May 16th, 2024
by Tom Cabaniss
by Tom Cabaniss
There are a few challenges that we all commonly share. One such challenge is temptation. Bill Thrasher has written that, “temptation is a common experience for everyone (see 1 Corinthians 10:13). It is a deceitful invitation to fulfill a legitimate need in a destructive way.” It is not a sin to be tempted to do something wrong or evil. We can remember that Jesus Himself was tempted. But yielding to evil temptation is sinful. We can think of it in this way. Imagine holding a cup of poison in your hand. The poison in the cup is not going to harm you. But if you drink the poison, then you are at grave risk of becoming sick or even dying. Temptation becomes a sin only when we drink it, yield to it and welcome into our lives whatever it may be offering. The passage in 1 Corinthians 10:13 teaches us, “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” A few truths stand out for us to see.
First, we are not immune from temptation. The enemy will attempt to deceive and mislead us into sinful behavior. He has always been determined to rob God of His glory by drawing men and women away from the Lord. Satan desires a following and an army of loyalty and devotion. He attempts to gain this by offering us something that we might inherently desire or want for ourselves. So, we can know every day that a potential battle awaits as the enemy tempts us.
Second, God is faithful to us. He will provide the relief and help we need to withstand temptation. It is never God’s will for us to sin. And sinful leanings never come from the Lord. He will always lead us to what is good, righteous and true. God never permits the enemy to tempt us beyond what we can bear or resist with the Lord’s help and power. There is no such thing as a super-temptation or a nuclear-temptation that we are powerless to resist or reject. God always grants us a way forward and a way that leads to Him and not the enemy.
Third, God provides a way for us to escape temptation. One way is by seeking the Lord more earnestly and eagerly whenever we are tempted to sin. Psalm 37:4 says, “Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Let the Lord be the One who fills you and blesses you. Bill Thrasher suggests that we attach a prayer request to any temptation that we experience so that whenever this temptation comes to us, we will resist it by reallocating our time and efforts to praying for that request rather than submitting to the temptation. In his book How To Resurrect A Dead Prayer Life, Thrasher wrote, “Let me encourage you to take out a sheet of paper and write down the temptation. Afterward, ask God to give you a prayer burden that every time you are tempted in this way, you will be prompted to pray this prayer request. Let it be a prayer request that will damage Satan’s kingdom as God answers this prayer.” This approach to dealing with temptation allows us to fight back against the powers of darkness and evil by turning temptation into an offensive attack against the enemy and his wicked territory and schemes. Thrasher even suggests that when we are facing a temptation, we could develop the habit of praying for a missionary, a nation or a community to be transformed by the gospel message. We can, with God’s help and Word, gain victory over temptation and the ways that Satan would like to mislead and misdirect us. We can turn temptations from the evil one into occasions to pray for missions, the advance of the gospel and special people we know, value and love. Take Thrasher’s advice to heart and see just how many battles that you are able to win with God’s grace and power at work in you.
This coming Sunday will be a special time with our youth leading in worship and our recognition of our high school and college graduates. Join us for the graduate coffee at 9:00am, Bible study at 9:45am and worship at 10:55am. We will honor our graduates at our monthly communal lunch after worship. Bring along some food to share as we enjoy fellowship and celebrating the milestones of our graduating seniors. Have a great Thursday!
First, we are not immune from temptation. The enemy will attempt to deceive and mislead us into sinful behavior. He has always been determined to rob God of His glory by drawing men and women away from the Lord. Satan desires a following and an army of loyalty and devotion. He attempts to gain this by offering us something that we might inherently desire or want for ourselves. So, we can know every day that a potential battle awaits as the enemy tempts us.
Second, God is faithful to us. He will provide the relief and help we need to withstand temptation. It is never God’s will for us to sin. And sinful leanings never come from the Lord. He will always lead us to what is good, righteous and true. God never permits the enemy to tempt us beyond what we can bear or resist with the Lord’s help and power. There is no such thing as a super-temptation or a nuclear-temptation that we are powerless to resist or reject. God always grants us a way forward and a way that leads to Him and not the enemy.
Third, God provides a way for us to escape temptation. One way is by seeking the Lord more earnestly and eagerly whenever we are tempted to sin. Psalm 37:4 says, “Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Let the Lord be the One who fills you and blesses you. Bill Thrasher suggests that we attach a prayer request to any temptation that we experience so that whenever this temptation comes to us, we will resist it by reallocating our time and efforts to praying for that request rather than submitting to the temptation. In his book How To Resurrect A Dead Prayer Life, Thrasher wrote, “Let me encourage you to take out a sheet of paper and write down the temptation. Afterward, ask God to give you a prayer burden that every time you are tempted in this way, you will be prompted to pray this prayer request. Let it be a prayer request that will damage Satan’s kingdom as God answers this prayer.” This approach to dealing with temptation allows us to fight back against the powers of darkness and evil by turning temptation into an offensive attack against the enemy and his wicked territory and schemes. Thrasher even suggests that when we are facing a temptation, we could develop the habit of praying for a missionary, a nation or a community to be transformed by the gospel message. We can, with God’s help and Word, gain victory over temptation and the ways that Satan would like to mislead and misdirect us. We can turn temptations from the evil one into occasions to pray for missions, the advance of the gospel and special people we know, value and love. Take Thrasher’s advice to heart and see just how many battles that you are able to win with God’s grace and power at work in you.
This coming Sunday will be a special time with our youth leading in worship and our recognition of our high school and college graduates. Join us for the graduate coffee at 9:00am, Bible study at 9:45am and worship at 10:55am. We will honor our graduates at our monthly communal lunch after worship. Bring along some food to share as we enjoy fellowship and celebrating the milestones of our graduating seniors. Have a great Thursday!
Recent
Archive
2024
January
February
March
April
May
September
2023
January
Monday, January 2, 2023Tuesday, January 3, 2023Wednesday, January 4, 2023Thursday, January 5, 2023Monday, January 9, 2023Tuesday, January 10, 2023Wednesday, January 11, 2023Thursday, January 12, 2023Monday, January 16, 2023Tuesday, January 17, 2023Wednesday, January 18, 2023Thursday, January 19, 2023Monday, January 23, 2023Tuesday, January 24, 2023Wednesday, January 25, 2023Thursday, January 26, 2023Monday, January 30, 2023Tuesday, January 31, 2023
February
Wednesday, February 1, 2023Thursday, February 2, 2023Monday, February 6, 2023Tuesday, February 7, 2023Wednesday, February 8, 2023Thursday, February 9, 2023Monday, February 13, 2023Tuesday, February 14, 2023Wednesday, February 15, 2023Thursday, February 16, 2023Monday, February 20, 2023Tuesday, February 21, 2023Wednesday, February 22, 2023Thursday, February 23, 2023Monday, February 27, 2023Tuesday, February 28, 2023
March
Wednesday, March 1, 2023Thursday, March 2, 2023Monday, March 6, 2023Tuesday, March 7, 2023Wednesday, March 8, 2023Thursday, March 9, 2023Monday, March 13, 2023Tuesday, March 14, 2023Wednesday, March 15, 2023Thursday, March 16, 2023Monday, March 20, 2023Tuesday, March 21, 2023Wednesday, March 22, 2023Monday, March 27, 2023March 28, 2023
Categories
Tags
Acts
Bible
Communion
Cross
God's will
God\'s will
God
Gospels
Holy Spirit
Holy Week
Jesus
Joseph
Lent
Peter
Reformation
Satan
accountability
action
advent
all saints
allegory
anger
anxiety
apologetics
atonement
awareness
awe
backsliding
baptism
beginning
beloved
betrayal
bitterness
blessing
born again
burden
burnout
calling
care
change
character
chistmas
choices
christian living
christmas
church history
church
circumcision
comfort
commitment
community
compassion
complacency
confession
confidence
consequences
contentment
control
conversation
cost
courage
creation
death
debt
deception
decisions
deliverance
denial
dependence
depth
desire
despair
determination
devotion
direction
discernment
discipleship
discouragement
dishonesty
disobedience
distractions
doctrine
doubt
dreams
eagerness
emotion
encouragement
end times
endurance
equality
eternal life
eternity
evangelism
evil
example
facing battles
faithful living
faithfulness
faith
family
fatigue
fear
fellowship
focus
follow
foreshadowing
forgiveness
foundation
freedom
friends
fruit of the Spirit
future
generosity
gifts
giving
glory
goodness
gospel
grace
grateful
gratitude
greed
grit
growth
guidance
guilt
halloween
happiness
healing
heart
heaven
help
history
holiday
holiness
home
honesty
hope
humble
humility
identity
impossible
incarnation
inspiration
instruction
integrity
intentional
jealousy
journey
joy
judgment
justice
justification
kindness
kingdom
knowing God
lament
law
leadership
lead
lies
life
listening
love
martin luther
maturity
measure
memorial
memories
mentoring
mercy
messiah
minor prophets
miracles
missions
mission
mistakes
motives
mountaintops
mourning
music
nation
nativity
nature
new year
new
next generation
obedience
obstacles
offering
omniscience
opportunity
opposition
overcoming
parenting
passion
path
patience
peace
pentecost
persecution
perseverence
perspective
plan
poetry
power
praise
prayer
preparation
presence
pressure
pride
priorities
process
prodigal
progress
promise
prophecy
protection
provision
psalm
purpose
rebellion
reconcile
redemption
refuge
rejoice
relationship
remember
remembrance
renewal
renown
repentance
resentment
resolution
restoration
rest
resurrection
return
revenge
revival
righteousness
risk
sacrifice
sadness
salt
salvation
sanctification
scripture
second coming
seeking God
self-control
serenity
sermon
service
shame
sharing
silence
sincerity
sin
solitude
sorrow
sovereignty
spiritual disciplines
standard
star
stewardship
storms
strength
struggle
stubbornness
stuck
submission
success
suffering
surrender
talents
talking
temple
temptation
ten commandments
testimony
testing
thankfulness
thankful
thanksgiving
theology
time
tithes
tough times
traditions
transfiguration
trials
trinity
troubles
trust
truth
veterans
victory
vision
waiting
warning
weakness
wisdom
wise men
witness
wonder
work
worship
No Comments