Overcoming Your Temptations (3)

'...count it all joy when you fall into various trials.' James 1:2 NKJV

Satan knows that when you recognize him as the source of your temptation, he loses his advantage. He knows that when you understand he initiated the temptation you’ll recoil from it faster than if you think you have initiated it. Satan wants you to believe you yourself are the source of the temptation. If Satan approached you and said, ‘I’ve come to make you sin and feel condemned,’ your vulnerability to his temptations would evaporate! He won’t tell you that—but if you remember it you’ll have the advantage over him. As Paul puts it, ‘…we are not ignorant about Satan’s scheming.’ (2 Corinthians 2:11 GWT) Another misconception is that temptation is time lost and effort wasted. In long periods of temptation we feel like we’ve lost ground rather than gained it. This is important to understand! Withstanding temptation is ‘[fighting] the good fight of faith…’ (1 Timothy 6:12 NKJV), and that’s when God develops your character. ‘When all kinds of…temptations crowd into your lives…Realize that they come to…produce in you the quality of endurance…’ and when that happens, ‘…you will find you have become men [and women] of mature character…’ (James 1:2–4 PHPS) Indeed, your compensation goes far beyond your present development to the reaping of eternal rewards. ‘…be exceedingly glad on this account, though now for a little while you may be distressed by trials and suffer temptations, so that [the genuineness] of your faith may be tested, [your faith] which is infinitely more precious than the perishable gold which is tested and purified by fire.’ (1 Peter 1:6–7 AMP) Add to this God’s glorious guarantee: ‘Blessed is the man who endures temptation... he will receive the crown of life...’ (James 1:12 NKJV) You are Loved!

Overcoming Your Temptations (2)

'Blessed is the man who endures temptation...' James 1:12 NKJV


The second misconception is: Temptation is sin. 'Blessed is the man who endures temptation...' James 1:12 NKJV
The devil wants you to blame yourself for the temptations you experience. Why? Because when you believe that you are the source of it, you feel condemned and discouraged. As you indulge in feelings of discouragement, you become an easy prey and Satan convinces you to go ahead and yield to the temptation. Ironically, you yield to sin through the fear of having already fallen. Temptation itself isn’t sin; the sin only occurs when you yield to it! Many of us feel like we’re spiritually deficient, distant from God, even phonies because we think we initiated the temptation ourselves. Imagine a burglar in your house, and when you detect him he accuses you of being the burglar! Would you believe him? Of course not! Yet that’s Satan’s approach with us. After he tempts us, he accuses with thoughts like, ‘A real Christian would never have such thoughts!’ Knowing our own weakness, his accusations sound plausible and we believe him. Then we feel condemned, spiral into discouragement, and yield to the temptation. Understand this: condemnation comes from Satan (1 Timothy 3:6). The Bible says, ‘Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.’ (Romans 8:1 NIV) When Satan sends temptation, the Holy Spirit goes to work in us, helping us to reject his suggestions and reminding us of Jesus’ availability to help us triumph. ‘Because He Himself suffered when He was tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted.’ (Hebrews 2:18 NIV) So when you’re tempted, reject Satan’s condemnation and reach for Christ’s overcoming assistance.
You are Loved!

Overcoming Your Temptations (1)

'...don't let us yield to temptation...' Matthew 6:13 NLT

Many of us suffer unnecessarily because of our misconceptions about temptation. One thing God has been putting into my spirit is that we all need to know that knowledge is power! With knowledge comes the strength to overcome in time of need. How do we become overcomer's in the area of temptation? The first one is: expecting your temptations to cease—or at least de-crease. When the Israelites entered the Promised Land they had the same expectation. They were surprised that the Canaanites were still in the land. So they got discouraged, thinking they must have gone the wrong way. ‘Surely this couldn’t be the land of promise.’ God’s Word makes it clear that the Christian life, from start to finish, is warfare. Paul says we are called to ‘…wrestle…against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places’ (Ephesians 6:12 KJV), and your level of temptation increases as you draw closer to God. Notice: when Israel first left Egypt, God didn’t lead them through Philistine territory ‘though that was shorter. For God said, “…If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.”’ (Exodus 13:17 NIV) God understood their fledgling faith and protected them from their enemies. But later, when their faith had grown, He permitted them to face seven powerful nations. Just like the Promised Land, the promised life of victory requires you to deal with temptation and wrestle your way through to victory, believing that ‘…greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world.’ (1 John 4:4 KJV) Indeed, their enemy’s attack proved that Israel was in the Promised Land. So experiencing temptations is proof you are truly abiding in Christ. More tomorrow...you are Loved!

What Keeps Us From Serving (4)

'...through love serve one another.' Galatians 5:13 NKJV

The last thing we struggle with, with serving is: Control

While it’s important to focus on understanding others, we must also be authentic and open so those we are helping can understand us. Being authentic can make us feel vulnerable and transparent. If you’re serious about serving others, you must open up and use your gifts. Let people know who you our and what you believe; and why you have chosen to give up control. The example of the life of Jesus shows us He was transparent and vulnerable and when He was questioned, He let them know who He was and what His mission was. Serving is a part of the mission God has given each of us. Paul summed up best in Galatians 5:13, that we serve God because of the freedom we have been given. '...through love serve one another.' Let love be the center of your mission to serve and watch what God will do. You are Loved!

What Keeps Us From Serving (3)

'But they paid no attention...' Matthew 22:5 NIV

Indifference is the third thing that keeps us from serving others. A well–known comedian quipped, ‘Scientists announced today that they’d found a cure for apathy. However, they claim no one has shown the slightest bit of interest in it.’ When it comes to communicating, that could be said of many of us; we’re indifferent to how we come across. We may not necessarily feel superior to others, but we don’t go out of our way to get to know them either. Why? Because it’s hard work! In reality, indifference is another form of selfishness that keeps us from connecting with people.
When we serve others we are showing them the love of Christ!

Novelist George Eliot put it like this: ‘Try to care about something in this vast world besides the gratification of small selfish desires. Try to care for what is best in thought and action—something that is good apart from the accidents of your own lot. Look on other lives... See what their troubles are, and how they are borne.’ People truly appreciate it when you make the effort, no matter how small, to try to see things from their point of view. Paul writes, ‘Be kindly, affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another.’ (Romans 12:10 NKJV) I love that verse..be kindly affectionate. Everybody you meet is wrestling with a fear or fighting a battle and, if you’re caring and sensitive, God will give you a word to lift them. Isaiah said, ‘The Lord God has given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him who is weary…’ (Isaiah 50:4 NKJV) What a gift—to be able to lift someone who is struggling.

What Keeps Us From Serving (2)

'...Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought...' Romans 12:3 NIV

Continuing from yesterday, another thing that’ll keep you from serving others is arrogance. What others think and feel isn’t important to you. Arrogant people seldom meet people on common ground. They don’t believe they should have to because by their own estimation they live on higher ground and shouldn’t have to descend to anyone else’s level. They expect others to come to them. Justice Louis D. Brandeis observed: ‘Nine–tenths of the serious controversies that arise in life result from misunderstanding, from one man not knowing the facts which to the other man seem important, or otherwise failing to appreciate his point of view.’ It’s ridiculous for anyone to think they have all the answers. Such people can become opinionated, narrow–minded and arrogant, listening only to their own thoughts and ignoring advice and suggestions from others. When your overriding goal is to build a case for your own viewpoint, people get turned off if you have a ‘my way or no way’ attitude. To win them you must be willing to build a relationship. The letters in the word ‘silent’ also form the word ‘listen’. Relationships are built by listening to people, loving them, learning from them, and leaving them better off than you found them. ‘A wise man will hear and increase learning, and a man of understanding will attain wise counsel.’ (Proverbs 1:5 NKJV) You are Loved!

What Keeps Us From Serving? (1)

'To answer before listening--that is folly...' Proverbs 18:13 NIV

One of our Missional Values at CFW is to Serve Others! We believe that serving others shows the love Christ. To serve others effectively though, you must be attuned to what people need; what our community needs. So what keeps us from effectively serving others?
First: Assumption. A lady in an airport lounge bought a packet of donuts and sat down to read the newspaper. She heard a rustling noise and looked up to see the man beside her helping himself to the donuts. Not wanting to make a scene, she leaned over and took one herself, hoping he’d get the message. Then she heard more rustling. She couldn’t believe it. The man was helping himself to another donut! There was only one left! She watched in disbelief as he broke the remaining donut in two, pushed half across to her, popped the other half in his mouth, and left. She was still furious when her flight was announced. Imagine how she felt when she opened her handbag to get her ticket out—and found her unopened packet of donuts! Now be honest, didn’t you assume the stranger was helping himself to her donuts? Most people do and that tells us a lot about ourselves! Too often we’re guilty of making assumptions about people and once you put someone in a box, it’s hard to think of them any other way. Do you agree? Every time a good tailor sees a client, he takes new measurements. He never assumes they’re the same size as they were the last time. That’s a good policy. Never make assumptions about someone’s background, profession, race, gender, age, nationality, politics, faith, or other factors. Once you do, you stop paying attention and miss clues that can help you to know what they really need. You are Loved!