By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward.

Hebrews 11:24-26, NKJV

Do you have the assurance of salvation through the substitutionary death of Jesus Christ? Have you placed yourself, by faith, into His saving hands, and received His saving grace? The only means of salvation is the completed work of Christ. It is through Him, and Him alone, that one can be saved. Jesus said it as plainly as He possibly could when He asserted:

I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

John 14:6, NKJV

There are not many roads to heaven: only one. Jesus is that road. And yet, there are those who claim to have a relationship with Him, while living in open rebellion to His Word. Think for a moment about the words of the writer to the Hebrews quoted above. He states pointedly that Moses chose to suffer affliction with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.

Please note carefully that he uses the word ‘pleasures’. The pleasures of sin. Sin is pleasing, enjoyable, fulfilling, satisfying, alluring, engaging, appealing, delightful, gratifying. Until it isn’t! As someone has aptly said: Sin will take you farther than you want to go; keep you longer than you want to stay; cost you more than you want to pay.

But, it is so pleasurable, so desirable, so alluring. And the Bible readily admits that it certainly is – all that and more. But in the end it is so deadly – not just physically deadly, but spiritually, and eternally deadly.

So to my question posed in the title of this post: What on earth will keep you out of heaven? Will you choose an earthly pleasure over an eternal home in heaven? Will you choose a behavior, a lifestyle, a worldly-minded attitude toward life, while rejecting the Bible’s teachings on righteous living. Will you choose the world’s pleasures over the kingdom of heaven? Are the momentary, fleeting, passing, temporary pleasures of this life worth spending eternity in hell, separated from God?

Jesus paid the ultimate price so that we might be saved from eternal torture. And yet there are multitudes who purposely, volitionally, knowingly, reject His offer of eternal pleasure for the passing pleasures of a sinful lifestyle.

God, in His amazing grace, has provided the means and method by which and through which we might be saved. But we must, by faith, turn in repentance from our sin, commit our lives to Jesus as our Savior, turn away from the passing pleasures of this world, and be made new. As the Apostle says, we are to put off the old and replace it with the new. The new is based on the teachings of Scripture. By the grace of God, and through the process of ongoing sanctification, we then become more and more conformed to the image of Christ, and less and less to the mold of the world.

So, what on earth are you allowing to keep you out of heaven? Whatever it is, turn to Jesus Christ by faith, confess your sin, accept His forgiveness, and begin an exciting new life with Him – giving up the passing pleasures of the earth for His eternal blessings of eternity with Him.

Until next time:

Blessings!

The events of recent days in the Middle East should not take anyone by surprise – at least anyone who reads the Bible. Just a cursory reading of the Old Testament provides ample evidence that there will always be antagonism and dissension between the descendants of Ishmael and those of Isaac. Isaac is the son of promise: the son God promised to Abraham and Sarah. The son through whom the nation of Israel would ultimately come. Ishmael, on the other hand, was the son of Abraham and Sarah’s handmaid, Hagar. It was through the descendants of Isaac that the nation of Israel came into existence, and through the descendants of Ishmael that the Arab nations arose. History proves again and again how antagonistic the Arab nations have been toward the nation of Israel, and, truth be known, how Israel has been just as antagonistic toward them.

The current war being waged between Israel and Hamas is another graphic example of this ongoing strife between the descendants of Isaac and Ishmael. It has been prophesied in the Old Testament and is coming to pass before our very eyes. But the question I would pose as we look at the horrific news reports coming out of this war is this: is this war justified? Was the attack by Hamas based on the principles of just war theory? Or would it be better described as holy war? To answer that question, let’s review briefly the definitions of those two terms.

First of all, let’s review just war theory. This theory is used to determine when it is ethically permissible to go to war. The determining factors are:

• Is it for a just cause?
• Is it based on a right intention?
• Is it by a legitimate authority?
• Does it have due proportionality?
• Does it have a high probability of success?
• It is a last resort?

I will quickly admit that I am not knowledgeable enough of Hamas belief and practice to give a definitive response to their understanding of, or concern for, going to war based on the just war theory. But from what I have seen, and what I have read, concerning this war, at least four of the seven questions listed above would have to be answered negatively. And it is very possible that all seven would have to be answered with a negative response.

So, let’s move to the second possibility: holy war. If Hamas has not followed the rules of just war, then perhaps this present conflict would have to be described as something different. So, what exactly is a holy war? Holy war is war based on religious belief, and motivated by one religion’s desire to destroy those of another religious affiliation.

An absolutely crucial matter to be considered is the fact that holy war is never commanded, nor condoned, in the Bible. Some reason that God’s command to Joshua to invade and take possession of what would become the geographical boundaries of Israel was a command to engage in holy war. However, this invasion and eventual possession of the land was not warfare based on religious belief, but rather it was based upon the wickedness of the inhabitants of the land. As a matter of fact, it is reiterated time and again that it was not because of the goodness of the people of Israel, but rather because of the wickedness of the people of the land that God gave the command to completely drive out the inhabitants.

Another major factor is that God never commanded the people of Israel to completely destroy all people, but just the people in the land of promise. So, it was not a holy war in the sense of being based on religion, but it was a just war based on the wickedness of the people of the land.

In conclusion, let’s go back to our topic under discussion. Was Hamas justified in their surprise attack on Israel? Was this attack in alignment with the principles of the just war theory? In my estimation, the answer is a resounding ‘No’. Was Israel just in their response to this attack? Again, in my estimation, the answer is a resounding, ‘Yes’. Why? Because all seven of the questions listed above could be answered in the affirmative to Israel’s response.

I do not claim to be an expert on this subject. I can only offer my personal opinion. But I do feel that my opinion is correct based on my knowledge of the current state of affairs. Also, based on my understanding of Old Testament prophesy, these events should not catch any Christian by surprise, but should rather serve as a wake-up call – the sound of the trumpet is drawing near! Be ready!

Until next time:

Blessings.

In my last post, I wrote about the importance of words. Oftentimes there are words or phrases that sort of catch on and are used to convey a certain idea or truth. One such phrase that is seen with increasing regularity, especially in social media, is the phrase, “All In”.

This little two-word phrase simply means that the one who says it is totally committed to something. For example, after a favorite football team loses a game, many of the fans of that team will state that they are still “all in”, totally committed to that team, regardless of whether they win or lose.

Those of us who profess faith in the Lord Jesus Christ could apply this phrase to our commitment to the Lord. Are we all in? Are we totally committed to Him, regardless of what that commitment might cost? What would that kind of commitment look like? How would our lives look if we were all in for Jesus?

From the teachings of the Lord, we can glean some interesting characteristics of being all in. First, let’s consider that being all in would mean that we live visible lives for the Lord.

Being all in would mean that we live visible lives for the Lord.

Jesus said that our lives should be shining lights so that people could see our works. This, in turn, would bring glory to the Lord. The fact that we are all in for Jesus should be visible for all to see. This is done by the obvious things we do in service to the Lord. It is visible in our conduct, our behavior, our habits, our attitudes – in essence, every aspect of our public and private lives should be a visible display of being all in for Jesus.

Second, being all in would mean that we live vocal lives for the Lord. This, in part, goes back to my previous post on “words”. What we say, the words we choose, and even how we say those words, should be a clear reflection of being all in.

Being all in would mean that we live vocal lives for the Lord.

If you are like me, you enjoy talking about things that are important to you. I talk about the North Carolina Tarheels and the Dallas Cowboys, especially during football season, because I consider myself an “all in” fan of those two teams. I enjoy talking about them, and oftentimes catch a lot of flack because of my commitment to these two particular teams. But, being a vocal “witness” to my being all in is something I do with consistency and regularity.

Should I not be a vocal witness for the Lord? Should I not be quick to tell people about Him? He loved us enough to give His life for us – does that not warrant us being vocal witnesses for Him? Indeed, it does!

Third, being all in would mean that we live viable lives for the Lord. Viability means that something is capable of working successfully. You may be wondering why I would use this word to describe being all in.

Being all in would mean that we live viable lives for the Lord.

Jesus taught many things that would lead us to understand why our lives should work successfully for Him. He said if anyone puts his hand to the plow, and then looks back, he is not fit for the kingdom of God. He also said that if He is not first priority in our lives – even over our parents, brothers and sisters – then we cannot be His disciples. He further stated that we cannot serve God and mammon. Our lives should work successfully in the sense that we are all in for Him, living lives of consistency in our commitment.

I am all in and excited about what has happened thus far this season with the Tarheels and the Cowboys. I am thrilled that both teams are off to a great start. I am quick to engage in conversation about my excitement for their potential as the season progresses.

But my being all in for two football teams should be nothing compared to being all in for Jesus. I should be always ready to give an answer for the hope that is within me because of my relationship with Him. And I should share that hope with anyone and everyone who would take time to listen.

Are you all in?

Until next time:

Blessings.

Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.

Cute little saying, isn’t it? We’ve all heard it, maybe even said it. Perhaps in childhood, in a moment of childish confrontation and conflict with a friend, something was said, some hurtful words were spoken. They were aimed directly at you. You caught the weight of those cutting remarks, and your spirit was momentarily crushed. Even now, as you read these words, some incident from childhood is spinning around in your mind, reliving that moment in time long ago when you suffered from the cutting remarks of a friend.

So what did you do? Maybe, just maybe, you bent forward at the waist, glared at the friend who spoke the hurtful words, stuck out your tongue, and then shouted, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” But they did hurt. Tears began to flow down your cheeks. Your face was flushed. And yes, you were hurt by the words. They still haunt you, even all these years later.

Words are powerful. With words we can communicate love, or hate; encouragement, or discouragement; joy, or sadness. Parents, to a large extent, mold their children by speaking certain words to them with consistency. “You’re just stupid!” “You’ll never amount to anything!” “You’re ugly!” “You’re fat!” “You sure know how to pick them, don’t you?” “Let me do that – you never do anything right.” And on and on and on.

Even as adults, if we are told consistently that we are stupid, or incapable, or that we’ll never amount to anything, then chances are we will eventually believe it. We will then begin living out the reality of those hurtful words.

We need desperately to learn how to guard our words. We need to speak with love, and encouragement, instilling in others a sense of confidence. Please note that I am not saying that we candy-coat the truth. Sometimes we have to use words that do not seem to be uplifting and encouraging, but they need to be spoken. Children sometimes need to hear the word, “No”, teaching them that certain behaviors or actions are not permissible. But even those words need to be spoken with love and encouragement.

Husbands and wives need to speak to one another with love, respect, and the desire to build each other up. In my years as pastor, I have counseled with many couples, and listened to them bash each other verbally in my presence. I sat and wondered, “If they speak to one another like this in my presence, it must really be a war zone in their home,”

Words. Powerful tools that can be used for good, or for bad. They can build up, or tear down. They can help a child, or adult, develop confidence in themselves, or destroy any sense of self-worth. They can help a person believe in themselves or buy into the idea that they really are worthless, incapable of accomplishing anything in life.

Let’s make a concerted effort to use our words wisely. To use words to build up, to encourage, to instruct, to counsel, to advise, to guide, to correct, to help in any way possible, so that the person receiving our words may be uplifted and encouraged. And, even when we must speak words of admonition, do it with love.

Parents, grandparents, let’s speak uplifting, encouraging words to our children and grandchildren. Husbands, wives, let’s do the same with our spouses. Employers, employees, speak kindly to one another, building each other up. Let’s commit to use our words are tools of good, for the good of others.

Until next time:

Blessings!

What are the saddest words you could ever hear? Would it be hearing your doctor inform you that you have an incurable disease, with only weeks to live? Would it be hearing your spouse tell you that they no longer love you, and want out of the relationship? Would it be a phone call informing you of an accident that took the life of your child? Would it be your banker calling to tell you that your account has been hacked, and your life savings have been stolen? Or one of a million other possibilities?

Words can be devastating. In a single moment, our lives can be irrevocably altered by hearing words that destroy us, leaving us in the wake of a verbal Sunami. Our lives can be shattered, changed forever, by simply hearing certain words.

But, as sad as the words stated above would be to hear, there are some other words that I feel are far sadder, far more devastating, far more destructive than any of them, or even of all of them combined. The saddest words in all of human language were spoken by the Lord Jesus Christ, and are haunting, even terrifying, to hear.

I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!

Matthew 7:23, NKJV

What unbelievably horrific words! These are words of eternal significance. Those to whom the Lord speaks these words will then be cast into the abyss of hell, to be forever separated from God. There are several matters of grave importance we need to make note of.

First of all, consider the people who hear these words: ‘you who practice lawlessness.’ We might read those words and think that Jesus is referring to wicked, evil, people who have lived their lives in unabated sin. The Apostle Paul gives a list of sinful lifestyles and behaviors that give an idea as to the kind of individuals we might think Jesus is referring to in His statement.

Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissentions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Galatians 5:19-21, NKJV

That list certainly contains lawless behaviors. The Word of God clearly forbids each of these as rebellion against God’s prescribed law. However, a little closer look at the words of Jesus quoted above reveal that the individuals who practice such things as those listed by Paul are not the people to whom He refers. Let’s look at the context of Jesus’ statement.

Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done may wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’

Matthew 7:22-23, NKJV

It should be quite obvious that those in the list given by Paul will not inherit the kingdom of God, but Jesus is speaking here of good people, relatively speaking. He is talking about religious individuals – people who have been involved in religious activities, even claiming to have performed those religious activities in the name of the Lord. But Jesus says that even those good works are actually works of lawlessness.

It is not what we do for the Lord, or in the name of the Lord, it is what the Lord has done for us, and our humbling ourselves before Him to ask for and accept His gracious offer of salvation. Please don’t fool yourself into believing that your good works, even those you’ve done in the name of the Lord, will gain you entrance into heaven. Your good works should be done out of your relationship with Him and not to earn a relationship with Him.

Please make sure that you have a relationship with Jesus Christ on the basis of His redemptive work, and not on the basis of your religious works. One will get you into heaven; the other will send you straight to hell. Yes – even ‘good works’ will result in spending eternity separated from God in hell.

So, it all comes down to the choice between religion and relationship. Make sure yours is the right choice.

Until next time:

Blessings!

At the base of a mountain that is popular for mountain climbing on its steep, jagged, face lived a woman whose house had a perfect view of any climbers who dared to attempt to master the mountain. One morning, as she sat outside sipping on her coffee while reading a few pages in her newest novel, she noticed a group of people setting up camp. She watched with keen interest as they unloaded all the gear they would need to climb the most dangerous slope.

She quickly went into her house to get her binoculars so she could see more clearly, and watched carefully as they checked, then double checked, all the equipment that would be needed to make a safe climb. As the sun began to set on the other side of the mountain, she watched as they all made their way into their tents to get a good night’s rest for their arduous first day of the climb.

Early the next morning she made her way out to the spot where she would have the most unobstructed view of the mountain. She eagerly waited to see how many of the group were actually going to make the climb. Some, of course, would remain at the base camp in case of any emergencies that might arise. Six of the eight in the group were going to attempt the climb. It would be a difficult task, climbing the most dangerous part of the mountain face.

The first day of the climb was the easiest, as the base of the mountain was not as steep, and not nearly as sheer as the upper portion of the climb. So, they made their way in good time to a pre-selected place where they would make camp for the night. The second day was a little more difficult, but the third day would be the most challenging of all.

The woman watched intently, only going into her house for brief periods, not wanting to miss any of the action. She sat comfortably in her expensive lounge chair, with everything she needed at her fingertips so that her time away from the action would be minimal.

As the third day’s climb began, it was obvious that much more caution would be necessary, as this part of the climb was by far the most treacherous. But the six men made their way without any difficulty at all. As they reached the summit, and as the last of the six men ascended the top, the woman became ecstatic with excitement. She made her way into the nearby village, and began to exclaim, “We made it! We made it!” to all who would listen.

Some stopped to gaze at this half-crazed woman, while others tried to move away from her with haste. Some began to snicker and sneer, while others simply rolled their eyes and walked away.

One, however, walked over to her and asked, “Were you a participant, or merely a spectator?” The woman, after being asked this probing question, got quiet, and slowly walked away.

You see, she didn’t make it. As a matter of fact, she didn’t do anything – but watch. She sat in comfort while those six men put their lives in danger, and took great risks, to climb that dangerous mountain.

There are many in church who are like that woman. When the church does something, they are quick to identify with the church. “That’s my church.” Or, “Did you here what we did down at the church?” Or, “We have baptized 70 people this year!” Or, “We have so many special ministry events planned for this coming year.”

But in reality, the pronoun “we” should not be used by many. Rather, to be correct in our grammatical sentence-structuring, the pronoun “they” would be more appropriate. “We” are oftentimes bystanders, spectators, while we watch as “they” do the work.

Someone has said that in most churches, 10% of the members do 90% of the work. The 10% are like the pillars, shouldering most of the responsibilities and carrying most of the workload. The other 90% are like caterpillars: they just crawl in and out.

Are you a pillar, or a caterpillar.

Be a pillar!

Until next time:

Blessings.

Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, or idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.

1 Corinthians 6:9-11, NKJV, emphasis added

In my last post I posed the question, “Are you in the Word, or in the world?” I would like to continue looking at that subject by giving consideration to, what I think, is one of the most graphic passages of Scripture that speaks to this important matter. Please note that this passage selection begins with a question posed by the Apostle Paul: “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?” This is a question of grave importance. We must give it its proper place in our understanding of salvation.

There are those who believe that it is possible to live lifestyles that are diametrically opposite to the clear teachings of the Bible and still have a saving relationship with God. But Paul makes it abundantly clear that this is not possible. Listen again to the abbreviated list given by Paul: fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, homosexuals, sodomites, thieves, covetous, drunkards, revilers, extortioners. He certainly could have added many more examples to this list, but these show clearly that there are certain lifestyles and behaviors that will ban individuals who practice them from entering the kingdom.

And take special note of the words that follow Paul’s opening question: “Do not be deceived.” Multitudes today are duped and deceived by the spirit of the world. and the deceptive work of the devil. The worldly mindset is that the lifestyles mentioned in this text are completely acceptable to God, and the devil wants nothing more than to deceive as many as possible into believing that lie.

As I have said in several blogs in the past, I respect anyone’s right to embrace any lifestyle they choose, but they should not buy into the lie that they can live these lifestyles and have a personal relationship with God. They will not enter the kingdom of God and will be separated from Him forever.

But there is hope! Paul gives an assertion that should breathe hope into the heart of anyone who has chosen to live in these cursed lifestyles: “And such were some of you.” Note carefully the tense of the verb: were, past tense. They had lived these types of lifestyles in the past, but no more. They had repented, turned from these lifestyles that are clearly condemned in the Bible.

I have many friends who have chosen to live one of these lifestyles. They are living in relationships that are clearly condemned by the teachings of Scripture. Jesus Christ died to pay the awful penalty for our sin, and anyone who will turn to Him in repentance and faith can and will be removed from the list of those who are banned from the kingdom of God to that of those who have a wonderful heavenly home awaiting them when they pass from this earth.

We were all at one time in that category of those who were banned from God’s kingdom. Before being born into God’s family through the saving work of Jesus Christ we were all banned to eternity separated from God. But by His grace, we were removed from those who are condemned to those who are redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. Hallelujah – what a Savior.

Today – this day – before you close your eyes for a night of rest, make sure that you are in the category of “such were some of you.”

Until next time:

Blessings!

I’m happy to hear you’ve been reading the Word
And spending time to study and learn
I’m glad for all the hours you have spent on your knees
Instead of wondering just which way you should turn
You tell me meditation is what the world needs
I reckon what you’re saying is true
I was glad when I heard you’re getting into the word
But is word getting into you?

Lyrics to “Into the Word” by the Gaither Vocal Band, from their CD, “Passing the Faith Along”

The Bible tells us that believers are to live in the world, without being of the world. This is such a vital concept for us to understand. We live in the world; we work in the world; we have relationships with individuals in the world; we conduct business in the world; everything we do is done in the world,

But, even though we live in the world, we are not to be of the world. We are to be distinctly different. Our lives should bear testimony to the fact that we are children of God. We should take the admonition to be like Jesus seriously.

Not to be overly critical, but it seems to me that many who profess to have a relationship with Jesus Christ are much too friendly with the world. Cultural and societal pressures seem to be pressing many into the mold of worldly thinking, worldly acting, and worldly behavior. Instead of turning to the Bible for guidance and direction, many turn to the ways of the world in their decision-making processes.

It appears that many have succumbed to the temptation to walk in step with the world rather than in step with the Word of God. We can readily recognize what may be referred to as the “big” aberrations: adultery, divorce, homosexuality, abortion, etc. But sometimes we fail to recognize the seriousness of ALL sinful activities and actions that are not in alignment with the Word of God. Our attitudes and actions should be consistent with the instructions given in the Bible, and yet many seem to get their instructions from worldly advice and advisors.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus spoke of several issues – cultural and societal practices of His day – which powerfully illustrate this point. He spoke of murder, adultery, divorce, taking oaths, seeking retaliation, proper ways of displaying our love, and the right spirit in doing charitable deeds. He compared and contrasted the teachings of the Old Testament with how those teachings were understood in His day. And what He said about each would have been revolutionary to the people who heard, and read, what He said.

In essence He was saying clearly that their way of thinking about these issues was completely wrong. They were embracing worldly thinking rather than Biblical thinking. Jesus said that it is not only the outward action, but the inner attitude, that determined the sincerity of a person’s faith relationship with God. He said that we should not only not commit murder, but that our inner attitude should be that we never hate another with the desire to kill them. We should not only not commit adultery, but we should not look with lustful thoughts on another person.

Jesus’ teaching went further and deeper than the teachings of the religious leaders of His day. They focused on outward action, but Jesus went straight to the heart. Our behavior should be based on the teachings of the Bible, not only in outward displays of righteousness, but with outward actions that are determined by inner commitment. The Pharisees displayed outward righteousness, and Jesus blasted them for their hypocrisy. He also admonished all who would follow Him to live life with the right actions that are based on the right attitudes which are developed by walking in step with the guiding principles of Scripture.

We all need to be in step with Him when we are faced with decisions that are culturally and societally in opposition to the clear teachings of the Bible. Let’s strive to be in the world, shining the light of His love to the world, but never darkened by the world.

Remember: If theBible says it, that settles it. Period!

Until next time:

Blessings!

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.

Proverbs 3:5-6, NKJV

Decisions, decisions, decisions! We make dozens of them every day. From the silly to the serious; from the laughable to the life-altering; from the thoughtless to the thought-provoking. Many, perhaps most, we make without any thought at all. Some we make out of pure habit, without having to give any time to the decision. But others, many others, we make only after giving them much thought and consideration.

It is possible to give the seemingly small decisions an undue amount of thought, while making important decisions recklessly. Last night I spent time thinking about the subject matter for this blog post. This morning, I made the decision to write about decision making. Right now, as I write, I am thinking about what to eat for breakfast. I have made the decision to eat a bowl of cereal, so I am going to take a break from finishing this blog post to eat.

I have now finished eating, but while eating I decided to do several other things before returning to the task of finishing this blog. I won’t bore you with the details, but the simple point is, life is filled with decisions. One right after the other, continuously, all day, every day. So my question is, how does all this fit in with the two verses quoted above? How am I to acknowledge God in all my ways? Am I to pray about every decision, or just the big ones?

There is a passage in the Epistle of James that might shed some light on this matter. Read the following carefully and prayerfully:

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.

James 4:13-16, NKJV

If we think about these passages from Proverbs and James in conjunction with each other, then perhaps a little light will be shed on this matter of decision making. If we commit ourselves to the Lord, leaning on Him for guidance and understanding, then our day-to-day decisions will be made out of that dependence. We will sense His presence, and He will have access to our minds and wills so that He can freely give us guidance as we make decisions and choices.

James warns us against acting presumptuously without giving any thought to the will of God. We may make decisions that we feel are of our best interest only to find that we have made a disastrous choice that adversely affects the rest of our life.

The clear admonition is to commit our lives to Him, seeking Him in all we do, submitting ourselves to His will, acknowledging our dependence upon Him, and leaning on His understanding. As we habitually do this, we will find that He will give us clear direction as we go through our daily lives, and that wonderful peace of God will settle our minds and hearts as we walk together with Him.

Until next time:

Blessings!

Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

1 Corinthians 10:12-13, NKJV

Temptation. As Paul says in the verse quoted above, temptation is the common lot of humanity. It is real; it is powerful; it is personal; it is deceptive; it is destructive. So, what are we to do when we experience temptation? How are we to deal with it, defeat it? What safeguards can we put in place to aid us when temptation comes?

First of all, it is imperative that we understand the fact that temptation is real. There is an alluring, tantalizing, drawing power as temptation does its work on the individual. And, it must be understood that temptation comes from a wide variety of sources. We can be tempted from our own sinful nature, or by other people who invite us to engage in sinful activity, or from the enticements of worldliness, or from Satanic assault. But the fact of the matter is that temptation is real, and we must protect ourselves from its onslaught.

Second, we must realize that the alluring power of temptation can seem insurmountable. If we are not careful, and allow ourselves to be in compromising situations, we then open ourselves up to temptation. If I know that I have the tendency to give in to temptation in certain places, or with certain people, then I need to stay away from those places and people. But so often we put ourselves in positions or places in which we can easily be led into sinful activities because we put ourselves in the wrong places with the wrong people.

Third, it is important to remember that temptation always looks good. Have you ever noticed how deceptive temptation is to you, personally? That thought that just one time wouldn’t hurt, or that it wouldn’t really affect anyone else if I engaged in this activity, or that it sure would be nice to do that, or that this could prove to be a worthwhile investment of my time, energy and resources.

Think about a few Biblical examples of individuals who gave in to the alluring appearance of temptation: Eve ate of the forbidden fruit; Achan took of the accursed spoils of Jericho; the people of Israel rejected God because they wanted to be like the other nations; King Saul gave in to the temptation to compromise the clear instructions from God; Ananias and Saphira lied about a certain amount of money they had contributed; and so many others. They all thought their actions would bring a sense of fulfillment and satisfaction, but each resulted in destruction.

But let’s remember that Paul teaches clearly that temptation can be defeated. God always provides a means of escape. If I walk in the Spirit of God, then I can withstand the onslaught of temptation, regardless of the source of that temptation’s origin.

To guard ourselves against falling to temptation, we need to practice Christian disciplines: spend time in prayer, engage in Bible study, have an accountability partner, fellowship with other believers, practice personal and group discipleship, etc.

Temptation is the common lot of the human family, but it does not have to win. We are enabled by the grace of God with all we need to overcome those desires that are contrary to the teachings of Scripture.

Until next time:

Blessings!