Winning the War Within - Part 2

The Visitation of God:

God met me for two hours in the prayer closet

It started like a fan running and suddenly you flip the switch and the fan slows as it turns directions And then the air flows changes

Wave after wave of God’s glory filled the room

It was so strong that at times I felt like I was going to explode

It was an unveiling of His holiness

After dinner, we had family worship, and it was released to our family

The kids began to share experiences with God they have been having, then we laid hands on them, and the fire of God was released

They began to leap with the joy of the Lord, saying, we’ve never had family worship before like this!

What the Lord spoke during the visitation:

We must have a move of God

It’s a visitation of God’s holiness

God is sparking hope and hunger in the remnant within His body

Particularly in the last five years, the older generation has lost hope that a move of God is possible

In the last weeks, he is resurrecting that desire in the older generation so a preparation movement ensues for the younger generation to come in

A move of God is not just possible, it is inevitable

We are at a fork in the road

We will have a move of God or we will die (the church in America)

Consecration, holiness, deep repentance. This is what will characterize this move of God

Recap from Last Week

For the next couple of weeks, we are going to park in this most powerful Epistle and we are going to learn about “Faith that Works.” If we want to become skillful in our faith, if we want to live in revival, we must grab ahold of tangible faith. Not a mental ascent, not a philosophy, an esoteric teaching but an applicational, relational faith that changes everything around us.

Faith that Works Part 1: Wisdom that Sees Beyond - James 1:1-8

James is going to show us how to walk out our faith and live devoted to the Lord daily

Many people claim to be religious, but their religion is worthless. Many claim to have faith but their faith is dead. Others claim to be wise but their wisdom is worldly, even demonic, not spiritual.

James teaches us about authentic religion, faith, and wisdom! A people who are alive in the Lord! People who demonstrate their faith by their behavior.

An Important question: Are you living according to what you profess to believe?

This is the question that James poses in many different ways, throughout his Epistle.

Who is James?

He is the half-brother of Jesus and one of the main leaders in the Jerusalem church.

His real name in Greek and Hebrew?

Jacob

Through the translation from Greek to English, we lost the original name.

How did he die?

The Works of Josephus: New Updated Edition Chapter 9: Concerning Albinus under Whose Procuratorship James Was Slain; As Also What Edifices Were Built by Agrippa

Festus was now dead, and Albinus was but upon the road; so he assembled the sanhedrin of judges, and brought before them the brother of Jesus, who was called Christ, whose name was James, and some others, [or, some of his companions]; and when he had formed an accusation against them as breakers of the law, he delivered them to be stoned;

Ecclesiastical History, Books 1–5 Chapter 23

So they went up and cast down the Just, and they said to one another: “Let us stone James the Just,” and they began to stone him, p 128 since, though he had been cast down, he did not die, but he turned and with his knees on the ground said: “I beseech thee, Lord, God and Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”20

When was the Epistle written?

Scholars can reliably date the book of James to 44-49 AD. Making it one, if not the earliest, book written in the New Testament. If this is true (and a good case can be given for it), it really makes the NT come alive, when read through the perspective of James’ applicational theology.

Why is all this important?

James saw authentic faith walked out by his brother, our Messiah. If there was anyone with credentials to teach us about true faith in action, it is the brother of the Lord Jesus.

Who is he writing to?

Jewish believers who had fled to many different places due to waves of persecution.

TEACHING RECAP

God uses trials for our benefit

To see trials as joy requires an act of our will, an act of faith

The need for wisdom

Becoming mature (perfect, lacking nothing) requires us to have a perspective that is greater than the earthly, present-moment understanding of our trials.

Having God’s wisdom is essential in order to be joyful through trials

When you lack wisdom, you’ll react out of emotion.

Wisdom enables us to see our situation from God’s perspective

The big picture. God will give it if we ask without doubt.

Doubt: Having divided allegiance between God and the world

It’s more about double-mindedness (you should know better).

Dealing with doubt

1. Be honest with yourself and God

2. Wrestle with the Scriptures

3. Pray till you breakthrough

Today’s Teaching

Faith that Works Part 2: Winning the War Within - James 1:9-18

Let’s open to James 1:9

James 1:9–12 NKJV

9 Let the lowly brother glory in his exaltation, 10 but the rich in his humiliation, because as a flower of the field he will pass away. 11 For no sooner has the sun risen with a burning heat than it withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beautiful appearance perishes. So the rich man also will fade away in his pursuits. 12 Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.

This seems out of context, but it isn’t. James’ audience was mostly people who were suffering great poverty. Many in this time were suffering oppression at the hands of the rich. Many people had their land taken by Rome and Herod destroyed most small business farmers through exorbitant taxes that they couldn’t pay.

The tense relationship between the poor and the high class

The poor were taken advantage of

Instead of revenge, James encourages the poor to endure and the rich to humble themselves

God considers rich those who endure, the humble

James 2:5 NKJV

5 Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?

The Crown of Life is given to those who overcome the temptations of life

Don’t look at what you don’t have, but find what you do have and consecrate it to the Lord

John 6:9–11 NKJV

9 “There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?” 10 Then Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. 11 And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted.

While material wealth is not evil, what it causes to the heart determines it’s morality. We need to be rich in faith!

We cannot take anything with us

What we leave behind is of utmost importance. We can take people with us, that is all!

The Comparison Game

The sin of comparison and competition will kill your joy faster than anything else. Instead of comparing yourself to others, be in awe of God in others while also being thankful for your own giftings. After all, it all comes from God!

1 Thessalonians 5:18 NKJV

18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

You can be thankful even if you don’t feel it. But your actions will change your emotions.

There is more to life than wealth and prosperity

That is important to learn whether you are rich or poor. In whatever place in life you are, wealth or the lack of it does not define your eternal value.

Worldly riches, titles, and status will pass away. Only what is eternal will remain.

James 1:13–15 NKJV

13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. 14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. 15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.

It is natural to think when we are under temptation:

“God is doing this to me!”

James says an emphatic

NO!

This comes from our desire to always blame, and point the finger at someone else:

Genesis 3:11–13 NKJV

11 And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?” 12 Then the man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.” 13 And the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

The Blame Game

Proverbs 19:3 NKJV

3 The foolishness of a man twists his way, And his heart frets against the Lord.

Some of us don’t blame others, but we blame our circumstances. We make excuses for not dealing with the flesh.

James point us to self examination. It is undealt iniquity that leads to temptation that we allow ourselves to fall into.

How to Deal with Temptation

1. Realize that the problem is within

2. Ask the Lord to show you what sin is and what it does from His perspective

2. Realize that Jesus your helper, your gardener. The One who uproots the “weeds” your life

3. Confess to Him those hidden desires

4. Open your heart to receive His forgiveness

5. By faith, take ahold of the new creation reality in order to walk by the Spirit

6. Set boundaries in your life in order to stay pure

Temptations, when we meet them at first, are as the lion that reared upon Samson; but if we overcome them, the next time we see them we shall find a nest of honey within them.

John Bunyan

1 Corinthians 6:18 NKJV

18 Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.

Run from all impurity!

Trusting in God’s Goodness

James 1:16–18 NKJV

16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. 18 Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.

He is not just good, He is GOODNESS!

God doesn’t tempt, He is the giver of only good gifts!

Matthew 7:7–11 NKJV

7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!

The end of sin is death, but the end of righteousness is new life, a new identity!

AMEN!