"When You Are Tempted"

When You Are Tempted

1 Corinthians 10:13 (NKJV)
“No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”

We play with the word ‘tempted, or ‘temptation’, like it’s a game.  When we are trying to lose weight and look at a flavorful dessert piled high with whip cream and nuts with a cherry on top, we say, “I’m tempted to just take a couple of bites.”  Temptation says we are free to do that and it probably won’t hurt anything.  However, once we give in, it’s easier to do it the next and the next and after a while, it no longer bothers us.

Gambling has more temptation to it than many other things.  Satan has a strategy to work on a person until they become addicted.  He starts out by letting you win and that’s so exciting that you want to try it again and again.  Just when you think it’s not worth wasting your money, he lets you win again.  Now, you think it’s the greatest thing there is to spend hours trying to win more money.  If you ever figured up what you’ve spent over a long period of time, it’s very rare to come out on top.   For many people it becomes an addiction and can be harder to break than drugs.

Maybe one time you saw pornography on your computer and that one time led you to other sites until you were so tempted you couldn’t quit watching it.  Sex is a strong temptation for many and pornography leads you on and on.  The repercussion of it affects so many others; if you are married, it can destroy your marriage.  It is said that your eyes are the windows of your soul and what you see you allow to come into your soul and spirit.  Things you had never thought about before can latch on to you such as child pornography and pedophilia.  Many lives are destroyed due to this temptation.

Being tempted with a drug addiction is probably one of the strongest temptations, because it works on your physical body and alters your mind.  God did not create your body to withstand this type of abuse and eventually drugs will destroy both mind and body.  This is a proven fact.   

When we are tempted we tend to reason within ourselves and regularly fail.  God knew this would happen and so he created something inside of us to help us ward off these attacks from the enemy of our souls.  He tells us about it in I Corinthians 10:13 [NLT: “The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.”  The only way to fight against temptation is through God, because in yourself you don’t have the strength.  This is why the Bible tells you that “You can do all things through Christ who gives you strength.” [Philippians 4:13]

We can read in Luke 4:1-12 how Satan tempted Jesus for 40 days and 40 nights in the wilderness without food or water.  He offered Jesus the world, but Jesus stood firm and refused every temptation.  In Matthew 4:11 it says, “Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.”

Jesus understands ‘temptation’ and has given us a way to escape by putting our faith in him and relying on his strength.  This is what it means when God says we won't be tempted beyond what we are able.  Just call out to the Lord when you feel yourself weaken and then hang on because he is able to deliver you and set you free from any addiction you may have.  God has made a way of escape and it is Jesus! 

“Living in the Light”

“Living in the Light”

         “But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another,           and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.”  1 John 1:7

Last week we talked about being lost in the darkness and I pray that you received that message in the spirit it was meant to be given.  Now, I pray you will catch hold of the concept of living in the light.

The Bible tells us much about ‘walking in the light’, and we should be doing that, but ‘living in the light’ is necessary to being a steadfast Christian in an unholy world.  Walking in the light is growing and maturing in holiness as we follow Jesus.  Living in the light is being in such a close relationship with God that it shines out of you and others around you can see that light.

In the book of Daniel 5:14, the king of Persia, Belshazzar said to Daniel, “I have heard of you, that the Spirit of God is in you, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you.”  You see, the LIGHT of God in Daniel could be seen by others.  That is ‘living in the light.  Have you ever seen that light in another person?  I did and let me tell you about it.

Some of you know this story or have read about it in Guideposts magazine about my daughter, Sheryl Ann when she was four years old.  [She was in the hospital and the doctor told us she was gone and he left the room.  The pastor from our small-town church just walked in and began to pray for her. He was from the Netherlands and he began praying in broken English.  He reached under the oxygen tent; took my daughters hand lifted his face toward heaven. I looked at this man calling on God to bring life back into my child.  It was then I saw a glow around his head and over his tear-soaked face.]  She miraculously came back to life and began talking.

I will never forget that light shining on this pastor’s face and knew he and God had a connection that I didn’t understand at that time. He was truly ‘living in the light’. 

I am reminded that when Moses had been with God and when he came out of the temple, the light of God was so bright on him that he had to cover his face with a veil. His face actually glowed and the people knew he had been communing with God.

We find in 1 Peter 2:9, that we believers should all have that glorious light shining on our faces; “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light”.  If we are spending time with the Lord in praise and prayer, the light of God should be all over us so that others could see it in the spiritual realm, if not in reality.

We might not feel very holy, but it isn’t about how you feel, it’s about what God has done in you.  “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.”  [Ephesians 5:8] It isn’t anything you can make happen yourself, but is what God does in you.  The Bible explains it further, “We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.”  2 Corinthians 4:7

Yes, we must walk in the light in order to grow in the Lord, but we must commune with God in order to live in light. Set aside a certain time to meet with Him if we are too busy.  You don’t have to make an appointment with God; he is always ready to listen and to talk with you.

“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father."  Matthew 5:14-16

 

"Lost in Darkness"

Lost in Darkness

“For the wise can see where they are going, but fools walk in the dark”

Ecclesiastes 2:14 (NLT) 

Christians sometimes call this time we live in, “the lost generation”; when our young people (many, but not all) have turned away from the church and from God.  How could this happen?  Because the last few generations before them gradually lost their way and began to live in darkness.  Even sadder is the fact that they don’t even know they are lost.

I marvel at the amount of well-educated people who belong to a church and are leaders in their businesses, communities, but have no knowledge of the Word of God and the power it contains. “For the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God.” [1 Corinthians 3:19 (NLT)] It is time for the Christian, young and old, to stop looking up to super stars and lying politicians. Don’t jump on their bandwagon just to be popular.  It’s what Jesus spoke about in Acts 2:20, “And He spoke a parable to them: "Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into the ditch?”

When did ‘Faith’ leave and ‘Self-reliance’ take up residence in the Christian life?  We sing songs like, “The Lord is my strength and song”?  We quote scriptures just as, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”.  Then we turn around and whine and cry about a situation; struggling to handle it all by ourselves.  What ever happened to “pray and wait on the Lord”?  The truth of the matter is – we don’t put our faith in God.

Did you know that many horse trainers put blinders on their horses because they keep the horse focused on what is in front of him, encouraging him to pay attention to the race rather than other distractions, such as looking back, or at the crowds off to the side? I believe that we need to wear blinders to keep us on the right track to run the race that’s before us. (Hebrews 12:21) With prayer, the Holy Spirit will be our blinders so we can run the race of life with endurance, keeping our eyes on the goal ahead.  To affirm this, we read in I John 1:15 “This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.” 

This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be aware of everything happening around us, but to concentrate on the things of God instead of getting lost in the darkness of evil that invades this old world. The Truth of God says that there is coming a day of darkness such as we have never seen before.  “Yes, the day of the LORD will be dark and hopeless, without a ray of joy or hope.” [Amos 5:20 (NLT)]  However, God will deliver us from this time if we are walking in his light.  Before that, Acts 2:20 tells us that, “The sun will become dark, and the moon will turn blood red before that great and glorious day of the LORD arrives.” 

I’m telling you all of this because so many are lost in the darkness of this world.  Many consider that America which was once known as a Christian nation, is no longer considered that.  Our president spoke openly about us no longer being a Christian nation.  However, at the same time, there is a voice calling from the distance, “Where are the true believers?”  Then a faint answer, “We are here, but we are few.”  That doesn’t bother God; he has used a few committed Believers to conquer many throughout the ages. 

As a child I used to dream a lot and then wake up in the darkness terrified because I didn’t know where I was.  I called out to my mother and she came quickly to comfort me and wipe away my tears. Just as a mother comes to her child when they cry out, so does God come quickly when a believer calls out to Him.  “God, I feel lost in the darkness – help me.”  He will answer your prayer.  He said he would never leave you or forsake you. 

There are times when all of us feel like we are losing the battle, but lift up the banner of faith and know that God has his eye on you.  Pray like you’ve never prayed before; trust like you’ve never trusted before and give yourself completely to Him like you have never done before.  Then when the sun bursts through the clouds praise God like you’ve never praised before.  Victory is yours!

 

 

"Be Still and Know That I am God"

Be Still and Know That I am God

“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth!”   Psalm 46:10

 

I was talking with a friend today who was exclaiming about all the evil things happening in the world today.  We spoke about it being the ‘End Times’,  and how many felt such fear over the fact that the world seems to be headed into even worse times.  Someone else told me earlier in the week that they didn’t dare think about all of it because they couldn’t handle the fear.

After studying ‘end times’ for almost 30 years, I believe it is moving along in God’s plans.  This doesn’t mean we like it all, but what it does mean is that if we stand firm in faith, God will see us through to our eternal home in heaven someday.  When we begin to fear, turn to God.  Psalm 34:4, “I sought the LORD, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.”  I have experienced this myself and I know that God will give me peace in the worst of storms.

In Matthew 24, Jesus told his disciples of the terrible things that would happen to this world in the latter times.  Even now we are watching things happen that bring those verses into reality.  There are still wars to be fought; there is still violent storms to be had; there is still demonic forces trying to destroy those who believe in Jesus Christ.  This is only the beginning; what the Bible calls “But all this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come.” [Matthew 24:8] This is how it reads in the New Living Translation and in the New King James it says, “All these are the beginning of sorrows.”

When we read in the newspapers and see on the news these things coming to pass, you may feel some fear, but the Lord gives us a message through 2 Timothy 1:7, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”  If a spirit of fear doesn’t come from God, where does it come from?  It comes from the devil – BUT, don’t miss this fact in this verse; He has given us Power.  Don’t sit back and think there is nothing you can do; stand up and let everyone know you are a child of the Living God!

We must remember for our own good ‘that God is God’ and he will do what he needs to do.  Even when so many think they know how to handle everything, God is still in control.  This is why he speaks to us in the Bible and says, “Be still and know that I am God.”  He will be exalted.

When I see the things that are even now coming against the Christians, I can say, “The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” [Heb. 13:6]  No matter what others can do to me, they cannot take my soul because God has protected me and I am assured a home in heaven.

It may seem that the biggest share of the world is not calling on the name of the Lord to straighten out all the problems and bring peace.  However, the day will come when God will be exalted all over this world; over all religions and over all nations.  In the meanwhile we are to wait on the Lord and trust that his plan is going forward.  Who knows the ways of the Almighty?  I believe that God who he says he is and I know he has more power and more love to keep us where he wants us to be.

1 John 4:18 tells us that “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear.”  So let us trust God for what is going on around us and what is ahead of us. He will never leave you or forsake you.

 

 

"Suffering Persecution"

Suffering Persecution 

2 Timothy 3:12-13 (NLT)

“Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. But evil people and impostors will flourish. They will deceive others and will themselves be deceived.”

I was reading the story of the first Christian martyr Stephen, in the book of Acts, chapter 6-7.  Stephen was a young man with a great zeal for following Jesus. Even at the threat of death he laid out the plan of salvation to his persecutors.  Then he was stoned to death.

We sometimes think persecution comes only to the point of death and often happens in other countries.  There are different forms of persecution and the U.S. has moved into the age of persecution of Christians.  Our own government is the leader of it and the blame falls on the head of President Obama.  In the years of his presidency so much has changed including favoring of Muslims over Christianity.  Because he does this, liberals have taken advantage of his stand and in various ways are taking away the rights of the Christian.

We are called haters if we do not agree with those who attempt to stand against the ungodliness and evil being turned into laws by our government.  That is persecution against Christians and is just the beginning of a greater push against us.  We are accused of standing in the way of progress because we believe the Word of God. Now let me tell you about some things that the government has planned in the very near future.

If a minister refuses to marry a homosexual couple, the church will lose its tax-free status.  We have already witnessed a business being fined for not making a wedding cake for Gays.  If that’s not ‘okay’, then why is it okay if a business makes a rule that you can’t come in a store without shoes and a shirt? Our government is illegally fining some, but not others. 

From the Pentagon:  “The US Army will phase out its Chaplain Corp over the next 3 years, according to a leaked memo of the office of the Undersecretary of the Army for Diversity and Inclusion.”  How about our armed forces no longer allowed to have church services?

Television programs that make a total mockery of ministers and people of faith.  [It’s already happening] So many commercials now featuring homosexual families to promote their sales.  Other programs are on the increase featuring the ‘occult’ and things of demonic forces. Thank God we still can have Christian programing on TV, but that gradually will come to a place in the near future where they can no longer use the name of ‘Jesus”. 

John Blake – CNN Writer, recently wrote an article on Christians and homosexuality.  In it he said that “Christians are one of the most hated minorities!”  Get that, we are a minority in this world and in our country and are considered ‘extremists’.  This article also tells about a well-known author who is writing a book called “The Rise and Fall of the Bible” and claims that the Bible is an ‘accidental book’.  He also says that “Paul, the Apostle does not understand sexual orientation as we understand it now.”

A minister of the United Church of Christ and a religious studies professor, says, “He foresees a day that just as churches accept divorce they will accept sexual practices once considered sinful and church will not say that any sexual activity is wrong.”  Do you believe what he says?  I don’t want to believe it, but if Jesus doesn’t return soon you may see it in your lifetime.

It has come to the point that people are becoming “Closet Christians”, because they are afraid of being called ‘haters’ and of being ridiculed.  This is especially true of teens and college-age people.  It appears that the ‘Gays’ have come out of the closet and the Christians have gone in.

If you don’t think we are being persecuted in this country, you are mistaken. Pray for our young people; the attack against them if unbelievable. I hear so many of them saying, “If they want to live a different lifestyle, that’s their choice and it doesn’t matter to me.” They don’t really see anything wrong.  If you are not a ‘born-again Christian, you probably don’t see the danger in this way of thinking.

Don’t ever deny Jesus Christ; stand for the Word of God which is Truth. Ephesians 6:13 says, “Therefore take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all to stand.”

 

 

"In Times of Trouble"

In Times of Trouble

“Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.” Psalm 50:15

If you are a living human being you are going to have troubles in your life.  I’m sure most of you have experienced this many times. There are really only two ways to handle the troubles you face.  You can (1) Try to handle it yourself or, (2) (With God’s help).

When I try to get myself out of trouble without God’s help, I generally either fail or botch it up somehow.  When I turn to God for help, He never fails me.  There is a verse in the Bible that has carried me through so much and this is it, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” [Psalm 46:1]  Now let’s make it more personal, “God is MY refuse and strength.”

Let me further explain how much God wants to help you.  “He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him”. [Psalm 91:15]  This is God speaking to you and telling you that if you call to him, he will answer and he will be with you and deliver you from the trouble you are in.

Along with trouble, can come consequences.  If you have gotten yourself in trouble with the law, God will be with you, but as for all legal problems, come consequences.  If you are struggling with debt, you must pay what you owe.  However, God can show you ways to take care of that.  Things that seem hopeless to you, look different to God.  In Jeremiah 33:3 God tells you this, “Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.”

It may be that you are having health issues and have just about given up.  You may have prayed and feel that God did not answer your prayer.  To put it simply – life happens! We are born, we grow up, we grow old and eventually we die.  This doesn’t mean that God doesn’t care, or that he leaves us to flounder around on our own.  He is at your side every step of the way through life.  Psalm 9:9 tells us that, “The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.”  Just saying these words have been a great comfort to me in my times of trouble. 

Each of us face problems every day, but God gives us strength to go on.  Jesus promised us that “He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you.” [Hebrews 13:5]  Most believers understand this because if we don’t believe what Jesus said, we surely can’t count on the fact that we will go to heaven when we die.  After all, our hope is that heaven is our eternal home.  Titus 2:13 tells us that we should be “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of our great God and our Savior Jesus Christ.”

We are now living in ‘perilous’ times and the world as we knew it is falling away from any form of Godliness. In Ezekiel 7:7, we read about what is coming.  “O people of Israel, the day of your destruction is dawning. The time has come; the day of trouble is near. Shouts of anguish will be heard on the mountains, not shouts of joy.”  This ‘time of trouble’ will be like something we have never seen before and yet, God is watching over His people and will protect them from what will come.

Think on this; “And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation, even to that time. And at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone who is found written in the book.”          [Daniel 12:1] If you have asked Jesus to forgive your sins and come into your heart, you are saved.  That means that when Jesus comes to gather his “own”, he will take you with him to heaven.  This is what is called, “the Rapture”.

So you see that Jesus will never leave you alone, so ‘Rejoice’ in times of trouble – help is on the way!

"Are Angels Real?"

Are Angels Real?

“Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?” Hebrews 1:14

I think almost every Christian believes there are supernatural beings called “Angels”.  They were created at the time of, or before the earth was created. “Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished.” [Genesis 2:1]  The word ‘host’ refers to angels (see Luke 2:13).  Angels are so powerful that it is hard to describe what they can do.  We read in 2 Kings 19:35, where one angel killed 135,000 Assyrians when King Hezekiah ruled Israel and was threatened by the Assyrians. 

We read about Daniel in the lion’s den and God sent an angel to guarded him all night and shut the mouths of the lions.  An angel came to Mary, Jesus mother and also to Joseph giving them instructions.  I could go on and on sharing stories from the Bible about the activities of angels, but I want to bring you up to date on what I personally know about them.

My eldest daughter was very sickly as a child and close to death many times.  When she was about 4 years old she woke up in the night and wanted to come to us.  Our bedroom was just off the living room so as she came through it she saw, as she described it, a beautiful lady.  She said the lady talked to her and wanted to take my little girl with her, but for some unknown reason she didn’t.  When our daughter came into our bedroom, she told us about the ‘lady’.  Her father and I were very alarmed and although we saw no one in the other room, there was definitely a presence and a misty light was all through the house.  I had no doubt an angel of God had visited my child whose life has centered on serving God over all these years; many times in miraculous ways.

My mother was a very godly woman who loved the Lord.  When she was in her 70’s, she became very ill with heart problems and other things.  She was in the hospital and the doctor told us there was nothing to be done.  He said a CAT scan showed she had a mass in her brain with fingers spreading through the skull.  That night my husband contacted several people and they were praying all over the country.  The next morning I went to the hospital and when I walked in the room she looked so pale and was so weak she could barely talk.  I walked to her bed and she whispered to me.  “Something happened early this morning.  Two men came in my room and stood on either side of the bed and began to lift me up to take me with them.  I looked down at the foot of the bed and I saw hundreds of people that I didn’t know and they were praying for me.  Then the men put me back down and disappeared, but I looked toward the window and a white dove flew down, looked in and then flew away. I know I am going to be alright.”

After saying that, as weak as she had been, she sat up and swung her feet of the edge of the bed and said she was hungry.  She had barely eaten for almost 2 weeks, but now wanted food.  The doctor came in the room about then and said he had just looked at some additional x-rays and they showed there was no mass at all.  On top of that her heart monitor showed nothing out of line.  That day she ate, the heart monitor was turned off and she went home the following day. 

Later that summer she was out with her friends picking strawberries, going shopping and doing all the things she did before.  I’ve no doubt in my mind that God sent his angels to bring her home, but the prayers of the saints surely were answered and she lived to be 86 years old.

My husband, Pastor Jerry, is well known for his wisdom, honesty, integrity and his great faith.  It was about 20 years ago when this happened.  We had been asleep for some time when he grabbed my arm and was trying to call my name.  Then he fell over backwards and I thought he had a heart attack.  I shook him and his whole body was soaking wet.  Then he sat up and told me what happened.

He was awakened by what sounded like very heavy footsteps walking through the house and into the bedroom.  He sat up and at the end of the bed stood a man about 8 or 9 feet tall.  He was dressed all in glowing white and held an old lantern in his hands.  He couldn’t see the man’s face, but he knew he was an angel. Jerry said every emotion possible ran through him and he tried to call my name, but nothing came out.  Then he fell over on the bed.

I did not see anyone in our room, but I felt strong presence still there.  He will never forget that visitation, but to this day does not know why it happened, or what it meant.  I believe one day he will come to know why an angel of God stopped by to see him.

Yes, my friends, angels are real and countless people have run into them over the centuries.  Sometimes they perform a miracle and sometimes they just appear to people.  I know this; I may not see one in my lifetime, but on the day the Lord calls me to my heavenly home, angels will come and carry me to heaven.  I will not travel that road alone. (Read the story of Lazarus and the rich man in Luke 16:19-22.)  Angels are all around us and some day we will know how they watched over us and protected us when we might have died.

When we read about tragic deaths it doesn’t mean that God’s angels were not there with them, but it was their time to go.  “LORD, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered— how fleeting my life is.” [Psalm 39:4]  “To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven: A time to be born, And a time to die”  Ecclesiastes 3:1-2  

I close with an old Spiritual song that was sung by the slaves many years ago. 

All night, all day,
Angels watching over me, my Lord.
All night, all day,
Angels watching over me.