"So then, as the body without the spirit is dead, also faith without actions is dead."

TODAY'S READING:
Warning against Prejudice
1My friends, as believers in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, you must never treat people in different ways according to their outward appearance.2Suppose a rich man wearing a gold ring and fine clothes comes to your meeting, and a poor man in ragged clothes also comes.3If you show more respect to the well-dressed man and say to him, “Have this best seat here,” but say to the poor man, “Stand over there, or sit here on the floor by my feet,”4then you are guilty of creating distinctions among yourselves and of making judgments based on evil motives.
5Listen, my dear friends! God chose the poor people of this world to be rich in faith and to possess the kingdom which he promised to those who love him.6But you dishonor the poor! Who are the ones who oppress you and drag you before the judges? The rich!7They are the ones who speak evil of that good name which has been given to you.
8 You will be doing the right thing if you obey the law of the Kingdom, which is found in the scripture, “Love your neighbor as you love yourself.”9But if you treat people according to their outward appearance, you are guilty of sin, and the Law condemns you as a lawbreaker.10Whoever breaks one commandment is guilty of breaking them all.11 For the same one who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not commit murder.” Even if you do not commit adultery, you have become a lawbreaker if you commit murder.12Speak and act as people who will be judged by the law that sets us free.13For God will not show mercy when he judges the person who has not been merciful; but mercy triumphs over judgment.
Faith and Actions
14My friends, what good is it for one of you to say that you have faith if your actions do not prove it? Can that faith save you?15Suppose there are brothers or sisters who need clothes and don't have enough to eat.16What good is there in your saying to them, “God bless you! Keep warm and eat well!”—if you don't give them the necessities of life?17So it is with faith: if it is alone and includes no actions, then it is dead.
18But someone will say, “One person has faith, another has actions.” My answer is, “Show me how anyone can have faith without actions. I will show you my faith by my actions.”19Do you believe that there is only one God? Good! The demons also believe—and tremble with fear.20You fool! Do you want to be shown that faith without actions is useless?21 How was our ancestor Abraham put right with God? It was through his actions, when he offered his son Isaac on the altar.22Can't you see? His faith and his actions worked together; his faith was made perfect through his actions.23 And the scripture came true that said, “Abraham believed God, and because of his faith God accepted him as righteous.” And so Abraham was called God's friend.24You see, then, that it is by our actions that we are put right with God, and not by our faith alone.
25 It was the same with the prostitute Rahab. She was put right with God through her actions, by welcoming the Israelite spies and helping them to escape by a different road.
26So then, as the body without the spirit is dead, also faith without actions is dead.
Reflect:
Have you ever witnessed someone being mistreated because of their outward appearance or because they were poor? If so, what did you do? Why does James emphasize linking faith with actions? What did you learn from the examples of Abraham and Rahab? You can read their stories in the Old Testament in Genesis 15:1-6; 22:1-14, and Joshua 2:1-24; 6:22-25.
#Pray
Merciful God, help me to see others through your eyes of love and teach me not to pass judgment on others based on outward appearances. Strengthen my faith and embolden me to act in ways that will advance your Kingdom. Amen.

Steps for self care.

1. If it feels wrong, don’t do it
2. Say “exactly” what you mean
3. Don’t be a people pleaser
4. Trust your instincts
5. Never speak bad about yourself
6. Never give up on your dreams
7. Don’t be afraid to say “NO”
8. Don’t be afraid to say “YES”
9. LOVE

7 DAILY REMINDERS

1) Do your absolute best.
2) Keep a positive mindset.
3) Embrace new challenges.
4) Worrying gets you nowhere.
5) Be thankful for your blessings.
6) Use your time and energy wisely.
7) What you believe, you can achieve.

What God the Father considers to be pure and genuine religion is this: to take care of orphans and widows in their suffering and to keep oneself from being corrupted by the world.

TODAY'S READING:

1 From James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ:
Greetings to all God's people scattered over the whole world.
Faith and Wisdom
2 My friends, consider yourselves fortunate when all kinds of trials come your way,3for you know that when your faith succeeds in facing such trials, the result is the ability to endure.4Make sure that your endurance carries you all the way without failing, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.5 But if any of you lack wisdom, you should pray to God, who will give it to you; because God gives generously and graciously to all.6But when you pray, you must believe and not doubt at all. Whoever doubts is like a wave in the sea that is driven and blown about by the wind.7-8If you are like that, unable to make up your mind and undecided in all you do, you must not think that you will receive anything from the Lord.
Poverty and Riches
9Those Christians who are poor must be glad when God lifts them up,10 and the rich Christians must be glad when God brings them down. For the rich will pass away like the flower of a wild plant.11The sun rises with its blazing heat and burns the plant; its flower falls off, and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way the rich will be destroyed while they go about their business.
Testing and Tempting
12Happy are those who remain faithful under trials, because when they succeed in passing such a test, they will receive as their reward the life which God has promised to those who love him.13 If we are tempted by such trials, we must not say, “This temptation comes from God.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, and he himself tempts no one.14But we are tempted when we are drawn away and trapped by our own evil desires.15Then our evil desires conceive and give birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
16Do not be deceived, my dear friends!17Every good gift and every perfect present comes from heaven; it comes down from God, the Creator of the heavenly lights, who does not change or cause darkness by turning.18By his own will he brought us into being through the word of truth, so that we should have first place among all his creatures.
Hearing and Doing
19 Remember this, my dear friends! Everyone must be quick to listen, but slow to speak and slow to become angry.20Human anger does not achieve God's righteous purpose.21So get rid of every filthy habit and all wicked conduct. Submit to God and accept the word that he plants in your hearts, which is able to save you.
22Do not deceive yourselves by just listening to his word; instead, put it into practice.23If you listen to the word, but do not put it into practice you are like people who look in a mirror and see themselves as they are.24They take a good look at themselves and then go away and at once forget what they look like.25But if you look closely into the perfect law that sets people free, and keep on paying attention to it and do not simply listen and then forget it, but put it into practice—you will be blessed by God in what you do.
26Do any of you think you are religious? If you do not control your tongue, your religion is worthless and you deceive yourself.27What God the Father considers to be pure and genuine religion is this: to take care of orphans and widows in their suffering and to keep oneself from being corrupted by the world.
REFLECT:
Why does James tell his readers that they should consider themselves fortunate when all kinds of trials come their way (verse 2)? What trials have you faced in your life? How did you handle them? Do you find James’s advice comforting? Why or why not? Why does he encourage his readers to pray for wisdom (verse 5)? Do you find any of the advice James gives to be relevant for your life today?
#Pray
Sovereign God, teach me to seek wisdom from you. Guide my actions this day and keep me strong in faith when facing trials and temptations so that I am not corrupted by the world. Teach me to submit to you and accept the Word you are planting in my heart today. Amen.

Your faith, then, does not rest on human wisdom but on God’s power.

TODAY'S READING:
The Message about the Crucified Christ:
1When I came to you, my friends, to preach God's secret truth, I did not use big words and great learning.2For while I was with you, I made up my mind to forget everything except Jesus Christ and especially his death on the cross.3 So when I came to you, I was weak and trembled all over with fear,4and my teaching and message were not delivered with skillful words of human wisdom, but with convincing proof of the power of God's Spirit.5Your faith, then, does not rest on human wisdom but on God's power.
God's Wisdom:
6Yet I do proclaim a message of wisdom to those who are spiritually mature. But it is not the wisdom that belongs to this world or to the powers that rule this world—powers that are losing their power.7The wisdom I proclaim is God's secret wisdom, which is hidden from human beings, but which he had already chosen for our glory even before the world was made.8 None of the rulers of this world knew this wisdom. If they had known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.9 However, as the scripture says,
“What no one ever saw or heard,
what no one ever thought could happen,
is the very thing God prepared for those who love him.”
10But it was to us that God made known his secret by means of his Spirit. The Spirit searches everything, even the hidden depths of God's purposes.11It is only our own spirit within us that knows all about us; in the same way, only God's Spirit knows all about God.12We have not received this world's spirit; instead, we have received the Spirit sent by God, so that we may know all that God has given us.
13So then, we do not speak in words taught by human wisdom, but in words taught by the Spirit, as we explain spiritual truths to those who have the Spirit.14Whoever does not have the Spirit cannot receive the gifts that come from God's Spirit. Such a person really does not understand them, and they seem to be nonsense, because their value can be judged only on a spiritual basis.15Whoever has the Spirit, however, is able to judge the value of everything, but no one is able to judge him.16 As the scripture says,
“Who knows the mind of the Lord?
Who is able to give him advice?”
We, however, have the mind of Christ.
-
REFLECT
How does Paul describe himself in verses 1-4? What does he say enabled him to deliver his message to the Corinthians? Reread verse 2. Why is Jesus’s death on the cross central to Paul’s message? What is “God’s secret truth” (verse 1) and “God secret wisdom” (verse 7)? Why was this wisdom hidden from the rulers of the world? Is such wisdom still hidden today? What does Paul say about God’s Spirit (verses 10-16)? In what ways has God’s Spirit enlightened your understanding of “God’s secret truth” and “God’s secret wisdom”?
#Pray

Sovereign God, you are the source of all true wisdom. Enlighten me with your Spirit so that I may grow stronger in faith day by day, learning more and more about you and trusting in you and in your love. Amen.

Lo que hará DIOS por nosotros

1. Te dará fuerzas
2. Te proveerá
3. Estará contigo
4. Sanara
5. Te hará descansar
6. No te fallará
7.  Nunca te desamparará
8. Te bendecirá
9. Tiene un plan especial
10.Te ama
11. Prosperará.
Si confías en DIOS y sus promesas, escribe: AMÉN.

7 Quick Happiness Tips

1.) Don’t listen to gossip. 2.) Ignore what people say about you. 3.) Design your own life. 4.) Look for the good in every situation. 5.) Develop an attitude of gratitude. 6.) Laugh more. 7.) Once it past, let it go.