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Overcoming temptation (4)
“Its fruit looked delicious…So she…ate it.”
Ge 3:6 NLT
Let’s look at the first time in Scripture anyone was tempted and see what we can learn. The Bible says, “The serpent was the shrewdest of all the [creatures] the Lord God had made…he asked the woman, ‘Did God really say…?’” (v. 1 NLT). First, Satan will blind you to all the good things God has in store for you. Then he’ll take mood-altering substances like drugs or alcohol, or somebody else’s husband or wife, or Internet porn, and tell you it won’t hurt you. Don’t bite! He’s a liar! Don’t believe him! “Temptation comes from our own desires…These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death. So don’t be misled, my dear brothers and sisters” (Jas 1:14-16 NLT). Any weakness that’s constantly indulged, excused, denied, or hidden has the power to enslave you. Failure to identify and target your weakness strengthens it. Ignoring your areas of vulnerability makes defeat inevitable. Satan has assigned certain people to feed your weaknesses. Be discerning. Your weakness will be drawn to any friendship that accepts it, enjoys it and feeds on it. It has an agenda of its own—to take over your life and sabotage God’s plan for you. It’ll always bond with the wrong people and make you uncomfortable in the presence of the right ones. And it can emerge at any time, including your latter years. So how do you overcome your weakness? Through willpower? No, through God’s power! And it’s available to you today—so reach for it!
Overcoming temptation (3)
“He ran from the house.”
Ge 39:12 NLT
The Bible says, “Joseph was a very handsome and well-built young man, and Potiphar’s wife…began to look at him lustfully. ‘Come and sleep with me,’ she demanded. But Joseph refused. ‘Look,’ he told her, ‘my master trusts me with everything in his entire household…How could I do such a wicked thing? It would be a great sin against God.’ She kept putting pressure on Joseph day after day, but he refused to sleep with her, and he kept out of her way as much as possible. One day, however, no one else was around when he went in to do his work. She came and grabbed him by his cloak, demanding, ‘Come on, sleep with me!’ Joseph tore himself away, but he left his cloak in her hand as he ran from the house” (vv. 6-12 NLT). Note the words: “She kept putting pressure on Joseph day after day.” Joseph’s temptation kept happening when he was around a certain person: Potiphar’s wife. And it kept happening when he was in a certain place: Potiphar’s house. So he ran. Not because he was weak—but because he was wise! He understood that if you hang around temptation too long you’re playing with fire and setting yourself up to get “burned.” So, what people and what places do youneed to avoid? What sources of temptation do youneed to remove from your life in order to live victoriously? Remember the old Kenny Rogers song: “You got to know when to hold ’em, know when to fold ’em; know when to walk away and know when to run”? God isn’t dishonored when you run—you’redishonored when you don’t!
Overcoming temptation (2)
“I have given you…[physical and mental strength].”
Lk 10:19 AMP
Here’s a plan for victory: (1) No matter how often you fall, get back up! “Though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again” (Pr 24:16 NIV). Becoming spiritually mature is a lifelong process. It happens every time you turn to God in weakness and allow Him to do for you what you can’t do for yourself. (2) Don’t deny it, deal with it. “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted” (Ps 34:18 NAS). God always responds with grace to a repentant heart. He’ll meet you at your lowest point, walk with you through the valley of regret and repentance, and bring you out stronger. (3) Write down what you’ve learned through temptation. As you reflect on it you’ll see what needs to be “transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Ro 12:2). And be sure to write down new habits you want to integrate into your life—prayer, accountability to a friend, Bible reading and memorization, identifying weak spots, and watching yourself more closely.(4) Use what you’ve learned. Jesus told Peter: “Satan hath desired to have you…But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren” (Lk 22:31-32). Let today mark a new beginning by using what you’ve learned not only to avoid falling again, but to help others facing temptation. (5) Believe you can walk in victory. Jesus said, “I have given you…[physical and mental strength…] over all the power that the enemy [possesses].” Get rid of your “I can’t” attitude, and draw today on God’s strength.
The ultimate purpose of prayer
“To be conformed to the likeness of his Son.”
Ro 8:29 NIV
The Bible says, “Those God foreknew he…predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son.” When you read the preceding verses in the chapter you discover God does this through prayer. This should encourage you to pray. Many times we don’t pray because we don’t think anything’s happening. But with God, something’s always happening! We wonder, “When is He going to work?” What we fail to understand is—He’s always working. When it comes to prayer He’s either answering the way you hoped, or changing your heart through the Spirit’s intercession to bring your prayer into harmony with His will. You say, “But I don’t see anything happening.” When you plant a seed, you don’t come back the next day expecting green shoots and leaves. Does that mean nothing’s happening? No, a host of necessary processes are taking place below the ground where you can’t see them. Don’t make the mistake of thinking because you don’t see the evidence that nothing’s happening. It’s just not harvest time yet. One way in which God is making us more like Jesus is by helping us to pray the way Jesus prayed, “Not my will, but thine, be done” (Lk 22:42). That means when your prayer lines up with His will, He’s already working on it even though you can’t see it. And if your prayer isn’t in accordance with His will, He’s working to change your request by changing you. Unanswered prayer can be as big a blessing as answered prayer, when it keeps us from violating God’s will. And what is God’s will? To make you more like Jesus!
Overcoming temptation (1)
“Nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.”
2Ch 20:12 NKJV
When Jesus told Peter he would soon deny his Lord, Peter boasted, “Others may, but not me!” Yet within a few hours he was swearing and disavowing any knowledge of Jesus. It can happen to any of us. The Bible says, “Each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own [particular] desires and enticed” (Jas 1:14 NKJV). We all have areas of vulnerability which, if not disciplined by character and commitment, have the potential to defeat or even destroy us. What can you do? (1) Recognize it. Before you yield to temptation you usually go through certain stages. By neglecting prayer and Bible reading you become indifferent to God, insensitive to danger, and find yourself drawn like a moth to a flame. Then you begin to rationalize your disobedience and think, “Nobody knows. What harm will it do?” And the more you silence the voice of conscience, the stronger your carnal appetites become. Then you surround yourself with people who do the same things, or are at least willing to look the other way. Jesus said, “Pray…that you may not enter into temptation” (Mk 14:38 AMP). Pray for strength before the temptation comes! (2) Reach for help. When Jehoshaphat came up against an enemy too big to handle alone, he prayed, “We have no power against this great multitude…nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.” Jehoshaphat knew he was no match for the Enemy, and he knew where to turn for help. What’s the secret of victory? Lean less on yourself and more on God!
Instead of judging people, let’s love them
“Let us stop passing judgment on one another.”
Ro 14:13 NIV
You can work alongside and pray for someone who’s having an extramarital affair, without having one yourself. Remember, you were a sinner before you were saved by the grace of God, so act with humility and don’t fall into the trap of self-righteousness. As Merv Rosell says, “When God forgives, He consigns the offense to everlasting forgetfulness,” so show grace when you encounter somebody whose lifestyle makes you uncomfortable. Learn as much as possible about them, and allow your interactions to dispel any preconceptions and prejudices. See them as hurting individuals loved by God—people who need the same grace you received. When you love the unlovely, you’re just doing what God did for you. Just because somebody’s “different,” doesn’t mean you should dismiss them or consider them inferior. You don’t want to be judged or demeaned because of your color, culture, or countenance, so don’t do it to others! Because the Bible is clear about not emulating others in their sinful practices, we can be tempted to think we’re better than they are. That’s the sin of pride! Sometimes we think if we love and accept certain people, we’re condoning their sin. No, the truth lies in remaining respectful, and accepting others the way Jesus did. Whether it was racial differences (Samaritans), lifestyle differences (the five-times-divorced woman at the well), or class differences (Nicodemus), Jesus loved and accepted people as they were, while inspiring them to a higher standard.
Give yourselves to God
“Do not let sin control the way you live.”
Ro 6:12 NLT
When someone says, “I can’t help myself; it’s just the way I am,” they are right, but only partially right! Researchers identified more than a hundred identical twins that had been separated at birth. They were raised in various cultures, religions, and locations. By comparing their similarities and their differences it became clear that as much as 70 percent of their personality—was inherited. Their DNA determined such qualities as creativity, wisdom, loving-kindness, vigor, longevity, intelligence, and even the joy of living. Consider the “Jim twins” who were separated until they were thirty-nine years old. Both married women named Linda, owned dogs named Toy, suffered from migraine headaches, chain-smoked, liked beer, drove Chevys, and served as sheriff’s deputies. Their personalities and attitudes were virtual carbon copies. What do these findings mean? Are we puppets on a string, playing out a predetermined course without free will or personal choices? Not at all. Unlike animals, we’re capable of rational thought and independent action. We don’t have to act on every sexual urge, for example, despite our genetic underpinnings. Heredity may nudge us in a particular direction, but our impulses can be brought under control. This is where the new birth comes in. God gives you a new nature, and the power to overcome your old one. Paul addresses it: “Do not let sin control the way you live, do not give in to sinful desires. Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life” (vv. 12-13 NLT).
MAKE YOUR TEMPLE A HOUSE OF PRAYER
Mark 11:17
Then He taught, saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it a ‘den of thieves’.”
It would be great if every time we prayed, the answers came quickly. Thank God for immediate results, but what do we do when the results are not immediate? The promises of God are there for us, but when they have yet to manifest in our circumstances, what should we do in the meantime?
Jesus showed us what to do. After He had cursed the fig tree, the tree did not wither immediately. (Mark 11:14) What did He do then? He went to the temple in Jerusalem and cleansed it, saying that it should be a house of prayer and not a den of thieves. (Mark 11:15–17) After cleansing the temple, when the disciples saw the same fig tree the next day, it had dried up from its roots! (Mark 11:20–21)
Today, you are the temple of God. (1 Corinthians 3:16) And your temple should be a “house of prayer” or it becomes a “den of thieves”. These thieves, or powers of darkness, will steal and rob from your temple, which is your body. (1 Corinthians 6:19) They will steal and rob you of your strength, health, youthfulness, wisdom, hopes and dreams.
So make your temple a house of prayer by praying in tongues frequently. (Ephesians 6:18) When you pray in the Spirit, you are praying perfect prayers. This is because the Spirit Himself makes intercession for you when He prays through you in tongues. (Romans 8:26)
How long must I pray?”
Well, how often in a day does the enemy attack you with fears, anxieties and worries? How often does that disease in your body remind you that it is there? How healthy and whole do you want to be?
Beloved, as you make your temple a house of prayer, the powers of darkness that have been stealing or robbing from you will be driven out of your life completely. You will see the manifestation of what you have spoken over your circumstances and you will see the withering of what you have cursed!
Stay focused on your mission
“My foot has held fast to His steps;
I have kept His way and not turned aside.”
Job 23:11 NKJV
Many of our endeavors in life fail for one reason—broken focus. We allow ourselves to get distracted. Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Concentration is the secret of strength in politics, in war, in trade; in short, in all management of human affairs.” Where should you focus your concentration? On your mission! And when you make a mistake don’t chase after it. Don’t try to defend it. Don’t throw good money after it. When you make a mistake acknowledge it. If you need to, seek forgiveness from God and the person you have hurt. And when possible try to make amends. Once you’ve done these things, refocus your attention on your mission and move on. Keep your eye on what it is you desire to do. You’ll never meet a person focused on yesterday who had a better tomorrow. John Foster Dulles, secretary of state under President Eisenhower, observed: “The measure of success is not whether you have a tough problem to deal with, but whether it is still the same problem you had last year.” A problem resolved is a springboard to future success, to bigger and better things. The key is to focus on what you’relearning, not losing. When you do that you open the door to future possibilities. Dr. Norman Vincent Peale said, “Positive thinking is how you think about a problem. Enthusiasm is how you feel about a problem. The two together determine what you do about a problem.” And in the end, that’s what matters
Hidden by design
“In the shadow of His hand He has hidden Me.”
Isa 49:2 NKJV
When you’re called to serve God in a particular capacity, it’s not unusual to go through a period of anonymity where you feel invisible. Isaiah was called of God “from the womb” (v. 1 NKJV). But he experienced a season of being hidden “in the shadow” while God perfected his ministry. When a vision takes a long time to come to fruition, and you’ve sacrificed and worked without recognition or seeing results, it’s easy to feel like you’re wasting your life. Isaiah was human too. He got discouraged and said, “I have labored to no purpose…spent my strength…for nothing” (v. 4 NIV). But just because youfeel that way doesn’t mean it’s true. “God…rewards those who earnestly seek him” (Heb 11:6 NIV), and you’re no exception. It took thirty years before Jesus started His public ministry. Moses, David, John the Baptist, and Paul endured years of obscurity before they were brought to the forefront. In God’s Kingdom there are no overnight sensations or flash-in-the-pan successes. One Christian author says: “Anyone who wants to be used of God will experience hidden years in the backside of the desert. During that time the Lord is polishing, sharpening and preparing us to fit into His bow, so at the right time, like ‘a polished shaft’ He can launch us into fruitful service. The invisible years are years of serving, studying, being faithful in another person’s ministry and doing the behind-the-scenes work.” The Bible says, “God is not unjust; he will not forget your work” (Heb 6:10 NIV). Be patient; when the time is right He will bring forth the fruit He placed inside you.
Renew your mind with God’s Word
“Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
Ro 12:2 NKJV
The most important thing you can do every day—is renew your mind with God’s Word. When you get that right, everything else will begin to fall into place. You’ll think and act differently, so you’ll get different results. Do you remember the old TV series The Beverly Hillbillies? What made the show so interesting is that Jed and his family had been set free from their past—a life of poverty back in the Ozarks. But even after they moved to California’s Beverly Hills, they continued in their “hillbilly” ways. Their location had changed, but their mindset hadn’t. The same was true of the Israelites. They had a slave mentality. Even though they were free and God was providing their every need, the minute a problem came up they wanted to go back to Egypt. They couldn’t enter tomorrow because they were still carrying the baggage of yesterday! Read these words carefully: “Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it” (Heb 4:1 NKJV). You ask, “But aren’t God’s promises guaranteed?” Yes, if you do what He says! God promised to bless you financially—if you tithe and sow generously. He promised to direct your paths—if you acknowledge Him in all your ways. He promised to forgive you—if you forgive others. You only “prove what is that good…acceptable…perfect will of God” by continually renewing your mind! So the word for you today is: Renew your mind with God’s Word.
Dad, bless your children!
“Son, your sins are forgiven.”
Mk 2:5 NKJV
Old Testament fathers placed their hands on their children’s heads and spoke certain promises over them, believing the blessing of God can be passed from one generation to another. It’s why “Isaac called Jacob, and blessed him” (Ge 28:1). It’s why Jacob refused to die before blessing his grandchildren (See Ge 48:14). Children without caring, involved fathers often spend their whole lives searching for a sense of identity and self-worth. Increasingly they’re finding them in the company of rebellious peer groups, street gangs, drug dealers, and on social media and the Internet. And we see the results of it all around us. Instead of fulfilling their God-given destiny, these kids become defined and labelled by a lifestyle such as “runaway,” “convict,” “troublemaker,” “addict.” Before Tupac Shakur, the rap artist known for his violent song lyrics, was gunned down in 1996, he said, “I never knew my real father. I know for a fact that if I’d had a father, I’d have some discipline [and] more confidence. Your mother can calm you down, reassure you…But you need a man to teach you how to be a man.” When a man was brought to Jesus for healing, before He forgave and healed him, He called him “son.” He didn’t say, “You’ve got to clean up your act,” or “You must do things My way.” No, He established a relationship with the man by showing him love and acceptance. And as a father you need to do the same. Loving and accepting your kids as they are, without conditions and condemnation, is the greatest gift you can give them.
Don’t be afraid (3)
“Why are you so fearful?”
Mk 4:40 NKJV
Following Jesus invariably means going through storms. When you’re in over your head and sinking fast, you learn things about the Lord you’d never know otherwise. At first you wonder, “How did I get into this mess?” Then you start to see His hand at work and end up saying, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!” (v. 41 NKJV). The disciples finally reached a place where they were willing to follow Jesus—without question. And that’s God’s plan for you. “Don’t be afraid” isn’t a call to naïvety or ignorance. God doesn’t expect us to be oblivious to the challenges life brings. But as long as Peter kept his eyes on Jesus the waves couldn’t take him under. So look to God, stand on His Word, and recall His goodness. The Bible says, “We must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it” (Heb 2:1 NAS). Do whatever it takes to keep your eyes on the Lord. C. S. Lewis wrote: “Moods will change, whatever view your reason takes. I know that by experience. Now that I’m a Christian I do have moods in which the whole thing looks very improbable; but when I was an atheist I had moods in which Christianity looked terribly probable…that’s why faith is such a necessary virtue: Unless you teach your moods ‘where to get off,’ you can never be either a sound Christian or a sound atheist, but just a creature dithering to and fro with his beliefs really dependent on the weather and the state of his digestion. Consequently, one must train the habit of faith.” So the word for you today is: Don’t be afraid.
Don’t be afraid (2)
“Oh, that [we] would give thanks to the Lord for his goodness.”
Ps 107:8 NKJV
When you’ve been through hard times, it can make you want to cut back on trusting God, and start playing it safe. When you’ve been through back-to-back storms, the security of the harbor starts looking good. Now it’s okay to rest and regroup, but don’t settle for safety and miss what God has planned for you. The Bible says: “Those who go down to the sea in ships, who do business on great waters…see the works of the Lord, and His wonders in the deep. For He commands and raises the stormy wind, which lifts up the waves of the sea. They mount up to the heavens, they go down again to the depths; their soul melts because of trouble. They reel to and fro…stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits’ end. Then they cry out to the Lord in their trouble, and He brings them out of their distresses. He calms the storm, so that its waves are still. Then they are glad because they are quiet; so He guides them to their desired haven. Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness” (vv. 23-31 NKJV). Where do we see God’s wonders? In life’s storms! Jesus issued 125 recorded commandments. Twenty-one of them are “Don’t be afraid” or “Have courage.” The second most common commandment, to love God and your neighbor, appears on only eight occasions. That means the one statement Jesus made more than any other was “Don’t be afraid!” Why? Because He wants you to trust Him more!
Don’t be afraid (1)
“Why are you so fearful?”
Mk 4:40 NKJV
Notice how the disciples reacted to the storm on the Sea of Galilee, and see if you recognize any of the same traits in yourself: (1) Fear makes us doubt God’s care. The disciples asked Jesus, “Do You not care that we are perishing?” (v. 38 NKJV). They didn’t ask about His strength: “Can you still the storm?” Or His knowledge: “Are you aware of the storm?” Or His know-how: “Do you have any experience with storms?” Instead they voiced doubts about His character: “Do you not care?” If you let it, fear will erode your confidence in God’s love and make you forget His faithfulness. (2) Fear makes us reach for control. Jesus was asleep, so the disciples woke Him and said, “Do something, quick!” Fear comes from a perceived loss of control. When we’re afraid, we grab for a component of life that we can manage—like our diet, or our job, or the neatness of our house, or in many cases—people. The more insecure we feel, the more controlling we tend to become. (3) Fear makes us forgetful. The Bible says, “He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick” (Mt 8:16 NKJV). What a résumé! But fear gives us spiritual amnesia; it makes us forget what Jesus has already done and how good He has been to us. And what was Jesus’ response? “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” Faith doesn’t eliminate fear; it silences it, robs it of its power, and draws us closer to God. And when that happens things begin to change for the better.
Eccl 9:11: "I considered and observed on earth the following: The race doesn't go to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor food to the wise, nor wealth to the smart, nor recognition to the skilled. Instead, timing and circumstances meet them all."
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Philippians 2:9-11Amplified Bible (AMP)
9 For this reason also [because He obeyed and so completely humbled Himself], God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus [a]every knee shall bow [in submission], of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue will confess and openly acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord (sovereign God), to the glory of God the Father.
“One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”
(Proverbs 18:24, NIV)
Prov 12:1: "Whoso loveth instruction loveth knowledge: but he that hateth reproof is brutish."
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Ps 111:10: "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever."
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John 15:5: "I am the vine, you are the branches. The one who abides in me while I abide in him {Lit. and I in him} produces much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing."
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1Pet 5:10: "After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you by the Messiah {Or Christ} Jesus {Other mss. lack Jesus} to his eternal glory, will restore you, establish you, strengthen you, and support you."
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Proverbs 24:10 (AMP)
¹⁰
If you are slack (careless) in the day of distress,
Your strength is limited.
1 Corinthians 9:24
Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.
“And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.”
(Genesis 1:3, NIV)
1Chr 16:34: "Give thanks to the Lord, because he is good and because his gracious love is eternal!"
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*[[Zac 4:6]] ENG-AMP* Then he said to me, This [addition of the bowl to the candlestick, causing it to yield a ceaseless supply of oil from the olive trees] is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit [of Whom the oil is a symbol], says the Lord of hosts.
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*[Mat 6:9-11/ENG-AMP]* Pray, therefore, like this: Our Father Who is in heaven, hallowed (kept holy) be Your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread.
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*[[Rom 5:10]] ISV* For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life!
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“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” Psalm 133:1 (KJV)
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