Living
an Overcoming Life
Evangelist
Esther Thornton, Oregon
Life Lessons
from James: Evidences of God’s Firstfruits:
The book of James deals with pastoral issues and the most
practical issues of Christian living. James, the pastor/apostle begins by
dealing with people who were under a lot of pressure. He understands the
confusion between trials and temptations. In Bible times they faced horrendous
trials and even death - They were taken from their homes; they were put in
arenas for the lions to tear them up. We saw the arena where this happened when
we were in Israel. They were driven from their churches and had to go underground.
Jas. 1:12 “Our of Nowhere at the
Wrong Time”. Then we talked about the Seven Steps to Temptation and how a man
yields. 1:18 God does not tempt anyone and when we are tempted by evil it is
because of desires that are uncontrolled. We deal with habits and they become
strongholds. Your desires cause you to become hooked and it brings forth sin.
The word, “sin” means, “Missing the Mark”. So when you give in to desires you
will miss the mark for your life. Just because you ignore it, it will not stop until
you remove it. If you don’t deal with it, it will grow and become harder to
remove. Because it has spread to every area of your life - your mind, your will, emotions, choices,
priorities, your personality. It spreads like cancer and you cannot then hide
it any longer.
Jas. 1:18 Of His own will He brought us forth. If you
write in your Bible, you can circle how many times the word “Word” as referring
to the scriptures or Holy Rhema of God.
You will either have that which will bring forth death,
or that which will bring bountiful blessings upon your life. Firstfruits here
does not deal with money but with people who are firstfruits
and samples of that which should be coming. Salvation means deliverance to your
soul. But, here he is not talking about your first time salvation but rather
that which is able to deliver your soul. To move from the curse to the blessing
you must have the implanted Word, which is able to deliver your soul.
Jas. 1:22 We are to be doers of
the Word and not hearers only. There is a big difference between “hearing” and
“implanting”. There is a difference between “knowing” and “doing” and this has
something to do with implanting.
Jas. 1:23 The man who is a hearer but not a doer is like
a man looking into a mirror - seeing but then goes away and doesn’t do what he
should do. Every time you face the Word of God, you face the mirror. You see
the way you think and the way you feel. When the Word comes forth to you, you
realize it is talking about you. It is a clearly intense visual aid to what you
look like.
Women have makeup mirrors that show every zit, every
scar, every pore, and everything on their faces. They doctor their faces up
before anyone sees them. James says that when you look into that mirror and you
see all of these things, don’t leave until you have taken care of them.
Otherwise, you will go your way and say that you don’t really look like that.
Then deception sets in.
Jas. 1:25 But he who looks into the perfect law of
liberty and continues in it, (he is continuing not just in the “Word” but in
the “work” that is being done in him.
James 1:26 If any man seems to be religious, but bridles
not his tongue, this man’s religion is vain.
James 1:27 “Pure religion is to visit the orphans and
widows in their trouble and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.
Chapter 3 deals with the whole thing about the tongue -
it deals with the rich and the poor, and how to treat people and the pure
religion in chapter 2.
Let’s go back to Jas. 1:18 “Of His own will He brought us
forth by the Word of truth, that we might be a kind of first fruits”. We are
brought forth by the Word of truth. There cannot be salvation without the
scripture. Before I can have anything further in my soul, I must have the Word
of Truth. Every time God deals with me about anything in my life, it is the
scripture that brings me into the point of reality and change. it’s the scripture that brings me to the reality that I must
do something about it. The Word of Truth must enter into my spirit. It can
happen through devotions; through preaching; though counseling; but truth must
enter into my spirit.
In the Old Testament, the word “truth or true” means
“sound and true” and one Hebrew word for this is “that which holds water”. It
has everything you need and it holds it in. If you put your life into it, it
won’t collapse but will hold it in.
James says that we are to be a first fruit. How I
received the Word of Truth? Truth about everything in life; have I received
scriptures on it? Have I rationalized any area of my life - morally,
domestically, business, work or any area. If I have, then deception can enter
and my process of growth will slow way down. So, first I must bring my life
back to the truth. I truly want to be what God wants me to be; I am serious
about it.
If God convicts you in an area, you can write down five
scriptures about that area. Don’t go to other people first, but to the Word of
Truth. “Truth” is the perfect law of liberty. It is good to go to a counselor
but, first you should search what the Word says about your area of need.
If you have hatred or bitterness in your life, what does
the Word say about it? It says to love and even be good to those who hate you.
It says to put all bitterness away from you.
Hebrews 12:15
Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God;
lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;
What the Lord is looking for is this: “Firstfruits”. It can be money, tithe, and giving. There are
things that we do such as: The first Sunday of the month; the first priority of
my life; there’s a first fruit theology in the scripture. But, God wants you
and I to be a “first fruit”.
Some translation say it as
follows:
You are going to become the first specimen of a brand new
creation of which the world has never seen.
You are going to become a sample of what God can do in
people.
You’ll be the first children of his new family.
You will be in earnest of a still further creation yet to
come.
You are “first fruits”. That means that you are what God
is going to present to this world, to show the world what He can with a person
who has God in him - the Word of truth.
America has seen how people go to church and it really
doesn’t change people. It is not just going somewhere, but it is when the word
of truth works in you and you become a first fruits.
“Firstfruits” in Hebrew: The
choicest; the first and the best
I am the first and the best husband or wife; the best
father. Pastor Damazio’s son, Andrew came in where
his dad was studying and said that he wanted to play checkers with him. So,
Frank told him to go into his office and play checkers. So he went into there
but said that it wasn’t any fun playing checkers by himself. Frank said that he
had an open Heaven and responsibilities so for Andrew to play his own checkers.
Then, his daughter, Jessica came in and said that she wanted him to draw
something with her. He said that she could come into his office and draw
something herself, but he could not do it as he was preparing his message for
the church and he is the first and the best preacher.
Frank said that when he came to this verse and writing
down the commentary, he started to feel bad. By then they were done with checkers
but Andrew said he wanted his dad to help him memorize a poem for school. So
Frank stole one of his poems for the church.
Are you the first and the best worker, parent, husband or
wife, friend or person of prayer?
I want to become the first and the best Christian.
Everything that God wants to do in your life is in the scriptures.
This scripture is such a paradox (a paradox is a
seemingly contradictory statement that my nonetheless be true) in Psalms 19.
The law is a schoolmaster to bring us to God. But, God says that the law is
sweeter than honey. How can the scripture in our fact be sweeter than honey? It
is because it is the only thing in life that will make your life sweeter than
honey if you follow it. And, when right is done in your spirit, it begins to
taste right.
Frank said that he is not dieting, but he has changed his
way of eating - no sugar; less coffee; lots of vegetables; and he watches the
kind of bread he is eating. He said at first that he thought it was the worst
thing that you could do to a human being! Everything he liked, he could not
eat! It’s like the scripture where Paul says that the things he should do, he
doesn’t do; and the things he should not do; that is what he does! It’s like
the diet - Everything you like, you cannot eat, and the things you don’t like,
that is what you have to eat. After six weeks, Frank said he actually liked
vegetables now. He likes that bread that looks like someone ran over it several
times. He said its fun to be judgmental when you go
into a restaurant and and you are losing weight, and
other people are gaining weight They are ordering
while he is not. He said he has become a kill joy! He asks others if they know
how much sugar is in a can of pop? He said that he
used to drink three Mountain Dews in one day - 32 grams of sugar in each can.
He says that sugarfree root beer and sugar free Snapples are awesome and he has his kids eating and
drinking everything sugar free.
Seven
Evidences of Firstfruits:
A. A person who has an eagerness to hear with a teachable
spirit; swift to hear.
When you have a teachable spirit, you want to listen more
than you want to talk. You realize that you don’t know everything so you want
to listen to learn more. You need to ask questions more than give your
opinions. You need to be humble enough to know that sometimes younger people
know more than older people; the uneducated might know more than the educated;
and someone new in Christ might have something to say to someone older in
Christ. You are a teachable person.
Frank’s son, Andrew had a poem that Frank decided to use
and Andrew was so thrilled!
This is the poem:
Drop a pebble in
the water; just a splash and it’s gone.
But, there’s
half a hundred ripples circling on and on and on.
Spreading,
spreading from the center, flowing on out clear to the sea.
There’s no way
of telling where the end is going to be.
Just a little pebble in the pond.
Drop a pebble in
the water and in a minute you forget
but there’s little waves a flowing and there’s ripples
circling yet.
And, those
little waves a flowing into a great, big wave have
grown.
You’ve disturbed
a mighty river just by dropping in just one little stone.
Drop an unkind
word, careless, in a minute it’s gone.
But there’s a
half a hundred ripples circling on and on and on.
They keep
spreading, spreading, spreading. From the center they go
And there’s no
way to stop them once you’ve started them to flow.
Drop an unkind
word, careless as it might be,
in a minute you’ll probably forget.
But there’s little
waves a flowing and there’s ripples circling yet.
And, perhaps in
some sad heart a mighty wave of tears you’ve stirred
And disturbed a life that was happy because you dropped that unkind word.
Drop a word of
cheer and kindness, just a flash and it’s gone.
But there’s half
a hundred ripples circling on and on and on;
Bearing hope and
comfort on each splashing wave
‘til you wouldn’t believe the volume of the one kind word
that you gave.
Drop a word of
cheer and kindness and in a minute you’ll forget
But there’s
gladness still a swelling and there’s joy a circling yet.
And, you rolled
a wave of comfort whose sweet music can be heard
over miles and miles of water just by dropping one,
kind word.
______________
What kind of first fruits are we going to be? We need to
be teachable and watch our tongue.
B. A
disciplined tongue that is under the control of the Holy Spirit…
Prov. 10:19 says “Don’t talk so much; you keep putting
your foot in your mouth. Be sensible and turn off the flow. (Liv. Bible)
Prov. 13:3 says, “Self control simply means control your
tongue. A quick retort can ruin everything that you’ve been working for.
Prov. 17:27 says, A man of few words and settled mind is
very wise. Therefore, even a fool is thought to be wise when he keeps his big
mouth shut. (Liv. Bible)
C. A person
who is not easily offended, resulting in deep seeded anger.
For the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness
of God. Frank saw a man in a store in line who got tired of waiting a few
minutes and banged his cart and was yelling at the person in front of him
because they were taking so long. This man lost it! His children were
embarrassed. This probably has happened over and over again. Anger has a big
part to play in marriages. We will be discussing this more at our next home
meeting.
D. Diligently
prepares the spiritual soil of the heart for the sure planting of the seed. Lay
aside every weight of sin that easily besets us.
E. Takes
spiritual initiative to cleanse the inner life of all ungodly habits. He has
good conduct and shows forth his works with meekness of wisdom.
F. Mixes the
Word with faith and immediately obeys. Be doers of the Word; and not hearers
only.
G. Sensitive
to the needs of others, with a servant’s heart.
Dean Braxton spoke of what was so important in Heaven,
besides our worship of God, and that was the love that we will have one for
another.
What are we
as the first fruits exhibiting in our lives?
·
Is the Word of truth evident in our lives?
·
Are we the choicest; the first and best; and
that which is holy unto the Lord?
·
Are we eager to hear with a teachable spirit?
·
Is our tongue disciplined under the control
of the Holy Spirit?
·
Are we not easy offended which leads to
deep-seated anger.
·
Do we mix the Word received with faith and
immediately obey?
·
And, lastly, Are we
sensitive to the needs of others with a servant’s heart?
·
First-fruits are of great importance. God deserves our
very best before anyone or anything else.
_______________________
“Living an Overcoming Life”;
Evidences of God’s Firstfruits” by Frank Damazio
Global Evangelism Fellowship Inc. - Esther Thornton
