A Word from Brother James

(This post, as I read it, has a really long introduction, so if you want the good stuff from James, skip the first three paragraphs. Peace!)

This morning I had a great opportunity to catch up with an old mentor/friend, James the Brother of Jesus. As I was preparing to ride the old stationary bike (LDL problems will not take care of themselves, I'm afraid) I decided that I really needed to catch-up on my daily Bible reading. Late last year I got it in my mind that I should try one of those "read through the Bible in a year daily reading Bible" plans. So, January 2nd (already a day behind) I bought a copy of "The Daily Message: Through the Bible in One Year." Good stuff! I think The Message is a great devotional Bible and a terrible study Bible (which it was never intended to be). So far, I have really enjoyed it and have found it's organizational structure to be quite helpful in keeping me going. I have had a few, miss a couple of days stretches but, I'm trying to keep up!

After finishing up Deuteronomy, we came to the Letter of James. I LOVE James, for it always challenges and humbles me. I chose to do my final Bible study for my ordination requirements over Letter of James. Luther, for all he got right, was way off when he called the Letter, "an epistle of straw." I think, if anything, James writing is a necessary corrective to the continual human temptation to believe that, by thinking we hold all of the right intellectual answers, that we are somehow living as God would have us to live.

There's a much more eloquent way to put the previous thought but I"m just now sipping the first cup of coffee. Today's brew was a gift from my in-laws from their recent trip to "The Big Island" of Hawaii. Mmmm....Kona coffee, who could ask for anything more!

Here are a words from James that especially spoke to me this morning:

"Don't let anyone under pressure to give in to evil say, "God is trying to trip me up." God is impervious to evil, and puts evil in no one's way. The temptation to give into evil comes only from us."

(As a pastor, that challenges me to find ways to lovingly remind my parishioners that evil is not the will of God and that God doesn't "test people" by putting them through horrible things. I have heard this said on numerous occasions and it always breaks my heart for God. Starting in May I'm going to be leading a Sunday School class over a wonderful book that deals exactly with this issue by Leslie Weatherhead, called "The Will of God." It is an amazing book, I think everyone should read it! Plus, it's inexpensive and short!)

"Post this at all the intersections, dear friends, "Lead with your ears, follow up with your tongues, and let anger straggle along in the rear."

(Hmmm...I wish I knew someone with a ton of money who would put that piece of Scripture up on billboards across the world, what a great word for all of us!)

" Do you want to be counted wise, to build a reputation for wisdom? Here's what you do: live well, live wisely, live humbly. It's the way you live, not the way you talk that counts."

Not much to add to that other than may it be so for all of us!)

And finally, a word for all of us to consider (and it's implications) in our lives:

"Where do you think all these appalling wars come from? Do you think they just happen? Think again. The come about because you want your own way, and fight for it deep inside yourselves. You lust for what you don't have and are willing to kill to get it. You want what isn't your and will risk violence to get your hands on it."