20th Nov

1 Chronicles 15     Amos 9     James 2     (Click on the Reference to go to the passage)

James 2  ‘A Royal Welcome’

Our Father has chosen all sorts of people to be rich in faith and to inherit the Kingdom. We are wealthy heirs! (v5) We have been invited into the Royalty of heaven, even while we’re still on earth. We have access to our Father’s house, (Luke 15 v31) and therefore we need to be treating others in this way too, with a heavenly standard.

If we translate the first few verses of James 2 into modern day Church welcoming, we may see people who are: difficult to talk to, in a different margin of society to ourselves, wearing different clothes, even grumpy people! But still, we need to be welcoming these people with love, honour and high value. We may find it easier to talk to others, or to run to our friends, but can we challenge ourselves to find other times to catch up, and instead give our full and undivided attention to all who are new, on their own or yet to find God?

Even practical things go far: Would you like to come to lunch today? Or out for a drink with a few of us this evening? Come and meet so and so. There’s a seat over here, sit with me. Can we meet for coffee this week? Can I pray with you?

Are we giving those who step through the doors a ROYAL welcome? Let us let go of our niggling judgements (v4) and allow mercy to truly triumph. If we long for people to meet with Jesus, let’s provide a loving, family atmosphere so that all believe and know they are wanted and accepted in the Kingdom of God.

(member of the staff team)

19th Nov

1 Chronicles 13-14     Amos 8     James 1     (Click on the Reference to go to the passage)

James 1 ‘A Generous Father’

The book of James, likely to have been written by Jesus’ brother, was written to encourage the Jews to continue growing in their faith. James challenges us by saying that if we believe and are filled with the Spirit, our actions should clearly show this and the fruits of the Spirit should be seen. For us to truly reflect the character of Christ, it is so important that we are overflowing with the Holy Spirit, so that we are not striving to do ‘good works’ in our own strength. It is the power of the Spirit that produces the fruit! James is desperate for our actions to reflect what we have been taught, and his challenge for us is that if we have heard the truths (specifically related to Jesus’ teachings in the Sermon on the Mount) does it not deserve a response in the way we live?  (v22-25)

Verse 25 proclaims that if we focus on the ‘perfect law that gives freedom’ and continue to do and live according to that perfect law, we will be blessed in all that we do. How wonderful that the most ‘perfect’ law is not one of restriction or hindrance, but one that gives freedom!

In verse 5, James describes an amazing facet of God. ‘...God, who gives generously to all without finding fault,...’ (emphasis added) Our Father is generous. If we are to respond to his love for us by re-presenting him, being generous to all is so important. We can be generous in so many ways, be it with time, hospitality, smiles, kind words, possessions  money, service of any kind. I think sometimes we feel we are and should be generous to those ‘in need’, and to those who we feel particularly ‘deserve’ our generosity. However let us challenge ourselves to be generous even to those who we feel may not need anything in particular. God gives freely without judging anything about a persons’ character.

(member of the staff team)