Good Morning Monday...
Father, Your Commandments are a Lamp to our feet. Help us to live aware, to choose wisely, to stay close to You, and anchored in Your Truth! Thank You for Your Great Love and Mercy. Thank You that You wait for us and You strengthen us. We come to You today, choosing to walk in Your Presence and Light. In Yeshua’s, Jesus Christ’s, Name we pray. Amen. - Our Messiah’s Awakened Brother: James Can you imagine the insight a Brother of Yeshua, Jesus Christ, would have? Growing up near God Himself, Do you think that would be helpful in Life? Think about all the years of Jesus we never hear about. His Brother would have been able to witness all those years. We know by the first time we hear about Our Savior in The Bible He is “wowing” the elders at the Temple, and He was only 12! Let's take a look: “Now so it was that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers. So when they saw Him, they were amazed; And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” Luke 2:46-49, 52 NKJV We all know that Yeshua, Our King, has a special way of showing His Greatness. How amazing would it have been to see The Young Messiah teaching even the most learned of the people of Israel? Now, we can only imagine that James was able to witness quite a few of these mind blowing moments as they grew up together. While it seems James didn't always follow His Brother Jesus, it also is apparent that he eventually figured out The Truth. When I ponder on these times when Our Savior was growing up, I have to believe maybe we get a picture in the story of Joseph of how Jesus's Brothers may have taken Him at first. Let's take a look: “But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him. And his brothers said to him, “Shall you indeed reign over us? Or shall you indeed have dominion over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.” Genesis 37:4, 8 NKJV Now, God's Word doesn't tell us that this happened with Jesus, but we do know that Joseph is a picture of The Messiah. We do know that Jesus had special favor with Our Father. We do know that He was amazing even as a 12 year old boy. I would have to think, human nature being what it is, that Jesus's siblings would have seen all these things and been a little jealous, to say the least. We never hear about James in The Gospel. Where was he? We don't know, and that might be something we don't find out until Our Savior Returns and tells us Himself. What we do know though is this; James became a mighty servant of Our Father and that Our Father used James to write some of the most helpful parts of The Bible. While James only wrote 5 chapters, they are packed with Wisdom, Knowledge, and Understanding. Today as we look at some of the writings of James, take a moment and think about how differently he must have felt after learning The Truth about his Brother. All the years he spent with Our Savior perhaps often not comprehending, and then waking up after The King Was Resurrected. As we see, it was a Powerful and Life-Changing thing that was at work in James. James went on to be not only a leader in Jerusalem and the first century Church, but also was able to give a unique perspective having watched Jesus growing up. Just think of all the things that came back to him from his childhood. The lessons he heard, but did not hear. The miracles he saw, but did not see. Then, "in the twinkling of an eye" he woke up, and all those lessons, parables, words of wisdom, and loving corrections must have came flooding back to him. I can only imagine that this experience was akin to the moment Saul the persecutor turned into Paul The Disciple. When we are dealing with our families on the subject of God's Word, sometimes these conversations are more difficult than we would like. The Word let's us know that Our Father Has Perfect Timing, and many of us have experienced this in our lives. As we move forward on our journey may we realize that although sometimes dealing with those closest to us can be frustrating, God Is At Work. God's Timing is not our timing. Also, at just the right moment, Our Father Will Wake them up. His Timing... Is Perfect. May we all behold The Word as written in The Book of James and know that God is doing something special with our loved ones who see us following His Way. While we may not hear The Gospel or see The Gospel in their lives, sometimes God Is Doing Something Wonderful that we just may not see... yet. Just as we don't read any stories about James in The Gospel, but do eventually see him become a great servant of Our Father, God may be working on our loved ones in The Same Way. May each and everyone of you have a most blessed and Great Yeshua-Filled Week. Behold Israel, here is but a small piece of the Wisdom, Knowledge, and Understanding from The Book Of James, as written in Our Father's Word: “So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” James 1:19-20 NKJV “You believe that there is One God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!” James 2:19 NKJV “But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God. You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only. Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” James 2:20-26 NKJV “But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of The Lord, and He will lift you up.” James 4:6-10 NKJV “Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. Is anyone among you sick? 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. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and The Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit. Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from The Truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.” James 5:13-20
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SERVANT OF YESHUA 7
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