Don't Believe the Popular Songs

by Frederick Hoehn, copyright 2014, all rights reserved.

Chapter 1

From the Holy Bible, Hoehn Version:

___Proverbs chapter 22

1 A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favor rather than silver and gold.

2 The rich and poor meet together, the Lord is the maker of them all.

3 A prudent man foresees the evil and hides himself, but the simple pass on, and are punished.

4 By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches, and honor, and life.

5 Thorns and traps are in the way of the perverse person, he that keeps his soul shall be far from them.

6 Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he won't depart from it.

7 The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.

8 He that plants sin shall harvest vanity, and the rod of his anger shall fail.

9 He that has an abundant eye shall be blessed, for he gives of his bread to the poor.

10 Throw out the scorner, and contention shall go out, yes, strife and reproach shall stop.

11 He that loves pureness of heart, for the grace of his lips the king shall be his friend.

12 The eyes of the Lord preserve knowledge, and he overthrows the words of the transgressor.

13 The slothful man says, there is a lion outside, I shall be killed in the streets.

14 The mouth of strange women is a deep pit, he that is hated by the Lord shall fall into it.

15 Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child, but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.

16 He that oppresses the poor to increase his riches, and he that gives to the rich, shall surely become needy.

17 Bow down your ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply your heart to my knowledge.

18 For it is a pleasant thing if you keep them inside you; by that means they'll be fitted in your lips.

19 So that your trust will be in the Lord, I have made known to you this day, even to you.

20 Haven't I written to you excellent things in advice and knowledge,

21 So that I would make you know the certainty of the words of truth, so that you would answer the words of truth to those who send to you?

22 Don't rob the poor because he is poor, and don't oppress the afflicted in the gate,

23 For the Lord will plead their cause, and will spoil the soul of those that spoiled them.

24 Make no friendship with an angry man, and with a furious man you shall not go,

25 So you don't learn his ways and entrap your soul.

26 Don't be one of those who strike hands, or of those who are sureties for debts.

27 If you have nothing to pay, why should he take away your bed from under you?

28 Don't remove the ancient landmark that your fathers have set.

29 Do you see a man diligent in his business?  He shall stand before kings, he shall not stand before men of low degree.

Chapter 2

I would like to call your attention to verses 24 and 25, above.

"Make no friendship with an angry man, and with a furious man you shall not go, so you don't learn his ways and entrap your soul."

If you hang out with an angry person, you're likely to endanger yourself by becoming like him, and hurting your chances for going to heaven.

But the same principle applies to many other things also.  If you hang around with adulterers, you're likely to become an adulterer.

If you hang out with alcoholics, you're likely to become an alcoholic.

And so forth.

When I say, "Don't Believe the Popular Songs," I mean don't believe the words of popular songs.

I believe that there are some people who think that the words of popular songs have something to teach us, that we can increase in wisdom by what the popular songs are saying.

It is generally a mistake to think so.

Perry Como was a very popular singer, and had various hit tunes.  Even had his own TV show for a while.

Como sang the hit tune, "It's impossible."  Singing the words to the song, he said, "I would sell my very soul and not regret it."

Nonsense.  If you sell your soul, you'll surely regret it.

Jesus said, "What shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul.  Or, what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?"

You lose your soul if you go to hell, a very nasty place where their worms don't die, and where the fire is never quenched, and where there is crying and gnashing of teeth, Jesus said.

And Jesus said that most people go to hell.  "Broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many there are who go in there.  Narrow is the way that leads to life, and there are few that find it."

Now Perry Como probably made a pile of money with that hit tune, but it really didn't do a service to the public to tell them that there might be some possible spouse that it would be worth going to hell for.

There is no one worth going to hell for.

If you have to go to hell to get a certain spouse, then that person is not God's will for you to marry.  Ask God who is God's will for you to marry.

But for best results, first make sure that you're a Christian yourself.  And then date only Christians.  And pray, pray, pray about whom to marry.  And then pray some more.

The song, "We've Only Just Begun," was performed by the Carpenters, with Karen Carpenter as soloist.

Some of the words were, "A kiss for luck, and we're on our way."  I think the composer was Paul Williams, who did a short version of the song for a TV commercial for Coca Cola.

Does a kiss bring luck?  Well, maybe a little, sometimes.  Or maybe not.

There was a documentary on TV about the Carpenters, Karen and her brother, probably on PBS.

After the TV commercial came out, Williams was approached by the Carpenters about a longer version of the song.

Seems like Williams said on TV, in that documentary, that he didn't have a longer version, but he told them he did, and that he would get it to them, and then immediately began writing the longer version.

The idea of having a successful outfit like the Carpenters record your song would appeal to most composers.

Karen was the young sister of her older brother, who was very much into music, and was a Pianist and arranger.

Karen and her brother spent hours listening to records of the popular songs.  A photo was shown of Karen as just a child of perhaps 9 or 10 years old, listening to the music.

The Carpenters used the technique of "overdubbing," like Les Paul and Mary Ford had used in their recordings.

You record perhaps two voices.  Then you make another recording of the two voices singing harmony to the other recording that is playing while they sing.

Now you have four voices.  Do it again, and you have six voices.  You could have two people doing twelve voices.

There was a band competition one year at the Hollywood Bowl that was won by the Carpenters.  That was before Karen Carpenter bloomed as a singer.  She was the drummer in the band.

I suspect that the words of the popular songs, stored in the heart of Karen Carpenter, helped to bring about the early demise of Karen Carpenter at age 32.

I suspect that Karen Carpenter swallowed too much of that false wisdom that comes as the words to popular songs.

God doesn't want his people dying at age 32.  The Bible speaks of 70 years, or, if by reason of strength, 80 years. (Psalm 90:10)

Why then did Karen Carpenter die at age 32?  They say her heart quit working.  And why did her heart quit working?  Because she had been starving herself.

Karen was apparently afflicted with Anorexia Nirvosa, an obsessive desire to lose weight.  I believe Anorexia is caused by one or more demons.  A demon is a fallen angel that rebelled against God when Satan did.

Petula Clark, successful Singer, was a friend of Karen Carpenter, and told Karen, "Whatever you're doing, stop doing it."

What Karen was doing was excessive dieting.  She was starving herself.  I don't think she was trying to kill herself.  But with the Anorexia, she had this obsessive desire to lose weight.

I've seen Karen Carpenter on TV several times.  I never saw her when it looked like she was overweight.

I think Karen Carpenter may have been a Christian, but I believe that she probably had a somewhat distorted view because of all the words of junk songs that were in her.

The Carpenters had a Lyricist.  Don't remember his name.  But he appeared in that TV documentary about the Carpenters.  I believe it was he that Karen Carpenter married, in a very lavish wedding.

He was asked in the documentary about his relationship with Karen.  He said that all the stories you hear about in all the popular songs, it all happened between Karen and him.

But why?  Because if you fill you heart with the words of the popular songs, then there's a strong tendency that you'll live out those words in your life.

The Bible says we should use moderation.  Karen was immoderate in her dieting, and it killed her.  But it's probably more accurate to say that the demons behind the Anorexia killed her.

And show biz has killed many.

The good news is that Christians have authority from Jesus in Luke 10:19 and in Mark chapter 16 to cast out demons from people.

But perhaps Karen wasn't aware that she needed to have a demon cast out of her.

"See, I give you power...over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you." (Luke 10:19)

Our main enemy is the devil and his demons, as shown in Ephesians chapter 6.  There are four categories of demons there.

"These signs shall follow those who believe, In my name, they'll cast out demons..." (Mark 16:17)

If Karen did make it to heaven, I'll be glad to see her there.

In his song, "Blue Angel," Roy Orbison sings, "I'll love you 'til the end of time."

But Roy Orbison died back in about 1988, and now it's 2014, and time still hasn't ended.

So then he was not able to love someone until the end of time.

I believe that females are probably more vulnerable and more susceptible to the dangers of taking the words to heart of popular songs.

I was in the produce section of a supermarket, and there was a popular song playing over the store's public address system.

A song I'd heard before, but hadn't made any effort to memorize the words.  A female shopper, also in the produce section was singing right along, and she knew the words.

Words that I had disregarded as being rather unimportant.  But that middle aged woman had bothered to hold the words in her heart.

The Psalmist, David, said, "I've hidden your word in my heart so I won't sin against you."  God's word is worth storing in our hearts, in fact, God's word is pretty much a necessity.

But the words of popular songs are generally not worth storing in our hearts.

We have what is called romantic love.  We have what is called falling in love.

The Bible says, "Keep your heart with ALL diligence, for out of it are the issues of life." (Prov 4:23)  You don't have to fall in love.

In one of the popular songs played on an Oldies station in Omaha are the words, "I'll love you forever."  But how can someone love forever?  Everyone on earth is going to die, (unless they're raptured--see my book, "The Rapture".)

Someone might say, but I'm a Christian, so I'll go to heaven, where I'll live forever.  O.K., but in heaven there's no marrying nor giving in marriage, Jesus said.

So I say, don't take the words too seriously.  Don't take the words to heart.  Those words were not put there to add to your wisdom.

Those words are there in hopes by the recording artists that they will be financially successful.  They hope to put out something that will be well-received, whether or not it's doing the listener any good.

What is best for the listener is far from foremost in the minds of the performers.

If they can sell something that the customers will buy, that's all they really care about.

And many of those performers have rotten lives themselves.  Show biz has killed many, and is probably not a good vocation for God-fearing people to go into.

I had a friend in California who said to me, "You know that song, The Girl That I Marry?" (by Irving Berlin, I think.)  "That's the kind of wife that I want."

The words of that song list certain qualifications for a wife that my friend that I knew in California embraced.

But, the thing is, it is very largely a question of perception.  It is very subjective.  I knew the young woman that he chose to be his wife.

I guess she was an attractive young woman, but I didn't really see her as the impersonation of Berlin's song, "The Girl that I Marry."

While we were all single, I never thought of her as someone I wanted to ask for a date.

But that man thought so.

I don't think the words of a popular song are a good guide about whom to marry.

As one of the main decisions in life, people really ought to do a great deal of praying before taking the leap into marriage.

Ask God whom to marry.  But first, make sure you're a Christian yourself.  And date only someone who is also a Christian.  Preferably, you should both be baptized with the Holy Ghost, with the speaking in unknown tongues.

A better guide on the qualifications of a desirable wife would be words not from a popular song, but words from the Bible.

From the Holy Bible, Hoehn Version, Proverbs chapter 31:

10 Who can find a virtuous woman?  For her price is far above rubies.

11 The heart of her husband safely trusts in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.

12 She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.

13 She seeks wool, and flax, and works willingly with her hands.

14 She is like the merchants' ships, she brings her food from far.

15 She arises also while it is still night, and gives food to her household, and a portion to her maidens.

16 She considers a field, and buys it, with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.

17 She clothes her midsection with strength, and strengthens her arms.

18 She perceives that her merchandise is good, her candle doesn't go out at night.

19 She lays her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.

20 She stretches out her hand to the poor, yes, she reaches out her hands to the needy.

21 She is not afraid of the snow for her household, for all her household are clothed with red cloth.

22 She makes herself coverings of tapestry, her clothing is silk and purple.

23 Her husband is known in the gates, when he sits among the elders of the land.

24 She makes fine linen, and sells it, and delivers girdles to the merchant.

25 Strength and honor are her clothing, and she'll be rejoicing in the future.

26 She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the law of kindness is in her tongue.

27 She looks well to the ways of her household, and doesn't eat the bread of idleness.

28 Her children get up and call her blessed, her husband also, and he praises her.

29 Many daughters have done virtuously, but you excel them all.

30 Favor is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman that fears the Lord, she shall be praised.

31 Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her own works praise her in the gates.

But marriage is not a perfect thing, since humans are not usually perfect.  A disciple said to Jesus, "If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry."

Jesus answered, "All men can't receive this saying except those to whom it is given."

Wasn't it Tammy Wynette that sang, "Stand by your man?"

Standing by your man is often right, but Jesus said that people could get divorced if there's fornication.

But in her song, I don't think Tammy Wynette said anything about the words of Jesus.

A pile of foolishness won't increase your wisdom.  If you want to increase your wisdom, read the Book of Proverbs, right about in the middle of the Bible.

Most of Proverbs was written by Solomon, who was the wisest and richest king that Israel had.  Much later, of course, the Messiah, Jesus, King of Israel, is no doubt wiser than Solomon.

But though Jesus is the King of Israel, he is not among the kings of ancient Israel.  In those ancient times, Jesus was still in heaven with God the Father.

I believe it was my knowledge of the scriptures in the Bible that helped me to disregard, and not take to heart, and not take seriously the words of popular songs.

They say, "Let the buyer beware."  But also, I say, "Let the listener beware."

Jesus said we'll be judged for every idle word. (Matt 12:36)  Words mean something.

Another scripture says, "In a multitude of words, sin won't be lacking." (Prov 10:19)

Remember that song, "Sweet nothings?"  I don't think it was correct to call them sweet nothings.  They weren't nothings, they were somethings.  Everything we do, and everything we say is recorded by the recording angels in heaven.

Some of those "sweet nothings" might have been O.K., depending on what was said.

Chapter 3

John the Beloved (John the Revelator) says:

"And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.

And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works." (Rev 20:11,12)

You have to have your name in that Lamb's Book of Life to avoid going to hell, and go instead to heaven.

The other books are the things that we've done and said during our lives on earth.  And we'll be judged for those things.  Of course, if you're a Christian, your sins are forgiven, and you are laying up treasure in heaven, it says in First Corinthians:

"For no man can lay another foundation than that which has been laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Now if any man builds on this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble,

Every man's work shall be made clear, for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire, and the fire shall test every man's work to see what kind it is.

If any man's work remains that he has built on it, he shall receive a reward.

If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss, but he himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire." (1 Cor 3:11-15)

I believe it was Presidential Candidate Hubert Humphrey, speaking about one of the popular songs, who said, "I romanced my wife with that song."

Well, O.K.  Probably not much harm was done.  And he got himself a wife.  But it still matters about what words we speak, what words we listen to, and what words we take to heart.  And wrong words have sent people to hell.  And hell is forever.

It seems that humans have a space somewhere inside of them for teaching.  Hopefully, they'll get good teaching based on God's word, the Bible.  But if they don't get good teaching, then bad stuff can get in there.  And that's very undesirable.

Jesus said, "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks." (Matt 12:34)  We speak what is in our hearts.  David, the Psalmist, said, "I have hidden your word in my heart so that I won't sin against you." (Psa 119:11)

If what you have in your heart is scripture from the Bible, you're in much better condition to deal with life than if what's in your heart is a collection of folklore, such as from popular songs, or what you might have read in books that contradict the Bible.

And if what you have in your heart is Darwin's evolution, you are in danger of losing your soul and going to hell.  Evolution is not how we got here.  Evolution is a lie.  We're here because God created us.

Elvis Presley performed "Jailhouse Rock."  I saw him perform it on TV.  Someone might say, "Why did you watch that?"  Well, sometimes the choices of what to watch on TV are not very good.

But "Jailhouse Rock" is not at all an accurate representation of what happens in prisons.  They don't go dancing around singing songs, accompanied by musicians, as a normal thing.

I guess in some prisons the prisoners might put on a short show occasionally, if organized and authorized by the prison officials.

Elvis' performance, while it may be entertaining, was not at all realistic.

I'm not a huge fan of Elvis, and I don't think he made it to heaven, sadly, even though Elvis rather liked gospel music, and recorded a gospel music record album.

Incidentally, one of Presley's background singers was J.D. Sumner, who later sang with Bill Gaither's singers.

Sumner appeared in a documentary about Elvis on TV.

There are churches that you can go to and hear preaching.  But even with that, you have to be careful.  I've heard sermons where the guy reads a verse of scripture as his text, and then for the next hour, you don't hear any more scripture, but just what this guy thinks.

If you're someone that pays attention to the words of songs, expecting to get some good information, I believe you have the wrong idea.  But some of the music, exclusive of the words, is pleasant.  But the volume can be turned down a little to enjoy the music without so much of the words.

I believe that females are probably more susceptible and more vulnerable to the dangers of the words of popular songs than males, and of taking those words to heart.

After God created Adam and then Eve, and after Satan had already rebelled against God, Satan wanted to get humans to commit sin.

Satan wanted them to eat of the forbidden fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.  His strategy was to approach the weaker vessel, the woman, Eve.

Satan used a serpent to speak to Eve.  Apparently, before the entrance of sin into the world, some of the animals could talk.

So the serpent presented his case, originating from Satan, to Eve.

One of the things that appealed to Eve about the forbidden fruit was that it was from a tree to be desired to make you wise.

And Eve was tempted by what seemed to be that wisdom.

Similarly, some of the ladies of today are probably thinking that there's some wisdom to be gained from the words of popular music.

I believe the males are less likely to be ensnared by that.

Karen Carpenter also sang a song that was about songs, "Every sha la la la, every O O O O....Every Shing a ling a ling...When it get's to the part where he's breaking her heart."

In the song, Karen sings, "I memorize every line."  I think that Karen didn't see why she shouldn't memorize every line.

Someone might say, "Well, maybe Karen was just singing the words to the song, and didn't really memorize every line."

You'd better not say out of your mouth that you memorize every line if it's not your intention to do so.  Words that we speak out of our mouths have a way of becoming reality, since we are made in the image of God.

In Genesis, God said, "Let us make man in our image."  We are made in the image of the God who spoke the worlds into existence, and so we also have some ability to speak things into existence.

But be careful not to speak the wrong things into existence.

This breaking of hearts is a main theme in popular songs.  But it's not always he that breaks her heart.  Sometimes she breaks his heart.

The breaking of the heart means the disappointment when the guy likes the girl, but she doesn't like him, or vice versa.

But there's a simple solution to that problem.

You don't have to "fall in love" to begin with.  If you don't fall head over heals in love to begin with, then there's less to lose if the other person doesn't like you.

In my youth, there was a young woman at my church that I thought was pretty special.  But it became clear that she didn't think I was pretty special.

So did it break my heart?  No, because I had not let myself fall in love with her.  If she didn't like me, then God had someone else for me.

Proverbs 4:23 tells us, "Keep your heart with ALL diligence, for out of it are the issues of life."

Who says you have to fall in love with someone before you marry them?  You just take it a step at a time.

First of all, make sure you're a Christian.  Then date only Christians.  Preferably you're both baptized with the Holy Ghost with the speaking in unknown tongues.

Then pray about whom to date.  Then pray and pray and pray some more.  Listen to what the person you're dating says.

Jesus said, "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks." (Matt 12:34)  What is in that person's heart will eventually come out as words out of their mouth.

If you hear the right kind of words out of their mouth that agree with good doctrine and good Theology, then perhaps you're on the right track.  But keep praying.

If you hear the wrong words from that person, then ask the Lord whom to date instead of that person.

Another popular song says, "Don't go breakin' my heart.  (I give you my heart.)  I won't go breakin' your heart."

Here's a tip--you don't have to give your heart.

A man and woman can date.  They pray about it, individually and together.  They decide to get married.  They agree out loud that they intend to have a Christian marriage, and raise the Children to be Christians.  They both try to be good spouses and parents.

If I were to marry again, I would want my wife to be to understand that I have a prior commitment.  My first loyalty is to the Lord, and then to my wife, and not the other way around.

If she doesn't like hearing that, then she is not the right one.

Jesus said, "If you love husband or wife more than me, you're not worthy of me."

There are societies and cultures and nations where they don't do this dating thing that Americans do.  But rather, they have "arranged" marriages.  Seems like I've heard that the Hassidic Jews have arranged marriages.

In other words, the way you get your spouse is that the two families arrange the marriage.  Your family and the other person's family.

I believe some of those marriages work out O.K.  Marriage is something you work at to make it a successful marriage.

There's a song, "Do You Know the Way to San Jose?"  It says, "L.A. is a great big freeway.  Put a hundred down and buy a car.  In a week or two they'll make you a star."

The song talks about the advantages of San Jose over Los Angeles, two cities in California.  I've lived in both L.A. and in San Jose.  I think both cities have pretty much the same problems, except perhaps more of them in L.A. because more people.

In the song, "Love me Tender, Love me True," Elvis sings, "I'll be yours through all the years, 'til the end of time."

And when is the end of time?  Well, that can't happen for a least one thousand seven years because there will be seven years of Great Tribulation, followed by a thousand years of Jesus Christ ruling on earth.

But Elvis is already gone.  Died in his forties, I think.  So he can't be hers until the end of time, because he didn't last until the end of time.

Don't get me wrong, I like some of Elvis' songs, but I'm saying we shouldn't take the words too seriously.

Another song says, "Blame it on the Bossa Nova, the dance of love."  Oh, is the Bossa Nova the dance of love?  I didn't know that.

I suppose some have drawn closer romantically in connection with Bossa Nova, but isn't that also true for the Cha Cha, the Samba, the Tango, the Foxtrot, and the Waltz?

Wasn't it Ray Stevens (or was it Ray Price?) that had the hit tune, "Everything is beautiful, in it's own way?"  The song also says, "Everyone is beautiful in their own way."

Are the insides of sewers beautiful?  Are twenty car pileups on the freeway beautiful?  Are serial killers beautiful in their own way?  Are the criminally insane beautiful?  I don't think so.

Was Timothy McVeigh beautiful, who murdered those people in Oklahoma?  No, he was a twisted young man who thought that murdering people would solve a problem.

God says, "No murderer has eternal life abiding in him."

The same song says, "Everything's going to work out fine."  No it's not, because I read God's book.  There will be wars and rumors of wars, and distress of nations with perplexity.

There's going to be the Battle of Armageddon, where the blood will rise to the level of the horse bridles.

Another song is, "You made me love you."  If you're keeping your heart with ALL diligence, as per Prov 4:23, no one can make you love them, and if you see that's what they're trying to do, and you know it wouldn't be right, then try to avoid that person, and ask for God's help.

We have a Food and Drug Administration to help protect us from bad products of that sort.  But there doesn't seem to be a government agency to protect us from the words of dumb songs.

Charles Capps, Kenneth E. Hagin, and Norvel Hayes have all taught about the importance of speaking the right words out of our mouths.  But speaking the wrong words can kill you.

The words of popular songs didn't become available because those performers wanted to give the public something good that would benefit the public.

They became available because those performers were betting that they'd sell a bunch of records or C.D.'s with those songs, and just nevermind that their words might damage the listeners.

___James chapter 1

1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes that are dispersed around, greetings.

2 My brothers, count it all joy when you fall into various temptations,

3 Knowing this, that the testing of your faith works patience.

4 But let patience have its perfect work, so you'll be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God for it, who gives to all men liberally, and won't find fault, and it shall be given to him.

6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering.  For he that wavers is like a wave of the sea driven by the wind and tossed.

7 For let that man not think that he'll receive anything from the Lord.

8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

9 Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted,

10 But the rich, in that he is made low, because as the flower of the grass he'll pass away.

11 For the sun has no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withers the grass, and the flower of it falls, and the grace of the fashion of it perishes, so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.

12 Blessed is the man that endures temptation, for after he's been tested, he'll receive the crown of life, that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

13 Let no man say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God," for God can't be tempted with evil, nor does he tempt any man,

14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed.

15 Then when lust has conceived, it produces sin, and sin when it's finished, produces death.

16 Do not err, my beloved brothers.

17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, nor shadow of turning.

18 He chose to father us with the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.

19 So, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger,

20 For the anger of man doesn't accomplish the righteousness of God.

21 So, lay apart all filthiness and the unnecessary naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.

22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like a man seeing his natural face in a mirror,

24 For he sees himself, and goes his way, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.

25 But whoever looks into the perfect law of liberty, and continues in it, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

26 If any man among you seems to be religious, and doesn't bridle his tongue, but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is for nothing.

27 Pure religion and undefiled before God the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

___James chapter 2

1 My brothers, don't have the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.

2 For if a man with a gold ring comes to your assembly in fancy clothes, and a poor man in dirty clothes comes in also,

3 And you have respect to him that wears the fancy clothes, and say to him, "Sit here in a good place," and say to the poor, "Stand there, or sit here under my footstool,"

4 Aren't you then partial in yourselves, and have become judges with evil thoughts?

5 Listen, my beloved brothers, hasn't God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him?

6 But you have despised the poor.  Don't rich men oppress you, and bring you before the judgment seats?

7 Don't they blaspheme that worthy name by which you're called?

8 If you fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, "You shall love your neighbor like yourself," you do well,

9 But if you have respect of persons, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as sinners.

10 For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

11 For he that said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not kill."  Now if you don't commit adultery, yet if you kill, you've become a breaker of the law.

12 Speak in such a way, and do, as those who'll be judged by the law of liberty.

13 For he shall have judgment without mercy, that has shown no mercy, and mercy rejoices against judgment.

14 What does it profit, my brothers, though a man says he has faith, and doesn't have works?  Can faith save him?

15 If a brother or sister needs clothes, and lacks daily food,

16 And one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you don't give them the things that are needed for the body, what good is that?

17 Even so faith, if it doesn't have works, is dead, being alone.

18 Yes, a man could say, "You have faith, and I have works, show me your faith without your works, and I'll show you my faith by my works."

19 You believe that there is one God, you do well, the devils also believe, and tremble.

20 But don't you know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

21 Wasn't Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son on the altar?

22 Do you see how faith worked with his deeds, and by works faith was made perfect?

23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness, and he was called the friend of God."

24 You see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

25 Likewise also wasn't Rahab the prostitute justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?

26 For like the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

___James chapter 3

1 My brothers, don't be many masters, knowing that we'll receive the greater condemnation.

2 For in many things we offend all.  If any man doesn't offend in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.

3 See, we put bits in the horses' mouths, so they'll obey us, and we turn around their whole bodies.

4 Look also at the ships, which though they're so large, and are driven by fierce winds, yet they're turned around by a very small helm, wherever the captain wants.

5 Even so, the tongue is a little member, and boasts great things.  See how great a matter a little fire kindles!

6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of sin, so is the tongue among our members that it makes dirty the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature, and it is set on fire by hell.

7 For every kind of animals, and of birds, and of snakes, and of things in the sea, gets tamed, and has been tamed by mankind,

8 But no man can tame the tongue, it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.

9 With it we bless God, the Father, and with it we curse men, who are made after the likeness of God.

10 Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing.  My brothers, these things ought not to be.

11 Does a fountain send out at the same place sweet water and bitter?

12 Can the fig tree, my brothers, produce olive berries?  Or a vine, figs?  So no fountain can yield both salt water and fresh.

13 Who is a wise man, possessing knowledge among you?  Let him show out of a good lifestyle his works with meekness of wisdom.

14 But if you have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, don't glory, and don't lie against the truth.

15 This wisdom doesn't descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.

16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.

17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be reasoned with, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

18 And the fruit of righteousness is planted in peace by those who make peace.

___James chapter 4

1 Where do wars and fightings among you come from?  Don't they come from your lusts that war in your members?

2 You lust, and don't have, you kill, and desire to have, and can't obtain, you fight and war, yet you don't have, because you don't ask.

3 You ask, and don't receive, because you ask wrongly, so you can consume it on your lusts.

4 You adulterers and adulteresses, don't you know that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God?  Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world is an enemy of God.

5 Do you think that the scripture says for nothing, "The spirit that lives in us lusts to envy?"

6 But he gives more grace.  So he says, "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble."

7 Submit yourselves therefore to God.  Resist the devil, and he'll run away from you.

8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.  Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double minded.

9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and cry, let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.

10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he'll lift you up.

11 Don't speak evil about each other, brothers.  He that speaks evil about his brother, and judges his brother, speaks evil about the law, and judges the law, but if you judge the law, you're not a doer of the law, but a judge.

12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy, who are you that judges someone else?

13 Go on now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we'll go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and make a profit,"

14 Actually, you don't know what will happen tomorrow.  For what is your life?  It is a puff of steam, that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away.

15 For you ought to say, "Lord willing, we'll live, and do this, or that."

16 But now you rejoice in your boastings, all such rejoicing is evil.

17 Therefore to him that knows to do good, and doesn't do it, to him it is sin.

___James chapter 5

1 Go on now, you rich men, cry and howl for your miseries that shall come on you.

2 Your riches are corrupted, and your clothes are moth eaten.

3 Your gold and silver are rusted, and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh like fire.  You've heaped treasure together for the last days.

4 See, the wages of the laborers who have reaped down your fields, which you've kept back by fraud, shouts, and the shouts of those who've reaped have entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabbath.

5 You've lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton, you've nourished your hearts, like in a day of slaughter.

6 You've condemned and killed the just, and he doesn't resist you.

7 Be patient therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord.  See, the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, and has long patience for it, until he receives the early and latter rain.

8 You also be patient.  Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is getting near.

9 Don't grudge against each other, brothers, so you won't be condemned, see, the judge stands at the door.

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

11 See, we count them happy that endure.  You've heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord, that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.

12 But above all things, my brothers, don't swear, not by heaven, nor by the earth, nor by any other oath, but let your yes be yes, and your no, no, so that you don't fall into condemnation.

13 Is anyone among you afflicted?  Let him pray.  Is anyone merry?  Let him sing psalms.

14 Is anyone 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 has committed sins, he'll be forgiven.

16 Confess your faults to each other, and pray for each other so you'll be healed.  The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man is does a lot of good.

17 Elijah was a man subject to the same kind of passions that we are, and he prayed earnestly that it wouldn't rain, and it didn't rain on the earth for three years and six months.

18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.

19 Brothers, if any of you strays from the truth, and someone converts him,

20 Let him know, that he that converts the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.