From: ngninja@baptist.email   
      
   Bible Reading for December 21   
      
   James Chapter 1   
      
   1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve   
   tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.   
      
   2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;   
      
   3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.   
      
   4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and   
   entire, wanting nothing.   
      
   5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men   
   liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.   
      
   6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is   
   like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.   
      
   7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.   
      
   8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.   
      
   9 Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted:   
      
   10 But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the   
   grass he shall pass away.   
      
   11 For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth   
   the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion   
   of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.   
      
   12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he   
   shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them   
   that love him.   
      
   13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God   
   cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:   
      
   14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and   
   enticed.   
      
   15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when   
   it is finished, bringeth forth death.   
      
   16 Do not err, my beloved brethren.   
      
   17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down   
   from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow   
   of turning.   
      
   18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be   
   a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.   
      
   19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow   
   to speak, slow to wrath:   
      
   20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.   
      
   21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness,   
   and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your   
   souls.   
      
   22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own   
   selves.   
      
   23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a   
   man beholding his natural face in a glass:   
      
   24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway   
   forgetteth what manner of man he was.   
      
   25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth   
   therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this   
   man shall be blessed in his deed.   
      
   26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his   
   tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.   
      
   27 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.   
      
   James Chapter 2   
      
   1 My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of   
   glory, with respect of persons.   
      
   2 For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly   
   apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment;   
      
   3 And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto   
   him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou   
   there, or sit here under my footstool:   
      
   4 Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil   
   thoughts?   
      
   5 Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this   
   world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to   
   them that love him?   
      
   6 But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw   
   you before the judgment seats?   
      
   7 Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?   
      
   8 If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love   
   thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:   
      
   9 But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of   
   the law as transgressors.   
      
   10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point,   
   he is guilty of all.   
      
   11 For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now   
   if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a   
   transgressor of the law.   
      
   12 So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of   
   liberty.   
      
   13 For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy;   
   and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.   
      
   14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and   
   have not works? can faith save him?   
      
   15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,   
      
   16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and   
   filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful   
   to the body; what doth it profit?   
      
   17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.   
      
   18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy   
   faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.   
      
   19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils   
   also believe, and tremble.   
      
   20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?   
      
   21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered   
   Isaac his son upon the altar?   
      
   22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith   
   made perfect?   
      
   23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God,   
   and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the   
   Friend of God.   
      
   24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.   
      
   25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she   
   had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?   
      
   26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is   
   dead also.   
      
   James Chapter 3   
      
   1 My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the   
   greater condemnation.   
      
   2 For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the   
   same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.   
      
   3 Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths, that they may obey us; and   
   we turn about their whole body.   
      
   4 Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven   
   of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm,   
   whithersoever the governor listeth.   
      
   5 Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things.   
   Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!   
      
   6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among   
   our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the   
   course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.   
      
   7 For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things   
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)