Drawing Close to God.. James4

The cure for evil desires is humility. Pride makes us self centered and leads us to conclude that we deserve all we can see, touch, or imagine. It creates greedy appetites for far more then we need. We can released from our self centered desires by humbling ourselves before God, realizing that all we really need is HIS approval. When the Holy Spirit fills us, we see that this world's seductive attractions are only cheap subtitutes for what God has to offer.

No one can tame the tounge.. James3

Satan uses the tounge to divide people and pit them against one another, idle and hateful words are damaging because they spread destruction quickly. We dare not be careless with what we say, thinking we can apologize later, because even if we do, the scars remain. A few words spoken in anger can destroy a relationship that took years to build.
If no one can tame the tounge, why bother trying? Even though we maynot achieve perfect control of our tounges, the Holy Spirit will help us learn self control, so that when we are offended, the Spirit will remind us of God's love, and we wont react in a hateful manner. When we are criticized, the Spirit will heal the hurt and help us to not lash out.

Faith without Good Deeds is Dead.. James2

Only God in His mercy can forgive our sin. We cant earn forgiveness by forgiving others. But when we withhold forgiveness from others after having received it ourselves, we show we dont understand or appreciate God's mercy toward us.
When someone claims to have faith, what he may have is intellectual assent (agreement with a set of Christian teaching) and as such it would be incomplete faith. True faith transform our conduct as well as our thoughts. If our life remains unchanged, we dont trully believe the truth we claims to believe.

Listening and Doing.. James1

May all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Accept the Word God has planted in your hearts, for it has power to save your souls. But dont just listen to God's word. You must do what its says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the Word and dont obey, its like glancing at your face in the mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what its says and dont forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.
If you claim tobe religious but dont control your tounge, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless. Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.

Your Strength Comes from God's Grace.. Heb13

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. So dont be attracted by strange, new ideas.
Your strength comes from God's grace, not from rules about food, which dont help those who follow them

For our GOD is a devouring fire.. Heb12

There is a big difference between the flame of a candle and a roaring blast of a forest fire. We cant even stand near a raging fire, even with sophiscated firefighting equipment, a debouring fire is often beyong human control.
God isnt within our control either. We cant forced HIM to do anything for us through our prayer. HE cant be contained. Yet, HE is a GOD of compassion. HE has saved us from sin, HE will save us from death. But everything that is worthless and sinfull will be devoured by the fire of HIS wrath. Only what is good, dedicated to GOD, and righteous will remain

A better place, a Heavenly homeland.. Heb11

These people of faith died without receiving all that GOD promised, but they never lost their vision of heaven.
Many Christians become frustrated and defeated because their needs, wants, expectations, and demands are not immediately met when they accept Christ as savior. They become impatient and want to quit.
Are you discouraged because the achievement of your goal seems far away? Take courage from these Heroes of faith, Who lived and died without seeing the fruit of their faith on earth and yet continued to believe.

A body to offer.. Heb10

God desires obedience and a right heart, not empty compliance with the sacrifice system.
Christ came to offer His body on the cross for us as a sacrifice that is completely acceptable to GOD.
GOD's new and living way for us to please HIM isnt by keeping laws or even by abstaining from sin. It is by coming to HIM in faith to be forgiven, and then following HIM in loving obedience.

Pengharapanku hanya di dalam Tuhan.. Mzm37

Orang fasik merencanakan kejahatan terhadap orang benar dan menggertakkan giginya terhadap dia;

Tuhan menertawakan orang fasik itu, sebab Ia melihat bahwa harinya sudah dekat.

TUHAN mengetahui hari-hari orang yang saleh, dan milik pusaka mereka akan tetap selama-lamanya;

mereka tidak akan mendapat malu pada waktu kecelakaan, dan mereka akan menjadi kenyang pada hari-hari kelaparan.

Sesungguhnya, orang-orang fasik akan binasa; musuh TUHAN seperti keindahan padang rumput: mereka habis lenyap, habis lenyap bagaikan asap.

Orang fasik meminjam dan tidak membayar kembali, tetapi orang benar adalah pengasih dan pemurah.

Sesungguhnya, orang-orang yang diberkati-Nya akan mewarisi negeri, tetapi orang-orang yang dikutuki-Nya akan dilenyapkan.

TUHAN menetapkan langkah-langkah orang yang hidupnya berkenan kepada-Nya;

apabila ia jatuh, tidaklah sampai tergeletak, sebab TUHAN menopang tangannya.

Dahulu aku muda, sekarang telah menjadi tua, tetapi tidak pernah kulihat orang benar ditinggalkan, atau anak cucunya meminta-minta roti;

tiap hari ia menaruh belas kasihan dan memberi pinjaman, dan anak cucunya menjadi berkat.