Temptation

When I Am Tempted

[139 words] When I am tempted I dare not strayFor many people look my way;Loved ones to sicken and distrustIf I betray my sacred trust;Weak ones to stumble and to fallIf I should heed temptation’s call;Young ones to follow in my wrongIf my heart’s not kept pure and strong;Older ones to mourn and grieveIf I…

Inconceivable!

[284 words] In James 1:14-15, James explained the process that leads to the birth of sin. “Each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin.” It’s interesting to note that temptation isn’t something that enters into people; rather, people…

Jesus Will Help You Overcome Temptation

[123 words] Being tempted is something we will all face; let us stand boldly against the devil and have the courage to resist temptation. Matthew wrote, “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:41) In James 1:12 we read, “Blessed is the…

Clean Air

[434 words] There’s a new heat pump on the south end of the “preacher’s home.” I was there when the repair guys were pulling out the old one. The compressor died. It was no big surprise as all mechanical things fail, wear out, or break, sooner or later. However, there was an unexpected bit of…

Why Are You Sleeping?

[342 words] In a time of great trial and agony for Jesus, He lacked support from his closest disciples. Luke records that in the garden, Jesus prayed earnestly; “And when he rose from prayer, He came to the disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow, and He said to them, Why are you sleeping? Rise…

Not One More

[251 words] June 28, 2014 marked the 100-year anniversary of the assassination of Archduke Francis Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie, of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Their deaths led directly to World War I, which would begin exactly one month later on July 28. The Archduke and his wife were shot as they rode in an open-air…

Treating Symptoms and Ignoring Causes

[207 words] I recently read this insightful sentence by Scott Smith and began thinking about all the times people saw the symptom and result but not the real problem: “Immediately after Adam and Eve sinned, they tried to cover their nakedness with leaves to hide what they thought was the problem—after all, it is what…

The Keys to Overcoming the World

  [485 words] In Revelation, there is a lot of figurative language and many difficult symbols. Because of that we often avoid reading the book. But in it are some great Bible helps. One of them is found in chapter 12, where we learn how Christians are to overcome the world. To preface what is…

Spiritual Superpowers

  [223 words] “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” Romans 12:21. My teens have posed the question: if you were a superhero, what superpower would you want to have? Answers range from extreme speed to flight, from x-ray vision to great strength. Everyone wants to be in control and not…

How Do I Keep from Doing a Sin That I Want to Do?

  [478 words] In a Bible class that was discussing the topic of homosexuality, a 13-year-old girl asked, “What about someone who really doesn’t want to have those feelings but can’t seem to stop them?” That is such a great question, for there are many who are struggling with homosexual desires but they don’t want…

Draw Near

  [210 words] “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” (James 4:8). This verse from James is very closely related to what he said in 1:12, “Blessed is the man who endures temptation.” Temptations come against us fast and hard. And the devil has an army of assistants who pressure us…

We Can Win The Battle

[332 words] As I type, Monday is knocking at the door! Challenges lay ahead, temptation is on both sides of the road, and Satan is waiting for me to step off the path I walk with Jesus. You and I will battle sin every hour and every day this week. The Good News is Jesus…

You Are Being Stalked!

[358 words] There have been a few times when I have been followed, stalked if you will, by animals. Once by a cat that wanted to play, once by a skunk on the UAM campus (who didn’t want to play), and once by a large dog that I am sure was trying to hamstring me.…

A People Eager to Do Good

[309 words] We are God’s people, His holy people, the church of God, the pillar and foundation of the truth (1 Tim. 3:15). We want to do what pleases Him; it is our new nature (2 Cor. 5:17) and our identity as His children (1 John 3:22). However, we do fail, we sin! If we…

Beware of Satan’s Nose and Foot!

The ancient Arabs had a saying: “Beware the camel’s nose” which means that if we let one small undesirable situation occur, then there would soon be a worsening to a disastrous predicament. The context is that if you let a camel get his nose into the tent, the whole body would soon follow. In America,…

Overcoming Temptation

[298 words] We are constantly tempted with sin. How do we prepare? How do we cope? Scripture says, “No temptations 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,…

The Five-Second Rule

If you accidentally drop a chicken nugget onto the floor, do you eat it? “Five-second rule!” is the usual reply, meaning that if you pick it up within five seconds, it’s ok to eat it. Germs and bacteria will not have had time to latch onto that tasty nugget. Science has again spoiled our fun.…

A Petite But Potent Word

Some writers consider “no” to be the hardest word to say. Of course, whether or not this is true depends on the context. For example, most parents don’t have a problem dropping this word if their children get out of line. You can picture it, can’t you? A tiny hand is reaching for a hot…

At Your Weakest Moment

[267 words] At Your Weakest Moment … . . . that’s when Satan will tempt you to sin. Our adversary is no fool. He’s not going to waste time and effort by working against your strengths. He will attack you when you are the weakest and where you are most vulnerable. Here’s an example: Someone…