I thought we could discuss the letter James wrote to the Messianic believers?

Lets start with the first chapter.

Quote:

1 From: Ya'akov, a slave of God and of the Lord Yeshua the Messiah To: The Twelve Tribes in the Diaspora: Shalom! 2 Regard it all as joy, my brothers, when you face various kinds of temptations; 3 for you know that the testing of your trust produces perseverance. 4 But let perseverance do its complete work; so that you may be complete and whole, lacking in nothing. 5 Now if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives to all generously and without reproach; and it will be given to him. 6 But let him ask in trust, doubting nothing; for the doubter is like a wave in the sea being tossed and driven by the wind. 7 Indeed that person should not think that he will receive anything from the Lord, 8 because he is double-minded, unstable in all his ways. 9 Let the brother in humble circumstances boast about his high position. 10 But let the rich brother boast about his being humbled; since, like a wildflower, he will pass away. 11 For just as the sun rises with the sharav and dries up the plant, so that its flower falls off and its beauty is destroyed, so too the rich person going about his business will wither away. 12 How blessed is the man who perseveres through temptation! For after he has passed the test, he will receive as his crown the Life which God has promised to those who love him.

I see our life on this earth as being under constant temptation. Every day our five senses are assaulted with a myriad of temptations, and with each temptation comes a decision to make, will we succumb? or will we say, 'Get thee behind me Satan'!?

Are we well prepared? Is our sword sharpened?ready for the parrying of the enemy? do we study the word everyday?And not just the 'New Testament' do we have a good foundation that can only be found in the Torah?

up until a few months ago, I was your typical christian, well versed in the new testament and well versed in the well known old testament passges. Even better versed in anticult proof verses and the like. It was inconceivable that there was actually an entire 2/3 of the bible there.

It was like why study it all, just know the main bits and focus and the latter 1/3.

Boy have my opinions changed.

Beside my ISV, I regularly read a new king james (which is falling apart - no cover and hanging together by string). In it lies a Torah reading plan of Parashat with english titles and dates and things. I got it from First Fruits of Zion (as well as monthly calendars).

My wife went to a home group a few weeks ago and a lady read a portion of scripture from Deuteronomy. When my wife mentioned that it was the portion from my weekly Torah reading, the response was 'what's that'. I'm not sure whether they did not know the phrase 'torah' or 'reading plan'. I suspect the former and despaired.

But then again, I was brought up in a typical 'replacement' ideology.

But the passage...

Wisdom, in my life with a small child, I need all the wisdom I can get, to be a better person, a better husband and a better parent. So that I can adequately display the character of a person who claims to be following Messiah wholeheartedly. Now whether I do or do not, I do not know, but others know we are different.

Steve