James(James, the Lord’s brother, Galatians 1:19, by various accounts: a half brother of the Lord through Mary and Joseph; the Lord's step brother from Joseph widowered by prior marriage; a cousin of the Lord, however it is, he is one of four brothers and two sisters, including Jude, who wrote the single chapter Bible book of the same name, Jude, unique in its reference to the book of Enoch. The name James is iakobos the Greek form of Jacob, Jesus had a brother Jake, probably the eldest, what did Jake note about Jesus over a thirty year observation? Watch for these: 1. Impartiality, taking no notice of wealth or social status, The rich and elite have sycophants and Jesus was their opposite, impartial, and, out of favor, no doubt, in rich and powerful circles 2. Facing difficulties joyfully, hoping in a good outcome. 3. Quiet: Jesus spoke for a purpose and did not talk too much, in which, as the scripture says, there lacks not sin 4. Jesus put his stamp on the world. Satan's world system did not stain Him and had nothing in Him. Jesus’ Religion is this apartness 4. Jesus heart went to widows, orphans, he spent time with them in their time of need. Jesus’ Religion is association with elderly, infirm and impoverished, as one who lived with Jesus so long James shares what Mary, Jesus mother, shared with John, a thought theme manner of organization of written content.) a servant for life obedient gate 6 to God and to the Lord Jesus Christ, I address these instructions to the Jews converted to Christianity, the completed Jews, the natural branches, the keepers of the oracles of God, those awaiting gentile salvation, the Diaspora, the twelve tribes of Israel outside Judea and Galilee. Chairos, Joy or Greetings, which, to the Christian Jews addressed to, meant shalom(which means peace, reconciliation to God by faith in Jesus name, healing back together with God by Jesus stripes, and joyful welcome into union with Christ and God, by faith believing God's word about salvation in Christ because of the cross.) v.2 So to use Chairos again, truly it is joy inducing, my brethren, fellow Jewish derived Christians, when you face different kinds of trials, tribulations and testings v.3 because you know that these difficulties that test your belief in Bible Teaching are endurance resistance training tests from God designed to put muscle and stamina on your Bible taught Christian discipleship skills such as 1, confidence our faith in Christ has sealed our place and inheritance forever in eternity with the Spirit as our seal; 2, Refillability of the Holy Spirit in our lives by confession of sin, resumption of the full power of God in our life, 3. the Bible teaching and memory building use of song and psalms such as hymn music and spiritual contemporary songs; 4, cultivating joy and gladness, in hope of the delivery of our inheritance, now and in eternity; 5, The giving of thanks which builds; 6, humility; 7, entering God's promised rest by trusting His promises in trouble; 8, Consuming God's Word in the Christian assemblies; 9, Developing love for God that will carry us through; and 10, Love for people independent of their behavior and or attractiveness. v.4 Let us go forward, then, and these endurance resistance training tests from God will have their finishing and perfecting result, even formation of Christ in you, so that you will be mature and entirely complete lacking nothing. v.5 However, if anyone of you are without, or in need of, or lack, wisdom (sophia, the ability to apply believed Bible teaching principles and categories to life), let that one ask for wisdom from God. God is generous. God gives to all men without chastising them for their lack. Whoever asks wisdom from God will be given it.(The Holy spirit fills us for this prime purpose). Wisdom at gate 8. Divine wisdom spiritually imparted. : 1. understand, by the Holy Spirit's agency, 2. Believe, by your volition, 3. obey, by volition and drive and determination to move forward and carry it through! Eating Spiritual Food: 1. Believer. 2 Filled with Holy Spirit. 3. Under Bible Teacher. 4. Accurate Bible teaching presented. 5. Holy Spirit makes it understandable, confirms it as accurate. 6. Believer believes it. 7. Holy Spirit cultivates it into his heart and mind of soul and spirit. v.6 When asking for wisdom, ask based on believed Bible teaching apart from an evil heart of unbelief, the doubt that stole the Canaan land rest from the Exodus generation. Doubt in the soul’s mentality makes us like the surf waves of the sea, tossed up and down, foaming with shame, like one driven and tossed on the wind. v.8 Let the doubter not move forward, let him have no expectation that he will receive anything at all from the Lord. v.9 That is because he is double minded, part believes, but part sins in fear resulting in instability in every area of life. I like to think of wisdom as pondered faith, considered faith. Faith is believed Bible teaching. Do not pooh pooh Bible teaching, it is not true that dead faith is worse than no faith at all as per Open Bible Expanded edition James note. We ponder first how to understand Bible Teaching and the Holy Spirit enables that process. Then, we believe Bible teaching, but we still have to bring it to life in our lives. The life of Bible teaching depends upon its presence. Since faith is believed Bible teaching so also we need to let it tell us what to do. Faith needs our heart to consider what the Bible teaching we have believed means to us, and how we look at things, and how we live our lives. This also involves the Holy Spirit’s filling, resulting in His power, spiritual thinking power, and it involves saying yes to the conclusions how we should view the world and how we should live our lives accordingly. This is the development of sophia, wisdom. The building blocks are 1 Bible Teaching Pastor, 2 listening ear filled with the Holy Spirit 3. understand it by the Holy Spirit, 4 Believe it by our will, decider, volition 5 Ponder it over in the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will help wisdom form. We can pray for this. Say “yes” to wisdom’s conclusions about our situations in life, and follow through with the action commanded v.10 But let the rich man move forward and exult in his being brought low into humility by Bible teaching about gate 6 humility, because, like a dandelion he will be blown away, none of his floral glory will remain, but through his humility in Christ he will abide in Christ’s love now and forever. Christ’s love system goes with us to heaven, riches do not. Humility is obedience. The rich, (and the able) are the natural choice to receive Bible and spiritual guidance to help others. v.11 The Sun rises with a scorching wind (obvious analogy to Jesus, our Sun of Righteousness, and the Holy Spirit, quenched and grieved, now prompted to action in the heat of Christ‘s judgmental eyes.) The grass withers we, even the rich also, age and injure, sicken and die The flower will fall away and the splendor and beauty of its appearance is destroyed, this is the hell word apollumi Shall not perish but have everlasting life Jn 3:16 What is it doing here? numerous references have the chaff and useless vegetation burnt in agricultural societies as with cane now in Hawaii. in like manner also the rich and powerful people will in the midst of their pursuits fade away to a bad end. few their be that find the narrow path too salvation among all of us, but, how difficult it is for the rich man to humble himself unto salvation, said Jesus. V.12 How blessed in confidence to God and joyful in heart is the person who persists and perseveres overcoming endurance resistance training tests from God. After getting a passing grade, after crossing the finish line in God‘s love system, he will receive the victors stephanos wreath, our gold medal of maturity and competency for spirit filled living in Christ Jesus, the crown of life. which He has promised to those who love Him who abide in His love system. Rm.8:28 For we know that He works all things together for good to those who love Him and are called according to His divine plan, purpose and will. 13. Don’t say God tempted you, God can’t even Himself be tempted by evil and is not about to tempt anyone. 14 We are tempted when we are plucked from God’s love system and carried away by our own lust, by our evil heart of unbelief, missing our finish line and crown, failing the endurance resistance training tests from God with big fat “Fs.” 1:15 Then with that big fat F, and an evil heart of unbelief, our lust, that lust conceives in us. Sin does a revolting prurient unmentionable thing to us after it entices us and carries us away. a severe analogy. You don’t want to say this happened to you. After lust plucks us from God’s love it conceives in us. Conceived lust in us gives birth to sin. When the sin is completely entrenched and matured in us(Antimaturity, antiperfection, antiformation, total defeat in the Christian life. being negatively transformed by undoing our mind); lust then delivers and brings forth to us an onboard inboard unwanted grandchild: death. It is like the national story of the U.S. today. So deep in unbelieving wickedness that a generation has been brought forth dead, killed by abortion. The personal revolting analogy told by the Lord’s brother has even happened to us nationally. We sure don't want to be in that tragic position, even that sounds graphic in light of Jesus' brothers bombshell analogy. Hanging out with sinners and tax collectors, shepherds giving the baby shower, , A light pole projecting from one's eye, brother Jude's snatching burning embers from the fire as salvation analogy, now this analogy, what a colorful household Jesus lived in. The Holy Spirit is in on this, inspired it! Holy, apparently, does not mean prude. To avoid this humiliation heed this 1:16 Do not be deceived, Do not fall prey to seductive lies of Satanic, worldly and/or inner sinfulness . My beloved brethren. Jesus' brother is our brother, wow! V.17 Every good and perfect gift, contrast with the royal analogy-ing you get from temptation comes down from above where our eternal inheritance is and has been settled there since day 7 began , from the Father of lights, God the Son, the Word, made the heavens and all the lights in them, with Him their is no variation nor shifting shadow. Jesus as God is immutable. As God the Son made flesh, Jesus, in His humanity, never left God's Divine love system. The Characteristics of the gates are His forever and always characteristics. He did not fail us on Earth. He will not fail us in heaven, now or ever. V.18 in the exercise of His will Divine sovereignty combined with Jesus human will to spiritually birth a new creation, an eternal one the first from His human divine union He brought us forth What birth pangs? What a difficult delivery? The cross, scourging, the supernatural infliction of the penalty for all our sins and the sins of all people: How greatly to be thanked is Christ for bringing us forth. By the Doctrines of Categorical Bible Teaching Doctrines of reconciliation, redemption, atonement, expiation, sanctification, soteriology, positional truth, Christology, Common grace and Efficacious grace. purpose and result: We are a firstfruits of Christ's creation. Under the law an offering had to be made for the first brought forth among the siblings. Jesus was that sacrificial offering dying for us on the cross as the altar. As God He created much creation but as the Godman we are firstfruits of spiritually born(again) creation. We also have our resurrection into our glorified bodies before any other category. 1:19-20 All these principlesyou are have understood, believed and are attempting to put in practice. BUT Let us move forward, Be quick, present, alive unto God in the spirit, and an active listener, eager to hear the teaching of the truth you have already consumed and digested, as well as, whatever may be new to you and interesting. Give yourself a chance to consider new and challenging topics when presented from the Word of God. Hang on to your relaxed mental attitude, out of respect for past teaching that benefited your Christian life from this source, recalling other teaching that seemed out of place at first, so do not rise up in anger so as to retire from the Christian assembly or resist the pastor, evangelist and/or apostle discipling you. Resisting the teaching vocally may mean opposing the Holy Spirit, which won't cost you your salvation but will be a smirch against you that won't be wiped away experientially through confession because the Holy Spirit is present in you, desires to fill you, may even fill you as you offend Him. Though we may be filled with anger and indignation at Bible Teaching rubbing us wrong or not meshing at first with preconceptions and assumptions we develop, God's righteousness won't abide or be accomplished in this way. By faith in Jesus death on the cross for our sins and His resurrection we have cleansing from sin and all unrighteousness until we sin and require an experiential cleansing from sin and unrighteousness moment by moment. Like a garment or a luggage, put away your smirch of unrighteousness, filthiness and any lingering worldly or false religion based opposition to God, wickedness, do this the only way a believer has from the Bible using 1 John 1:9 confession of sin for recovery of FHS and re-entry to God's Love System at gate 2, then in humility (obedience to God the Holy Spirit filling you) receive categorical Bible Teaching as seed that you must cultivate and allow to fill your soul's garden by comparing it with other categories of teaching you have tested, internalized and inventoried as part of your eternal word doctrines that are yours forever unchallengeable and beyond reach of any thief or marauder, Teaching which is powerful to save your souls experientially and from destruction. V.22 But Prove, pass the easy test among the difficulties that test your belief in Bible Teaching are endurance resistance training tests from God designed to put muscle and stamina on your Bible taught Christian discipleship skills Test 1: that Bible Teaching must be acted upon, considered, cultivate and allow to fill your soul's garden by comparing it with other categories of teaching you have tested, internalized and inventoried. Let it cleanse weeds and preconceptions, or you will remain deluded by sin, the world and the devil.