STEP TWO
Came to believe that a power greater then ourselves could restore us to sanity.
[FONT=TimesNewRoman,Italic]Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers. Every good and perfect[/FONT]
[FONT=TimesNewRoman,Italic]gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth that we might be a kind of first fruits of all he created. [/FONT]
[FONT=TimesNewRoman,Italic].[/FONT]
To this very day the success rate of recovery movements is built and established upon innumerable stories of persons who have been miraculously delivered from fear, addictions, obsessions, dependencies of many sorts, sickness and disease, and many financial and personal maladies’. This happens whether or not these are induced chemically or otherwise. In these verses’ James tells us not to be deceived into believing that we can overcome any of our problems strictly on the basis of our own effort. In most cases trying to conceal or cover up became more of a problem than the original issue. Whenever we take control (even our own issues) we must face dealing with the tempter (the devil), who vigilantly waits for us to do so. If we will turn to God instead of temptation, we will quickly find that he will send every good and perfect gift. His gifts are marked by kindness and helpfulness and not by destructiveness. His gifts are perfect, which in this context excludes the possibility of any evil as coming from God. Unlike the shifting shadows that are caused by the sun, the moon, and the stars, God does not change and with him there is never any variation at all. He is always and forever the giver of good gifts! He chose to give us birth and this birth must be spiritual as well as physical! His purpose in our regeneration is that we might be a kind of first fruits. This is the portion of the harvest given to God!
