Testing, Temptation, and God's Word

When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time. (Luke 4:13 NIV)

I never noticed this verse before, but as I was preparing to compose this devotion, it was like God put a yellow highlighter in my hand. Whenever this happens, I can be pretty sure He has something to say to me.

When I read these 13 verses in Luke, I never wonder how Jesus would hold up. I never consider that He might give in, so I didn't really think there was much for me to learn from these lines. But, how wrong. God never wastes an opportunity to teach us. When Jesus came to earth as a man, the greatest lesson was about to be given.

Jesus was sinless and would remain so, but we aren't. Jesus knew, even those many years ago, that you and I would need to learn about Satan and his devious ways. We need to be aware of his ways. Jesus knew we would be in jeopardy of failing, of falling for the Devil's lies. He knew we needed to understand we must learn from Scripture how to recognize and overcome the deceit. We need to become familiar with God's Word and capture it in our hearts.

Once His Word is a part of our Spirits, we can call on it, just as Jesus did. We can defeat Satan's attempt to derail our lives. But, just as with Jesus, who was repeatedly tested by evil, we must know that Satan is just waiting for the opportune moment. He will not miss an opportunity to disrupt our journey to Eternity. 

Be on guard, as we enter 2020, a new decade, it is likely Satan wants to claim us as his ambassadors. Because we have captured God's Word in our hearts, and we call upon it when temptation approaches. Get ready to shout, "Satan, you have no authority here!"

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Luke 4:1-13

Engaged Minds Want to Know

Years ago, when I was involved in the nursing home ministry, I learned how to prepare and share a brief message with the folks who lived there. This was a tool I would later learn to use to my own benefit. Having to choose a Bible text and share a few thoughts on those words and provide some application at the same time, grew me in so many ways.

I was speaking to the residents one day and a question was asked of me. I don't remember the question or my response, but what I do remember was my ability to use a scripture to respond. The words God gave me were found in Psalm 119:11, "I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you."

It was the perfect response to the question asked and it provided opportunity for me to share my faith with these folks, and in turn, ask questions about their faith journey. I realized that day how God would use me for that season of my ministry. I always felt a connection to older people; my comfort level was not with the kids, but with their grandparents. What a revelation!

Once Satan recognized that Jesus knew scripture and that He could not be tempted because His mind was engaged with the Father's, "...the devil left Jesus. And heavenly messengers came and ministered to Him."(Matthew 4:11)

This was the beginning of my love for God's Word. It set me off on a journey to seek out passages in the Bible to help answer questions, get direction and find guidance. What a blessing it has been to discover how to engage my mind in this fashion.

 John 15:18-25 

 John 15:18-25 

Temptation: Handling it God's Way

Our passage today is 2 Timothy 2:1, 19, 22

When our children were younger, we attended a church where at every baptism, the pastor included  these words in his baptismal prayer:  "Lord, protect him/her from the perils of childhood and the temptations of youth." (I googled the phrase to see if I could credit someone 'famous' with it, but came up empty.)

That phrase has stayed with me as my own children experienced both the perils of childhood and the temptations of youth.  Perhaps my pastor was thinking of these verses in 2 Timothy when he prayed over babies as they were baptized.  It is near impossible to get through childhood without 'perils,' and 'temptations of youth' - they abound!  So how does Paul tell his young disciple, Timothy, he should navigate these treacherous waters?

1.  Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus (v. 1).
2.  Cling to God's solid foundation and reject wickedness (v. 19).
3.  Pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace (v. 22).
4.  Call on the Lord out of a pure heart (v. 22).

Yes, the perils, they will come.  And the temptations - they are all around us, even after we are fully grown and should know better.  But God doesn't give up on us.  He urges us to cling to Him.  He is our solid foundation.  Paul offers specific ways that we can cling:  pursuing righteousness, faith, love and peace.

How can I do that this week?  Temptations will be waiting for me.  You know what they are.  Temptations to gossip, to laugh at another's failures, to look the other way when someone is cheating, to be silent when God is mocked, to envy another's success - and these are ones I can personally attest to!

Lord, help me to cling to you - to open my Bible and soak in your word, and then to live it out.  Protect me from the temptations that will surround me - help me to call on your name.  Amen. 

Phone-A-Friend

“I’d like to phone a friend, Regis.” Do you remember when “Who Wants To Be a Millionaire” was a new, national phenomenon? “Phone-a-friend” was one of three “lifelines” a contestant could use when stumped or uncertain as to the answer to a question. (“Ask the audience” was the most reliable source of help it seemed, and “50:50” was the third option.)

Knowing his betrayal and crucifixion lay immediately before him, Jesus urged His disciples to throw out a lifeline: “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation,” he told them, “The spirit is willing, but the body is weak” (Matthew 26:41). I’m guessing Jesus was praying the same thing for Himself, for Luke tells us, “An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him” (Luke 22:43). Jesus prayed, and God provided—answered prayer. And aren’t we glad! Just think of the eternal ripple effects of Jesus’ fortification against temptation that history-hinging night. His sacrificial submission to the Father—“yet not my will, but yours be done”—means life to all who will receive the true life found only in Him. 

Praying for strength against temptation is something we do, but probably not as often as we should. I’m not sure why, because it’s not all that difficult. It can be as simple as a sincere, “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” What counts is not how flowery our petitions, but how trustworthy God’s promises and how reliable His power. Promises like, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). Or power, as in, “God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it” (1 Corinthians 10:13).

How easy it is to fall into temptation, yet how important not to. So, we “watch and pray”—we “phone a Friend”—for He is our lifeline. A million times over, He is our lifeline. Aren’t we glad!

Father, lead me not into temptation, but deliver me from evil, today. Provide me a way to stand firm, resisting the evil one until he leaves. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

[Click here to read today’s Scripture in Luke 22:39-46.]

Stand Your Ground

How many war movies have you watched where the enemy was approaching, looking as though they could plow right through the fortified barricade set up? How often did you cringe at the possibility our hero would be be overrun, defeated by a cunning, powerful and evil force? Can you hear the shout of the brave commander broadcasting the instruction to his band of frightened warriors, "Stand Your Ground!"?

As Christians, we have a similar battle cry as we do our best to resist Satan and the temptations he uses to achieve his will. These temptations are often camouflaged as something good, or useful or desirable; but they are tools in the devil's hands. Something as simple as the currently popular movie which offers entertainment, but in the form of improper behavior or foul language, can cause us to stumble into the enemy's camp.

You know what tempts you and where you are weak; so does Satan.  He will use those things to entice and take us captive. I remember a Beth Moore study I participated in several years ago, she taught us Satan is real and looking for every opportunity to trip us up. But, we have the upper hand. We have God’s Word and the promise His Son made to us with His death and resurrection.

The encouragement Beth Moore shared was this: to stand our ground, even stomp our feet and proclaim “Satan, you have no authority here!" I have shouted this one-liner while in the midst of many battles. Try it, it works.

2 Samuel 23:11-12

It Starts at the Cross

John 1:34 (NIV)
 ^" I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God." 

John the Baptist's job was to point people to Jesus, the long awaited Messiah. This is our job also. I never really made this connect before. John, Jesus's cousin, was the first to be charged with telling the world the good news and then pointing right at him and saying, "Make straight the way for the Lord." John was preparing the hearts of man to receive the Savior into their midst.

The prophet Isaiah foretold John the Baptist, who would come into the world proclaiming a Messiah would soon appear. Isaiah's people had been exiled for their sin, they had been in captivity for 70 years as a result of their evil and wicked ways. They spend 70 years living in a foreign land as a way to atone for their sin.

Isaiah and John were preparing their people, their world, for a long awaited Savior, one who would forgive sins and cleanse hearts the moment repentance took place. It sounds so easy, doesn't it? It seems like a free pass.  To think we can simply change our behavior and turn to God for forgiveness and it is done. But anyone who has ever attempted to change a behavior knows it isn't easy.

We struggle daily to do the next right thing. We fight temptations, addictions, resentments, and many days we have to start over again. But the wonderful thing is, we can start over. We have a God who loves us and wants us to keep trying and He will be at our side.

Our flesh is weak and we need help, lots of help. We need forgiveness and understanding. We need grace to get through each day.  We need the love of Jesus even give us the desire and then the fortitude to continue through each day, battling Satan. For that is what we do every day. Temptations abound.

Our world is filled with pain and suffering and sin.  But Jesus has overcome the world.

 John 1:19-34

Answer Fast: When Shouldn't We Eat?

My weight varies on a cyclical, annual basis.

Nominally, it starts Halloween night when I hand out candy to the Trick-or-Treaters. One for Batman, one for me, one for Princess Anna, one for me, one for Princess Elsa, one for me, one for …. Well, you get the idea!

 

 

Princesses Anna and Elsa will be Knocking at my Door

It continues with the left over candy, Thanksgiving, turkey leftovers, Christmas parties, Christmas Eve and Day, all the way to New Years.

 

With tight clothes, I go on a diet in January and judging by the number of Weight Watcher commercials I see in January, I suspect others have a similar overeat and diet cycle.

 

Eventually, I get back to a normal weight; I feel better, have more energy, am more focused and once again have clothes that fit!

 

Today’s reading is Matthew 4:1-11, the Tempting of Jesus.

 

Jesus is tempted by Satan. Satan tells a hungry Jesus to turn rocks into bread, so he can eat. He tells Jesus to prove he is the Son of God by jumping off the Temple. He finally tells Jesus that he can have the entire physical world if he simply worships Satan.

 

Jesus passes all of Satan’s tests. But what is interesting is how Jesus prepared for his test. Jesus fasted for 40 days.

 

When we are tempted, or need spiritual nourishment, fasting can be a part of our spiritual defense.

 

No, we don’t have to go without food for 40 days. God most certainly wants us to maintain our health, but we certainly can skip a meal or two for a few days.

 

When fasting, we can pay more attention to spiritual things instead of earthly things.

 

During and immediately after fasting we will feel better, have more Spiritual Energy, and be more focused on God. And the white Heavenly robe will always fit!

PS -- Happy All Saints Day!

Obstacles Everywhere!

Nehemiah 4: 1-3, 6-9, 14-15; 6:1-4, 15-16

 In the 70’s, the Steve Miller Band had a hit song called Jet Airliner. One of the lyric lines was, “You've got to go through hell before you get to heaven.” I recall revisiting that line in my head many times throughout this life, in an attempt to justify the difficulties I faced. There is no triumph without trial.

Nehemiah experienced this just as we do. Scorn and ridicule seemed to be constant. Scorn is the enemy’s oldest weapon. Ridicule needs no fact or argument. It is an attack on morale and breaks us down if we allow it to. Each time Nehemiah was faced with obstacles, his first response was prayer, then action.

Temptation to give up comes when we are at our weakest. Interruption, corruption, tragedy, ridicule, opposition and a host of other distractions are used by the evil one to disband our efforts to do good things for the Lord and to live our lives in accordance with the scriptures.

When faced with difficulties, and obstacles that seem too overwhelming to overcome, look to God for vindication. Soak up his word. Seek his wisdom. Then carry on with his works. It is far easier said than done, but as Paul stated in 1 Corinthians 15:10; “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.” We cannot go it alone. It is by the grace of our God we can carry on through our struggles.

Jesus was human. He endured unbelievable and undeserved ridicule and physical torture. He went through what many would term “hell on earth.” Now he is in heaven. And because of what he did for us, we can go there too…when our trials are over.

Nehemiah 4

Nehemiah 6

Prayer is the Difference

Nehemiah 6:11-12 (NIV)
  But I said, "Should a man like me run away? Or should one like me go into the temple to save his life? I will not go!"
  I realized that God had not sent him, but that he had prophesied against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. 

Nehemiah was trying to do the right thing as he prayed and moved forward. The right thing for Nehemiah was to rebuild the walls of the city. He understood God's calling upon his life. He wanted to rebuild the walls of the land of his ancestors. The very idea that Jerusalem was unfortified, and prime for picking did not set right with this man of God.

When any of us are on mission for the Kingdom, there will be opposition, serious opposition. When we discover something that needs to be fixed, a wrong that needs to be made right - we should expect difficulty. Consider the roadblocks as a blessing, confirmation from God that you are on the right track.

Because Nehemiah was a man of prayer, he was able to recognize deceit when it approached. He saw the message of Shemaiah as it truly was, an attempt to discredit him and cause the people to doubt their purpose and turn away from their job.

We face similar situations when we are doing God's work; when we are on mission further the Gospel.  We will face temptation; there will be pain and heartache.  We will want to quit. It is during times like this we would do well to remember Nehemiah. He understood his enemy. He expected attacks of every kind. He knew the last thing the enemy wanted is for him to be successful.

The goal of the evil one is to stop our witness; to discredit our motives and cast doubt on our work. When we are doing good, practicing our faith, we best have our canopy of prayer in place.

Nehemiah 6:10-14

Take Your Inventory - 1 Corinthians 10:11-22

I could relate to yesterday's posting. While I never dropped my cell phone into my coffee, I did drop it in the toilet (don't ask). I too am spoiled; I love my gadgets and drool over the possibility of trying out the next fad in electronic devices. On a positive note, I am spoiled by a God who loves me and wants what is best for me; He spoils me so that I won't want to be spoiled by the world.

A Christian 12-Step program, Celebrate Recovery, shows participants how to live life with peace and joy, overcoming temptation. One of the teachings is step 10 which reads: We continue to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it. The Scripture reference for this step is, "So, if you think that you are standing firm be careful that you don't fall." (1 Corinthians 10:12)

I have found this step to be most helpful and it ties in with the scripture for today regarding temptation. I have been reminded that temptation is not sin and enduring temptation brings great rewards, as we read in James 1:12.  The secret to resisting temptation is to recognize Satan as the source and turn to God for an escape hatch.

God has given us a way out of every temptation, two of which are, common sense and Christians friends. The thought for today is to take a personal inventory each night – determine where temptation waited for you – take steps to avoid those pitfalls with common sense and Christian friends who will pray for you.

Read todays text at Biblegateway and 1 Corinthians 10:11-22

You can find the 12-Steps as CR teaches by clicking here.

Jesus Tempted in the Desert - Matthew 4:1-11

Have you ever wondered why Satan spent time trying to tempt Jesus? It seems like a fools errand, doesn't it? Jesus was baptized, He fasted for 40 days and nights in the desert, then Satan approached Him in an attempt to get Jesus to do three things:

1. Satisfy His hunger
2. Use His heavenly power to do His earthly bidding
3. Bow to Satan and be rewarded with material things

What Satan didn't count on was Jesus recognizing Satan and using Scripture to combat all of the evil one's schemes. Do you recognize any of these tricks? Does Satan try to get your attention with food or power or compromise?

Satan was hoping to convince Jesus to work independent of His Father. Satan knew Jesus was God and understood the power He has. He wanted Him to go rogue. Can you sometimes relate as well? Do you feel under attack when you are most vulnerable? That is how Satan works. We can learn much from this scripture text; lean on the Word of God, call upon familiar verses from your reading time and God will show you a way out. Satan always wants us to work independent of the Father.

The final scene in this story finds the angels attending to Jesus' every need. "The Test was over. The Devil left. And in his place, angels! Angels came and took care of Jesus' needs." (Matthew 4:13 MSG)

To read the complete text for today click here .  To return to this posting hit the back arrow.

Be Prepared - Mark 8:31-9:1

Remember Trivial Pursuit? The object of the game is to move around the board by correctly responding to trivia questions in various categories. While Trivial Pursuit is a fun game, it should not be our way of living. Busy lives make it easy to get lost in the pursuit of things we think are important.

In today's scripture, Jesus starts teaching the disciples about Himself. He is very clear that He must suffer, be rejected, die, and return to life after three days.

Peter doesn't get the message. He takes Jesus aside and rebukes Him. In response, Jesus admonishes Peter. Satan has put wrong thoughts into Peter's mind. Peter is in pursuit of stopping Jesus on His mission.

Jesus makes it clear that souls are too valuable to lose in pursuit of things that don't really matter. No matter what shame and humiliation or what we may have to endure, He must be at the center of our lives.

Satan constantly prowls around waiting for opportunities to get us to sin. He puts temptations before us to pursue wrong things and get us off track. Sometimes we don't see it, sometimes we know we are headed on the wrong path, but we sin anyway.

To guard our lives against sin and temptation we must be prepared by keeping our faith in God strong, being in the Word of God constantly, and having a meaningful daily prayer life. Remember our soul is priceless. We shouldn’t give it to anyone but God.

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Joseph-faithful while tempted -- Genesis 39

In a day when it is common for spouses to cheat on one another, for partners to steal from their businesses and for elected officials to fail to perform the duties of their offices, the word faithful might seem foreign. Mother Teresa said, "Be faithful in the small things because it is in them that your strength lies."

What does it mean to be faithful?  Hebrews 11:1 says^{, "}Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."  The dictionary lists faith, faithful, and faithfulness as somewhat synonymous.  Trust, true to life, loyal are listed as attributes a faithful person would have. 

Joseph is an example to us all, of faithfulness under fire.  He was true to his earthly master, taking care of his accounts and household matters honestly; he was even faithful to his master's wife by not allowing her to break her marriage vows with him.  He was loyal to himself, as he never took the easy way out.  Finally, and most importantly, Joseph was true to his God.  Joseph could have given up and given in but he was faithful and proved his allegiance to his God.  And God proved His faithfulness to Joseph and loved him dearly and blessed him mightily. 

Joseph may have lived thousands of years ago, but we can learn from his behavior even today.

To read all the text for today go to Biblegate and Genesis 39. To return to this posting hit the back arrow.

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Genesis 39 -- Success to treachery test

One of my favorite encouraging verses is found in Psalm 27:1 "The LORD is my light and my salvation--whom shall I fear?" It is these words I am reminded of when reading about Joseph in Genesis 39. Verse 2 reads: "The LORD was with Joseph and he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master.” Remember all the trouble Joseph was in; sold into slavery by his own brothers and then carted away to a foreign land?

This portion of Joseph's life is exemplified by Trust, Temptation and Trouble. While he was experiencing each of these, the LORD was with him. Joseph's Egyptian master, Potiphar, trusted him to take care of everything he owned. After awhile, Potiphar's wife used temptation to try and seduce Joseph. Joseph ran away from her, but she lied to her husband and Joseph found himself in trouble as he was put in prison.

Joseph certainly lived an interesting life. He went from favored son to slave; from trusted servant to a wrongly accused prisoner. Then again, from inmate to being the warden’s faithful assistant. In Genesis 39:20-21 we see how the LORD was with him again. "But while Joseph was there in the prison, the LORD was with him."  Do you know that the LORD wants to be with us too, as we stumble through life? He is ready to take care of us if we trust. The LORD wants to be with us, no matter what prison we find ourselves in.  He longs to give us success just as he gave it to Joseph.

Read the entire Genesis 39 text here.

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