James 2:6-7

NIV: But you have insulted the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? Are they not the ones who are slandering the noble name of him to whom you belong?

The Message: Isn't it the high and mighty who exploit you, who use the courts to rob you blind? Aren't they the ones who scorn the new name—"Christian"—used in your baptisms?

This is a direct message to the church not to follow the money, not to look down on the poor and look up to the rich. After all, in James' day, and in ours too, it is the rich who exploit the poor - you only have to look at the way the west exploits the third world countries to see that, with children working all hours to make clothing, toys, trainers and all sorts. Not only that, it is the rich (who have the money) who will threaten litigation to get their money back from those who can least afford it. Presumably, James was referring to actual cases where believers had been taken to court by the rich because of some dispute yet were still favouring the rich in the community by giving them the best seat, preferential treatment and so on despite how they were treated in return. Of course, it couyld be they were trying to show Christian love, but when it is at the expense of the poor, as it presumably was here, then how can it be love?

In this letter, James is also saying that it is the rich who slander the name of Christ. After all, what need do they have for Jesus when they have all that wealth, the large house, fancy car and so on? Material possessions get in the way of having a real relationship with God, with Jesus, with the Holy Spirit. If you are always watching your stocks and shares increase/decrease in value, you are looking for the next property to buy, keeping an eye on the latest designer clothes, buying the latest make and model of BMW, then how will you have time for God? The things of this world will take up your time and God will be squeezed out.

Of course, the same could be said of the poor too inasmuch as if you are always scrabbling around trying to make ends meet, looking out for the postman to see what bad news he is brining in the post, never having enough money for decent food and clothing, then you are also focusing on the things of this world but in the opposite way from the rich. You are letting your worries and cares take over, letting your eyes and your heart move away from God onto focusing on paying the bills, making ends meet and so on.

We are all guilty of pushing God out of our lives at one time or another for all sorts of different reasons, each one of them appearing to be valid at the time. We all let the things of this world take over, our worries, our cares. But when we do this, aren't we insulting God? Effectively telling him that He can't handle our problems, can't help with our finances, our job worries, health problems, etc? The Lord God Almighty, who created heaven and earth and all that is within it can't sort out the mess we are in, heal our loved ones, resolve our financial problems, provide the discipline for our children, find work for us?

I'm not saying that God is a Mr Fixit who will magically solve all our problems, reverse the moral decline in the country, bring peace to the world, solve the famine situation in Africa and everything else that needs to be sorted. What I am saying is that God can do anything, and for Him, nothing is impossible.

We, I, need to stop focusing on the things of this world, stop giving preferential treatment to some people because of the way they dress, the house they live in, the job they have, and to set our, my sights on Jesus, To remember all that He did for us, for each one of us. Yes, bad things happen. People still get ill and die, some have financial problems, job worries, marital problems, difficult children. There are hurricanes, earthquakes, tidal waves. Even believers have bad things happen to them and sometimes this is like Job, the devil interfering, sometimes it is a time of testing, it could be spiritual warfare, or just life and being in the wrong place at the wrong time, and sometimes it is a direct result of our own actions.

God won't necessarily get us out of the mess we are in (even though He can), but he will give us the grace to endure it, the peace to come to terms with what is happening. He will be by our side every step of the way, catching our tears and putting them in a bottle , holding our hands when things get too much, giving us strength to face another day.

We need to learn to trust God, to put our faith in Him as He will never let us down. He is a God of love and mercy, full of forgiveness, slow to anger, quick to forgive, gracious, kind, ever loving, ever faithful, omnipresent, omniscient, the Father of all, the creator of the Universe and al that is within it, the designer of each and every one of us who has counted the numbers of hairs on our head. He is the Lord God Almighty, God of gods, King of Kings, Jehovah-Jirah, the Good Shepherd, Prince of Peace, Faithful and True, Counsellor, Healer. Don't you know how He can be trusted? How He will never let us down despite the times we let Him down, refuse to obey Him, go our own way, deny Him, insult Him, take His name in vain?

Try talking to God today. Listen for His voice, hear what He has to say to you. Open your eyes, your heart, your mind to God and put Him first instead of the things of this world. Don't be swayed by public opinion, by political correctness, but make a stand and trust in God. Cast all your cares and worries on Jesus, and leave them in His hands. Make today the day when you start to really trust God, to get to know Him. I'm going to do that, put Him first in my life, not second, third, or even further down my to do list. I'm not saying I will always succeed, because being totally honest about this, real life sucks at times and has a habit of interfering with the best laid plans and intentions. But a life without God is worthless and empty, and I don't want a life like that.

So what about you? Are you going to trust in God? Cast all your cares and worries on Him, let Him carry the burden, have a real relationship with Him instead of a panicked prayer or two every once in a while when things get too much? Or are you going to carry on regardless, having fun, leading your life without regard to anyone other than yourself? Kow towing to those whom you think will get you that promotion, that new job, give you preferential treatment? Turning your back on God, rejecting Jesus, ignoring the evidence of God that is all around us?

It’s your choice.

James 2:5

NIV: Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?

The Message: Listen, dear friends. Isn't it clear by now that God operates quite differently? He chose the world's down-and-out as the kingdom's first citizens, with full rights and privileges. This kingdom is promised to anyone who loves God.

Remember those words of Jesus in the sermon on the mount?

Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God (Luke 6:20)

Have you ever wondered why those who have very little are more likely to have a strong faith than someone who has everything they could desire? I think when we set our hearts on the things of this world, when we let our natural desire for a good job, nice house, well behaved children, money in the bank and so on, take over, we end up pushing God out of our lives. We let the busyness of life take control, allow the prince of this world have his way and sidetrack us, draw us away from God.

It is so easy to make promises to yourself that you will get up early, you will have a quiet time, spend time in prayer, reading your bible but then the alarm goes off when you have had a late night the night before. You put it on for another 5 minutes, then another 5, then another and then suddenly, there is no time left and you are rushing around trying to get ready for work and everything else. Or what about those times when you do get up early, you sit down to spend some time in prayer and bible study and you remember you are waiting for that email from so and so, or you just have to check on this, or do that and before you know it, your allotted time has gone and you need to get ready for the day ahead.

And as for having a quiet time in the evening, well, I don't know about you, but I know I for one am always so tired. Maybe during the day? But then you are supposed to be working, there are the children to look after, the school run, college, lectures, and a million and one other things that need doing….

It’s not just the busyness of life that takes over but it is also the way we try and do things ourselves. Yes, it is good to be independent, self sufficient, but it is not a sign of weakness to ask for help from God and God should not be the last resort when all else has failed. He should be the one we turn to first, the one we go to no matter what the time of day or night, or what the reason.

When we can cope on our own, when we have no problems, when there is money in the bank, we have a job, our family around us, when everything in the garden is rosy, we have no need for God, no need to ask for his help, his guidance. We don't even need to bother spending time with him, because after all, we have everything we need. But when times are hard, when we have no work, no money, the children are in trouble, there is illness and death in the family, well, then of course we need God, and isn't He always there to help us out? Our own personal Mr Fixit?

We seem to have here on the west a very fickle faith which is there as and when it suits us, because the material things of this world get in the way. Or rather, we allow the material things of this world to get in the way. Making money, getting a job and so on take priority over God. Our need and desire for the riches of this world, to keep up with the neighbours, to look good, make an impression, blind us to the fact that we are spiritually poor.

Look at Revelation 3 and the words spoken to the church in Laodicea (Rev 3:14-22). That church had money, fine clothes, and were famous for making an eye salve, yet they were told to buy gold from Jesus, get white clothes from him and an eye salve to put on their eyes so they could really see. What they had was worthless as they did not have Jesus in their lives, which is what really matters. He accused them of being neither hot (on fire for Jesus) or cold (not believers) but luke warm, neither one thing nor the other.

I don't know about you, but the thought of Jesus telling me I am luke warm and that I make him want to vomit does not fill me with happiness and joy. Quite the opposite. I don't want to be a luke warm Christian, one to whom Sunday morning in church is the only time I give to God, and the rest of the time the world takes over. Don't want to be one of the ones that Jesus says he has never known them, even though they prophesied in his name, did good works in his name. I don't want to be an outwardly professing Christian but inwardly be taken up with work, getting accounts and tax returns done, paying bills, making ends meet, running the family, doing all those things that fill my time each day.

I want a real and vibrant relationship with Jesus. I want to get up there to heaven and have Jesus say "Well done thou good and faithful servant", to be one of the ones who didn't get to heaven by the skin of my teeth (as one escaping a fire) but one who is even now building up treasures there. But in reality, if I carry on the same way, keeping busy each and every day, never spending time with God, with God and I being people who just pass in the street and say "hello" without any real contact, is that likely?

God is calling each one of us to Him. Have you not heard God whisper in your ear today? Ask you to spend time with Him? Heard his voice calling you to you? HE is calling each and every one of us. Don't you think it is about time we began to listen?

James 2:2-4

NIV: Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, Here's a good seat for you, but say to the poor man, You stand there or Sit on the floor by my feet, have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

The Message: If a man enters your church wearing an expensive suit, and a street person wearing rags comes in right after him, and you say to the man in the suit, "Sit here, sir; this is the best seat in the house!" and either ignore the street person or say, "Better sit here in the back row," haven't you segregated God's children and proved that you are judges who can't be trusted?

Here James gives a an example of what he means when he says we should not show favouritism, or let the opinion of others affect how we behave.

How many times a day do we consciously or subconsciously judge others, let public opinion sway what we say? I know when I am in a group of people who are all loud spoken with firm opinions, I am far more likely to sit back and say nothing whether I agree with them or not. And what about the times I pass people in the street or l meet people and make a snap judgment based on what they are wearing or how they look? One of my clients looks like a biker, he has tattoos all over his arms, is strong and muscular looking, and the first time I met him I was really unsure of him. But in actual fact, he is the sweetest guy you could ever meet, so shy, insecure and full of love for his family. How appearances can be deceptive as he looks like one big tough individual.

Then in this particular example, James is talking about judging people in church, judging Christians and how many times do we do that too? Look at someone else and what they are doing or saying, and tell ourselves that they can’t be a "real" Christian if they do that or say that, how they be a genuine believer if they criticise others and yet do exactly the same thing, or worse, themselves without comment? I reckon that when I do those I should start taking a good look at myself as I am sure I must do some pretty awful things that would make people begin to doubt my faith. It is so easy to doubt others, to point the finger or to judge by outward appearance or show.

We are called to love one another as Jesus loves us, yet how often do we do this? Show real, genuine, Christian love? The love that God has for each one of us even though He knows us inside out, warts and all, right through to the deep dark places inside our hearts where even we don't go because of the mean and nasty things hidden in there.

We shouldn't favour one man above another because of their outward appearance, the things they say, the show they put on to make themselves look good (and let's face it, don't we all put on a show to a certain extent?). Man looks at the outside but God looks at the inside. He knows each of us from head to toe, inside out and back to front. He knows the reasons why we do the things we do, say the things we do, act in that way. He has all the facts and figures at his fingertips and can make an accurate judgement. Can we say the same of ourselves?

After all, we don't know why some people are poor and others rich, some are employed, others aren't, some are the life and soul of the party, others are shy and sit in a corner, some seem really hard, unfeeling, uncaring, others openly break their hearts at what is happening around them or in the world. But the cynical banker may turn out to give generously to charity, pray without ceasing, be a real blessing, unbeknownst, to many. The one who cries when they hear of the latest disaster, the floods, the earthquakes, may actually be a miser who never gives any money to charity or helps others but hoards it all away like a squirrel hording nuts. The woman who always seems so cheerful with not a care in the world could have a son who is a drug user, a husband who is continually having affairs and who doesn't know from one minute to the next where the money is going to come from to pay all the bills. And the one who seems like the most eloquent and faithful prayer warrior may in actual fact be someone who is only hanging onto their faith by their fingertips and it is all for show to make themselves look and sound "holier than thou".

I'm probably coming over all holier than thou myself right now, but so often, I make snap judgements about people I know, those I meet, the ones I pass in the street. And it’s not right to do this. I know that. I don't know people's circumstances, their motives, their reasoning, only God knows that. So I know I need to stop being so judgemental, so petty minded, and to just leave it all up to God, take at face value what people say, what they do, and not judge them, not criticise them for doing probably what I would do if I were in their position or had been through whatever it is they are going/have been through.

And what about you? Do you pass judgement on others, even unwittingly? Treat some people differently because of the way they dress, where they live, their accents, whether they look like "respectable" people? Do you criticise others when they gossip, when the break one of the Ten Commandments, commit adultery, lie, cheat, look down on others, hold grudges?

I think we could all learn a thing or two from Jesus' reaction to the woman caught in adultery "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." (John 8:7)

James 2:1

NIV: My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favouritism.

The Message: My dear friends, don't let public opinion influence how you live out our glorious, Christ-originated faith.

How often do we look at someone and make a snap judgement based on what they are wearing, how they are behaving, what they are saying? It is so easily done and I know I have to stop myself from doing this time and time again.

You can't tell just be looking at someone what they are going through in life, whether they are rich or poor (although yes, when my daughter and I went in Harrods we were pretty sure that some of the people there were wearing designer clothes and were not just tourists like us!), whether they are having a hard or an easy life. Even if you can tell whether someone is rich and famous, or poor and insignificant, we are told here not to have favourites, not to let the opinion of others affect the way we behave towards people.

Specifically, in the Message, it says we shouldn't let public opinion influence how we live our lives. So we shouldn't let what others think and say influence how we behave. If all our friends are sleeping around and taking drugs, we should not be doing the same. If all out friends are always gossiping and scoffing, making fun of everyone, then we should not be doing the same. If all our friends are criticising some people, not giving them the benefit of the doubt and wanting nothing to do with them, we should not do the same. If public opinion is such that the government is always being criticised, if famous people are being talked about (usually in a negative way), if public opinion favours certain people in favour of others, if some people are looked down upon by the community as a whole (illegal immigrants, asylum seekers, people of a different race or religion and so on), then we should not do the same.

It is easy to want to fit in, to go along with everyone else and not make waves, to be part of the crowd. But Jesus did not ask us to be part of the crowd. He asked us to go and tell the good news to all men, and sometimes, often in fact, that involves making a stand, actually standing up for what we believe in and saying someone or something is not right. It is not easy to go against public opinion, to stand up and say, for instance, that homosexuality is a sin, to say there is only one way to God, to admit you are a Christian. Just look at what happens when the church does that - we are accused of being bigoted, prejudiced. So instead, what has the church done here in the west? It has compromised, it has accepted the pull of political correctness and has allowed gay bishops, is seeking to not make waves, to blend in and give offence to no man.

But if we are Christians, how can we do that and stay true to biblical principals? The two are incompatible as there is only one way to God, Jesus Christ, and some people will take offence at this no matter how we say it.

So I believe that the way to live our lives is as Christ would have us live them, which means not showing favouritism and also not bending over backwards to agree with everyone. Sometimes we have to make a stand, say what we believe no matter how many people disagree with us. But we need to do this in a loving manner, in a way that does not ram our own opinions down everyone else's throat, make fun of their beliefs or criticise their way of life. Not always easy given the way many people feel these days.

We have such a need for grace this day and age, the grace of God in our lives and there is such a need for prayer in this country and many others in the west, where religion, mainly Christianity, is sidelined and marginalised.

So how do you go about showing Christ in your life? Do you end up favouring some people above others because of where they live, how they dress, the job they have? Do you stay quiet when you should speak out, agreeing with whatever is being said, no matter how contrary it is to your own personal beliefs? I know my family keep a really close eye on me and are notorious for watching me slip up and do something I shouldn't, then calling me on it! If you are known to be a Christian, people will watch you to see if you behave the way they perceive a Christian should, and if no one knows you are a Christian, why is that?

James 1:27

NIV: 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.

The Message: Real religion, the kind that passes muster before God the Father, is this: Reach out to the homeless and loveless in their plight, and guard against corruption from the godless world.

This is all about being in the world but not of the world. It’s about taking a stand, sticking to our principles, staying true to the teachings of the bible. Have you noticed how many in the church today are compromising on bible teaching? How things that are forbidden as sins are condoned, even encouraged at times? It is not just a case of hate the sin but love the sinner any more, but it is one of love the sinner and love the sin also.

For instance, it says in the bible that homosexuality is wrong, it is a sin (Lev 18:22), just as adultery, lying, cheating, gossiping, pride, anger, lust, gluttony and so on are sins. Yet we now have practising gay bishops in the Anglican church. How can that be right? Of course, I may be completely misinterpreting scripture here, and I am sure someone will put me right if I am, but surely this is a compromise, a case of adapting to the world and not abiding by God's word?

What about the times when we each individually stay quiet, refrain from speaking when we should take a stand and speak out, give the Christian viewpoint? I know I will stay quiet when my Dad starts to rant on about the church, about people believing in the Holy Spirit, about how mistaken and misguided so called believers are. I know I tell myself it is because he is impossible to talk to when he gets like that, he is so adamant, so hidebound, so fixated in his views, but in reality, is it because I do not want a confrontation and just take the easy route of staying quiet?

We need to stay firm in our beliefs, to be students of the bible, read and study God's word so that we are not taken in by false teachers, false prophets. How can we spot a wolf in sheep's clothing if we do not know what a wolf looks like, what a sheep looks like? It is a case of testing everything with the bible , using that as our guide, our plumb line, the basis for all that we believe. How else can we stop ourselves from being polluted by the world, from compromising, from watering down the gospel so as not to give offence to anyone?

Then we also have to put into action what we learn from the bible, not just read about it and file it away in the "to do" list. We need to show we are Christians through our actions, our speech, our lifestyle, the way we live our lives. We need to care for others, give to charity, look after the widows and orphans, and not just be Christians on the outside, where it is all show, a pretence and does not really touch our hearts.

On the day of judgement, when we all stand before God, how will our lives measure up to His standards? Will our lives reflect the love of God, Christ at work in our lives, or will they merely be a reflection of the world and all the enemy has made it ?

James 1:26

NIV: If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.

The Message: Anyone who sets himself up as "religious" by talking a good game is self-deceived. This kind of religion is hot air and only hot air.

This is all about living out what you believe. After all, how can you call yourself a believer, a Christian, if you profess to follow the ways of Christ but your actions and your lifestyle don't match up? IF you are the sort of person who puts on a face to the world, pretends to be oh so devout and faithful and yet as soon as you get home and are behind closed doors, having shut the world out, your family see a completely different person? Someone who is argumentative, self seeking, selfish, is always putting others down, using your tongue to hurt, to punish, to chastise, speaking words of hate and discord, using bad language as a matter of course?

I know this is somewhat of an exaggeration, but to a certain extent, we all put on a front, a pretence, when with others. After all, we don't want them to know how mean and horrible we really are at times, how selfish and pig headed. There are things we have each done that we keep locked away inside so that no one can ever see them. I'm not talking about that here. After all, that type of behaviour is ore of a defence mechanism than anything else, because we all want to be loved, be liked and not hated and derided for the things we have done or said.

I reckon this verse is talking about those who put on a deliberate show of being "holy" and "righteous" and then spend time gossiping, chit chatting (all in brotherly/sisterly love, of course….) about others, pulling to pieces the preacher, the church leadership, friends, colleagues and so on. It is easy to give in to the temptation to share with others the news we have heard (whether it is true or not), or our views on the sermon, snippets of gossip about others. But really, is that what we were given our tongues for? Greg Laurie gave a brilliant acronym when you are about to pass on a really juicy bit of news:

T - is it true?

H - is it helpful?

I - is it inspiring?

N - is it necessary?

K - is it kind?

T.H.I.N.K. If we all took the time to THINK before we spoke, a lot of grief and upset would be avoided. The times when someone says something to you and you really just want to answer them back in kind, to give as good as you get, yet really, all that ever ends up doing is leading to a huge argument. If you thought before you spoke, used softer, kinder words (no matter what the provocation), then maybe the anger, the hurt of the other person would diminish, ease.

My husband suffers from depression and there are times when I will walk into the room and he will say something that is guaranteed to be hurtful, nasty, and yet I have done nothing to warrant this. It is so easy to answer him back in the same tone, to give as good as I get and more. Yet I have found (and believe you me, it has taken a long time for me to discover this!), that when I just take what he has said, ignore the hateful words, the venom at times, and look behind what he is saying, to the reasons for it, I can answer calmly, without anger, without hitting back. I know that when he says something that is really hurtful, something that he would be really upset about if I had said it to him, then most of the time he does not appreciate just what he has said and how it sounded. Of course, there are times when it is not the depression talking, when he is just being plain moody and grumpy, and then it is a case of calling him on that and pointing out just how horrible he is being (without being all superior and holier than thou at the same time, though!).

Our tongues can really wound and hurt people, and being as nice as pie to people at church but being mean and horrible to your family behind closed doors is no way to behave as a Christian. We need to watch what we say, when we say it, who we say it to and the meaning behind the words we are speaking. After all, look at Jesus and how he spoke to the woman caught in adultery, or the woman at the well in Samaria. He did not give them a long lecture about their behaviour, point out all the things they had done wrong and where they could have changed things. Instead he was kind, considerate, he listened to what they had to say and did not cast any blame. Don't you think we should do likewise?

If we all took the time to T.H.I.N.K. before we spoke, maybe there wouldn't be so much hurt in the world.

James 1:25

NIV: But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it— he will be blessed in what he does.

The Message: But whoever catches a glimpse of the revealed counsel of God—the free life!—even out of the corner of his eye, and sticks with it, is no distracted scatterbrain but a man or woman of action. That person will find delight and affirmation in the action.

I just love the way the Message puts this verse. It’s not just a case of reading the word of God, but of putting it into practice, and the ones who do this will be blessed. Isn't that awesome, to know that when we are doing the will of God, when we are listening to His voice and obeying Him, He will bless us in return!

Sometimes life gets in the way. You find there are bills to pay, work to do, perhaps even no work or no job, school/college is a struggle, you get ill, people around you, loved ones, are ill, sometimes seriously. Maybe you have marriage problems, maybe the problem is that you're not married and wish you were, or possible you are married and wish you weren't! Then there are just the everyday things that we have to face - the children playing up and arguing, worrying about what to do for the next meal, how to cope with all the jobs/tasks you have to do because no matter how hard you work at it, the list just seems to get longer and longer. And what about free time (what free time?), time to spend with your family and friends? How do you manage to get everything done that needs to be done and still find time to have some fun, some relaxation?

Then there is the possibility that what you are going through is a spiritual attack. It is easy to dismiss this and also, just as easy to assume that everything bad that happens is a spiritual attack so you have to use your common sense.

But whatever we may be going through, if we keep our eyes fixed on God, if we set our hearts on Him and him alone, and try, as best we can, to follow His word, to do His will, His bidding, no matter how much we may mess up, then we will be blessed in what we do. If we catch just a glimpse of the counsel of God, even if it is only out of the corner of our eye and stick with it, then God will bless us in return. To me, the translation in the Message is telling me that even if I only manage to get a vague idea of what God would have me do and I try and do whatever it is, whether or not I succeed, then God will bless me. But not only that, I will find delight and affirmation through obeying God!

So it is a case of reading our bibles, because how else are we to know the word of God, to find his counsel? If we never bother to open our bibles, but rely on the preacher on Sunday, the readings in church, to tell us about God, then how are we to get to know God ourselves? How are we to know what his will is for our lives? How will we spot a false prophet or teacher if we don't know our bibles well enough to be able to tell when someone is misleading us?

There is treasure in the bible, great words of wisdom, advise, encouragement, examples of men and women who did great things for God, as well as men and women who really messed up. It contains the history of the early church, prophecies regarding the end of the world, and tells us how the world was created.

We can learn so much from it, if only we open its pages and read what is printed there. But the devil will try and keep us away from this, by making our lives busy, placing other things in front of us that we allow to distract us , to take our eyes off God. Like when I sit here first thing in a morning and end up checking my emails, just finishing off that letter, sorting out my bank account, reading various blogs and just generally messing around. What I am doing seems important, necessary, but in actual fact, it stops me spending time with God, with the creator of the universe, the one who continues to bless me and be with me no matter how many times I ignore Him and go off and do other things.

So that has got to be one of my new year resolutions, to spend more time with God, more time reading, studying and obeying His word. And just imagine the benefits that will reap as I get to know personally the Lord God Almighty! Why don't you try it too?

Update

It seems an age since I was last here, but now that the January tax return filing deadline is past, things are much calmer here. I now actually have time to sleep and am busy catching up on all my readings, as well as finishing off the accounts I couldn't finalise in January due to lack of time.

So, watch this space as I shall be back with the next exciting instalment of my trip through the book of James very shortly!