Study Desk

Pray for me all the more so that I will be able to come to you soon.

If you do not have wisdom, ask God for it. He is always ready to give it to you and will never say you are wrong for asking.

A Christian brother who has few riches of this world should be happy for what he has. He is great in the eyes of God.

Religion that is pure and good before God the Father is to help children who have no parents and to care for women whose husbands have died who have troubles. Pure religion is also to keep yourself clean from the sinful things of the world.

You have not shown respect to the poor man. Is it not the rich men who make it hard for you and take you to court?

You want something you do not have, so you kill. You want something but cannot get it, so you fight for it. You do not get things because you do not ask for them.

Or if you do ask, you do not receive because your reasons for asking are wrong. You want these things only to please yourselves.

Do you think the Holy Writings mean nothing when they said, "The Holy Spirit Whom God has given to live in us has a strong desire for us to be faithful to Him"?

But He gives us more loving-favor. For the Holy Writings say, "God works against the proud but gives loving-favor to those who have no pride."

Be sorry for your sins and cry because of them. Be sad and do not laugh. Let your joy be turned to sorrow.

Your gold and silver have rusted. Their rust will speak against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have saved riches for yourselves for the last days.

You have killed men who are right with God who were not making it hard for you.

Christian brothers, be willing to wait for the Lord to come again. Learn from the farmer. He waits for the good fruit from the earth until the early and late rains come.

See how the early preachers spoke for the Lord by their suffering and by being willing to wait.

We think of those who stayed true to Him as happy even though they suffered. You have heard how long Job waited. You have seen what the Lord did for him in the end. The Lord is full of loving-kindness and pity.

My Christian brothers, do not swear. Do not use heaven or earth or anything else to swear by. If you mean yes, say yes. If you mean no, say no. You will be guilty for saying anything more.

Is anyone among you sick? He should send for the church leaders and they should pray for him. They should pour oil on him in the name of the Lord.

Tell your sins to each other. And pray for each other so you may be healed. The prayer from the heart of a man right with God has much power.

Elijah was a man as we are. He prayed that it might not rain. It did not rain on the earth for three and one-half years.

You were chosen by God the Father long ago. He knew you were to become His children. You were set apart for holy living by the Holy Spirit. May you obey Jesus Christ and be made clean by His blood. May you be full of His loving-favor and peace.