James 1:25  "But whoever looks into the perfect law of liberty, and continues therein, not being a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed."

James uses a phrase:  "…the perfect law of liberty…"  to describe what happens when we step from the Old Testament laws into the New Testament laws.  He says we now have a law called "Liberty."

He says the new laws are perfect.  That if we follow these laws we will not be forgetful about what we hear, or what God expects of us.  That there is a work to be done, and we will do it.  That's what happens with the salvation experience.  We get "a will" to do God's work.  He gives this "will" to us.

Hebrews 10: 16  "This is the covenant that I will make with them, after those days, says the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and I will write them in their minds."

Now, when we hear God's words, we remember them.  They are written not in stone, but in our hearts.

Ezekiel 11:19  "And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh; That they may walk in my statutes, and keep my ordinances, and do them:  and they shall be my people, and I will be their God."

One heart.  New spirit.  A heart that is soft, not hard.  We will walk in his laws.  Do his work.  Then Ezekiel gives a blessing.  "…I will be their God."   James also gave a blessing:  "…this man shall be blessed in his deed."

Doing good feels good.  You are the one who gets the blessing.

How much do you have to know anyway.  All the fine points of the Bible can be learned as you go along.  But for the purpose of sharing Christ--being a disciple--you really only need your own experience.  You needed forgiveness.  God forgave you.  In Christ.  Jesus covered what you have done wrong.  He is ready to forgive others as well.

James 1: 23-24  "For if anyone is a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like a man beholding his natural face in a glass (mirror): For he beholds himself, and goes his way, and straight away forgets what manner of man he was."

Sunday morning Christians.   They come to church on Sunday, listen attentively, agree with everything that is being taught, and then go home and do nothing about it.  Unchanged.   The Gospel is a life changing message.  But it has to start from the inside and work its way out.  Not the other way around.  If Christ is not in your heart, you have no motive to change.

We use other people to be our looking glass.  You say something, they smile or frown and you react.  People behave in a back and forth way, being shaped from the outside in.  You may think you are a self made man, but the truth is, we are all shaped by what we grow up observing.  And the way to be changed from the inside out is to let Christ shape you.  In the Bible it's called regeneration.

After Ken retired from the Marine Corps, he taught Sociology at a local college.  There was a theory that was prevalent among Sociologists at the time, (by Cooley) called the "Looking Glass Theory."  Ken always took his Bible into the classroom and read James 1: 23-24 to the class and told them that this "looking glass" theory wasn't new.  It had been written over 2000 years ago.   And that we were changed in only two ways.  Either from the outside in, (Looking Glass Theory) or from the inside out.

Great way to get the Bible into the classroom.

James is full of one line zingers.

James 1: 22  "But be you doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves."

Which means:  It doesn't do you any good to learn, learn, learn if you don't put it into action.

I teach young women from time to time. I have determined that I can give a class almost everything that I have to give in three years.  By that time, they are either ready to serve or they aren't ever going to do anything but listen.

I had a class full of women that were ready to serve in the church.  They just didn't know it.  They wanted to stay in my class and sit and soak.

So I told them, "It's time for all of you to go find a place in the church to serve."  Three months later, they were still in my class, so the next Sunday I told them that I was quitting.   "I'm going to go teach High School seniors."

Now, they are all serving in the church as leaders.  It's been forty years.  The other day, one of them said to me  "I couldn't believe you would really leave us.  I couldn't believe that you would just up and quit."  I told her that I didn't quit, I just got a brand new set of "listeners."

Ya gotta do what ya gotta do.  Just be sure you are a doer--of the word.  Not a sit and soaker. "Ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth."  2Tim. 3: 7

One of my readers in Europe said she knew something was going on with me because my posting times were so erratic.  As usual, I never know what the point of my problems is until they are over.  I just figure I'll get through it with the help of God.

I just don't like to sound like I have a complaint.  I don't.

But Ken had one of his regular emergencies.  It's his arm where they do his dialysis.  It has five stents and clogs up from time to time.  Which requires emergency surgery.  His Tulsa surgeon and I know each other pretty well by now.  I like him.  And he knows me well enough to know that when I call that it's an emergency--so when I call,  Ken is next in line for surgery.  Usually by the time I can get him to Tulsa.  If I wait for the people here to get me in with someone it might take a week. I have a type A personality in case you haven't figured it out.  One of my favorite words is "Now." (Politely of course.)

Anyway, all is well.  I have just been busy with details.  Things are back to normal, whatever that is.  Ken was sitting up at the hospital today saying he was hungry.  He ate.  They let him go home.  He has spent the day catching up on the crossword puzzles.  He's back in charge.

I love talking to all of you.  I still have not been able to access your comments, but my computer  savvy daughter--who set all this up for me--is here for a few days, and she is going to figure it out for me.  So if you have comments, I will be looking forward to seeing what you have to say.  If you don't, that's ok as well.  I know you are out there.

We have the same God.

This verse is one we have all heard before, or memorized.  James 1:17 "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning."

God is the great giver.  You can't out give him.  Everything good comes from him.

 I have a habit of praying for a parking space close to the door of the places I need go.  It's easier for Ken to get in.  It's easier for me as well.  It's uncanny the way they appear when I need one.  They come, from above.  From the Father--when I really need it.

I don't recommend that you pray for that particular thing, I'm not advocating pie in the sky, but whatever your need, God can supply it.  I just happen to need to get into doctor's offices, etc. as easily as possible.

Why are we surprised when God gives us what we need?

He is the Father of Lights.  He doesn't cast a shadow.  He doesn't turn away from us.  He doesn't vary from one moment to the next.  He is our provider.

If you think you or your spouse is your provider, you haven't had a real crisis in your life.  God is the provider.  He gives the gifts.

And we don't need the same things.  Right now, in my life the only thing I really need is a parking space near to the door.

Authority is always granted from the bottom up.

There may be rules, laws, ordinances or agreements.  But unless you choose to comply, there is no authority over you.  True, you may end up in prison, lose your job, have your spouse leave you or even end up dead.  But each individual chooses whether or not  to come under authority.

Every time I come up to a stop sign, I grant the state the authority to decide when I should stop.  But I can choose not to obey that authority.  There are consequences if I don't obey, but it is my choice.  I grant authority when I stop my car.

When we give our lives to Christ, we grant him authority over us.  It is our choice.  He cannot force us.  But once that authority is granted, there are consequences.  Good, if we follow him.  Bad if we don't.  Once we are his, we are his.  He will not let us go.  Much like a good father, he leads us into good choices and gives us a bad conscience when we do wrong--so we can repent and renew the fellowship with him.  You can't do anything to break the relationship.  You are bought with a price.  You are his.

James is a very authoritarian writer.  He spells out what we should be doing in short blunt statements.  He was the top elder or pastor of the Jerusalem church and as such, had the authority to speak.

He knew Jesus well.  He grew up with him in the same house, with the same mother.  Although James didn't become a Christian until after the resurrection, once he knew that Jesus was God, James was a faithful follower and granted Jesus--the Christ--full authority over his life.  Once James chose Christ, he was willing to die to spread the good news.   I am thankful for his writings.

Temptation?  Depending on your age, you have passed through many different periods of temptation in your life.  You can look back and wonder what your problem was, since what tempted you then may not tempt you now.  One temptation that I have had all my life has been any kind of bread with yeast in it.

My mother used to send me to the store with 2 dimes for two loaves of bread.  She knew that I would eat one whole loaf before I got home.  Luckily I had a racing metabolism so I didn't gain weight. (Yes, bread was a dime.)  Doughnuts should have been a food group.

When I finally got to Junior High School, I would take my quarter to the Bakery.  While my friends were eating their hamburger and french fries, I would eat an entire loaf of fresh baked bread.  There is nothing wrong with bread unless you are me.  I don't seem to know when I've had enough.

It's easy to judge someone who has a temptation in their life that you don't have.  But judging your own temptations is something we should regularly do.  My method of dealing with the things that tempt me is to stay away from them.  When you have a lifetime habit that is damaging you or those around you, quit.  I don't go to bakeries when I am in charge of what is going on because I know the aroma will overcome me.  I limit myself to one doughnut a week at church.

Why in the world would a church hand out doughnuts and coffee.  I know.  I know.  It's not your temptation--but I could eat the entire dozen in the box.  You might be thinking, It's not Scotch--it's not cigarettes.  No, but the way I eat bread is not good for my health.

James 1: 12  "Blessed is the man (woman) that endures temptation:  for when he is tried, he (she) shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to them that love him."

 I bet there will be doughnuts in heaven.  There's probably going to be a doughnut tree.