Want Tremendous Power? Pray for One Another... - The Book of James Bible Series

***

Happy Holidays, Sweet Readers! Can you even believe it is DECEMBER? I mean  - DECEMBER? Where did this year go?  Anyway... we are nearing the end of the year as well as the end of our series here.  So without further ado, let's get right to the Word:

TODAY'S VERSES ARE JAMES CHAPTER 5, VERSES 16-18! 

WE BEGIN BY READING OUR VERSES TOGETHER HERE FROM THE PASSION TRANSLATION BIBLE:

"Confess and acknowledge how you have offended one another and then pray for one another to be instantly healed, for tremendous power is released through the passionate, heartfelt prayer of a godly believer!

Elijah was a man with human frailties, just like all of us, but he prayed and received supernatural answers. He actually shut the heavens over the land so there would be no rain for three and a half years! Then he prayed again and the skies opened up over the land so that the rain came again and produced the harvest." (The Passion Translation)

I mean... I think we all want 'tremendous power' - at least when it comes to our prayers, right? 

Brace yourself, friends... here we get James being all James-like again, explaining that in order to tap into that tremendous power, there are a couple of steps BEFOREHAND that we need to take!  This one is tricky because NONE of us like doing it! (We keep it real around here!) 

Prayer to be Reckoned with... - The Book of James Bible Series

***

Hello, friends! We are back with another installment of our James series! Today we are going over just two little verses, but --you guys!-- they are PACKED full!  Let's get right to it:

TODAY'S VERSES ARE JAMES CHAPTER 5, VERSES 13-15! 

WE BEGIN BY READING OUR VERSES TOGETHER HERE FROM THE PASSION TRANSLATION BIBLE:

"Are there any believers in your fellowship suffering great hardship and distress? Encourage them to pray! Are there happy, cheerful ones among you? Encourage them to sing out their praises! Are there any sick among you? Then ask the elders of the church to come and pray over the sick and anoint them with oil in the name of our Lord. And the prayer of faith will heal the sick and the Lord will raise them up, and if they have committed sins they will be forgiven." (The Passion Translation)

'Are there any believers... suffering great hardship and distress?'
This is rhetorical, right? I mean, the answer is always yes... 

Now is the Time for High Hopes and Patience... - The Book of James Bible Series

***

Happy November, Y'all!  Can you even believe that we are this close to all the end-of-year Holidays and festivities? I was talking with a friend just the other day sharing about how this year has seemed to slip right by while we have been holding our collective breath, waiting... for healing, for hope, for a breakthrough, or overcoming... While much of our 'normal' lives may have been pushed to the side or put on pause, Time -in fact- did not slow!
This also means we are nearing the end of our study, reading through the book of James together through 2021!  Let's continue with Chapter 5... 

TODAY'S VERSES ARE JAMES CHAPTER 5, VERSES 7-12! 

WE BEGIN BY READING OUR VERSES TOGETHER HERE FROM THE PASSION TRANSLATION BIBLE:

"Meanwhile, brothers and sisters, we must be patient and filled with expectation as we wait for the appearing of the Lord. Think about the farmer who has to patiently wait for the earth’s harvest as it ripens because of the early and latter rains. So you also, keep your hopes high and be patient, for the presence of the Lord is drawing closer. Since each of you are part of God’s family never complain or grumble about each other so that judgment will not come on you, for the true Judge is near and very ready to appear!

My brothers and sisters, take the prophets as your mentors. They have prophesied in the name of the Lord and it brought them great sufferings, yet they patiently endured. We honor them as our heroes because they remained faithful even while enduring great sufferings. And you have heard of all that Job went through and we can now see that the Lord ultimately treated him with wonderful kindness, revealing how tenderhearted he really is!

Above all we must be those who never need to verify our speech as truthful by swearing by the heavens or the earth or any other oath. But instead we must be so full of integrity that our “Yes” or “No” is convincing enough and we do not stumble into hypocrisy." (The Passion Translation)

Oh man, this portion is PACKED full of goodness!

Listen for the Cries for Justice - The Book of James Bible Series

***

Hello, Sweet Readers!  I bet you thought I forgot about you!  Or gave up... but look - here we are, nearing the end of October and we are digging into Chapter FIVE!!!  We've almost made it! We can do this!

I hope you have been getting a lot out of going through this Book ever so slowly this year. Verse by verse, precept upon precept... I hope things have both encouraged and challenged you, as they have me!  Who's ready for chapter five?

TODAY'S VERSES ARE JAMES CHAPTER 5, VERSES 1-6! 

WE BEGIN BY READING OUR VERSES TOGETHER HERE FROM THE PASSION TRANSLATION BIBLE:

"Listen all you who are rich, for it’s time to weep and howl over the misery that will overtake you! Your riches lie rotting, your fine clothing eaten by moths, and your gold and silver are corroded as a witness against you. You have hoarded up treasure for the last days but it will become a fire to burn your flesh. Listen! Can’t you hear the cries of the laborers over the wages you fraudulently held back from those who worked for you? The cries for justice of those you’ve cheated have reached the ears of the Lord of armies!

You have indulged yourselves with every luxury and pleasure this world offers, but you’re only stuffing your heart full for a day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered good and innocent people who had no power to defend themselves." (The Passion Translation)

Oh yeah... James can be - uh - a bit much! 

James again calls out to the wealthy and tells them it's time now to weep and howl over the misery that will overtake them. Fun times. The Aramaic word for misery here can refer to demonic torment. Again... super fun. 

It Seems Everyone is Violating God's Law of Love lately! The Book of James Bible Series

***

Happy Thursday, Friends!  It's time to dig into more of James! I'm so grateful that the Lord highlighted this letter for us to focus on this year... it is so needed and has been so helpful!
You know the drill: Grab something yummy to drink, get your Bible, and let's dive in!

LET'S DIG IN! TODAY'S VERSES ARE JAMES CHAPTER 4, VERSES 11-17! 

We begin by reading our verses together here from The Passion Translation Bible:

"Dear friends, as part of God’s family, never speak against another family member, for when you slander a brother or sister you violate God’s law of love. And your duty is not to make yourself a judge of the law of love by saying that it doesn’t apply to you, but your duty is to obey it! There is only one true Lawgiver and Judge, the One who has the power to save and destroy—so who do you think you are to judge your neighbor.

Surrender, Stand, Resist, (Repeat) - The Book of James Bible Series

***

Hello again, Sweet Readers!  It's so great to meet you here as we dive into more of James!  Grab something Fall-like and festive to sip on along with your Bible, and let's get started!

LET'S DIG IN! TODAY'S VERSES ARE JAMES CHAPTER 4, VERSES 6-10! 

We begin by reading our verses together here from The Passion Translation Bible:

"But he continues to pour out more and more grace upon us. For it says, “God resists you when you are proud but continually pours out grace when you are humble.”

So then, surrender to God. Stand up to the devil and resist him and he will flee in agony. Move your heart closer and closer to God, and he will come even closer to you. But make sure you cleanse your life, you sinners, and keep your heart pure and stop doubting. Feel the pain of your sin, be sorrowful and weep! Let your joking around be turned into mourning and your joy into deep humiliation. Be willing to be made low before the Lord and he will exalt you!" (The Passion Translation)

I'm going to just say it upfront... this is another hard part of James --but only because he speaks the truth so bluntly and he makes it hard to ignore! 

Let's start with the not-so-hard part first... 'he continues to pour out more and more grace..."  That phrase there can also be translated, "he gives us a greater gift" or "the grace or favor he gives us is stronger."  Remember in when a verse starts with 'But', or 'And', or 'Therefore', (etc.) it's always a good idea to back up a verse or two...  

Flirting with the World - The Book of James Bible Series

***

Welcome back, Sweet Readers!  It's time again for another installment in our James Series! I'm so glad to have you here in my little corner of the interwebs! Grab something yummy to drink, and your Bible, and let's dig in!

ARE YOU READY? LET'S GO! OUR VERSES FOR TODAY ARE JAMES CHAPTER 4, VERSES 1-5! 

As has become our habit, we will start by reading it together in The Passion Translation Bible:

"What is the cause of your conflicts and quarrels with each other? Doesn’t the battle begin inside of you as you fight to have your own way and fulfill your own desires? You jealously want what others have so you begin to see yourself as better than others. You scheme with envy and harm others to selfishly obtain what you crave—that’s why you quarrel and fight. And all the time you don’t obtain what you want because you won’t ask God for it! And if you ask, you won’t receive it for you’re asking with corrupt motives, seeking only to fulfill your own selfish desires. You have become spiritual adulterers who are having an affair, an unholy relationship with the world. Don’t you know that flirting with the world’s values places you at odds with God? Whoever chooses to be the world’s friend makes himself God’s enemy!