Oh, Sweet James

This past week marked the completion of my 16-week Bible Study on the Book of James using the Precept Upon Precept Inductive Study. If I could put the past 16 weeks into one word as I’ve studied through the Book of James, I’d use

Life Altering

Okay, that was two words wasn’t it?

Sidebar - I google everything. Do you find yourself googling everything? Right when I typed, life altering, I wondered to myself, “is that one word or two”? And, then I googled it to find out the answer. Is there anything you can’t find on the internet? What is this techno world that we live in coming to? I digress.

 Inspiring, encouraging, challenging,

thought-provoking, captivating, convicting, humbling.

 

Those are a few other words to describe this Book. It’s a short book. Only 5 chapters. One could read through it from beginning to end in minimal time, but it shouldn’t be read like a self-help book that you’d read in a short sitting while killing time in your local bookstore. It’s a book to lay out on your kitchen table with a notepad nearby. A book where before you even delve into the first verse, you get down on your knees and ask the Lord to soften your heart before you try and take in the Words. It’s also a book to keep a tissue box within arm’s reach as you’ll be led to wrestle with the condition of your very soul and possibly drawn to tears as you’re humbled and moved to examine how you can strive more in your Christian walk to be Christ-like.

It’s a book of tests. Not the standardized kind or a Fill-in-the-Blank type of tests. The book details varying tests that we can use to examine our walk as a Christian. There is a test that covers our response in trials, another on how we show favor to the rich and elite, a test on our ability to control our tongue, and another that tests our closeness with the world. After you’ve sweat a little in taking these tests and graded yourself, there’s a message of hope in Chapter 4 (verses 7-10) if after examining your response you realize that you’ve failed all of the tests.

Never again will I wonder what I need to do when in a trial or a test in life. This book paints a very clear and concise illustration of what a Christian’s response should be. And, when I’m having trouble bridling my tongue or being tempted by my fleshly nature to dishonor God in my thoughts or attitude, I only need to go back to this Book.  I’m thankful that someone gave me the invitation to take this study.

If One of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins. (James 5:19-20)

Anyone need a good book to read? 

Firsts.

Is been a long time since I've updated my blog with the latest "happenings" in my family. I'll update through pictures. A picture is worth a thousands words, right?

We've had several firsts.

 

Lea rode her first upside down roller coaster.

 

The girls went on their first camping trip.

 

The little guy took his first steps and was very happy about it.

I'm knitting my first hat.

 I still have to learn how to "decrease" in knitting so that I can knit the top close.

 

In school we've been repeating the following:

Eat.
Sleep.
School.
Repeat.  

Lots of reading, writing, crunching numbers, and more reading. The girls continue to be very receptive to the changes in their school curriculum. The books that they've been reading with the Sonlight curriculm have been so interesting to them that I've caught them sharing what they're learning to family and friends. I don't recall this happening during our first year very much. They just bring up facts over dinner or on car rides. I've even caught them sharing facts with friends when having casual conversations. It makes me smile to know that they're enjoying what they're learning and they are retaining what they're learning, not because of rote learning but from simple enjoyment of the material.



Frog Cycle of Life via Clay Creation



A Change

I pray that this blog entry will not leave you discouraged, but inspired to seek God's Word and be challenged to reflect internally on your heart and upward to Christ....

We are a sinful people. Left to our own devices, we would choose this world and the things of this world at every opportunity available. We entered this world a sinner not desiring God or anything that is a part of Him. Our flesh desires the things that we see and is captured and entranced by what the world offers as seen through television commercials and shows. We are motivated by money, entranced by surface level beauty, and our pride is fed in the downfall of others. We are enslaved to our desires and are driven to think and act, motivated by our fleshly desires. We desire to be seen and be known for something. Something that in our minds, people care about. And so, we'll do just about anything to fit in, to feel loved, to feel accepted by this sinful world and the people in it.  

 

As we desire the worlds acceptance, we get caught up in pleasing man. The problem is, man is never pleased. He always desires more and as his desires change, we never have peace within because we are seeking to appease man and our own flesh.  If we die in this state of sinfulness, appeasing our flesh and being absorbed with this world, we will spend an eternity separated from God. 

God on the other hand is perfect, holy, just, fair, loving, kind, and forgiving. He keeps no records of our wrongs and desires that we look beyond this world and its desires and see Him dying on a cross to relinquish us from the world's chains that bind us. We are blinded to our own sinfulness. We think that we are good enough to make it into Heaven because we think our sins are not "as bad" as the next guy. We may not physically steal or harm someone, but if we but ponder these sinful actions internally in our minds, God considers us guilty as though we committed them externally. Sin is such and awful disease, but we have a cure in Christ. 

Before the foundation of this world God the Father, chose a people that would constitute a bride for His Son, Jesus Christ. This bride is made up of those that believe in Jesus Christ. As Christ took the penalty that we deserve by dying on the Cross, He served as a substitute atoning for the death that we deserve. God desires that we repent, turn from our sinful way of living that focuses on self, and believe on the Lord Jesus. Many Churches today are not teaching this message illustrating the sinfulness of man and the holiness of a just God. What's unsettling is that people are perishing from the pews. A watered down gospel is being taught that leaves people thinking they are "better than" the person sitting next to them.
 

You say, 

All this isn't truth. This isn't the gospel message. It doesn't make me feel good about myself. There are multiple ways to get to Heaven and if I just do good things God will accept me in the end.

 

The truth is, what matters is the internal desires of your heart. We can't serve both God and man. Either you hate the things of this world or you're a friend of it. This is my story. It's my testimony in a  lot of ways. I was deceived thinking that my external "good" actions justified me enough to go to Heaven. I didn't know what repentance and sanctification was. God renewed my thinking through sound Biblical teaching and I'm being sanctified one day at a time by His Word. I wrestle with His Word daily and it changes me. Its not an external change. I've been there and done that. It's a redeeming change. One that sticks even when difficult circumstances are at my front door. Though my flesh may want to retreat to the comforts of the world which it knew before, God's Holy Spirit beckons me to my knees and I call out, "Abba, Father, please help me. For I am weak, but though art strong. Change Me. "

Caleb the Warrior

I finally made the time to finish the most recent Francine Rivers book that I've been plodding through over the summer. Since starting back to school and still working through the James Precept Study, its been a little bit challenging making the time to read. After checking out the book for the fifth time, I was determined to finish it.

This second book in Rivers' series, Sons of Encouragement, is entitled "Warrior" and its about the life of Caleb. He was an unlikely hero, being cast in the shadow of Joshua as one who stood strong in his faith. While many Israelites complained, grumbled, and distrusted the plan of God, Caleb had a different spirit. He trusted God and stood strong in his faith. While Caleb and Joshua brought back a hopeful report about the land that God had promised to give to the Israelites, the other spies that they ventured into the land with spread news that disheartened the people and led them to believe that they could not take over the land even though God promised He would.

Caleb's life was a demonstration of a true commitment to the Lord despite how things looked.

Reading Caleb's story made me reflect on the type of news bearer I am in challenging situations. When things look bleak, do I offer words of encouragement or do I echo words of discouragement and hopelessness? Regarding how life's situations end up, our lives are always in God's most capable hands. His truth reminds us of His faithfulness, provision, and love. Is that enough to sustain us when things get tough?. The Israelites were promised by God that they would be given the Promised Land, but His Word wasn't enough.

Is God's Word enough for us?