Tempted!

Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.  When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created. My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. James 1:12-22 NIV

Such rich word from James–reminding us that though many may be tempted to do those things which are not right in God’s sight, we do not have to give in and we certainly cannot say–“God tempted us.”

We are tempted to given into those things we want to do–right or wrong. If our flesh controls what we do rather than Holy Spirit, then we’ll most likely given in to the temptations set before us and the enemy–Satan–knows exactly how we can be tempted, but just like God won’t force us to do anything, neither will or can Satan. Our choices determine our consequences.

Some people are tempted by money and obtaining it by any means possible. This temptation is nurtured by greed and desire for power and status and usually ends up leading people to a jail cell for corruption via embezzling, bribery, and illicit deals often conducted in darkness and in secrecy.

Some people are tempted by desire for affection and sexual gratification. This temptation is nurtured by the seeds planted in the mind from pornographic material and dissatisfaction with one’s current state in a relationship. When a person won’t keep their flesh under control, relationships are shattered, health is risked, and in some cases–people are publicly humiliated because of their lack of control.

Had an interesting exchange with someone on Twitter last night in response to a tweet about Pence saying, he won’t be alone with a woman and always requires his wife’s presence. Now, while this might sound “holy” to some, it struck me that he doesn’t trust himself to not be tempted in an effort to appease his own desires. Since he is supposed to be a Christian, I wonder why he’s concerned since Holy Spirit should be guiding all he does. I know some would attempt to apply, “we should avoid the very appearance of evil” to this situation, but I’m having a hard time understanding how a man being alone with a woman or vice versa should be considered evil.

Because of my ministry, I have been alone with men on a number of occasions and I’ve not been tempted to do anything that would not honor God. In jail ministry, in ministering to veterans as a volunteer chaplain, in business endeavors–whatever situation I found myself in–I knew I could count on Holy Spirit to keep me from falling short.

My point in all this is simply–know yourself and what may tempt you. I’m tempted by cheesecake and so I try staying away from places that sell the best and when I do cave–I only purchase one serving. Money doesn’t tempt me and nor does anything that could land me in a jail cell. I know when I pray, God hears and I allow Holy Spirit to do what He does best–keep me in check.

So, if you’re tempted to do something you shouldn’t–ask yourself why and if professing to be a man or woman of God, submit to Holy Spirit and allow Him to lead in all things.

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. 1 Corinthians 10:13 NIV

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Being Full of the Holy Spirit!

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry. The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’” The devil led him up to a high place and  showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world.And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. If you worship me, it will all be yours.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’ The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here. For it is written: “ ‘He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’” Jesus answered, “It is said: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time. Luke 4:1-13 NIV

In order to resist the temptation served up by the devil, we have to be full of Holy Spirit, with a heart to hear and obey Him, rather than the dictates of our flesh.

Now, all who have eyes and are being led by Holy Spirit can see through the devil’s lies and all of the promises made are crumbling for all the world to see.

God knows our hearts and our motivations. Since He is love, He abhors hate-mongering and fear-mongering and we know–with all the hate demonstrated in this country, that it was the devil who offered the temptation of change through a narcissistic, fear-mongering demon and those who didn’t have the spiritual discernment to see it, fell for the smooth talking snake-oil salesman.

But of course there was a specific group targeted to engage their loyalty–the low-educated and the ill-informed–the gullible and it worked. Now, though their hatred of all people who don’t look like them was their driving force, they are seeing and will see even more why they were misled.

The media became a pawn in the game of the enemy and he played them like a finely tuned fiddle. Free coverage–never spending his money because that’s not his style.

The tax cuts won’t help anyone who isn’t rich. Another lie perpetuated by the enemy.

The wall won’t be built unless the haters volunteer their time to build it and that will be the extent of the jobs provided–manual labor–for their savior knows they don’t have the educational ability to do anything beyond that. How do we know? He held a baby in his hands and declared, “he looks like a construction worker,” pronouncing the expectation as though that’s all the baby can ever hope for.

And for those poor folks who think didn’t have healthcare before the Affordable Care Act, they’ll be back to square one because no one has a better plan to put in its place.

I’ve concluded because of what The Lord is showing me that buyer’s remorse is rising faster than flood waters and the regret is already real and he has not even been sworn into office. His lawyers are handling the 75 pending lawsuits while he’s avoiding any press coverage. And why is he not allowing the press to travel with him? He doesn’t want any of his true thoughts and conversations to expose him for the devil he really is. The dictator he plans to be.

And the biggest group who fell for the lies–the Evangelical group who was more concerned about party than country. I’m sure they are really proud of themselves for pushing the enemy down people’s throats. If people thought church attendance was bad, they will see–soon enough–the real decimation of trust betrayed. If the church lies to people because they believed the lie–how disappointed is God in those He trusted to hear and obey Him? 

Based upon His Word, I can only conclude that they were not filled with Holy Spirit and therefore did not have the power to resist temptation–the temptation to “have authority over people with Supreme Court Appointments.” They forgot, the only authority over anyone’s life should be God, not people. But they didn’t trust God, to be God!

I will hear and obey and do all within my ability and in His strength to help turn the tide of hatred and bigotry and overt racism that now flows freely, unhinged because Americans elected a madman–who only wants to benefit himself.

So renew a right relationship with God and be filled to overflowing with His Spirit so you can see things through spiritual eyes and not allow the dictates of the flesh to blind you. My hope is in Jesus Christ and I will not be tempted by delusions of grandeur and having authority, not rightfully mine. I will continue to write and say what God is saying to my heart until He returns or I can no longer type.

Are We Defeated?

The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers and sisters. Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. I Corinthians 6:7-11 NIV

When victory is not the end result–there lies defeat. Are we defeated?

I submit to you–that as long as we do things according to The Word–we will not be defeated, but know victory at every turn!

When we tell the truth–we know victory!

When we stand up for and promote righteousness–we know victory!

When we refuse to cave to popular opinion and reject the ways of the world–we know victory!

No matter what the doctor’s report says–we are victorious!

No matter what our bank account shows us–we are victorious!

No matter what people think of us or who we support–politically–we are victorious!

No matter what temptation the enemy puts in front of us–we will not be tempted to live in opposition to God’s Word–we are victorious!

With God going before us in everything we do–He is more than enough! In Him, we live and move and have our being! We are victorious through Jesus Christ!

So, keep going–living The Word, daily–never expecting or ready to concede defeat in anything. Just keep going and going and going–looking to Him–the author and finisher of our faith–knowing that no matter what happens on earth, in the end–we win and will spend eternity with Him!

 

Avoiding The Pitfalls!

Do not envy the wicked, do not desire their company;for their hearts plot violence, and their lips talk about making trouble. By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures. The wise prevail through great power, and those who have knowledge muster their strength. Surely you need guidance to wage war, and victory is won through many advisers. Wisdom is too high for fools; in the assembly at the gate they must not open their mouths. Proverbs 24:1-7 NIV

There are some snares and pitfalls we can avoid in life, IF we simply take the time to think about what we do–BEFORE we do it. This is not a one-time lesson in life, but an on-going life lesson we must learn, if we are to survive to share our testimonies of how we overcame.

For teenagers–the path to adulthood is an obstacle course–at every turn, they must watch for the snares and pitfalls that are waiting to keep them from enjoying success as an adult. Those snares and pitfalls come in the form of “wrong” friends and giving into the influence that peers force upon others–if they want to be “cool.”

Being “cool” is not always the best route to take to navigate high school or in some cases–middle school. For the peer pressure comes earlier and earlier and even in some elementary schools–kids are pressured to join in or be square.

I’ve been there, but I was considered square because I wasn’t interested in doing anything that could get me in trouble with my mother. “Back in the day” as some would say, at 14 years-old, I had the responsibility of taking care of my brothers and sister after school. It was my responsibility to make sure dinner was cooked (meat, vegetables and a starch), everyone ate, and kitchen cleaned before my mother got home from work. When things went wrong at home and she wasn’t there, I handled it–from the ninth–through eleventh grades–I ran the house. My mother worked two jobs to support us and even though she wasn’t around much, she had instilled a fear in us that made sure we didn’t get into trouble. But then, I was raised in a community of less than 200 people and everyone knew everyone’s business, so there was little chance of getting away with anything.

That’s not the case today. Kids have greater obstacles to withstand if they’re strong enough and wise enough to stand up to their peers. The experimentation with drugs and sex can be overwhelming and the temptation to great to resist, but we must teach them how and show them by example–how to win in life. It’s not easy, but it is necessary. The first obstacle we must teach them to overcome is how to survive in a drug-culture in the schools. Drugs are prevalent everywhere–and it doesn’t matter if it is an affluent or an impoverished community–the more access to money kids have, the greater the likelihood that kids will move from the cheap drugs to the more expensive ones.  But illegal drugs–are bad news–for everyone and we see the results from the crime in the streets, to the overdoses in the hospitals.

So, while we’re praying for them to successfully navigate the murky waters of temptation, we must also teach–and re-teach  them how to be confident enough in who God has called them to be, that they can resist the temptation of the evil set before them, and not be concerned about what others think.

Lord, be merciful unto us as leaders in churches, parents, and school administrators and give us wisdom–abundantly–so we can help our children live and succeed as You would have them to do.

Appearances Matter!

Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil. 1 Thessalonians 5:21,22 KJV

If we care about what others think and we should–to a point–but more importantly, we should care about what God thinks about what we do. People tend to judge “what they see” without considering other factors, but God knows–our thoughts and our hearts–and certainly our intent.

With all of the uproar and media attention spotlighting –any person or place at any time–it would be the height of foolishness to attempt to do anything that is remotely wrong. Common sense–exercised far too little–needs to be exercised in all we do. Just one false move–or seemingly false move can create chaos and confusion and lead to the demise of jobs and reputations.

Why do we do it? We forget that appearances–matter to all who are looking and sometimes, those appearances, color perceptions. This is why it is important for all Believers to know that others watching us, will judge us–rightly or wrongly–and determine whether we are credible or not.

Unless The Lord directs our steps into certain venues–we should avoid them so they won’t taint our testimonies. Not one Believer should ever be seen in a strip-club, a drug house, or entertaining the moguls of ungodliness in any venue.

Not one Believer should ever put themselves into a position to be falsely accused of anything–adultery, fornication, theft, mismanagement or any other thing that could deter the unbelieving from making a decision for Christ.

If we do all things–with the understanding that God sees and knows all and we care about what He thinks of us–we can avoid the pitfalls and snares that the enemy sets for us, but allowing Holy Spirit to speak to our hearts and we obey.

For every foul-mouthed individual out there (and there are many), we tend to judge presumptuously, but judgment is the end result for we know that corrupt communications, corrupt good manners. A person may be a “good person” but if they cannot control their mouths–some of us will never know it.

I’m guilty of assessing situations and coming up with the wrong answers. And because of my assessments of people, I tend to stay away from certain groups because I care what God thinks about me–I’m avoiding the appearance of evil. However, I have also concluded that just because I find myself in the presence of people who do not know–how God wants them to live--I do not have to become like them in order to be a light to them. After all, it is not my job to judge people (I can judge sin as can all Believers and we should) and therefore, if I remove myself from every situation in which people are involved, I limit opportunity for God to rise in me for them to see Him.

When we’re not sure of what we should do, we should seek God–prayerfully and know that He is faithful and just and will never steer us in the wrong direction. If we end up on the wrong path trying to do the right thing, we need to seek the right path and get back to where God would have us.

And here is the most important thing to remember, “If we only do the right thing, we never have to worry about doing the wrong thing.”  In the greater scheme of life, appearances do matter, so we must watch what we say and do.

It Is Written!

“It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ “

“It is also written:’Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’ “

“Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’ “

Matthew 4:4, 7, 10 NIV

Three times, Jesus told Satan who was trying to entice Him by engaging Him in nonsensical conversation and behavior. Tempting him to be a magician–“turn these stones into bread.” Tempting Him to destroy himself to prove himself–“throw yourself down” from the highest point of the temple. Tempting Him by offering what was not his to give--“All this I will give you if you bow down and worship me.” Satan was offering Jesus that which was already His.

And because Jesus knew who He was–confident in His role determined by the Father, He didn’t argue with Satan; He simply said, “it is written.”

Now, there was an assumption here on the part of Jesus and that was–Satan’s ability to read with understanding. Most educators know that not everyone who claims to know how to read, actually read with understanding. Some people are simply word-callers–they recognize and can sound out the words, but they do not understand the relationship between words in order to comprehend the context of what is being said.

The most tragic part of assessing a person’s ability to understand what is written is to determine that though many adults claim to read, they lack comprehension skills. And this is why–many are combative, angry, and irritable–they lack understanding and if we lack understanding, our confidence level sinks.

In order to know how to effectively avoid engagement with those who would attempt to deter us from destined path, we need to know what God says about us and the only we can know that is to get into His Word and seek Him for understanding. Then, when the enemy comes to tempt us, we can say, “It is written” for we have read what was written and understand it.

Having read instructions, directions, and even for entertainment, we can build our confidence in the knowledge that we comprehend and this strategy is useful in all walks of life. This is why having a paper trail–written communication–in business engagement is crucial. People forget, but if they attempt to say they were not informed and it was written, they have no argument.

So, let us endeavor to negate argumentative situations–no matter who instigates them by countering with, “It is written” and leaving it alone.

Watch For The Stumbling Blocks!

“If anyone causes one of these little ones–those who believe in me–to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come!” (Matthew 18:6-7 NIV)

Jesus spoke these words to those who were listening to Him, while He walked the earth. He is yet speaking to those who are listening and obeying, warning us to watch out for those who would be stumbling blocks in our path, deliberately setting us up for a fall.

There are many things in this life that may cause people to stumble in their walk with Christ–temptations set before us to strengthen us and reveal our true characters. Are we people of integrity and honor? Do we value the wrong things in life? Are we so high-minded that we are only concerned with self? Are we wafflers–taking the side of anyone we listen to for more than five minutes? When the temptations come–and they will–are we able to withstand the urge to give into the temptation?

Sometimes, we get the wrong ideas about what can tempt us by thinking only about the obvious sin–living in opposition to God’s Word–when we are warned that it is the “little foxes that spoil the vine.” It is the little things that we allow to creep into our spirits when we think–they are little–that become stumbling blocks.

Let’s see how much these little things become stumbling blocks in our lives. We see the last piece of _________ left over from dinner and we decide–no big deal, I’ll eat it rather than see it go to waste. And before long, we’re eating that last of everything, justifying doing so within ourselves. But then the time comes when we have to see the doctor because our bodies are not functioning the way they should, and we discover we’re a hundred pounds overweight, our heart is failing, and we’re always out of breath. It was a little thing that snowballed into a big thing.

Some parents allow their children’s girlfriends and boyfriends to spend the night when they could easily go home. It’s not a big thing–they simply stayed up too late watching a movie or doing homework. When the parents went to bed, the kids were knocked out, but soon someone is knocked up and everyone is blown up with anger and resentment. But it was a little thing that blew up to a big thing.

When Christians say–same sex couples have a right to love and marry who they want–it’s a little thing to them because they claim it is an affair of the heart, when really it’s all about lust of the flesh. It was a little thing that has now exploded in a big thing as lawmakers attempt to determine when rights are violated and whose rights have priority over another. It is fight over whether the rights of those who believe and adhere to God’s Word transcend the rights of those who deliberately oppose God’s Word. It is now a matter of good versus evil in every sense of the word, but it was a little thing–ignored and underestimated that has now become a stumbling block for many.

Drugs, alcohol, theft, lying, profanity–might have been little things in the lives of many, but become bigger than life when ignored. Children lying and using profanity is not cute; it’s negligence on the part of the parent and so is stealing and allowing kids to experiment with drugs and alcohol. Addictions of any kind may have started as a little thing, but became bigger when ignored. They became stumbling blocks in the lives of people who did not recognize how to steer clear and find another path.

For those who deliberately put stumbling blocks in the path of those who are trying to live righteous lives, the penalty is severe. I cannot imagine the weight of a millstone (2 feet round and half a foot thick) hanging around my neck, holding me under the water until I succumbed to it. Nor do I want to be responsible for encouraging anyone to live in opposition to God’s Word.

Therefore, to make sure I am not a stumbling block–interfering with God’s plans in a person’s life, I simply promote the Gospel, focusing on Him, trying to steer clear of the drama that some see as a little thing, but if ignored, blows up into theatrical performance, worthy of awards for stupidity and a lack of integrity. There is no honor in creating stumbling blocks for others. When we know Him, we should be represent all that He is in everything we do–peacemakers in all things–and not peacebreakers. Watch out for the stumbling blocks that keep success out of reach!

A Stronghold in Times of Trouble!

“The Lord reigns forever; He has established His throne for judgment. He rules the world in righteousness and judges the peoples with equity. The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know Your name trust in You, for You, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek You.” (Psalm 9:7-10 NIV).

If the Lord reigns–not just in the atmosphere–but in our hearts, the world will know peace. Where there is no peace, we do not acknowledge who He is and do not allow Him to govern our lives. If He is not governing our lives–we fall prey to the influence of the enemy and allow his influence to reign in our lives.

But we don’t have to. The Word tells us to “give no place for the devil” and we should heed the Word. But what does that mean?

It means that when we know certain situations or people can open the door for the devil to step in–we should avoid them. Now, there The Word tells us there is no temptation that can confront us that He has not made a way of escape. The escape route that many ignore–is the wisdom to avoid the situation in the first place. If we do not place ourselves or allow others to put us in a position where we can be tempted, we effectively keep the devil’s influence out of our lives.

But when we don’t–heed wise instruction and warnings–the devil’s influence does not creep in–it walks into a situation because we have opened the door. When the devil does what the devil does–influencing others to do what is wrong–who is the guilty party? Is it the one who succumbed to the influence or the one who created the situation by opening the door?

People who have overcome addictions of all types, have nothing to prove to others and especially those who are trying to influence their judgment and behavior. It is not all right for anyone who suffers from addiction to put themselves in harm’s way, nor should they put themselves into a position to be influenced by others to do so. When we do things that we know are contrary to Holy Spirit’s influence, we cannot say, “this is just a test.” No, that is just foolishness.

We would not put a known thief in a room full of valuables and leave them alone, expecting them not to take anything. That’s not faith, it’s foolishness. The same is true of anything we value–respect, integrity, honor–all should be more valuable than things, and yet we risk allowing the enemy to influence what we do, when we think we know more than God.

The Bible tells us that no one should say when they are tempted, they are tempted by God, but understand we are tempted by our own lusts. We are tempted because of pride and egos and when we allow pride and ego to get in the way of wisdom and making wise decisions, we have no one to blame, but ourselves.

And when temptation wins–the least we can do is to acknowledge how wrong we were in allowing the situation to exist in the first place and not blame others. This is not to say we should condone wrong, but we must accept responsibility for any wrong that occurs and set things right.

Human beings are not God and cannot know everything, but when we allow Holy Spirit to lead us in all things, we limit the opportunities for the devil’s influence to operate and manage to maintain peace in our lives. The Lord is a stronghold in times of trouble and when we see trouble coming–we must cry out a warning and seek the refuge of God. If we don’t heed the warnings–the stain of guilt is on us–and we need to get right with God while we have the opportunity to do so.

No Holy Spirit guidance–no peace in homes or lives or nations. With Him–as our counselor and comforter–allowing Him to speak into our lives–we have peace with all we meet.

When The Enemy Attacks, We Say What God Says!

“Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist—denying the Father and the Son.No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also. As for you, see that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father.”(I John 2:22-24 NIV) 

Just as John wrote to the churches, reminding them of who they are in Christ and His promise of eternal life because the enemy was trying to lead them astray (v.26), so too, do I write. My daily writings are reminders to those who Believe and Know God for themselves and understand that our relationship with Him, is supposed to be an intimate, individual relationship that is binds us together by love.

We cannot claim to know and love one–Jesus or The Father–without loving the other since they are One–in purpose and intent–to provide us eternal life with them.

There is only one reason that I can think of that confuses people about the relationship between Jesus and The Father. Very simply put, misunderstanding or no comprehension of John’s relationship with Jesus to know that what He tells us is God’s Truth and not his own. God is a Spirit–and we who worship must worship Him in spirit and truth. He loves us so much He came down from in the likeness of flesh–called Himself Jesus (He told Mary what to name the baby), lived among men and understood temptation as we know it, yet did not sin. He didn’t cave or give into sin and whenever the devil tried to tempt Him, He stood on The Word of The Father by reminding the devil, “It is written…” Now, I want people to note that when Jesus told the devil that it was written (He said what God said), He wasn’t concerned with chapter and verse, but the content of the chapter and verse.

Sometimes people get so caught up with “quoting” chapter and verse they forget the intent of the content for which they’re quoting. If a person has no understanding of the intent of the content, knowing the chapter and verse where it’s found is pointless. The Word–purpose and intent of the content–should be so engrained in Believers that we can say what God says every time the enemy attempts to say anything to us. We are to be living letters–by our conduct and behavior and treatment of others–as to the intent and purpose of who God called us to be. We are His children–children of the Light, not the darkness, and it’s time we acted like it by saying what Our Father says.

If we say what He says, people will be offended and convicted of sin for that is the purpose of The Word, along with encouraging us to live a life that pleases God. We do not have to trade barbs with either the unbelieving or those who claim to believe, but don’t know The Word.

If they want to belittle us or demean us when we say what God says–tell them thanks and move on–shaking the dust from our feet. Some will hear us and some won’t. We are not responsible for whether people receive what we say when we say what God says. They are. We are responsible for telling people what God says. And when we love others as we are told, we want others to know the truth and not be deceived by the enemy’s lies.

Yield Not To Temptation!

“When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone;” (James 1:13 NIV).

And then James goes on to say that we are tempted by our own lusts (evil desires) and when one yields to the temptation, they yield to sin.

Some years ago, Flip Wilson used the phrase, ” the devil made me do it” in his comic routine.  Many thought this was funny, especially within the context used. However, it is misleading. The devil does not make anyone do anything, any more than God will make anyone do anything. The devil tempts people to do evil and because they have evil desires, they give in to the temptation.

The enemy uses people to tempt others to land into the lake of fire with him. He influences people to murder, molest, abduct, coerce, mangle, manipulate, lie, cheat, steal, cuss, and commit all manner of disastrous acts that lead people deeper into the pit of no return. But they could not be tempted if the desire to do those things were not already present. Those desires begin with thoughts and if the thoughts are not changed, rapidly, they intensify until the thoughts are acted upon and havoc reigns.

If we want to avoid being tempted–by anything or anyone, we have to change our thought patterns before they become acts that cannot be reversed.

Some might say–they are stronger than that–they don’t have to give in. I would encourage all to reflect upon the world events, historically, and recently, that have led to escalated violence and people being killed. All of the acts–began with a thought and thoughts ran rampant–completely unchecked until they became acts.

For change to occur in the world–it must begin with change in every individual’s way of thinking–in a positive manner so we can all live in peace, without the threat of continual violence.

Perhaps, we should all lobby legislators to change the way they think–putting people first–above their own personal agendas. And then we should pray–in the privacy of homes and other personal space–and then “out loud” so the enemy will know what we’re doing and put him on notice.

Don’t allow the evil thoughts and desires to become acts of disaster and then try to claim–God tempted you to do it. He did not. The Word from God will only encourage us to live according to what God says–so we can live to see the promises fulfilled in our lives and to see our future–a future to prosper us and not harm us.

The devil doesn’t do anything he was not created to do–and neither should we. We were created to be a praise unto our God and to give Him glory. Let’s do it!