Want to know what God has purposed for you in service?  Let's look at that together. 

As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.

10If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.

 We see that we have access to great power, we just need to use it. If you pray that the Lord do something in the life of another person, preferably someone you have witnessed to, the Lord will do it. We are a witness of God and He will support and testify to the validity of our witness!

16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

17 Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.

18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.

Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.

4Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.

5I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

6If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

7If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

8Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

James 5: 13-15  Final Matters of Faith and Testimony

James is going to conclude this letter with some final words of encouragement to the believers dispersed across the world. This letter would be the only communication they would get from the Church in Jerusalem. As they met together in the house churches or gatherings this letter would be read by the pastor/teacher and instruction was given. You can imagine that each member hung on every word and rejoiced in receiving the direction and confirmation of the letter's instruction. May we do the same. 

13 Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.

14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:

15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.

In our modern society we are at a loss to find such things as responsibility, accountability and integrity. The principles of goodness and dependability are almost ghost tales. It is interesting because we all value these things but not many people seem to exemplify them. As Christians this gives us a great opportunity to be seen as different. I am not referring to those who go around and parade their so-called “Christian Values,” like a vote for me button. I am speaking of the everyday person who is guided by the Spirit of God and exhibits true Spiritual fruit. James is speaking into that need and to those people. 

12 But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation.

James 5: 7-11 The Patience of the Saints

Longsuffering is such a valuable fruit of the Spirit and it can only be nurtured through trials. It isn't gained in any other way other than walking by faith in the face of difficulty. If life is the gym, faith is the workout routine then longsuffering is the results! 

7 Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.

8 Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.

9 Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door.

10 Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.

11 Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.

James Chapter 5 1-6:The Truth about the Wealthy 

“The rich man glories in his riches, because he feels that they naturally draw upon him the attention of the world…At the thought of this, his heart seems to swell and dilate itself within him, and he is fonder of his wealth, upon this account, than for all the other advantages it procures him.”

Adam Smith, Theory of Moral Sentiments (1759)

Although this was written in 1759 the same is true several hundred years later and it was true several hundred years before in James time. The glorification of wealth and the rich are constants in every time and all cultures. The value we place upon material things are a snare and a trap that lead us into suffering and bitterness. 

Matthew 19:23

Why? Is it wrong to be wealthy? Is it a sin to have been fortunate to be born into wealth or to have worked to achieve it? The answer to both of these questions is no, so what shall we say of the rich? James presents to us how we should view the riches of this world in relationship to the grace we have received in salvation. 

5 Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.

2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten.

3 Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.

4 Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth.

5 Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter.

6 Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you.

The analogy of fruit is one that is planted throughout the Bible. Fruit is seen as the ultimate reward from any thing that is planted, cared for and nurtured. The fact that work should yield a benefit is pictured in this analogy. We don’t work and care for a plant, a person or a relationship and do not see the results of our efforts. Israel has often been compared to a vine by God and He says He planted it and cared for it so that it might bear fruit. Jesus adopts this analogy as these men move toward the Garden. Let's examine the meaning of His words and how they apply to Christian service, as we are now grafted into the Branch of Christ as the Church. We saw first in the last lesson how God the Holy Spirit indwelling a person reveals them to be a believer. Here Jesus continues and shows how the service that is powered by the Spirit reveals a true relationship with God. We know that service alone is nothing, only service that bares fruit matters. Service that bares fruit is the tell tell sign of true Christian service. 

John

2Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.

These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.

26But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

27Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

28Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.

29And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe.

30Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.

31But that the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence.

Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?

23Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

24He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.