Temptation

It is often said that God does not give you more than you can handle.  Actually, the Bible says you are not tempted beyond what you can bear. That’s different. In both instances, however, God leads the way to endure the difficulty if you seek his guidance. 

1 Corinthians 10:13 (NIV) 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. 

3/29/2020 

Buying, Getting and Purpose

Do you continually look for things you think will make you happy, get them, only to seek out more things and find your joy gets less and less as you get more?  Determine if what you want is for a temporal or a God-given purpose. True satisfaction comes in closeness to God.

Ecclesiastes 1:8 (NLT) 8 Everything is unutterably weary and tiresome. No matter how much we see, we are never satisfied; no matter how much we hear, we are not content. 

3/22/2020

Come with Me

Meeting a man who says “Come with me” and instantly leaving to go with him sounds suspicious by today’s standards. The deeper meaning is that you must drop your present mindset and let it be raised up to that of Jesus, the eternal, to benefit from what Jesus offers.

Mark 1:16-20 (GNT) 16 As Jesus walked along the shore of Lake Galilee, he saw two fishermen, Simon and his brother Andrew, catching fish with a net. 17 Jesus said to them, “Come with me, and I will teach you to catch people.” 18 At once they left their nets and went with him. 19 He went a little farther on and saw two other brothers, James and John, the sons of Zebedee. They were in their boat getting their nets ready. 20 As soon as Jesus saw them, he called them; they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and went with Jesus. 

3/18/2020

Victimless Sins

In God’s world, “victimless sins” is an oxymoron. Even if you are the only one who knows about it, sin causes self harm at the very least.  God wants to talk with you about why you want to sin. He doesn’t accuse you. Ask God to show you how to have a clear conscience and he will.

Isaiah 1:18 (NLT) 18 Come, let’s talk this over, says the Lord; no matter how deep the stain of your sins, I can take it out and make you as clean as freshly fallen snow. Even if you are stained as red as crimson, I can make you white as wool!

3/15/2020

A Life of Crime

The more you study the Bible, the more you see it is a contemporary book. Gangs and prisons are full of those who did not heed this advice in Proverbs 1.  Even a bird avoids a trap being set for it. Humans who pursue a life of crime lay a booby trap for their own lives. 

Proverbs 1:10-18 (TLB)  10 If young toughs tell you, “Come and join us”—turn your back on them! 11 “We’ll hide and rob and kill,” they say. 12 “Good or bad, we’ll treat them all alike. 13 And the loot we’ll get! All kinds of stuff! 14 Come on, throw in your lot with us; we’ll split with you in equal shares.”15 Don’t do it, son! Stay far from men like that, 16 for crime is their way of life, and murder is their specialty. 17 When a bird sees a trap being set, it stays away, 18 but not these men; they trap themselves! They lay a booby trap for their own lives.

3/8/2020

The Lion's Den

After Daniel’s release from the den of lions, Darius ordered the people to worship “the living God, world without end.” Daniel had a deep, serious prayer life. It's out of this relationship that the power greater than a den of lions brought Daniel safely out of danger.

Daniel 6:26-27 (MSG) 25-27 King Darius published this proclamation to every race, color, and creed on earth: Peace to you! Abundant peace! I decree that Daniel’s God shall be worshiped and feared in all parts of my kingdom. He is the living God, world without end. His kingdom never falls. His rule continues eternally. He is a savior and rescuer. He performs astonishing miracles in heaven and on earth. He saved Daniel from the power of the lions.

3/1/2020