Are You For Real?

James 1:2-

"My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing."

Hebrews 6:12

"that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises."

If ever there was a prophetic word, or word of wisdom needed in this generation, it is this quote from the Letter of James, Jesus' step-brother.

Some translations use the word 'temptation' instead of 'trials,' but trials is actually the more accurate word to convey the meaning of the original Greek word and the context of this phrase.

It is referring to trails and situations to test the authenticity of your faith in Jesus, or your devotion to Him. Jesus was tested immediately after He was baptised in water.

Baptism in water is not just regarding repenting of sin and living a new life. Jesus was the only one who didn't need to repent of sin because He had no sin in Him, yet He was led by the Spirit to be baptised by John. Baptism in water is also your public declaration to live a life of being totally devoted and consecrated to Him.

Immediately His commitment was tested by the 40 days of enduring temptations. He was being tested to see if He was willing, not just to fulfil the will of His Father, but to fulfil it in the way His Father wanted it to be done and also in His timing. He waited patiently, resisting every temptation to yield to the pressure and urgency of doing it the way of the devil and wait for His Father to open the door out of the trial and into His ministry.

In todays world of social media, Ai, fake news, fake companies selling fake products, it is so easy to rush into something only to end up being deceived. It is important to take time to find out the authenticity of someone, or something and in today's world of 'instant' everything, patience is a commodity seriously lacking - even in the Church.

The authenticity of our faith and love for Jesus is not revealed on the platform, or in book sales, nor in the 'likes' we receive on our Facebook page, nor in the numbers attending our meetings. Our authenticity is revealed in the places away from the 'limelight' or the places of success. It is revealed in the places and in the times our faith and devotion to Jesus is being seriously tested, out of the eyesight of the masses.

Father is patient and is more concerned with developing the character of Jesus in you, than promoting your ministry, or giving you an internationally known and 'loved' name. There are times He strips everything away through a circumstance out of your control to get you back to the place of being totally content with one on One times with Him, your Father.

The wilderness testing period for Jesus prepared Him for what was ahead of Him. He stepped out of the wilderness into and explosive season of miracles that effected the whole country and ultimately billions of lives in every nation, generation, even until today.

The Father will take each one of us away from the clamour, masses, busyness, the 'instant and now' spirit of today and settle you in a place that others call 'isolation,' 'back-slidden'or 'giving up' when the truth is you are being taken to the place to prepare you in your character, for even greater impacts, because you have learnt the wonderful peace that comes along with patience, knowing and trusting, a new day will come and He will open the door for you to step into something even greater than you could have ever imagined.