James 2:5-12 God shows no partiality!

 James 2:1-12 My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality.

God God shows no partiality. In Him all are created equal in the world that He so loves.  There is neither male nor female, Jew nor Greek, rich nor poor. All who come to Him He welcomes. Two commandments fulfill all of God’s intentions for mankind. We love Him and place Him as the head of our life and we will love others as much as we do ourselves. In keeping these two commands we fulfill all of Gods’ love for the world that He created. Carla

James 2:5-12

5 , my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you and drag you into the courts? 7 Do they not blaspheme that noble name by which you are called?

8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well; 9 but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10 For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. 11 For He who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. 12 So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty. 13 For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. (NKJV)

God has chosen to use poor people who are rich in faith to advance His kingdom. Those who love Him and obey Him (John 14:15; 15:9–17) and endure the testing of their faith (1:12) will inherit the kingdom. This inheritance means more than entering the kingdom; it also involves ruling with Christ (1 Corinthians 6:9; Galatians 5:21; 2 Timothy 2:12).

The royal law is the law of love a law superior to all other laws. 

If you show partiality, you commit sin.

Believers will be judged by the law of liberty, which is the law of love (1:25). Believers who do not practice partiality, but who practice love (verses 5, 8) and mercy, will triumph at the judgment seat. Those who have not shown mercy will not receive mercy. The NKJV Study Bible

James does not mean that the rich are at a disadvantage when it comes to believing, but that the poor are more apt to rely on God and subsequently come to faith because of their immediate physical needs. People without physical needs only feel spiritual needs (and at times the things they think are needs but are actually desires), whereas people with physical needs feel them and spiritual needs.

In first-century Israel, society was divided between a small, wealthy class and a large, poor class of peasants or artisans. Jesus expressed a special interest in the impoverished throughout His ministry (Matthew 11:5; Luke 4:18). Also, in the Old Testament, God gave many of His promises specifically to the poor (1 Samuel 2:8; Psalm 140:12; Isaiah 11:4).

James indicates that the poor are wealthy in terms of their salvation and its associated blessings, not in terms of material goods. From God’s perspective, the impoverished are destined to possess the spiritual wealth that accompanies faith.

The  kingdom refers  to the full rule of God—a state of blessing in which God’s will and reign are absolutely established. Being an heir of the kingdom means possessing eternal life (Mark 10:17–23; Luke 18:29–30) and salvation (Luke 18:18–26).

Even though God chose the poor, the church has treated them with disrespect.

The wealthy apparently were applying legal pressure to the poor, perhaps regarding wages, rent, and other forms of debt. James accuses the wealthy of insulting or slandering the name of Christ.

You shall love your neighbor as yourself James quotes Leviticus  19:18. Jesus cites this in Matthew 22:39 as the second-greatest commandment.

If you show partiality, you commit sin contrasts obedience to the royal law showing partiality is opposed to loving one’s neighbor—it is an act of sin. James personifies the law as a judge pronouncing a guilty verdict on the accused for breaking it. Faithlife Study Bible

Job 34:19

Yet He is not partial to princes,

Nor does He regard the rich more than the poor;

For they are all the work of His hands.

Luke 12:21

“So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

“Awe is what we feel when we encounter something vast, wondrous or beyond our ordinary frame of reference. It evokes a sense of mystery and wonder. And, given its documented benefits, awe might be our most overlooked, undervalued emotion.” Psychologist Dacher Keltner writes. “It makes us curious rather than judgmental. It makes us collaborative. It makes us humble, sharing and altruistic. It quiets the ego so that you’re not thinking about yourself as much.”

This is where it is so easy to get tripped up. We ask for the list. What are the steps to live wholehearted? How many days will it take? And what will it cost?
Now we're back to who's watching, and what is there to prove.
When I see only scarcity (what I lack), I miss the fact that every single one of us has been gifted with creativity, abundance, heart, love, and passion.
This is not to mention that we have been gifted with everything that goes with wholeheartedness… with gentleness, helpfulness, caring, kindness, tenderness, and restoration. Yes, this is also a story about sufficiency.
Living wholehearted builds on the paradigm that who we are now, is enough. Yes, life may be daunting, but I’m engaged. Invested. Alive. And in this, we are—every one of us—connected.

This gift of enough tells me I can let go of the need to keep score in order to feed my ego. Which is the permission to be okay with vulnerability.

Fear tells you “I'll make you safe.”
Love says, “You are safe.”
Along the way we come to learn that what makes us vulnerable also makes us beautiful. Yes, vulnerability can be that place of shame and fear and our struggle for worthiness, but it appears that it's also the birthplace of joy, and creativity, of belonging, of love.
Living with passion (breathing in the amazing) will keep you alive.
And more than ever, we live in a world where our whole heart is required. Where, as a parent, friend, gardener, human, I literally give a damn. Sabbath Moments

1 Corinthians 10:32-33 Our words and our actions matter!

 Acts 24:16 This being so, I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men.

Our words or our actions, as the hands and feet of Jesus Christ, that  go against His teachings can offend others and  turn them away from the truth of God. Our words and our actions matter. God loves all of His creation and He shows no partiality. There is neither Jew nor Greek, male or female, slave nor free. in  His eyes we are all created equal.  He wants no one to live without Him (John 3:16). The agape love of God covers a multitude of the sins of mankind.  Carla

1 Corinthians 10:32-33

32 Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God, 33 just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved. 

Doing all to the glory of God involves encouraging fellow Christians and spreading the good news about Christ. Paul accomplished this by refusing to offend Jews, Greeks, or the church of God, even if it meant restricting his freedom. Like Christ, Paul did not seek his own way or do things for his own pleasure; instead, he desired to help others (v. 24). This should be our desire as well. The NKJV Study Bible

Paul urges the Corinthian believers to avoid actions that cause others to reject the gospel message. Faithlife Study Bible

Romans 15:1–2

We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, 

leading to edification. 

1 Corinthians 9:19–23

For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law…

Acts 20:28

Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. 

Romans 11:14

if by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh and save some of them.

When we live For love, we feel the need to put every moment (or encounter or conversation) through its paces, evaluating it, judging it for significance and worth. We want to know if it measures up, and then, and only then will we embrace it, and make it a part of our lives. It is not surprising that it is easy to live lives and relationships based upon comparison, and in the end, shame or regret.

Here's the point: As long as success is measured by keeping score, we lose track of most everything that makes us human and therefore, glad to be alive:

--small gestures of kindness

--acts of inclusion or community to someone left out, or someone on the fringes

--extending a hand of healing or acceptance to someone who hurts

--reveling in the gifts of the senses and being present

--resting in a moment of gratitude

--sharing laughter, a smile, camaraderie, dancing or joy

--sharing stories that invite us to be people of grace—to spill the light of mercy and compassion

Sabbath Moments

Ephesians 4:30-32 We are sealed by the very heart of God.

 1 Thessalonians 5:19 Do not quench the Spirit.

We are told not to break His heart, Holy Spirit, is our comforter, our teacher and our guide. He is the Spirit of God and when we ignore or dismiss His influence we lose and evil  gains a foothold in our life. Carla

Ephesians 4:30-32

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. (NKJV)

The Holy Spirit of God should never be pushed away, ignored, or rejected. If we would remember that the One who lives in us is God’s own Spirit, we would be much more selective about what we think, read, watch, say, and do. Note that Paul acknowledges that evil thoughts and actions are temptations even for those who are sealed by the Holy Spirit. The NKJV Study Bible

Paul seems to be indicating that poor treatment of others can constrain the work of the Spirit—essentially denying or resisting God’s indwelling presence (Isaiah 63:10).

The day of redemption refers to the Day of the Lord, when Christ will return.

The Greek word used here, charizomai, implies not only forgiving, but doing so with a gracious attitude. Paul uses this same word elsewhere to describe God’s forgiveness (Colossians 2:13). Faithlife Study Bible

Colossians 3:12–13

Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. 

Colossians 3:8

But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. 

Isaiah 63:10

But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit;

So He turned Himself against them as an enemy,

And He fought against them.

Matthew 6:14–15

“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Hedges writes that his father (while a pastor and chaplain at Colgate University) started a gay and lesbian support group under his own name because the group was unable to go public, for fear of repercussion. He talked about his father's "ministry," and how it was predicated on knowing what it meant to be "an outsider… he knew the awful cost of being different, the intolerance and hatred it bred, the way it leads us to deny the humanity of others, perhaps because of our own hidden differences, our fear that we too will be thrust aside by the crowd."
This story resonated with me. And I realize why presence is so powerful and inviting. Because every one of us knows what it is like to be on the "outside."
“When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives mean the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand. The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing, not curing, not healing and face with us the reality of our powerlessness, that is a friend who cares.” Thank you, Henri Nouwen.
I confess that when I’m down, I'm susceptible to an internal grilling, “Does my life even make a difference?” And I have found that this question messes with me only when I assume that something is missing from my life (you know, FOMO, fear of missing out). Or that I need to prove something to someone. It doesn't help that we live in a culture that assumes "enough is never enough." (Only ensuring that we will respond to the question with an even more frenzied lifestyle.)

In those moments, I’ll turn on the coffee pot, and remember Clarissa Pinkola Estes' wisdom that "Ours is not the task of fixing the entire world all at once, but of stretching out to mend the part of the world that is within our reach. Any small, calm thing that one soul can do to help another soul, to assist some portion of this poor suffering world, will help immensely."
We offer coffee, and we make space...
We make space to see.
We make space to be seen.
We make space to give wholeheartedly.
We make space to welcome.
We make space to offer comfort or reprieve or hope.
We make space to be sanctuary in a world of disquiet, disruption and cruelty. Sabbath Moments

Matthew 6:31-3 Trust God!

 Philippians 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 

Worry becomes fear and fear becomes stress and stress unchecked can destroy our lives. Worry allows  our gratitude for our salvation and our trust  in God to become second to the cares of this world. His only requirement is that we seek justice for all, that we forgive others as we have been forgiven and to remain humble, knowing that He is God and we are mere humans. (Micah 6:8) His plan for our lives is good.  God cares for us, trust Him to be the cornerstone of your life, and rest in the peace that only He can give. Carla

Matthew 6:31-34

 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. (NKJV)

The Jewish people, because of God’s revelation to them, were supposed to think differently than the Gentiles. The NKJV Study Bible

Jesus presents two further reasons to avoid worrying about food and clothing. Such concerns are the prerogative of the Gentiles (verse 7), and God in His omniscience already knows the needs of His people. Members of the kingdom should not be concerned with these things since their heavenly Father is already aware of them.

When people make God’s kingdom their primary object of their desire, they find the ability to trust Him to meet their needs. 

Jesus is not telling people to postpone their worrying for a day; He is instructing them to stop worrying altogether and to rely on God’s gracious provision (Philippians  4:6).

Each day has enough trouble of its own. There is no sense in adding additional worry. Trusting in the Father’s provision serves as an antidote to anxiety. Faithlife Study Bible

Matthew 6:7–8

And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.“Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. 

1 Titus 4:8

For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come. 

1 Peter 5:7

casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

Matthew 6:25

“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?

“Come to me,” Jesus says in Matthew, “all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves.”

“For my yoke is easy,” he promises, “and my burden light.”

Today, let us hear, and embrace, the invitation. Sabbath Moments

Isaiah 37:33-35 Our prayers matter and God protects us!

 Isaiah 31:5

Like birds flying about,

So will the LORD of hosts defend Jerusalem.

Defending, He will also deliver it;

Passing over, He will preserve it.”

Only God can protect us from the evil that seeks to destroy us. In His hands we may not understand all that is happening but we can rest assured that He is there and that His will is always accomplished when we turn it over to Him. Carla

Isaiah 37:33-35

33 “Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the king of Assyria:

‘He shall not come into this city,

Nor shoot an arrow there,

Nor come before it with shield,

Nor build a siege mound against it.

34 By the way that he came,

By the same shall he return;

And he shall not come into this city,’

Says the Lord.

35 ‘For I will defend this city, to save it

For My own sake and for My servant David’s sake.’ ” (NKJV)

Hezekiah’s prayer has resulted in Jerusalem’s salvation as the remnant of Judah. But Judah will not be saved because they are Yahweh’s chosen people, or because Jerusalem is His dwelling. Yahweh will save Jerusalem for His own reputation and His covenant with David. 

Faithlife Study Bible

God gives His final sentence against the Assyrian tyrant.

God defends and protects. For similar expressions of the Lord’s protection of Jerusalem, see 27:3; 31:5. The Lord would save and protect the city for His own honor, for He had established the city for the worship of His holy name. For My servant David’s sake. God maintained His promises to David. The NKJV Study Bible

Isaiah 38:6

I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria, and I will defend this city.” ’ 

Isiaiah 43:25

“I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake;

And I will not remember your sins.

Isaiah 48:9

“For My name’s sake I will defer My anger,

And for My praise I will restrain it from you,

So that I do not cut you off.

Isaiah 48:11

For My own sake, for My own sake, I will do it;

For how should My name be profaned?

And I will not give My glory to another.

This week we take encouragement and motivation from “The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse,” by Charlie Mackesy.

The boy sits on a branch and asks the mole: “What do you want to be when you grow up?” The answer: “Kind.”

The boy asks the mole, “What do you think success is?” The reply: “To love.” Sabbath Moments

Dear God, in this moment I hold your acceptance.

You love me completely, just as I am.

You see my great potential within,

and you nurture my tender heart of compassion.

In this moment, I let your acceptance be my own.

I accept others as the children of God.

I hold high their inner greatness,

always seeking to serve the highest and best within all people.

And so it is.

Vicky Thompson