November 15 2009
Made All the Difference
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Poetry is usually not looked upon as manly. In the eleventh grade poetry wasn’t cool, hip, or groovy to like poetry especially among the “self appointed real men” and so I was poked fun of for carrying around a book of poetry, with a couple of sheets of paper in it that held my attempts of writing a few lyrical lines of my own. It was in my “American Literature” that I was introduced to the poetry of Robert Frost. His poem, “The Road Not Taken” caught my eye as the last line has held my attention through the years. I won’t bore you with the entirety of the poem, but here are the last few lines …
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I –
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
The line “and that has made all the difference” … is profound as well as convicting. It is with a sigh I say, “Oh I want to choose and be possessed by that which will make all the difference.”
How about you? Oh too often it is the sigh of regret we voice, “I wish I had … I should have … If only I had.” Would you not want that which for ages and ages hence you would say, “And that has made all the difference”? It is a powerful thought … to think … that the decisions you and I make could be those that lead us to say “And that has made all the difference.”
So we say, tell me … What decision can I make? What road can I take … that would cause me to know and say, “and that has made all the difference”?
The apostle Paul speaks of it clearly in the book of 1 Thessalonians where the Church there was going through hard times … persecuting times … times of questioning and wondering. Paul writes to encourage and motivate with the truth … that Christ will return for His bride, the Church (it should be motivation for us today) … so therefore be joyful, prayerful, and thankful … and watch this triplet of commands be those that made all the difference in such times.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (ESV) Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all your circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Wedged in such trying times from the culture and times of tending to church matters of theology, fellowship and relationships (accountability … looking out for your brother/sister), temptations from evil … are the commands to practice the spiritual disciplines of rejoicing, praying and giving thanks.
These three appear to us as obvious and probably a bit too simplistic for such times as we are going through. To which we say, “Yes I know but give me something besides rejoice, pray, give thanks!”
Yet Paul understood that the obeying of these three, though they often go against our natural inclinations … change the heart (affections) and the mind (attentions) and will be that, that has made all the difference.
These three are “supernatural” indications of God’s work of the Spirit in our lives. Think about this … don’t we tend to exhibit our natural inclinations of …
- MOURNING rather than REJOICING
- ANXIETIES rather than PRAYER
- UNTHANKFUL rather than THANKFUL
Yet these three … rejoicing, prayer, and giving thanks are true indicators of our spiritual walk with God. God, through His Spirit does not infuse us with attitudes of negative mourning and worry that leads to unthankful hearts and lifestyles. (Isaiah 61:3 To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness … Phil 4:6 6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.)
With the practice of these, they not only are indicators, but they let loose spiritual dynamics that work IN and ON the believer’s life. Paul knew that in the midst of trying times, we all have the tendency to fall back on the flesh, but he encourages the going forward in the Spirit.
BEING JOYFUL … made all the difference
Rejoicing, being joyful, having joy in all things and at all times is the work of the Spirit IN us. It’s our “trademark” as Christian! It’s the fruit of the Spirit working and growing in us.
Jesus spoke of it … My joy may remain in you and your joy may be full (Jn 15:11) … scriptures say … the joy of the Lord is your strength (Neh 8:10) … restoring the joy of your salvation (Ps 51:12) … all these are the INWARD work of God in us.
The paradox of joyful rejoicing is … as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing (2 Cor 6:11)
John 16:22 (ESV) So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.
Cultivate the mind and heart to rejoice and watch it as it will that in your life that MADE ALL THE DIFFERENCE.
BEING PRAYERFUL … made all the difference
Intimately related to JOY is the realm of “constant prayer.” We have to learn that prayer cultivates so much more in us, than just answers to our problems.
Paul commands … “pray without ceasing” (not ceasing w/o praying) … there is a greater work to be done in us, than just for us in prayer.
How we pray, why we pray, when we pray are all indicators of our RELATIONSHIP with God. The scriptures speak of Jesus withdrawing to pray … not to just seek answers (though that is part of prayer), but all the more the needed fellowship with the Father.
The “always-ness” (ceaseless) of prayer is not non-stop prayer, but a prayerful attitude that always prevails in our hearts, minds and life actions.
Romans 12:12 (ESV) Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.
The uninterrupted communication with God in the realm of prayer keeps our present circumstances and spiritual values in balance. A fervent, constant prayerful attitude in heart & mind will be that which has MADE ALL THE DIFFERENCE.
BEING THANKFUL … made all the difference
A rejoicing heart stems from a praying heart and from them both comes a thankful heart.
Paul commands with vigor … GIVE THANKS … and notice how where he puts it … IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES.
Take note … IN not FOR … all circumstances. Giving thanks IN suggests as believers we are aware of God and His continued presence and work IN our circumstances whatever they be.
Romans 8:28 (ESV) And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
Now that is seeing and living from a different perspective, isn’t it? Giving thanks will be one of the measures in our lives that we can say … it MADE ALL THE DIFFERENCE.
Ah … these three … joyful, prayerful, thankful … become intimate factors in our lives to have MADE ALL THE DIFFERENCE when you and I begin to see them as … for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
- Rejoicing is the WILL of God for you!
- Praying is the WILL of God for you!
- Giving Thanks is the WILL of God for you!
These three comprise part of God’s will for you and me in the everyday stuff of our lives.
These three … being JOYFUL, PRAYERFUL, THANKFUL if acted upon will be that which we can say …And that has made all the difference.
Amen!
November 1 2009
Tempted to Worship the Other Than
Matthew 4:8-11
We’ve been looking into the temptations of Jesus and how they relate to us, and this is what we’ve discovered, “They related to us oh so well!” Because we know … I am absolutely, most definitely, undeniably NOT above being tempted.
I read that we are to never get cocky and overconfident about our ability to handle temptation; that’s the recipe for disaster. (Rick Warren devotion)
In this final temptation we look into how we are tempted to worship the “other than.”
In the field of ministry there is not a pastor/preacher/minister who does not want to be … “popular” and “powerfully persuasive.” After all we called to touch people’s lives. It is tempting to “not rock the boat” or to be not so “dogmatic” (doctrine oriented) … and be more tolerable of people’s sins (who of us haven’t sinned?) … and in wanting to be all things to all people it can sort of squelch convictions in order to be acceptable and likeable. Any minister worth his salt will tell you these are real temptations … he wants to be liked, known, and loved. If not careful such thoughts (positions) can subtly become what the pastor/minister worships.
Worship is not always as we make it out to be … a few songs and a sermon and we are done with worship. Biblically defined worship is that which we are most likely to crouch before and lay ourselves out for and to kiss the hand of. Worship as defined is a powerful motivator in our lives!
Have you heard of someone saying of someone else, “Why I worship the ground they walk on!” Or “They worship their job … money … family (wife, husband, children, mother, father).”
Know this … We are constantly tempted to worship someone or something other than God.
So what’s vying for your worship? What tempts you to bow down, kiss up, and go all out for? In this third of three temptations Jesus is tempted with the worship someone or something, other than God.
Matthew 4:8-11 (ESV) Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” 10 Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “ ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’ ” 11 Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.
In the first temptation Jesus would not turn stones into bread to stop His hunger pains, and in the second temptation Jesus would not jump off the temple to gain notoriety.
So in the third temptation Satan pulls out the enticing package of “Door #3” which would include … a fashionable suit of significance … a golden trophy of splendor (glory) and … shiny shoes of satisfaction. “All this can be yours if the price is right!”
Satan knew that prophecy spoke of Jesus being given the nations as an inheritance and the earth as his possession (Ps 2:7-9). Here was Jesus after a 40 day & night fast in the wilderness … alone, tired, hungry and thirsty and being king over creation must have seemed like a long way off. So Satan says, “Let me show you another way to accomplish and fulfill Your destiny!”
Now at first glance you and I would think that such a temptation to worship Satan would not even be tempting. However, Satan knew that Jesus wasn’t going to “exclusively” worship Him and become a “satanic cult” leader. Such was not the temptation … but rather “just this one time”, just this one act of worship … no cross, no suffering, no rejection, no death, no pain … all gain! Come on, lower your standards, just a little, just this one time!
Of course the price of shortcut would be … “worshipping someone or something other than God” … “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.”
Jesus speaks “Be Gone!” He had heard enough of such suggestive babbling! And with the Word of God Jesus makes a vital point of connection.
“WHAT YOU WORSHIP YOU SERVE”
“Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “ ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’
Remember … with temptation there is more at stake than you think! Satan suggests just one act of worship, knowing … what you worship you WILL SERVE. (positive note: true worship should lead to true service!)
what you worship you WILL SERVE and it will become your life! Jesus’ answer was simple, emphatic and to the point … “God alone is worthy of our worship and service.”
It’s no different with us … Satan comes at us in the same way.
- First he tempts with what we SHOULD do for ourselves.
- Second he tempts with what God COULD do for us.
- Third he tempts with what Satan WOULD do for us.
It’s the old “should of, could of, would of” … of temptation! Hey don’t act so surprised … we are where we are because of temptation. Read Genesis 3 … it’s our history! Ah, but it doesn’t have to be our future! Look to Jesus for how we are to handle tempting situations!
Consider these “other than(s)” that can subtly tempt us to worship one or more of them.
- Our “Job” in this less than stimulating job market. (George, dodging bullets at work … wondering if I’m next.)
- Our “Money” in this crazy economy
- Our “Family life” with the above two placing pressures on us.
Isn’t it amazing how much the state of our culture tempts us!
- Our “Children” doing everything for them but skipping the spiritually important. (February 2010 … “Family Matters”)
The list could be a mile long, but what is so subtle in the mix of temptation is Satan suggests to us … “Hey why set your standards so high?” “Come on cut a corner or two to get what you want.” “You deserve it, so why wait?” “And after this one time … you can go back to worshipping God. It’s not like I’m asking you to give up God or anything like that!” “Come on just this one time!”
Oh, the Tempter is so smooth and subtle, isn’t he! But here’s the truth … “WHAT YOU WORSHIP YOU SERVE” and “self-will is always Satan’s will.”
- You will never accomplish the will of God by abandoning the principles of God. (Andy Stanley)
- You will never maintain the blessing of God by abandoning the values of God. (Andy Stanley)
- You will discover in temptation what you REALLY VALUE.
Now think for a moment if you and I would begin to deal with the temptations we face like Jesus does and realize …
- With temptation there is more at stake than you think.
- Think outside the bun (and inside God’s Word)
- Protest the request with do not test
MEMORY CARD: Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “ ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’ ” (vs.10)
“WHAT YOU WORSHIP YOU SERVE”
And consider the outcome … Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him. (vs.11)
Walk through the days of temptation, holding up the high standard of God’s Word, refusing to bow down to, kiss up to, and go all out for … and watch God bring a ministry of help into your life.
Amen!
October 25 2009
Tempted to Presume on God
Matthew 4:5-7
Do you know what it is to “presume” upon someone? It is the general idea of taking someone for granted. It can range from the simple … someone gives me a ride home and I begin to assume they will and one day when they don’t show up and I think “Hey, what’s the deal, they’re suppose to give me a ride home!”
Some religions say there is a “Sin of Presumption” … the committing of a sin with the attitude of “It doesn’t matter. I will commit a sin and then ask forgiveness for it.” Such presumption leads to committing sin and being tempted to presume on the forgiveness of God.
Well I am here to confess that I have presumed upon people, as well as on God … and I am a repeat offender!
While attending SWBTS I remember needing to study for a test but I had other things to do and didn’t study and was involved in youth ministry at a local church (BH Carroll BC). Actually now that I think about it, I was presuming on God’s call to the ministry and trying to force it into a call to youth ministry. It didn’t work out … as well as taking the test. I remember praying going into the test, “Uh God, this is Bob and I’ve been real busy with ministry things and other things and I was wondering if maybe you could just help me out and give me the answers (Luke 12:11-12) in some sort of miraculous manner, like manna, just appearing in the blanks. I’ll take care of the matching, I can handle that, You just take care of the blanks. Amen, oh yes and In the name of Jesus.” Never hurts to throw in a little correct theology when praying for the miraculous.
Well needless to say I didn’t do very well on the test. Let’s just say I got the first letter (F) of “fantastic.” I remember being upset with God, thinking, “Hey where were You when I needed You? If You and I are going to work together in the ministry, there’s going to have to be a little more transparency and reliability on Your part. I need to be able to count on You!”
Our stories are different, but they all have a common element of being tempted to “presume on God.” Presumption itself is not the sin, but what it leads us to do can be sin.
Maybe you’ve presumed on God in one of these or many other scenarios …
- You want God to bless you financially when you’ve been irresponsible with your finances.
- You want to date/marry someone … but not a believer but you think … “Hey what’s the big deal? God will help me win them over!” (2 Cor 6:14)
- Your marriage isn’t all you want it to be and you’d rather just get out and go on … and you think, “God wants me to be happy and fulfilled, right?”
- You don’t really put any effort into raising your children in the admonition of the Lord, but you know God loves them and He won’t let anything happen to them as they grow up.
- You go into business, not considering if it’s God’s will, but you think, “I’ll do it and God will bless it.”
It could be anyone of these or a hundred or more other scenarios that we’re tempted with. Truth is we all attempt so much in this life with little regard to God and yet we think, “Hey God will come through for me after all He is a great, good, and grace God and He’s not going to let anything happen to me.”
Well this second temptation of Jesus teaches about being TEMPTED TO PRESUME ON GOD.
Jesus we know has been out in the wilderness for forty days and nights, and Satan tempted Him to turn the stones into bread (lust of the flesh), but Jesus was one to “THINK OUTSIDE THE BUN” (thinking inside the Word of God) … and so Satan the “Tempter” comes at Jesus from another angle … the pride of life. (1 John 2:16)
Matthew 4:5-7 (ESV) Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple 6 and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, “ ‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and “ ‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’ ” 7 Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ”
At the heart of this temptation … is the idea to “take God for granted.”
Satan takes and tempts Jesus to presume not only on His relationship with God, the Father, but also the Word of God.
He tempts Jesus to begin His public ministry with a splash and pizzazz! Jump off the pinnacle of the temple to the courtyard below … as there were by-standers, worshippers, religious people and a host of others … instantly He could have a vast following … with people saying “Do it again! Do it again!”
Note: In Scripture when Jesus did some miracle and then told the person not to tell anyone. Ah, gives you insight that Jesus wasn’t looking for magic moments to thrill the miracle followers.
And to top it off Satan quotes Scripture to prove His point … Psalm 91:11-12 He will command his angels concerning you,’ and “ ‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’
You can hear not only the suggestion but the seducing with ridicule … “If you are God’s Son, prove it once and for all! Come on, jump! Your Daddy isn’t going to let anything happen to you, His baby boy! Don’t you trust Him (God)?”
Satan twists the Scriptures and here he not only takes the Scriptures “OUT OF CONTEXT” (see vss. 13-15) but he also “LEAVES OUT TEXT” … these words, “to guard you in all your ways.”
A part of temptation is to leave God out of our ways and to act alone on our own knowledge. However, scripture encourages us to acknowledge God in all our ways (Prov 3:6) and then we begin to see the guarding hand of God.
What Satan suggests (tempts) is what is commonly called a … “leap of faith.” And what is behind such scheming (2 Cor 2:11 not unaware of Satan’s schemes; Eph 6:11 stand against the Devils schemes) is a “role reversal” where God becomes subservient to Jesus. It’s the attempt to “force” God’s hand. Come on Jesus … “Just step out on faith!”
Faith is sometimes categorized as, “I thought of it, I will attempt it and God will surely bless it. I mean after all I have this gut feeling.” Faith is responding to the fullness of God’s Word.
Jesus in a point counter point with Satan wasn’t buying or jumping on this request.
Rather than jump Jesus quotes … “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ” (Deuteronomy 6:16)
Here’s the point, rather than jump to temptation … “PROTEST THE REQUEST WITH DO NOT TEST”
“Jesus refused to be a stunt man.” (Henri Nouwen, In the Name of Jesus) He didn’t come to walk a tightrope or juggle flaming swords or jump off or over building in a single bound so that we would believe and listen to Him.
Jesus states … “Again it is written” … to bring the temptation into context of God’s Word. We need to take seriously these words of Jesus … “DO NOT PUT THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST.”
“PROTEST THE REQUEST WITH DO NOT TEST”
We protest temptation by not going around trying to “prove” God’s Word in silly faithless measures called “leaps of faith”. It is arrogance of unbelief that puts God to the test to perform.
Such a mentality makes God a “lab rat” and based on our findings of His responding to our tests we decide if we will believe. Oh how we love “bread and circuses!”
Jesus in facing temptation faced it with great confidence in God and His Word. I love what Matthew Henry says … “The patience of Christ here is more wonderful than the power of Satan or His instruments.”
In quiet unabated powerful patient resolve Christ speaks… “PROTEST THE REQUEST WITH DO NOT TEST”
I say again, we need to take seriously these words of Jesus … “DO NOT PUT THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST” because we are all faced at times with temptations that can diminish or destroy our future, family and faith.
Your sensitivity to God and His Word (illumined truth by the Spirit) will determine not only the direction you walk in the day, but also the destination you will arrive at in the temptations you face throughout the day.
And here is our help on “How To Do It” …
Acts 17:11 (ESV) … examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.
We don’t need tightrope walkers, people who swallow fire, or some other “sign” to convince us as what to do in the face of temptation.
We need to examine God’s Word for ourselves so that when we are “tempted to presume on God” in areas of … money matters … relationships … career choices (job) … personhood (who you are) … future, family and faith … remember …
“PROTEST THE REQUEST WITH DO NOT TEST” (*scripture memory cards)
Hebrews 2:18 (NKJV) For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.
Amen!
October 18 2009
Tempted To Eat the Bread of this Life
Matthew 4:1-4
How many of you have or had a favorite Aunt? I did too. My mother’s sister was my favorite aunt … Aunt Maggie. They grew up poor and often didn’t have bread to eat. Aunt Maggie loved bread. Her favorite snack was a piece of bread, and her favorite dessert was “bread-pudding.” I remember one time going to McDonalds to eat and she ordered chicken McNuggets with a piece of … bread. The girl waiting on her said, “We don’t have bread.” To that Aunt Maggie replied, “Why wouldn’t you have bread to eat with these chicken things?” The girl taking the order really didn’t know what to say. So Aunt Maggie proceeded to ask for a “bun” to eat with her CM’s to which she was told, “We can’t give you a bun.” Aunt Maggie asked why not, and was told they don’t give buns away. So Aunt Maggie said, “Then I want to order with my chicken McNuggets, a small hamburger, but I don’t the hamburger, I just want the bun.” The girl looking more puzzled asked “Do you want ketchup and mustard on your bun?” Needless to say my Aunt Maggie enjoyed her CM’s with her bun.
You are probably thinking, “What does your Aunt Maggie eating CM’s with a bun have to do with temptation.”
Who of us does not like bread? All of us are “bread” eaters of some sort. Some like white, wheat, rye, 7 grain, hard crusty (baguette), friendship, zucchini, banana, and pumpernickel … breads! We crave bread fresh baked, buttered and not just one slice but the whole loaf! We are tempted to eat the bread of this world to our harm.
We need to understand that our desire for physical bread is a craving desire to satisfy the “self” that gnaws within us for the bread of this life. It is within us all.
REMEMBER ABOUT TEMPTATION
NO ONE IS ABOVE TEMPTATION
“THERE’S MORE AT STAKE THAN YOU THINK” (Family, Future, Faith)
This first temptation of Jesus helps us to begin to identify what is the “relevant” bread of need in our lives. Will it be the bread of immediate need or the bread of eternal need?
Matthew 4:1-4 (ESV) Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” 4 But he answered, “It is written, “ ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ”
After 40 days-nights of fasting … no physical food … to say “he was hungry” would be an understatement.
I did a Google search on the physical effects of a 40 day fast … oh my, just reading it gave me all the reason I needed to pray and beg God not to send me off into the wilderness for a 40 day fast. Let’s just say hunger is the least of your problems.
However hunger is a strong motivator in all our lives. It tempts us to look out for ourselves, to provide for ourselves and to fill ourselves with the bread of this life.
Here’s the real temptation at hand. We are a society consumed with the bread of this life, more than the bread of life.
Fyodor Dostoyevsky says, “In the end, men would choose bread to the Word of God.”
It seems “so logical” … I mean after all we come into this life screaming “feed me!”
Val text me last Wednesday night asking what was for supper at our Wed Night meal. I said “The Word of God and for those weaker creatures … chili.”
Jesus was faced with physical hunger, the need of real bread and the Devil comes tempting Him from all angles.
- Questioning the relationship with God the Father.
- Questioning the ability of God to provide for Him.
- Questioning the love of God to take care of Him.
- Questioning the availability of God. (Where is He?)
All this questioning is so “relevant” to our temptations and what is hidden behind the questions is the matter of … “CAN I TRUST GOD?” It’s at the heart of every temptation. Am I going to trust God to meet my needs or am I not going to trust God, and thus attempt to meet my own needs?
Andy Stanley so rightly states … “Temptation is always a test of your FAITH, not just your self-control.”
So what are we to do? How are we to handle such tempting questions and times? Jesus offers us the wisdom of God … “It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”
What is Jesus suggesting here? Just the spit out a few bible verses and all will be well? No, I don’t think so, though I am a believer in … “I have stored up (hidden) your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” (Ps 119:11)
But it’s more than rote memory that keeps us from sinning … it is the discernment of God’s Word into our lives … “every word” of God
Discernment is the skill of understanding and applying God’s Word with the purpose of separating truth from error and right from wrong.
Jesus wasn’t just throwing up some verse and saying, “Take that Devil!” No what Jesus was doing was … and this is the point you want to get … THINKING OUTSIDE THE BUN!
Learn to … “THINK OUTSIDE THE BUN”
The “BUN”? Yes, the bun is the immediate need you and I are tempted with, and we’ve got to start “thinking outside the bun” … and thinking about God’s Word … the bread of life.
Jesus’ need was food … he was hungry! And what the Devil was tempting Jesus to meet that legitimate need in an illegitimate way … “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.”
Jesus’ response was to “THINK OUTSIDE THE BUN” … discern and apply God’s Word.
Now don’t miss this … Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 8:3. (Actually he had his pocket size Torah stashed in the back pocket of his toga. JK!) You might think, okay, so what’s the big deal about that … all He had to memorize was the Old Testament. True, but there’s much more meat here … so “THINK OUTSIDE THE BUN” with me.
In the book of Deuteronomy Moses is reiterating the Law of God to the new generation about to go into the Promise Land … and he reminds them of how God took care of them clothed them (polyester vs.4), took care of their feet! and fed them “manna” … a daily bread for that day. (Give us this day our daily bread … Mt 6:11)
Why a daily manna bread? God was showing, giving testimony (can I get a witness?) that they could … TRUST GOD! (See: John 6:31-35 … I am the bread of life)
Jesus isn’t just quoting some arbitrary scripture! He is discerning and deciding in the heat of temptation … He could TRUST GOD to provide for His every need.
John 4:34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.”
To … “THINK OUTSIDE THE BUN” is to know and take God at His Word! “It is written” says it STANDS written and is STILL in force.
We need the Word of God is in our corner in the fight against of temptation!
Remember this … every time we give in to temptation and sin we chip away at our relationship with God. Each time we give in we say, “Not Your way but my way be done.”
“THINK OUTSIDE THE BUN”
RULES OF ENGAGING TEMPTATION
(Josh McDowell, “Right from Wrong”)
- Consider the choice … more at stake than you think!
- Compare it to God … discern God’s Word
- Commit to doing God’s way … decision time
- Count on God’s provision (protection) … Admit & Submit authority
MEMORY VERSE:
Man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. Deuteronomy 8:3
When tempted to eat the bread of this life … eat from the Word of life!
So the next time the Devil comes tempting you … what are you going to do?
“THINK OUTSIDE THE BUN”
Oh, yes … let me tell you … my Aunt Maggie … she was one to … “THINK OUTSIDE THE BUN” … she READ the Word … KNEW the Word … QUOTED the Word … and LIVED the Word of God up to the day she died.
“THINK OUTSIDE THE BUN”
Amen!
