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Posts Tagged ‘temptation’

Focus on God’s Goodness-Purity of God

January 25th, 2024 No comments

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Focus on God’s goodness is found in James 1:13.

“When tempted, no one should say, ‘God is tempting me.’ For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone.”

James was pointing out that we are tempted when we are dragged away by our own evil desire and enticed. God will not tempt us to do what is wrong, but God will teach and motivate us to do what is right.

He has provided the Bible for us to know His will and to invite us to faith in Jesus that leads to abundant and eternal life.

God has also provided the church, so that we can be in relationship with God’s people and encourage each other.

God also sent His One and only Son into the world to save us from our sins, and to become our source of righteousness.

The Purity of God reveals the goodness of God and is a reason to give thanks in the Year of Gratitude.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

Light Reflection-Psalm 119:9-11

February 1st, 2023 No comments

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Light Reflection is from Psalm 119, verses 9 to 11.

“How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.”

God’s Word is a light to help us overcome temptation. When Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness, Jesus responded by reciting God’s Word, and did not give in to the devil.

Taking God’s word to heart will affect the desires of our heart so that we do not want to grieve God’s heart. Our delight will be in the Lord and our fellowship with Him will take top priority in our lives.

James 4:7 urges us to submit ourselves to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from us. Come near to God, and He will come near to us.

This Light Reflection inspires us to guard our heart from temptation by the power of God’s Word in the Year To Shine.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

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Faith Building Verses-James 4:7-8a

November 15th, 2022 No comments

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Faith-Building Verses are James 4:7 and 8a.

Submit yourselves, then to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you.

Temptation might show up in unexpected and surprising ways. That is why it is important for us to be ready and to stay on guard with the armor of God. Those spiritual weapons include faith, righteousness, and the word of God, which help us take our stand against the devil.

The more we know about ourselves and Jesus, the greater our awareness that we need Him. We need His forgiveness for past failures, and we need His grace for future victory. First Corinthians 10:12 says, “If you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall.”

Humility keeps us from becoming overconfident, and motivates us to draw closer to God for the strength to say “No” to temptation.

These Faith-Building Verses inspire us to resist the devil and draw near to God in the Year of Relationship.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

Faith Building Verse-Matthew 6:13

October 26th, 2022 No comments

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Faith-Building Verse is Matthew 6:13.

Jesus taught us to pray, “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”

This is a prayer for victory over sin and temptation. Our battles in this area are spiritual in nature. Ephesians 6 mentions that our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

In our battle against sin, prayer is a powerful weapon to help us overcome evil, because God’s strength is greater than the powers of our enemies.

This Faith-Building Verse inspires us to seek God’s help to deliver us from evil in the Year of Relationship.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

Faith Building Verse-I Corinthians 10:13

September 15th, 2022 No comments

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Faith-Building Verse is First Corinthians 10:13.

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.

God is not our tempter. Temptation might come from our own evil desires, or the crafty voice of the devil. How can we overcome? The best way is to be close to God. He is our solution. In a relationship with Him, He is able to give us the desire to do what is right.

James 4:7 says, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and He will come near to you.”

This Faith-Building Verse inspires us to endure temptation with the help of God’s grace in the Year of Relationship.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

 

Freedom Phrase-Overcoming Temptation

October 17th, 2019 No comments

JOHN SHIRK – In the Year of Redemption, today’s Freedom Phrase is based on First Corinthians 10, verses 12 and 13.

“If you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall. 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.”

When it comes to temptation, it is wise to be on guard. If we think we are above being tempted in a certain area, that may be when we are most vulnerable. Peter insisted he would not deny Jesus three times, but was willing to die for Him.  His overconfidence kept him from recognizing his lack of courage for the Lord.

There is a strategy for overcoming temptation found in James 4:7. “Submit yourselves then, to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you.”

Through Jesus, we are set free to say “Yes” to God’s will and “No” to Satan’s temptations.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

Relationship Building Principle-Carrying Burdens Of Another

August 27th, 2015 No comments

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Relationship-Building Principle comes from Galatians 6:1 and 2.

Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

Expressing love to sinners can get messy. The ultimate example of this is Jesus Christ, who went to the cross for our sins. As we walk in the light of God’s love, we will recognize two important realities. The first reality is that there are people all around us who need Jesus. And the second reality is that even though we might have a relationship with Jesus, we are still capable of giving in to temptation. So, we are wise to guard our own heart, so that the Spirit living in us influences the person caught in sin, rather than sin in the other person having an influence on us.

In reaching out to people who have been caught in a sin, we have the opportunity to restore them to fellowship with God. The Bible says that we are to do this gently. This means, showing mercy and patience so that they can perceive God’s love expressed through us. It means sharing the good news that Jesus can change us from the inside out as we look to Him as Savior and Lord.

Carrying the burdens of another is a vital relationship-building principle to take to heart in the Year of Connection.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

Lesson Of Faith-Fall Of Adam and Eve

October 15th, 2013 2 comments

JOHN SHIRK – The fall of Adam and Eve.

After God created man in His own image, something terrible happened, which helps to explain why there is evil in this world to this very day. Adam and Eve ate fruit from the one forbidden tree that God commanded them to avoid.

Genesis 3:6 says, “When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.”

From this account, we can learn a lot about the forbidden fruit of our own lives, whether it’s the temptation to steal from the cookie jar or take someone else’s possessions.

Before eating the forbidden fruit, the woman saw the fruit of the tree. It was pleasing to look at. It captured the affections of her heart. Then, after eating it, she exported the fruit to her husband, who also ate it. Forbidden fruit can be like that today. Our heart is drawn to disobedience when our focus is in the wrong place. Our own moral failures can have a contagious effect on others, just as Eve persuaded Adam to eat the forbidden fruit too.

Their failure teaches us to focus our vision on the good things that God has provided for us, rather than forbidden things.

The Fall of Adam and Eve is a lesson of faith worth remembering.

Lesson Of Faith-How Jesus Responded To Temptation

January 25th, 2013 1 comment

JOHN SHIRK – There are several ways we might be tempted to sin-Either through the external forces of the world’s value system and the influence of Satan or through the internal force of the sinful nature.

The source of Jesus’ temptation was not internal, but rather external, because He had no sinful nature. But He was tempted externally by the devil.

It happened in Luke 4. The devil tempted Jesus three times, and each time, Jesus responded with the words, It is written. He resisted the devil by using the Word of God.

That resource is available to us today, and will help us in moments of temptation. The writer of Psalm 119 said to the LORD,  “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.”

Hiding God’s Word in our heart is effective for overcoming temptation and is a lesson of faith worth remembering.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com