingly with you rather than assume you are an impostor in the church? Can't I conceive of the possibility that maybe some issues are not as straightforward as they seem? They might seem straightforward to me, but maybe they don't to you? Maybe you're still trying to wrap your mind and heart around it, so stop attacking you!

I've hurt you and maybe you've offended me with your take on Christianity. You wonder why I was offended and I'm still wondering how you can think that unthinkable thought. Maybe we should call a truce and try to get to know one another first. Maybe you're not as crazy as I think. Maybe I'm not as vicious as you think. Maybe we started off on the wrong foot.

You'll respect me and I'll respect you. We are siblings in this crazy huge family of God's. We won't always agree on everything and we might not always get along, but we can still love each other.

The Merciless Shepherd

Tue, 30 Sep 2008 19:14:40 GMT

I had a dream in March of 2004 that a flock of sheep escaped from their enclosure. Before going after them, the shepherds helped someone else retrieve a herd of escaped cows. By the time they got to the sheep, the sheep were in a ditch of mud and water, surrounded by barbed wire. A narrating Voice in my dream (not a common occurrence!) said that the sheep were not good anymore because their tails were wet and ruined. The shepherds drove back with one small trailer-full of sheep and left the others to the mercy of one shepherd who stayed behind. He took out a machine gun and slaughtered the remaining trapped sheep (the Voice called it a mass-execution). As sheep were dying and mud and dirt was flying, an explosion went off in the background.

I have tried for years to understand this dream, and I think I finally do. Let's break it down.

Sheep: Christians
Psalm 100:3 Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

Shepherd: A spiritual leader. Jesus is referred to as the Chief Shepherd. It could also indicate a pastor or someone else in the church leadership.
1 Peter 5:4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.
1 Peter 5:2 (To Elders) Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers....

Escape from enclosure: Straying from the path.
Isaiah 53:6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way....

Cows: Another form of livestock, contrasting the sheep in this case.
(I don't really have a good verse for this one)

So there are the elements of the dream. We have sheep who have strayed as well as cows from another field. The shepherds abandon their sheep to help the "cowboys" round up their herd. Perhaps a misplacement of priorities? It may seem self-sacrificing to help others when the shepherds are having issues of their own, but in doing so they have completely neglected their sheep, ultimately sacrificing their own herd.

Once realizing this, the shepherds have a choice: they can work hard to rescue the herd, bathe it and care for it...or they can abandon it as a lost cause. Here, in my dream, they rescued a few that seemed salvageable and slaughtered the rest.

Jeremiah 23:1-4 "Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of my pasture!" declares the Lord. 2Therefore this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says to the shepherds who tend my people: "Because you have scattered my flock and driven them away and have not bestowed care on them, I will bestow punishment on you for the evil you have done," declares the Lord. 3"I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them and will bring them back to their pasture, where they will be fruitful and increase in number. 4I will place shepherds over them who will tend them, and they will no longer be afraid or terrified, nor will any be missing," declares the Lord.

Elders and Pastors, do not be like these shepherds! When your flock is going astray, carry them back lovingly, one-by-one if necessary. Do not give up on the sheep that have been entrusted to you, for though you watch over them, they are not yours. When a member of your congregation is straying or when there is dissension between members, do not ignore it and hope the problem goes away! Address the issue, or you will be like the shepherds whose sheep ended up trapped in a ditch. Do not in anger, frustration, or awkwardness cast out a member from your congregation. You will be the horrific shepherd who slaughtered his trapped flock. Woe to you.

I speak as a slaughtered sheep who was rescued by the Chief Shepherd.