Ok, so I am finally going to finish my thoughts on James. I tell ya, I have been absolutely drained this past week. I have sat down to work on this every night this week and fallen asleep before I could even log in! I am going to attempt to do this again tonight. I hope that my thoughts on James helps someone out there in cyber space!
Beginning in the second chapter of James, we find some awesome advice. This is some advice that we ALL need to really listen to and apply to our lives.
James 2
1My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.
2For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment;
3And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool:
4Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?
5Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?
6But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats?
7Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?
8If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:
9But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.
10For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
11For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.
12So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.
13For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.
What do these verses say to you? How should you respond to them? God has impressed upon my heart through the previous 13 verses that I have absolutely no right judging someone based on what they have. You know, it makes sense. When we die, we can't take anything with us anyway, so why hang out with only those who are wealthy or those that are popular. In Heaven, and Hell for that matter, none of this will matter at all. It's easy to forget just how blessed we are and to look down our noses at others who we feel are "less" than us. Didn't God create each of us in His own image? Do you think he views some of us differently than others? This much is true, He loves each of us THE SAME. No matter how well off we are or how dirt poor we are, God sees nothing but our hearts. Why would He care about "things"? We are talking about the Creator of the Universe and ALL "things". God's concern is what is going on in our heart! The next time you feel an extra foot tall because you are around someone who may not be blessed with all you are blessed with, shrink your ego a bit and realize, God is looking at our hearts right now and with this "big" head I'm walking around with, He probably isn't too pleased with me. Also, realize that just as easily as these blessings appeared from God, they can disappear in the same way. Oooh, don't act innocent, we have all done it : ) We are only human and we mess up constantly. The good thing is, we have the opportunity to see good come out of our mistakes by learning from them!
14What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
15If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
16And 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?
17Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
18Yea, 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.
19Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
20But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
21Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
22Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
23And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.
24Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
25Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?
26For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
So, faith without works is dead. What does that mean exactly? Well, lets put it in real world terms. If you'll remember, Jesus put His lessons into real life applications for the people to make sense of. Pretend you are walking down the hallway at work and you overhear a coworker telling the secretary that her husband has just left her. You stop and they involve you in the discussion. The coworker proceeds with her story, explaining that she and her 6 children barely have enough money to pay the bills, let alone to have decent meals for dinner. What would be your next move? Maybe you would pat her on the back and tell her, "I sure hate to hear that." Well, thats showing some sympathy. Or maybe you would give her a hug and say, "I'll pray for you." Well, now you've shown sympathy and offered to petition God for her. That's good enough, right? She saw Jesus in you, right? Let's see, would Jesus encourage someone, offer to pray for them, then back away? I can't recall any situation in the Bible where that has happened. Every account of Jesus' interaction with people that I have ever read involves Him helping them solve their problems. He actually led by love and an example. With that said, shouldn't you inform your coworker that you will accompany her to the grocery store and help out with her groceries, or maybe you'll cook her dinner, or goodness if nothing else, invite her family over to your dinner. We can tell people, "Wow, I have an awesome faith" but they are never going to hear us out as long as their physical needs haven't been met. We have to show them through our "works" , our actions, that we care before they are ever going to want this "faith" we claim to have.
James 3
1My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.
2For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.
3Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.
4Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth.
5Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!
6And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.
7For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind:
8But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
9Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God.
10Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.
11Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?
12Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.
13Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.
14But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.
15This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.
16For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.
17But 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.
18And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.
Wow, this chapter really hits home for us all doesn't it? Anyone, other than me, ever find themselves having to control their tongue? Don't deny it. The tongue is our best friend and our worst enemy. It is one of our most important forms of communication and also one of our worst forms of communication. Grant it, I do not have a potty mouth, probably due to the fact that I haven't spent a lot of time around filthy language. I can count the number of curse words I've said in my life on my hands. To me, I am ashamed that I have said even one. But, does that make me so much better than those who have spoken tons of curse words? NO WAY! Just because I don't have a huge issue with this type of "tongue" problem doesn't mean that I haven't disscussed something about someone that I shouldn't have before. Yea, you know what I'm talking about, gossip. We've all done it and we all do it even now. I am more concious of what I say, however, sometimes I find myself in a situation where I see that the conversation is beginning to lean in that direction. The advice given to us here in James chapter 3 is that we can't do both. We can't have a mouth that spews out good and bad things. We can't sing praises to God at church and then gossip like a freight train afterwards or curse like a sailor afterwards. No, we will never be perfect with that or anything for that matter. But the point is, we need to try to be aware of these things. We need to catch our slip ups and ask God for forgiveness and guidance in these areas. This advice is directed towards myself just as much as it is to anyone else out there reading. I am, as I pray you are, just a sinner SAVED BY GRACE!
James 4
I'm gonna discuss my thoughts on these particular verses individually.
2Ye 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.
3Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
What does it mean to ask amiss? It means we are asking without having full faith that God will take care of our situation. Wow, how many times do we all do this?
4Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
We can't live for God and live to please the world, too. I don't know about you but I enjoy being different from "worldly" people. I like knowing that no matter what the day holds, I've got my Jesus no matter what. Nothing that this world has to offer could ever come even remotely close to that realization! If you can't say Amen to that statement, I encourage you to reevaluate your life as a Christian or evaluate, for the first time, your need for Jesus to come into your heart if you are not a Christian. It's a free and simple gift to recieve. Jesus created the acceptance of His perfect gift so that even a child could understand and recieve. Admit that you have sinned (we all have and still do because we are human!) Believe that Jesus is God's son and that He died for U, even if none of the rest of us were here, He would have still hung, bleeding on the rugged cross for U. Wow! Ask Him to forgive you of your sins and to enter into your heart. That's how easy it is! Lastly, confess what has just happened to you! Let people know what God has done for you and you'll be amazed at just how much your testimony will do in the hearts of others!
10Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
11Speak 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.
OOOH .... RELATES BACK TO THAT GOOD OLE RUMOR MILL AGAIN DOESN'T IT?
14Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.
This is the verse that corresponds with my husband's online nickname of vapor. Wow, my life is like vapor, you know, like the steam that rises into the air from a pot of boiling water. We can see it rising up and up. Eventually it is gone. If we stand over this pot, we can not only see the steam, but we can feel its effects long after it has vanished. We can feel the remaining moisture that it has left behind. The same goes with our lives. We are only here for a short period of time. Even if we live to be 100, what are 100 years when you talk about the thousands of other years that have passed and will pass? What is important is what we do for Jesus. We may die and our physical bodies vanish out of the normal routine of this world for now, but our lingering effects, the "moisture" we leave behind can help quench the thirst for those who have watched how God has worked in our lives. Just by letting others see us live for God in all that we do, we could leave them with a taste of "moisture" from the fountain of life that will leave them never thirsting again. God is that fountain!
17Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.
So, now that we have read the above verses, we KNOW TO DO RIGHT, so if we don't well we are committing sin! That simple!
James 5
7Be 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.
8Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.
11Behold, 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.
What key word do we find in these 3 verses? Hint, its the same boldfaced word in each! PATIENT (PATIENCE)! Wow, verse 7 tells us that we need to be patient because Jesus is coming back! It also tells us that Jesus' patience is LONG! We sometimes forget that. Yes, I want to get to Heaven as much as the next person does, I am so excited to have no more problems and to be happy all the time. I can't wait to talk to Jesus and to cry at His feet. I am excited to ask Him tons of questios, stuff I am so excited to learn. I can't wait to see my family members that have gone on and DANIELLE! I am ready for my mansion! (Lord knows I'm ready to be in my own house instead of my apartment with noisy neighbors haha!) BUT... we forget that if it weren't for God's patience, our loved ones who are not saved, maybe even you readind this, well sad to say, they (you) would be sentenced to Hell. Sounds harsh doesn't it? Not really. How easy is it to take a free gift of nothing but pure, heartfelt, blood bought LOVE? Not very hard. Some folks just cannot fathom the fact that they do not do all the things that they do on their own.
Are my intentions to get folks in an uproar by speaking of hell? Actually, yea! Someone needs to get them thinking. There's way too much sugar coating and well wishing. The fact of the matter is that we are all getting too "big for our britches" as my grandmother use to say, and we are forgetting that we are just flesh and bone. We cannot do anything on our own! We need to get back to that simple, childlike faith that helps us see that there is Someone out there who loves us and who is watching over us. That Someone is Jesus Christ!
13Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.
14Is 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:
15And 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.
16Confess 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.
17Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.
18And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.
19Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him;
20Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.
Wow, awesome advice. Notice it centers around PRAYER? Simple, believe and ask our Heavenly Father for help. Remember
James 1:17 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.
I KNOW WHAT YOU ARE THINKING.... WOW SHE HAD ALL THIS STORED UP AND JUST EXPLODED IT ALL IN THIS ENTRY TONIGHT. YEA, ACTUALLY SO! GOD KNEW THAT I WOULD WAIT A WEEK TO REVISIT MY THOUGHTS ON JAMES AND I FEEL BLESSED THAT HE PLACED UPON MY HEART WHAT HE WANTED ME TO SAY. NOW, ITS YOUR TURN.... SHARE THIS WITH A FRIEND. AM I ASKING SO THAT THEY CAN TALK ABOUT HOW AWESOME MY BLOG IS? HAHA NO WAY! I AM JUST A 25 YEAR OLD GIRL (I DON'T EVEN FEEL LIKE A WOMAN LOL) THAT IS HONESTLY A KID AT HEART. I SERIOUSLY FEEL MY HAPPIEST (WHEN I'M NOT STRESSED THAT IS) WITH MY 4TH GRADERS SINGING CHRISTMAS CAROLS OR MATH SONGS! I HAVE A SERIOUS SIDE, AS MOST OF YOU SEE ON THIS BLOG, BUT I'M ALSO A PRETTY SIMPLE PERSON. I AM NOT ASKING FOR ANYONE TO MAKE A BIG DEAL ABOUT ALESHA'S BLOG! I JUST WANT YOU TO MAKE A BIG DEAL ABOUT THE CONTENT THAT IS WITHIN IT. GOD'S WORD AND MY RAMBLINGS ABOUT MY THOUGHTS ON IT. THEY JUST MAY TOUCH SOMEONE'S LIFE. NOT BECAUSE I WROTE THEM, BUT BECAUSE GOD HAS LEAD ME TO WRITE THEM. AND MAINLY BECAUSE HIS WORD SURPASSES ANYTHING THAT ANY OF US COULD EVER SAY! GOD BLESS YOU ALL! PLEASE, SHARE THIS BLOG WITH A FRIEND!
Cousin A.J. unwrapping his gifts on his work break!
Lea's BARBIE LAPTOP!
Alec with his ATAT Walker (not a clue?) hehe
The kids trying to take a nap with Uncle Mike and Slick! 
Michael and his trolling motor! Go BassPro!
Prior to the unveiling of our new boat equipment!
Heather, FeFe, Becky, Adam (picking up stuff) and Slick!
Keith (Michael's pick on partner) relaxin' after dinner!
Lea playin on her laptop! Check out her stylin' outfit Aunt Carrie bought her. I almost didn't get her to put it on, she slept forever!
Adam and Jessi!
Lea.... still laptopping it!
Alec, Austin, Lea, and Ken with The Walker.... I asked if it had gotten dirty because it had brown paint on the feet.... they all laughed! 
Michael talking about the new troll! hehe
Isn't my hubby cute? He's wearing one of his new shirts!
The only REAL pic I got of my cameraphobic sis-in-law FeFe. I had to hide outside on the porch to get it. I also aggravated her by giving her a bag of candles with elastic handles.... she couldn't pick it up!
Aunt Becky sampling a mini-banana split pie by Carrie!
Keith comes to sample, too!
Heather and Carrie. I love Carrie's shirt. 
Cute outfit! Carrie, Jessi, and I gathered in a bedroom to watch TV and play rummy and escape the madness. 19 people were here in all. I am learning to get use to lots of company but I come from a small family that rarely hears noise hehe I am missing my momma, daddy, bro, and puppy on this Christmas day. They are actually at the movies watching the new Rocky. 
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