Wow…wait a minute. Let me make myself clear. God is not talking about a famous singing group ‘back in the day’, called The Temptations, of Motown Studio, located in Detroit, Mi. He is speaking to you and me, in a cautiously way. It is God’s intent to warn us to avoid taking or making risky choices in our lives, that can lead to damnation.
But first, I thought you might like to reminisce a little. Take a listen to the video below by clicking the website under the picture. Instructions: Skip the commercials; notice who produced the Temptations’ record; listen to a bit of the music; then come back to my blog post to receive a biblical message.
The ‘tempter’ of Jesus’ day was ‘Ole Slewfoot’;…the devil himself!
According to Biblical Scriptures in the NT Book of Matthew 4, Jesus was tempted by the Devil at least 3 times: through physical persuasion, 4:3-4; through emotional inquiry, 4:5-7; and through attempting to control Jesus’ actions, 4:8-10. Satan was defeated by Jesus, nevertheless, he fled from Him for a while. Not so with mortals! We are tempted by Satan on a continuous daily basis.
Real life confessions…
In order to yield NOT to temptation, we as Believers have to recognize, perceive or participate in an act that would require confessing it privately to God and/or in a corporate setting. And after we have repented, solicit others to pray for you. Remember, if Jesus was under the guidance of the Holy Spirit when Satan approached Him in the wilderness and attempted to undermine Him, how much more will Ole Slewfoot challenge us? (Especially if we are out of the arch of Safety.) Jesus refused to submit to His adversary and was so steadfast and unmovable in His allegiance to His Father, that God sent Angels to comfort Him after His ordeal. And if we mimic Jesus’s teachings, God will do the same for us!
A word from another wise saint…
Another man, Saint Augustine, who was born in 397 A.D., and who was 47 years old when he wrote his famous book entitled, “The Confessions“. Within the book’s pages Augustine confessed a few of his sinful acts as a young man, and what he believed were the motives for his doing so. Following are 2 quotes from the book’s page verses: (Source of information from Google Search.)
“It was not the takings that attracted me but the raid itself, and yet to do it by myself would have been no fun and I should not have done it. This was friendship of a most unfriendly sort, bewitching my mind in an inexplicable way. For the sake of a laugh, a little sport, I was glad to do harm and anxious to damage another; and that without the thought of profit for myself or retaliation for injuries received! And all because we are ashamed to hold back when others say ‘Come on! Let’s do it!'” (v. 2.9).
“And in the games I played with them I often in order to come off the better, simply because a vain desire to win had got the better of me. And yet there was nothing I could less easily endure, nothing that made me quarrel more bitterly, than to find others cheated them. All the same, if they found me out more and blamed me for it, I would lose my temper rather than give in.” (v.1.19)
So, what methods can be employed to help someone not yield to temptation?…
Saint Augustine suggests that we apply some practical applications: (Paraphrased)
1. Perhaps you might consider sharing your faults with a mentor, clergy, Sunday School teacher or a friend. 2. It is a foregone conclusion that mischief metastasizes in the dark as well as in the light. And when confession is made, it exposes the dark sin in the light and aides in its purification. Try it! 3. Odds are that we have already confessed our sin to a close friend, family member or other confidant, so why not have a conversation with the Holy Spirit who can actually help you process it and build resistance against it?
PREVIEW (Click to hear this hymn.)
My prayer for you…
Dear God: I humbly ask that you do a new work in me and others who have decided to follow your Son, Jesus Christ. But first, I want to thank you for your creative work as recorded in the Holy Bible. For I know that you are able to perform all things in the atmosphere, especially on earth and also within mankind. So, with sincere pleadings, please teach us how to harness our thoughts and actions. Make them afresh so that we will not only be a new person, but will also think and act in a new way. In other words, lead us not into temptation for yielding only brings about sin.
From now on, Lord Jesus, we want to be like someone who lives only for You. We desire to reach for those things that are above and not beneath. We want to excel to the highest heights where You reside, so that one day we will have sufficient treasures in heaven where we will study want no more. We ask all these things in the Precious Name of Jesus…Amen and Amen!
Scripture Lesson: “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.” (Colossians 3:2)
Click http://www.tgifmasterminds.com every Friday for a new post from the Master’s servant manager…ME!
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Conversations With God Using Scripture 