Pleasing God~

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BarlyGurl

Guest
#1
"Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world". (Jam 1:27) KJV

Seems simple enough. What does this really mean for today???
 
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Abiding

Guest
#2
it looks real fixed now ty :)
 
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Abiding

Guest
#4


some fresh barley bread for the thread guests
 
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GreenNnice

Guest
#5
With nuts in it , we can only presume, or, are you not eating, squirrel?
Fresh baked nutty barley bread, ah, to have a friend who is a squirrel :)


God needs us for ZIP, verse Isaiah 66:1 says, He made EVERY THING. He has every thing. He needs no thing. He truly fan get nlby forevermore just fine with no thing from us, or us, etc. But....

BUT, Scripture 66:2 of this major prophet, says.... 'But to this one I esteem (can we say 'pleased with?') , one who is contrite and trembles at My Word.'

So, there is a dimensionalism to pleasing God, both of doing things ourself and of doing things to help others.

'Course, it's understood that trembling at His Word means YOU are Loving God with all your heart, mind, body, and soul, does it not ? :)
 
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BarlyGurl

Guest
#6
God needs us for ZIP, verse Isaiah 66:1 says, He made EVERY THING. He has every thing. He needs no thing. He truly fan get nlby forevermore just fine with no thing from us, or us, etc. But....

BUT, Scripture 66:2 of this major prophet, says.... 'But to this one I esteem (can we say 'pleased with?') , one who is contrite and trembles at My Word.'

So, there is a dimensionalism to pleasing God, both of doing things ourself and of doing things to help others.

'Course, it's understood that trembling at His Word means YOU are Loving God with all your heart, mind, body, and soul, does it not ? :)
Green... did you even READ the introductory post????
 
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psychomom

Guest
#7
"Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world". (Jam 1:27) KJV

Seems simple enough. What does this really mean for today???
Hi, BarlyGurl. :)

For me this has meant (actively) loving my sister when her husband died...till the Lord blessed her with another husband, and she's safe in my BIL's hands now. (thank you, Lord Jesus! ♥)

We don't know any actual orphans, but we have been so blessed to be able to 'adopt' a few through Compassion International. I sometimes think this is not 'hands on' enough...but perhaps I allow my flesh to condemn me? (I honestly am unsure...)

Remaining untainted by the world is another matter. lol
That's just a day by day (and at times moment by moment!) work of grace in my heart.
Being 'in the world' but not 'of the world' I think is a matter of submitting to God in all things. But even that is a work of grace...His work in me.
I don't always do well. :rolleyes:
I don't always 'look' like my Abba,
but I know I will, and do more and more as I behold Him.

Am I even contributing to your thought? :)
-ellie
 
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unclefester

Guest
#8
"Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world". (Jam 1:27) KJV

Seems simple enough. What does this really mean for today???
I believe it means to offer yourself as an example ... and a tangible source of strength/security to those who have none in this world. Be a defender of the defenceless ... a pillar of strength for the weak. Laugh with those who laugh .... and weep with those who are weeping out of a pure heart in both love and understanding. Come to think of it BarlyGurl, it is exactly what Christ was saying when He expressed these words .... Love thy neighbour as thy thyself :)
 
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Abiding

Guest
#9

Wow i feel like im under a cloud of witnesses
and them aint no chemtrails :)
 
Aug 15, 2009
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#10
"Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world". (Jam 1:27) KJV

Seems simple enough. What does this really mean for today???
"Visiting" means to "care for" those who are orphans and widows. While we see this in a literal sense, it can also be used in a spiritual one as well. For example, how many kids you see going to church whose parents are unsaved and won't bring them to church? They have no spiritual support from their family. They can be considered as spiritual orphans. Who takes care of them?
Also, the widows can be viewed the same way. Do you know of any women in your church who has an unsaved husband that will not help her spiritually, perhaps to the point he won't even bring her to church? In such a relationship, does it not seem that such women can be viewed as spiritual widows? They are also on their own. Note what Scripture says:
Galatians 6:10 10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

As far as being unspotted from the world, this simply means to live a life of spiritual purity, or staying away from sin that will corrupt you.
 
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Abiding

Guest
#11
Thanks Stephen that was good!:)
 
Jul 12, 2012
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#12
I believe the fatherless are all those who never had good instruction. Regardless of whether they ever had a physical father present.
I believe the widows are all those who had everything taken away or lost at no fault of their own. Regardless of whether they ever had a physical husband, or are literally female.

These things might have sent them where they are now, whether it be in a good or bad state.
"Visit" = GO and spend time with them. Or at least don't turn down an opportunity. Instead of just waiting for them to come.

That's how I read it. And we are also told that YHWH judges the fatherless and the widow, which if it is righteous, includes all the things that were not their fault. That's a clean fear.
He tells us several times how to treat them kindly and with compassion, and we can assume that is part of "to try and be like Him".

I love this:

Deut 10:12
And now, Israel, what doth YHWH thy Elohim require of thee, but to fear YHWH thy Elohim, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve YHWH thy Elohim with all thy heart and with all thy soul, To keep the commandments of YHWH, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good? Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens is YHWH's thy Eholim, the earth also, with all that therein is. Only YHWH had a delight in thy fathers to love them, and he chose their seed after them, even you above all people, as it is this day. Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiff-necked. For YHWH your Elohim is Ellah of Elohim, and foundation of foundations, a great El, the mighty, and the awesome, which regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward: He doth execute the judgment of the fatherless and widow, and loveth the stranger, in giving him food and raiment. Love ye therefore the stranger: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt (Spiritual Slavery). Thou shalt fear YHWH thy Elohim; him shalt thou serve, and to him shalt thou cleave, and swear by his name. He is thy praise, and he is thy Elohim, that hath done for thee these great and terrible things, which thine eyes have seen. Thy fathers went down into Egypt (Spiritual Slavery) with threescore and ten persons; and now YHWH thy Elohim hath made thee as the stars of heaven for multitude.

I believe more of us are crying out in the name of Salvation than we have seen. And we are not helping them.
 
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Grandpa

Senior Member
Jun 24, 2011
11,551
3,190
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#13
I believe this is a picture of what the Lord Jesus has done for all of us.

He has visited the fatherless, and by adoption He has given them a Father.

He has visited those with no Husband and Has given them as His Bride.

I think it is what Love strives to do, ultimately, if Love ever does strive...
 
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webchatter

Guest
#14
I agree.. We are supposed to stay true to pure religion, meaning the Bible as our foundation, be undefiled in all ways mentioned in the Bible: sexually undefiled, & undefiled as in Mt.15:11-"It's not what goes into a man that defiles him, (such as pork, or meat on Fridays), but what comes our of a man that defiles him." And we are to help those who Jesus said need us the most, (whether physically, emotionally, or spiritually), the widows & fatherless. A child who has a an addicted father in the house, is also a fatherless child.
"and to keep ourselves unspotted from the world", means we want no one to be able to say anything bad about us. We should be an example to non Christians & Christians alike.
 
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Abiding

Guest
#15

yawn, i think that barleygirl ditched us
 
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BarlyGurl

Guest
#17
Thank you for participating. I was thinking about the Epistle of James and How a person could use just that text for "proving" quite a bit of the recent debating going on. When I first joined CC... It was because I had a spiritual dilemma. I was unsure about how to sort it out and God did indeed use this Forum to help me get things sorted out. I have to conclude it HE does that for others... so this thread isn't really intended for debating... just discussing what "we" can do as individuals and members of the body... to live intentionally, demonstrate in practicality and be a "right" witness to the world.
I have a few sermon links to share... I am not promoting any particular denomination... I just felt the content was interesting.


Pure and Undefiled Religion

Pure and Undefiled Religion

Sermons From James - Pure And Undefiled Religion (1:26-27)


I look forward to further discussion,..smile
 
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