Gary Gleans

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.     For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror.     For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like.     But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. Exposure to the Word of God is a tremendous blessing.  So many people do not have any access to Scripture.  However, just having or even hearing the Word of God is not enough.  The Bible was not written to only inform us but transform us.  The true blessing for our lives is when we compare our lives with the teaching of Scripture and then make the changes that are necessary.   OBEY GOD’S WORD WITH REMEMBRANCE: Obedience is one of the first things that our par...

Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.     Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. The things we do and say are influenced by that which we have in our hearts.  Our hearts are influenced by that which we hear and are exposed to.  In other words, “garbage in – garbage out.”  We must pay close attention to that which we expose our hearts and minds because it will inevitably show up in our mouths and on our hands. HEAR FAST – RESPOND SLOW: Listening is a skill that is vital for every believer to develop.  Naturally, we need to be discerning about who or what we listen to, and we cannot believe everything that anybody says to us.  That is part of discernment.  However, we need ...

Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.     Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.     Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. God stands in stark contrast to the dark and uncertain world in which we live.  He is an anchor for our souls and breaths life into our hearts.  We can be assured of these truths and must constantly remind ourselves of them because Satan and his system is constantly trying to deceive us.  These truths are fundamental to remember in our walk with the Lord.   GOD IS THE SOURCE OF ALL GOOD: In contrast to the accusation that God somehow tempts us to do evil, James assures us God is the source of everything good and perfect.  He knows what is best for us and exactly what we need in every ...

Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.     Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.     But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.     Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. Living in a sin cursed world with a sin cursed body is a dangerous thing.  We are sure to face trials and temptations.  The things that Satan designs to destroy us and our faith; God will often use to strengthen us.  This passage provides us with some promises that are important to remember when we are facing trials and temptations. GOD PROMISES THAT HE WILL REWARD YOU: “Is it worth it?”  This is a common question beli...

Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away.     For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits. The trials that the original readers of this epistle were facing certainly brought about many changes in financial fortunes.  Certainly, the majority if not all of these changes were in the form of loss.  The poor became even poorer and those who previously had abundant resources saw them fading away.  For most of humanity this would be cause for lament.  James admonishes his brothers to boast in this reality because it liberates them from the foolishness and double mindedness of pursuing riches in this life. THE DELIGHT OF HUMBLE MEANS: Poverty is not in and of itself a virtue nor is it a judgment from God. How...

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.     But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.     For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. Prayer is an amazing gift from God.  The Creator and Sustainer of the universe allows us to come to Him in prayer.  We can admit our failures and find forgiveness.  We can express our admiration of His glory and find joy.  We can thank Him for His amazing fits and find peace.  We can ask Him for provision and find His will.  One of the provisions we most need is wisdom, and He delights to provide it for us.  When Solomon had the opportunity to ask God for anything, wisdom was his choice, ...

James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion:     Greetings.   Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.     And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. James, the brother of Jesus, is the author of this book, but he does not present himself as the brother of Jesus.  Rather, he calls himself the servant of God and Jesus.  This kind of humility is vital to the steadfastness that is necessary to face suffering.  The book is written to Jewish Christians who have been dispersed because of the persecution they faced.  Jews who trusted Christ faced persecution from their countrymen and blasphemers and from Rome as rebels.  Their lives became very difficult and as a result, some may have...

Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.     I appeal to you, brothers, bear with my word of exhortation, for I have written to you briefly.     You should know that our brother Timothy has been released, with whom I shall see you if he comes soon.     Greet all your leaders and all the saints. Those who come from Italy send you greetings.     Grace be with all of you. These final words in this precious book contain a prayer from the author and final greetings to the recipients.  These provide insights into the heart of the author who remains anonymous.  Some would speculate Paul because of the close connection to ...

Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.     Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a clear conscience, desiring to act honorably in all things.     I urge you the more earnestly to do this in order that I may be restored to you the sooner. The relationship between spiritual leaders and their congregations is of vital importance.  Scripture makes it clear that God establishes and removes leaders according to His sovereign will.  There are no perfect leaders just like there are no perfect congregations.  There are certain qualifications that leaders must meet and there are expectations that congregants should strive to attain.  This Passage points to the primary responsibilities of believers towards their spiritual leaders. SUBMI...

Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.     Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.     Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, which have not benefited those devoted to them.     We have an altar from which those who serve the tent have no right to eat.     For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy places by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp.     So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood.     Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured.     For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come.     Throu...

Let brotherly love continue.     Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.     Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body.     Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.     Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”     So, we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” There can be a danger to only looking at the eternal promises of God, because we can easily become blind to our responsibilities in the here and now.  We are not called to simply survive on this earth and endure the sufferings we face.  The Lord is at work and a...

See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven.     At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.”     This phrase, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of things that are shaken—that is, things that have been made—in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain.     Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire. The revelation the children of Israel were given and the judgments they faced all pale in comparison to what we have been given.  The principle of to whom much is given much is required certainly applies to us.  We have receiv...

For you have not come to what may be touched, a blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest and the sound of a trumpet and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that no further messages be spoken to them.     For they could not endure the order that was given, “If even a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned.”     Indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, “I tremble with fear.”     But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. The key to persevering in the face of persecution is God.  We must have...

Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed.     Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.     See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled; that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal.     For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears. Persecution and discipline can take its toll on our lives.  It can be easy for us to become discouraged, begin to blame others, and be more vulnerable to temptation.  It is important for us to beware of the potential weaknesses ...

Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.     In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.     And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons?     “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him.     For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.”     It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline?     If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.     Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live?   ...

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. The review of the history of the faithful men and women in the previous chapter should have an impact on our lives today.  It is vital that we remember the past as we live in the present and prepare for the future.  The goal is that we too can live a life of faith.  There are three faith producing habits all of us should strive to form.   LOOK BACK: The faith of the men and women in the past who accomplished much, sacrificed much, and died without seeing the fullness of their promises come to fruition, should impact us. ...

And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets—who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight.     Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life.     Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment.     They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated—of whom the world was not worthy—wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.     And all these, though commended through their ...

By faith the people crossed the Red Sea as on dry land, but the Egyptians, when they attempted to do the same, were drowned.     By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days.     By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies. Judgment is coming to all of mankind.  This has been repeatedly demonstrated throughout the history of the world.  Because of God’s grace, deliverance from judgment is available through faith in Christ.  As Israel leaves Egypt and enters the promised land, there are multiple demonstrations of God’s ability to deliver.  These demonstrations all have one thing in common: God’s grace.  Faith is certainly present, but in every case is imperfect.  Fortunately, God’s grace is greater than our faith.   FAITH DELIVERED ISRAEL FROM EGYPT: In ...