That's not the Way

I have been reading the book of James for a few days. I love to read this straightforward book of the Bible in different versions, it helps me...
Here are two versions of James 3:13-18. Verse 18 I have had as my tag this year, God is leading me on in simple and profound ways.
 

New Living Translation

True Wisdom Comes from God

¹³ If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom. ¹⁴ But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don’t cover up the truth with boasting and lying. ¹⁵ For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. ¹⁶ For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind.

¹⁷ But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. ¹⁸ And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.

The Message

Live Well, Live Wisely

^13-16 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. Mean-spirited ambition isn’t wisdom. Boasting that you are wise isn’t wisdom. Twisting the truth to make yourselves sound wise isn’t wisdom. It’s the furthest thing from wisdom—it’s animal cunning, devilish conniving. Whenever you’re trying to look better than others or get the better of others, things fall apart and everyone ends up at the others’ throats.

^17-18 Real wisdom, God’s wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterized by getting along with others. It is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings, not hot one day and cold the next, not two-faced. You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor.


A Few Thoughts

Our generation is busy. But doing what in what way? Technology really helps us out in taking the load of caring for ourselves and our family off of our backs with dishwashers, laundry detergent and other household and garden care. We now have all kinds of time to do...

Honestly, think about the things you do, what you have to do, what you get paid to do, and what you volunteer to do. Now weed out all the things good and bad that you do out of jealousy and/or selfish ambition. Yes it counts if is ambition for your kids. If your drive did not include these motives, would your life be so full. 

The hours at work... would they be so long if you were just providing for your family or doing what you were hired to do.
The practices for sports... would they still trample family and faith time, if you played only for the love of the game.
The networking or fellowship with people... would it be so spread thin if giving love in the relationship were the ONLY goal.
There are other perspectives to even these activities that swing the pendulum the other way, but you get the idea.

Our God, the Lover of our Soul, The Way, The Truth, and The Life came to show us a more excellent way. 

Are we adhering to His Way or ours?

Are we living by His Wisdom or ours?

Are we living His Life or ours?

There is only ONE WAY!

James 3:18,
Camelot

Face Forming Thoughts

Here is a quote I read recently:

“The fingers of your thoughts are molding your face ceaselessly” ~Charles Reznikoff

One day I will see Jesus face to face. Yet I believe now that just like the parable in Matthew 25 about the sheep and goats tells us that Jesus is somehow found or represented in the least of these, we can in some ways see Jesus face to face now.

Prevenient Grace tells me that God is at work in everyone drawing them to Himself. I want to see that, to recognize it, to discover it. In light of the quote above, I wonder if the reason I do not see it more is not because it is not true in their lives, in their face, but rather my face is not molding right.

How seriously do I take this instruction from the Word of God...

Philippians 4:8 (NIV) "⁸ Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."

 Lord, may I see your grace at work in others, but first may I welcome and allow your grace to have sway in me.

James, 3:18, 
Camelot 

Does Your Anchor Hold? How Do You Know?

God did this so that we would be encouraged. God cannot lie when he takes an oath or makes a promise. These two things can never be changed. Those of us who have taken refuge in him hold on to the confidence we have been given. We have this confidence as a sure and strong anchor for our lives. This confidence goes into the ⌊holy⌋ place behind the curtain where Jesus went before us on our behalf. He has become the chief priest forever in the way Melchizedek was a priest. (Hebrews 6:18-20 GW)

My dad used to sing a song you have probably heard..."The Anchor Holds"

Calm seas allow for anchors to feel secure in a lot of places...

It is the storms, the struggles, the valleys that test our foundations, our life, our identities, our little gods.

Only in the midst of the storm can you truly understand why Jesus is the only anchor that holds. He is our Firm Foundation!

James 3:18,

Camelot

Example, Teaching, Test

Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”

“We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered. 

“Bring them here to me,” he said. (Matthew 14:16-18 NIV)

The gifts we have to offer which God himself has given to us must be presented back to Him to be of use to the people around us. We do not have enough of even what we have for ourselves and our family unless He gives the increase.

Jesus was interrupted by the crowds after He got word and was mourning the death of John the Baptist. So He fed the crowd of five thousand and taught the disciples by example in the midst of His grief. Afterward He dismissed the crowd and sent the disciples across the sea and continued His time alone with God. 

The crowd brought themselves to Jesus for healing. The disciples brought their gifts(food) to Jesus for direction and increase. And Jesus modeled compassion, giving, power, and especially dependency. 

Then Jesus and Peter walked on water. 

Lord, 

In the midst of the example, teaching, and test, may I keep my eyes fixed on You.

In Jesus name,

Amen.

James 3:18

Camelot

Life is Hard, but God is Good

This is my pond. My water lilies are blooming again. They close at dark and open in the morning. Amazing to watch. I saw them this morning and three were about to open to let the sunlight in, but this picture shows only two; the other on is right in front of the farthest flower, you can barely see it. Mainly because if the shadow the lily pad casts on it. There is no use to open now, the lily is not above water yet, not in its own space not out of the shadow of the lily. 

At just the right time, God forgave me and delivered me from all my sin. Now I am praying for others who are still in the shadow of darkness, under the influence of their father, the father of darkness that at just the right time they would hear His voice and open their hearts to Him. 

Today I remember the goodness of my God and the extent of His love toward me even in the days of my rebellion.

Scripture: Ephesians 2 followed by a great song of remembrance...

Made Alive in Christ

2 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, ² in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. ³ All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh^[a] and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. ⁴ But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, ⁵ made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. ⁶ And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, ⁷ in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. ⁸ For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹ not by works, so that no one can boast. ¹⁰ For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

James 3:18,

Camelot

Pro-Choice?

You have probably heard a lot about paths, the poem about two paths and choosing the one less traveled, narrow is the way to life...and broad is the road which leads to destruction. I have come across another attitude in people that I guess you would say makes me Pro-Choice.

One of my favorite quotes is "Not to decide, is to decide."

It is not a choice to not make a decision, to keep your options open. I am all for variety and getting all of the facts before you make a decision that is not a matter of life or death, but when it comes to matters of life or death, make a decision. Choose!

The Bible is life for right now, present day.

“Today, if you hear his voice,
    do not harden your hearts
    as you did in the rebellion.” Hebrew 3

⁹ This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live  Deuteronomy 30:18-20

 Whereas some decisions get easier with time and waiting, the life or death decisions to not. Life exists only on the "way" or road to life, not before the decision and certainly not on the road to destruction. Why would you put off life.

⁶ Seek the Lord while he may be found;
    call on him while he is near.
⁷ Let the wicked forsake their ways
    and the unrighteous their thoughts.
Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them,
    and to our God, for he will freely pardon. Isaiah 55:6-7

James 3:18,
Camelot

Listen To Me Voice

Hebrews 5 says...

We have a lot to explain about this. But since you have become too lazy to pay attention, explaining it to you is hard. By now you should be teachers. Instead, you still need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word. You need milk, not solid food. All those who live on milk lack the experience to talk about what is right. They are still babies. However, solid food is for mature people, whose minds are trained by practice to know the difference between good and evil. (Hebrews 5:11-14 GW)

My husbands sitter growing up used to sit the children down after they had gotten I  trouble and say...now this is my "listen to me" voice as she tried to make them mind (mind is southern for obey).

     Yesterday in our worship service, we honored the teachers that are a part of our local church family. I started thinking of the teachers that taught me... God bless them!  I have always believed that the purpose of school is to teach us how to learn, how to pay attention, how to listen. Now that I am not in school anymore, my prayer is that God never has to go to His "listen to me voice" with me. Father may my ears be attune to Your still small voice.

Listen to your teachers. Mostly, Listen to Your God!

James 3:18,

Camelot