James, the brother of Jesus (Matthew 13:55), became the leader of the church at Jerusalem soon after Jesus’ death and resurrection in 30AD (Acts 1:14 & 12:17). He was called—James the Righteous—by the early Christians. Paul referred to James as one of the pillars of the church (Galatians 2:9). A letter, known as the Letter of James, was written to the Jewish Christians who were under persecution and had been scattered amongst the nations (James 1:1). The letter advised on daily expectations for their attitudes, beliefs, and faith. This letter is the Book of James and is considered the earliest of all the New Testament writings, including the gospels.

The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. ~ Matthew 6:22 Change is hard—lots of change—even harder. Have you ever felt like you were standing on shifting sands? Your left foot going in one direction and your right foot in the other. […]

The idea, ‘God exist, therefore, I exist—I exist, therefore, God exist’ entered my thoughts this morning. However, God is omnipotent and independent of my existence, while my existence is dependent on God and a testimony to God. No matter how we grapple with reality, it is clear that God exist. We are the proof we often seek. Humans made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27)!

The biblical narrative about the Israelites and Pharaoh (capital “P” denotes numerous pharaohs during this historical time) comes to mind when I consider the seriousness of guarding our hearts. In Exodus 1-18, we learn of the exchange between Moses and Pharaoh. We witness the love of God for His people through miraculous events. We also observe God’s compassion towards Pharaoh. For, He sent Moses to warn Pharaoh numerous times.

But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness. ~ Psalm 86:15 During trying times, the topic of God’s wrath or anger often comes up in conversations. Sadly, some folks will attribute the pain and suffering of others to God’s anger towards them. God’s compassion towards humanity […]

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled. ~ Matthew 5:6 (NKJV) Today is Day 11 of our “40 Days of Prayer and Fasting” at my church. Today, I am moving in a place of clarity of mind and refreshing of spirit. It is a phenomenal experience. With humility and grace, I […]

Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.~ Luke 12:6-7 One morning, I saw a bird. The regal fowl leisurely strolled along as it pecked in […]

Who are the peacemakers? Without conflict… there’d be no need for peacemakers. But, we’re unlikely to always avoid strife…  so there must be peacemakers. Ignoring problems or pretending everything is okay when in fact it’s not—doesn’t make one a peacemaker. Who does Jesus call the peacemakers? Let’s look at the word peacemaker. It’s a compound […]

I once went to church with a lady, who during service would stand up and give thanks to God for allowing her to see another day. In my immature state of mind, I would think, “…that’s the same thing you said last week”. Now let me put this in context, other members were testifying about […]

There are days, when regardless of the circumstances of life, you feel God’s loving embrace. You snuggle up in fellowship with reverence, thankful for forgiveness and hopefulness—praising Him for what isn’t as though it was. In Acts 13:22, we’re told that David was a man after God’s own heart. You wonder, “Is this how David […]

We’ve often been told—think before you speak—and it’s not always a good idea to speak all that you think. We’re complex individuals… grappling with complicated situations that can distort our view of right and wrong. When that happens, we need to know where our help comes from (Psalm 121:2) and be willing to call upon […]