FoTS - Self-Control

Well, here we are at the last Fruit of The Spirit listed in Galatians 5 - Self-Control. I hope you have enjoyed these brief Bible Studies as much I have enjoyed writing them. Self-Control is something we all could use more of, especially these days.

Here's a perfect example of self-control - blood sugar. When we eat too many carbs our blood sugar goes up. So does our weight. That's not good. But those carbs are SO good tasting! And there's the battle. Self-control is needed when we become tempted by those doughnuts and muffins.

But there is another kind of self control we need to keep in mind, beyond what tempts us in the bakery aisle at the local convenience store. Satan's temptations. He absolutely loves to tempt us away from following God.

Temptation is the cause of many a sin. We need spiritual self-control. Here's an example from our Lord, Jesus.

Jesus was tempted three times in the dessert by Satan. Each time Jesus refused and even rebuked Satan with scripture.

Adam and Eve are another example. A little more self-control on both of their parts and we wouldn't be in this mess we're in today.

We need spiritual self-control, and God's Holy Spirit provides it.

"No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it." - 1 Corinthians 10:13

That "way" is the Holy Spirit. And that's the real question regarding the fruits of Spirit. Is the Holy Spirit living in you?

Questions:

1. What is the biggest temptation facing you right now?
2. In what ways can you exhibit self-control?
3. The family is over and talking about Aunt Susan's drinking problem. What do YOU do?
4. James tells us that God will never tempt us (James 1:13) but He WILL test us (James 1:3). Is that test (temptation) something we can pass (self-control)?
5. When no one else was around, what is something you did that you wish you didn't?

Sugar Is Sweet

We have a hummingbird feeder hanging high up on the edge of our roof. My wife and I love to watch the hummingbirds coming and going.

Whenever either of us sees one at the feeder we call out, "Hummer!" Just in case the other wants to come see it.

We also get other visitors at our hummingbird feeder BESIDES hummingbirds. Like ants. We get lots of ants. When the nectar gets low, the ants can actually climb in through the feeding holes. Sadly, that's where most of the visiting ants die.

It's quite a hike for those little guys - all the way up the wall of our house and out onto the roof overhang and down to the bottom of the feeder. But they love the sweet stuff SO much that they are willing to die just to have some.

Do you like doughnuts? Me too. However they are not good for me. They are filled with sugar. They taste SO good! Yet they increase our blood sugar which leads to diabetes and ultimately death.

We humans sure can be obsessive about the things that we love. And, just like the ants, we sometimes die in pursuit of our desires through vices like drugs, alcohol, smoking, etc. We become addicted because we crave it, just like Adam and Eve and the forbidden fruit.

Thankfully we have a Savior available to us to save us from our sin and the death that it causes. His name is Jesus. It is though our belief in Him that we are saved.

"And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” - Acts 4:12

"For it is by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." - Ephesians 2:8-9

"If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved." - Romans 10:9-10

What is YOUR hummingbird feeder? 

The Mannerism Tapes?

If you watched the Green Bay Packers upset the Kansas City Chiefs a few weeks ago you are probably familiar with Keisean Nixon and the interception he made off Patrick Mahomes to save the victory for the Pack. But what you may not know is just how he was able to accomplish it.

In a post-game interview, Nixon told a reporter, "We watched the mannerism tapes earlier in the week. He (Moore #24) tapped his knee." This was a signal to QB Patrick Mahomes that he was going to modify his pass route.

This signal was noted in the Packers' 'mannerism tapes' and Nixon recognized it on the field. He KNEW what play they were going to run. What an advantage!

Think about that for a moment. Humans studied their opponent's signs and actions  to take advantage of them.

Do you think Satan does anything like that with us? Of course he does. He's 'in our head' before even WE are. He plants thoughts in our heads and leads us in directions and actions that God does not want us taking.

"Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." - 1 Peter 5:8

If human beings can trap us and take advantage of our thoughts and desires, Satan surely can as well. Be alert!

If someone analyzed OUR tendancies, what would they find? The hidden, secret desires we don't want anyone to know about? We need to examine ourselves (2 Corinthians 13:5), find our sinful desires, and purge the evil from within us.

The Book of Deuteronomy, the book Jesus quoted from the most, uses the phrase 'purge the evil from among you' nine times. Do you think that maybe God wants us to not have any evil within us?

What if we turned the tables on the Devil, studied HIS tendancies, and turned his evil plans into living for God's glory instead?

Game over!

Keisean Nixon Interview

The Parable of The Tree Frog

Life lessons are available to be learned simply by opening our eyes to the world around us. Canadian geese for instance are a good example of marriage. One couple, mated for life, raising their children together for life in the cold, dangerous world. I learned something from a tree frog this week. It's essential for living a Christ-centered life.

When I first encountered my little friend I was removing a tarp from the tiny home I am building. There he was right under the tarp, sitting on top of one of the windows. He sat there motionless for some time then, as I began to work nearby, he slowly crept away until he hid himself under some leaves.

There was the life lesson. Did you catch it? Let me explain.

Consider the lesson from the frog's viewpoint. There he was, right where he wanted to be. All safe, secure, and out of sight from his enemies. He was probably sleeping when suddenly his whole world changed. Where once it was dark, now there was blinding light. His security was gone, replaced by a feeling of impending doom. He was in danger! So, what did he do?

He left his current location, seeking a much more secure one. He didn't stop until he found that place of safety. And that is our lesson for the day.

When we find ourselves in danger or in a situation where we feel we might sin against God, we should do the same thing the tree frog did. Leave. Leave the situation for a more secure location at the foot of the cross.

So many young people today find themselves in "situations". They feel trapped but they don't leave. They give in to the sin. A girl becomes pregnant or a young under-age boy takes a drink and then drives. What should we do in those real life dangerous situations?

One word. Run!!

"The prudent sees danger and hides himself, but the simple go on and suffer for it." - Proverbs 27:12

Run To You - Bryan Adams
Run Like Hell - Pink Floyd

The Dangling Carrot

Do you find it difficult to concentrate when something exciting is coming your way? I sure do. Maybe it's a vacation you're looking forward to. For me it might be retirement. Maybe for you it's wanting your spouse to be something they're not. What should we do? The carrot is right there!

That person or thing is dangling out there in front of us and we can't wait to get to it. Distractions and temptations come at us every day. Television advertising, a restaurant menu, a shopping trip. "Dangling carrots" are everywhere.

Do YOU have a carrot in your life? What is it? I've seen people whose "carrot" is money. They never have enough. They never get the carrot. For some people it's fame. Fame is fleeting. No carrot their either.

Here's a question. Who do you think is holding that string?

The carrot, dangling at the end of a stick, is often used to entice a stubborn mule to do something it really doesn't want to do. In our case, perhaps it's an adulterous relationship. "She's nicer and more beautiful than our current spouse." Or maybe it's alcohol. "Just one more drink to deaden the pain."

It never works. In the end, it is never as fulfilling as doing what is right. Satan loves to distract us and tempt us to do something we shouldn't be doing by offering us something we really want.

"Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. ² And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. ³ Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”
 
⁴ But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’” - Matthew 4:1-4

Jesus refused to stray from His obedience to God, even though He was really hungry and wanted to eat bread. Then why should we allow ourselves to stray? To be tempted by something we want that will lead us someplace we really shouldn't be going? Because we are really selfish and we REALLY want that carrot.

"9 Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction." - 1 Timothy 6:9

"25 Do not let your heart turn to her ways or stray into her paths. 26 Many are the victims she has brought down; her slain are a mighty throng." - Proverbs 7:25-26

Let us not be distracted by the things we "want" in life. May we follow the only thing we need - Jesus Christ, our Lord.


Temptation Eyes - Grass Roots

The Favorite Toy

This time of year the newspapers and television ads are filled with things people want us to buy. You will look "fabulous" in a new fur coat. Mom and dad waking the kids and running outside to see the new Mercedes that Santa brought them. All the materialism is WAY beyond me! Or so I thought.

Everybody loves Christmas. The decorations, the wonder of it all, presents under the Christmas tree. But it IS possible to get too much "Christmas." The true meaning of Christmas can be fleeting or lost, just like last years favorite toy, which now lies under the bed, broken and forgotten.

I was at Fleet Farm (a.k.a. The Man Mall) the other day. I was just wandering around looking for nothing in particular. That's when I saw it. A brand new, never before seen (by me), shiny golf disc. I LOVE to play disc golf. Yes, I know it's December, but time has no meaning when appreciating the beautiful things in life. Like a new driver!

So I picked it up and held it. It was smooth and new. It had never hit a tree or gotten lost. It had never felt the air as it knifed its way toward its destination. And it was only $16. I thought about buying it. I had the money and the desire, but I put it back on the shelf, sighing. Tempted to be sure but also practical. It will still be here five months from now when I could actually use it, so I walked away.

On the way home I was thinking about my faith and my life and how easy it is to fall into temptation. Then yesterday in church our pastor throws this at me.

"God gives us all the we need, to do all that He asks of us."

That sentence led me to search for similar verses. I found this.

^"3 His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. ⁴ Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

⁵ For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; ⁶ and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; ⁷ and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. ⁸ For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹ But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.

¹⁰ Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, ¹¹ and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." - 2 Peter 1:3-11

My temptation with the shiny object at Fleet Farm was relatively easy to overcome. There are more difficult temptations in this world - lust, drunkenness, gluttony, sexual perversion, sloth, false worship, idolatry, the list goes on and on. Everybody has their favorite "toy." What's yours?

I think what I need to remember is that, when I am tempted, I need to remember God and His promises. I need to remember He has given me everything I need. It's all in the Bible.

When we are tempted we must first recognize the temptation and then ask ourselves, "Is what I am about to do honoring to God? Is this the best thing I can do in this situation? Or should I turn and leave?"

There is one thing we can do to overcome temptation. It can be found in the Book of Hebrews. Five little words is all we need to remember.

"Fix your eyes on Jesus." -  Hebrews 12:2

I Am Buzz Lightyear - Toy Story
When Sin Looks More Enjoyable Than God - Francis Chan

The Parable of The Dougnuts

There once was a man named . . . well, let's just call him Bob. Bob loved doughnuts. Unfortunately for Bob, doughnuts don't love him. Doughnuts contain sugar. LOTS of sugar! And Bob is diabetic. Sugar is a problem for Bob. Bob has too much of it and his old body just can't get rid of it like it used to.

Bob still loves doughnuts though. Even though they are bad for him. When Bob sees doughnuts on the counter at work, Bob becomes tempted and, more times than not, Bob succumbs to the doughnut temptation. Bob is weak.

But Bob is learning. Bob has been informed of what will happen to him if he keeps on eating doughnuts. Bob could die sooner than he'd like. Dying is also a bad thing. Bob has a choice to make - life or death. Seems like a no-brainer.

Yeah. It SEEMS that way.

Let's talk about sin for a moment. We have a choice to make there too. We could choose NOT to sin but sin is something we love to do it seems. Sin is natural for us. It's almost like we were made to sin.

Sin is like doughnuts. It just sits there on the counter saying, "Here I am. I'm waiting for you. Come have some before it's all gone."

There are some people I know who don't like doughnuts. Or maybe they DO like doughnuts, they just have stronger will power than I do. Do YOU like doughnuts?

People will always sin. We always have. We always will. The Bible says that "the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23). That means we are going to pay for that sin someday and the price for our sins is extremely high. Death. OUR death.

When we surrender our lives to Jesus He takes away that penalty. We no longer have to pay that ultimate price. Jesus took care of that on the cross. And the doughnuts? Jesus gives us the strength to resist them. We still want the doughnuts but we are somehow made strong enough the resist them. But it is OUR choice.

We Christians are not immune from sinning. There is still temptation. Sometimes we fall. We can still eat WAY too many doughnuts. But there comes a point at which we can say to ourselves, "That's enough. There are more important things to focus on. More important things to consume."

We have a choice to make in our lives.

"6 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life." - Romans 6:1-4

Duck Dynasty Doughnut Eating Contest

Stuck In The Muck

My dad and I used to go trout fishing whenever he and my mom would come up to visit my wife and me. There's a river a few miles north of our house that has some good, deep holes in it. And clear, cool water with a gravel bottom are prime ingredients for a good trout stream.

A winding trout stream has a few other not so pleasant characteristics as well. The shallow spots near the shoreline, especially on the "inside" of a bend in the river, are breading grounds for our state bird - the mosquito!

These "slow" portions of the river also contain a lot of settled dirt that has flowed downstream and collected there. This "muck" can be a trap when you are trying to get into or out of the river. One soon learns to avoid these areas. They can easily trap you there and could even kill you if you're not careful.

When you step in that muck your waders sink in deep. Every movement makes them sink deeper. I have had my foot sink so deep that my foot actually comes out of the wader leaving it stuck there. River muck is a good thing to avoid if at all possible.

The world we live in is a lot like that muck. It can suck us in and kill us too if we're not careful. This world is a dangerous place to begin with. Then the traps and snares that quietly hide in those unsuspecting places reach up and grab us when we least expect it.

Drugs, alcohol, gambling, sexual temptations, gluttony, laziness, apathy, greed . . . so many traps. So how do we avoid all of the muck as we walk down the river that is our lives? Stay away fro it!

We I am fishing and wade in a river, I have learned to watch out for such areas. I don't even go there! And so should it be with our lives. Stay out of the casinos, empty the liquor bottles, flush the drugs. Rid your life and your self from anything muck-like.

"Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God." - Galatians 5:19-21

Jesus is that drink of "living water" that washes us clean from all the muck that clings to us . . . that pulls us under. If you find yourself in the muck of this world, reach out to Jesus. Grab His hand. He can pull you out of anything. But you must be willing. And our flesh is SO weak. Reach out to Him today.

Something In The Water - Carrie Underwood

A Line In The Sand

This is a picture of a line that has been drawn in the sand. The intent of such drawn lines is that we don't want people to cross them. They are somewhat like fences, only with little or no height. The only thing that keeps someone from crossing a line in the sand is usually a threat of some kind by the person who drew it towards another person. "Lines in the sand" are a visible representation of an invisible consequence.

Politicians sometimes draw lines in the sand. We did that to Syria last year. Didn't work too well. No further comment.

Lines in the sand are supposed to be ultimatums. "I dare you to cross this line!" The only thing about lines in the sand is that when someone crosses one, it is now OUR turn to do something . . . or not.

I heard something in church yesterday from my buddy Ron (our church's family pastor) that caught my attention and made my pick up a pen and take note. He challenged us to draw a line in the sand . . . BEHIND us. Huh?

Yup.

He was talking about sin and how we humans tend to keep backsliding in our faith. How we tend to sin, repent of those sins, and then go back and commit the very same sins over and over again. An example of this can be seen in Jesus' incounter with the woman caught in adultery.

"Jesus returned to the Mount of Olives, 2 but early the next morning he was back again at the Temple. A crowd soon gathered, and he sat down and taught them. 3 As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd.

4 “Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?”

6 They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. 7 They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” 8 Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust.

[Could Jesus have been drawing a line in the sand?]

9 When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. 10 Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?”

11 “No, Lord,” she said.

And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.” - John 8:1-11

When we come to faith in Jesus Christ we are in effect drawing a line in the sand for ourselves. The line represents the point in time when we began following Jesus. We draw a line in the sand, step over it. and we never go back. At least that's the plan.

Each time we sin we are supposed to repent, effectively drawing a line in the sand. We must never go back over that line. This is a process called sanctification, as we gradually strip of our old ways and live a new life style . . . in Christ.

What can we draw a line with today?

It could be an addiction. It could be premarital sex. It could be having a second helping of desert. There are so many things that get between us and God. All of them sin.

I don't know about you but I need to start drawing some lines. I need to draw a line between myself and the computer. There are many people in my life who could probably benefit from drawing a line between themselves and their phones.

The question is, where do we draw the line? And when.

We need to draw a line when our selfish desires get in the way of our relationship with God.

"I 'need' to check Facebook just one more time before I go to sleep."

No. Perhaps you should pray before you go to sleep. Draw a line in the sand! Do it today. Do it again tomorrow.

Here's a question for you. What if Jesus drew a line in the sand and told you not to step over it? Here's the kicker. He already did. It's that moment you came to believe. The line was drawn, separating you from the world. Romans 12:2

"2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, [line in the sand] but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will." - Romans 12:2

What lines need to be drawn today in YOUR life? Pray about that. Seek God's help in drawing and maintaining those lines of defense. It is a command of God! "Go, and sin no more."

Or is Jesus Himself your line in the sand? If so, I would encourage you to step over that line and never look back. And if we do fall back across that line, let us stand back up today and step over that line towards Jesus.

Woman Caught In Adultery from Passion Of The Christ

[Thank you Ron, for your message yesterday]

M&M's

Most of the story ideas I get for this blog come from observing every day life. I like to see how God presents Himself in the world in which we live. In effect, He speaks to us in many different ways, if we'd only take the time to look or listen.

God usually speaks to us through His Word But He can also speak to us through the people we meet or through the songs we sing to Him. And sometimes, God can even speak to us through . . . tee-shirts.

I took the picture above of my friend Daniel and his buddy (wearing the red tee-shirt) at Lifest a few weeks ago. I wasn't really thinking about writing a story at the time. I was just taking a picture of a friend. But I did take the time , for some unknown reason, to take a picture of this guys tee-shirt as well. You see, I absolutely love M&M's. Especially peanut M&M's! The only trouble is, M&M's don't really like me.

You see, I am a Type II diabetic. My blood sugar level tends to be higher than most. We Type II diabetics control our blood sugar by watching what we eat and/or by taking medication. Type I diabetics are those who must use insulin to control their blood sugar. Sadly, I am nearing the Type I threshold myself and it won't be long before I need the insulin injections but until that time I am supposed to watch what I eat.

My wife keeps watch on my diet when I am home but while I am at work I am on my own. There have been times - quite a FEW times - when I have strayed off my low-sugar regimen and gone upstairs to visit my friend Sharon. Sharon's a nice lady. You'd never guess that she is an accessory to murder. Well, sort of.

This is a picture of Sharon's office and that's Sharon in the pink shirt. Besides all the paperwork on her desk, Sharon also possesses a small container of poison, at least for the diabetic. Let's take a closer look. Oooh! M&M's!! And peanut M&M's at that!!

The more M&M's I eat, the higher my blood sugar goes.  The higher my blood sugar goes, the greater my risk of blindness, heart and blood vessel disease, stroke, kidney failure, amputations, and nerve damage. Sweet! (bad word choice)

M&M's are bad for me. If I were to keep eating them they would lead to my premature death. I suppose I could just forget about the dangers, enjoy myself and just keep eating them, but that would not be good. Doing that would hasten my own death and be contrary to God's will.

M&M's are like sin. They actually are a sin, to me anyway - the sin of gluttony. Over-eating, just because I enjoy it. But they are also like sin in that they lead to death.

So, what am I to do? Well, I need to quit going up to Sharon's office, that's for sure! But more importantly, I need to quit sinning. M&M's are a temptation for me. They are sitting right there. Eat them!! It's just like the Tree of The Knowledge of Good & Evil in the garden of Eden. Off limits!! Yet that fruit looks SO good! And maybe some M&M's for desert!

 

Let's face it, we all have our "M&M's." The question is, what are we going to do about it. Through our faith in Christ we have power to overcome sin. We are told to examine ourselves in scripture. I have examined myself and have determined that M&M's are bad for me. As much as I like them, they no longer hold power over me and have no place in my life. We need to keep checking ourselves and keep weeding out the things that harm us and seek to control us. Often it is ourselves that is our own worst enemy. We must let go of our earthly desires and seek after God's.

"56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." - 1 Corinthians 15:56-57

 

"Go And Sin No More"

Temptation

Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls. Mmm. I made up a tube of those sinfully, delicious treats this weekend for me and my wife. We try to limit ourselves to just two apiece, but two is just not enough. Invariably, we always return to the kitchen for "just one more." Truth be told, I could eat an entire tube all by myself. All eight of them! They're THAT GOOD!!

We don't eat them that often. That's probably a good thing. If we did, we'd never be able to get out of the house! Our three-foot wide door simply would not be wide enough to allow egress for our "wide load" cinnamon butts. Those cinnamon rolls are just sooooo good.

Peanut M&M's Oh, yeah. There's another thing I could eat an entire bag of. Although that probably would NOT be a good thing for me to do. I tend to gain a little weight whenever those things are around. They tempt me you know - just lying there in a little bowl on the kitchen counter. It's their fault! They actually call out to me. "Bob, come over and spend some time with us."

Candy, cinnamon rolls or any really good tasting food item can all be a form of temptation. There are many other types of temptation as well, many other ways we can become tempted, and they all share one thing in common. Ourselves, and our continual desire to feed our id, our "self." When we place OUR wants above our needs.

Television is absolutely FILLED with temptation. The latest luxury car, a sizzling steak on a grille, a beautiful super-model, with wind blowing through her hair, advertising the underwear that she is ALMOST wearing. Ads like these are ALWAYS playing. It's not like we choose to watch them either. They just come on and they're in our heads. So, do you know what I do? I turn off the TV or I get up and go into another room. I don't need that stuff in my head, bouncing around where it shouldn't be.

I heard someone say once that, "You can't keep a bird from flying over your head, but you CAN keep a bird from building a nest in your hair." That's a little weird but it's a good thing to remember. We can see a good looking guy or gal walking down the street but it's what we do with that image in our minds that defines us and who we really are . . . in God's eyes.

I believe in the old adage, "Out of site, out of mind." For example, my wife likes to bake. She makes wonderfully delicious breads and cookies. When they're sitting on the counter, I eat them. I can say to myself, "I probably should eat these four cookies, but I'll watch what I eat . . . later . . .after they're all gone." But if my wife would bake her banana bread and then hide it, I'd never know any better. I wouldn't eat the bread because it wasn't in my line of sight. Unless, of course, I could smell it.

We humans have been tempted from Day 1. I wrote a little bit about that in a blog I posted a few weeks ago (Sin). We will always be tempted. So what do we do about it? How do we keep that "bird" from building a nest in our head?

Turn off the television. That's the biggest step right there. When you see a beautiful woman, or a good looking guy, walking down the hallway at work, turn your head. Take a different hallway. When the opportunity for temptation presents itself, kick it in the groin. I think that's the key. Don't let temptation have a chance.

Here's something that will mess with your head a bit. Do you know the Lord's Prayer? It can be found in the book of Matthew (6:9-13) and in the Book of Luke (11:1-4). Look at Matthew, verse 13 - "And lead us not into temptation . . ." implying that God might lead us into temptation. Think about that for a moment. Jesus is praying to God, asking, not to be led into temptation. Why would God do that? If we read James 1:13 we are told, "Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one."

Isn't this a conflict in the Bible? These two verses seem contradictory. Context, my friends context. God will never TEMPT us to sin, but he WILL TEST us. Although God himself doesn't tempt us to sin, God allows us to be tempted as a test. Read James 1:12

"Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him."

The Hebrew word for tempted is "nacah" which means, "to test, try, prove, tempt, assay, put to the proof or test.” The Greek word for temptation, "peirazó," means ,"try, tempt, test." It is a test!

When we ARE tempted to sin, it is not from God. But God will use those temptations as a test of our faith and our character. Ahh! So, what do I need to do to pass the test??

Well, the next time I make cinnamon rolls for my wife, I need to look at my temptation to eat more rolls than I should . . . as a test. Gluttony (eating too much) is a sin (Deuteronomy 21:20) so maybe next time, although I am tempted, I will choose not to eat the entire package of cinnamon rolls.

"They tested God in their heart by demanding the food they craved." - Psalm 78:18

I'm not one for changing or modifying God's Word but perhaps this "translation" would have made more sense to those who tend to say "God tempted me.". . .

"Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into trials, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen." - Matthew 6:9-13 (KJV)

Sin

Now that Easter is over and we are all hopefully returning to a more normal eating pattern, I thought I would rewind a little bit . . . back past the resurrection of Jesus . . . past his crucifixion . . . and write about just WHY Jesus had to die.

One could easily assume that Jesus died so he could come back to life and show us what awaits us if we would become his followers. I guess that's partially true. But that is not the main reason Jesus had to die. Sadly, WE, my friends, are the main reason Jesus was nailed to the cross.

If you go back to the book of Genesis and read about what things were like BEFORE anyone took a bite out of that apple, you will find an amazing relationship between God and Adam and Eve. God had made a garden for them ALL to enjoy - The Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:8). If we skip ahead a bit, after the fall, we can get a glimpse of what our relationship was supposed to be like.

"Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day . . ." - Genesis 3:8

God was actually WITH Adam and Eve! God desired to be walking in the garden with us! Whoa?

But then came the fall and all of us, every one of us right down the line, became separated from God - banished from the garden (Genesis 3:22). Still, God loves us and provides for us, just like he did for Adam and Eve by making them clothes to wear (Genesis 3:21). But from that point on man was on a path towards death.

Since that day God has demanded sacrifices for our sins. Pick an Old Testament book like Leviticus, Numbers or Deuteronomy. Those books are filled with instructions for sacrifices - grain sacrifices, wave sacrifices, burnt offerings . . . but the important one for this particular discussion is . . . the sin offering. The sin offering demanded blood. In the Old Testament days, the high priest was instructed to lay his hand upon the head of a bull (representing our sin), and then slay "the sin" before the Lord. Then blood was taken and poured out at the base of the altar (Leviticus 4).

The Israelites were pretty much in a constant state of sin. It must have been frustrating from God's viewpoint. However, God is patient, SO incredibly patient. However, he is NOT tolerant of our sinning against who He is - a holy, righteous God. But we just can't seem to help ourselves.We were born to sin it seems.

But, from the very beginning, God had a plan and His name was (and still is) Jesus.

"There is a way which seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death." - Proverbs 14:12

These words could not be more true, especially today in the world in which we live. We are SO consumed with our ourselves. Hey, if it feels good, do it! We've gotten to the point where the only opinion that matters about what is right and wrong, is ours. We forget that our "opinion" about right and wrong simply does not matter. It is only God's opinion that does.

Actually, that's not quite true. Wanna know why? Because God does not HAVE an "opinion?" An opinion is defined as "a view or judgment formed about something, not necessarily based on fact or knowledge." God is the same - yesterday, today and tomorrow. God never changes. God is always right. And God never lies. He is always just, always tells the truth and He is simply right . . . ALL of the time. There are no OPINIONS about what is right and what is wrong in God's mind. It simply IS right, or it's wrong, to God.

Here's an example of sin that most people are familiar with - the woman caught in adultery. It shows the grace extended by God to the sinners. God loves, God cares, but God is not accepting of our sin.

"Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.” - John 8:2-11

The biggest problem with our understanding of this story is that many of us think we can go on sinning because "Jesus will forgive." We tend to forget the last little line from that story where Jesus tells us . . . "Go and sin no more."

I'd like you to read something. It pretty much got MY attention. See if this adds any light to the "Go and sin no more" command given to us by Jesus.

"For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries. Anyone who has set aside the Law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge His people.” It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God." - Hebrews 10:26-31

We are all going to sin. We shouldn't, but we will. It's a given. But after reading that passage from Hebrews, it makes me REALLY not want to sin anymore! Read that first line again, slowly.

"If we go on sinning . . . willfully . . . after receiving the knowledge of truth, . . . there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins."

Wow.

I pray that we might be constantly on guard for all of the temptations offered to us in this sin-filled world. I pray that we might be as forgiving to others as Jesus is to us. And I pray that we would grow beyond the "Adam and Eve" in each of us and embrace the risen Christ, Jesus. He died for us as a sacrifice for OUR sins. Jesus was OUR sin offering - poured out for OUR sins on the cross. So . . . how are we going to deal with that? And what are we going to do about it? Perhaps we should repent and look to Jesus for forgiveness . . . and then . . . pray.

Lust

 

Recognize the guy in this picture? Yeah, it's Gregory Peck. He was a really good actor. Here's a little test for all you movie buffs out there. Do you know what movie this picture is from? There are clues. What can you tell about the character Mr. Peck is playing. It looks like this guy is from Biblical times. Check the shirt. That emblem is the Star of David, isn't it? And he's staring at something. And I mean he is REALLY staring at something! And it looks like he likin' what he sees. He's got that little Gregory Peck smile. :) And look at his eyes. He's looking down on something, or someone. And it looks like he's up high, like on a roof. Hmm.


2 Samuel 11:2-4 - "It happened, late one afternoon, when David arose from his couch and was walking on the roof of the king's house, that he saw from the roof a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful. And David sent and inquired about the woman. And one said, “Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?” So David sent messengers and took her, and she came to him, and he lay with her."

Lust.

The apostle Paul wrote of doing things he didn't want to do in the book of Romans (7:15) - "For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate."

I know exactly how Paul felt this past weekend . . . during the Superbowl.

I already knew that the Superbowl was going to be full of "worldly" commercials - lots of sexually explicit content. I was prepared for that. And after the game started, it wasn't long before the first disgusting commercial came on. GoDaddy.com. It featured race car driver Danika Patrick describing the mix of technology and glamor at GoDaddy's web site. The rest of the commercial was a close-up shot of a supermodel french-kissing some chubby, nerdy, techno-geek. Yeah. That'll make me wanna use their web hosting site!

Calvin Klein was next. They purchased some Superbowl ad space, trying to get you to buy some men's underwear. Their commercials are always racy, often stretching the envelope of decency. Their Superbowl spot was no exception. It featured a well-sculpted young man, wearing only his tighty-whities, gyrating around trying to show off every part of himself. He did that, and that was enough for me.

I put on my headphones and grabbed my Bible and began to read, shielding my eyes from the television. I really needed that break - to get away from the "world" and immerse myself in His Word. After my reading, still listening to worship music on my Ipod, I decided to check out Facebook. And that, my friends, was the beginning of my downfall.

As I scrolled down through all of my friend's posts, I noticed that most were about the Superbowl. "So-and-so just scored," "Jim Harbaugh sure is a whiner." Stuff like that. Then I came across a post from a lady friend at work. She and her friends seemed rather interested in that Calvin Klein commercial they had just seen, one of them saying, "I wish I could see that commercial again!"

Now, I'm a pretty helpful guy. But sometimes it is possible to be TOO helpful. And, as I discovered on Sunday, sometimes my desire to be helpful can even outweigh my desire to please God.

How easy it was for me to go to YouTube and type in "Calvin Klein Superbowl" in the search window. How quick it was for me to copy the link and paste it on my friend's wall. It was only after doing those two things that I thought about God. I obviously have not totally "died to self" yet. There is more "world" in me than I realized. And that saddens me.

Just one day earlier I had sat in a seminar at a Christian men's conference. The topic was about creating strong leaders in young men. The speaker told a story of going rafting in a spring-swollen river in northern Wisconsin and how easy it was to swept away under it's incredible power. That's exactly how I felt after posting that link on my friend's wall. Swept away by a power stronger than I am.

One of God's commandments is to not commit adultery. The husband/wife relationship is very precious to God. It runs throughout the Bible. Jesus even used the bride groom and bride analogy when he talked about himself and his relationship to the church.

In Matthew 5:27-28, Jesus tells us that to even lust after another woman or man is committing adultery in our hearts. Do you see what I did by posting that link to the Calvin Klein Superbowl spot on my friend's Facebook page? I helped her commit adultery.

Some might say, "Bob, you're being way to hard on yourself. It was just a stupid video. What's the big deal!?"

Well, it IS a big deal. I have sinned against a holy and righteous God. The next morning I went to my friend's Facebook page and deleted the link I had posted. In it's place I left a message saying it was wrong of me to post that video and I reqested an opportunity to talk with her about why. A few days later, we spoke about it. I explained why I had removed the link and she understood.

This country of ours has ignored and turned its back on God. As a nation, we keep putting more and more distance between ourselves and the loving God who gave us life. Personally, from this moment on, I am going to make a conscious effort to rectify that situation. I am turning off the television. I am spending more time in His Word. My goal is to reduce the gap between my self and God and to never, ever "feel distant from God again." Everthing I do, and I do mean everything, must bring glory to God or it is not worth doing at all. I serve a powerful, Holy God. He has saved me from a death I deserved to die. He requires obedience and I for one am going to increase my efforts and become "a good and faithful servant."

This country was established on Christian principals but we have drifted far away from the course they invisioned. It's time to change that course. We need to put our oars in the water and start rowing back upstream, against the current of apathy and disinterest, and return in repentance and obedience to our King.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart." - Matthew 5:27-28