Carolina

The role of bringing back wandering sheep is important because it shows faith in action rather than words. You are participating in winning and bringing souls back to Christ, rather than just reading that this is was is suppose to be done.

The role of oil in healings to have a physical element to the point or place of the healing. The oil itself will not heal but is just a physical representation of the anointing. Healing can take place without the oil, but it has a place in the role. The role that the prayer of faith has is extremely important, this is what initiates the healing. No healing will take place without faith (at the same time GOD can heal whenever he wants) it is usually the catalyst for the healing to start to be initiated. Confessions of sins is like having clean bandages to wrap the wound. You want the vessel clean you want the dressing of healing to be clean, so sins have to be confessed.

The elders role in praying for the sick is to lead them through prayer and to be an intercessor on their behalf in asking for healing-to guide them through the process in receiving healing from GOD. I am not sur of their spiritual qualifications but they must be patient, long suffering, humble and a fervent prayer.

It is the elders who are to initiate the healing-because they are suppose to be more mature in the faith to help lead the person who is sick to grow in Christ and in their hope and faith for the healing. This is important to have a sense of order in the body of Christ.

James refers to church members as adulteresses because of the way they are married God but also flirt with the world. The adultery consists of being in the world when we are to be a separate people. The aggrieved husband is The Lord. Friendship with the world is being an enemy to God

I think what God approves of is what He deems as good-peace, love, faith, innocence, humbleness-this is what pleases him, this is His pleasure. Our pleasure is for sure self-centered-this is the opposite of what those qualities stem from-rather they stem from selflessness. What is wrong with living to increase ones pleasure is we would be living out of God's will-pleasure based life is living more in the World.

The tool that peacemakers use to sow peace is through conversation/conduct. How you treat others matters and once this is modeled to others they have the opportunity to treat others in the same way. The fruit of righteousness is sown in the peace of them that make peace.

"Bitter envy" and "selfish ambition" are direct opposites of humility. When you are humble you are not afraid or envious of others who pass you by-this could be by a career or another ambition. You can be supportive of others and cheer them on without feeling like you are left behind or want what someone else has. If you deny that you have these feelings of bitterness and selfishness it can only grow into something dark and worse. You have to come to understand why you have these feelings and bring it to Jesus to come to a place of peace so you can heal. Boasting rarely helps anything-it will not help you heal concerning this matter.

What has to happen before the tongue can be tamed is a change in your heart. In the verse Matthew 15:18-But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man-It refers to what comes out of your mouth ultimately comes from within. In verse Matthew 12:34-O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh-only Jesus Christ can create a clean heart.

I believe James is aware of the responsibility of the teacher of the Word and is making the reader aware that to go into this profession you will have a stricter judgement. It states in James 4:17 "Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth. it not, to him it is sin". Strictness is appropriate because they are already aware of the requirements and cannot claim ignorance, it is therefor a responsibility. Yes, I do believe higher standards for a pastor than for myself-but at the same time acknowledge we are both human with faults.

When James refers to works-in 2:22-"Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?"-he gives the examples of those who believed and then had works and the result. In Ephesians when Paul states in 2:10-"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath ordained that we should walk in them"-this matches up with what James had wrote because we are created in Christ Jesus (those who have faith) for we are his children and by our good works faith is made perfect and evident.

The belief of a demon is that God does exist-it is his enemy and end. The belief of a practicing Christian is that God not only exist, but is alive, is closer than a brother, he is the way, the truth and the life, he is someone to lean on when we are weak and a compassionate, loving Father. The belief of a non-practicing Christian is that God exists and that person is able to tell you Bible stories, doctrine and theology but does not have a personal relationship with God.

I think we are very responsible for the poor and needy in our church community and human kind-how can we not be? I feel very strongly about this-it is our hands that can give food, our mouths that can pray, but it is the spirit of God that prompts us to do these things so we cannot boast that it is because we are good.

Faith is dead without action because how can you have faith without living it out. Thinking of an analogy where a person has legs but does not use them-not because of an accident but just constantly, purposefully sitting. That person knows they have legs and what they can do but choose not to use them. You can have faith and intently, consistently not have any action with it. You choose not to participate, to help, you go out of your way to not be part of any group, you have excuses-you do not have time, its inconvenient, your shy. It can be alive, in a certain way because you do have faith. Its tangible because you claim you are Christian, you can tell the gospel (if needed!), you do the necessary things you HAVE to do. The same way if you have legs, someone will say-Yes, I see their legs-you use them if necessary to get up and go to the bathroom (only if necessary!), if you needed them to run out of your house because of a fire you could (if needed!/lol).

How showing regards to the wealthy is a denial of mercy is through our ability to show compassion to those who we have power over/we should put the poor in the high place-that is mercy and treat our neighbor as we wish to be treated. Mercy rejoices against judgement through love, this is by blessings, it is more desired than offerings and sacrifice and overcomes through repentance.

He refers to the Great Commandment as the "Royal Law" because it encompasses the heart of all the Mosiac laws (how we treat other-not to steal, kill, be envious, lie etc..) It is more "royal" than the Mosiac law in my opinion because the Mosiac law was to lead us to do right but also points to how we sin continually. If we are walking with Christ we "treat others the way we wish to be treated" if we are trying to check off a list to make sure we are in order we follow the law-when we walk with Christ in royalty we will do these naturally, but we are human so we repent and strive to walk in holiness, If we are following the law, we check off what we have done, live in condemnation and will never meet the mark. Showing favoritism towards the rich person or poor person breaks the moral law because we are not to show favoritism-at all. I struggle with this-If its my sister in Christ, a person on the street or my family-reading this shows me how I have a long way to go to not show partiality.

The sinner I tend to discriminate against is people that I think should be old enough to be mature and do not have addictions or a mental illness. It cuts me even to type that-but I have empathy for children, teens and elderly people. I feel a weird aversion towards "normal" people who have not come to Christ, putting this down solidifies the absurdity of that. We ALL are broken, even if it can not been seen or known by others. I think my church tries to make a good impression on couples-young or old (its not a very big church). This has really helped me realize how I need GOD's help on how I discriminate against people.

The reason why these are the prime tests of true religion is because they have to do with being selfless (humans are inherently selfish) and self control (many of us lack-addictions, too much tv, shopping, eating etc). It was God's wisdom that brought these to James to reflect pure religion because these are the downfall of man, selfishness and chaos. Quiet time and worship is what we should seek because we love the Lord and helping others and taming our tongue should be because we want to do his will.

Perfect law is love with action. In comparison to the royal law I feel like this is more of the judaic laws that were followed. They both should be followed but in all reality the perfect law supersedes the royal law because it goes beyond our imperfections that are bound to show with the judaic laws-love your neighbor as yourself, this is how Christ was and how we should be.

We are easily fooled into thinking that by listening to Bible teachings that it means we are living out righteous lives because we are sinful and our pride is quick to fool us into self righteousness. It is only through the wisdom of Christ that you are aware if there is self exaltation or if you are in submission to His just will. The nature of the self deception is our original character where we seek the easy way out. No accountability to our actions or inactions. The tree with no fruit. We have to bear our cross daily and die to ourselves to follow Christ. Our goal is to strive towards being Christ-like. Where our lives are a reflection of Christ without having to speak the words "I am a Christian".

We are given spiritual birth by the Word of truth because it is by the Word that we are made new. If we believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died as a sacrifice for our sins so we can be forgiven by the Father, this is the Word of truth and we have new life because of our faith. Our spiritual life connects to the Word in several ways. How we read it with our eyes-its reflects how we see the world. When we meditate on the Word it changes our thoughts. The Word changes your heart when you know about the love Christ Jesus has for you. It is in these ways that the Word connects to our spiritual life.

If you ask for wisdom is will be given to you. If you ask for this you must ask in faith, and not got back in forth with doubt (tossed like in water). Our trials help us receive wisdom because to be put through a trial and come out on the other end you have perspective and this is by God.

Trials keep us from being double minded because we need to keep our focus on the Lord. This prevents us from all the other thoughts, knowing that our Lord will see us through whatever trials we face. Trials help our faith because that is what keeps us during that time, knowing by faith that God will work it out.

People blame God for evil because they are hurt (ing) and humans are always looking for the reason why. God does not tempt us with evil, he is unable to because he does not have that that trait, he is may allow evil to tempt us but it is our free will if we choose to go that way. It is our free will, he will not force his ways upon us, we are to come to Christ willingly. Evil exists because of the original sin of Adam, he did not destroy Adams lineage (Noah and his family still existed after the flood) but he offers a way out of sin and evil through Jesus who is a propitiation for our sins.

God does not let anything go to waste and that is including the many trials I have went through in my life. I might have more to come since this is an imperfect world. My trials have value because of the testament I am able to give to God. Initially yes, Satan had rule over me with my trials through shame and condemnation. Then God came and accepted me the way I am, I repented of my sins and gave my life to him and now God has the victory. God refined me, and my trials are more precious than gold to Him. My trials have impacted me, but it was God that changed me.