James Lesson 3
Fill Me Up
Junior Level
January 14, 2018
Today we will read and learn how the devil tries to tempt us and what we can do to see him coming and to resist. We will understand that GOD gives the best and we can trust HIM! HE will fill us up!
Handout: James (Fill Me Up)
James 1:12-18 “12Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.
13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:
14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
16 Do not err, my beloved brethren.
17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.”
This week I’ve been thinking a lot about the temptations that evil throws at us. I’ve been thinking about the addictions that hold this world hostage, and not just people who are unsaved, I’m talking about saved people. This morning I saw a poem online about hollow people, I thought we are all hollow in ourselves. That is why there is so much addiction. Addiction to drugs, addictions to alcohol, addiction to shopping, addictions to food, addictions to so many things out there because we are hollow wanting to be filled. I’ve learned and written in lessons before that if don’t allow JESUS CHRIST to fill us, we will search for that filling up in other places. Satan knows what you and I like, and he will place it in front of us every time he can and if we are not already filled with JESUS, then we will fall for it more times than not and it leaves us feeling empty and guilty and alone every time after the moment of pleasure is over, it brings forth death just as James writes in verse 15.
Every time we give into temptation, something dies. Trust, honesty, a relationship, hope, faith, and the list can go on and on. GOD does not tempt us with evil. James writes that we allow ourselves to be tempted when we are drawn or turned away (from GOD) by our own lusts and desires. It is the nature of this flesh to get a quick fix to everything. We want instant gratification. When we are hurting physically or emotionally or even mentally, we just want it to stop and if we are not very careful we will dive headfirst into the biggest pit of sin all because we just want to feel better right now for this moment.
What is the beginning of our sin? Let’s go to 1 John 2
1 John 2:15-16 “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of The FATHER is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of The FATHER, but is of the world.”
See satan would have us to believe that the suffering we are enduring or the bad feelings or emotions we are having will last forever, and he will place something in front of us that will sooth us for a moment, because there is pleasure in it and we feel like we can forget the pain and we do for a short time while indulging but what about when its over? It only adds to our pain. Hebrews 11 tells us that yes there is pleasure in sin, but only for a season, then what? James tells us…it brings forth death.
Beth Moore writes for us to “never be duped into believing that the flesh gives and heaven takes away.” Isn’t that what the lie of the devil is? When we are just trying to live for GOD and trying to do what we are supposed to do, he will place something in front of us and he will try his best to get us to focus on that thing that we cannot have until we obsess over it so much feeling deprived and knowing that GOD will not allow that sin, but we go after it full force not even thinking about the consequences of our sinful choice.
Remember Eve in the garden. There were so many fruits she had to choose from, but satan got her to focus on the one that she could not have. He appealed to her with all three that 1 John warned us about. The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life and even though GOD had told her not to eat it, she did.
See, Eve wasn’t understanding that GOD told her no, not because HE was trying to deprive her or hold back the best from her, but because HE loved her and wanted the best for her. She stopped trusting GOD and her flesh took over and she was not strong enough to say no and neither are we apart from JESUS! See this is the whole point of having The Holy Spirit living inside us. HE empowers us to say no to the lies and temptations of satan that get us into sin and trouble every single time we listen. We have that power inside us, but we have to obey and trust what HE is telling us in order to be strong enough to resist.
James 4:7 “Submit yourselves therefore to GOD. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
See our mistake is that we don’t kick him and his evil thoughts out of our mind the second he comes to us. Every sin starts with just a thought! It’s when we allow those thoughts to grow by dwelling on them that we let the enemy in and make it harder on ourselves to turn down his temptations. We flirt around with sin thinking it is harmless when it is like a spiders web entangling us and we don’t even realize it until we are trapped because it’s been such a fun time and we like to think ourselves powerful and in control…the flesh of man is so weak and foolish.
We have The HOLY SPIIRT! HE is strong! HE will say no for us if we will stay humble before HIM and in submission to HIM! The choice is ours.
My dad says many times while preaching that we have control over our own minds and when the devil tries to dump his garbage in our thinking that we, by the authority of JESUS CHRIST should KICK him OUT! Satan has no business in our minds, our minds, our hearts, our souls, our bodies belong to JESUS! My little boy has a t-shirt and on the front of it, it says, “Property of JESUS.” He told me that he wishes the back said, “hands off devil!”
I don’t know about you all, but I’m learning more and more everyday that I get older that GOD created me for more than just giving in to whatever my flesh wants! I don’t want that life. I want to be under control to HIS Holy Spirit living inside me. In the bad days I want to be steadfast and hold on knowing that the trial is being allowed in my life by GOD to increase patience and endurance in me and to hold on to HIS promises until the storm passes. I want to let HIM fill me up everyday so that I don’t run after temporary, sinful things that will only leave me more hollow after it’s over. You and I were made for more!
Jesus is the ONLY one that can fill us and keep us filled and that brings life. He told the woman at the well, “whosoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never thirst; but the water that I will give him will be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life! (John 4:13-14)
She had been trying to fill the hollowness of her soul with husband after husband and man after man. Oh but she met THE MAN…she met The Master, the living water that could fill her thirsty, empty soul to the brim and never again would she be hollow! Praise The LORD!
Dear one, GOD gives us all good things. The things HE says no to, are the things that will hurt us. James writes truth. He writes… 17Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
GOD gives, and not only does HE give, but HE gives the best there is! GOD isn’t holding out on us, He gives and gives and gives and it’s the best for us why would we settle for less? Think of it this way…remember the prodigal son in Luke 15.
This younger son decided that it wasn’t fun anymore in his father’s house and so he left his father and went out on his own. He ended up spending all that he had until he was left with nothing. (That is what sin does). He ended up getting so low and in so much want that he ended up working at a place feeding pigs. Now the Jews would not have anything to do with pigs, it was detestable, but there he was in the hog pin with the pigs and he was so empty and hungry that he was desiring to fill himself up with the slop that the pigs were eating! Let’s go to Luke 15.
Luke 15:11-16 “11And he said, A certain man had two sons: 12And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living.
13And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. 14And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.15And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.
See he had gotten so low, and so hollow and hungry that he began to desire this rotten filth that the pigs were eating. He totally forgot that his father had once given him the best! He had been blinded by sin, he had forgotten. He had been duped into believing that this world would give and that his father took away. He was wrong. He believed a lie and his vision was impaired. What lie are you believing today? Have you left your Heavenly Father’s house? Have you begun to desire the slop of this world forgetting to goodness and the bounty at your Father’s table? COME TO YOUR SENCES! Let’s read on in Luke.
Luke 15:17-19 “ 17And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! 18I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, 19And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.”
Ah…Hallelujah verse 17 says “when he came to himself!” He came to his senses. He remembered the goodness in his Father’s house. Do you remember? Remember the blessing and the presence of The LORD alive in your life? Remember the goodness, the love that no one else can give, the peace that surpasses understanding? Go back! Turn around! He is waiting for you. You were made for more than filling yourself over and over with the slop of this world! The best waits for you in your FATHER’S house and it is good and it is filling and it will keep you satisfied! Praise The LORD!
Luke 15:20-24 “20And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. 21And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.
22But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: 23And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: 24For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.”
HOLY FATHER…
Fill us up, fill us up with Your goodness, with Your truth, with Your Word! Help us to know and understand that You give the best…You give Yourself and all the other things in the world that may appeal to our flesh is slop. Hel p us to trust You when You say no and to understand that it is for our good. Help us to focus on all the good things that we can have instead of focusing on the bad things that we cannot have, those things that will hurt us and leave us with nothing and that bring forth death! Help us choose life, help us choose You everyday and help us understand that we were created for more! We love You and we praise You because You are so worthy…In JESUS name we pray…Amen!
~*Cindygirl*~
August 12, 2016