Being Tempted?

 

Every human being faces temptation at some time in their lives, You may be tempted to lie to protect your reputation. You may be tempted to cheat on a test to pass a subject in school. Everyone faces temptation but the good news is that God always provides a way out. 1 Corinthians 10:13

Temptation is anything that promises satisfaction at the cost of obedience to God. James 1:13 Temptation is not sinful because Jesus Himself was tempted. In Matthew 4, we read how Jesus faced temptation and was victorious. For 40 days and 40 nights, Jesus fasted in the wilderness AND He was being tempted by the devil, This is what Jesus was facing.

Jesus is faced with three temptations. These temptations are described as the lust of the flesh, the pride of life, and the lust of the eyes. Today we'll look at the lust of the flesh. We all have times in our lives when the lust of the flesh tempts us. This temptation says I want it." After 40 days without food, the devil tempts Jesus to turn stones to bread. Matthew 4:3 Nothing wrong in satisfying your hunger unless it is outside the will of God. Sin is fulfilling a God-given desire in a way that God never intended.

Jesus overcame temptation by quoting Scripture and relying on the power of God. Instead of saying "I want it" let's say "I want God."

ONE Resolution

If we are living now by the Holy Spirit’s power, let us follow the Holy Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. Galatians 5:25  TLB

At this time of the year, most people make a list of New Year's resolutions. If their goal is to lose weight, they enjoy a final dessert. If their goal is to stop buying on credit, they make one final purchase using their plastic. And if their goal is to begin having a morning devotional time, they sleep in one last day.

But research shows that most New Year's resolutions are not kept in spite of our best intentions. I speak from personal experience. May I suggest a better way approach the New Year would be to have ONE goal: to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 5:18 The construction of the original text means to continue being filled not just a one-time act. A Spirit-filled life is one that is to be lived out daily. That means you daily listen for His guidance and approach life in His strength every day,   Luke 4:1 Galatians 5:25.

After a year of walking in the Spirit; much more will change than made a human resolution. Begin the New Year with the objective to live a Spirit-filled life and see what you will accomplish in and through your life in the coming year.

Live Long and Prosper

 

If you are familiar with Stak Trek, you know the character, Mr. Spock. Spock, a Vulcan, was the Science Officer of the starship Enterprise. Often when Spock was saying goodbye to someone he would often say, "Live long and prosper.'

I recently thought of that phrase and realized how it paralleled the philosophy of today's culture. Everyone wants to live a long life but in during so they want to prosper. Nothing wrong with being successful but when our goal in life is getting rich, we miss the purpose which God intended for us. In fact, the Bible warns us not to focus on seeking riches:

• "...anyone in a hurry to get rich will not escape punishment" Proverbs 28:20
• " If riches increase, do not set your heart on them." Psalm 62:10
• "...the deceitfulness of riches and the desire for other things..." Mark 4:19

There is nothing sinful in being wealthy. Many rich people are mentioned in the Bible and they were termed as being righteous. It is not wrong to have riches. It become wrong when riches have you. Matthew 6:24 

 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else and live righteously and He will give you everything you need.

 

I Surrender

 

There are many objects that have a universal understanding. During WWII when an enemy wished to surrender, they waved a white flag. No matter if it was a German soldier or a Japanese soldier, a white flag meant surrender. 

But the concept of surrender is not confined to wartime. For the Christ-follower, surrender should be the lifestyle for the Christ-follower.  When a person accepts Jesus Christ as their Savior, they also accept Him as Lord. Which means they yield control over their lives. Mark 16:24-26 Taking up your cross means you deny sovereignty over your life. (Remember the cross was an instrument of death)   James 4:7 Submit Yourself to God...  Romans 12:2

But we not only surrender our lives to Christ but we often have to surrender our rights to others. Philippians 2:3-4    Every decision must be filtered through God - me- or others. Every desire must be surrendered to the Lordship of Christ. 

Have you totally surrendered every aspect of your life? Your money of His money? Your time or His time? Your reputation or His? 

A song I Surrender All   

Passing The Test

 Recently, our local Lowe's store hosted a job fair. Three hundred people filled out job applications of which one hundred people were selected for the interview process. Part of the interview process was the mandatory drug test.

Of the one hundred people selected only 25 passed the drug test! Shocking but not surprising! I guess people think companies to lower their standards to accommodate their life style.

Know God? No God?

 It was a beautiful summer day and three little boys were playing in one of the boy’s back yard. Being summer, the windows of the house were open and the Dad of the house happened to overhear. the boys in a heated discussion. The boys were arguing about their dads.

The first boy, proudly declared HIS dad personally knew the Mayor of the city! The second boy, not to be outdone, said “That’s nothing MY dad knows knows the Governor of the state!” The father waited to hear what his son’s reply would be. “Well, MY dad knows God!” The father felt humbled by his son’s declaration.

I wonder how many children could said that about their father. Of all our accomplishments nothing excels a personal relationship with God. You may never be wealthy nor famous but God says the greatest thing in your life is knowing Him. Jeremiah 9:23-24 “…he understands and knows me..” What greater knowledge is there than that of knowing God?

In the Bible, there are two different words translated as “know.” The first word speaks of an intellectual knowledge. The heathen ruler ‘knew’ about the God of Israel but they did not have a relationship with Him. It would be like me saying I know Donald Trump. I could pick him out of a crowd of men.

The second use of the word is used in a relationship setting. Genesis 4:1 “And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived …” He had an intimate, relational knowledge with his wife. Most people today say they know God what they actually mean is they know about God. They know about God from Sunday School or even from reading their Bible. But God desires us to know Him in a personal relationship. “Be still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10

One of the most powerful verses in the Bible is John17:3 And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth.” It is only through having a relational knowledge of God can you have eternal life.

Who Moved?

 I once read a story of an older couple that was taking a Sunday drive in the country. (This was before mandatory seat beat laws and the invention of bucket seats.) As they enjoyed their afternoon ride, the wife said to her husband, " I was remembering all the rides we have taken over the years. But something has changed. We used to sit close to one another but know now you are sitting behind the steering wheel and I am sitting way over here next to the door. Why don't we sit close together anymore?" The husband smiled and replied, "I didn't move."

At the start of my spiritual journey, I remember praying with people around a church altar. I would ask them what they were praying for and often the would say they were seeking more of God. Now we know God is not a commodity you can get "more of." He is a person and technically you cannot get 'more' of a person. What they were meaning was they wanted a closer, more intimate relationship with God.

When you confess your sins and accept Jesus Christ as your Savior, you enter into a new relationship with God the Father. John14:6 But just as a newly wed couple begins a relationship, that relationship will grow only as they invest time and effort into building that relationship. Growing in our relationship with God is not all God's responsibly. Some people accept Christ and expect Him to build that relationship. Not so.

Come close to God and he will come close to you James 4:8

So you must continue to live in a way that gives meaning to your salvation. Do this with fear and respect for God. Philippians 2:12

If your relationship with God seems distant; I wonder who moved. Hebrews 13:5 Deuteronomy 3:16

Where Does God Fit?

 A man was teaching on the importance of priorities. He used a large ja and several large rocks. He placed five or six large rocks into the jar until no more would fit. Then he asked the audience, " Is the jar full?" and almost everyone shouted. "Yes!"

He smiled and then pulled out a bag of smaller rocks and dumped them in until no more would fit. The he asked if the jar was now full. Some answered, "Yes." Then he pulled out a bag of sand and poured that into the jar until it could not hold anymore. Again, he asked if the jar was NOW full. No one responded. Lastly, he pulled out a jug of water and poured water into the jar until it overflowed. He paused and asked, "What the point of demonstration?" The answers began to fly: 

• You can always do more
• You should never be satisfied with the amount of this you are doing
• If you try harder, you can always do more  

The crowd was pleased with itself until the speaker smiled and said, "You are wrong - very wrong. The moral of this example is this. If you don't put the big rocks in first, you will never fit  them in. You will lose in the areas that matter most because our time and energy are consumed on the little things and keeps us from winning where it matters most!"

Priorities are the foundations that you build your life upon. Matthew 6:33  2Timothy 2:4 If you do not put God first, you will have difficulty just "fitting" Him into your life!

Times of Injustice

We have all felt the emotion of injustice. It may have experienced the pain of abandonment, the shock of being cut out of an inheritance, you may have worked harder than anyone else only to have someone else get promoted ahead of you. Getting a raw deal can be emotionally disturbing. The unfairness eats away at us. 

I remember being madly in love as a 15-year-old and having the "love of my life" leave me. I thought my life had ended. How many parents have heard their children say, "But that's not fair!"  Of course, the parents usual response is, "Life is not fair!" Which probably did not change their child's attitude! The fact is, life is not fair.  

The Levite Asaph voiced the same attitude in Psalm 73:3 "I saw that wicked people were successful and I became jealous of those proud."  Asaph was complaining to God life was not fair.  How many times have WE complained to God that we were trying to do what God says is right, yet not more problems and frustrations as a Christian than I remember having before. 

Jesus did not come to make us comfortable and shield us from hardship. 2 Timothy 3:12 

Worship of the God who is above all will ultimately unravel our sense of injustice. God WILL right every wrong but it may not be in our lifetime! 

Are You A Misfit?

Do you recall the first time you felt out of place within your group of friends? You probably wondered how could the group of people that you had been extremely close with and shared many memories, suddenly feel so foreign? Even the things that once entertained you began to feel wrong. You began to feel like an outsider. You may have asked yourself why your friends had changed but they had not changed...it was you! 

The moment you surrender your life to Jesus Christ, we are literally giving Him free reign to do a work in us. In other words, He begins to make us new. The old is out the door and there is a new you! 

This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! 2 Corinthians 5:17