LURED

This big boy saw a lure that tricked him into thinking it was delicious.

James 1:13-16 – “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.”

What’s tempting about fishing lure is that it looks like food to a hungry fish.

What’s enticing about any sinful temptation that it appeals to our own lusts.

Here’s the equation:
TEMPTATION = DESIRE + BAIT

Desire without bait is not temptation.

Bait without desire is also not temptation.

Watch your desires. Bring them under the Lordship of Christ; then you won’t get “hooked”!



10:30 AM SUNDAYS

Elders PrayerZechariah 4:6B gives believers an important truth:
” …  not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord of hosts”.

Each Lord’s Day morning at about 10:30 the Pastors meet in my office to pray for God the Holy Spirit to mightily move in the Worship Service exalting Christ & transforming Christ’s followers & calling the lost to repentance-faith.

This is not a ritual. This is a necessity.

2 Corinthians 10:3-4:
“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ …”.

James 5:16B: ” … The effective prayer of the righteous man can accomplish much”.

When we pray, God works; when we fail to pray, we merely work.



Self-Control

Pizza DogThis is a cute picture. But really it’s a picture of tremendous self-control.Every dog I know loves pizza!

As followers of Jesus each of us is called to self control (Galatians 5:22-23); and each of us is equipped to have it.

God the Holy Spirit resides within us. (Romans 8:9)

The evil desires, which each of us has from time to time, due to our lingering sin natures, can & must be checked by the Holy Spirit.

Notice how happy the dog is in obedience to his master’s command not to eat!

“When tempted, no one should say, ‘God is tempting me’. For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed.”
(James 1:13-14)

Self-Control is not common these days. But it is possible; and it is an unexpected key to happiness and joy!

The alternative is being dragged away to an ugly place where we never imagined we’d be.



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