Welcome back to the Fall 2023 Teaching Series!
Last week we took time to acknowledge that all wisdom comes from God and there are many opportunities for us to seek that wisdom and grow in understanding:
- Reading His Word
- Prayer
- Fasting and Other Personal Sacrifice (financial or physical) to empty ourselves of desires of the flesh and be filled more greatly with desires of the Spirit
- Following ministries that edify our hearts and thoughts, as they align with God and His scripture
- Studying works of apostles and prophets experiencing elements of God’s Kingdom and His Word in ways lesser understood or not often discussed in weekly services
This week, additions are:
Reading His Word: Study of James – Chapter 1
Prayer: Several Daily Prayers from scripture added
Ministries: Introduction to Visions Beyond the Veil: Baker, H. A.
James – Chapter 1
There is a wealth of information on the site establishing principles of Christian faith through scripture. For anyone who has yet to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, please be encouraged to begin with God’s Foundational Principles to learn more about God the Father, Christ the Son, Holy Spirit and Salvation. Putting effort there first will enable better understanding of more in-depth teachings on the site.
The Book of James provides guardrails for each of us to judge our own behavior. As Christians, seeking to grow in understanding, we continuously need to hold ourselves accountable first and foremost. Only after we have allowed God to work in our hearts can we be ready to help others.
Please begin by taking time to click on the link and read or listen to the James 1 NIV (biblehub.com).
James begins by identifying himself as “a servant of God.” Beginning with this attitude puts all our focus on God’s desire for our lives, instead of the circumstances swirling around us and those we love. It acknowledges God’s power in everything and our understanding that we are His children, and He wants to protect us as a loving, caring Father!
- Identifies himself as a “servant of God” (1)
- Greatest level of patience will result in “wanting nothing” (4)
- God will liberally give each of us wisdom if we ask for it and have faith without wavering that He will (5-7)
- Double-minded behavior results in instability (8)
- Earthly standings are flipped in heavenly view, wealth and temporary beauty will perish (9-11)
- Lord promises Crown of Life for those He loves, who endure temptation (12)
- God cannot tempt with evil (13)
- We are tempted by our own lusts and desires (14)
- Earthly desires lead to sin and sin to death (15)
- Do not be deceived! (16)
- All good comes from Father without variableness or shadow of turning (17)
- God gave us Word of Truth in the Bible (18)
- God shows us how we are to carry ourselves: swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath (19)
- God warns us, “wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God” (20)
- God gives us the opportunity to partner with Him to save souls by grafting ourselves to Him by the Word (21)
- God again warns us to not only hear the Word, but to be “doers” of the Word, otherwise we are deceiving ourselves (22)
- Hearer only has distorted view of self and goes his own way forgetting God (23-24)
- God promises blessing to those who hear and do! (25)
- The religion of those who do not bridle their tongue is vanity, not God (26)
- Pure are those who help fatherless and widowed and keep selves unspotted from world (27)
There is a lot to unpack in this single chapter! The words “Wow!” and “Ouch!” come to mind many times when reading this scripture and pondering what it means in our own lives. God desires to have a closer relationship with each of us. And though the messages in this chapter my feel challenging to follow, remember, He is guiding us to teach us how to operate in His ways, not our own.
Be encouraged and remember, God’s desire is to give to us liberally, when we seek Him in faith and trust He will hold to His promises. God does not desire to put evil in our lives and there are numerous scriptures that identify the evil one who does seek to steal, kill and destroy. All good comes from our heavenly Father! He provides opportunities to us to share His love with others and contribute to His plans to bring His kingdom to earth.
Finally, God promises blessing on those He loves who seek to follow His ways. None of us will ever be perfect in this lifetime, but God knows and loves the desires of our hearts to grow ever closer to Him, living a life with which He will be pleased.
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for your wisdom as I seek to study Your Word in the Book of James. Please continue to give me wisdom and help me see areas of opportunity in my life. Be with me this week as I learn to operate in Your great glory here on earth.
Thank you, Lord. In Jesus Christ’s name I pray.
Amen.
Prayers
Praying scripture is powerful! Along with reading or listening to God’s Word daily, we are blessed with authority to pray power into the world around us. This begins with salvation:
“that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”Romans 10:9 NKJV
Salvation is that simple. Previously, the Salvation page on the site listed more steps for salvation. According to God’s Word, confessing Christ with our mouths and believing God raised Christ from the dead is all that is required. So, that page is being updated! The scriptures previously referenced will be maintained, as they do establish a strategy for continued growth in our faith.
Jesus taught us how to pray to our Heavenly Father:
“In this manner, therefore, pray:
Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”Matthew 6:9-13 NKJV
Jesus cares for each of us and we see that in scripture as He comforts a crowd:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heavaen. Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”Matthew 5:3-12 NKJV
Trusting in God’s promises through Christ, we are told we can seek God’s blessing when faced with challenging circumstances. Include Jesus’ words from scripture as you pray today.
Ministries
Visions Beyond the Veil: Baker, H. A. documents an outpouring of Holy Spirit to a group of homeless young boys aged 6-18. The Bakers were led to do mission work in China and as part of that work, opened Adullum Home in Kotchiu, believed at the time to be the worst town in China. Set in the early to mid 1900s, the Bakers brought homeless, beggar children together to feed, clothe and nourish them with the Word of God and the Salvation of Jesus Christ. They sought God together and Wow did He show up!!!
The book accounts visions the children had, prophecies they documented and ways Holy Spirit filled them while here on earth. They were an uneducated group of children society viewed with distain. But, God saw otherwise. He saw pure hearts, willing to serve.
Probably the greatest element that stood out was the Spirit dictating to one boy and another writing it down. The process harkened back to the disciples documenting scripture. We learn that scripture comes from God and the outpouring to these boys provides a real world view of how that may have actually come to pass here on earth thousands of years ago.
This book is available in paperback and as an Audiobook. Be encouraged to learn more about the miracles performed and the manifestation of Holy Spirit power through this ministry.
May we all continue to grow together in wisdom and knowledge!
To God be the Glory!
Amen.
Published: 10/6/23