PERILOUS TIMES Part two

 

PERILOUS TIMES Part one

 

 

JAMES 1

1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations: Greetings.
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 

3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 

4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 

5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 

6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 

7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 

9 Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position. 

10 But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower. 11 For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business.
13 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 

14 but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. 

15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. 

18 He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.
19 My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 

20 because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. 

21 Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 

23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror 

24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 

25 But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.
26 Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. 

27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

Revenge in Christian Life

Romans 12: 17-21 Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.


18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.


19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.


20 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.


21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.


Deuteronomy 32


3 Because I will publish the name of the Lord: ascribe ye greatness unto our God.


4 He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.


5 They have corrupted themselves, their spot is not the spot of his children: they are a perverse and crooked generation.


9 For the Lord's portion is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance.


10 He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; he led him about, he instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye.


15 But Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked: thou art waxen fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with fatness; then he forsook God which made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation.


16 They provoked him to jealousy with strange gods, with abominations provoked they him to anger.


20 And he said, I will hide my face from them, I will see what their end shall be: for they are a very froward generation, children in whom is no faith.


21 They have moved me to jealousy with that which is not God; they have provoked me to anger with their vanities: and I will move them to jealousy with those which are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation.


22 For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest hell, and shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains.


23 I will heap mischiefs upon them; I will spend mine arrows upon them.


24 They shall be burnt with hunger, and devoured with burning heat, and with bitter destruction: I will also send the teeth of beasts upon them, with the poison of serpents of the dust.


25 The sword without, and terror within, shall destroy both the young man and the virgin, the suckling also with the man of gray hairs.


26 I said, I would scatter them into corners, I would make the remembrance of them to cease from among men:


29 O that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end!


35 To me belongeth vengeance and recompence; their foot shall slide in due time: for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste.


37 And he shall say, Where are their gods, their rock in whom they trusted,


38 Which did eat the fat of their sacrifices, and drank the wine of their drink offerings? let them rise up and help you, and be your protection.


39 See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand.


43 Rejoice, O ye nations, with his people: for he will avenge the blood of his servants, and will render vengeance to his adversaries, and will be merciful unto his land, and to his people.


Ephesians 4 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,


3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.


4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;


6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.


8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.


11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;


12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:


13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:


24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.


26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:


27 Neither give place to the devil.


31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:


32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.


Psalms 94 O Lord God, to whom vengeance belongeth; O God, to whom vengeance belongeth, shew thyself.


2 Lift up thyself, thou judge of the earth: render a reward to the proud.


3 Lord, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked triumph?


4 How long shall they utter and speak hard things? and all the workers of iniquity boast themselves?


5 They break in pieces thy people, O Lord, and afflict thine heritage.


6 They slay the widow and the stranger, and murder the fatherless.


7 Yet they say, The Lord shall not see, neither shall the God of Jacob regard it.


8 Understand, ye brutish among the people: and ye fools, when will ye be wise?


9 He that planted the ear, shall he not hear? he that formed the eye, shall he not see?


10 He that chastiseth the heathen, shall not he correct? he that teacheth man knowledge, shall not he know?


12 Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, O Lord, and teachest him out of thy law;


14 For the Lord will not cast off his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance.


15 But judgment shall return unto righteousness: and all the upright in heart shall follow it.


Exodus 21


12 He that smiteth a man, so that he die, shall be surely put to death.


13 And if a man lie not in wait, but God deliver him into his hand; then I will appoint thee a place whither he shall flee.


14 But if a man come presumptuously upon his neighbour, to slay him with guile; thou shalt take him from mine altar, that he may die.


15 And he that smiteth his father, or his mother, shall be surely put to death.


16 And he that stealeth a man, and selleth him, or if he be found in his hand, he shall surely be put to death.


17 And he that curseth his father, or his mother, shall surely be put to death.


23 And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life,


24 Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,


25 Burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.


Matthew 5 And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him:


2 And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,


17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.


18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.


19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.


20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.


21 Ye have heard that it was said of them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:


22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.


23 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;


24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.


25 Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.


26 Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.


38 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:


39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.


40 And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also.


41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.


42 Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.


43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.


44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;


45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.


46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?


47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?

48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

CHRIST IN YOU