It is preoccupation with possessions, more than anything else, that prevents us from living freely and nobly. --Thoreau

“You have hoarded wealth in the last days.” James 5.3 NIV

One value that Christ brings to the lives of those who follow Him is the light of living expediently. What I mean is that His Spirit teaches us how to make practical decisions and appropriate choices specifically in the management of our resources. He explains that it is not expedient to hoard money in this place or in this time and for a number of reasons. One is nearness of our coming evaluation; another is simply that what is entrusted to us here is to be used principally to invest there. Hoarding here is just a bad business decision. Doing so would be like buying stock in a company today, when you know full well it is going out of business tomorrow. 9/1/2009 Conversations Within ts

It is preoccupation with possessions, more than anything else, that prevents us from living freely and nobly. --Thoreau

“You have hoarded wealth in the last days.” James 5.3 NIV

One value that Christ brings to the lives of those who follow Him is the light of living expediently. What I mean is that His Spirit teaches us how to make practical decisions and appropriate choices specifically in the management of our resources. He explains that it is not expedient to hoard money in this place or in this time and for a number of reasons. One is nearness of our coming evaluation; another is simply that what is entrusted to us here is to be used principally to invest there. Hoarding here is just a bad business decision. Doing so would be like buying stock in a company today, when you know full well it is going out of business tomorrow. 9/1/2009 Conversations Within ts

The rote prayer only lacks sincerity when we have mentally “checked out” while repeating it.

Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." James 4.15 NIV

These words will serve us better as an attitude than if we just tack them on to the end of a sentence about the plans we are making tomorrow. I would also think that prayers concluded by saying, “In Jesus name,” are not always offered in the true spirit of His name. Just saying one of these postscripts does not mean that we use then properly, especially if we say them superstitiously, believing that God will resist our plans or refuse to answer our prayer if we don’t say them. 8/31/2009 Conversations Within ts

The rote prayer only lacks sincerity when we have mentally “checked out” while repeating it.

Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." James 4.15 NIV

These words will serve us better as an attitude than if we just tack them on to the end of a sentence about the plans we are making tomorrow. I would also think that prayers concluded by saying, “In Jesus name,” are not always offered in the true spirit of His name. Just saying one of these postscripts does not mean that we use then properly, especially if we say them superstitiously, believing that God will resist our plans or refuse to answer our prayer if we don’t say them. 8/31/2009 Conversations Within ts

One crowded hour of glorious life is worth an age without a name. Walter Scott

“as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ…” James 2.1 NIV

Here is a fitting description of Jesus. He is our glorious Lord. And since Christ is glorious, everyone who trusts Him has at least the opportunity to live gloriously. I must confess that glorious doesn’t describe some of the days I have had. But I have enough taste of His glory to want more of it. I want to dress in the finest robes of praise not in the shabby rags of petty complaint. We honor Him when life under His glorious Lordship, is nothing less than glorious. Our lives can reflect so much more than just surviving. Mercies are new every day and we are promised the richness of wonder, discovery, and delight. In Christ, life is not only good it is glorious. 8/24/2009 Conversations Within ts