Category: Jesus

How To Resist the Pull of Temptation (Being Dragged!) The James Series

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Last week, we looked at the entire first chapter of James and how James identified 8 characteristics that are developed by enduring trials.  These characteristics are necessary in the life of every believer.  One, in particular, is of the utmost importance. When we endure trials, with the right mindset, we become people who endure temptation.   

James 1:13-16 says  When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.  

Remember, God tempts no one! He is for you.  He does not want you to fall or fail.  So temptation does not come from God.  

We often blame the devil. And let me tell you, we have a real enemy whose only objectives are to steal, kill, and to destroy.  But when we read this passage closely, the devil is not the immediate culprit here (oh, but he is definitely lurking behind the scenes). 

When we are tempted, we are dragged (some translations say drawn, or lured) away. We are dragged away from the course we are on to a broad way that only leads to destruction.  What’s dragging us away? Our own evil desires! Whoa. Now take a moment and let that sink in. We quickly blame things on the outside, but we are dragged away by temptations that come from the inside of us.  

Now, before you beat yourself up, don’t.  Everyone faces temptations.  It is what you do when tempted that makes all the difference. The old hymn Yield Not to Temptation says “yield not to temptation, for yielding is sin.”  The temptation is not the sinful part. Temptation leads to desire, and desire leads to sin.  It’s when we give in to ungodly desires that sin is born. Sadly, it doesn’t end there. Sin leads to one place and one place only—death.  

Temptation > Desire > Sin > Death 

BUT THERE IS HOPE!  

Be Honest. We do not have to yield to ungodly desires! We can overcome the desires that lead to sin.  But the first step is to be honest about them. It’s okay! Be honest with yourself. The Holy Spirit will reveal to you those desires that you should not have. The sweet conviction of the Holy Spirit will let you know when you’re being dragged in the wrong direction. Then be honest with God. He is on your side. He wants nothing but victory for you!! Go ahead. Tell Him.  He already knows and still loves you greatly.    

Ask for Help. Don’t be ashamed to ask for help.  God will help you resist the enemy and all ungodly desires you may have. In prayer, be real and be authentic, this is the only way to be with God. Don’t be ashamed to ask others for help, too. Somebody has been though what you have been through—successfully and unsuccessfully. Both experiences can help you in your challenges. **Allow the Lord to lead you to someone whom you can trust.  

Make Changes. Make changes as necessary. The Holy Spirit will lead you to make changes in your life. Maybe it’s what you watch, maybe it’s what you read, maybe it’s certain associations. Whatever it is, be willing to make those changes immediately.  

Remember Past Victories. Remember your past victories and let them propel you forward.  When you overcome in one challenge, it will lead to more and greater victories.  Another line in that same hymn says, “each victory will help you, some others to win.”  When you win, remember how God helped you come through and know that He will be with you through every trial—He will never leave you.  

Dear friends, Be sober and be diligent, temptation will come.  When ungodly desires attempt to drag you, give those desires to the Lord. He can handle whatever you submit to Him.  Ask the Lord for help!  Ask others for help, as the Lord leads.  When the Lord leads you to make changes, make them.  Praise God for each victory and remember them! They will become a collection of triumphs that will inspire you to keep believing.  

As the chorus of that same beautiful hymn says,  “Ask the Savior to help you, comfort, strengthen, and keep you.  He is willing to help you.  He will carry you through.”

What advice can you give someone who may be struggling with temptation?  

Standing on the Word 6/22/20

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I received some news today that troubled my spirit.  It was news about yet another shake up.  More changes to what was a stable situation. I cried and moaned and wanted to complain, but that wouldn’t help anything.  So I dried my tears and looked to the Word for encouragement.  This passage dropped in my spirit:  “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” Hebrews 13:8 

Jesus is the stability that we need.  He is the rock that we stand on when the winds of uncertainty looms.  He is the anchor that holds sure when the waves crash against us.  He is constant in a constantly changing world.  This is why we can trust Him with our whole heart.  This is why we can stand on every promise.  Our trustworthy Savior never changes.  What a refreshing relief!  

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I WILL Wednesday 6/17/20

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It’s I WILL Wednesday!

Come and hear, all you who fear God, And I will declare what He has done for my soul. Psalm 66:16

Psalm 66 takes place during the Feast of the Passover, when the Israelites remembered and celebrated how God delivered them from the Egyptians generations earlier.

This psalm gives us a beautiful picture of praise.  First, the whole earth is urged to praise (v. 1-4). The psalmist invites all to be active with their praise and adoration to God by admonishing those who are present to “make a joyful shout,” “sing to the honor of His name,” and “make His praise glorious.” Next, the people of God are admonished to remember God’s mighty acts and worship Him (v. 5-12).  The psalmist urges the people to recall God’s great deliverance and His mighty providence.

Now something happens when we get to the 13th verse.  The psalmist goes from urging others to come, see, hear and join in, to his own personal praise. On this day of celebration, in the middle of this corporate praise, the psalmist proclaims a string of I WILLS—

I WILL go into Your houses with burnt offering.

I WILL pay You my vow.

I WILL offer sacrifices

and lastly, I WILL declare what He has done for my soul.”

Then the psalmist says I WILL offer praise and worship that honors God. No matter what the world does, I WILL praise.  No matter what the other saints do, I WILL worship.

The psalmist uses this opportunity as an open door to tell of the goodness of God.  There in the midst of the crowd where people have gathered for a celebration of the collective deliverance of a nation, one stands and proclaims the personal victory God gave them.  There is always room for celebrating God.  Whether it be in a crowd or by yourself.  Our God is worthy of our visual and verbal praise.

Let nothing stop you from giving worthy praise to a worthy God.  Yes, invite others to join you—Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Corporate praise is a beautiful thing.

But if you find yourself by yourself, remember God is still worthy! Take the time to reflect on where God has brought you from, and what He has done for you.  When you think of His goodness, don’t hold back, but say, like the psalmist, “I WILL declare what He has done for my soul!”

 

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Standing on the Word 6/15/20

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For we walk by faith, not by sight. 2 Corinthians 5:7

Present troubles can sway our focus and have us veer off course. That’s why we have to live by faith! Living by sight, we see what’s before us and we give the things we see the permission to inform the way we live. When we live by sight, we are presented with natural realities that may seem like road blocks. Living by faith, we see what’s before us, but we place confident trust in God to lead and guide us to the paths that are good and right for us. By faith, we live in a spiritual reality that is much more real than the things we see. Our faith in God helps us navigate life’s rough terrain. Don’t be shaken by what you see, instead, live by faith.

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Standing On the Word 6/8/2020

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James starts his writing with this advise to the early church:

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. James 1:2-4

He challenges his readers to allow their trials to produce Godly character in them. How? It starts with trials. They come, no matter who you are, where you live, how much you make. You will experience trials. The key is to not allow what you go through to break you, but let it make you. Trials can only make you when you let patience do its work in you. Lessons emerge from the trials we endure. Learn those lessons; embrace them, knowing that the outcome will be well formed maturity, lacking nothing!

When you know the purpose of trials in your life, you can consider your trials as a source of joy because when they come—and they will come—you will know that God is doing a work in you.

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Write the Word June 2020

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Hello people of God,

It’s time to begin a new month of Writing the Word.   Let me encourage you as you launch or re-launch upon this spiritual discipline. Writing the Word helps us to interact with the Word of God.  God’s Word is unlike other writings; God’s Word is living!  We come to the Word of God to receive life (Psalm 119:50).

Writing the Word helps us to develop deeper understandings, and relate what we read to our own personal experiences.  As you write this month, I challenge you to approach the text as a living organism.  As you read, write, and meditate on God’s Word, breathe in Life!

This month we are writing through part 1 of 2 Corinthians. This is another beautiful letter written by Paul the Apostle to the church at Corinth. One of the chief messages in 2 Corinthians is the relationship between suffering and the power of the Spirit. Paul defends his apostleship and argues that suffering has a role in the life of the believer, and reveals the glory of God.

Key verses in 2 Corinthians:

  • Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.   2 Corinthians 5:17
  • He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.   2 Corinthians 5:21
  • And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.  2 Corinthians 12:9
  • But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.  2 Corinthians 4:7
  • We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair;persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 2 Corinthians 4:8-10
  • But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place.                            2 Corinthians 2:14
  • While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.  2 Corinthians 4:18

(If you would like to continue Writing the Word with themes, check out June 2019’s guide below.)

Remember, The Word W.O.R.K.S.–Living out Wholeness,Obedience, Righteousness, and Kingdom Success.

In service to the KING,

Erica

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I WILL Wednesday 5/28/2020

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It’s I WILL Wednesday!

“I will abide in Your tabernacle forever; I will trust in the shelter of Your Wings.” Psalm 61:4

In today’s I WILL Wednesday, we are able to, again, see into the life of David while he is on the run from King Saul. Psalm 61 finds David tired, exhausted, and in need of some sort of relief. He says earlier in this same Psalm that his heart was overwhelmed as if he was desperate for something to happen that would give him peace and deliverance. As we’ve seen from David many times before, David knew where to go and Who to seek in the difficult times he was in.

In the fourth verse, David makes a declaration to the Lord from the place of pain. He says “I WILL abide in Your tabernacle forever”. He was saying that he wanted to stay in the presence of God forever. He understood that the presence of God was the only place he could, would, and should go to receive peace and deliverance while he was dealing with the hostilities of his life. David also put a time stamp on how long he wanted to dwell in God’s presence– FOREVER.

David’s desire was to stay permanently in the presence of God. This is where we should desire to dwell also. It is in the presence of God that we find peace and stability when everything around us seems hectic and rocky. It is in the presence of God where we find joy when everything around us says we should be in tears. It is in the presence of God where we find hope when everything around us says there is no hope. This is the place where David desired to be and this is the place that is available for us as well.

David also says that I WILL “trust in the shelter of Your Wings”! This is likened to the wings of a mother bird protecting her young. When it rains they use these wings to cover their children. When danger arises they use their wings to hide their children from the enemy. The mother bird will also use their wings to hold her children close to her. David was using the bird and the relation to her young to how he saw his relationship with God. It is in the arms of God where he would be sheltered from the attacks of the enemy, hidden in His love, and be drawn close to Him. This is a relationship we can enjoy, too!
Protected by Him.

Comforted by Him.

Sheltered by Him.

Oh how wonderful it is to know we have Someone we can abide in, take refuge in, and trust to be there us.

During this season and everyday, let’s be like David and say, “I WILL abide in His Tabernacle, and I WILL Trust in the shelter of His Wings!”

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I WILL Wednesday 5/13/20

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It’s I WILL Wednesday!

“I will cry out to God Most High, To God who performs all things for me.” Psalm 57:2

In today’s I WILL Wednesday, we find David in the cave running from King Saul, when an opportunity to kill his enemy stares him in the face. Instead of taking the opportunity to rid himself of the one who literally turned his life upside down and tried to kill him multiple times, David spares Saul’s life.

In Psalm 57, David focuses on the need for God’s protection. He talks about the enemies around him trying to entrap him and kill him. However, it is also here in this situation where David looks past all of what he is going through and focuses on the One who gave him the victory over a bear, a lion, and a giant.

David exclaims that he will cry out to God Most High, to God who performs all things for him. Isn’t that amazing? Surrounded by enemies who wanted to kill him, he knew where his help came from. In a dark cave, far from the palace of which he would one day live, he did not rely on his own ability to get him out. Staring at a complete victory over the one person who has reeked havoc in his life he stepped back and cried out to God. Why is this so important? Because God is the One who can and will perform all things according to His perfect will. David knew that it was only God that could give him the complete and total victory. David knew that it was God who would fulfill His purpose in his life. So even though the pressure of the situation was weighing heavily on his shoulders, David took a step back and he cried out to God, who never fails.

What I love is that David resisted the urge to take things into his own hands. He had been anointed to be the next king of Israel about twenty years earlier. He had fought Goliath, and he had become a mighty warrior for Israel’s army, leading them in several victorious battles. David had even married King Saul’s daughter. Now, right before him was an opportunity! At least that’s what David thought for a moment, but then he remembered that it was not for him to perform, but God (see 1 Samuel 26:9-11). He truly believed the he would be king, and that God called him to that position. If God anointed him king, God would appoint him king at just the right time. David trusted God’s promise and God’s timing.

We all have had times in our lives that backed us into corners and made us question what we are to do. Times where it seems as though you have to make a move that God has not ordained. Even now with the coronavirus upending our lives like no one ever thought possible, we find ourselves in “caves” wondering when will we be free. Don’t move until God says so, because whatever He has promised, he will also perform.

Let’s take David’s example and cry out to God. He and only He can perform all things for us. God will see us through, and He will fulfill His purpose in us. So no matter where you are, or what you are going through, join me today and declare, I WILL cry out to God the Most High!

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Standing on the Word 5/11/20

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“He said to me, ’My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”2 Corinthians 12:9

This passage of scripture taken from 2 Corinthians 12:9 reminds me to keep moving, time and time again.

Paul, the apostle, dealt with a “thorn in the flesh,” something that he prayed about three times. God’s answer to Him was “My Grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” I’m not sure how Paul felt, but that’s not the answer we always want to hear when we ask God to remove bad things from our lives. It is, however, the answer that we need to hear. Grace is a precious gift. It is enough to cover. It is enough to sustain us. And it is always available to us. The mighty awesome power of God is completely shown when we are at our weakest. So, like Paul, we don’t have to shrink in shame because of weaknesses; that is when God’s power rests on us all the more.

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Standing On The Word – 5/04/2020

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How’s it going? For some it has been rough! Inconsistency, uncertainties, and anxieties are running rampant. Fear, illness, and even death are realities that have become more evident than before. Families are facing financial, domestic, and other crises that cause stress and strain.

This passage offers hope!
The name of the Lord is a strong tower; The righteous run to it and are safe. Proverbs 18:10

The Name of the Lord is a phrase that implies the character of God.

He is loving. He is faithful. He is strength. He is merciful. He is all that is lovely and all that is right. In a world where all things seem to fall apart, we can run to the Lord. Why? Because He, like a fortified tower, keeps us safe from the world’s assault.

In Him, we can find the refuge we need.

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