Warning to the Rich
5:1 Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. 2 Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days. 4 Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. 5 You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned and murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you.
Patience in Suffering
7 Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. 8 You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. 9 Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. 10 As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.
12 But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.
The Prayer of Faith
13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. 14 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. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. 18 Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.
19 My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, 20 let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins. (ESV)
ELLO… I read
I like verse 12,”But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.”
I like this verse because it talks about being trusted. I need to make sure that everyone trusts me. I should not have to swear that I did or didn’t do something to get people to trust me I should just be able to say yea I did that or didn’t to that and have them trust me. I need to pray to GOD that HE will help me tell the truth in all situations and not ever lie because GOD hates liars.
CYA
Good comment Tanner, being trusted is a great place to be!
That is a life long battle..I’ll shall be praying that we both can be trusted!
16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.
This verse right here is a great example of accountability! James is telling his audience that they need to come together as people and confess their sins to each other. In addition to this, he tells them that they should be praying for each other, praying that their brothers and sisters in Christ may be healed. Then this verse ends with some encouraging words. It says that a righteous man’s prayer has great power! This is encouraging people to live righteous lives, and then they will be close to God and he will listen carefully to their prayers. However, God turns his ears from the prayers of the unrighteous.
I need to put the words of this verse into practice! Tuesday night is a great night to confess my sins to my friends at small groups. But I can do so more than just once a week. Throughout the week, I need to be letting my accountability partners know what I am struggling with. And then I can hear what they’re struggling with, too. Then I can be praying for them as they also pray for me. And if I am living a righteous life, then my prayers will be powerful instead of being ignored by God.
James 5:16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.
I love how the TN small groups implement this during the week. The power of prayer to God, from God, to change us! Keep it up! Thank You Lord for the Spirit that seals us with Your promise and let’s us come directly to You. And please come soon!
5:1 Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. 2 Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days.
We have so much in the OC that it is ridiculous. God has given us so many blessings and He is good for doing that, but because of our sinful nature we often worship the blessings and live more focussed on them rather than the one who gave them…God! Why would I want to be the rich in this passage and live my life for the things of this World? It all rusts, it all burns (MT. 6:20-21), only the things for God are eternal! This encourages me not to cling to all the earthly blessings and riches that I have, but to instead cling to God and grow and my relationship with Him.
20 let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
This is such a great verse! We need to witness to people and make sure that the words we are saying are planting seeds for future followers of Christ. No one can force anyone to become a Christian but we still need to make it a priority to spread the Gospel because that is what God commands us to do. In return, we receive eternal life and our sins will be forgiven if we come to God. Although sharing God’s Word is something the Bible requires us to do, as Christians our hearts should be in a place where we WANT to help lead people to Christ. I know there are people all around me in my school that i could be witnessing to and i pray that i gain the courage to reach out to others!
Pastor Pete and my Dad heeded such an incredible calling, and I know God will bless them mightily in heaven for their steadfast efforts in bringing me back to Scripture. Many planted seeds along my way–my entire life, in fact. But it was Pastor Pete and my Dad who spoke to me and loved me with such commanding and convicting evidence authored by God in Scripture, to bring me to a place where I OWNED my sin, and was driven to repentance. They truly contributed mightily to saving my soul for all eternity. For them, I am most grateful. And I am encouraged by them and by James to do the same for the sinners who don’t know God, that He brings into my life.
that is awesome stacy <3
James 5:17-20 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. 18 Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.
Wow Elijah’s faith was so powerful. I want faith like his.
As we study and apply God’s word to our life everyday, the holy spirit teaches us, and strengthens our faith. Yay!
19 My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, 20 let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins. (ESV)
I remember being a teenager, it was difficult for me standing up for Jesus, and telling people about him. I didn’t read the word and apply it to my life everyday.
I wish my relationship was closer so I could have had more joy and peace at that age. You all have the chance to come along side of your peers and encourage them, they might really need you. Draw near to Christ daily he will give you the true love and unity for each other in your body of Christ TN and CBC.
Rather speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in LOVE.
In verse 19-20 We are encouraged to help the lost sheep and bring them back to the fold. Doing so we will save that lost sheep from death,… a life of misery, and separation from God.
God says it will cover a multitude of sins. Aweome!
Welcome aboard, Beth!!! And thanks for your encouragement and insights…
JASMINE WONTOOOON! You are such a great example for the definition of a fervent and consistant prayer warrior and I just haaad to say that! Continue praying, never stop. The Lord listens and is glad. I’m so glad I have a friend like you!
But yes, leaving on that note, prayer is ever so important. Someone’s life can depend on whether or not you decided to pray for them (haha welllllll it’s really just God’s plan but prayer iiiis powerful). Prayer won’t even work if you don’t have faith. In the last paragraph it describes how we neeeed faith. There is no salvation without it! I shall pray like no tomorrow that Christ comes back and for other prayer requests that I have.
Also, it seems that the Bible mentions people from the wealthier class a lot. I’ve been reading through Ecclesiastes and there’s a whole chapter on it I believe! I know it still applies today, but is it a little different now since there are no social classes like there were back then?
Only by the grace of God!
You are such an encouragement Bethany:) I really needed to hear this right now. I am super glad that we are friends and able to keep each other accountable and spur one another on through Christ! I’m soooo happy that God provided for Master’s and I look forward to see where God will use you!
16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.
This verse has revolutionized my understanding of accountability! I used to think that the way to do accountability with someone was to have a list of questions that we ask each other every week to see how we are doing on our spiritual disciplines. While that is a part of it, James 5:16 clearly states that a crucial part of accountability is me reaching out to my partner and confessing my sin to her and asking her to pray for me. Sometimes I have to text or talk to my partner several times a week to confess and ask for prayer if I am having a week where I am especially tempted to sin. I have changed my attitude from, “I’ll tell her about my sin if she asks me,” to “I have to seek her out and admit my sin, turn from it, and ask for her help in keeping me accountable.” I have seen a big growth in my sanctification and the mortification of my sin since I started practicing James 5:16. It is not easy to be real with other people and confess the darkest parts of your sin struggles, but it is commanded in the Bible and leads to authentic accountability! I pray that all of you would be committed to your accountability partners, both to check in with them to see how they are doing in their battle against sin and their striving toward holiness, BUT also to confess your sins and ask for prayer!
Sound encouragement, Beth. THANK YOU! Honesty with ourselves and with our accountabili-buddy (as either B or S put it) is critical for us to move forward in our relationship with the Lord.
so true
Hi Beth! Nice to see you on SOTD and DBR!
16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.
This verse reminds me of Pastor Bobby’s sermon a month ago or so…he was telling us that we need to not face our sins and our problems alone, we should have backup, we should have someone to pray with, talk to, count on. This verse really reminded me of that. It’s a great reminder also because we sometimes I think, don’t realize that we *should* ask someone to help us, pray for us. God didn’t put Adam on this earth alone. He put him with a woman for many reasons, one of which was so that he wasn’t lonely. Eve kept him company. She was his right-man, and he, hers. Having people around us pray for us really does help. I know from experience.
20 let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
I also REALLY liked this verse because it’s sort of covering the same subject as verse 16…according to this verse, if we bring a sinner back from wandering, our soul will be saved from death and will cover a multitude of sins. We need to let those around us know about HIM.
16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.
This verse spoke to me, as well. I don’t want to be unacceptable. I don’t want the time and heart and energy I put into praying to be for naught. But if I don’t confess and turn away from any sin going on in my heart, God will not hear me. Father, bring to light any sin I have that I am too stubborn to recognize. Make me more like You, that I may be of greater use and impact for Your kingdom. As I study Your Law, I see more and more how sinful I am. Thank You for caring so much about us that You have given us Your Word, so that we CAN become more like Jesus and put off our sinful selves. I am at Your mercy…
9 Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door
This goes good with what Pastor Bobby talked about this past weekend, we shouldn’t be grumbling against one another or talking slander about them but instead, we should confront them. But also in this verse, it mainly talks about not doing this so that we won’t be judged. In this world, when people know your a christian, they try to find any fault in us and we have to remember that people are watching us. We should be living holy lives, acceptable to God (or at least be trying). People are always watching us and we have to remember that we are ambassadors of Christ, repping Him in this world.
I pray that I would always be living giving all glory to God and not being a hypocrite or being two – faced.
Confessing our sins to one another is something that we should do. The person that you are talking to you will not judge you. They are there for your support. It is sometimes hard to go up to something that you are really close with and tell them something that you are not proud of. Even someone confesses to about thier sin it is best to know that they learned from thier mistake and repented from thier sin. I hope the senior search turns out well and the service.
I don’t believe Jesus was lying when he said it is easier for a camel to enter through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter heaven.
Money.
It causes so much greed and worry in the world (even among Christians), when it shouldn’t. So instead of putting our focus on it, we should instead be trying to store up treasures in heaven.
yes, not treasures on earth!
12 But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.
This verse always hits me because in the past I had a real struggle with following through with my word. I would say one thing and then do another. Having this perspective has really changed the way I respond in my relationships. I guess you could call me a “yes” person. Because I am a people pleaser I will say yes to everything and this has gotten me into trouble many times and ends up hurting the people I am around instead of helping them. Pslam 15 also speak of this it says “he keeps his oath even when it hurts”. Sometimes there are going to be things that we want to do but cant because we have already made a prior commitment. But instead of sticking with our first commitment we bail and selfishly choose what we think would be better. This is so dishonoring to God and to our relationships. As christians we have to have a good reputation. Being known as a flake is not a good thing and its not ok. I had to learn this lesson the hard way, but I am so thankful for Gods word and that it speaks to every situation in our lives. If we are telling others to trust God and yet we are not holding fast to our commitments then we are not making the gospel look attractive to others, and there response could be why should I trust god when I cant even trust you and you are a christian. I pray that we can all let our yes be yes and our no be no, and that we will shine the light of Christ by being trust worthy people and that our word would count in all our relationships with friends, family, and others.
13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise.
I love this because it makes dealing with feelings like suffering so easily fixable. It simply tells us to pray if we are suffering. It shows that God is completely trustworthy, and assures us that it is the right thing to do when you are suffering. It also prompts us to praise God when we are cheerful. How often do I forget to thank God when he’s given me something that causes joy? I think I pray to God when I am suffering much more than I praise God when I am cheerful. I want to be able to do both in every instance of suffering or joy. I am praying that God can give me the humbleness to pray and trust him when I suffer, and that he can make me remember that He is the provider of all good things when I am cheerful!
5:1 Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. 2 Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days. 4 Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. 5 You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned and murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you.
I thought this might speak to us more when we admit that WE ARE FILTHY RICH since we live in the OC. If we have more than we NEED, we are rich. However, James is not simply criticizing the rich for being rich, but he’s reaming them for trusting in their riches more than in Christ. This is a condemnation of so-called-Christians who claim Christ with their mouths but claim a material salvation by their priorities and actions, and so James says they have their “reward” now, but a harsh judgment to come. While we may be “rich” here in OC, may we never place $ or the things it can buy anywhere near our love for our God.
Amen!
James 5:19-20 “My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.”
“My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, 20 let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.”
What an encouraging reminder of the importance of confronting the brother in sin. The confrontation is not simply for conflict’s sake, but a glorious thing happens if the brother is restored: his soul is saved from death! Wow, those are high stakes. I suppose this means that to allow a brother to continue to wander into sin is to allow his soul to die — when something could have been done about it! I’m going to resolve to get over any fear of man that I face when I consider confronting a brother in sin, and take the steps necessary to make that happen, not for the purpose of beating him over the head, but in order to restore him and rescue him from destruction. This is the only acceptable attitude we can take with us in our confrontation: one that desires restoration and unity.
13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. 14 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. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.
This whole topic really stood out to me. But i decided to pick a few verses from the passage. Reading about how prayer works is amazing. As Christians we need to use prayer in all our good and bad situations. If we are sick or if we are happy. We should be talking to God about everything that is going on in our life. I need to make sure that I am talking to God about everything!!!
MARANATHA
19 My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, 20 let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
This verse reminds me of Jesus and how he is with us. If we are his children he will always one way or another bring us back because he loves us. I know in my own life he is faithful in bringing me back whenever I sin, and im so greatful. <3 i'm praying for all of you to stay strong for Christ! maranath!
13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise.
This is a good verse because you should pray when you are feeling bad instead of just feeling sorry for yourself
7 Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains.
8 You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand
Patience is huge! it’s even a fruit of the spirit! I especially need to be patient for when God comes back! I know it will be a wonderful thing, but for now, I need to be patient and do all that I can do. Even though God has not come back, I need to be preparing each day by growing and producing fruit!
MMMM terrific comment, strive for the fruits of the spirit!!
19 My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, 20 let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
Here James isn’t saying that someone could lose their salvation, and that this person who lost their salvation can be saved again (because that is quite contrary to what the Bible teaches!). James is talking about people who wander from the truth and get brought back: people who grow up in church, then hit high school, and leave the whole “Jesus thing” for parties and the world. These two verses talk about how if we bring back “wanderers” it is an awesome thing! Why? Because someone is getting saved! These verses made me think about how important accountability and rebuke are! There are people in True Northwho seem legit, but will fall away.
These verses really hit home also because this was what happened to me. I grew up in a Christian home, but during middle school and high school I lived a deceived and hypocritical life. One day my friend Zach Vanden Bosch called me out on some sin. I was self-righteously angry at him, but then I began to realize that I wasn’t saved! I am SO thankful that Zach cared enough about me to call me out! If he hadn’t I dont know where Id be now! I pray that I would be trying to bring those who have fallen away back to Christ. These verses have really helped me remember the importance of our relationships with other professing Christians!
7 Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains.
I loved this verse because it is so true! Being patient about things is always hard especially when it is about God. We should trust in the Lord and ask him to help us be patient. He will come through and help those who are in need. The Lord is amazing and we should appreciate the fact that we as Christians could go to him whenever we want!
7 Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains.
Patience is so important in my life. If I think about it, I can not wait more then anything in my life then to be in heaven! I would rather go to heaven now then live to 100! I need to be patient and tell others about Him before I leave. I could be the only one someone hears the gospel from, and I dont want to miss that opertunity. Also, I am always waiting and waiting for the next think to happen in my life. I know that I can be impatient if I am waiting about God answering my prayers. God says that He will answer my prayers, but to be patient. If he doesnt answer my prayers immediatly, I just have to keep on praying.
12 But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.
This verse really spoke to me when it comes to trust. I want others to trust me in the first place. I want them to believe me the first time that I tell them something, not doubt in their acceptance. I think that trust is a fine line. It can easily be broken and is hard to repair. I pray that I will be able to build up trust that has been broken between myself and others.
12 But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.
This verse stood out to me because it reminded me of school. Especially high school! Kids all around are cussing and swearing! Even worse they use Gods name in vain! And yet the sad part is some of us christians. Some of us don`t even stand up for God! When people use His name in vain some of us will just let it pass! But, if someone says something bad about your bff you are quick to defend them. This is a big problem. If we cant stand up for God but our friend then there is something very wrong. God deserves to be stood up for, He stood up for us and is always there for us. So the least we can do is tell others to stop using His name in vain! Stand up for God!!!
It’s so frustrating when you hear God’s name being taken in vain on a daily basis.
(((I totally agree!
12 But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.
i really liked this one because,it reminded me what my dad use to tell me
when i just became a christian, when i ask him too do something he would do it or just say no…and i never got why he didnt say just i swear or i promise and he told and it bugged me, but he told me why..
so from that day i never sweared or promised anyone anyomore!!!
7 Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains
20 let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins
I need to be patient and remember that God is always watching me. I should not listen to gossip but encourage others to only say things beneficial to others and uplifting. I used to have a lot of patience, but as a teenager, I easily become frustrated. More importantly, I should not give myself an excuse and should have patience and mercy as a Christian.
Verse 20 is an encouragement. It makes me so sad when people I thought were Christians waner away and stop going to church. I need to draw them back and inspire people to grow closer to God. I can do that by first correcting my own actions and living completely for God.
16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.
It is good to have an accountability partner
Although you should always confess your sins to God, he already knows them. By confessing your sins to someone else, you can discuss things with them and pray for each other, growing in Godly relationships. Christianity is hard for Christians who don’t have other Christian friends, therefore we should make sure that each of our “Jonathon” figures is a Christian, so that the person closest to you as a friend can be a good influence. By having Christian friends we can practice being on task with God’s will and building each other up. Although I have many friends that I’m grateful for, I am especially thankful for all those who are strong Christians and who have helped me grow in my spiritual walk with Christ <3
12 But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.
Wow, I had too read this a couple times. I hear all the time “I swear…” even from myself too! In order for people to believe me without saying this im going to have to pray for honesty and committment. This is going to be hard for me considering I love to joke around alot so I need to be extra careful that I put value into my yes’s and no’s so i dont drop the ball on anyone. Great verse.
This is the verse that convicted me too! I don’t even realize how much I say it…I need to work on this!
Like many others who have commented on this verse so far, I really like verse 20 about bringing a sinner back from is wandering. To me, this really sums up what we are on this earth for. Besides serving the Lord with all our might, loving our neighbor and trying to bring him back to God is definitely one of the biggest (and hardest) things to do. I will pray for everyone that they will be inspired by God to do this!
- elizabeth, ochsa christian club
7 Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains.
We are supposed to be patient, but we should also be super excited. I cant wait till Jesus comes back and I think we should all make it our life’s work to bring others to Him
16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.
This is one of my favorite verses! It encourages me soooo much when I pray because I know that my prayers are being heard by my father. Elijah prayed earnestly and his prayers were heard and answered!Miracles were done and people were saved. Although sometimes I might feel doubt or weak in my prayer life, this verse reminds me that prayer has great power! It also says to pray for one another. I feel like when I pray for others, it lets me take my mind off myself and care for them. Although maybe I can’t be with them at the moment or give money to them, I can pray for them. which reminds me of Matthew 18:20 For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.” I also need to confess my sins to other fellow Christians so they can help me by keeping me accountable
11 Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.
As Christian we need to stay strong in our faith and stay so strong that none of our actions could compromise such a treasured relationship with Christ our Lord! I love this verse because it simply states that God is compassionate and merciful! We are so lucky to be able to worship such an awesome God!
19 My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, 20 let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
Speaking the truth to people who are in sin and admonishing them can be difficult, awkward, and uncomfortable. However, despite these “negatives” the positives far out weigh them. We may think correcting someone in sin is “judging” but really it the most loving thing we can do, assuming we are doing it from a pure motive.
We need to be praying for each other everyday because you do not know when someone will get a chance to talk to someone about God and pray for there walk with God because they maybe having problems in life. I pray that all of us who calls ourselves chritians should live our lives for God and people should now us by us being chritians.
7 Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. 8 You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.
This is a great verse, and it is especially important today. We are in the last days, and we need to be patient for the LORD’s coming. We now that he will come, but we should not worry or doubt. The LORD will come in his own time.
2 Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten.
Nothing on this earth is permanent beside the word of God- actually the whole earth will be destroyed before the word of God will…incredible. The things of this world are only temporary! God is forever and His word is too. His love is permanent and thats all i need- i dont need the things of this earth to fully satisfy me. Our world is so corrupt that people make you feel bad if you dont have the next best thing. Our world underestimates what is actually good- God. It is so comforting to know that what really is important will last forever- God!
Maranatha!
9 Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door.
Complaining is something I really have a problem with, especially in regards to my homework and my teachers. It is so clear that I need to not be complaining. I just need to rely that God is in control, and will take care of everything in a way according to His plan.
Me and you both bro! I’ll be praying that we can change
Good comment 
12 But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.
I hear all the time people swearing that they will or won’t do something. I have even said it at times. What we don’t understand is that we don’t have the power to determine if we will never do something or will for sure doo something. Only God has the knowledge and power to know what will for sure happen. We need to just learn to say yes or no and let ourselves stick by what we said. We do not have the ability to determine the complete path for our lives. We make decisions as they are infront of us, not way before they actually happen. Only God knows what our path of life will be like.
13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. 14 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. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed.
I like these verses because they show how important, and beneficial it is to be connected with God. It gives me a sense of safety to hear that if you are sick, you will be healed if you are prayed for in the name of the Lord, and how helpful it is when you are happy to praise God. I also like that it says that if anyone is suffering, then if he prays, that God will answer his prayers. It works. =)
16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working
There are so many good things in this chapter. I like this verse because it is so true and has helped me in my walk with the Lord. Having someone to confess your sins too is essential to help kill sin. When I first came to Compass, I met Hunter and we became accountiblity partners. He is such a blessing in my life . We have been fighting sin in our lives and we will call each other if we are tempted to sin. It is so helpfull to have a true friend that cares about my sin, is praying for me all the time and points me to the Bible. This verse also shows us that the prayer of a righteous man is effective so we should be striving to be righteous and confess our sin to others. We must also remember that when someone is asking for accountability that is between you and that person only. Accountability works both ways calling each other out and calling each other when you are tempted.
Great comment Jeff! This verse is great because it tells us how important righteousness is. This is something I’ve been trying to communicate in our Street Cred Christianity series and something I am going to stress again this weekend at True North! I pray that we will have many righteous young people who are being held accountable and striking back against their sin.
9 Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door.
As Christians, we need to love each other genuinly, not fight and quarrel amongst ourselves. And it’s not my place to judge others, that;s God’s job, and He’ll do it. So i have to mind my own business and not bicker with anyone. That can be tough, but it’s what needs to be done!
12 But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.
So often in our speech we say things like, “I’m being totally honest,” or “I promise,” or “I’m not going to lie.” If my yes was truly a yes and my no was truly a no I wouldn’t need to say these things. I should always be honest and never lie and everyone should be able to trust what I say. I need to work on making sure I always keep my word, even to my detriment, and strip these phrases from my vocabulary.
12 But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.
This verse goes along very well with our series of Street Cred Christianity. As Christians, our word should be so dependable, that their is no need to say “I promise” or “I swear.” If you say that you will do something, people should be able to trust you to follow through. One of the reasons I have trouble with this area is that I am to quick to say that I will do something. I need to make sure I consider what I have given my word to, and be consistent to carry it through.
12 But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.
I should be so trustworthy that I shouldn’t even need to swear by anything. The value of my word is important and I need to make sure I keep my word above reproach. I can’t be a people-pleaser and just say “yes” to everything. What I say has to be true. If I am dishonest, I affect my reputation and I won’t be trusted. I need to wrk on keeping my word and not adding the unecessary swear to convince people.
!!!MARANATHA!!!
12 But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.
Like so many of you, this verse stood out to me today. I’ve been working on only saying things that I KNOW I will follow through on. For example, when teaching it’s always easy to tell the kids we’ll do something and then change my mind later and tell them the plan has changed. I’ve been trying to be more careful to say things like, “I’m hoping we’ll be able to…” instead so that my students can always take me at my word. I want my yes to mean yes and my no to mean no.
11 Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.
There is a good point here. Job always kept his faith even though his entire life was taken away from him. Even when he was poor and his family died he still praised the Lord. It is an awesome example and I hope that I can be as steadfast as Job one day.
Yeaa nice! 3/8 my good friend
16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.
Our fellow Christians are there for us. And when we have a problem we should ask them for help in gorwth or for prayer. It is always great to have that one great friend that you are able to talk with and to take down sin with.
13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise.
The first part of this verse tells us very clearly what we must do when we are suffering: We must pray. When we have struggles, if we pray the Lord will hear our prayers and help us. We must read His word and turn to Him for counsel in as many ways as we can, for there is no way to end our suffering except in God.
I love to see you on here
16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.
I really like this verse. It reminds me how important strong Christian friends are, and how important accountability is. Having someone keep me accountable helps me stay strong in my walk with the Lord. It keeps me from falling into temptation, by adding a more tangible feeling of responsibility. I know that I will have to answer not only to God, but also to my accountability partner, who I do not want to let down, and whom I want to set an example for. It really reminds me that we as Christians are called to set an example, and accountability can assist us with that.
13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. 14 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.
Love this…instructions for every situation
My first response when ANYTHING happens should be to go to God, either for help, or in praise, or in thankfulness. There’s peace in Him that cannot be found anywhere else. I am so blessed to know my Savior!!!!
12 But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.
It’s sad that people always add “I swear” to statements. If we always told the truth we wouldn’t feel like we need to put this. I always find myself adding this on at the end of what I’m saying….but I really shouldn’t do this…this verse says so! I need to always be telling the truth and not trying to make it seem like am *really* telling the truth (even if I am).
5 You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned and murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you.
i love these verses because of how descriptive they are and how self-indulgence is the exact word for this world we live in anyway…we have a lot to do with the behavior of others are we an example to them or do we just “go with the ” and not dare to be different for the name of Christ! anway thts all this probably made no sense cause im tired but yeah i tried
Verse 3: Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days.
This verse is a amazing testimony to yet another thing that all of us need to constantly be reminding ourselves about. And that is the fact that the pleasures and riches of this world are not to be our primary focus, but instead, our focus should be towards our future eternity with our Savior!
Keeping that crucial idea fresh in mind can prove to be quite a challenge with so many of the extremely tempting and trying things this world has to offer! But if we remember just how good a eternal life in perfection will be, it will definitely help us keep this world, and our future heaven in constant contrast with one another!
Yes! Great insight on this chapter David! Keep reading God’s Word every day!
12 But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.
love this verse!! im so convicted when i read this verse because it reminds me that when i agree to do something i need to do it! i can count a million times in the past when i have agreed to do something, or made a committment to someone, and then i end up being a flake and not sticking to my word! It is SO incredibly importat to let our “yes” be yes, and our “no” be no!
love seeing you comment on SOTD! Great comment!
Oh my goodness, this chapter was SO GOOD.
Verse 8 was probably my favorite though.
It just makes me so excited for the coming of my Lord!
And to think we’re getting even closer and closer to that time with every passing second… Ahhhhh it gets me SO excited!!
but, as the farmer was in verse 7, we also have to be patient and put our time given here on earth to good use bettering His kingdom and spreading His word and living our lives completely for Him.
I can’t wait for Him to return!!
personally I dont understand what is wrong with being rich. If anyone can reply to this and help explain it to me that would be greatly appriciated.
Great question Austin!
Matthew 6:19-21 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth…”
Jesus is without a doubt clear. Don’t store up for yourself riches here on earth. They are vain, fleeting, and moreover a symbol of our attachment to this earth, this life, these fleshly desires, instead of having an attitude of: I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things so that I may gain Christ. I consider them rubbish. (paraphrase of Philippians).
Overall riches and money are harmless, actually potential good things, but the love of money is strongly warned against. You cannot serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other or will love one and hate the other: you cannot serve both God and money (paraphrase of Matthew).
So, in the end, money is really not worth seeking after, because
…moth and rust destroy and thieves break in and steal…
but [instead you should] lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Well done Spencer! Nothing wrong with wealth – God bestows it on trustworthy people for His purposes! Just look at Steve Camp and Clay Wilemon for godly examples. It’s when we get wrapped up in the ‘having’ and ‘getting’ of wealth and place that above God that is sinful. It’s all about our focus – on things of God or things of man… Each one should examine his heart and his calendar (or facebook page) to see what and WHO is our priority!
“whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.”
Evangelism is not a very popular activity these days. Going out of your way to tell another friend that they are in sin and need to repent…who would want to do such and uncomfortable thing?
Yet in James, he closes his book with a call to action just as Jesus did in the great commission in Matthew 28. He calls us to warn sinners, of which we were in the past, to repent and have faith in the saving power of the gospel (Rom. 1:16).
Nothing could be more rewarding than evangelism, because if they do listen to you, and turn away from their sin in faith, then their soul will be saved from eternal death and a multitude of sins will be covered over.
It is our mission and obligation, as ones who have been saved, to bring the gospel, and save people from death. Our job is very heroic, yet only through God will anything be accomplished.
I pray that at True North we would make being ‘fishers of men’ a priority, and have compassion on the lost destined for Hell. Let’s not be cruel.
I’m excited for True North tomorrow! I’ll be praying for life changing biblical sermons (: Yeaa!
16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.
Ryan Damato stresses accountability for a reason, I mean, look right here, the Bible is telling you how powerful it is. The prayers of the righteous are powerful, so find a righteous trustworthy brother in Christ and share your struggles, God listens.
16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.
Acountability!! It is so important to grow closer to God!! Keep others accountable and in check with their sins and struggles is so encouraging to them!! And being held accountable is super important as well!! We should have plenty of friends that we can go to and confess our sins to!! Its those friends that special bonds are formed as brothers or sisters in Christ!! Acountability is important and one cannot go without it to grow in his or her walk with Jesus Christ!!!
MARANATHA!!!!!!!!!!!!
13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. 14 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.
These verses show the power of prayer and how we are supposed to come to God in prayer in all circumstances. Whenever I have a problem, or am stress; I should pray to God first for help and guidance rather than try and work things out myself. And when a righteous person prays, it is very effective – like when Elijah prayed earnestly and God caused a drought for 3 and a half years. LORD, please help me to be in constant dependence on you. Whenever I have issues in my life, please help me not to to turn to anything until I have already first prayed to you. Beyond that, please help me to also just be praying to you more consistently throughout the day so that I am always thinking/ depending on you rather than being isolated in myself. My strength is in you alone, please help me not to seek sustenance in anything else.
9 Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door.
This verse is a great reminder! In our selfishness, it is easy to get tired of the people we are around as we wait for the Lord to return. If we want to know if we are being patient as we wait for the day of the Lord, we should look at how we are doing being patient with those around us. This is a good remind for me to always check my attitudes toward others!
The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.
A righteous person is someone who is right with God, and when someone is right with God they are usually praying for things that God would want to answer. An example of a righteous prayer would be for my neighbor to repent of his sins. That prayer has a much better chance of being answered than if I was asking God for a million dollars just so I could be rich. ( although there is nothing wrong with being rich) But one prayer is clearly more aligned with God’s heart than the other. If I want to be a righteous man with an effective prayer life, than I need to be in the word to help pray for the things that God thinks are important. If I love God then I should ask for the things He desires and wants for me.
13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise.
I (Luke Melrose) like this verse cause it tells you to pray when you are going through suffering. When I go through times of trouble, really the only thing that brings me comfort is when i am talking to God. And also, like it says in the second part of the verse…. I love those moments when you feel like screaming from the rooftops Jesus’ name because of my thankfulness. I hope that everyone else is able to experience this!
(Jordan and Allie) “16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” It is so important to have a core group of christian friends, to keep you accountable. To be praying for each other continuously and encouraging each other daily. There are so many times when i see the power of prayer in my life through my accountability partners, and it is so encouraging. I am so excited that small groups are getting really into accountability partners.
9 Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door.
Right after James gives a reminder about the return of the Lord, this is what he writes. In light of the unknown return date of Jesus, this is how we should act. Because He may come back at any time, we ought to treat each other with love; no quarreling, no harsh words, no hard feelings… and no grumbling! This reminded me of pastor Bobby’s sermon of last weekend, and how we as God’s people should be loving our brothers and sisters. God, please let me overflow with love for my fellow believers rather than be in conflict with them.
19 My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, 20 let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
This is why I don’t get it when Christians get mad at people for evangelizing! This is clearly saying that if someone wanders from Christ, when someone brings him/her back they are SAVING THEM FROM DEATH!! Who cares if it seems that we’re “pushing our religion” on others? No, we shouldn’t be forceful and shove it down anyone’s throat. But in my eyes, this fact alone prevents me from refusing to evangelize. I look at the world today and see so many people sinning and refusing God’s gift of Christ, and I think that if I have the chance to save any of those people from eternal suffering, I would sure take it.
16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.
Having that accountability in our Christian walk is so important! It helps you stay on track and you always have someone praying for you and encouraging you! I am so thankful that God’s blessed me with sister’s that I can always run to for prayer, advice, and encouragement! We can’t run this race alone, remember!
7 Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. 8 You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.
The Lord is coming back so soon and I need to be ready for it! This is such a encouraging verse because what We live for and wait for is almost upon us. I thought it was really cool how it said to be patient, being patient is something I have a hard time with in general but I need to always be ready and be patient till that amazing day when the Lord comes back to take me to my real home in heaven!! Establishing your heart is a awesome thing in this verse, explaining how we need to be firm Christians and constantly growing closer to God. I need to always be growing closer to Christ in all circumstances whether I think they are good or bad because God has a purpose for all of them so i should be happy with anything God decides I need to learn or be tried with.
13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise.
When things are hard I know it is important to take time to talk with God and confess sins and ask for wisdom. I need to take things to God instead of dwelling in them.
16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.
I know all of us arn’t perfect, and we make mitakes everyday so i think it’s very important that we recognize our sins and wanting that forgiveness from god. To pray for each of our peers and family members throughout the day asking god to be with them, and take care of them to be safe, and guideing them in the right direction. If we encourage eachother and pray, our relationship with the lord only draws us closer.
9 Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door.
I love this verse because we should live our lives like God is always with us and watching us!
16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.
I love reading this about how important accountability is. It is impossible to get rid of and turn from sin if you keep it inside and never get it out in the open and have prayer from others. This also reminds me to really pray for those that I love because prayer is so powerful!
8 You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand
I can not wait for the Lord to come back to this earth to establish His kingdom. Here we are told to be pateint though, and to establish our hearts. We need to establish our hearts because we need to have assurance of our salvation and be complete in Him.
13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise.
I like this verse because God listens to the prayers of the godly and will always be there when we are suffering and when we’re happy. We must remember to turn to Him when there are troubles in our lives and also tun to Him when things are going well, knowing He is in charge.