Tag Archives: temptation

Integrity and choice, May 21, 2018

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As hard as it is to live a life of integrity, because we have God’s help in doing so, we have a choice in living the life of integrity he desires of us. We might not think about that very often, but it’s true. In today’s society, it’s easy to blame someone or something else on our lack of integrity. We push back justify our behavior on poor parenting. We blame the lack of material goods in a house bordering on poverty in a materialistic world. We blame the violence and immorality that invades us in mind-numbing entertainment like television, movies, games, and more. We blame schools for not enforcing rules that should be set and enforced at home.

We blame anything and everything on our failure to maintain a life of integrity. Why? Because like most things in our life, we have a hard time accepting the fact that most often our failures are out fault. And the failure lies in the choices we made somewhere along the line. We just don’t want to believe that we can fail. So we pawn our mistakes, our behavior, our failure on someone else.

The problem with that approach, though, we never learn from our failure unless we take responsibility for it. We must figure out where we went wrong, fix it, and go from there. Doing everything we can not to repeat those same mistakes in the future. We will fail again? Most likely. No one is exempt from error. We all fail at one time or another at one task or another. We can’t help it. We are part of Adam’s race. He and Eve disobeyed God in that first garden and we inherited his inability to live the perfect life of integrity God desired of him and us.

But there is something we can do about it. First, we can ask God and the individuals we might have wronged for forgiveness. John wrote that when we confess our sins, he is ready, able, and just and will forgive our sins. But also wants to lead us to a life of righteousness, right living. That means we must make some hard choices at times. We must look temptations in the eye and say no. We must obey his commands despite the lure and attraction of the things the world might offer us if we yield to her demands.

We have a choice. I can choose to satisfy those base desires in unhealthy, unholy ways. I can choose to follow my selfish desires. I can choose to use other people for my gain. I can choose to hoard the things God has entrusted to me. I can choose to push the helpless and needy away when I have the means to give them hope. I can just to execute vengeance and justice instead of grace and mercy toward my enemies. I can choose the path I take.

I can choose my path, but I cannot choose what lies at the end of that path. I cannot choose the consequences of every choice I make whether good or bad. I cannot alter the natural outcome of the laws God gave us. Sure, he is a God of love and mercy, but that doesn’t mean he will stop the natural course of events that come to us as a result of our choices. We may still suffer the lasting effects of those seemingly insignificant choices we made in an hour of weakness.

So, how do I ensure I make the right choices along the way? How do I avoid the consequence that God set in place at the beginning of time? How do I stand up to the failures that I cause through my actions?

First,lean more on him. Go to God in both the good times and the bad. Pray earnestly when you’re in a time of smooth sailing. When you do, it will be easier to approach him when the going gets tough. You wouldn’t ask a complete stranger to help you with a personal, intimate problem, but you might ask a dear friend. Think about your relationship with God. If you only interact with him on Sunday mornings at church, why would he help? If you’re not his friend, why would he stop to give aid in your time of need? So in the good times, when everything is going well, be careful to give God the glory. Maintain a constant personal relationship with him. When you do, you’ll find he is willing and ready to give you the support you need and he will never leave you or forsake you. So keep your prayer life up.

Second, meditate on his word. What does that mean? Think about what you have read in scripture. Of course, that means you need to read scripture…every day. Maybe even several times a day. David said, “I will meditate on your word night and day. I will hide your word in my heart, so I might not sin against you.” If David tells us a dozen times to meditate on God’s word and deeds, maybe we should pay attention and do just that. Read the Bible. Let it soak into your everyday life. Don’t let it be one of those tomes that gathers dust on a table. Let God speak to you through his word. He gives good advice in those 66 books if we would just listen to him and do what he tells us to do.

Third, before making life-changing decisions, stop and think. It’s surprising how often we just act without thinking about the second and third order affects our choices make on us or those around us. Most of the time it isn’t too hard to think about the consequences our actions will create. We just need to step back for a second and use that gray matter that sits inside our skull. Tragically, we too often just act and think about it after the fact when it’s too late to retract our action. Once done, it’s done. Things have been set in motion and the consequences are set whether we like them or not.

Then while we’re on this pause before making a decision, when possible and practical, seek the advice of a mentor. Most of the time, the decision you are about to make has been made before. It is truly amazing the number of times we repeat the mistakes of others because we fail to heed their warnings. Just take a moment to listen to those who have gone before you. Listen to their counsel. Understand they have your best in mind. If they have traveled that road before you, they can help you avoid the pitfalls and the suffering they may have suffered because of choice they would make differently if given the chance. Remember, two heads are better than one.

We’re back to where we began today. Integrity involves choice. You can be a person of integrity. You can choose that life. It will take God’s help. We can not do it alone. But we can choose to let him walk beside us and keep us on the right path. As we go back to our original definition a few weeks ago, integrity is about unity, oneness, cohesion. When we choose with God in mind, we draw closer to him. We we choose with our selfish desires in mind, we drive a wedge between us and him.

Think about the choices you will make today. Stand as Joshua did with his declaration at the top of your priorities, “…as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” It is always a choice. And God lets you make it at every crossroad of life. Choose today whom you will serve.

You can find me at richardagee.com. I also invite you to join us at San Antonio First Church of the Nazarene on West Avenue in San Antonio. You can find out more about my church at SAF.church. Thanks for listening. If you enjoyed it, tell a friend. If you didn’t, send me an email and let me know how better to reach out to those around you. Until next week, may God richly bless you as you venture into His story each day.

 

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The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved. In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Know your scriptures (Luke 4:12) September 21, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Psalms 111-113

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Luke 4:12
Jesus: Yes, but the Hebrew Scriptures also say, “You will not presume on God; you will not test the Lord, the one True God.”

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Don’t you love it when someone argues scripture with you? I know I do. Yeah, right! But scripture says, this is okay. But scripture says I shouldn’t do that. But scripture says… And that’s exactly what Satan did to Jesus that day in the wildernes.

Hey, Jesus. You’re the Son of God. Scripture says, angels will watch after you so that you can jump off of this temple and they won’t let you get hurt. Give it a try and see if it works. Let’s see if you really are who you think you are. Maybe you’re just dreaming and your mom was just feeding you a line all these years to cover up that pregnancy story. Go ahead and jump. You’ll be okay. Angels will catch you.

And Jesus knows they would have. He knows His true Father. He’s talked to Him every day for years. He’s learned His words. He heard the story of His birth and saw the fulfillment of those obscure Messianic scriptures in His life from the time He was just a youngster. He knew who He was and also knew the path He would take to the cross at the bequest of His Father. He also knew Satan’s words were true that angels would come to His rescue and would not let Him be harmed before it was time for His execution.

There was a problem with Satan’s request, though. Satan wanted Jesus to violate a more important aspect of God’s word – obedience to His will. Jesus knew what would Him feel good for the moment. He knew would might fuel His human ego, but He also knew what would give His heavenly Father the most glory and that is what He wanted most. He wanted to satisfy His Father’s will more than His own. And that’s the point.

A verse or two taken out of the context of the whole Bible can let you do just about anything you want to do. There is justification in God’s word for all kinds of things. There are stories of violence, murder, vengeance, sex, adultery, theft, embezzlement. Pick a vice or crime or just about any sin you want to commit and it has been done and is recorded in God’s word. Just pick a few of the verses around that sin and you can figure out how to justify whatever you want to do. But that’s not God’s will.

So what is God’s will? What does the Book really tell us? It’s the story of God’s plan for our redemption. It’s His will that everyone would come to Him for the forgiveness of sin and follow His commands. It’s His will that all would recognize that He is the one and only true God and would worship Him as such. It’s His will that we would love Him with our whole heart, soul, mind, and strength; and love our neighbors and we love ourselves. That’s the message of the Bible.

It’s pretty simple. Sometimes not so easy to do, but pretty simple to remember. Just love. That’s it. Jesus showed us how. He didn’t let Satan distract Him from that simple mission or the simple message His Father gave Him to deliver to the rest of the world. Satan tried his best, but it didn’t work. Why? Because Jesus understood the message of the Book. He wasn’t about to let Satan use one little piece of it to persuade Him to do something that contradicted the message of the whole Book.

That’s where we get messed up today. Someone shows us something in scripture that tickles our ears and shows us where we can get what we want, but it doesn’t fit with the rest of God’s word. The problem is we don’t read it enough to understand the whole message. We let those little snippets that we like overpower our emotions and our will and forget we are supposed to be doing God’s will.

So how do you figure out what the Bible is about so you don’t end up falling for one of Satan’s tricks? First, you need to give your whole self to God. Let Him be Lord of everything in your life. Let Him take control of all of it. Family, job, money, everything. Then, read His instruction book. He tells us how we are to live. We just don’t like what we read and don’t do what it says most of the time. Or we just don’t read it and don’t know what it says and go about our merry way.

Jesus knew scripture. His example shows us that if we expect to stand up to the schemes Satan will use against us in this world, we should know them, too. No matter what your age, there is no better time than today to start seriously reading and studying His word. You never know when you might need just the passage you read this morning.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Get out of my face (Luke 4:8) September 20, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – 2 Chronicles 1-5

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Luke 4:8
Jesus: Get out of My face, Satan! The Hebrew Scriptures say, “Worship and serve the Eternal One your God—only Him—and nobody else.”

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Have you ever gotten into one of those situations that you just knew Satan was trying his best to trap you into doing something you knew was wrong? I know I have. He seems to know just what buttons to push for each of us. He knows the things that we like and dislike. He knows what makes us tick. He is an angel, a fallen one, but one of God’s created angelic beings nonetheless. So Satan has some powers that we do not understand or can even begin to comprehend.

So Satan knows exactly how best to approach us to entice us with the things that will turn us away from God. Satan had already tried to lure Jesus by trying to get Him to satisfy His physical desires through means Jesus knew were wrong. Now Satan asks Jesus to shortcut the path His Father had asked Him to take by worshiping Satan and thereby gaining political power over the world. But Jesus also knew the shortcut didn’t meet the demands the Father asked of Him. And to worship a fallen angel, or an angel of any sort, would violate the Fathers command.

Satan knew this mission was a weak point for Jesus. Our Savior wants the whole world to bow to Him and recognize Him as Savior and Lord. But He wants everyone in the world to come to Him as Lord as their choice, not as a dictator with the political power to force them to do so. The shortcut Satan offered Him would not suffice. It took away the power of choice for God’s greatest creation and He would not do that. Nor would Jesus, the man, worship anyone other than the Father.

So when Satan pushes that sensitive button, when He offers something that would entice Him to get off the path His Father laid out for Him to follow, Jesus does something we should we should emulate often. Listen to those first few words again: “Get out of my face, Satan!”

When is the last time you uttered those words? When is the last time you even thought those words in your head? I think we’ve gotten so sophisticated in our understanding of scientific principles and knowledge of the universe that we forget there is a real heaven and a real hell. A real fallen angel the Bible calls Satan, the father of lies. We forget there is a created being who rebelled against God and is trying his best to capture our souls and turn us away from God, too.

We, in our modern, what we think as an intelligent world, forget that Satan still roams the earth like a lion seeking those he can devour.

The good news, though, is that Satan is weak compare to our God. And Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 10, “Any temptation you face will be nothing new. But God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can handle. But He always provides a way of escape so that you will be able to endure and keep moving forward.”

Our problem is two-fold. First, we don’t look for those ways of escape. We don’t look for the exit signs. We don’t try to get away from the temptation or do things to keep from getting into those situations in the first place. We too often just let Satan beat on us with those same temptations and think we can stand there and take it for as long as he can dish it out. We can’t. Remember, Satan knows which buttons to push. He knows our weak spots and those are the ones he will go after.

But sometimes, we just can’t find an exit, or there isn’t one. There wasn’t an exit for Jesus in the desert that day. He was there. Satan was right there in front of Him. Satan was doing his best to push Jesus’ buttons and get Him to take a shortcut, skip over the tough parts of His Father’s journey for Him, take the easy road to success. Jesus saw that He couldn’t leave that desert place quite yet, so He did the next best thing. Did you get it? He rebuked Satan with those very precious words that we just don’t use enough, “Get out of My face, Satan!”

So what do you think would happen if the next time you faced a really tough temptation you did what Jesus did and yelled, “Get out of my face, Satan!” I bet if you’re not alone, you’ll get some pretty strange looks, for one. But I also bet that whatever is going on around you will take a quick stutter step and give you an opportunity to get out of there pretty fast. It’s amazing what happens when you call a spade a spade. People don’t like the truth sometimes and when you’re in the middle of something you know is wrong and call it what it is, it’s amazing how many others you will help by lending them your strength and keeping them from going down that path, too.

Jesus teaches a great lesson for us, today. When the tempter comes, get ready with your response, “Get out of my face, Satan!” With Jesus on your side, he will.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Stay awake and pray (Mark 14:37-38) September 13, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – 1 Chronicles 25-29

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Mark 14:37-38
Jesus (waking Peter): Simon, are you sleeping? Couldn’t you wait with Me for just an hour? Stay awake, and pray that you aren’t led into a trial of your own. It’s true—even when the spirit is willing, the body can betray it.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

There’s that combination of how to remain true to Christ again. The way to keep out of trouble in a wicked, sin-filled world. What is the secret? Stay awake and alert to the wiles of the enemy, number one. And number two, pray. Those two things, more than any other will keep you from falling into the traps Satan has set for you. Why is that so? Why would that be true and why would Jesus give that admonition to Peter and to us?

A couple of days ago, we talked about the importance of staying awake on guard duty in the military. Falling asleep while on guard during a time of war, carries a maximum penalty of death in the United States Armed Services. If convicted, a court-martial can sentence you to the death penalty for falling asleep! The same is true in our spiritual lives. If we fall asleep on the job, we can face eternal death. If we fail to keep watch and stay alert to the schemes of Satan we can fall prey to that “roaring lion” that roams the earth seeking whom he might devour.

How can we avoid the temptations, the wickedness, the schemes, the traps, the plans Satan has for us if we don’t stay alert and awake? How can we stay out of his clutches if we relax our guard and just follow the whims of the world or even our own desires and emotions? The answer is we can’t. We must be aware that we are foreigners in this place. As such, the language is different than ours. The customs are different than ours. The habits and rituals are different than our.

You might think you understand the ways of the world, and as long as you remain loyal to it, you might understand them better than a Christian. But if you are following Christ, the ways of the world should become more and more foreign to you because you do not belong here. You are part of a different kingdom. Your citizenship isn’t the one on your birth certificate or your driver’s license or identification card. Your citizenship is the kingdom of God. He does not adhere to the ways of the world. So stay awake. Be aware of the differences. Be aware that Satan is hunting you and will do anything he can to cause you to run into one of his snares.

Then there is prayer. I’ve mentioned before that the founders of most of the prominent denominations that exist today spent hours on their knees every day. They understood the importance of prayer in their lives. John Wesley, for instance, remarked that he started the day with two hours of prayer and if he had a particularly busy day ahead, he would begin with four hours of prayer. Otherwise, he could never get through his agenda. That meant rising early, very early, to meet with God and start the day.

Still John Wesley was a prolific writer, a teacher, a preacher, founder of the Methodist Church, mentor to dozens, maybe hundreds of young preachers across the country, a missionary to young America. How was he able to accomplish so much in an age without electricity, running water, and all the modern conveniences we enjoy today? He prayed. He reached out to heaven…a lot.

John Calvin in his Institutes gives prayer a prominent place in Christian practice and gives these instructions: We are to pray “continuously.” We should lift our hearts to God at all times and pray without ceasing. Yet, it is necessary, because of our weakness, for us to set certain hours for prayer. “These are: when we arise in the morning, before we begin daily work, when we sit down to a meal, when by God’s blessing we have eaten, when we are getting ready to retire.” (Institutes III, XX, 50) By spending the time at “certain hours” as Calvin recommends we come into a closer relationship with God. The result is an awareness of God in every moment.

And when Calvin talked about certain hours, he meant not just the time of day, but also the length of prayer. Time spent with God. Time communing with Him. Sharing to Him our innermost thoughts and listening to His voice in conversation with the Creator of the universe. Prayer is critical to our relationship and our survival as a follower of Jesus. We must spend time in prayer.

Jesus spent hours in prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane after He shared the Seder meal with His disciples. He came back to find Peter, James, and John asleep. He warns them and us of the danger involved if we’re not careful. Listen to His words once again. “Couldn’t you wait with Me for just an hour? Stay awake, and pray that you aren’t led into a trial of your own. It’s true—even when the spirit is willing, the body can betray it.”

Stay awake and pray. It might mean your life.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Do you stumble and fall? (Matthew 26:31-34) June 21, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – 1 Kings 14-18

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 26:31-34
Jesus: Scripture says,
I shall strike the shepherd,
and the sheep of the flock will scatter.
Just so, each of you will stumble tonight, stumble and fall, on account of Me.
Afterward I will be raised up. And I will go before you to Galilee.
Peter: Lord, maybe everyone else will trip and fall tonight, but I will not. I’ll be beside You. I won’t falter.
Jesus: If only that were true. In fact, this very night, before the cock crows in the morning, you will deny Me three times.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Have you ever made Peter’s type of declaration about one of your snares to temptation? “I’ll never miss my devotions again. I’ll never frequent that den of evil again. I’ll never look at that filth again. I’ll never drink that stuff again. I’ll never smoke that stuff again. I’ll never …” Name the temptation that plagues you most and you’ve probably made the same promise Peter made to Jesus. “Even if everyone else falls away, I’m so devoted and so determined, I’ll never do that because I love you so much.”

What happens next? The tempter comes with just the right shiny bait and suddenly we find ourselves falling to the temptation once again. The bait looked so good and so delicious we just couldn’t help but bite and we didn’t see the hook hidden just beneath the surface. Now we’re pulled along by the angler who wants to take our soul.

Peter thought he was strong enough to handle the tempter. So did the other disciples. So often we think we’re strong enough, too. But look through scripture and you’ll find the strongest Bible heroes failing to remain strong when the tempter puts his bait in front of them. They fall to his wily schemes and suddenly find themselves drowning in a sea of disillusion and despair. They don’t know how to find the strength to carry on and are embarrassed by their inability to carefully follow God’s decrees for their lives.

Just like us, isn’t it? Don’t we do the same thing? Don’t we too often fall for the same things over and over again because we just keep taking the bait? So how do we get away from the merry-go-round and live the life God wants us to live for Him? How do we see through the schemes Satan puts in our path and live up to the promises we make to God?

There is a way. Paul describes it as living by the spirit rather than living by the flesh. It’s giving ourselves fully to God and listening and obeying Him as His Spirit in us guides us. When we are sensitive to Him, He prompts us toward the exit signs when the tempter tries to lure us into the deep with his shiny toys and illicit pleasures. Sometimes the bait Satan uses can even be good things, but not the things God has in store for you. We can lose the best in the good if we’re not careful.

When we listen to God’s spirit in us, though, He will guide us to the best for us and keep us from falling into Satan’s traps. He will point us to the exit signs when temptations come our way so we have that way of escape Paul takes about. God knows about temptation. He knows about the evil of this world. He knows the schemes Satan uses to try to trap us into a path of disobedience. And He gives us His spirit when we ask Him to guide us and teach us. To help us discern the path He would have us take instead of the path Satan and the world would direct us toward.

Peter and the rest of the disciples all abandoned Jesus the same night Peter made the declaration that he would never leave his Master. John stuck closest, just to see what was happening to Jesus in the courts of the Sanhedrin. But all of them fell to the tempter’s snare just as Jesus said they would. They could not stand without God’s Spirit living in them any more than we can.

But after Pentecost, after they asked God to fill them with His spirit, after they let God really become Lord of their lives, each began to let God lead them in ways they never understood before. They sensed His spirit guiding them and helping them, just as Jesus said He would. As you read about their lives, they no longer lived the up and down relationship with God. They lived the lives He wanted them to live enabled by the resurrection power of God’s spirit in them.

Do you want to stop falling prey to that same old habit that plagues you? Do you want to get off the merry-go-round that you know displeases God and frustrates your spiritual growth? Then give yourself wholly to Him. Then listen to and obey His spirit living in you. Live in accordance with His spirit in you, and not by the flesh. That’s the secret those early church leaders shared as their secret to living the lives God wanted them to live. 

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

You can’t get enough of God’s word (Matthew 4:10) January 4, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Genesis 4-7

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 4:10
Jesus: Get away from Me, Satan. I will not serve you. I will instead follow Scripture, which tells us to “worship the Eternal One, your God, and serve only Him.”

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

I believe Jesus faced his temptation in the wilderness as fully man. Yes, He was God, but I think while He lived alongside us, He showed us how to live in our humanness. So He set aside much of the power of His diety when He faced the problems we face from day-to-day. I think His emotions, His desires, His temptations were just as powerful as ours because He was fully human. His advantage with respect to temptation compared to the rest of us lies in the fact that He was not born of Adam’s seed. Born to a virgin mother, Jesus suffered and endured everything we do as humans.

That’s why Jesus’ words during this forty days of temptation are so important to us. This final barrage Satan throws at Jesus and His response give us a final victory cry that causes Satan to flee in defeat. These words from the mouth of our Savior gives us a powerful lesson in how to stand against the temptations that come our way. They are simple words, but if we will listen well, we, too, can stand in victory against the tempter.

Did you get it? Jesus said, “Get away from Me Satan. I will not serve you. I will instead follow the Scripture…” The point of this particular temptation focused on worship, but note that every temptation Satan threw in Jesus’ path, He answered with Scripture. Now, Jesus tires of Satan’s games and first tells him to go away, then tells him why. “I will follow the Scriptures,” Jesus tells him.

Those are important lessons for us as we begin this new year. If we could just remember those two lessons as temptations come, we would stay so far ahead in life, we would be awed by our spiritual progress. Let’s look at the first retort Jesus gives. How many times do we continue to dabble at the edges of wrong-doing before we seek escape? How often do we just get in Satan’s face and just tell him to go away when he comes with his cheap imitations of joy and pleasure?

If you’re like me, I have to admit I try to stand up to his temptations more often than I just tell him to go away. I think I can make it on my own strength and forget I have this all-powerful God that will push away the tempter when I call on his name. Or at least he will show me the exit signs so I can run away. Our problem is we fail to stop and call on him. Satan can’t stand up to Jesus and will leave or we will get the extra strength we need to get our legs in motion and get out of there.

God let’s us face those temptations, but He never abandons us to face them alone. The test comes when we decide what path we take. Will we yield to the temptation and sin or will we lean on God and live the more abundant life He wants us to enjoy. The secret to success over temptation comes in leaning on God. Using Scripture as Jesus did to rebuff him. Deciding every day as the day begins that you will answer every temptation the way Daniel did. He resolved not to defile himself with the kings food before the menu came. That’s how we should face the day. Resolve not to sin before the temptation comes, whatever temptation it might be. Say no to Satan before he shows up, then when he puts something in front of you, the answer has already been given. “No!” You don’t have to think about it. You’ve already answered Satan. Now that you’ve answered, lean on God to help you escape or drive Satan away.

The second important lesson from Jesus’ words, He said, “I will follow the Scriptures…” How many times do we get side-tracked with our denominational traditions or blinded by the “progressive” movements around us? We get hung up on something someone picks out of a single verse or two, take it out of context, and build a religion on it. Remember that God’s word doesn’t contradict itself. The concepts and precepts and principles of God are congruent. So when you take a verse or two out of context to prove a point, you may be doing just what Satan tried to with Jesus.

How do you overcome such twisting and turning of the Scriptures by the false prophets that spread so many lies and build so many religions of convenience? Know the Scriptures. Read them. Make them a part of you. Be like the Bereans of Acts 17:11 and search the Scriptures to see if what teachers and preachers say is true. Don’t even trust me. Look it up. Make sure what I and others say is consistent with God’s word. Look it up for two reasons. First, you’ll know if you are hearing the truth. Second, it gets you into God’s word one more time. You really can’t get enough of His word! Just remember to follow it when you read it.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Let God’s word keep you safe (Matthew 4:7) January 3, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Romans 1-2

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 4:7
Jesus: That is not the only thing Scripture says. It also says, “Do not put the Eternal One, your God, to the test.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Isn’t that just like the Devil to twist scripture to lure us aware from God? It has been said you can use the Bible to prove anything you want to prove. It even says in Psalms 53:1, “there is no God.” Of course those words are taken completely out of context and if you read the whole verse it says, “The foolish are convinced deep down that there is no God. There souls are polluted, and they commit gross injustice. Not one of them does good.”

There’s just a little bit of difference in what the foolish and arrogant might want to tell us and what God’s word really tells us. So, how do we escape the rhetoric and know what God really wants to tell us? How do we face the temptations that the Devil puts in our path when he uses things that sound so convincing and even uses scripture against us like he did with Jesus? After all, Jesus was and is God. How are we supposed to stand up against the Devil’s schemes when those times come?

The answers lay in doing exactly what Jesus did. Jesus knew the counterfeit message Satan tried to pawn off as truth because He knew the scriptures. He didn’t just sit in a pew at the synagogue every once in a while to appease His mother. He didn’t just attend church to feel good or let his neighbors know he was religious. Remember, He told the Pharisees they were religious but they wouldn’t make it to heaven unless they changed.

No, Jesus learned His Father’s words and wants us to do the same. We must spend time, reading and studying God’s word if we are to really know His word. Then we can know when the words we hear from those who would want to deceive us with parts of God’s word are the false prophets the early church leaders warned us against. We will know when someone is trying to tempt us to stray from the straight and narrow path God’s word gives us in this “progressive” world we live in by trying to use part of his word against us.

It’s like the way people quote Jeremiah 29:11. Yes, it says, “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Eternal, “plans for peace, not evil, to give you a future and hope—never forget that.” But many forget that the verse is in the middle of a letter written to the Jews exiled in Babylon. Jeremiah tells them in the letter, get use to Babylon. Plant gardens, start businesses, build houses, let your kids get married and enjoy your grandkids.

The rest of the letter tells the Jews that think God will rescue them from their exile that He won’t. Get used to their new country. Yes, God knows the plans He has for those Jews in exile, but their return to their homeland won’t come for another 70 years, just like He told them through the prophets. The exiles will have peace, but not in their land, in Babylon. The have a future and hope, but the next three generations will learn a new language, grow up in foreign country, integrate into the culture of the captors.

Then, and only then, will a small number of the Israelite return to their homeland to rebuild the destroyed temple and begin to rebuild their country. But not until 1948, when the United Nations gives them back their land after World War II will they govern themselves again as an independent sovereign nation. Jeremiah 29:11 is a great verse, I like it, but remember it’s context.

Satan tried to use some great verses with Jesus. He liked them growing up. He understood them when He disappeared in the crowds that tried to seize Him and throw Him over cliffs or wanted to stone Him because of the words He spoke or plotted to kill Him before the time His Father set for His sacrifice. Jesus understood the words Satan tried to use to tempt Him. But He was not about to let Satan use them inappropriately to lure Him away from the mission His Father had given Him.

Satan will try to lure us away from our mission, too. He will do whatever he can to get your mind away from the task God gives you to do. He will try to make you think God is not real. Remember Psalms 53? He will twist and turn God’s word and make his lies sound real, and the only way you will know the difference is to stay firmly connected to God.

Can I challenge you this year to not just skim through the Bible this year, but to really pick it up and make it a major part of your life? Can I challenge you to let passages sink into your heart until they become part of you? Don’t let your favorite verses be the only thing on which you meditate this year, but like Jesus, make God’s word a steady diet until you it devours you. Until it becomes a part of you. Until it transforms your mind.

Do what Jesus did when He faced temptation. Let God’s word keep you safe. 

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

A joke or a discipline? (Matthew 4:4) January 2, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Matthew 1-2

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 4:4
Jesus (quoting Deuteronomy): It is written, “Man does not live by bread alone. Rather, he lives on every word that comes from the mouth of the Eternal One.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

No doubt you’ve heard someone use the first of those words as part of a joke at some time or other. “Man does not live by bread alone. He needs some peanut butter or ice cream or pie or fill in the blank to go along with it.” When words become familiar it’s easy to use them the way we want to make them mean whatever we want. But what purpose did Matthew have in recording these words of Jesus?

First, we need to remember that Jesus is both fully God and fully Man. Do I understand how? Absolutely not! But I believe completely Jesus is one with the Father and Spirit, yet He became flesh, completely Man, one of us for a period of time to become the perfect sacrifice for our sins. If you’ve read my bio, you know I’ve been a minister a long time, so it’s easy for me to believe Jesus is God. But I think those of us who know He is God, part of the triune Godhead, sometimes forget the human side of Jesus.

These words remind us of His humanness. Jesus felt the hunger of His forty-day fast. Some would like to think because He was God He could breeze through those forty days without a problem and just go about His business. I don’t think that is true. I think Jesus went through the same process of discipling Himself in the habits of the Jewish faith as all of the Father’s faithful followers. I believe in Jesus’ humanness, He memorized scripture and sometimes struggled with learning the long Hebrew passages, especially the genealogies in Chronicles.

I think Jesus fasted often as the Hebrew Scriptures and the Jewish leaders recommended as a spiritual discipline, but the physical hardship in doing so still causes real physical and mental pain. Jesus endured it as a spiritual discipline. He knew fasting and spiritual discipline comes from taking charge of His humanness and mastering it. He refused to submit to those pangs of hunger in a way that disobeyed those scriptures He memorized as a child. He knew who He was because He saw in those same scriptures the prophecies fulfilled in His life and the stories His mother told Him about the angel that announced His birth. The shepherds who visited His feeding trough crib. The wise men who brought Him gifts. The rush to Egypt and the lack of children His age across the region.

All those memories Mary pondered in her heart, she shared with her son, Jesus as He grew. He too, pondered them. But He also matched them with the scriptures He learned and disciplined His body to obey God, His Father’s commands. Jesus set aside the throne of heaven to live alongside us. I wish sometimes we could read and learn from His early habits and disciplines. I think from these few words, though, we can capture two habits that were very important to Him.

Jesus made fasting a habit. This forty day fast was not His first fast. He was familiar with the practice and fasted often as a spiritual discipline to ready Himself for the mission His heavenly Father had for His human side. He used those times of fasting to become master of His body, not the other way around. Jesus understood pain and suffering. He knew sleepless nights and hunger. He knew poverty and hard work to just get by in the eyes of the world. Jesus mastered His humanness just like He asks us to do. He did it the same way we can, through practiced disciplines…every day.

Second, Jesus absorbed the scriptures. He knew them. He memorized them. He knew what the Father meant by each word, each sentence, each paragraph and section because He studied them. Jesus made the scriptures a significant part of His life so that when the temptations of life came and His humanness wanted to take an easy way out, He could lean on those scriptures to help Him through the temptations without falling to them. He asks us to do the same.

We can use those few words to start of quick joke, or we can use them like Jesus did. Are you disciplined enough to let the scriptures keep you safe from the snares Satan sets in front of you? Remember the second half of Jesus’ answer to the Devil are so much more important the first. Don’t forget to use them. “Rather, he lives on every word that comes from the mouth of the Eternal One.”

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Follow, whatever the cost (Matthew 18:1-11) November 24, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Matthew 18:1-11

Set – Matthew 18-19

Go! – Matthew 17-19

Matthew 18:1-11
1Around that same time, the disciples came to Jesus and questioned Him about the kingdom of heaven.
A Disciple: In the kingdom of heaven, who is the greatest?
2 Jesus called over a little child. He put His hand on the top of the child’s head.
Jesus: 3 This is the truth: unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 In that kingdom, the most humble who are most like this child are the greatest. 5 And whoever welcomes a child, welcomes her in My name, welcomes Me. 6 And do not lead astray one of the weak and friendless who believes in Me. If you do, it would be better for you to be dragged down with a millstone and drowned in the bottom of the sea.
7 Beware indeed of those in a world filled with obstacles and temptations that cause people to turn away from Me. Those temptations are woven into the fabric of a world not yet redeemed, but beware to anyone who lures righteous women and men off the narrow path. 8 If your hand constantly grasps at the things of this world rather than serves the Kingdom—cut it off and throw it away. If your foot is always leading you to wander, then cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to hobble, crippled, into the kingdom of life than to burn in hell with two hands and two feet. 9 And if your eye always focuses on things that cause you to sin, then pull your eye out and throw it away. It is better for you to see the kingdom of life with one eye than to see the fires of hell with perfect sight.
10 Make sure that you do not look down on the little ones, on those who are further behind you on the path of righteousness. For I tell you: they are watched over by those most beloved messengers who are always in the company of My Father in heaven. 11 The Son of Man has come to save all those who are lost.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

My words might sound harsh when I tell you it’s better to cut off your hand or foot or pluck out your eye than to keep on sinning. But My words are true. Don’t let anything keep you from entering the Kingdom of Heaven. You don’t want to be on the outside at the end of time. Satan will try to tell you it isn’t real. He’ll try to persuade you My truth is a façade, but Satan is the father of lies. Just look around and listen with your heart. My Spirit will guide you to the truth if you will let Him.

Being outside My kingdom means being alone. You might find some temporary pleasures for a time, but you’ll find yourself alone more often than not. In My kingdom, you’re never alone. You always have Me with you and you’ll find brothers and sisters will come beside you in times of need to bear your burdens with you because that’s what love does. My children learn to love and they will come along side you in this life just like I will.

Sometimes you might feel alone in this world, but you’re not. I will always be in you when you come to Me and My children around the world will lift you in their prayers. Some will call your name. Others will lift you up to the Father because I put them on their mind even though they’ve never met you and don’t know you. But you will never be alone as long as you are part of My kingdom.

Not so with those who fail to come to Me in repentance and allow Me to live in them. They may have people surround them that call them friend. But when the money runs out or the times get hard, those friends disappear. When you really need them, they are gone. At when the end of time comes, you are truly alone. You find yourself away from Me, away from God, isolated from everyone and everything. Truly alone with no means of comfort. No means of support. No one who cares for you. Only eternal torment – alone.

Do My words seem harsh? Not when you think of the alternative. Do whatever it takes to make it into My kingdom. Don’t let anything keep you from Me. Sacrifice anything you need to sacrifice to remain true to My word and remain on the path I lay out in front of you. The suffering you endure here will seem as nothing compared to the incomprehensible riches you receive when you come into My glory at the end of the age. Trust Me, you won’t be sorry with your decision to follow Me at all costs.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Stay on the Victor’s side (Luke 4:1-13), September 21, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Luke 4:1-13

Set – Daniel 8; Luke 4

Go! – Daniel 7-8; Psalms 137; Luke 4

Luke 4:1-13
1 When Jesus returned from the Jordan River, He was full of the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit led Him away from the cities and towns and out into the desert.
2 For 40 days, the Spirit led Him from place to place in the desert, and while there, the devil tempted Jesus. Jesus was fasting, eating nothing during this time, and at the end, He was terribly hungry. 3 At that point, the devil came to Him.
Devil: Since You’re the Son of God, You don’t need to be hungry. Just tell this stone to transform itself into bread.
Jesus: 4 It is written in the Hebrew Scriptures, “People need more than bread to live.”
5 Then the devil gave Jesus a vision. It was as if He traveled around the world in an instant and saw all the kingdoms of the world at once.
Devil: 6 All these kingdoms, all their glory, I’ll give to You. They’re mine to give because this whole world has been handed over to me. 7 If You just worship me, then everything You see will all be Yours. All Yours!
Jesus: 8 Get out of My face, Satan! The Hebrew Scriptures say, “Worship and serve the Eternal One your God—only Him—and nobody else.”
9 Then the devil led Jesus to Jerusalem, and he transported Jesus to stand upon the pinnacle of the temple.
Devil: Since You’re the Son of God, just jump. Just throw Yourself into the air. 10 You keep quoting the Hebrew Scriptures. They themselves say,
He will put His heavenly messengers in charge of You,
to keep You safe in every way.
11 And,
They will hold You up in their hands
so that You do not smash Your foot against a stone.
Jesus: 12 Yes, but the Hebrew Scriptures also say, “You will not presume on God; you will not test the Lord, the one True God.”
13 The devil had no more temptations to offer that day, so he left Jesus, preparing to return at some other opportune time.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

The devil is sneaky. He knows your weaknesses. He can’t make you do something, but like a good fisherman, he knows the best lures to use catch you. He tried to catch Me after I had spent 40 days fasting in the wilderness. I won’t remind you about your last fast, but 40 days is a long time and I was hungry, weak, and My brain was focused on food, not on debating Satan.

That’s exactly when Satan came. He caught Me at My weakest and tempted Me at My weakest point. “Just turn these rocks into bread.” He knew I was present at creation and could do it. He knew I could satisfy My hunger just by picking up one of those rocks and suddenly it could become edible. But I wasn’t going to let My human side overpower My spirit. The stakes were too high. I came to live without falling to Satan’s tricks and showing you I could help you defeat him. How could I do that if let your adversary defeat Me even in these small areas.

But Satan tried. My word tells you I was tempted in every area of life in which you are tempted, but without sin. I never acted on the temptations Satan sent My way. Sometimes, as in the wilderness during My fast, I had to stand on the scriptures I studied as a child to repel his advances. At other times, like you, I found the exit and got away to show you running away from him is okay. In all cases, I will never allow you to be tempted beyond your capability to either withstand or get away from the temptation. You can say no to Satan’s temptations just as I did.

The brief mention of My temptations in the wilderness covered some tough areas – physical needs, political power, and an easy path to demonstrate My Godhead authority and power. Those are tough temptations for the human mind. Stop and think about it a moment. What I knew I would endure for you and the easy path Satan offered from a human perspective to avoid the suffering. But I knew it wouldn’t work and the Father deserved My worship more.

You know what your weakest points are. Expect Satan to hit you there. He’s sly as a fox. But remember I will always make a way of escape for you. I will always help you if you will turn to Me for strength. I came to show you the way. I lived alongside you to show you that you can defeat him with My help. I came to help you live like I want you to live with abundant peace and joy. He’s the father of lies. I know, I was there when the Father kicked him out of heaven. I’ve already overcome him and his minions, they just haven’t figured it out yet. Follow Me and you’ll be on the side of the Victor!

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.