alan

( What kind of person do you tend to discriminate against.) Ok, this was an easy one because the simple truth is we tend to (ie me) discriminate against anyone who does not have the same understanding about somthing or some one. Im not saying we do it on purpose and many many times we are not even aware we are doing it but it is the nature of sin so it happens. There is only one way to live our lives out as we sojourn here and this is it. We must continually make adjustments to our lives on a day to day base's as we live out our lives so to line up with the word of GOD and YESHUA His SON. There is no other way because we are in a war with our flesh and it will not die untill the day we leave it behind (What kind of person are you trying to make an impression on, Or your church) Im VERY aware of my failings in this area but the goal and correct answer is EVERYONE I COME IN CONTACT WITH!!!!!! Webster defines it this way ( Impression- Marked influence or effect on feeling,sense, or mind A characteristic trait or feature resulting from influence. These are a few of the definitions. The Bible says by YESHUA Himself, Matthew 5v13, You are the salt of the Earth:but if the salt have lost its savor, wherewith shall it be salted? it is therefore good for nothing,but to be cast out, and to be trodden down by men. We are called to be imitators of YESHUA so that when others come into contact with us they will see the impression of the SAVIOR on us

What is the perfect law that James mention's I think i'm going to go have to go in a little different direction. Jame's write's according to the Jewish New Testament in chpt.1v25 But if a person looks closley into the perfect Torah (law,teaching) which gives freedom,and continues,becoming not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work it requires,then he will be blessed in what he does. Looking at perfect Law- The word perfect means, Brought to it's end Finished (Yeshua came to fulfill the Law) That which is perfect (Yeshua was perfect) Consumante human integrity and virtue ( again, Yeshua) The word Law is anything establish, A Law, A Comand, A law or rule producing a state of approval by GOD, Command by Observance approved by GOD. Again,GOD'S answer for us, YESHUA When James says to look into the perfect law which gives freedom and continues it reminds me of when John said, If they were with us they would continue with us but they left us and we know there not of us (paraphrasing) Im going to have to say the perfect law is YESHUA The way it relates to the Royal law is it is the second greatest command, To love your neighbor as your self. YESHUA said No man comes to GOD except thru me We must come to YESHUA for salvation,after that we can love our neighbor as ourselves because the third part of the question has been fulfilled, The reason it gives us Liberty is because we are set free from the shakel of sin and are Brand new creatures in YESHUA

Ok, I'm going to take a little detour and try looking at this from a different perspective I read all the post and the only one I noticed (If i missed some other's, sry ) that mentioned the Bible as the best source was Bob Reeves concerning conditions for getting the answer. The overwhelming answer to this Q was faith. I know GOD does speak to us in different way's and I have been as guilty as the next person, asking GOD for direction or what ever then put all my trust in Him waiting and still end up wrong. Can anybody hear me?? Hear is what I have come to believe. The Wisdom that GOD has promised to give us comes right from His word. Many people including myself have tried to short cut the labor of study out of our lives, (I said study, not reading scripture) and we kind of take the approach of, Ok God I'm putting all my trust in you and I aint budging till I hear from ya and then take a big breath and wait. We can trust and be as sincere as is possibe but GOD overwhelmingly require's our Trust to be in His word Proverbs chpt 2v1 thru 7 speak's to that. Also in James 1 v5 it refers us to Daniel 2v21 The part that say's, He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to them that KNOW UNDERSTANDING. I think this is one of those times you cannot take the verse's for what they seem to be saying but you must take them for what they are saying. How many times have you been reading GODS word or listening to it and bidda bam-bibba boom, You got your answer All this was just for encouragement to some who do not know. Im in NO WAY suggesting most of you didn't allready know it but just didnt take the time to express it.

To the first part, I think Brian said it all, Trails do not cure our doublemindedness, How we respond to them is the cure The second was how do trails help us grow in faith Im thinking about Joni Erikson Tada and the trails she go's thru every day. She shared of her experience's of going to healing meetings with the hope that GOD would heal her and she said one time she could not wait to get back home so she could pray and ask GOD why and she was not ready for the answer she received, which was linked somewhat to what the LORD told Peter when He ask about John He said, why does that concern you, YOU follow me!!! WOW Life is full of experience's and adversity and something i think Chuck Swindall (spelled wrong) said was that you do not learn by experience but by confrontation experience. Thats why it is so important for the believer's of YESHUA to not forsake the time they spend together because we all face trails and we need to bond as a family and the mature are to confront the young in faith and make sure they have the right understanding of scripture. Chuck used the illustration of learning to play the piano. The teacher ,over and over confronts the student and corrects him and thru it all he learns the right way to do it. Scripture says there is no temptation or trail that is not common to man and for sure there is nothing new under the sun. We all face life the same way,(one day at a time) and we all overcome adversity the same way. By reading the instructions and following them

Why do people blame GOD when bad things happen? hmmm, I think the number one answer is of course Ignorance. It seems more and more in todays world people don't have a clue as to Who,What, How or Where GOD is and have even less of a clue about Satan or his cohorts. Does GOD tempt people, Scripture say's No. I like the way the Jewish New Testament say's it Each person is being tempted whenever He is being dragged off and enticed by the bait of His own desire. Then, having concieved, the desire gives birth to sin; and when sin is fully grown, it gives birth to death. My understanding is, every person has a desire to sin and has, just as the scripture declares, For all have sinned and come short To make it even worse, our flesh if you will, drag's us off under compulsion and use's our weakest area to tempt us and for the final insult, disguise's the sin to look and smell and taste and feel and ect,ect,ect, GOOD!!! Pow, right in the kisser, He got ya The LORD, thru the Holy Spirit told me personally, or should I say directed me to Scripture, Ephesians chpt. 6v10 thru 18 The most helpful thing that I learned is the sin is not in the temptaion. The temptation's will come. There is only one sure way that I have learned to keep the sin list short and that is not to, as Yeshua said You have left your first Love Stay in Love with JESUS Why does GOD allow evil to exist?? My guess is there is only one GOD and He is the creator and we are the creation. He made us in His image The Angels had a free will and they bit the dust. They were the creation, We have a free will and we bit the dust and yet He Loved us so much and wanted us with Him so much He did it all anyway, BLOW'S ME AWAY

To the Q of what value has trials had in my life, Im happy to say GREAT VALUE I learned very early on just how faithfull our GOD is and there is no detail to small or large for Him to work out and that He takes great delight when we place all our Trust in Him. The first truth I learned is that the word of GOD is without error!!! I setteled that early on. You can not be a strong christian without understanding that the word of GOD is Alive and powerful. I understand that when you speak GOD'S word, He has predetermined that His word would not return to Him void, but would accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it(Isaiah 55,11) I understand you must be in line with His word in 1st John 5- 14,15 I like the words to a song Billy Fields wrote, God moves mountains every time, sometimes, one stone at a time I know im running a race on the road we call Life and the only way to stay on course is to continually make adjustments and line up my walk with the word of GOD. I aint sayin its easy or that I win all the time but I have used the GRACE of GOD to my advantage and like the book says, Forgetting those things that are behind and pressing on to the things before us and although I still to this very day marvel at the fact that as we will see in this study, GOD invites us to come to HIM 7 times 70 a day if needed and He will not find fault and with no harshness but with much tenderness teaches us how to overcome when we have a broken and contrite spirit Like the song says, Im a winner either way, If I go or if I stay

Hello everyone and greetings from Ohio My name is alan and although I live in Ohio, my heart is in Florida I also look forward > to the study in the book of James. I think the book of James had the oppisite effect on me then it did on Luther. It confirmed to me what took place when I was born again. The bible says with out faith (TRUST) you can not come to GOD. YESHUA said Himself, Many will come to me that day and say, lord,lord, we have done all these wonderfull things in your name and YESHUA will say, Depart from me for I never KNEW you ( IM Paraphrasing) Many people today profess to be Christian but the works James was talking about is missing. Im sure before the study is over we will all have a better understanding of what James was talking about.