Tempted, tried, and sometimes failing

The Bible tells many stories of heroes whose failures were written down for the ages, told to cause us to understand the amazing grace of God.
Abraham, of great faith, lied to save his own skin.
David’s Psalms are the classics of worship, yet he sinned terribly.
Peter was declared the rock, but he denied Jesus while the Lord was in great distress.

We all have a story, don’t we? Our sins may be less dramatic than those mentioned above – things like selfishness, greed, lust, or laziness – but they are failures none the less. As I thought about this subject, an old hymn came to mind which includes these lines:
“Jesus! What a strength in weakness!
Let me hide myself in Him;
Tempted tried and sometimes failing,
He, my strength my victory wins.”

Christian friend, both the strength to overcome temptation and the renewal of our relationship with the Lord IF we fail centers on the Person of Our Great Savior, Jesus.

At the point of being tempted, our own resolve is not sufficient to overcome the pull of the “world, the flesh, or the Devil.”  We must lean on Jesus! The counsel of the Spirit is this – “If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall.” (1 Corinthians 11) Who among us has not been blindsided by some sin at the very moment we thought we had everything under control, when life was great?

Our best defense is a good offense, to borrow a phrase.  Remaining in a place of humility before the Lord, regular worship (both individually and with the Church), feeding our mind with Truth and our heart with prayer are important steps to take if we want to be an overcomer. But ultimately, the focus is on Jesus – our prayer being “keep me near Your heart.”

When we fail and yes, we will, we go to Him without justification or excuse. “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” (Hebrews 4) Let’s not take the path of Adam, hiding from God in shame. Instead, let’s receive the grace He gives freely to the humble.

Are you struggling with your “humanity” today, focused on the stains, the failures, the flaws, the sins in your life?   You need not live apart from your God, nor should you consign yourself to a place as a second-class Christian. Instead, bring it all to Jesus. Own the sin then leave it with Him, forgiven and made new.

His grace is amazing.
His love is profoundly unlike any human love.
His peace is like the ocean depths.

Live in this place, dear friend, the place of great peace and, ironically, the place of greater victory over the temptations we encounter in this life.

The word from the Word is taken from the astoundingly beautiful 8^th chapter of Paul’s letter to the Romans.  May this be a word of life for us today.
“So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. 3 The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.  …

You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.) And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God. The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.”  (Romans 8)

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(Video of this blog at this link)

 

The full lyrics of the hymn quoted above -

Our Great Savior

Jesus! What a friend for sinners!
Jesus lover of my soul!
Friends may fail me, foes assail me;
He, my Savior, makes me whole.

Hallelujah what a Savior.
Hallelujah what a Friend.
Saving, helping, keeping, loving,
He is with me to the end.

Jesus! What a strength in weakness!
Let me hide myself in Him;
Tempted tried and sometimes failing,
He, my strength my victory wins.

Jesus! What a help in sorrow!
While the billows o'er me roll,
Even when my heart is breaking,
He, my Comfort helps my soul.

Hallelujah what a Savior.
Hallelujah what a Friend.
Saving, helping, keeping, loving,
He is with me to the end.

Our Great Savior- J. Wilbur Chapman © Public Domain

Demons? Really?

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Three centuries ago humans regularly died from mysterious illnesses, the causes unknown. Infections were not understood. How certain diseases spread from person to person remained a puzzle until the discovery of germs! In the late 18^th century, physicians figured out that tiny, nearly invisible pathogens called bacteria could rage through the body and often be transmitted to others by unwashed hands, shared eating utensils, even coughs and sneezes.   

 Then, just 150 years ago, an even smaller source of illness was discovered, the virus! Living inside of healthy cells, these microscopic bits of DNA replicate themselves rapidly, bringing on misery like the common cold!

There is another invisible world that causes a different kind of suffering in our lives and in the world in which we live. It is the realm of spirit, the demons that move unseen to destroy all that is of God and good. Some of you are shaking your head, confounded that a modern educated man would subscribe to such ‘superstition!’  To be sure, there are many enduring myths that surround the idea of angels and demons, but of their reality, I have no doubt.

The Gospels, which tell us the stories of Jesus, are filled with His encounters with those suffering under the power of demons. The letters to the Churches reference the reality of demons and the Devil with Peter urging us to “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.”  (1 Peter 5)

Demons are the agents of evil, the fallen angels that followed Satan (Lucifer) in his rebellion against God. Cast down, they remain a potent force in this world. They are not gods, nor are they all-knowing or all-powerful, yet we must not trivialize them nor ignore them. Having said that I quickly add that Spirit-filled Christians need have no fear of them, either!  James tells us to “humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”  (James 4)

When we come to Christ Jesus in faith, we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, becoming holy temples where He lives. The work of evil, the power of the devil, and the influence of demons is broken by the Presence of God in us. That is why we need not live in fear of being somehow ‘possessed’ by demons. Jesus’ death and Resurrection broke the power of the Devil. However … I must ask …

Do you take the spirit realm seriously?
Do you unwittingly extend hospitality to the Devil, inviting his demons into your life?
How so?

The Bible says that our actions can ‘grieve the Spirit of God.’ (Eph. 4:30) The Word goes on to explain that we make choices that extend hospitality to the Spirit or that makes Him feel unwelcome! "Do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. … Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you." (Ephesians 4:30-32, NLT) Another passage warns of giving ourselves over to violent anger which, if held onto, provides ‘the Devil with a foothold in your life.’

Just as a light displaces the darkness in a room, so God’s Spirit displaces evil in us when He is given a place of priority in our thoughts, our words, and our actions.  

Jesus told a story that makes me shudder when I think of the implications. Read it thoughtfully, prayerfully.  He said  “When an evil spirit leaves a person, it goes into the desert, seeking rest but finding none. Then it says, ‘I will return to the person I came from.’ So it returns and finds its former home empty, swept, and in order.  Then the spirit finds seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they all enter the person and live there. And so that person is worse off than before. That will be the experience of this evil generation.”  (Matthew 12)

Then, if necessary, do some house cleaning. Make your heart a home to Christ and you’ll never be at risk for what Jesus describes in this teaching.

Are you troubled by habitual failing of sin?
Do you feel oppressed by evil, soul sick?
Turn to Jesus, honestly, openly, inviting the Spirit to enter your life in a new way, bringing refreshing renewal.
You can, by His authority, speak to the unseen demons, directing them to leave, refusing to give them the ability to influence or harass you. Speak in faith, dismissing evil in the powerful Name of Jesus, and live!

The word from the Word comes from the amazing 8^th chapter of Romans. Meditate on the promise and live in the freedom of the Spirit.

“So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death…^. God sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. … Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. 
So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace…But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you.”

Amen!

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(Video of this blog at this link)

 

Yes, I’m thankful

The essay title grabbed my attention - We Live Like Royalty and Don’t Know It.  The writer describes our 21^st century comforts in contrast to the way people lived in America just 200 years ago. Of Thomas Jefferson, he says “despite his wealth and status his home was so cold in winter that the ink in his pen sometimes froze, making it difficult for him to write to complain about the chill. Jefferson was rich and sophisticated, but his life was closer to the lives of people in the Iron Age than it was to ours.”  

We enjoy clean water, abundant food, great health care, longer and healthier lives … a long list of things that result from the growth of knowledge, the increase of wealth, and the construction of amazing systems that deliver most everything we need for living to us. (Let me quickly add that I know millions of people worldwide do NOT enjoy the comfort I know but that is a subject for another day.)

Here is what concerns me. Many of us are unsatisfied, ungrateful, and full of discontent in spite of it all. This is especially an issue for those of us who claim the Name of Christ Jesus, for we enjoy the greatest gift of all – God’s inexhaustible grace and mercy that provides life eternal!

Paul’s letter to the Ephesians begins with this – “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.”  That is more than a flourish of rhetoric. That is a declaration of truth!

Are you thankful, genuinely filled
with overflowing gratitude to God and others
that creates beauty and contentment
in you that spills from you onto others?

There is a place that we can find in God’s love changes us, supernaturally, from the inside out. Greed and envy die in the life of that person who knows the “joy of the Lord” as more than a phrase.

When envy starts to make an appearance, we must choose to begin to offer praise. At first it may a “sacrifice of praise,” but if we thank Him for Who He is, for His faithfulness to us, for the assurance that He provides all that we need for this day; we will find our soul resting in Him.
The Scripture says “I have learned to be content.” Yes, we must train ourselves, by prayer and thankfulness, to receive the provision of God for the day. The sinful nature will cause us to compare and then, largely, to complain.  When we whine about our lack, we cannot sing of our blessings. 

Here's a suggestion. In addition to a ‘prayer list’ how about making a ‘praise list?’ 

Write down things, big and small, for which you are grateful. That will change your perspective and free the Spirit to create a new kind of joy. Few things cause more problems among people than the ancient sin of envy. It masquerades as self-righteousness, criticism, holier-than-thou attitudes; ugly, divisive things that will destroy our peace with God.

Meditate on this word from the Word.
Let God settle your soul in contentment and go bless your world with His love!

"Godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness." (1 Timothy 6:6-11, NIV)

Lord, teach us to give thanks – for Jesus, for Your love, for the Hope of eternal life, and for the myriad blessings we enjoy. Amen.
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(Video of this blog at this link)