Lookahead:  But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind…let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord…James 1:6,7  (Sounds a bit performance-driven to me…with some prayer rules and regs. being established that I might not want to sign up for.  I have seen God “deliver the goods” mightily to uninitiated unbelievers who cried out to Him in prayer. For example, my unbelieving best-ever-buddy cried out to God to save them—while on a tugboat near the Great Lakes—a tugboat that was being slammed by a terrific storm. It was ironic that, in addition to my friend’s faith being tossed about, my friend was literally tossed about themselves. 😊  And yet God gloriously saved them.)  

I have felt that I wanted to do an in-depth study of the Book of James for a while.  For many years, I considered it to be my favorite book in the Bible. Although I haven’t made that claim recently, I don’t think the distinction has changed (although I’m lovin’ Isaiah lately).  Regardless, I have felt that God wanted me to make another trip back to the well and re-visit the Book of James. I view this as the beginning of an exciting adventure during which I know that God will remove another veil–and teach me some things that I might not have been ready for during my previous quests.  

When I was reading through different translations of James, in preparation for this series, it occurred to me that I have some deep-seated questions.  For months, I thought this series would be an exegetical breakdown, verse by verse.  But now I realize that I concurrently want to address some of these “tough” questions.  I wrestled with how to present this in the blog—not wanting to be overly transparent—as these questions might sound a little irreverent to the casual observer.  But I have to be honest—at one time or another, I have asked them all of God—and even re-asked some of them. ☹ So, dovetailed into the series will be blog entries on the following topics:

• Who was James, Really? and what was his relationship with Jesus? (If killed by Herod Agrippa, does this date the Book of James?)
• What Do We Do With Those Sticky Verses Like…

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials. Knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. James 1:2,3 …Behold, we count them happy which endure. James 5:1 (How could trials [temptations? paddlings?] produce endurance?  They invoke a fight or flight response in me—the very next time I catch the slightest whiff of a trial on the horizon.)

But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind…let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord…James 1:6,7 (Sounds a bit performance-driven to me…with some prayer rules and regs. being established that I might not want to sign up for.  I have seen God “deliver the goods” mightily to uninitiated unbelievers who cried out to Him in prayer. For example, my unbelieving best-ever-buddy cried out to God to save them—while on a tugboat near the Great Lakes— a tugboat that was being slammed by a terrific storm.  It was ironic that, in addition to my friend’s faith being tossed about, my friend was literally tossed about themselves. 😊 And yet God gloriously saved them.)

What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?.. faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone… James 2:14,17 (At face value, these verses seem to contradict Paul’s “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—not by works, so that no one can boast” teachings.  Are we talking linguistic apples in James and oranges in Paul’s epistles?  Was this meant to be so complex?)

And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up. James 5:15 (Speaking from personal experience – what happens if your best-ever-buddy [who had become a believer three decades earlier] departs earth—for good—immediately after you pray this prayer together?) 

• Why Did James Call His Christian Brethren Adulterers and Adulteresses In 4:4?  I plan to use other New Testament Books, citations from Historians, and archeological finds to re-construct the environment and answer the age-old question:  Why do God’s chosen people continue to be stiff-necked/stubborn…over centuries?  Plus a recent revelation that the LORD gave me about the Hebrew slaves in Egypt:  On the day when I…made Myself known to them in the land of Egypt, I raised My hand in an oath to them, saying, ‘I am the LORD your God.’….Then I said to them, ‘Each of you, throw away the abominations which are before his eyes, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.’ But they rebelled against Me and refused to listen. None of them cast away the abominations before their eyes, and they did not forsake the idols of Egypt.  Ezekiel 20:5-8  Were the Hebrew slaves worshipping idols in Egypt?!!  Is that why they kept murmuring and complaining in the wilderness, while enjoying a full view of the Pillars of Cloud/Fire?
• Eternal Life versus Dying in Sin—More Linguistic Aspects Addressed: …let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins…James 5:20 Coming from John 6, Luke 10, and Ezekiel 18, and the Old/New Testament views of hell. 
• Major sections that I plan to cover are captured by both The Passion Translation and King James Version Topical Headings (Grace v. Law? 😊 ), respectively. 

Faith and Wisdom	Rejoicing In Trials
The Royal Law of Love Excludes Prejudice	Contrast Of The Rich And Poor
Faith Works	Perseverance In Temptation
The Power of Your Words	Hearing And Doing
Wisdom From Above	A Warning Against Favoritism
Living Close to God	Faith And Works
Warning to the Rich	Taming The Tongue
Prayer for the Sick	True Wisdom From Above
	Warning Against Pride
	Drawing Near To God
	Do Not Boast About Tomorrow
	Misuse Of Riches
	Patience (‘Til The Coming Of The Lord)
	The Prayer Of Faith
	Restoring A Sinner

Finally, and IAW my understanding of “the latest mission,” we will be breaking many verses down, in an exegetical style.