There is a great power in words. The Bible tells us so. "Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit" (Proverbs 18:21)
According to the Scriptures, the tongue has a power. Notice it says here, "the power of the tongue". Its obvious that the power referred to here is not the physical power of the tongue as a muscle, but the power of the words it produces. I've never heard of the word "tongue" used in relation to God Himself. Its a word used of human speech. So we can see that the Word of God is saying that our speech is tremendously important, powerful and significant. So much so that our words are a matter of life and death.
Jesus declared, "But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment." (Matthew 12:36). "For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." (Matthew 12:37). These declarations of Jesus Christ should cause us to sit up and take notice, and consider very carefully what kind of words are coming out of our mouths and why.
Without a doubt, we must be careful what we say. Idle words, and negative thoughts and spoken phrases can do a great deal of damage in the spiritual realm, but positive words and phrases based on the Bible and its promises will bring good results. The choice is before us and the advice is clear: SPEAK LIFE! SPEAK WORDS IN LINE WITH THE ULTIMATE TRUTH -- THE WORD OF GOD!
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Monday, April 23, 2007
The Power of Our Prayers
"Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests . . . Be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints." Ephesians 6:18
"God gives us the Spirit as our teacher in prayer, to tell us what is right and to temper our emotions. We should seek such aid of the Spirit." John Calvin
"Prayer is an art which only the Holy Spirit can teach us. He is the giver of all prayer." C.H. Spurgeon
"There is no man, nor church in the world, that can come to God in prayer, but by the assistance of the Holy Spirit." John Bunyan
James 5:16 tells us, ‘‘The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." There is power in our prayers!
Praise God that the Holy Spirit will help us in our prayers if we ask him for help. He will give us words, both of understanding and in the Spirit, if we ask Him to help us pray. Make sure you ask the Spirit to help you pray. Great men and women of the faith like Calvin and Spurgeon and Bunyan attest the Spirit's loving assistance.
It also seems from the writing in James that there are three key elements that should constitute our prayer lives: We should pray properly, purposefully and persistently. When all three elements are a part of our prayer lives, our prayers are powerful and effective.
The first element of ‘‘effective, fervent prayer” is that we are to pray properly. The foundational purpose for prayer is not to ask for things — although we are told to do that,and we should do that — but to align ourselves with God’s will. We need to remember that prayer is for people, not God. God doesn’t need our prayers, but we need to pray to God if for no other reason than to remember that we are not He. One way we do that is by aligning our prayers and our requests with God's Word -- which expresses much of His will for our lives and situations. Prayer declares the truth of God into our lives and into the world. Praying the Scriptures, just as praying in the Spirit, aligns us with God and declares God's truth into the world.
The second element of effective, fervent prayer is to pray purposefully. God has told us that we are to ask for what we want; we are to be specific. Being specific and verbal about our desires helps us to put out on the table both our needs and our wants. Some of our presumed needs are likely to be seen as wants when we verbalize them, and this helps us to, once again, put things into proper perspective. Asking for what we think want and need doesn’t mean that we are going to get it, but it does allow us to be honest with ourselves before God. And we can be sure He will give us everything we truly need for life and ministry.
Finally, if we are to have an effective, fervent prayer life, we have to pray persistently. The apostle Paul tells us to pray without ceasing, and Jesus used the example of the ‘‘importuning widow” who continually came before the judge to ask for what she wanted until the judge gave in to her request. This doesn’t mean that we are going to be able to wear God down or browbeat Him into giving us what we want. What it does mean is that by praying persistently we will continually seek to align ourselves with God’s will. We are moving in the right direction for we see the light of the lighthouse of God's love. We are allowing His bit in our mouth's to guide us.
Human nature, being what it is, often leads us to think that we are responsible for all the good things that happen to us. Taking time in prayer to thank God for what He has done and to pull ourselves into alignment with His will put life into proper perspective for us. And so our prayer should reflect this just as Jesus’ prayer did: ‘‘Not my will but Thy will be done.” Again, we often find His will for us revealed in the Scriptures. There are many wonderful promises that show us His will. When we see Jesus in the Bible we see the Father and we see His love and caring for all humanity, including us! Praise the Lord!
"God gives us the Spirit as our teacher in prayer, to tell us what is right and to temper our emotions. We should seek such aid of the Spirit." John Calvin
"Prayer is an art which only the Holy Spirit can teach us. He is the giver of all prayer." C.H. Spurgeon
"There is no man, nor church in the world, that can come to God in prayer, but by the assistance of the Holy Spirit." John Bunyan
James 5:16 tells us, ‘‘The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." There is power in our prayers!
Praise God that the Holy Spirit will help us in our prayers if we ask him for help. He will give us words, both of understanding and in the Spirit, if we ask Him to help us pray. Make sure you ask the Spirit to help you pray. Great men and women of the faith like Calvin and Spurgeon and Bunyan attest the Spirit's loving assistance.
It also seems from the writing in James that there are three key elements that should constitute our prayer lives: We should pray properly, purposefully and persistently. When all three elements are a part of our prayer lives, our prayers are powerful and effective.
The first element of ‘‘effective, fervent prayer” is that we are to pray properly. The foundational purpose for prayer is not to ask for things — although we are told to do that,and we should do that — but to align ourselves with God’s will. We need to remember that prayer is for people, not God. God doesn’t need our prayers, but we need to pray to God if for no other reason than to remember that we are not He. One way we do that is by aligning our prayers and our requests with God's Word -- which expresses much of His will for our lives and situations. Prayer declares the truth of God into our lives and into the world. Praying the Scriptures, just as praying in the Spirit, aligns us with God and declares God's truth into the world.
The second element of effective, fervent prayer is to pray purposefully. God has told us that we are to ask for what we want; we are to be specific. Being specific and verbal about our desires helps us to put out on the table both our needs and our wants. Some of our presumed needs are likely to be seen as wants when we verbalize them, and this helps us to, once again, put things into proper perspective. Asking for what we think want and need doesn’t mean that we are going to get it, but it does allow us to be honest with ourselves before God. And we can be sure He will give us everything we truly need for life and ministry.
Finally, if we are to have an effective, fervent prayer life, we have to pray persistently. The apostle Paul tells us to pray without ceasing, and Jesus used the example of the ‘‘importuning widow” who continually came before the judge to ask for what she wanted until the judge gave in to her request. This doesn’t mean that we are going to be able to wear God down or browbeat Him into giving us what we want. What it does mean is that by praying persistently we will continually seek to align ourselves with God’s will. We are moving in the right direction for we see the light of the lighthouse of God's love. We are allowing His bit in our mouth's to guide us.
Human nature, being what it is, often leads us to think that we are responsible for all the good things that happen to us. Taking time in prayer to thank God for what He has done and to pull ourselves into alignment with His will put life into proper perspective for us. And so our prayer should reflect this just as Jesus’ prayer did: ‘‘Not my will but Thy will be done.” Again, we often find His will for us revealed in the Scriptures. There are many wonderful promises that show us His will. When we see Jesus in the Bible we see the Father and we see His love and caring for all humanity, including us! Praise the Lord!
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
The Horror and Tragedy of the Massacre in Virginia
Another portion of our continuing national nightmare of gun violence has unfolded once again. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the 32 massacred at Virginia Tech University and to their friends, and to all who live and work at Virginia Tech. What a terrible thing happened in Virginia yesterday morning. It brings back horrible memories of otehr school shootings, such as Columbine, and the Amish school massacre.
Why would the young Asian student Cho turn on the others and mow them down as if life meant nothing? Investigators are still struggling with many questions, including this one. Certainly, guns enable people to kill many others in one fell swoop. I am the owner of a shotgun and a pistol, and I am a former member of the National Rifle Association, so I see the need for guns for sport in our society. But,when one realizes that we lead all the countries in the world in gun violence, one must admit that something has gone awry in our culture.
According to Reuters News Agency, Australian Prime Minister John Howard, a staunch U.S. political ally, cited the tough gun laws in his country as a solution. Australia banned almost all types of semi-automatic weapons after a mass shooting in Tasmania in 1996.
"We showed a national resolve that the gun culture that is such a negative in the United States would never become a negative in our country," said Howard, extending sympathies to the families of the victims at Virginia Tech university.
More than 30,000 people die from firearms in the United States every year and there are more guns in private hands than in any other country. By comparison, there were 163 gun deaths in the United Kingdom in 2003, according to the latest figures from the campaign group Gun Control Network.
Why did he do it? Newsweek magazine, in an article posted online today, states that psychologists can say a few things with certainly about who is more likely to commit the most serious of crimes. Over 90 percent of killers are male, and the same holds for mass murderers—“I can’t think of a single case where a woman has done this,” says Louis Schlesinger, a professor of forensic psychology at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice.—partly because men tend to have more access to guns, which are usually the weapons of choice. The killers are usually somewhere between the ages of 25 and 35. They generally do not have previous histories of breaking the law in any serious way. And they are not, on the whole, psychopaths, although they are often identified in the media as such. “A psychopath is someone with little conscience, little interpersonal bonding, someone who’s smooth and manipulative," says Schlesinger. "That personality has nothing, zero, to do with mass murder."
Indeed, according to Newsweek, the personality type most often associated with mass murder is in some ways the opposite of a psychopath. He is far from cool-headed; instead, he is aggrieved, hurt, and above all paranoid. Some mass murderers may be trying to exercise power over a world that they feel has left them powerless. "These people often feel some great injustice has been done to them. They're angry and they want to take it out on the world," says Schlesinger. "Then they develop the idea that committing murder will be the solution to whatever their problem is, and they fixate on it. Eventually they come to feel that there's no other solution."
“Almost always [in school shootings], the perpetrator is a student who seeks revenge,” says Levin. In the most deadly college shooting in America before this week’s—a 1966 attack at the University of Texas that killed 16 and wounded 31—the perpetrator, Charles Whitman, had been a student and research assistant at UT. Some mass murderers, Jack Levin, a forensic psychologist at Northeastern University says, want to conduct "executions" of their classmates, as Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris did at Columbine High School. As for Cho and whatever had upset him, Levin says, "It was murder by proxy. I think he was trying to kill the college."
Hate is a horrible thing, authored by the father of lies. When hate is mixed with guns capable of firing at a rapid rate, it becomes a thing capable of causing a monstrous massacre. This is a very sad day for Virginia Tech, and all of America.
Why would the young Asian student Cho turn on the others and mow them down as if life meant nothing? Investigators are still struggling with many questions, including this one. Certainly, guns enable people to kill many others in one fell swoop. I am the owner of a shotgun and a pistol, and I am a former member of the National Rifle Association, so I see the need for guns for sport in our society. But,when one realizes that we lead all the countries in the world in gun violence, one must admit that something has gone awry in our culture.
According to Reuters News Agency, Australian Prime Minister John Howard, a staunch U.S. political ally, cited the tough gun laws in his country as a solution. Australia banned almost all types of semi-automatic weapons after a mass shooting in Tasmania in 1996.
"We showed a national resolve that the gun culture that is such a negative in the United States would never become a negative in our country," said Howard, extending sympathies to the families of the victims at Virginia Tech university.
More than 30,000 people die from firearms in the United States every year and there are more guns in private hands than in any other country. By comparison, there were 163 gun deaths in the United Kingdom in 2003, according to the latest figures from the campaign group Gun Control Network.
Why did he do it? Newsweek magazine, in an article posted online today, states that psychologists can say a few things with certainly about who is more likely to commit the most serious of crimes. Over 90 percent of killers are male, and the same holds for mass murderers—“I can’t think of a single case where a woman has done this,” says Louis Schlesinger, a professor of forensic psychology at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice.—partly because men tend to have more access to guns, which are usually the weapons of choice. The killers are usually somewhere between the ages of 25 and 35. They generally do not have previous histories of breaking the law in any serious way. And they are not, on the whole, psychopaths, although they are often identified in the media as such. “A psychopath is someone with little conscience, little interpersonal bonding, someone who’s smooth and manipulative," says Schlesinger. "That personality has nothing, zero, to do with mass murder."
Indeed, according to Newsweek, the personality type most often associated with mass murder is in some ways the opposite of a psychopath. He is far from cool-headed; instead, he is aggrieved, hurt, and above all paranoid. Some mass murderers may be trying to exercise power over a world that they feel has left them powerless. "These people often feel some great injustice has been done to them. They're angry and they want to take it out on the world," says Schlesinger. "Then they develop the idea that committing murder will be the solution to whatever their problem is, and they fixate on it. Eventually they come to feel that there's no other solution."
“Almost always [in school shootings], the perpetrator is a student who seeks revenge,” says Levin. In the most deadly college shooting in America before this week’s—a 1966 attack at the University of Texas that killed 16 and wounded 31—the perpetrator, Charles Whitman, had been a student and research assistant at UT. Some mass murderers, Jack Levin, a forensic psychologist at Northeastern University says, want to conduct "executions" of their classmates, as Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris did at Columbine High School. As for Cho and whatever had upset him, Levin says, "It was murder by proxy. I think he was trying to kill the college."
Hate is a horrible thing, authored by the father of lies. When hate is mixed with guns capable of firing at a rapid rate, it becomes a thing capable of causing a monstrous massacre. This is a very sad day for Virginia Tech, and all of America.
Monday, April 16, 2007
The Flag That Does Not Fly
This is the great Floral Flag. Between the fields where the flag is planted, there are 9+ miles of flower fields that go all the way to the ocean. The flowers are grown by seed companies. It's a beautiful place, close to Vandenberg AFB.! Check out the dimensions of the flag. The Floral Flag is 740 feet long and 390 feet wide and maintains the proper Flag dimensions, as described in Executive Order #10834. This Flag is 6.65 acres and is the first Floral Flag to be planted with 5 pointed Stars, comprised of White Larkspur. Each Star is 24 feet in diameter; each Stripe is 30 feet wide. This Flag is estimated to contain more than 400,000 Larkspur plants, with 4-5 flower stems each, for a total of more than 2 million flowers. Let us pray for our country, our leaders, our soldiers, and our diplomats. May a way to peace be found in Iraq so that our men and women can come home to their families.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Hard Hearts Thicken and Sicken Our Society
Hard hearts are a big problem in our world. They keep people from loving God and from loving each other. Hard hearts make walls that prevent reconciliation with God and each other, and growth in God.
One of the great heroes of the Christian faith is Francis of Assisi, who was given the recognition of sainthood by the Roman Catholic Church. Certainly, Francis modeled humility and faithfulness in such as way as to inspire us to follow Christ more closely. He preached against hard heartedness, and called on people to reach out to each other in service and love. He lived a life of humble, faithful service to Christ.
Francis is perhaps most famous for his blessing of animals and for affirming the animals as a reminder of our affinity for God’s creatures and creation. He saw all of God's creation as an interconnected blessing. I think St. Francis is an example of someone who was not plagued with meanness of spirit and hardness of heart, but rather had an open and willing heart, as we are called to have for the Lord. May the hard hearts become soft, molded by the Spirit.
There is a wonderful prayer attributed to St. Francis, a prayer that keeps your heart from becoming hard. It goes like this:
“Lord, make us instruments of your peace. Where there is hatred, let us sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is discord, union; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. Grant that we may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.”
One of the great heroes of the Christian faith is Francis of Assisi, who was given the recognition of sainthood by the Roman Catholic Church. Certainly, Francis modeled humility and faithfulness in such as way as to inspire us to follow Christ more closely. He preached against hard heartedness, and called on people to reach out to each other in service and love. He lived a life of humble, faithful service to Christ.
Francis is perhaps most famous for his blessing of animals and for affirming the animals as a reminder of our affinity for God’s creatures and creation. He saw all of God's creation as an interconnected blessing. I think St. Francis is an example of someone who was not plagued with meanness of spirit and hardness of heart, but rather had an open and willing heart, as we are called to have for the Lord. May the hard hearts become soft, molded by the Spirit.
There is a wonderful prayer attributed to St. Francis, a prayer that keeps your heart from becoming hard. It goes like this:
“Lord, make us instruments of your peace. Where there is hatred, let us sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is discord, union; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. Grant that we may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.”
Sunday, April 08, 2007
WE ARE EASTER PEOPLE!
On that first Easter morning the disciples came to the tomb of Jesus and found it empty. They came expecting to find a body and instead they found emptiness. Now I have to tell you that I have preached many Easter sermons about the empty tomb. The empty tomb is a compelling image.
The resurrection of Jesus Christ has been called the greatest event in human history, because it changed everything. Of course, His birth and crucifixion were necessary precedents to the resurrection, and they are all interrelated in our salvation.
The three main events in the life of Jesus were when He became incarnate at his birth, when He went to Calvary to bear our sins, and when He arose from the dead on the first Easter morning.
The three are intricately inter-related. If Jesus had not become incarnate, He could not have borne the sins of man. If He had not given His life a ransom for the sinner, then there would have been no need for a resurrection from the dead.
The resurrection of Jesus provides for us a great source of gladness. There were no "what ifs" about his resurrection, for Peter said that "IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE FOR DEATH TO HOLD HIM." It was planned in eternity past, that the Lord Jesus would not only die, but that he would not stay in the grave in defeat. Christ was destined to rise in victory and glory.
Our hearts are lifted above our present problems and pressures, when we realize get a glimpse of an empty tomb and a resurrected, ever living Savior.
We begin to catch a ray of hope in what we regard as hopeless situations, when we stop to think that Jesus lives, and because He lives we can face tomorrow.
We tend to lose our fears when we have our eyes upon the Lord of Life and the Conquerer of Death. We hear Him come from the grave and whisper to our souls the comforting, reassuring words : "Fear Not".
Life's difficulties do not look as large, when we remind ourselves that He lives. We have a present help in the time of trouble.
The fact that Jesus is alive is more real to me than the fact than I am living. How precious are these eternal, wonderful, spiritual things of God!
There are miracles that are sent our way daily by God. I believe we are constantly confronted by miracles, and the resurrection is the miracle of all miracles. Explain it away if you like, but we have been tremendously affected by the countless people over these last 2000 years who encountered the risen Christ in their lives.
What the resurrected Christ did was to empower his followers to continue his work, be bearers of his love, be healers in his name, and work for justice and peace in the world. Christians have been killed, persecuted, ridiculed, reviled and dismissed but still the Good News lives on and in 2000 years of trying all those governments and individuals who have attempted to eliminate Christianity from the face of the earth have failed. Praise God for Savior.
We are Easter People. Christ is risen. He is risen indeed!
The resurrection of Jesus Christ has been called the greatest event in human history, because it changed everything. Of course, His birth and crucifixion were necessary precedents to the resurrection, and they are all interrelated in our salvation.
The three main events in the life of Jesus were when He became incarnate at his birth, when He went to Calvary to bear our sins, and when He arose from the dead on the first Easter morning.
The three are intricately inter-related. If Jesus had not become incarnate, He could not have borne the sins of man. If He had not given His life a ransom for the sinner, then there would have been no need for a resurrection from the dead.
The resurrection of Jesus provides for us a great source of gladness. There were no "what ifs" about his resurrection, for Peter said that "IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE FOR DEATH TO HOLD HIM." It was planned in eternity past, that the Lord Jesus would not only die, but that he would not stay in the grave in defeat. Christ was destined to rise in victory and glory.
Our hearts are lifted above our present problems and pressures, when we realize get a glimpse of an empty tomb and a resurrected, ever living Savior.
We begin to catch a ray of hope in what we regard as hopeless situations, when we stop to think that Jesus lives, and because He lives we can face tomorrow.
We tend to lose our fears when we have our eyes upon the Lord of Life and the Conquerer of Death. We hear Him come from the grave and whisper to our souls the comforting, reassuring words : "Fear Not".
Life's difficulties do not look as large, when we remind ourselves that He lives. We have a present help in the time of trouble.
The fact that Jesus is alive is more real to me than the fact than I am living. How precious are these eternal, wonderful, spiritual things of God!
There are miracles that are sent our way daily by God. I believe we are constantly confronted by miracles, and the resurrection is the miracle of all miracles. Explain it away if you like, but we have been tremendously affected by the countless people over these last 2000 years who encountered the risen Christ in their lives.
What the resurrected Christ did was to empower his followers to continue his work, be bearers of his love, be healers in his name, and work for justice and peace in the world. Christians have been killed, persecuted, ridiculed, reviled and dismissed but still the Good News lives on and in 2000 years of trying all those governments and individuals who have attempted to eliminate Christianity from the face of the earth have failed. Praise God for Savior.
We are Easter People. Christ is risen. He is risen indeed!
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Yield Not to Temptations -- No Spiritual Bird Nests, Please!
Christians face temptation every day, and not everyone is prepared to overcome those temptations. At some point most people are faced with the desire to submit to sin, whether it is sex, gossip, drugs, alcohol, cheating, and more. Sometimes those temptations are minor, so they are pretty easy to overcome, but other times the desire seems too great. Remember, though, that temptation is not the sin, even Jesus was tempted. As the old saying goes, just let those birds fly over your head -- do not let them build a nest! We only sin when we give into the temptation. Here are some things you can do to help you avoid and overcome temptations:
1) Identify Temptations
Everyone is a little different, so it is important to know what temptations are difficult for you to overcome. Some people may find that gossip is more alluring than drugs or gambling or sex. When you know what tempts you the most you can be proactive about handling that temptation.
2) Pray About the Temptation
Most Christians know the temptations that are difficult to overcome. For instance, if you find gossip a great temptation then pray every night for the strength to overcome the gossip. Ask God to provide you with the strength to walk away from the gossip and to know what information is gossip and what is real information.
3) Avoid the Temptation
When we know what temptations are being the most difficult, we can prepare ourselves for those situations. In some cases we can even avoid the temptation itself. For instance, if premarital sex is a temptation, then you can avoid being in situations where you might find yourself giving into that desire.
4) Use Your Bible for Inspiration
The Bible is there to offer Christians advice and guidance, so why not use it? Scripture verses like 1 Corinthians 10:13, "You are tempted in the same way that everyone else is tempted. But God can be trusted not to let you be tempted too much, and he will show you how to escape from your temptation" (CEV), can help inspire you in moments of temptation. Try to look up what the Bible says on your areas of temptation for inspiration and guidance.
5) Use Positive Language
What does positive language have to do with avoiding temptation? It actually has more to do with overcoming temptation. You need to believe God can help you overcome the desire to sin in order to actually overcome it. Avoid saying things like, "It's too hard," or "I'll never be able to do this." Remember, God can move mountains. Try changing how you approach the situation and say, "God can help me overcome this," or "It's not too hard for God."
6) Give Yourself Alternatives
In 1 Corinthians 10:13, the Bible states that God can show you how to escape from your temptation. Allow yourself to see that escape. If you know your temptations, know how you can overcome. Give yourself alternatives. For instance, if you are tempted to lie to protect another person's feelings, try considering other ways to word the truth so it doesn't sound so harsh. If people around you are getting into drugs, try making new friends. Alternatives aren't always easy, but they can be the path God creates for you to avoid and overcome temptation.
7) God Still Loves You and Will Forgive You
While avoiding temptation makes life a lot easier, it can be discouraging when we do give into that sin. We all make mistakes. That is why God offers us forgiveness. While you should not sin knowing that you can be forgiven, you should know that God's grace is available. So remember 1 John 1:8-9, "If we say that we have not sinned, we are fooling ourselves, and the truth isn't in our hearts. But if we confess our sins to God, he can always be trusted to forgive us and take our sins away,"" (CEV)
We should not wallow in our own mire, sinning the same sin over and over again. (2 Peter 2:22) Sin separates us from God and from each other. It debilitates us and our witness for Him. God hates sin, but loves us, and so He offers forginvess through Jesus Christ.
We need to REPENT, turn away, and sin no more. Thank God for His forgivness and our ability to confess our sins to God. Rest in the fact that God will always be there ready to catch you when you fall, and to help you stay on the straight and narrow path.
1) Identify Temptations
Everyone is a little different, so it is important to know what temptations are difficult for you to overcome. Some people may find that gossip is more alluring than drugs or gambling or sex. When you know what tempts you the most you can be proactive about handling that temptation.
2) Pray About the Temptation
Most Christians know the temptations that are difficult to overcome. For instance, if you find gossip a great temptation then pray every night for the strength to overcome the gossip. Ask God to provide you with the strength to walk away from the gossip and to know what information is gossip and what is real information.
3) Avoid the Temptation
When we know what temptations are being the most difficult, we can prepare ourselves for those situations. In some cases we can even avoid the temptation itself. For instance, if premarital sex is a temptation, then you can avoid being in situations where you might find yourself giving into that desire.
4) Use Your Bible for Inspiration
The Bible is there to offer Christians advice and guidance, so why not use it? Scripture verses like 1 Corinthians 10:13, "You are tempted in the same way that everyone else is tempted. But God can be trusted not to let you be tempted too much, and he will show you how to escape from your temptation" (CEV), can help inspire you in moments of temptation. Try to look up what the Bible says on your areas of temptation for inspiration and guidance.
5) Use Positive Language
What does positive language have to do with avoiding temptation? It actually has more to do with overcoming temptation. You need to believe God can help you overcome the desire to sin in order to actually overcome it. Avoid saying things like, "It's too hard," or "I'll never be able to do this." Remember, God can move mountains. Try changing how you approach the situation and say, "God can help me overcome this," or "It's not too hard for God."
6) Give Yourself Alternatives
In 1 Corinthians 10:13, the Bible states that God can show you how to escape from your temptation. Allow yourself to see that escape. If you know your temptations, know how you can overcome. Give yourself alternatives. For instance, if you are tempted to lie to protect another person's feelings, try considering other ways to word the truth so it doesn't sound so harsh. If people around you are getting into drugs, try making new friends. Alternatives aren't always easy, but they can be the path God creates for you to avoid and overcome temptation.
7) God Still Loves You and Will Forgive You
While avoiding temptation makes life a lot easier, it can be discouraging when we do give into that sin. We all make mistakes. That is why God offers us forgiveness. While you should not sin knowing that you can be forgiven, you should know that God's grace is available. So remember 1 John 1:8-9, "If we say that we have not sinned, we are fooling ourselves, and the truth isn't in our hearts. But if we confess our sins to God, he can always be trusted to forgive us and take our sins away,"" (CEV)
We should not wallow in our own mire, sinning the same sin over and over again. (2 Peter 2:22) Sin separates us from God and from each other. It debilitates us and our witness for Him. God hates sin, but loves us, and so He offers forginvess through Jesus Christ.
We need to REPENT, turn away, and sin no more. Thank God for His forgivness and our ability to confess our sins to God. Rest in the fact that God will always be there ready to catch you when you fall, and to help you stay on the straight and narrow path.
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