TEMPTATION

ALOHA FAMILY & FRIENDS,  Beloved of God,   John 12:24-26

TEMPTATION:    2/11/20   Trinity Fellowship Int.    Ken Smith
   
Today’s Scripture   (In my mailbox this moninig)

“…Do not give the devil a foothold…”   (Ephesians 4:27, NIV)

Take Control
Scripture says to give no place to the enemy. That’s not just talking about forces of darkness; that means to give a foothold to things that weigh us down—guilt, resentment, worry, doubt, and bitterness. These things come naturally. The problem is that when we allow them in, they take up space that should be reserved for the good things God created us to be filled with—joy, peace, confidence, and creativity. But the negative can’t come in automatically and take over. You control what comes into your life. You have control over negative thoughts and emotions. You have to make the choice and say, “I’m not going to give space to negativity and let it poison my life. I won’t let an offense make me sour and bitter.” Take inventory of what you’re giving place to. Life is too short for you to go through it with negative things holding you back.

A Prayer for Today
“Father, thank You that I have control over what comes into my life. I come to You in faith declaring that I am finished with giving any room to negative thoughts and emotions. Fill me with Your joy and peace as I move forward in victory. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”

Ken’s Thoughts
The scripture that quickly come to mind was written by James, another son of Mary and Joseph who grew up with Jesus.  James wrote:  14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.16 Do not err, my beloved brethren.  

To start with, Temptation is not sin: For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Heb.4:15. Paul taught us that there was always a door out for escape:  There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.  1 Cor. 10:13.  In fact James teaches to bring in on:  Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. James 1:12.  And Peter tells us to rejoice: Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:  1 Pet.1:6 &  The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished: 2 Pet. 2:9. 

So in the world in which we find ourselves today that is using lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and pride of life to sell everything.  We are taught that if we go into easy debt and buy today what we will have to earn tomorrow that it will bring much joy and happiness.  Fact is we end up owing our soul to the company store as sung By Tennessee Ernie Ford, many years ago:   “16 Tons……”   
 https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=16+tons+tennessee+ernie+ford

Of course we are warned in Proverbs 22:7 The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.  Is that not what we have today?  The rich getting richer and the poor…. getting poorer.  Seems no one reads Proverbs today?????

So back to the Subject, Temptation:   The enemy will give us a 3D picture with Stereophonic Sound of the lie that we could do to be in sin and if we think about it only with the lie it looks really great.  Jesus went through this process to the ultimate.  He was promised everything and not the Cross.    And so we also decide “to be or not to be” a sinner.   So far, we are OK at the temptation but if we don’t realize what is happening and go the wrong direction,  take the wrong step,  we end up dancing with the demons which ends in sin that ends eventually in death and eternal separation for GOD and Christ Jesus, as HIS power and mercy has been rejected by us.  But if we have the Word of God fresh in our minds we will know instantly that it is only a lying temptation and find God’s door (Grace/Power) out of the temptation with rejoicing in the victory of Christ Jesus and having our Heavenly Father’s  blessings.

At my age, the list, THANK GOD, is getting shorter as the temptations that I can get into but they are still there.   And as I look back over my life I am so grateful to my LORD for Saving me from myself.  I still am so very sorry over some of the pains that I caused others in my past, even though forgiven. Yet it does help me love my LORD even the more.  But there is more to do and much to learn yet for me to become like Jesus.  He is the epitome of GOD design for us.  Jesus is now in the total Image and Likeness of God as the 1st born of many to follow HIM.  He has paved the way for us and broke open the doors of God’s right to forgive us.  GOD our Creator is still in the vision process of helping us by HIS grace to become like HIM so we can lovingly and comfortably live with HIM in eternity, Rev.21.    So please find and hold onto an eternal view of things or get broken off, Rom. 11.20-21.

“No one can have the peace of God until they are at peace with God.”  – Jack Wellman

“An unpeaceful mind cannot operate normally. Hence the Apostle
teaches us to “have no anxiety about anything” (Phil. 4:6). Deliver
all anxious thoughts to God as soon as they arise. Let the peace
of God maintain your heart and mind (v. 7).”  – Watchman Nee

“Peace comes when there is no cloud between us and God. Peace
is the consequence of forgiveness, God’s removal of that which
obscures His face and so breaks union with Him.”  – Charles H. Brent

“Peace is not something! Peace is a person!! The world will never
know peace without Jesus Christ!!!”   Nicholas Duncan Williams

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