Podcasts about partiality

Psalm 82 (NKJV)Andrew and Edwin dig into the possibilities of who the "gods" of Psalm 82 really are. Then they turn to Jesus to find out the answer.Read the written devo that goes along with this episode by clicking here.    Let us know what you are learning or any questions you have. Email us at TextTalk@ChristiansMeetHere.org.    Join the Facebook community and join the conversation by clicking here. We'd love to meet you. Be a guest among the Christians who meet on Livingston Avenue. Click here to find out more. Michael Eldridge sang all four parts of our theme song. Find more from him by clicking here.   Thanks for talking about the text with us today.________________________________________________If the hyperlinks do not work, copy the following addresses and paste them into the URL bar of your web browser: Daily Written Devo: https://readthebiblemakedisciples.wordpress.com/?p=12434The Christians Who Meet on Livingston Avenue: http://www.christiansmeethere.org/Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/TalkAboutTheTextFacebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/texttalkMichael Eldridge: https://acapeldridge.com/ 

Welcome to Day 2124 of Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom James – Wisdom is Faith in Action 6 – Faith and Works – Daily Wisdom Putnam Church Message – 10/10/2021 James: Wisdom is Faith In Action – Faith and Works We are continuing our series today on the Proverbs of the New Testament, better known as the book of James.  Last week we focused on how our Christian lives cannot contain Partiality and Prejudice any more than oil and water can mix.  Our focus today is on Fatih and Works.  Join me on page 1882 in the pew bibles as I read the Scripture for today. I would recommend keeping this passage open as we go throughout the message today: James 2:14-26 14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. 18 But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. 19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that and shudder. 20 You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless[d]? 21 Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23 And the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” [e] and he was called God's friend. 24 You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone. 25 In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? 26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.   I believe most of us have sung the song “If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands.”  In some church settings, they also added the verse, “If you're saved, and you know it, shout Amen!”   And then it continues, “If you're saved, and you know it, then your life will surely show it.” As I was thinking about that phrase, this week gave me pause.  I thought, “Lord, does my life really show the faith I profess?” What about all the things I'm called to do daily as a believer in Christ, as a citizen of God's kingdom? What about all those things that cut crosswise against cultural norms and society's expectations? So I

Welcome to Day 2123 of Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom James – Wisdom is Faith in Action 5 – Partiality and Prejudice – Daily Wisdom Putnam Church Message – 10/03/2021 James: Wisdom is Faith In Action – Partiality and Prejudice We are continuing our series today on the Proverbs of the New Testament, better known as the book of James.  Last week we focused on Listening and Doing Good. Today we will cover some hot topics in our society, but they are even more important within the church.  Our focus is on Partiality and Prejudice.  Join me on page 1882 in the pew bibles as I read the Scripture for today. I would recommend keeping this passage open as we go throughout the message today: James 2:1-13 My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. 2 Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. 3 If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here's a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” 4 have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? 5 Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? 7 Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong? 8 If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,”[a] you are doing right. 9 But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. 10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. 11 For he who said, “You shall not commit adultery,”[b] also said, “You shall not murder.”[c] If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker. 12 Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, 13 because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.   In many of our Christian lives, we wrestle against a form of Christianity obsessed with externals. Too many believers draw quick conclusions about people based merely on their first impressions— almost as if they had forgotten what we are told in 1 Samuel 16:7, But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don't judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn't see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but...

Sunday morning message preached from the pulpit of Shawano Baptist Church

James 2:1-13Four reasons why partiality is incompatible with faith in Christ and how the gospel frees us.

Partiality is a topic that most likely not a lot of us talk about in our everyday conversations either because we simply don't know what it is or we don't see what can from it. The unfortunate reality of having an attitude of personal favoritism dismantles the deep unity that God desires for us, at the expense of someone's own shallow benefit.This Sunday we're getting into the first thirteen verses of chapter two in James and looking at what God's word says about partiality, why it's a problem, and what we're supposed to do about it.

Could your partiality masquerade as love? James 2:8-9 "If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, "You shall lvoe your neighbor as yourself," you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors." (ESV) What we call love actually might be partiality in disguise. To fully integrate our faith and work, we must let God test our motives for everything we do. We think if we show favor to someone, we are demonstrating love. James states very clearly that if we show partiality to someone based on how we judge them, especially regarding their wealth, we violate the law. Partiality becomes a cheap substitute for love. How can you tell? Well, do you show favoritism to people who can't pay you back? It's easy to love the good customers. What about the problem ones? We've all seen examples of people trying to look good to the people at the top of the org chart. What about people further down the org chart? Will you let God show you how to bring your faith to work? Where does he want it to show up today? Simply asking is the first step, but also listen for the answer. Then act. If you are given answers by God but you don't take action, after a while, you won't be able to hear his voice. Or he will change the message. Today, ask God to help you treat your work as ministry. Life doesn't have to be compartments. You can combine your faith and work. Practice our 5 Daily Habits, Pray, Appreciate Others, Know what you believe, Serve Others and Speak for Yourself and you will find that your faith and joy show up at work all the time! Also, remember this podcast is designed to challenge you. Take the challenge. Ask God to show you where you can improve and begin the process. Subscribe to this podcast and share it with others so you can integrate your faith and work daily!

In a loving but firm way, James tells the church to stop showing partiality. Partiality is a sin, and like all sin, we must repent of it. Instead of showing partiality we should treat others the way we want to be treated.Pastors: Daniel Hendrickson

God Shows No PartialityActs 10:34 “Then Peter began to speak to them: “I truly understand that God shows no partiality,  but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.”I was at a Super Bowl party last night and I was talking with another woman who was there.  I am not really into football so I was in the kitchen with the food most of the night.  I am not sure if she is into football and was just being nice, but she visited with me for at least the first half of the game.  We were talking and she mentioned that her favorite Bible story was about Cornelieus.  I have to admit when she first said it I was not sure who she was talking about.  Then when she mentioned Peter visiting him, I remembered the story.  I will recap it for you briefly in case you, like me, do not remember that story.   In Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of the Italian Cohort, as it was called.  He was a devout man who feared God with all his household; he gave alms generously to the people and prayed constantly to God.  One afternoon at about three o'clock he had a vision in which he clearly saw an angel of God coming in and saying to him, “Cornelius.”  He stared at him in terror and said, “What is it, Lord?” He answered, “Your prayers and your alms have ascended as a memorial before God.  Now send men to Joppa for a certain Simon who is called Peter;  he is lodging with Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the seaside.”  When the angel who spoke to him had left, he called two of his slaves and a devout soldier from the ranks of those who served him,  and after telling them everything, he sent them to Joppa. About noon the next day, as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray.  He became hungry and wanted something to eat; and while it was being prepared, he fell into a trance. He saw the heaven opened and something like a large sheet coming down, being lowered to the ground by its four corners.  In it were all kinds of four-footed creatures and reptiles and birds of the air.  Then he heard a voice saying, “Get up, Peter; kill and eat.”  But Peter said, “By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is profane or unclean.”  The voice said to him again, a second time, “What God has made clean, you must not call profane.”  This happened three times, and the thing was suddenly taken up to heaven.”Right after this dream Cornelius' mean reached the gate and asked for Peter.  Peter went with the down to meet Cornelius and asked why they sent for him.  Cornelius explained about the Angel and that is when Peter said to them, “You yourselves know that it is unlawful for a Jew to associate with or to visit a Gentile; but God has shown me that I should not call anyone profane or unclean.”  “Then Peter began to speak to them: “I truly understand that God shows no partiality,  but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.”  Peter began to preach to Cornelius and all who were present that day and the Holy Spirit came down and fell upon all of them.  What my new friend loved most about this story is that the angel appeared to the Roman soldier and told him that God saw his deeds and they were good.  A Roman soldier, did good deeds.  The romans were not good to the Israelites, they were persecuting them. You would think God would want nothing to do with them and yet He sends and angel to tell Cornelius that his prayers are being heard.  She said she grew up being taught that our actions can't be good because we are nothing compared to God.  Jesus is so pure and our actions can never be pure or clean compared to his.  She loves this verse because if a Roman soldier can be told his actions are pleasing to the Lord, then surely our actions can be pleasing too.  I liked this verse above because Peter says, “I truly understand that God shows no partiality,  but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.”  I love this because I think we all tend to forget this.  We look at some people, or some groups of people and we count them out of God's plan.  We think because of this reason or that reason they can't be saved, they can't be God fearing individuals.  Do you know what I mean?  You might look at someone that is dressed in goth type clothes.  They wear all black and they have their nose pierced and they wear a choke collar and we think they can't possibly believe in God.  But it says right here that God shows no partiality.  He does not care what you are wearing or what you look like.  He does not care what your job is or what country you come from.  What God cares about is if you are following HIs laws.  Are you loving others and yourself?  Are you putting Him above all else?  When Jesus walked the Earth Gentiles and Jews did not associate.  Jesus broke this mold and talked to anyone He wanted to.  However, Peter needed that dream he had as well as witnessing the Holy Spirit descend on these Gentiles in order to understand that God did not care who you were or where you came from.  He cares what is in your heart and if you love Him or not.  It saddens me to think we are 2,000 years later and we are still judging others and deciding who we think is able to worship God.  I wonder when we will learn to accept that God is the only judge.  We only see what is on the outside and God sees what is on the inside.  We see how people act out in the world and God sees how they act all time.  It reminds me of when Samuel went to anoint David as future king.  Samuel was told to take the anointing oil and go to anoint one of Jesse's sons as the next king.  Samuel saw several of Jesse's sons and they looked like King material.  Each time the Lord told Samuel in 1 Samuel 16:7 “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”Here we are 2,000 years later, actually we are well past 2,000 years if we are going way back to when Samuel lived and we are still looking at appearances instead of looking on the inside.  We may have our ideas of who we think is capable of getting in to heaven and who isn't but what we think doesn't really matter.  It is not up to us, we don't get a say in it and that is awesome.  It is awesome that God doesn't rely on us to help Him decide who gets in and who doesn't because we are flawed and many of us tend to see the worst in people.  We have all of our history, all of our baggage, all that we have been through that clouds are judgement.  We look at everyone through a filter that was created from all we have experienced over the years.  God doesn't have this filter.  He can see with crystal clear vision into our hearts and instantly knows our true motives.  The next time we are tempted to judge someone we should remember that God is judging us in the same way we judge others.  It would be great if we could all stop judging because it is the right thing to do.  However, if you are not there yet, if you feel like your job is to judge others and you don't want to stop just because it is the right thing to do, then maybe you can stop if you remember that God is judging you in that same way.  When you come to your final day here are Earth and you head up to talk to God about your time here on earth do you want God to judge you on your appearance, your financial status, your job title, your skin color or any other characteristics that you are judging others for here on Earth?  I doubt it.  I doubt anyone wants that.  Peter said, “I truly understand that God shows no partiality.”  If God shows no partiality, then why do we?Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to this episode today.  Lord, help us to stop judging others.  Help us to stop feeling like our actions aren't good enough.  Help us to understand that you are not partial to one race or another.  You aren't partial to one religion or another.  You aren't so rigid that whole groups of people are excluded from your kingdom. You view each one of us on an individual basis and we are so grateful for that. Help us do the same Lord.  Help us see others through your eyes, not our own.  Lord, you are amazing, you are so powerful and we are so grateful for all you do.  We ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus' holy name, Amen!Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus.  If you would be willing to share a story or a testimony of how Jesus is working in your life please reach out and let me know.  My email is catherine@findingtruenorthcoaching.com or you can CLICK HERE.  I look forward to spending time with you tomorrow.  Remember Jesus loves you and so do I.  Have a blessed day!

Show No Partiality - James 2:1-13 A.D. February 12th, 2023 SUBSCRIBE to WarCry Media on YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChEr... Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/warcrymedia Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/warcrymedia... Gab: https://gab.com/WarCryMedia ___________________________________________ Find us online and contact us at: Redeemer Community Church - https://www.redeemerlv.com WarCry Media - https://www.warcrymedia.com

Message from Brad Wheeler on February 12, 2023

The boys welcome Heidi Arndt to the podcast! Heidi didn't grow up in church, but did grow up in music and indie bands. After marrying someone who worked in the church, Heidi shares her experience of what being mega-church and worship ministry adjacent is like. Despite her home church valuing being genuine, she shares how they attitudes quickly change behind closed doors.

James 2:1-13 | Bulletin

In this episode, Theological Professor/Bible Teacher David Klingler talks us through chapter 2, verses 1-13 of the book of James. James instructs us not to hold our faith with an attitude of personal favoritism. He reminds us not to show partiality because we have been shown mercy, so we are to give it freely.  Stay engaged with new and up-to-date content, including devotionals, articles, podcasts, etc. Download the Teach Me the Bible App from any app store or Apple TV/Roku device.

No Partiality Acts 10:34-48

Nick, Dave, and Ethan discuss partiality, from the "Engaging the World with the Word" sermon series.Intro & Outro Music - "15:00 Guiding Light" by Jonathan Ogden. (Spotify, Apple Music)

James challenges his readers to not show partiality to the rich. He lays out a scenario in which a rich man and a poor man enters their assembly. How should they treat the rich vs. the poor? James gives very specific teaching about partiality in these verses.

Join Christian and Brandon as they discuss James 2:1-13

James 1–5 James 1–5 (Listen) Greeting 1 James, a servant1 of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion: Greetings. Testing of Your Faith 2 Count it all joy, my brothers,2 when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. 9 Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, 10 and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass3 he will pass away. 11 For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits. 12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. 16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.4 18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. Hearing and Doing the Word 19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. 22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. 26 If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless. 27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. The Sin of Partiality 2 My brothers,5 show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. 2 For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, 3 and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” 4 have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? 5 Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? 7 Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called? 8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. 9 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10 For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. 11 For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. 12 So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. 13 For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. Faith Without Works Is Dead 14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good6 is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. 18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! 20 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead. Taming the Tongue 3 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. 2 For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. 3 If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. 4 Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. 5 So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life,7 and set on fire by hell.8 7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. 10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers,9 these things ought not to be so. 11 Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? 12 Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water. Wisdom from Above 13 Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. 15 This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. 18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. Warning Against Worldliness 4 What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions10 are at war within you?11 2 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. 4 You adulterous people!12 Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5 Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? 6 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. 11 Do not speak evil against one another, brothers.13 The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. 12 There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor? Boasting About Tomorrow 13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”—14 yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” 16 As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. 17 So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin. Warning to the Rich 5 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,14 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.15 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. Footnotes [1] 1:1 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface [2] 1:2 Or brothers and sisters. In New Testament usage, depending on the context, the plural Greek word adelphoi (translated “brothers”) may refer either to brothers or to brothers and sisters; also verses 16, 19 [3] 1:10 Or a wild flower [4] 1:17 Some manuscripts variation due to a shadow of turning [5] 2:1 Or brothers and sisters; also verses 5, 14 [6] 2:16 Or benefit [7] 3:6 Or wheel of birth [8] 3:6 Greek Gehenna [9] 3:10 Or brothers and sisters; also verse 12 [10] 4:1 Greek pleasures; also verse 3 [11] 4:1 Greek in your members [12] 4:4 Or You adulteresses! [13] 4:11 Or brothers and sisters [14] 5:7 Or brothers and sisters; also verses 9, 10, 12, 19 [15] 5:16 Or The effective prayer of a righteous person has great power (ESV)

Today The Family Talks about partiality.   To get in touch with us please email us at spellmanministries@gmail.com You can find us on all our socials & website below!
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Old Testament: Daniel 10–12 Daniel 10–12 (Listen) Daniel's Terrifying Vision of a Man 10 In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a word was revealed to Daniel, who was named Belteshazzar. And the word was true, and it was a great conflict.1 And he understood the word and had understanding of the vision. 2 In those days I, Daniel, was mourning for three weeks. 3 I ate no delicacies, no meat or wine entered my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, for the full three weeks. 4 On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was standing on the bank of the great river (that is, the Tigris) 5 I lifted up my eyes and looked, and behold, a man clothed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist. 6 His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and the sound of his words like the sound of a multitude. 7 And I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, for the men who were with me did not see the vision, but a great trembling fell upon them, and they fled to hide themselves. 8 So I was left alone and saw this great vision, and no strength was left in me. My radiant appearance was fearfully changed,2 and I retained no strength. 9 Then I heard the sound of his words, and as I heard the sound of his words, I fell on my face in deep sleep with my face to the ground. 10 And behold, a hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees. 11 And he said to me, “O Daniel, man greatly loved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for now I have been sent to you.” And when he had spoken this word to me, I stood up trembling. 12 Then he said to me, “Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words. 13 The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days, but Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I was left there with the kings of Persia, 14 and came to make you understand what is to happen to your people in the latter days. For the vision is for days yet to come.” 15 When he had spoken to me according to these words, I turned my face toward the ground and was mute. 16 And behold, one in the likeness of the children of man touched my lips. Then I opened my mouth and spoke. I said to him who stood before me, “O my lord, by reason of the vision pains have come upon me, and I retain no strength. 17 How can my lord's servant talk with my lord? For now no strength remains in me, and no breath is left in me.” 18 Again one having the appearance of a man touched me and strengthened me. 19 And he said, “O man greatly loved, fear not, peace be with you; be strong and of good courage.” And as he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, “Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.” 20 Then he said, “Do you know why I have come to you? But now I will return to fight against the prince of Persia; and when I go out, behold, the prince of Greece will come. 21 But I will tell you what is inscribed in the book of truth: there is none who contends by my side against these except Michael, your prince. The Kings of the South and the North 11 “And as for me, in the first year of Darius the Mede, I stood up to confirm and strengthen him. 2 “And now I will show you the truth. Behold, three more kings shall arise in Persia, and a fourth shall be far richer than all of them. And when he has become strong through his riches, he shall stir up all against the kingdom of Greece. 3 Then a mighty king shall arise, who shall rule with great dominion and do as he wills. 4 And as soon as he has arisen, his kingdom shall be broken and divided toward the four winds of heaven, but not to his posterity, nor according to the authority with which he ruled, for his kingdom shall be plucked up and go to others besides these. 5 “Then the king of the south shall be strong, but one of his princes shall be stronger than he and shall rule, and his authority shall be a great authority. 6 After some years they shall make an alliance, and the daughter of the king of the south shall come to the king of the north to make an agreement. But she shall not retain the strength of her arm, and he and his arm shall not endure, but she shall be given up, and her attendants, he who fathered her, and he who supported3 her in those times. 7 “And from a branch from her roots one shall arise in his place. He shall come against the army and enter the fortress of the king of the north, and he shall deal with them and shall prevail. 8 He shall also carry off to Egypt their gods with their metal images and their precious vessels of silver and gold, and for some years he shall refrain from attacking the king of the north. 9 Then the latter shall come into the realm of the king of the south but shall return to his own land. 10 “His sons shall wage war and assemble a multitude of great forces, which shall keep coming and overflow and pass through, and again shall carry the war as far as his fortress. 11 Then the king of the south, moved with rage, shall come out and fight against the king of the north. And he shall raise a great multitude, but it shall be given into his hand. 12 And when the multitude is taken away, his heart shall be exalted, and he shall cast down tens of thousands, but he shall not prevail. 13 For the king of the north shall again raise a multitude, greater than the first. And after some years4 he shall come on with a great army and abundant supplies. 14 “In those times many shall rise against the king of the south, and the violent among your own people shall lift themselves up in order to fulfill the vision, but they shall fail. 15 Then the king of the north shall come and throw up siegeworks and take a well-fortified city. And the forces of the south shall not stand, or even his best troops, for there shall be no strength to stand. 16 But he who comes against him shall do as he wills, and none shall stand before him. And he shall stand in the glorious land, with destruction in his hand. 17 He shall set his face to come with the strength of his whole kingdom, and he shall bring terms of an agreement and perform them. He shall give him the daughter of women to destroy the kingdom,5 but it shall not stand or be to his advantage. 18 Afterward he shall turn his face to the coastlands and shall capture many of them, but a commander shall put an end to his insolence. Indeed,6 he shall turn his insolence back upon him. 19 Then he shall turn his face back toward the fortresses of his own land, but he shall stumble and fall, and shall not be found. 20 “Then shall arise in his place one who shall send an exactor of tribute for the glory of the kingdom. But within a few days he shall be broken, neither in anger nor in battle. 21 In his place shall arise a contemptible person to whom royal majesty has not been given. He shall come in without warning and obtain the kingdom by flatteries. 22 Armies shall be utterly swept away before him and broken, even the prince of the covenant. 23 And from the time that an alliance is made with him he shall act deceitfully, and he shall become strong with a small people. 24 Without warning he shall come into the richest parts7 of the province, and he shall do what neither his fathers nor his fathers' fathers have done, scattering among them plunder, spoil, and goods. He shall devise plans against strongholds, but only for a time. 25 And he shall stir up his power and his heart against the king of the south with a great army. And the king of the south shall wage war with an exceedingly great and mighty army, but he shall not stand, for plots shall be devised against him. 26 Even those who eat his food shall break him. His army shall be swept away, and many shall fall down slain. 27 And as for the two kings, their hearts shall be bent on doing evil. They shall speak lies at the same table, but to no avail, for the end is yet to be at the time appointed. 28 And he shall return to his land with great wealth, but his heart shall be set against the holy covenant. And he shall work his will and return to his own land. 29 “At the time appointed he shall return and come into the south, but it shall not be this time as it was before. 30 For ships of Kittim shall come against him, and he shall be afraid and withdraw, and shall turn back and be enraged and take action against the holy covenant. He shall turn back and pay attention to those who forsake the holy covenant. 31 Forces from him shall appear and profane the temple and fortress, and shall take away the regular burnt offering. And they shall set up the abomination that makes desolate. 32 He shall seduce with flattery those who violate the covenant, but the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action. 33 And the wise among the people shall make many understand, though for some days they shall stumble by sword and flame, by captivity and plunder. 34 When they stumble, they shall receive a little help. And many shall join themselves to them with flattery, 35 and some of the wise shall stumble, so that they may be refined, purified, and made white, until the time of the end, for it still awaits the appointed time. 36 “And the king shall do as he wills. He shall exalt himself and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak astonishing things against the God of gods. He shall prosper till the indignation is accomplished; for what is decreed shall be done. 37 He shall pay no attention to the gods of his fathers, or to the one beloved by women. He shall not pay attention to any other god, for he shall magnify himself above all. 38 He shall honor the god of fortresses instead of these. A god whom his fathers did not know he shall honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and costly gifts. 39 He shall deal with the strongest fortresses with the help of a foreign god. Those who acknowledge him he shall load with honor. He shall make them rulers over many and shall divide the land for a price.8 40 “At the time of the end, the king of the south shall attack9 him, but the king of the north shall rush upon him like a whirlwind, with chariots and horsemen, and with many ships. And he shall come into countries and shall overflow and pass through. 41 He shall come into the glorious land. And tens of thousands shall fall, but these shall be delivered out of his hand: Edom and Moab and the main part of the Ammonites. 42 He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape. 43 He shall become ruler of the treasures of gold and of silver, and all the precious things of Egypt, and the Libyans and the Cushites shall follow in his train. 44 But news from the east and the north shall alarm him, and he shall go out with great fury to destroy and devote many to destruction. 45 And he shall pitch his palatial tents between the sea and the glorious holy mountain. Yet he shall come to his end, with none to help him. The Time of the End 12 “At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book. 2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. 3 And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above;10 and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. 4 But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, until the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.” 5 Then I, Daniel, looked, and behold, two others stood, one on this bank of the stream and one on that bank of the stream. 6 And someone said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the stream,11 “How long shall it be till the end of these wonders?” 7 And I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the stream; he raised his right hand and his left hand toward heaven and swore by him who lives forever that it would be for a time, times, and half a time, and that when the shattering of the power of the holy people comes to an end all these things would be finished. 8 I heard, but I did not understand. Then I said, “O my lord, what shall be the outcome of these things?” 9 He said, “Go your way, Daniel, for the words are shut up and sealed until the time of the end. 10 Many shall purify themselves and make themselves white and be refined, but the wicked shall act wickedly. And none of the wicked shall understand, but those who are wise shall understand. 11 And from the time that the regular burnt offering is taken away and the abomination that makes desolate is set up, there shall be 1,290 days. 12 Blessed is he who waits and arrives at the 1,335 days. 13 But go your way till the end. And you shall rest and shall stand in your allotted place at the end of the days.” Footnotes [1] 10:1 Or and it was about a great conflict [2] 10:8 Hebrew My splendor was changed to ruin [3] 11:6 Or obtained [4] 11:13 Hebrew at the end of the times [5] 11:17 Hebrew her, or it [6] 11:18 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain [7] 11:24 Or among the richest men [8] 11:39 Or land as payment [9] 11:40 Hebrew thrust at [10] 12:3 Hebrew the expanse; compare Genesis 1:6–8 [11] 12:6 Or who was upstream; also verse 7 (ESV) Psalm: Psalm 134 Psalm 134 (Listen) Come, Bless the Lord A Song of Ascents. 134   Come, bless the LORD, all you servants of the LORD,    who stand by night in the house of the LORD!2   Lift up your hands to the holy place    and bless the LORD! 3   May the LORD bless you from Zion,    he who made heaven and earth! (ESV) New Testament: James 1–2 James 1–2 (Listen) Greeting 1 James, a servant1 of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion: Greetings. Testing of Your Faith 2 Count it all joy, my brothers,2 when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. 9 Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, 10 and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass3 he will pass away. 11 For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits. 12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. 16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.4 18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. Hearing and Doing the Word 19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. 22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. 26 If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless. 27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. The Sin of Partiality 2 My brothers,5 show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. 2 For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, 3 and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” 4 have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? 5 Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? 7 Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called? 8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. 9 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10 For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. 11 For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. 12 So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. 13 For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. Faith Without Works Is Dead 14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good6 is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. 18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! 20 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead. Footnotes [1] 1:1 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface [2] 1:2 Or brothers and sisters. In New Testament usage, depending on the context, the plural Greek word adelphoi (translated “brothers”) may refer either to brothers or to brothers and sisters; also verses 16, 19 [3] 1:10 Or a wild flower [4] 1:17 Some manuscripts variation due to a shadow of turning [5] 2:1 Or brothers and sisters; also verses 5, 14 [6] 2:16 Or benefit (ESV)

Father Hudgins' homily: From Partiality to Totality

Partiality and the Royal Law Partiality and the Law of Liberty

1. A Rebuke Against Partiality 2. Some Reasons Against Partiality

Slideshow for this message is available Introduction James 1-2 We are in James 2 and part two of a passage dealing with the sin of partiality. You will recall from last week that the literal translation of the word partiality is to “receive the face”. It's the idea of looking merely on the outside. Man looks on the outward appearance. God looks on the heart. It's a warning of being compromised by the superficial. Partiality has a positive and a negative aspect to it. Positively, it's favoritism. It's gravitating TOWARD someone on the basis of their looks, their wealth, their social status, their race or whatever else it might be. Favoring someone is treating them extra special. Negatively it's discrimination. It's gravitating AWAY from someone and withholding blessing. It's a decision to bypass, a decision to overlook and move on, it's an actual decision to restrain kindness toward someone because of some external feature. If favoritism is treating someone extra special, discrimination is treating someone extra worse. And God in this passage despises partiality on both fronts. Why? Because partiality compromises the very heart of the gospel. It eviscerates the power from the gospel. You know what the word eviscerates means? Point to your viscerals? It's your guts. So to eviscerate the gospel is to take the guts out. To take the heart out and all you are left with is a lifeless shell. Here's does being partial eviscerate the gospel? Here's the reson: partiality is an evidence of being in love with the world. It's an evidence that you love exactly what the world loves. Therefore, partiality only confirms to a watching world, that they are on the right track. It confirms that what really matters is money, power, talent, beauty and prestige, the very thing they are already worshiping. This is what James was getting at in verses 5-7 from last week. He says, as Christians we don't value wealth and pride. We value poverty and humility. James says, “Why are you valuing earthly values instead of kingdom values?” God values the poor. Why are you valuing the rich? James here is accusing the church of being no different than the world. You so want to be loved by the world. You want to be so accepted, so applauded, so normal that you sell out. You shame your brother by cuddling up next to the very people who belittle and dishonor the name of your God. This is the same psychology that is experienced between the abuser and the abused. The abused goes back to the abuser because they have this deep, deep desire to be accepted. Is that not what the church does when they honor the world's wealth? The church so wants to be seen as cool, intelligent, culturally relevant, the church so wants to be accepted that she sells out to the abuser, the very one who is mocking them, abusing them, dragging them into court. It's insanity. Here's what James is saying: offer him something different, something real, something that truly has life. You want to confuse a rich man? How do you baffle and fluster the wealthy? Show him a poor, powerless man who is truly happy. Or even more, show him a community where the poor and widows and powerless are honored and respected and revered; now that's interesting. Any true seeker is coming to the church to find something different. That's why they come. They are seeking something better than what they have. The rich already, have money, power, influence and it's not working for them. So they come in seeking, "Perhaps there is something better." As soon as this rich person peeks his or her head in the door to see what's going on and they see that they get the red carpet rolled out and the poor are marginalized they recognize in one second that the church is after the same thing the world is after they instantly loose interest in the church as an institution because, after all, the church is a terrible place to find money, power or influence. But on the other hand, the more foolish we become in the eyes of the world, the more interesting we become. The more we live according to God's values instead of the world's values the more likely we are to peak their curiosity. Our need to be seen as relevant must die. We are fools. We are weak. We are not cool. We have nothing to offer. It's all about Christ. The marginalization that comes from being followers of Christ is not something to run from; it's something to love and embrace. It's the very thing we must embrace to even show them who Christ is. The reason Christ is so cool is that he takes people who are worth nothing and makes them something. We are supposed be the counterculture. So here's the question that gets answered in the text today: What does that counterculture look like? There are three points in the outline today and the key word in all three points is all. ALL. What's unique about the Christian, what's particularly attractive about the Christian is the word ALL. Most people love some. Most people treat some people with respect. But to treat all people, all your neighbors as yourself, to love ALL people without discrimination according to the royal law, THAT is impossibly difficult. Why? Because PEOPLE are impossibly difficult. So to love ALL people means you must have some impossible power residing within. That's what he's saying. How do you tell if you are being impartial. Easy. You just have to love all people like you love yourself. Usually the poor love the poor and despise the rich. The rich usually love the rich and despise the poor. Impartial people love not just the poor, and not just the rich. They love ALL people. What does this look like. Loving other people has a lot to do with meeting their needs. And if we are supposed to meet other peoples needs the way we meet our own needs, then we need to ask the question, “how do we meet our own needs?” Our needs get priority don't they. All sorts of pressures and obligations can be competing, but somehow our needs always get met. If we need to eat, if we need to go the bathroom, if we need sleep, if we are freezing cold, if we are bleeding we do something about it. Our needs don't get ignored or forgotten. Even if we can't tend to our needs immediately, there's a plan to meet them. There's always a conscious awareness. It's a nagging, ticking awareness. We can't shut it off. There's almost a panic of those needs go unmet. Our painful needs are met at any expense. If you can't afford a surgery on the appendix, but your appendix is bursting, what do you do? Break out the credit card, we'll figure it out later. No price tag is too high to silence the pain of a bursting appendix. So to love your neighbor as yourself is to simply think about the needs of others the way you think about your own needs. To love according to the Royal Law is easy. Just ask yourself, “If I was exactly like that person, what would I need? What would I lack? And if I lacked those things, how would I like to be treated?” One of the reasons it's so hard to fulfill the Royal Law is we spend so little time thinking about what it would like to be other people. I just keep thinking what it's like to be me. In order to love others as you would love yourself, you have to imagine what it would be like to be them. Picture in your mind, someone who you have a hard time loving as yourself. Imagine being that person. What would it be like to look like them. If you did look like them, how would you like to be treated? Imagine being a person who was overweight and embarrassed and embarrassed by their acne, embarrassed because of a deformity or a handicap, embarrassed by their financial situation, how would you like to be treated?* Imagine being a refugee who went through just awful suffering to get to this country and then not speak English and have no friends? Nobody knows you or what you've been through. How would you like to be treated? What would it be like to be the opposite gender? What would it be like to be a different race? What would it like to be adopted? What would it be like to not have the schooling you have? How would you like to be treated> Imagine being a person who struggled picking up on social cues; what would it be like if you couldn't do that? How would you like to be treated? If you struggled with basic math, or basic English skills, or basic life management skills, or basic computer skills, and you awkwardly fumbled in some way how would you feel and how would you like to be treated? If you struggled athletically and there was a social event that required those skills, how would you like to be treated? If you struggle jumping into social situations and you need people to draw you out, how would you like to be treated? If you were the minority race in a social setting, how would you like to be treated? Every Christian operates in some social group - a school, a neighborhood, a workplace. Those groups have values. And because of those values, when someone doesn't measure up, the group doesn't know what to do with them. They end up being social misfits - the ones who are looked down upon, ostracized or neglected. The Christian living according to the royal law is being asked to treat EVERYONE without partiality - period. Well what about the church. Imagine being a person who comes to church and doesn't quite fit in. Imagine coming to church truly curious but you discover really quickly, you don't fit in. You aren't wearing the right clothes. You don't know the right lingo. What if you weren't sure about Christianity, how would you like to be treated? What would it be like to be a single person among a church with lots of families? What would it be like to have an eating disorder? What would it be like to be depressed or have a marriage that is falling apart? What would it be like to have kids who are not walking with the Lord? What would it be like to be struggling with pornography or SSA? What would it be like to walk around with the stigma of divorce in a Christian community? What would it be like to struggle with drugs or alcohol or tobacco and show up to church? Imagine it, how would you like to be treated. Now treat them that way! Most of the time what we do with the weak is we say, “Well, that person needs to get a grip. They need to figure it out if they are to be successful in our world. Get with the program or suffer the consequences.” Or we say, “Too bad for them, nothing I can do about it.” Is that loving your neighbor as yourself? What if that were you? How would you like to be treated? Here's what I want you to do: Pick a person you are tempted to look down on. Pick a person who you'd be tempted to overlook. Spend 10 minutes writing down what it would be like being them. Literally write it down. Then go talk to them and see how it goes. I bet you will be amazed! It's called the Royal Law because if you love this way, you've found the heart and essence of what our Royal King Jesus asks us to do. You've become like the Royal King. If you want to please the heart of God, love like this. To love your neighbor as yourself. A true counterculture begins by loving not some but ALL of God's children. Secondly, it involves loving not some but ALL of God's laws. A law is warning. Don't do this or else there will be consequences. It is not less than that, but it it is more than that. Every warning is also an invitation into something better. If I say don't eat too much turkey at thanksgiving, it's a warning against the short and long term consequences of overeating but it's also an invitation into the joy of being healthy. All of God's commands are like this. The warning to not be partial is an invitation into the joy of selfless living. Self-centered living, having relationships that only benefit you, are, in the long run, soul destroying. But living for others, is soul-healing. In not showing partiality, you enter into the life of our King. So heeding ALL of God's laws is really important. James has a pretty deep concern in verses 9-11. He detects that we don't think this sin is of favoritism or discrimination is a very big deal. It's almost like we don't even think it matters. We are acting like, it's not even a law. He's going to crash right into how we justify our sins of partiality. What he's trying to do is help us see that partiality is a big deal. Don't gloss over it. It doesn't deserve a Meh, emoji. It deserves panic, fear, terror. Most of us are blind to our impartiality and if we do see it, we barely see it and it doesn't feel like a very big deal. We tend to justify it in some way. James is confronting that. He reminds us that God's angry with lawbreakers. He's angry with the wicked. He's angry with the evildoers of this world. We hear that and we think, I didn't kill nobody. I've didn't commit no adultery. I didn't break any major law. You see we are always so proud of the laws we didn't break. We hear the law, don't commit adultery. Don't murder. And we puff our chest out and say, "They ain't me." I don't know who those fools are, but I'm glad I'm not like those sinners. What God is saying here through James is this: Murder is breaking the law. But so is partiality. “So what if you didn't murder? If you commit partiality, you are a lawbreaker.” There's not a no-big-deal list of laws that you can break where God is ‘understanding' and winks and says, ‘that's cool if you ignore that.' Jerry Bridges once wrote a book entitled "respectable sins." These are the sins we allow in the church. Self-pity, materialism, vanity, or not sharing your faith. These are the sins that are respectable and sometimes even get praised. Partiality is one of these kinds of respectable sins. James has us in his sights. Don't think you can get away, friend. You can't get away. Are you partial? Then repent. Don't pride yourself in your selective law-keeping hoping that it will all kind of average out with your law breaking. You discriminate? You broken the law. You a racist? You broke the law. You can't stand certain kinds of people? You've broken the law. You can't stand those people who go those kinds of schools. You've broken the law. You can't stand blacks or whites or asians or hispanics? You can't stand Californians You can't stand native Idahoans You've broken the law. What's your Pet Peeve. Can't stand people who: talk too much, who come all disorganized, don't ask questions, aren't educated, don't manage money well, can't control their coffee or alcohol consumption, can't control their eating, rely on others too much…. You've broken the law. It's a heart of superiority and arrogance that the Lord wants you to repent of. So what do we do when we've broken the law? We repent. I think the best passage to illustrate this is the parable of the two men who went up to the temple. In many ways this is a parable of partiality. It's a parable of the one who doesn't think that discrimination and a superiority complex is any big deal. He doesn't even know he's doing it. And the point of this parable, that if you break the law at any point, if you keep the law perfectly, but you have this one little area of prejudice in your heart, you can be assured of nothing. The condemnation of God hangs over your head. Luke 18:9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: There it is. There's the partiality. I can't stand people like that. Prejudice. Discrimination. Treating others with contempt. So he told this parable to speak to people like this. And the first thing he does in speaking with those who are partial is to point out their self-righteousness. Notice the link between partiality and self-righteousness. “He told this parable to some who TRUSTED in themselves for their RIGHTEOUSNESS…” These he says are the same people who inevitably will treat others with contempt. Why? Because they reason, I worked hard for my righteous and they have not. Notice the partiality. Who are they treating with contempt? Others - other's not like them. There are people like me who work hard, and then there are OTHERS. Those who do not deserve the title righteous. Here's the parable. Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. Two men go up to the temple. They are socio-economically very different. PHarisees were educated. They were respected. They were known for their pious law-keeping. You could recognized a Pharisee a mile away from their purple robes and their fastidious law keeping. Then you had the tax collector. Known for his unashamed sell-out to Rome. Despised. He was disrespected. How did these two people approach God. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.' So what is he doing here? He's making lists of reasons he has value. Here are all the reasons I'm so amazing. This is the sin of the self-righteous. We selectively compare ourselves to others. This person is lazy. I'm not like that. This person hurt me in this way. And I don't do that kind of thing. This person loves money. I'm not like that. This person is arrogant. And I'm not like that. We have our list. So the Pharisee looks at all his lists and lists of law-keeping and finds his value in that. My lists prove that I am righteous. Now let's see about this other guy. But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!' The tax collector sees himself accurately. You know the tax collector realized, I have no worth. I look at all my righteousness and I see nothing that I can offer. Yeah, I may not be lazy like that person, but I'm greedy. I may not have hurt this person the way they hurt me. But I've hurt them other ways. I may not be arrogant like that. But I'm arrogant in my self-pity. So what's he do? He beats his breast saying, “God be merciful to me a sinner.” I have nothing to offer. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted. The Pharisee “kept the law” at all points but one, partiality. And in failing in partiality, in failing at just one point, seeing himself superior to others because of his self made righteousness, he failed at all points. LISTEN CLOSELY: remember we said that partiality eviscerates the gospel. Here's why. Partiality reveals that you trust in your own righteousness, not the righteousness given to you by Jesus Christ. It reveals that have trusted a false gospel of self-righteous. In saying, I have value over OTHERS BECAUSE OF MY PERFORMANCE, you have denied where our value comes from. And your “righteousness” becomes for you a noose upon which you will hang yourself. It's evidence against you on the day of judgment. You don't come to God with your lists of why you are better than other people. You come to come to God beating your breast saying, be merciful to me a sinner. God be merciful to me a sinner. That's the mark of the counterculture. I may have kept some of your laws, but breaking even one makes guilty of breaking all. God be merciful. The world says, “Here's all the reasons I have value and worth.” Here's my resume of accomplishments. I'm so glad, I'm not like those people over there who have nothing to show. me. me. me. me. And the more that is on the list, the more honor and dignity we feel we deserve. The world says, build you resume. Build your list of accomplishments. Here's the justification for my worth. Out comes the resume. Pages and pages of things you are proud of. Your degrees, your net worth, your athletic, musical accomplishments. And what do you do with that list. You use it to compare. You measure self against others and you compare and you justify your worth by comparison. But this man never stops to ask the question, “What does God think of my list?” God looks down and says, “All I see on your list is the basics of what I expect breathing humans to do. I see that you've kept my law in very narrow ways. That doesn't earn you any points. That's the bare minimum expectations I have for existing. That's like asking for a raise because you showed up to work on time. I just expect that.” You get nothing, my friend, because I see partiality. I see ego. I see superiority. I see sass and pride. I see arrogance. I see favoritism and discrimination. You see that's the problem with the self-righteous. But you ask a man of God why he or she has worth? What does he say? God be merciful to me a sinner. I've broken your law. I am partial. They beat their breast. I have no worth. I am so unworthy of the mercy of God because I sees so clearly that all of my accomplishments are as filthy rags. God be merciful to me, a sinner. This is why the third mark of of the counterculture is to be in AWE of God's mercy. All of it. Look how it's stated. Judgment is without mercy to those who show no mercy. In other words, if you treat others by the standard that merit is earned not received, then you will be treated by that standard. If you treat other people as inferior because they have not performed, then you will be judged on the basis of your performance and non-performance. Keep in mind that God is the judge, and if you fail at even one point, you are guilty of it all. If you don't realize that mercy is the basis for anyone's righteousness, then you don't understand righteousness. You are still in your sins. How you treat others is an indicator of whether or not you get it. Again it's a test. Those who are truly children of God have been changed by mercy. They get mercy. They get how God's mercy relates to their justification. He says it another way. “Speak and act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty.” What is the law of liberty. What is a liberating law? I'll give you an example of a LIBERATING law. I now decree a new law, everybody in the room, before you go to bed, you have to eat ice cream. A liberating law is a law you want to obey. So if we are being judged according to the law of liberty, we are really being judged in accordance with how much God's law to love people parallels our own desire to love people. Is God's law to love the very thing we want to do? Is the law of liberty, which is the same as the royal law - is that a wonderful thought or a hateful thought? That's how you will be judged because it reveals how you see yourself. Do you want to love and serve all God's children. Not just the poor and not just the rich. But all equally. Loving all people naturally will only be a automatic for us, if the gospel has rattled us. Do we have a sense of our own spiritual stench? Do we have a sense of how gracious God was to us in that state? Do you have a sense of how utterly spiritual homeless you were? Do you have a sense of how bad your breath was? Do you have a sense of how rotten your teeth were, how dirty your clothes were? Do you see and have a clear picture of this and do you beat your breast and say, “God have mercy on me a sinner.” And when you prayed that prayer, do you remember when Christ came and gave you a hug? Do you remember how long that embrace was? Do you remember how he smiled at you? Do you remember how he gave you new clothes and cleaned you? Do you remember how he cared for the wounds? Experiencing that rattles a person. It transforms. And because you've experienced it, you want to share it with everyone else. You wants to treat other people in that same way! For you, it becomes both the Royal Law and the Law of Liberty. It's the royal law in that when we act like that we act royally, like our royal king Jesus. It's the law of liberty in that nobody has to tell us to do that. No law is needed. We are doing exactly what we want to do. That's the great test of how much mercy of God you have seen. This mercy has touched down in your heart. Or, as James says, it becomes implanted. This law of liberty, the royal law, becomes for us, in James words above, an “implanted word,” “written on the heart” which is able to save our souls. The word IMPLANTED is a hapax legomenon, which means it is the only place in the whole Bible where this particular Greek word is used. But there are lots of other examples in Greek literature of the first century so we can get a sense of how it's used. And the word implanted always has the sense of something that is naturally there versus acquired. Something that's planted is natural to you rather than acquired. So for example, let's say I don't know anything about identifying edible plants in the wilderness. And I go on an adventure with Bear Grylls, you know a survival expert. And he teaches me all about the bugs and plants you can eat. Which ones are safe and which ones will kill you. That's acquired knowledge. And you might think, okay that makes sense. But tell me an example of something that isn't acquired knowledge. Isn't all knowledge acquired. No, some things are natural. Everybody naturally hates high pitched screechy noises. You don't have to be taught that. That's implanted. Everybody feels it's wrong to kill other people. No school necessary. That's implanted. So the claim is that when you become a Christian, the royal law, the law of liberty becomes implanted. That's a startling claim. It's something that's NATURALLY there vs. ACQUIRED. When you become a Christian you are given a new nature. The Bible calls it a new heart. You are a new creation with new things that are implanted. For example, Before you're a Christian, the Bible can be extremely interesting. It's information. After you become a Christian, it's food. It's air. You relate to it, your system relates to it, the way a hungry person relates to food, the way a suffocating person relates to air, and the way a thirsty person relates to water. It's not just intellectual anymore. It's spiritual drink. That's something new that's been implanted. When it comes to people, what the gospel does it changes you from looking down on people to looking up to Christ. And when you look up to Christ, everything changes. In fact, all three of our points from the message become implanted. How you view self, how you view him, and how you view others. That desire to love all people becomes implanted. That desire to receive mercy from God and not find righteousness in self, that becomes implanted. Prayer of Repentance:

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James 1–5 James 1–5 (Listen) Greeting 1 James, a servant1 of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion: Greetings. Testing of Your Faith 2 Count it all joy, my brothers,2 when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. 9 Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, 10 and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass3 he will pass away. 11 For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits. 12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. 16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.4 18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. Hearing and Doing the Word 19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. 22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. 26 If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless. 27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. The Sin of Partiality 2 My brothers,5 show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. 2 For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, 3 and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” 4 have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? 5 Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? 7 Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called? 8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. 9 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10 For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. 11 For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. 12 So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. 13 For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. Faith Without Works Is Dead 14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good6 is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. 18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! 20 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead. Taming the Tongue 3 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. 2 For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. 3 If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. 4 Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. 5 So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life,7 and set on fire by hell.8 7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. 10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers,9 these things ought not to be so. 11 Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? 12 Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water. Wisdom from Above 13 Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. 15 This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. 18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. Warning Against Worldliness 4 What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions10 are at war within you?11 2 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. 4 You adulterous people!12 Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5 Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? 6 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. 11 Do not speak evil against one another, brothers.13 The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. 12 There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor? Boasting About Tomorrow 13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”—14 yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” 16 As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. 17 So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin. Warning to the Rich 5 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,14 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.15 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. Footnotes [1] 1:1 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface [2] 1:2 Or brothers and sisters. In New Testament usage, depending on the context, the plural Greek word adelphoi (translated “brothers”) may refer either to brothers or to brothers and sisters; also verses 16, 19 [3] 1:10 Or a wild flower [4] 1:17 Some manuscripts variation due to a shadow of turning [5] 2:1 Or brothers and sisters; also verses 5, 14 [6] 2:16 Or benefit [7] 3:6 Or wheel of birth [8] 3:6 Greek Gehenna [9] 3:10 Or brothers and sisters; also verse 12 [10] 4:1 Greek pleasures; also verse 3 [11] 4:1 Greek in your members [12] 4:4 Or You adulteresses! [13] 4:11 Or brothers and sisters [14] 5:7 Or brothers and sisters; also verses 9, 10, 12, 19 [15] 5:16 Or The effective prayer of a righteous person has great power (ESV)

Morning: Ezekiel 22–23 Ezekiel 22–23 (Listen) Israel's Shedding of Blood 22 And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 2 “And you, son of man, will you judge, will you judge the bloody city? Then declare to her all her abominations. 3 You shall say, Thus says the Lord GOD: A city that sheds blood in her midst, so that her time may come, and that makes idols to defile herself! 4 You have become guilty by the blood that you have shed, and defiled by the idols that you have made, and you have brought your days near, the appointed time of1 your years has come. Therefore I have made you a reproach to the nations, and a mockery to all the countries. 5 Those who are near and those who are far from you will mock you; your name is defiled; you are full of tumult. 6 “Behold, the princes of Israel in you, every one according to his power, have been bent on shedding blood. 7 Father and mother are treated with contempt in you; the sojourner suffers extortion in your midst; the fatherless and the widow are wronged in you. 8 You have despised my holy things and profaned my Sabbaths. 9 There are men in you who slander to shed blood, and people in you who eat on the mountains; they commit lewdness in your midst. 10 In you men uncover their fathers' nakedness; in you they violate women who are unclean in their menstrual impurity. 11 One commits abomination with his neighbor's wife; another lewdly defiles his daughter-in-law; another in you violates his sister, his father's daughter. 12 In you they take bribes to shed blood; you take interest and profit2 and make gain of your neighbors by extortion; but me you have forgotten, declares the Lord GOD. 13 “Behold, I strike my hand at the dishonest gain that you have made, and at the blood that has been in your midst. 14 Can your courage endure, or can your hands be strong, in the days that I shall deal with you? I the LORD have spoken, and I will do it. 15 I will scatter you among the nations and disperse you through the countries, and I will consume your uncleanness out of you. 16 And you shall be profaned by your own doing in the sight of the nations, and you shall know that I am the LORD.” 17 And the word of the LORD came to me: 18 “Son of man, the house of Israel has become dross to me; all of them are bronze and tin and iron and lead in the furnace; they are dross of silver. 19 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Because you have all become dross, therefore, behold, I will gather you into the midst of Jerusalem. 20 As one gathers silver and bronze and iron and lead and tin into a furnace, to blow the fire on it in order to melt it, so I will gather you in my anger and in my wrath, and I will put you in and melt you. 21 I will gather you and blow on you with the fire of my wrath, and you shall be melted in the midst of it. 22 As silver is melted in a furnace, so you shall be melted in the midst of it, and you shall know that I am the LORD; I have poured out my wrath upon you.” 23 And the word of the LORD came to me: 24 “Son of man, say to her, You are a land that is not cleansed or rained upon in the day of indignation. 25 The conspiracy of her prophets in her midst is like a roaring lion tearing the prey; they have devoured human lives; they have taken treasure and precious things; they have made many widows in her midst. 26 Her priests have done violence to my law and have profaned my holy things. They have made no distinction between the holy and the common, neither have they taught the difference between the unclean and the clean, and they have disregarded my Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them. 27 Her princes in her midst are like wolves tearing the prey, shedding blood, destroying lives to get dishonest gain. 28 And her prophets have smeared whitewash for them, seeing false visions and divining lies for them, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD,' when the LORD has not spoken. 29 The people of the land have practiced extortion and committed robbery. They have oppressed the poor and needy, and have extorted from the sojourner without justice. 30 And I sought for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the breach before me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found none. 31 Therefore I have poured out my indignation upon them. I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath. I have returned their way upon their heads, declares the Lord GOD.” Oholah and Oholibah 23 The word of the LORD came to me: 2 “Son of man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother. 3 They played the whore in Egypt; they played the whore in their youth; there their breasts were pressed and their virgin bosoms3 handled. 4 Oholah was the name of the elder and Oholibah the name of her sister. They became mine, and they bore sons and daughters. As for their names, Oholah is Samaria, and Oholibah is Jerusalem. 5 “Oholah played the whore while she was mine, and she lusted after her lovers the Assyrians, warriors 6 clothed in purple, governors and commanders, all of them desirable young men, horsemen riding on horses. 7 She bestowed her whoring upon them, the choicest men of Assyria all of them, and she defiled herself with all the idols of everyone after whom she lusted. 8 She did not give up her whoring that she had begun in Egypt; for in her youth men had lain with her and handled her virgin bosom and poured out their whoring lust upon her. 9 Therefore I delivered her into the hands of her lovers, into the hands of the Assyrians, after whom she lusted. 10 These uncovered her nakedness; they seized her sons and her daughters; and as for her, they killed her with the sword; and she became a byword among women, when judgment had been executed on her. 11 “Her sister Oholibah saw this, and she became more corrupt than her sister4 in her lust and in her whoring, which was worse than that of her sister. 12 She lusted after the Assyrians, governors and commanders, warriors clothed in full armor, horsemen riding on horses, all of them desirable young men. 13 And I saw that she was defiled; they both took the same way. 14 But she carried her whoring further. She saw men portrayed on the wall, the images of the Chaldeans portrayed in vermilion, 15 wearing belts on their waists, with flowing turbans on their heads, all of them having the appearance of officers, a likeness of Babylonians whose native land was Chaldea. 16 When she saw them, she lusted after them and sent messengers to them in Chaldea. 17 And the Babylonians came to her into the bed of love, and they defiled her with their whoring lust. And after she was defiled by them, she turned from them in disgust. 18 When she carried on her whoring so openly and flaunted her nakedness, I turned in disgust from her, as I had turned in disgust from her sister. 19 Yet she increased her whoring, remembering the days of her youth, when she played the whore in the land of Egypt 20 and lusted after her lovers there, whose members were like those of donkeys, and whose issue was like that of horses. 21 Thus you longed for the lewdness of your youth, when the Egyptians handled your bosom and pressed5 your young breasts.” 22 Therefore, O Oholibah, thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, I will stir up against you your lovers from whom you turned in disgust, and I will bring them against you from every side: 23 the Babylonians and all the Chaldeans, Pekod and Shoa and Koa, and all the Assyrians with them, desirable young men, governors and commanders all of them, officers and men of renown, all of them riding on horses. 24 And they shall come against you from the north6 with chariots and wagons and a host of peoples. They shall set themselves against you on every side with buckler, shield, and helmet; and I will commit the judgment to them, and they shall judge you according to their judgments. 25 And I will direct my jealousy against you, that they may deal with you in fury. They shall cut off your nose and your ears, and your survivors shall fall by the sword. They shall seize your sons and your daughters, and your survivors shall be devoured by fire. 26 They shall also strip you of your clothes and take away your beautiful jewels. 27 Thus I will put an end to your lewdness and your whoring begun in the land of Egypt, so that you shall not lift up your eyes to them or remember Egypt anymore. 28 “For thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will deliver you into the hands of those whom you hate, into the hands of those from whom you turned in disgust, 29 and they shall deal with you in hatred and take away all the fruit of your labor and leave you naked and bare, and the nakedness of your whoring shall be uncovered. Your lewdness and your whoring 30 have brought this upon you, because you played the whore with the nations and defiled yourself with their idols. 31 You have gone the way of your sister; therefore I will give her cup into your hand. 32 Thus says the Lord GOD:   “You shall drink your sister's cup    that is deep and large;  you shall be laughed at and held in derision,    for it contains much;33   you will be filled with drunkenness and sorrow.  A cup of horror and desolation,    the cup of your sister Samaria;34   you shall drink it and drain it out,    and gnaw its shards,    and tear your breasts; for I have spoken, declares the Lord GOD. 35 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Because you have forgotten me and cast me behind your back, you yourself must bear the consequences of your lewdness and whoring.” 36 The LORD said to me: “Son of man, will you judge Oholah and Oholibah? Declare to them their abominations. 37 For they have committed adultery, and blood is on their hands. With their idols they have committed adultery, and they have even offered up7 to them for food the children whom they had borne to me. 38 Moreover, this they have done to me: they have defiled my sanctuary on the same day and profaned my Sabbaths. 39 For when they had slaughtered their children in sacrifice to their idols, on the same day they came into my sanctuary to profane it. And behold, this is what they did in my house. 40 They even sent for men to come from afar, to whom a messenger was sent; and behold, they came. For them you bathed yourself, painted your eyes, and adorned yourself with ornaments. 41 You sat on a stately couch, with a table spread before it on which you had placed my incense and my oil. 42 The sound of a carefree multitude was with her; and with men of the common sort, drunkards8 were brought from the wilderness; and they put bracelets on the hands of the women, and beautiful crowns on their heads. 43 “Then I said of her who was worn out by adultery, ‘Now they will continue to use her for a whore, even her!'9 44 For they have gone in to her, as men go in to a prostitute. Thus they went in to Oholah and to Oholibah, lewd women! 45 But righteous men shall pass judgment on them with the sentence of adulteresses, and with the sentence of women who shed blood, because they are adulteresses, and blood is on their hands.” 46 For thus says the Lord GOD: “Bring up a vast host against them, and make them an object of terror and a plunder. 47 And the host shall stone them and cut them down with their swords. They shall kill their sons and their daughters, and burn up their houses. 48 Thus will I put an end to lewdness in the land, that all women may take warning and not commit lewdness as you have done. 49 And they shall return your lewdness upon you, and you shall bear the penalty for your sinful idolatry, and you shall know that I am the Lord GOD.” Footnotes [1] 22:4 Some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate, Targum; most Hebrew manuscripts until [2] 22:12 That is, profit that comes from charging interest to the poor (compare Leviticus 25:36) [3] 23:3 Hebrew nipples; also verses 8, 21 [4] 23:11 Hebrew than she [5] 23:21 Vulgate, Syriac; Hebrew bosom for the sake of [6] 23:24 Septuagint; the meaning of the Hebrew word is unknown [7] 23:37 Or have even made pass through the fire [8] 23:42 Or Sabeans [9] 23:43 The meaning of the Hebrew verse is uncertain (ESV) Evening: James 2 James 2 (Listen) The Sin of Partiality 2 My brothers,1 show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. 2 For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, 3 and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” 4 have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? 5 Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? 7 Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called? 8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. 9 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10 For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. 11 For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. 12 So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. 13 For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. Faith Without Works Is Dead 14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good2 is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. 18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! 20 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead. Footnotes [1] 2:1 Or brothers and sisters; also verses 5, 14 [2] 2:16 Or benefit (ESV)

With family: 1 Chronicles 15; James 2 1 Chronicles 15 (Listen) The Ark Brought to Jerusalem 15 David1 built houses for himself in the city of David. And he prepared a place for the ark of God and pitched a tent for it. 2 Then David said that no one but the Levites may carry the ark of God, for the LORD had chosen them to carry the ark of the LORD and to minister to him forever. 3 And David assembled all Israel at Jerusalem to bring up the ark of the LORD to its place, which he had prepared for it. 4 And David gathered together the sons of Aaron and the Levites: 5 of the sons of Kohath, Uriel the chief, with 120 of his brothers; 6 of the sons of Merari, Asaiah the chief, with 220 of his brothers; 7 of the sons of Gershom, Joel the chief, with 130 of his brothers; 8 of the sons of Elizaphan, Shemaiah the chief, with 200 of his brothers; 9 of the sons of Hebron, Eliel the chief, with 80 of his brothers; 10 of the sons of Uzziel, Amminadab the chief, with 112 of his brothers. 11 Then David summoned the priests Zadok and Abiathar, and the Levites Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab, 12 and said to them, “You are the heads of the fathers' houses of the Levites. Consecrate yourselves, you and your brothers, so that you may bring up the ark of the LORD, the God of Israel, to the place that I have prepared for it. 13 Because you did not carry it the first time, the LORD our God broke out against us, because we did not seek him according to the rule.” 14 So the priests and the Levites consecrated themselves to bring up the ark of the LORD, the God of Israel. 15 And the Levites carried the ark of God on their shoulders with the poles, as Moses had commanded according to the word of the LORD. 16 David also commanded the chiefs of the Levites to appoint their brothers as the singers who should play loudly on musical instruments, on harps and lyres and cymbals, to raise sounds of joy. 17 So the Levites appointed Heman the son of Joel; and of his brothers Asaph the son of Berechiah; and of the sons of Merari, their brothers, Ethan the son of Kushaiah; 18 and with them their brothers of the second order, Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, and Mikneiah, and the gatekeepers Obed-edom and Jeiel. 19 The singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were to sound bronze cymbals; 20 Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah were to play harps according to Alamoth; 21 but Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah were to lead with lyres according to the Sheminith. 22 Chenaniah, leader of the Levites in music, should direct the music, for he understood it. 23 Berechiah and Elkanah were to be gatekeepers for the ark. 24 Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer, the priests, should blow the trumpets before the ark of God. Obed-edom and Jehiah were to be gatekeepers for the ark. 25 So David and the elders of Israel and the commanders of thousands went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD from the house of Obed-edom with rejoicing. 26 And because God helped the Levites who were carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD, they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams. 27 David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, as also were all the Levites who were carrying the ark, and the singers and Chenaniah the leader of the music of the singers. And David wore a linen ephod. 28 So all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the LORD with shouting, to the sound of the horn, trumpets, and cymbals, and made loud music on harps and lyres. 29 And as the ark of the covenant of the LORD came to the city of David, Michal the daughter of Saul looked out of the window and saw King David dancing and celebrating, and she despised him in her heart. Footnotes [1] 15:1 Hebrew He (ESV) James 2 (Listen) The Sin of Partiality 2 My brothers,1 show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. 2 For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, 3 and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” 4 have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? 5 Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? 7 Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called? 8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. 9 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10 For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. 11 For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. 12 So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. 13 For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. Faith Without Works Is Dead 14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good2 is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. 18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! 20 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead. Footnotes [1] 2:1 Or brothers and sisters; also verses 5, 14 [2] 2:16 Or benefit (ESV) In private: Amos 9; Luke 4 Amos 9 (Listen) The Destruction of Israel 9 I saw the Lord standing beside1 the altar, and he said:   “Strike the capitals until the thresholds shake,    and shatter them on the heads of all the people;2  and those who are left of them I will kill with the sword;    not one of them shall flee away;    not one of them shall escape. 2   “If they dig into Sheol,    from there shall my hand take them;  if they climb up to heaven,    from there I will bring them down.3   If they hide themselves on the top of Carmel,    from there I will search them out and take them;  and if they hide from my sight at the bottom of the sea,    there I will command the serpent, and it shall bite them.4   And if they go into captivity before their enemies,    there I will command the sword, and it shall kill them;  and I will fix my eyes upon them    for evil and not for good.” 5   The Lord GOD of hosts,  he who touches the earth and it melts,    and all who dwell in it mourn,  and all of it rises like the Nile,    and sinks again, like the Nile of Egypt;6   who builds his upper chambers in the heavens    and founds his vault upon the earth;  who calls for the waters of the sea    and pours them out upon the surface of the earth—  the LORD is his name. 7   “Are you not like the Cushites to me,    O people of Israel?” declares the LORD.  “Did I not bring up Israel from the land of Egypt,    and the Philistines from Caphtor and the Syrians from Kir?8   Behold, the eyes of the Lord GOD are upon the sinful kingdom,    and I will destroy it from the surface of the ground,    except that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob,”      declares the LORD. 9   “For behold, I will command,    and shake the house of Israel among all the nations  as one shakes with a sieve,    but no pebble shall fall to the earth.10   All the sinners of my people shall die by the sword,    who say, ‘Disaster shall not overtake or meet us.' The Restoration of Israel 11   “In that day I will raise up    the booth of David that is fallen  and repair its breaches,    and raise up its ruins    and rebuild it as in the days of old,12   that they may possess the remnant of Edom    and all the nations who are called by my name,”3    declares the LORD who does this. 13   “Behold, the days are coming,” declares the LORD,    “when the plowman shall overtake the reaper    and the treader of grapes him who sows the seed;  the mountains shall drip sweet wine,    and all the hills shall flow with it.14   I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel,    and they shall rebuild the ruined cities and inhabit them;  they shall plant vineyards and drink their wine,    and they shall make gardens and eat their fruit.15   I will plant them on their land,    and they shall never again be uprooted    out of the land that I have given them,”      says the LORD your God. Footnotes [1] 9:1 Or on [2] 9:1 Hebrew all of them [3] 9:12 Hebrew; Septuagint (compare Acts 15:17) that the remnant of mankind and all the nations who are called by my name may seek the Lord (ESV) Luke 4 (Listen) The Temptation of Jesus 4 And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness 2 for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry. 3 The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” 4 And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone.'” 5 And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, 6 and said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. 7 If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” 8 And Jesus answered him, “It is written,   “‘You shall worship the Lord your God,    and him only shall you serve.'” 9 And he took him to Jerusalem and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, 10 for it is written,   “‘He will command his angels concerning you,    to guard you,' 11 and   “‘On their hands they will bear you up,    lest you strike your foot against a stone.'” 12 And Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.'” 13 And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time. Jesus Begins His Ministry 14 And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and a report about him went out through all the surrounding country. 15 And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all. Jesus Rejected at Nazareth 16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. 17 And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, 18   “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,    because he has anointed me    to proclaim good news to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives    and recovering of sight to the blind,    to set at liberty those who are oppressed,19   to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.” 20 And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21 And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” 22 And all spoke well of him and marveled at the gracious words that were coming from his mouth. And they said, “Is not this Joseph's son?” 23 And he said to them, “Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, ‘“Physician, heal yourself.” What we have heard you did at Capernaum, do here in your hometown as well.'” 24 And he said, “Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown. 25 But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heavens were shut up three years and six months, and a great famine came over all the land, 26 and Elijah was sent to none of them but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. 27 And there were many lepers1 in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.” 28 When they heard these things, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath. 29 And they rose up and drove him out of the town and brought him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they could throw him down the cliff. 30 But passing through their midst, he went away. Jesus Heals a Man with an Unclean Demon 31 And he went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee. And he was teaching them on the Sabbath, 32 and they were astonished at his teaching, for his word possessed authority. 33 And in the synagogue there was a man who had the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice, 34 “Ha!2 What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.” 35 But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent and come out of him!” And when the demon had thrown him down in their midst, he came out of him, having done him no harm. 36 And they were all amazed and said to one another, “What is this word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out!” 37 And reports about him went out into every place in the surrounding region. Jesus Heals Many 38 And he arose and left the synagogue and entered Simon's house. Now Simon's mother-in-law was ill with a high fever, and they appealed to him on her behalf. 39 And he stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her, and immediately she rose and began to serve them. 40 Now when the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to him, and he laid his hands on every one of them and healed them. 41 And demons also came out of many, crying, “You are the Son of God!” But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Christ. Jesus Preaches in Synagogues 42 And when it was day, he departed and went into a desolate place. And the people sought him and came to him, and would have kept him from leaving them, 43 but he said to them, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose.” 44 And he was preaching in the synagogues of Judea.3 Footnotes [1] 4:27 Leprosy was a term for several skin diseases; see Leviticus 13 [2] 4:34 Or Leave us alone [3] 4:44 Some manuscripts Galilee (ESV)

Proper 27 First Psalm: Psalm 87; Psalm 90 Psalm 87 (Listen) Glorious Things of You Are Spoken A Psalm of the Sons of Korah. A Song. 87   On the holy mount stands the city he founded;2     the LORD loves the gates of Zion    more than all the dwelling places of Jacob.3   Glorious things of you are spoken,    O city of God. Selah 4   Among those who know me I mention Rahab and Babylon;    behold, Philistia and Tyre, with Cush1—    “This one was born there,” they say.5   And of Zion it shall be said,    “This one and that one were born in her”;    for the Most High himself will establish her.6   The LORD records as he registers the peoples,    “This one was born there.” Selah 7   Singers and dancers alike say,    “All my springs are in you.” Footnotes [1] 87:4 Probably Nubia (ESV) Psalm 90 (Listen) Book Four From Everlasting to Everlasting A Prayer of Moses, the man of God. 90   Lord, you have been our dwelling place1    in all generations.2   Before the mountains were brought forth,    or ever you had formed the earth and the world,    from everlasting to everlasting you are God. 3   You return man to dust    and say, “Return, O children of man!”24   For a thousand years in your sight    are but as yesterday when it is past,    or as a watch in the night. 5   You sweep them away as with a flood; they are like a dream,    like grass that is renewed in the morning:6   in the morning it flourishes and is renewed;    in the evening it fades and withers. 7   For we are brought to an end by your anger;    by your wrath we are dismayed.8   You have set our iniquities before you,    our secret sins in the light of your presence. 9   For all our days pass away under your wrath;    we bring our years to an end like a sigh.10   The years of our life are seventy,    or even by reason of strength eighty;  yet their span3 is but toil and trouble;    they are soon gone, and we fly away.11   Who considers the power of your anger,    and your wrath according to the fear of you? 12   So teach us to number our days    that we may get a heart of wisdom.13   Return, O LORD! How long?    Have pity on your servants!14   Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love,    that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.15   Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us,    and for as many years as we have seen evil.16   Let your work be shown to your servants,    and your glorious power to their children.17   Let the favor4 of the Lord our God be upon us,    and establish the work of our hands upon us;    yes, establish the work of our hands! Footnotes [1] 90:1 Some Hebrew manuscripts (compare Septuagint) our refuge [2] 90:3 Or of Adam [3] 90:10 Or pride [4] 90:17 Or beauty (ESV) Second Psalm: Psalm 136 Psalm 136 (Listen) His Steadfast Love Endures Forever 136   Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,    for his steadfast love endures forever.2   Give thanks to the God of gods,    for his steadfast love endures forever.3   Give thanks to the Lord of lords,    for his steadfast love endures forever; 4   to him who alone does great wonders,    for his steadfast love endures forever;5   to him who by understanding made the heavens,    for his steadfast love endures forever;6   to him who spread out the earth above the waters,    for his steadfast love endures forever;7   to him who made the great lights,    for his steadfast love endures forever;8   the sun to rule over the day,    for his steadfast love endures forever;9   the moon and stars to rule over the night,    for his steadfast love endures forever; 10   to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt,    for his steadfast love endures forever;11   and brought Israel out from among them,    for his steadfast love endures forever;12   with a strong hand and an outstretched arm,    for his steadfast love endures forever;13   to him who divided the Red Sea in two,    for his steadfast love endures forever;14   and made Israel pass through the midst of it,    for his steadfast love endures forever;15   but overthrew1 Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea,    for his steadfast love endures forever;16   to him who led his people through the wilderness,    for his steadfast love endures forever; 17   to him who struck down great kings,    for his steadfast love endures forever;18   and killed mighty kings,    for his steadfast love endures forever;19   Sihon, king of the Amorites,    for his steadfast love endures forever;20   and Og, king of Bashan,    for his steadfast love endures forever;21   and gave their land as a heritage,    for his steadfast love endures forever;22   a heritage to Israel his servant,    for his steadfast love endures forever. 23   It is he who remembered us in our low estate,    for his steadfast love endures forever;24   and rescued us from our foes,    for his steadfast love endures forever;25   he who gives food to all flesh,    for his steadfast love endures forever. 26   Give thanks to the God of heaven,    for his steadfast love endures forever. Footnotes [1] 136:15 Hebrew shook off (ESV) Old Testament: Joel 3:9–17 Joel 3:9–17 (Listen) 9   Proclaim this among the nations:  Consecrate for war;1    stir up the mighty men.  Let all the men of war draw near;    let them come up.10   Beat your plowshares into swords,    and your pruning hooks into spears;    let the weak say, “I am a warrior.” 11   Hasten and come,    all you surrounding nations,    and gather yourselves there.  Bring down your warriors, O LORD.12   Let the nations stir themselves up    and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat;  for there I will sit to judge    all the surrounding nations. 13   Put in the sickle,    for the harvest is ripe.  Go in, tread,    for the winepress is full.  The vats overflow,    for their evil is great. 14   Multitudes, multitudes,    in the valley of decision!  For the day of the LORD is near    in the valley of decision.15   The sun and the moon are darkened,    and the stars withdraw their shining. 16   The LORD roars from Zion,    and utters his voice from Jerusalem,    and the heavens and the earth quake.  But the LORD is a refuge to his people,    a stronghold to the people of Israel. The Glorious Future of Judah 17   “So you shall know that I am the LORD your God,    who dwells in Zion, my holy mountain.  And Jerusalem shall be holy,    and strangers shall never again pass through it. Footnotes [1] 3:9 Or Consecrate a war (ESV) New Testament: James 2:1–13 James 2:1–13 (Listen) The Sin of Partiality 2 My brothers,1 show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. 2 For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, 3 and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” 4 have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? 5 Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? 7 Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called? 8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. 9 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10 For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. 11 For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. 12 So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. 13 For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. Footnotes [1] 2:1 Or brothers and sisters; also verses 5, 14 (ESV) Gospel: Luke 16:10–18 Luke 16:10–18 (Listen) 10 “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. 11 If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? 12 And if you have not been faithful in that which is another's, who will give you that which is your own? 13 No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” The Law and the Kingdom of God 14 The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all these things, and they ridiculed him. 15 And he said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God. 16 “The Law and the Prophets were until John; since then the good news of the kingdom of God is preached, and everyone forces his way into it.1 17 But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one dot of the Law to become void. Divorce and Remarriage 18 “Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and he who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery. Footnotes [1] 16:16 Or everyone is forcefully urged into it (ESV)

Today's Scripture: PROVERBS 24:23-26 23 These also are sayings of the wise. Partiality in judging is not good. 24 Whoever says to the wicked, “You are in the right,” will be cursed by peoples, abhorred by nations, 25 but those who rebuke the wicked will have delight, and a good blessing will come upon them. 26 Whoever gives an honest answer kisses the lips.