James – Page 6 – I'm Following Jesus

KJB Daily Devotion – Following Jesus Through Every Chapter
Date: Thursday, November 22, 2018
Chapters: Book of James
Message: Waiting For Change

Hello My Friend,

I am so sorry for not getting this out yesterday, I was ill and forgot to post it. Happy Thanksgiving! I was reading last years message on this date, and you know what? I am going through exactly what I went through this time last year. Funny how life seems to replay itself when you are not in God’s will. At that time I was dating this guy, trying to forget the one I have been so impatient with that God actually brought into my life. It did not last, and by the grace of God, found my way back to the guy that I am supposed to be with. Even now I question our relationship because it is not going very fast, kind of reminds me of Jacob when he worked fourteen years to marry the love of his life. Sometimes God’s plans for us make no sense at all, and if we are honest, they would go faster if we did not hinder Him in the process. I look at it this way, there are things that God has predestined for us, and we are going to face them whether we like it or not, and I guess if He has to get us to redo some things in order to do it then that is what He is going to do, It is like we get ourselves stuck in a revolving door and cannot get out until we learn to trust Him and let Him take the lead. “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,” – Ephesians 1:4-5.

The Book of James contains five chapters, and was written by James, the half brother of Jesus as would be in the flesh. This epistle (letter) mentioned with Joses, Simon and Judah, and often in the Acts of the apostles is known as the general epistle because it was not addressed to a particular church. This is the same James we read about in the Book of Acts that Herod had executed for his faith, this was written shortly before that happened. The purpose of the letter was to comfort believers who were undergoing trials for their faith, and to remind them that their faith is what brings their good works, which comes first by reading His Word.

“Do not err, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.” – James 1:16-25.

“he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:” I remember when I saw myself and wondered where the real me had gone, the trap that I had gotten myself into was enormous and something I would have never considered, but there I was deep in a pit I could not escape. This is what sin does, it takes us to places we have never been, and literally transforms us into something unimaginable, and quite frightening. Jesus was my only option, I do not even want to know where I would be had I not listened to Him when He called me. As James continues he reminds us that while faith is awesome, that alone will not get us anywhere if we want to get out of this revolving door we are stuck in. James reminds us that faith alone cannot change, we must make an effort in our works also as we follow God’s Word.

“What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?” – James 2:14-22.

“and by works was faith made perfect?” We can have all the faith we want, and while God is great at making things happen through our faith alone, we must make an effort ourselves, trusting that He will see us through. Regardless of what we do, faith and works go hand in hand. Think about it, would you make an effort to do something if you did not have faith that it would all work out? As Christians we are going to be tried, we are going to face trials, we are going to suffer heartache and affliction. Everything that we go through tries our faith and it is usually during the trying of our faith that we benefit the most. As much as we would like for God to intervene He will not stop someone’s freewill, whether it is good or bad, but He can give us peace and comfort through the trying of our faith. We have to realize that the things we go through are not a punishment from God they are to give us wisdom and a deeper understanding of Him, not necessarily the why of what is happening.

“Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.” – James 3:13-18.

“But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts,” Let me tell you, it is bad enough sometimes dealing with trials, but when we see others getting the things you desire, and even worse your enemies it can cause a bitter heart, one that stops God in His tracks until we remove it. James continues, reminding us why we are stuck.

“From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another? Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” – James 4:1-3,7-12,17.

“and desire to have, and cannot obtain:” I will admit that for years I had this bitterness in my heart over the man that I was in that bad relationship with, I tried to tell myself that I had finally forgiven him and moved on, but I was lying to myself. Well, a couple of weeks ago that bitterness finally ended after he contacted me wanting me to do something for him and I completely cut him off. It was finally time to let go, and for the first time in years I truly am free and no longer in bondage to my past. You know, bitterness, anger, fear, hurt, all these things hinder us from a lot of things, even moving forward and following God’s will for our lives, and until we get those things under control we will keep going around in circles.

“Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door. Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience. Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy. But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation. Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms. Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” – James 5:9-16.

“The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” Effectual; Producing an effect, or the effect desired or intended. Fervent; Hot; boiling; very warm; earnest; excited. In other words, when we are passionate in what we are praying for as well as being faithful to God he will give us the things we need and desire. “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.” – I John 5:14-15.

Jesus Christ Magnified: “Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.” – James 5:7-8.

Today’s Prayer: God, It can be so difficult to keep going when faced with affliction or perhaps even a broken heart, but You can give us the strength to keep going no matter what we are facing. Lord, give us Your power, grace, love, comfort, and the peace we need to keep going. Increase our faith in You, help our unbelief, and let us not forget all You have have blessed us with, even the little things, and the blessings You have waiting for us as we endure these trials. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,

Christina

Are You 100% Sure You Are Going To Heaven?: http://readytofollow.com/
Receive The KJB Daily Devotions In Your Email: http://eepurl.com/2WMzT
Missed A Message: https://imfollowingjesus.com/Biblestudy/
Visit I’m Following Jesus Missions: http://imfollowingjesus.com/index.html
I’m Following Jesus On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/byhisstrength