End of year reflection: "How have you loved us?"

It's December 31, 2015. I am reading from the Book of Malachi and the people of God asked this question:
“I have loved you,” says the Lord. “But you ask, ‘How have you loved us?’ (Malachi 1:2)

I remember asking this question many times through the year. Maybe I didn't ask the question directly but I had chosen to let circumstances snuffed out God's reassuring words:
The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying:
“I have loved you with an everlasting love;
    I have drawn you with unfailing kindness."
(Jeremiah 31:3)

The Lord further says in Malachi 1:2-3
“Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the Lord. “Yet I have loved Jacob, but Esau I have hated, and I have turned his hill country into a wasteland and left his inheritance to the desert jackals.”

It shows that God is sovereign in His choice to who He loves. It's hard to swallow for the free-will thinkers. But I find this very reassuring.

Given this covenantal love, how then should I live, especially facing the new year 2016?

• In all that I do I must give God the honor and respect: “A son honors his father, and a slave his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me?” says the Lord Almighty. (Malachi 1:6)
• If I offer any sacrifices (in my work, my leisure, my relationships) I must do so with integrity without showing contempt to God's kingdom and His rule: When you offer blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice lame or diseased animals, is that not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you?” says the Lord Almighty. (Malachi 1:8)
• Because if I show contempt to the Lord's love, He will shut the door on me and open it up to deserving people everywhere (this is where God's sovereignty and men's free-will meet - both can be seen in God's Word!): I will accept no offering from your hands. My name will be great among the nations, from where the sun rises to where it sets. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to me, because my name will be great among the nations,” says the Lord Almighty. (Malachi 1:10b-11)
• I must remember to always offer God the best. There will be curses rather than blessings when I "cheat" Him: “Cursed is the cheat who has an acceptable male in his flock and vows to give it, but then sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord. For I am a great king,” says the Lord Almighty, “and my name is to be feared among the nations. (Malachi 1:14)
• No matter how bad I have fallen God's sovereign offer remains true: The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. (Psalm 103:8) and “I the Lord do not change. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed... Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord Almighty... Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house... and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe,...Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the Lord Almighty. (Malachi 3:6-12)
• There will be a day when His purpose will be accomplished - He had indeed accomplished it (partially) by sending His One and Only Son Jesus to this world (fulfilled as Elijah in this verse) and final judgement is yet to come in the future: “See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents; or else I will come and strike the land with total destruction.” (Malachi 4:5-6)

The promise of the Day coming is repeated in the final book of the Bible:
Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen.(Revelation 22:12-15,21)

I am excited about the new year. I live with anticipation to see what God will do in my life and the lives of the people I meet. I longed to see His love manifested in my life that others will be blessed through me. This is an exciting year as I look forward to retirement - not to stop working altogether, but to spend more time to do the things that I like, things that God has uniquely blessed me to do. Hallelujah!!!

The Righteous will Live by Faith - O Come, O Come Emmanuel

I am writing my blog a day early because tomorrow is Christmas Day and in my home we have a custom of reading the scripture, singing a Christmas carol or two, then opening up our presents. With all my children and their partners home and a big turkey dinner to prepare, I figure I won't find the time or the solitude to write my blog. So here it is.

My scripture reading this morning was from the Book of Habakkuk (all 3 chapters). Here is the passage that spoke to me:

"I heard and my heart pounded,
    my lips quivered at the sound;
decay crept into my bones,
    and my legs trembled.
Yet I will wait patiently for the day of calamity
    to come on the nation invading us.

Though the fig tree does not bud
    and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
    and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
    and no cattle in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
    I will be joyful in God my Savior.
 
The Sovereign Lord is my strength;
    he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
    he enables me to tread on the heights." (Habakkuk 3:16-19)

This is a brief overview that provides some context to the Book of Habakkuk:
The book of Habakkuk was written around 612-589 B.C. just before the fall of Judah in the Southern Kingdom. Like other prophets at that time Habakkuk was identifying the wickedness and sin of Judah and declared that they would be judged. In chapter one, Habakkuk asked God why evil was prevailing. God claimed that He would do amazing things that, “you would not believe if you were told” (verse 1:5). All of the surrounding neighbors who were super powers at that time would fall in ruin, as no one expected. Babylon was a growing empire that would rule over everything, for a time. In chapter two, God answered Habakkuk's question. He urged everyone to be patient and ultimately trust in Him. ''Behold, as for the proud one, His soul is not right within him; but the righteous will live by his faith” (verse 2:4, quoted by the apostle Paul and tied it to the Gospel in Romans 1:17). In chapter three, Habakkuk gave God the glory and praise for faithfully responding to his questions, “LORD, I have heard the report about You and I fear. O LORD, revive Your work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make it known; in wrath remember mercy” (verse 3:2).

So on Christmas Eve, the day before the birth of Jesus Christ, I am thinking - the world can be a pretty hostile place for many. Good people suffer and nasty and greedy people succeed. Like Habakkuk, I do question God from time to time and wonder if He is really all that loving. But I am reminded of this great gospel truth: "The Word Became Flesh" (John 1:14). I learned last Sunday from Bruxy Cavey's sermon that the word "Flesh" comes from the Greek word "sarx" which means: our fallen, weakened, bent away from God nature. Because the Word became flesh, we have a high priest who is able to empathize with our weaknesses, one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet He did not sin (Hebrews 4:15). So I live by faith, and echo Habakkuk's words - "Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails... yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior."
"The Sovereign Lord is my strength;
    he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
    he enables me to tread on the heights."

O Come, O Come Emmanuel!

What to do with difficult passages in scripture (Edom and Satan)

This morning my scripture reading was from the Book of Obadiah in the Old Testament and Revelation chapter 9 in the New Testament. This is how "Bible in a Year" organizes the daily reading - a book or a few chapters in the OT and a chapter or a portion of a chapter in the NT. Interestingly, it happens not infrequently (or should I say God is really smart to organize it this way) that the OT and the NT readings often come together with enough of a devotional message to feed me spiritually for the day. Today is no different, except both the OT and NT passages are totally obscure to my understanding! Obadiah talked about the doom of Edom and Esau and the protection of Judah and Jacob. Revelation 9 talked about the first two of the three woes to mankind at the end of time. I am not sure if there is any one theme that unites the two passages. Well, one thing I learned over the years of reading God's Word - the Holy Spirit can help me work through this. So I began with praying to the Holy Spirit to open my heart for what God has prepared me to learn this day. Then I focused on the overall theme of the Bible - from beginning to end - which is God's salvation to mankind. Warning of punishment and trusting God's eternal promises are recurrent messages to draw me closer to God. So this is what I do with difficult passages in scripture. I believe that the harder it is to understand, the more treasure I will find.

These verses stood out from Obadiah:
Vision of judgement on Edom
"The pride of your heart has deceived you" (verse 3)
Though you soar like the eagle
    and make your nest among the stars,
    from there I will bring you down,”
declares the Lord. (verse 4)
“In that day,” declares the Lord,
    “will I not destroy the wise men of Edom,
    those of understanding in the mountains of Esau? (verse 6)
Because of the violence against your brother Jacob,
    you will be covered with shame;
    you will be destroyed forever. (verse 10)
Vision of restoration and triumph of Jacob, God's people
But on Mount Zion will be deliverance;
    it will be holy,
    and Jacob will possess his inheritance. (verse 17)
Deliverers will go up on Mount Zion
    to govern the mountains of Esau.
    And the kingdom will be the Lord’s. (verse 21)

I then looked through commentaries to support/enhance my understanding. These are some interesting finds (from David Guzik):

• There are 13 "Obadiahs" in the Old Testament, and one of these may be the Obadiah who wrote this book.  
• The Edomites are the people descended from Esau, the son of Isaac and Rebekah and the brother of Jacob (Genesis 25:19-34). Esau was nicknamed "Edom" (which means, "red") probably because he had red hair.
• When Israel came out of Egypt and wanted to pass through the land of the Edomites to enter into the Promised Land, the Edomites wouldn't let them (Numbers 20:14-21) 
• In the days of King Jehoshaphat of Judah, Edom joined with Moab and Ammon to attack Judah, but the Lord fought for Judah and defeated them (2 Chronicles 20:1-27, the famous battle that was led with praise) 
• The brief prophecy of Obadiah ends on this high note. The Edomites seemed to have their day against God's people but at the end of it all, the kingdom shall be the LORD's. He knows how to take care of God's people and to advance His kingdom in a glorious way.

The first two woes of Revelation chapter 9:
Woe #1
The fallen star and the opening of Abyss (verses 1-2)
Locusts that dressed up like an army
They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads (unbelievers). They were not allowed to kill them but only to torture them for five months. And the agony they suffered was like that of the sting of a scorpion when it strikes. During those days people will seek death but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them. (verses 4-6)
They (the destroying locusts) had as king over them the angel of the Abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon and in Greek is Apollyon (that is, Destroyer). (verse 11)
Woe #2
“Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” And the four angels who had been kept ready for this very hour and day and month and year were released to kill a third of mankind. The number of the mounted troops was twice ten thousand times ten thousand. I heard their number. (verses 14b-16)
The rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood—idols that cannot see or hear or walk. Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts. (verse 20-21)

The message is clear - there will always be unrepentant men awaiting judgement but God's people will be protected.
David Guzik again:

• this (fallen) star is best seen as an angel; whether he is a good or bad angel depends on his relation to the angel of the bottomless pit in Revelation 9:11. If the angel of Revelation 9:1 one is the same as the angel of Revelation 9:11, it is an evil angel - perhaps Satan himself. If it is a different angel, it may be a good angel sent by God to open up this bottomless pit for the purposes of judgment.
• the key (to open the abyss) is given to this being (star), and that it is given at a specific time and for a specific purpose that furthers God's plan. This angel - evil or good - serves God's purpose, even if he does not intend to.
• The abyssos is a prison for certain demons (Luke 8:31, 2 Peter 2:4, and Jude 6). This is probably the same place as this bottomless pit. More generally, this place is considered the realm of the dead, the same as Hades (Romans 10:7).
• these creatures are not literal locusts. The Bible tells us that literal locusts have no king, and these do (Proverbs 30:27). Their king is given a name. Abaddon and Apollyon both have the same thought of destruction or torment (perdition). The angel of the bottomless pit: Since this is the king of these locusts, and since he has the name Abaddon or Apollyon, this is obviously Satan himself or another high-ranking leader of demons.

So what do I get out of the reading this morning? There is a spiritual war going on. I maybe living a life of comfort; there are good days and bad days; but as long as I live in this physical body, it is waging war in the spiritual realm. "Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul." (1 Peter 2:11) Peter is urging me to have this perspective: I am just a sojourner on this earth. I have a heavenly home. Entertaining sinful desires (selfish, short lived gratification for the body) means losing the war in my soul. "What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?" (Matthew 16:26) God's promise is that the enemies (spiritual enemies mainly) will be defeated and I am protected to the end. Praise God!

The Seven Churches of the Book of Revelation - learning from the Blue Letter Bible

Someone introduced the Blue Letter Bible this week at the home church. I have heard of the Red Letter Bible but never the Blue Letter Bible. Red letter edition Bibles are those in which words spoken by Jesus, commonly only while he was on the Earth, are printed in red ink. Whereas the Blue Letter Bible, according to its web-site: "Back in 1996, in the early days of the World Wide Web and when the Blue Letter Bible first came out, hyperlinks were pretty much always blue in color. Our vision has always been to provide free Bible study software in which the Bible is the center of the experience with study resources that link off of every word in the Bible. With hundreds of thousands of links that were all blue, we decided to call it the Blue Letter Bible as a play on the more commonly referenced red-letter editions of Scripture." is more than the Blue Letter Bible in print, which just looks like a good Study Bible with lots of references and commentaries included in the pages of the bible passages themselves. The Blue Letter Bible is actually an online bible study resource site. I don't own a copy of the paper Blue Letter Bible so I decided to study Revelation 2 (the chapter I read this morning) using the Blue Letter Bible as a resource.

Now just as a background to Revelation chapters 2 and 3: In Revelation, on the Greek island of Patmos, Jesus Christ instructs his servant John of Patmos, through an angelic intermediary, to: "Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, and to Smyrna, and to Pergamos, and to Thyatira, and to Sardis, and to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea." (Wikipedia). I had  written a blog about the Seven Churches last year.

So I started by going to the Blue Letter Bible site. I picked the NIV translation and Revelation 2 and hit Search:

I clicked the blue link of Rev 2:1 and it took me to:

The landing page was the Interlinear (side by side translation of the original Greek) with another blue link to Strong's Bible Dictionary of almost every word! Now I wanted to understand the word angel (aggelos in Greek) to see what it meant and how it was used throughout the scripture (just before that I clicked the little speaker icon and heard what the Greek word sounded like!). So I clicked on G32 under the column Strong's and got this:

So the meaning of aggelos is "a messenger, envoy, one who is sent, an angel, a messenger from God". When I scrolled down the page it showed the 176 occurrences of the root word aggelos in scripture (not just the English word angel, because it was sometimes translated as messenger, as in Luke 7:27 concerning John the Baptist). So aggelos does not always mean a spiritual being. It can also mean a messenger. This is helpful as I used to think that the angels to the Seven Churches were like their Guardian Angels - spiritual beings. But I can now accept the idea that it may have been messengers sent from these churches to visit John and brought John's messages back to these churches to admonish and encourage them.

I can likewise make a phrase search (the blue link PHR) like "to the angel" and find 15 references. I can go on and on...

The Blue Letter Bible is a great reference but it is lacking in the more devotional style explanation and application. For example I was hoping to find something more on this verse "Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first." (Revelation 2:4) and didn't really get much.

As I reflect on the church in Ephesus (Revelation 2:1-7), what was it that gave the church it's ability to endure hardship and persecution? And yet at some point the church was no longer doing it for their first love - Jesus. I have been voluntering at the Refugee Clinic and have encountered some difficulties, related to personality, future vision, concern re sustainability etc. And yet, without always going back to my first love, Jesus, to whom and for whom I am serving, then I am doing nothing of real value. The chapter of love in 1 Corinthians 13 is a great reminder:

"If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing."
(1 Corinthians 13:1-3)

Lord, help me never to forget your love for me. As I serve others help me to serve them with the love you have given me so that I will not rely on my own strength, but yours!

The Lord is There and The Lord will Provide

At the very end of Ezekiel 48:35
“And the name of the city from that time on will be: the Lord is there.”

According to Wikipedia: "Jehovah-shammah is a Christian transliteration of the Hebrew יְהוָה שָׁמָּה meaning "Jehovah is there", the name given to the city in Ezekiel's vision in Ezekiel 48:35. These are the final words of the Book of Ezekiel."
This comes after several chapters of Ezekiel's vision, detail description of the distribution of land among the twelve tribes of Israel, as well as the measurements of the New City. I guess Ezekiel wanted us to know that the most important thing about God's promise of a future City and the ultimate fulfillment of our spiritual longings remains to be: "The Lord is There". If the Lord is not where we are and where we will be, our pilgrimage on earth is futile!

While I am on the subject of Hebrew names (I only learned "Jehovah-shammah" this morning!), this site "Beautiful Names in Hebrew" gives a list of the popular ones found in the Old Testament of the Bible. These are my personal favorite:
ADONAI = Lord (Gen 18:3)
EL ROI = All-Seeing God (Gen. 16:13)
EL SHADDAI = God Almighty (Gen 17:1)
ELOHIM = God (Gen 1:1)
JEHOVAH = Self-Existing Lord (Ex. 6:2)
JEHOVAH-JIREH = The Lord will Provide. (Gen. 22:14)
JEHOVAH-ROHI = The Lord Our Shepherd (Ps. 23)
I have committed these names to memory. When the right occasional comes, e.g. when I wonder if the Lord will provide I will remind myself that the Lord I believe in is JEHOVAH-JIREH, and recall the story of how God provided for Abraham a sacrificial ram instead of sacrificing his one and only son Isaac. (Genesis 22:1-14).

I was puzzled about Ezekiel's vision. Wasn't he and the nation of Israel in captivity at that time? This new promise of restoration of Israel's land, temple and priests (Ezekiel chapters 40 to 48), how was it fulfilled? Should I interpret this vision literally or spiritually? Well it seems that I am not the only person asking these questions. Defendinginerrancy.com has an article entitled: "Ezekiel 40–48—How can these prophecies be understood literally when the NT declares that the sacrificial system has been abolished by Christ’s death?". If you are (I am not) a dispensationalist then this interpretation will satisfy you.

One last point for this blog. I am a volunteer in a local Refugee Clinic. I see patients one half day a month and I am the chairman of the board for this not-for-profit organization. What I read this morning in Ezekiel 47:21-23 caught my attention:
"You are to distribute this land among yourselves according to the tribes of Israel. You are to allot it as an inheritance for yourselves and for the foreigners residing among you and who have children. You are to consider them as native-born Israelites; along with you they are to be allotted an inheritance among the tribes of Israel. In whatever tribe a foreigner resides, there you are to give them their inheritance,” declares the Sovereign Lord (ADONAI)."

No matter how I interpret the distribution of land and who are the twelve tribes of Israel, this little nugget of truth jumps out at me in this passage. It reveals the heart of JEHOVAH. Foreigners are important in His eyes. The sharing of God's blessings with them is mandated by ADONAI. I will do well to listen and obey.

“Today, if you hear his voice,
    do not harden your hearts
    as you did in the rebellion.”
(Hebrews 3:15 Psalm 95:7,8)

Five Pieces of Armor for Suffering

I was reading 1 Peter 4 this morning. I was quite distracted by the verse:
"For this is the reason the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead, so that they might be judged according to human standards in regard to the body, but live according to God in regard to the spirit." (1 Peter 4:6)
This verse followed what I read yesterday:
"After being made alive, he (Jesus) went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits— to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, ..." (1 Peter 3:19-20)

According to this commentary (see section Barnes' Notes on the Bible), the "imprisoned spirits" is what the Roman Catholic church refers to as the purgatory:
"Unto the spirits in prison - That is, clearly, to the spirits now in prison, for this is the fair meaning of the passage. The obvious sense is, that Peter supposed there were "spirits in prison" at the time when he wrote, and that to those same spirits the Son of God had at some time "preached," or had made some proclamation respecting the will of God. Since this is the only passage in the New Testament upon which the Roman Catholic doctrine of purgatory is supposed to rest, it is important to ascertain the fair meaning of the language here employed. There are three obvious inquiries in ascertaining its signification. Who are referred to by "spirits?" What is meant by "in prison?" Was the message brought to them while in the prison, or at some previous period?" The commentary went on to explain three other possible meanings - a good read. In any case I don't think there will be a satisfactory understanding of these verses until we ask St. Peter in heaven!

Back to the main passage, especially 1 Peter 4:1-6. No doubt the theme is on suffering. I really like John Piper's message on this. He entitled it "Arming Yourself with the Purpose to Suffer". This title is clearly stated in verse 1: "Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin."
John Piper explained: "There are a good many reasons in the Scriptures to believe that the Great Commission will not be completed without suffering. One of these reasons is that when Jesus said that the gospel will be preached throughout the world as a testimony to all the nations, he also said in the same context, "You will be hated by all the nations" (Matthew 24:9, 14). In other words, wherever you go among the nations, your efforts to bring good news of everlasting life will be met with joy in some and anger in others." He then gave three further reasons based on references in Colossians 1:24, John 20:21, and passages in 2 Timothy 1:8; 2:3; 4:5.

John Piper found Five Pieces of Armor for suffering from this passage (remember also the other Armor in Ephesians 6:11-17?). He prefaced this by saying "Thoughts and purposes arm us. They protect us and help us get victories. The purpose Peter has in mind is the purpose to suffer if God should will it (as 3:17 says) for righteousness' sake. If you choose that purpose, you are armed. One reason is that you will not be so taken off guard when it comes. And another reason is that you will have prepared yourself for what's coming." So these are the five pieces of armor, which I will keep in mind and purpose (with my will) it each and every day for as long as I live:

1. Christ suffered (verse 1) - He chose it (John 10:18). He has called us to take up our cross and follow Him. Our purpose is to suffer with Him.
2. Making a clean break with sin (verses 1b & 2) - choose suffering because if you don't, you will choose sin.
3. Any amount of past sinning is enough (verses 3,4) - Peter is basically telling us: "arm yourself with this thought: the time you've spent sinning is sufficient. Make the break; choose the will of God. And suffer for it if you must."
4. Adversaries will be brought to justice (verse 5) - trust God the righteous judge to call our adversaries into account now and into the future; it is better to suffer for doing right and to leave judgment to God.
5. We will triumph over death (verse 6) - John Piper expanded this difficult verse this way: "For the gospel has for this purpose [namely, referring back to verse 5, to save people from the judgment] been preached even to those who are [now] dead [not that they were dead when they heard the gospel], that though they are judged in the flesh as men, they may live in the spirit according to the will of God." The gospel was not preached to our dead Christian friends in vain. They are now alive in the spirit. They are with the Lord. And the sufferings that they experienced here are not worthy to be compared to the glory that has been revealed to them (Romans 8:17-18). The Message has a very nice translation for this verse: "Listen to the Message. It was preached to those believers who are now dead, and yet even though they died (just as all people must), they will still get in on the life that God has given in Jesus."

I know thinking about suffering is not a pleasant thought. What I have been learning is simply this:
praise God for Jesus - He suffered and died for me so that my past and present sins are all forgiven. I have been given the Holy Spirit to help me make healthy choices to stay away from sin and to live for righteousness. I have been called to share this wonderful gospel with those who have never heard. There will be suffering involved - ridiculed or physical harm even. But the work of the Gospel will not be in vain for those who will hear. And God will judge my adversaries. The choice of embracing suffering will arm me for the rest of my life so I won't be caught off guard. The life ahead is far better than the life now. Thank you Lord for the lesson today!

Gleaning from the Book of James

I was reading James 2 this morning. James' writing is quite unique. Overall I feel a certain warmth towards him and really respect him for what he has to say. But he is like a brother you like but would rather keep a distance! He seemed rigid, dogmatic, short of empathy, and some of the things he said seemed to stir up confusion and controversy. Here is a sample of his famous verses:

On suffering: "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." (James 1:2-4)

On God's unchanging generosity: "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." (James 1:17)

On obeying the Word: "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do." (James 1:22-25)

On showing favoritism: "But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it." (James 2:9-10)

On faith and work: "But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder." (James 2:18-19)

On controlling our tongue: "With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness." (James 3:9)

On true wisdom: "But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness." (James 3:17-18)

On fights and quarrels, Christian discord: "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up."  (James 4:7, 10)

On confession and prayer: "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." "Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins." (James 5:16, 20b)

The author James is thought to be the half-brother of Jesus. The "letter" is one of the "circular epistles" which was passed around and read in different locations. There is therefore no salutation in the beginning or the end of the letter. This letter was thought to have been written very early on, after the scattering (James 1:1) of Jewish believers from the persecution in Acts 8:1-4. This happened before the formation of any churches.

I have found this commentary very helpful to understand the purpose of the letter:
It has long been a common misperception that James has no unified theme and is simply

a series of aphorisms or maxims strung together in what was called in the ancient world a “string of pearls.” The epistle, however, clearly indicates the writer’s purpose to develop a primary theme. That theme is that believers should meet trials with faith and wisdom, resulting in joy (Jam 1:2–5)... The theme is mentioned at the beginning (1:2–5) and the end (5:7–11) in what might be called grammatical “bookends.” A strong promise is given at the beginning, of the eternal benefit of meeting trials and temptations with faith and wisdom (1:12). This promise is reinforced at the end of the book (5:19–20) by a practical illustration of the intercession of one believer in behalf of another. 
From - basictraining.org

Although the context is different. Believers that James spoke to were persecuted and scattered from their homes and suffered tremendously because of their faith.  James is still teaching me to face difficulties in life head on. The uncompromising approach is what is needed a lot of the times. The faith-work debate boils down to these practical day-to-day disciplines:

• suffering (even from bad choices I made in the past) can be used by God to shape my character
• obey God's Word whenever I am prompted by the Holy Spirit (see my blog on Nov 7)
• be particularly generous with Christians, watch my tongue, be a peace maker
• confess my sin if I have wronged someone - it will heal the relationship
• finally, pray for one another
• rejoice in the Lord always (Philippians 4:4)! For Nehemiah said, “Go and (1)enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and (2)send some to those who have nothing prepared. (3)This day is holy to our Lord. (4)Do not grieve, for (5)the joy of the Lord is your strength.” (Nehemiah 8:10)