TERMINATION OF LACK, WANT, AND NEED
James 1:2-4 (NIV)"2Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, a whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."
James1:2-4 (NLT)
"2Dear brothers and sisters,a when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing."
1) BELIEVE JESUS, BELIEVE GOD, BELIEVE THE WORD OF GOD (FAITH STAGE)
2) YOUR FAITH WILL BE SEVERELY TESTED AND TRIED BY MANIFOLD TESTS AND/OR TRIALS OVER THE YEARS IN YOUR WALK OF FAITH (LIFE OF FAITH)
- here you'll find out that some trials don't go away as easily or soon as you would prefer it to be!
>> this is the purification process; the process of creating a pure heart with pure unfeigned faith and undivided love of God
3) THIS TESTING OF YOUR FAITH PRODUCES PERSEVERANCE/UNFAILING ENDURANCE
Romans 5:3 (NIV)
"3We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance."
>> satan has got many servants who teach that you can't be born again and then run into problems and difficulties!!!!??? He has even developed a heresy that such problems and difficulties are a sign of a curse which must be broken!! They then go on to break the curses and, supposedly, deliver the cursed folk!!!! How awfully wicked!! The bible explicitly teaches that WE OUGHT TO REJOICE WHEN WE RUN INTO PROBLEMS AND TRIALS (NOT IF BUT WHEN)! WHICH MEANS IT IS COMMON AND NATURAL TO FACE TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS IN A LIFE OF FAITH!! WE REJOICE BECAUSE WE KNOW THE SPIRITUAL BENEFITS ACCRUED THEREIN!! We develop the mother of all character in our spirituality: PERSEVERANCE!!!
Hebrews 6:12 (NET BIBLE)
"NET Bible
so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and perseverance inherit the promises."
>> We have our divine formula,
[FAITH + PERSEVERANCE = INHERITANCE OF GOD'S PROMISES ]
Abraham benefited from this divine formula or scriptural principle:
Hebrews 6:13-15 (NET BIBLE)
"13Now when God made his promise to Abraham, since he could swear by no one greater, he swore by himself, 14saying, “Surely I will bless you greatly and multiply your descendants abundantly.” 15And so by persevering, Abraham inherited the promise."
>> THE WINNING OR PREVAILING OR VICTORIOUS FAITH IS THAT TESTED, TRIED, AND PROVED FAITH OF THE MATURE DISCIPLE OF CHRIST JESUS!!
Whomsoever teaches that a Christian must not go through such trials and tests is lying, and they simply aim to manufacture a religion of unbelieving, immature, worldly, earthly, fleshly and material-minded "so-called believers"!!! Beware of such apostacy!! The apostle Peter said,
1 Peter 1:6-7 (NLT)
"6 So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. 7 These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world."
>> GENUINE FAITH IS THAT FAITH OF THE MATURE WHICH HAS BEEN SEVERELY TESTED AND/OR TRIED THROUGH MANIFOLD TRIALS AND TEMPTATIONS, AND HAS ENDURED TO THE VERY END!! IT IS THE OVERCOMING FAITH!!!
1 John 5:4-5
"4for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. 5Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God."
>>THERE'S NO VICTORY OR OVERCOMING IN SIMPLY BELIEVING, BUT IN BELIEVING AND PERSEVERING TO THE VERY END!! WHEN WE SAY PERSEVERE WE MEAN THERE WILL BE PAIN AND SUFFERING TO BE ENDURED AS WE HOLD ONTO THE WORD OF GOD!! THIS IS WHY IT IS WRITTEN,
Phillipians 1:29 (NIV)
"29For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him"
>>So back to our text in James we see:
4) PERSEVERANCE, WHEN IT'S FULLY DEVELOPED IN YOU, MAKES YOU PERFECT, MATURE AND COMPLETE NOT LACKING OR NEEDING ANYTHING
>> Perfection + completeness + maturity = CHRISTLIKENESS
>> This means perfect like Christ (God in the flesh), complete like Christ, and mature like Christ!!!
Ephesians 4:13 (NIV)
"13until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ."
Ephesians 4:13
"New Living Translation
This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ."
>> THE BAPTISM OF FIRE COMPLETES THE PURIFICATION PROCESS!! BELIEVERS ARE SALTED WITH FIRE
Mark 9:49
"[49]For every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt.
Kwa sababu kila mtu atatiwa chumvi kwa moto."
>> CHRIST JESUS IS PURE!!! YOU CAN'T BE LIKE HIM WITHOUT GOING THROUGH THE PURIFYING FURNACE OF TRIALS AND TEMPTATIONS!!
>> YOU CANNOT BE WHAT GOD WANTS YOU TO BE IF YOU'RE NOT IN CHRIST!! AND YOU ALSO CANNOT BE CHRIST LIKE IF YOU DON'T GO THROUGH FIRE TO BE SALTED!!!
THREE RESULTS OF THE PURIFICATION FIRE
1) TERMINATION OF NEED
CHRIST WAS ALWAYS NEEDLESS!!! ANY KIND OF NEED IS ESSENTIALLY A NEED OF CHRIST BECAUSE WHEN YOU'RE LIKE CHRIST YOU CAN NEVER BE IN NEED OF ANYTHING OR ANYONE!! PERFECT FAITH HAS GONE THROUGH ALL TESTS AND TRIALS AND HAS WITHSTOOD AND OVERCOME THEM ALL!! THE FIRE OF GOD BURNS ALL NEEDFULNESS IN A BELIEVER BECAUSE IT'S A WEAK POINT THAT THE DEVIL CAN CAPITALISE ON!!
2) TERMINATION OF LACK
>> CHRIST ALWAYS LACKED NOTHING!! HE HAD EVERYTHING HE NEEDED!! AND HE HAS NEVER CHANGED!! IF HE IS IN YOU AND HAS TOTAL CONTROL OF YOU, THEN YOU WILL NEVER LACK ANYTHING!! REMEMBER LACK IS SPIRITUAL BEFORE IT'S PHYSICAL, IT'S MENTAL BEFORE IT'S PHYSICAL, AND IT'S EMOTIONAL BEFORE IT'S PHYSICAL!! YOU MAY HAVE PHYSICAL ABUNDANCE AND YET BE VERY POOR SPIRITUALLY, MENTALLY, AND EMOTIONALLY!!
>> WHEN PHYSICAL AND MATERIAL THINGS ARE WITHHELD FOR A WHILE, IT'S BECAUSE GOD'S DRAWING YOUR ATTENTION TO TRUE AND ENDURING SPIRITUAL, MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL RICHES!! PHYSICAL AND MATERIAL LACK ARE ALWAYS AN IDEAL ENVIRONMENT FOR GOD TO USE IN CREATING SPIRITUAL, MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL WEALTH AND RICHES IN A BELIEVER!! THAT IS WHY IT'S WRITTEN;
2 CORINTHIANS 4:17-18 (NLT)
"17 For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! 18 So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever."
Abraham persisted in believing God for a child even though he had grown to be a hundred years old!!
Romans 4:18-21
"18 Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping—believing that he would become the father of many nations. For God had said to him, “That’s how many descendants you will have!” 19 And Abraham’s faith did not weaken, even though, at about 100 years of age, he figured his body was as good as dead—and so was Sarah’s womb.
20 Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. 21He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises. 22 And because of Abraham’s faith, God counted him as righteous."
>> THE OVERCOMING FAITH MUST BE STUBBORN! ABRAHAM'S FAITH WAS STUBBORN! HE REFUSED TO BACK DOWN THOUGH EVERYTHING AROUND HIM AND ABOUT HIM POINTED TO FAILURE AND DISAPPOINTMENT!! BUT GOD HAD SAID IT!!! IT'S GOD WHO PROMISED!! NO WAY, THIS MUST AND WILL COME TO PASS!! ABRAHAMIC FAITH IS THE FAITH OF GOD’S FRIENDS ON EARTH!! THEY ALWAYS DO EXPLOITS!!! THEY'RE NEVER MOVED BY WHAT THEY SEE OR HEAR OR TOUCH OR FEEL OR TASTE!!
Daniel 11:32
[32]And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.
Na wao wafanyao maovu juu ya hilo agano atawapotosha kwa maneno ya kujipendekeza; lakini watu wamjuao Mungu wao watakuwa hodari, na kutenda mambo makuu.
>> ANY KIND OF LACK IS ACTUALLY A LACK OF FAITH IN THE LORD JESUS!! WHEN YOU HAVE JESUS YOU HAVE EVERYTHING ELSE!!! IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO LACK ANYTHING!!
Romans 8:32 (NIV)
31What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?
3) TERMINATION OF WANT
>> FIRSTLY, CHRIST, NEVER WAS IN WANT OF ANYTHING OR ANYONE
>> SECONDLY, HE HIMSELF HAS SAID IN HIS WORD,
Psalm 23:1
New Living Translation
"The LORD is my shepherd; I have all that I need."
English Standard Version
"The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want."
>> THERE'S NO WANT TO THEM WHO ARE IN CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD! CHRIST IS ALL THEY NEED!!! CHRIST IS ALL THEY WANT!
>> THE FIRE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT THROUGH THE FIERY TRIALS AND TEMPTATIONS AND TRIBULATIONS PURGES THE BELIEVER TO GET RID OF ALL WANT, ALL NEED, AND ALL LACK FROM YOUR SPIRIT AND SOUL!!
>> THIS TRANSLATES THE BELIEVER FROM DEPENDENCY AND OPERATION IN THE PHYSICAL REALM TO DEPENDENCY AND OPERATION IN THE SPIRITUAL REALM!!
>> THE BELIEVER NOW OPERATES WITH ALL GOD-GIVEN POWER AND AUTHORITY IN CHRIST JESUS WHERE EVERYTHING ANSWERS TO HIS PRAYER, SUPPLICATION, COMMAND, REBUKE, DECLARATION, PROPHECY, AND WHATSOEVER HE SPEAKS OR CONFESSES BY FAITH!!
>> FAITH LESSNESS BEGETS POWERLESSNESS
>> THE POWERLESS AND UNBELIEVING GENERATION QUICKLY RESPOND TO DECEPTIVE SHORTCUTS PRESENTED BY THE ENEMY AND THE-EASY-TO-GET-WHAT-YOU-WANT-TEACHINGS-AND-INTERCESSIONS BY IMPOSTORS
Romans 5:1-5 (NLT)
"1Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. 2 Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.
3 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. 4 And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. 5 And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love."
>> WHEN OUR HEARTS ARE FILLED WITH GOD’S LOVE IN CHRIST JESUS, WE CAN NEVER LACK, WANT, OR NEED ANYTHING OR ANYONE BECAUSE WE HAVE THEM ALL!!!
>> WE HAVE EVERYTHING EVEN WHEN THERE'S NOTHING PHYSICALLY
>> WE HAVE EVERYONE EVEN WHEN NO-ONE IS PRESENT PHYSICALLY
WHAT WE ARE SAYING IS: OUR LORD JESUS IS MORE THAN ENOUGH!! HE IS OUR JOY, PEACE, SATISFACTION, FULFILMENT, CONTENTMENT, HAPPINESS, AND E EVERYTHING ELSE!!
>> THIS IS HOW WE OVERCOME THE WORLD AND THE god OF THIS WORLD BECAUSE HE ALWAYS USES THE THINGS OF THIS WORLD, THE PEOPLE OF THE WORLD, THE SYSTEMS OF THE WORLD, THE CULTURE OF THE WORLD, THE PERISHABLE AND TEMPORAL THINGS OF THE WORLD, THE PRIDE OF THE WORLD, AND EVERYTHING WORLDLY AND EARTHLY!!
>> WITH JESUS IN THE HEAVENLY REALM YOU ARE FAR ABOVE SATAN AND HIS KINGDOM,
Ephesians 1:17-23 (NIV)
"15For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, 16I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. 17I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit f of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, 19and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength 20he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 22And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way."
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