Stay ALERT!! Have a PLAN!! – TEMPTATION [16]

July 15, 2016August 31, 2016buildafoundation Leave a comment

As we begin to wrap up the blog posts on temptation, we’ll address our last question —

IS IT POSSIBLE FOR ME TO RESIST THE DAILY ONSLAUGHT OF TEMPTATION?

As we begin to answer this question, keep in mind this verse from 1 Corinthians –

The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure. – 1 Corinthians 10:13

escape plan

Also keep in mind that we can succeed in resisting temptation by following God’s principles and the teaching of Jesus. Remember…

We can do all things through Him who strengthens us. – Philippines 4:13

mens_stainless_dumbbell_back__11875__98632.1436567216.1280.1280

In answer to our question, Is it possible for me to resist the daily onslaught of temptation? the answer is YES! but it will require us to be ALERT! Honing in on the warning signs alerting us to a tempting situation and God’s “escape plan” for us.

CautionBeAlert

OUR ABILITY TO SUCCESSFULLY RESIST TEMPTATION WILL REQUIRE:

<< Spiritual maintenance >>

Think of spiritual maintenance like housework. Vacuuming, dusting, laundry, putting the laundry away, making beds, washing and putting the dishes away, etc. These are all necessary tasks if you want your house to be clean and orderly. It’s not necessary, however, to do everything on your maintenance list everyday, like vacuuming, for example. But washing the dishes, making your bed, are daily maintenance activities that ensure a neat, organized house.

housekeeping tools

The same is true with our spiritual maintenance. Some activities we do once a week, like go to church. But others are necessary to do on a daily basis, like prayer and reading or listening to God’s Word.

These “maintenance” tasks ensure spiritual strength and cleansing necessary to see the light through the fog of our cultural and personal influences and temptations.

a close up of the Cape Blanco Lighthouse in the early morning with fog surrounding the lighthouse with its light shinning through the fog

Although we want to do what God teaches us, daily obstacles seem to pop up and get in our way.

Following a storm, a large tree trunk blocking access on a road in Western Australia.

Below are two essential steps, that if implemented, will assist us in navigating the pitfalls of temptation.

STEP 1:

RECOGNITION – the realization that we’re heading towards succumbing to the sin of temptation.

STEP 2:

“TOOLS” – having the knowledge and ability to use the “tools” in our “spiritual tool bag” in order to navigate safely around or through potentially tempting situations.

NEXT POST: FIVE “TOOLS” YOU’LL WANT TO HAVE IN YOUR “SPIRITUAL TOOL BAG”

** IT’S ALWAYS GREAT TO HEAR FROM MY READERS 🙂 SO PLEASE FEEL FREE TO LIKE OR COMMENT BELOW 🙂 **

** FOR MORE ON TEMPTATION SEE MY OTHER POSTS BELOW **

Tending the “Crops” – TEMPTATION [15] – http://wp.me/p5nZpi-Cu

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Tending the “Crops” – TEMPTATION [15]

June 27, 2016buildafoundation Leave a comment

In the last post, Healthy Seeds!! —> Healthy Harvest!! – TEMPTATION [14], http://wp.me/p5nZpi-BQ, I mentioned that when we plant “seeds” of kindness, thoughtfulness, etc., in time they will produce a beautiful and abundant harvest.

But what happens if we plant “seeds” of unkindness, uncaring, selfishness, adultery, sex before marriage (fornication), abuse of alcohol, pornography, etc? We’ll get a harvest alright, and it may be abundant, but instead of beautiful, it can be ugly, hurtful, destructive, isolating, and painful.

…whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. – 2 Corinthians 9:6

This just makes logical sense. If I want to have a harvest of apples, I don’t plant pumpkin seeds. If I want a harvest of apples, I plant apple seeds.

pumpkin seeds red-cross-hi apple-tree-lg

apple seeds apple-tree-lg

We learned in this post and the last that the only way a harvest (a result) comes about is from the “seeds” we plant. But in between the planting and the harvest is the “tending”.

NOTE: Everyone is tempted from time to time. James reminds us in James 1:13 that when tempted… That is not an if statement, but a “you can guarantee you’ll be tempted” statement.

In fact, when Jesus’ disciples asked Him to teach them how to pray in Luke 11:1-4, Jesus teaches them the following prayer, called the Lord’s Prayer.

Father, may your name be kept holy.
May your Kingdom come soon.
Give us each day the food we need,
and forgive us our sins,
as we forgive those who sin against us.
And don’t let us yield to temptation.

Notice the last line of the Lord’s Prayer – And don’t let us yield to temptation.

Jesus obviously knew people would struggle with temptation. In fact so much so that He included it in what is probably the most recited prayer in churches worldwide.

So I have a choice at the ”tending” point. Am I going to fuel the fire, or throw cold water on it and cool it down. Keep in mind that what you feed grows and thrives, for the good or for the bad. Choosing to cut off temptation’s “food” source will “kill” the temptation before it reaches the harvest.

Her are some examples of temptation’s “food” —

Lusting after a person when married to someone else
Watching or reading pornographic material
Thinking only about yourself and what will make “me” happy
Gossiping, bullying, drinking in excess, etc.

When I make the choice to “kill” the temptation, I’ll be able to continue along a more healthful path were I can thrive.

The Gospel writer, Matthew, warns us with this principle, If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. – Matthew 5:29

** IT’S ALWAYS GREAT TO HEAR FROM MY READERS 🙂 SO PLEASE FEEL FREE TO LIKE OR COMMENT BELOW 🙂 **

** FOR MORE ON TEMPTATION SEE MY OTHER POSTS BELOW **

Healthy Seeds!! —>> Healthy Harvest!! – TEMPTATION [14] – http://wp.me/p5nZpi-BQ

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Healthy Seeds!! —> Healthy Harvest!! – TEMPTATION [14]

April 25, 2016June 27, 2016buildafoundation Leave a comment

In previous posts I’ve sought to answer the following questions regarding temptation.

What is, and is not temptation? – TEMPTATION [1,2]
Where does temptation come from? – TEMPTATION [3,4]
Does everyone experience temptation? – TEMPTATION [5,6]
What is driving our temptations? – TEMPTATION [7]
Were any people in the Bible tempted? – TEMPTATION [8,9,10]
Who or what tempts us? – TEMPTATION [11,12]
What can I do in a tempting situation? – TEMPTATION [13]

The next question I’ll look to answer is…

WHAT IS THE HARVEST (RESULTS) OF TEMPTATION? – TEMPTATION [14]

You may be thinking… Why harvest? That’s seems like an odd word choice.

Odd, maybe?, but harvest is a word that clearly describes the result of seeds that are planted, watered, and fed.

When I think of harvest, I think of Autumn, pumpkin pie and taffy apples. But, this also reminds me that pumpkins and apples didn’t just magically appear in fields or on trees. They came from small, hidden, seeds that were nurtured, and grew until their “fruit” could be seen.

Here are a couple of examples to illustrate —

Pumpkin_seeds pumpkin seeds, and in 3-4 months ==>

pumpkinpatch ===> pumpkinpie

apple seeds, and in 4-6 years ===>

apple-tree-lg ===>

The above, are examples of seeds that were planted and well cared for. As you can see their harvest yielded a healthy, and by the looks of it, tasty result. A beautiful and bountiful harvest. And from that harvest came the main ingredient to bring joy into people’s lives. In the case of these examples, pumpkin pie and taffy apples.

We can use “seeds” as an analogy in our life and others. We can plant “seeds” everywhere we go. As in the examples, seeds vary in the time they take to grow into mature fruit. But once the fruit is fully grown and harvested, it can be used in a variety of ways.

WHAT “SEEDS” CAN I PLANT IN PEOPLE’S LIVES?

Saying kind words to others
Lending a listening ear to someone who may be down and out
Giving someone a much-needed hug
Any “random act of kindness” toward others

Just like our pumpkin and apple seeds, we may not see the harvest of our planting for quite some time, if ever. But regardless, we are encouraged to continue to tend to/care for the people God has put in our lives, whether at home, school, work, etc. Who knows, perhaps you were placed right where you are, right now, for just such a time as this? (my paraphrase – Esther 4:14)

Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. – 2 Corinthians 9:6

“THAT’S ALL REALLY INTERESTING, BUT WHAT DOES ALL THIS HAVE TO DO WITH TEMPTATION????”

In this post I talked about reaping a healthy/positive harvest. A harvest that resulted directly from the healthy/positive “seeds” I’d sown, BUT…

REMEMBER: THERE ARE TWO SIDES TO EVERY COIN. — Next post coming soon 🙂

penny

** IT’S ALWAYS GREAT TO HEAR FROM MY READERS 🙂 SO PLEASE FEEL FREE TO LIKE OR COMMENT BELOW 🙂 **

** FOR MORE ON TEMPTATION SEE MY OTHER POSTS BELOW **

Cheesecake… To Eat or Not To Eat??? – TEMPTATION [13] – http://wp.me/p5nZpi-B7

Tending the “Crops” – TEMPTATION [15] – http://wp.me/p5nZpi-Cu

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A great resource for Bible verses, Bible Topics, Commentaries, etc. – http://www.BibleGateway.com

Me?? – My Own Worst Enemy?? – TEMPTATION [12]

February 19, 2016March 8, 2016buildafoundation Leave a comment

In my last post, Does God Tempt People?? – TEMPTATION [11], http://wp.me/p5nZpi-Aa, I identified Satan as unlikely suspect #1 in answer to the question Who or What Tempts Me?

In this post, I’ll identify unlikely suspect #2.

Have you ever heard the saying, “She’s her own worst enemy.” or “He’s his own worst enemy.” If you haven’t heard this idiom before, it means to create your own problems, and/or prevent your own success.
This brings us to unlikely suspect #2 – Me, Myself, and I.

Me-Myself-and-I-Phineas-Ferb

Not three people, but one complex, unique, yet sinful person – For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. – Romans 3:23

…people are tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. – James 1:14

For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come… – Mark 7:21

evilheartout

< You may remember the above picture from my post – Where Does My Desire to “Push the Envelope” Come From?? – TEMPTATION [3], http://wp.me/p5nZpi-ws >

SO HERE’S THE BIG QUESTION???

Is there any hope for me? Can I resist temptation?

The-big-question

If you are a God-follower you are in a constant battle. Fighting in a war between doing what God wants vs. doing what your sinful nature wants. Put yourself in the Apostle Paul’s shoes as he seeks to make sense of this battle that plagues him. – Romans 7:15-20

Romans 7-15-20

The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other… – Galatians 5:17

Identifying our tempters, Satan and ourselves, is the first line of defense protecting us from being caught in the downward spiral of temptation.

downward spiral

And knowing temptation’s M.O. (mode of operation), will prepare us to recognize it, and put a stop to it before it wreaks havoc on our lives.

caught-in-a-tornado

In the next post we’ll take a look at a technique that can be immediately put into practice the next time you come face-to-face with temptation.

** IT’S ALWAYS GREAT TO HEAR FROM MY READERS 🙂 SO PLEASE FEEL FREE TO COMMENT IN THE COMMENT SECTION BELOW 🙂 **

** FOR MORE ON TEMPTATION SEE MY OTHER POSTS BELOW **

Does God Tempt People?? – TEMPTATION [11] – http://wp.me/p5nZpi-Aa

Cheesecake… To Eat or Not To Eat??? – TEMPTATION [13] – http://wp.me/p5nZpi-B7

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Would you like to have a personal/intimate relationship with the God?? Take a look at the tab, The Cornerstone…, in the menu for more info.
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A great resource for Bible verses, Bible Topics, Commentaries, etc. – http://www.BibleGateway.com

HEADLINES – Man Falls Head Over Heels… – TEMPTATION [9]

December 1, 2015December 8, 2015buildafoundation Leave a comment

HEADLINES… MAN AFTER GOD’S OWN HEART, FALLS HEAD OVER HEELS IN TEMPTATION…

I’ve heard the saying, “falling head over heels in love”, but I’ve never heard of “falling head over heels in temptation”. Yet, in 2 Samuel 11 we will see King David doing just that – falling head over heels in temptation.

2 Samuel 11, opens up with an interesting verse, In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king’s men and the whole Israelite army. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem. – 2 Samuel 11:1

Interesting, umm? King David chooses to stay behind and not fight? What was he thinking?

Well, regardless of what he was thinking, it’s what he did while chill’in that got him into a whole heap of trouble. The full story can be read in 2 Samuel 11.

I will summarize the chapter below, and point out how David’s temptation led him into sin.

Temptation #1 = Lust of the eyes –

David looks over his balcony, and sees a beautiful woman bathing.

david_balcony

David inquired who the woman was. He is told, “She is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.

Temptation #2 = Pursues Bathsheba even though he knows she is married –

Then David sent messengers to get her.

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David succumbs to sexual temptation – David SINS –

She came to him, and he slept with her. Then she went back home. The woman conceived and sent word to David, saying, “I am pregnant.”

bathsheba preg

DAVID’S TEMPTATIONS DID NOT STOP HERE…

————————————————-

Temptation #3 – David attempts to cover up his SIN –

Next, David sends word to Uriah, Bathsheba’s husband, and says, “why don’t you take a break from fighting, come home and spend time with your wife”.

Uriah leaves the battle, but does not go home. Instead, he slept at the entrance to the palace with all his master’s servants and did not go down to his house.
Uriah was an upstanding man and warrior. He chose not to leave his men to partake in some frivolous R&R (rest and relaxation).

Temptation #4 – David attempts to tempt Uriah, urging him with food and drink to go home and sleep with his wife.

Then David invited Uriah to eat and drink with him, and David made him drunk. But in the evening Uriah went out to sleep on his mat among his master’s servants; he did not go home.

Temptation #5 – The choice to put Uriah in the line of fire on the battlefield.

In a last-ditch effort to cover his tainted tracks, David told Joab, captain of the his army, to “Put Uriah out in front where the fighting is fiercest. Then withdraw from him so he will be struck down and die.”

David SINS – David murders Uriah. Although David did not physically murder Uriah, he knew he would be killed having been put on the front lines of the battlefield.

There was no hope of survival for Uriah when put in the line of fire. So while Joab had the city under siege, he put Uriah at a place where he knew the strongest defenders were. When the men of the city came out and fought against Joab, some of the men in David’s army fell; moreover, Uriah the Hittite died.

9. So David, the honorable man that he is, ya right :/, brought Bathsheba to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son.

davidand bathsheba baby

****BUT THE THING DAVID HAD DONE DISPLEASED THE LORD**** 2 Samuel 11:27

In this post, we’ve looked at King David and his downward spiral from temptation to sin.

spiralgif

David had many opportunities to say, NO!! Yet, the pull to fulfill his temptation was stronger than his will to resist it.

You may be asking yourself…

If David, a man after God’s own heart – Acts 13:22, couldn’t resist temptation, then how can I?

The answer is somewhat easy, but it requires preparation.

It requires us to remind ourselves of what we’ve learned from the Bible.
It requires us to apply into our daily lives what we’ve learned from the Bible – James 1:22
It also requires us to realize that God promises us that He will not allow the temptation to be more than we can stand. When we are tempted, He will show us a way out. – 1 Corinthians 10:13

As we saw with David, he had a number of opportunities to say NO!, to put an end to his pursuit of Bathsheba. However, David chose not to, leading to an unfortunate series of events. This in contrast to Joseph, who was frequently tempted by Potiphar’s wife, yet resisted – Resisting the Desire to Fulfill Our Physical Pleasures??? – TEMPTATION [8], http://wp.me/p5nZpi-zv.

Two similar stories seeking to fulfill physical pleasure. Two very different endings.

** FOR MORE ON TEMPTATION SEE MY OTHER POSTS BELOW **

Resisting the Desire to Fulfill Our Physical Pleasures??? – TEMPTATION [8], http://wp.me/p5nZpi-zv.

The Battle Is On… – TEMPTATION [10], http://wp.me/p5nZpi-A3

Would you like to have a personal/intimate relationship with the God?? Take a look at the tab, The Cornerstone…, in the menu for more info.
If you would like to receive notifications when new posts are published, click on the FOLLOW button in the sidebar. Or if you are viewing from your mobile device, scroll down the page and you’ll see the FOLLOW blog via email button 🙂
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A great resource for Bible verses, Bible Topics, Commentaries, etc. – http://www.BibleGateway.com

Resisting the Desire to Fulfill Our Physical Pleasures??? – TEMPTATION [8]

November 12, 2015December 8, 2015buildafoundation 1 Comment

In this post, I will be building off of the verse 1 John 2:16 mentioned in my last post, What Is Driving Our Temptations?? – TEMPTATION – [7], http://wp.me/p5nZpi-yx …

For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions.

John mentions three areas where, we as humans, crave, chase after, lust for, and take pride in…

Physical pleasure
Everything we see
Our achievements/possessions

Below is an example, from the Bible, to illustrate resisting temptation vs. giving into temptation.

***CRAVINGS/TEMPTATIONS FOR PHYSICAL PLEASURE***

We’ll look first at an example of someone who was tempted, but resisted —

Joseph and Potiphar’s wife —

Here’s a little background info explaining how Joseph found himself in this tempting situation.

Joseph, as you may recall was the favorite son of Jacob – Genesis 37:3

joseph

And because of Jacob’s over-the-top gift for Joseph, he was hated by his brothers – Genesis 37:4.

In fact, Joseph’s brothers hated him so much that they even considered killing him. However, with their brother, Reuben’s, urging, they decided to throw him instead into a cistern to die. AWWW!! – How thoughtful

joseph in well

Later, when slave traders passed by they decided instead to sell him into slavery. Judah said to his brothers, “What will we gain by killing our brother? We’d have to cover up the crime. Instead of hurting him, let’s sell him to those Ishmaelite traders. After all, he is our brother—our own flesh and blood!” And his brothers agreed. – Genesis 37:26-27 WOW!! Brotherly love at its height

joseph sold

The brothers then went home. They lied to their father, leading Jacob to believe that Joseph was eaten by a wild animal. When in actuality, they sold him into slavery. – Genesis 37:31-33

joseph's_Coat_Brought_to_Jacob',_oil_on_canvas,_c._1640,_El_Paso_Museum_of_Art

A couple of chapters later in Genesis, we find that Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. Potiphar, an Egyptian who was one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him there. – Genesis 39:1

The Lord was with Joseph so that he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned. – Genesis 37:2,4

THIS IS WHEN THE TROUBLE STARTED — read Genesis 39:5-20

Joseph_and_Potiphar's_Wife

WHAT WAS JOSEPH’S RESPONSE TO POTIPHAR’S WIFE’S ADVANCES?

How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God? – Genesis 39:9

SIN AGAINST GOD?

WHY DIDN’T JOSEPH SAY, “I’D HURT POTIPHAR”, OR “YOU’RE MARRIED”, ETC.?

That’s a great question!! A great question because how many of us recognize that choosing to sin is not just between “two consenting” adults, as in this particular example, but rather SIN is a choice to disobey God. Because Joseph responded to Potiphar’s wife’s advances saying that he was sinning against God, he removed another potential temptation trap – rationalizing away his reasons for saying no. Saying instead, “yeah but…”, or “it’s just this once…” or “______…”

THE NEXT TIME YOU FIND YOURSELF IN A TEMPTING SITUATION, TRY JOSEPH’S STRATEGY —

joseph-8-638

IN THE NEXT POST —

We’ll look at a person in the Bible referred to by God as a man after His(God’s) own heart – Acts 13:22, yet falls in a major way to temptation, leaving a heap of carnage in his wake.

** FOR MORE ON TEMPTATION SEE MY OTHER POSTS BELOW **

What Is Driving Our Temptations?? – TEMPTATION – [7], http://wp.me/p5nZpi-yx

HEADLINES – Man Falls Head Over Heels… – TEMPTATION [9], http://wp.me/p5nZpi-zM

Would you like to have a personal/intimate relationship with the God?? Take a look at the tab, The Cornerstone…, in the menu for more info.
If you would like to receive notifications when new posts are published, click on the FOLLOW button in the sidebar. Or if you are viewing from your mobile device, scroll down the page and you’ll see the FOLLOW blog via email button 🙂
It you are viewing with the mobile version, scroll down to the bottom of this page for additional info and pics 🙂
Take a look at the other tabs in the menu for encouragement and inspiration as you continue to BUILD A FOUNDATION!!
A great resource for Bible verses, Bible Topics, Commentaries, etc. – http://www.BibleGateway.com

RESPONSE TO READER’S COMMENT – Are ALL People Tempted to “Do” Wrong?? – TEMPTATION [5] – [6]

October 14, 2015November 17, 2015buildafoundation Leave a comment

I received a very insightful comment to my last post, Are ALL People Tempted to “Do” Wrong?? – TEMPTATION [5], http://wp.me/p5nZpi-xt. This reader requested a post to address their questions.

Here is the comment that I received…

Very interesting. I would like to see a post on how — if we do “give in” to the temptations we endure (“deal with”)— how God reacts to that, how we ask for forgiveness / what God does when we ask for forgiveness. I think it’s inevitable to “give in” to temptation, even for the little things.

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The reader’s questions will be highlighted in orange, and my response will be in black.

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HOW DO WE (“DEAL WITH”) “GIVING INTO” TEMPTATION —

The aftereffect of giving into our temptations is the same, yet different, depending on whether you’re a Christ-follower or not.

HOW GOD REACTS TO PEOPLE WHO “GIVE INTO” THEIR TEMPTATION —

Both Christ-followers, and non-Christ-followers experience the natural consequences of their choices, their yielding to temptation. But being set free from the guilt of sin, is where Christ-followers and non-Christ-followers differ. God’s promises to Christ-followers do not automatically apply to non-Christ-followers.

If you are not a Christ-follower, see The Cornerstone… to learn more about becoming a Christ-follower, http://wp.me/P5nZpi-bJ, Jesus has taken away your sins, past, present, and future, when He died on the cross, and He provided a way for people to enter heaven. He (Jesus) personally carried our sins in His body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By His wounds you are healed. – 1Peter 2:24

Ephesians 1:7, He (God) is so rich in kindness and grace that He purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins.

The word “forgive” means to wipe the slate clean, to pardon, to cancel a debt. Granting and receiving forgiveness is so important because it enables relationships to be restored.

HOW DO WE ASK FOR FORGIVENESS —

If we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. – 1 John 1:9

The verse above tells us to “confess” our sins to God. The word “confess” means “to agree with.” When we confess our sins to God, we are agreeing with God that we were wrong, and that we have sinned against Him.

We also see in this verse that God is faithful. This means that He forgives the sins of all those who receive Christ as Savior, God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. – 1 Corinthians 1:9

WHAT DOES GOD DO WHEN WE ASK FOR FORGIVENESS —

After we acknowledge our wrong doing, God applies what Jesus did on the cross for humankind. Jesus paid the price for the sins we’ve committed, and will commit. God forgives us, and restores our relationship with Him.

God frees us from our guilt, but we will still have to “deal with” the consequences of our choices.

When we confess our sins to God it is important that we have a change or attitude, a change of direction. To acknowledge our wrong doing is an important first step, and sinning no more, in that area, is an important second step.

Remember what Jesus told the woman caught in adultery, …“Go and sin no more” – John 8:11

Jesus did not condemn (criticize or belittle) the woman, but He didn’t ignore or condone her sin.

God recognizes that everyone has sinned; that all fall short of His glorious standard – Romans 3:23 But with God’s help we can receive forgiveness and stop doing “wrong”.

IT’S INEVITABLE TO “GIVE IN” TO TEMPTATION, EVEN FOR THE LITTLE THINGS —

You are right on target when you say it’s inevitable to “give in” to temptation, even for the little things.

The Bible confirms this,

Ecclesiastes 7:20, Not a single person on earth is always good and never sins.

1 John 1:8 says, If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth.

KNOW THAT GOD LOVES PEOPLE —

God would do anything to restore our relationship with Him. Perhaps you’ve seen this well-known, but often disregarded, verse at sporting events. This is how much God loves us…

He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. – John 3:16

I hope this has answered your questions 🙂

I encourage any of my readers to please leave comments or questions in the comment section, and I will do my best to answer those for you. As the saying goes, no question is a dumb question, and other people probably have the same question. 🙂

**TO READ THE ORIGINAL POST, SEE BELOW LINK**

Are ALL People Tempted to “Do” Wrong?? – TEMPTATION [5], http://wp.me/p5nZpi-xt

What Is Driving Our Temptations?? – TEMPTATION – [7], http://wp.me/p5nZpi-yx

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Would you like to have a personal/intimate relationship with the God?? Take a look at the tab, The Cornerstone…, in the menu for more info.
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Are ALL People Tempted to “Do” Wrong?? – TEMPTATION [5]

October 7, 2015November 2, 2015buildafoundation 2 Comments

DOES EVERYONE EXPERIENCE TEMPTATION?

A definite, undeniable – YES !!!!

Even though we want to “do” what is right/godly, we may find ourselves thinking negatively, or doing what we know is wrong. Thinking negatively of other people, doing wrong in situations or circumstances we find ourselves in, or maybe allowing ungodly thoughts to take root in our minds.

No one is above being tempted, even Jesus. He was tempted by Satan for 40 days in the wilderness, yet He did not sin. Read the account of Jesus’ encounter with Satan in Matthew 4:1-11.

The Apostle Paul, formally Saul, who had an awesome/awestruck encounter with God on his way to imprison Christ followers in Damascus, shared his own struggle with his “flesh” (sinful nature) vs. the spirit (godly choices), and he wrote,

I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. – Romans 7:15

I have discovered this principle of life that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another law at work within me that is at war with my mind. – Roman 7:21-23

***BE ENCOURAGED!! ALL IS NOT LOST***

God does not leave us alone in a cold, desolate wasteland.

Be reminded that:

The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience.
And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When,
(not if), you are tempted, He will show you a way out so that you can endure. – 1 Corinthians
10:13

God will provide you with grace and strength, in your unique situation, using your unique personality, to show you a way to out. To give you the courage to SAY

Crowds of people protested against environment pollution in outdoor

Pray…

Lord, don’t let us yield to temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
Matthew 6:13

** FOR MORE ON TEMPTATION SEE MY OTHER POSTS BELOW **

A Sneak Preview – Can I Resist Temptation?? – TEMPTATION [4], http://wp.me/p5nZpi-xc

RESPONSE TO READER’S COMMENT – Are ALL People Tempted to “Do” Wrong?? – TEMPTATION [5] – [6], http://wp.me/p5nZpi-xZ

What Is Driving Our Temptations?? – TEMPTATION – [7], http://wp.me/p5nZpi-yx

Would you like to have a personal/intimate relationship with the God?? Take a look at the tab, The Cornerstone…, in the menu for more info.
If you would like to receive notifications when new posts are published, click on the FOLLOW button in the sidebar. Or if you are viewing from your mobile device, scroll down the page and you’ll see the FOLLOW blog via email button 🙂
It you are viewing with the mobile version, scroll down to the bottom of this page for additional info and pics 🙂
Take a look at the other tabs in the menu for encouragement and inspiration as you continue to BUILD A FOUNDATION!!
A great resource for Bible verses, Bible Topics, Commentaries, etc. – http://www.BibleGateway.com

A Sneak Preview – How Can I Resist Temptation?? – TEMPTATION [4]

September 29, 2015October 7, 2015buildafoundation Leave a comment

I don’t know about you, but as I start to read books, magazines, etc. questions start to pop-up in my mind. Questions such as, yeah but what about…? Or, good to know, but now what do I do with this info…? And for me a big question knocking at the door of my psyche right now is whether or not it’s possible to resist temptation.

If you’ve had the chance to read What Gives You the Willies?? – TEMPTATION [1] http://wp.me/p5nZpi-vx, you would have seen near the end of the post, I wrote a number of points I am planning to blog about over the next few weeks. You may have also noticed, that the point – Is it possible to resist temptation? is near the end of the topics covered.

So I’ve decided to give you a sneak peek into the question, Is it possible to resist temptation? so that you can begin resisting temptation today!! 🙂

WHAT CAN I DO IF I’M TEMPTED TO DO SOMETHING I KNOW IS WRONG:

I CAN CONSCIOUSLY MAKE A CHOICE:

– I can choose to follow God’s ways vs. the temptation.

– I can ask God to strengthen me, and give me courage to conquer my temptation.

***DO NOT CHOOSE THE OPTION BELOW***

– I can choose to follow ungodly ways, giving Satan permission to enslave me.

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REMEMBER:

Be on guard, and above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. –
Proverbs 4:23

Protect yourself, hide the Word in your heart, so that you will not sin against God. – Psalm 119:11

** FOR MORE ON TEMPTATION SEE MY OTHER POSTS BELOW **

Where Does My Desire to “Push the Envelope” Come From?? – TEMPTATION [3], http://wp.me/p5nZpi-ws

Are ALL People Tempted to “Do” Wrong?? – TEMPTATION [5], http://wp.me/p5nZpi-xt

Would you like to have a personal/intimate relationship with the God?? Take a look at the tab, The Cornerstone…, in the menu for more info.
If you would like to receive notifications when new posts are published, click on the FOLLOW button in the sidebar. Or if you are viewing from your mobile device, scroll down the page and you’ll see the FOLLOW blog via email button 🙂
It you are viewing with the mobile version, scroll down to the bottom of this page for additional info and pics 🙂
Take a look at the other tabs in the menu for encouragement and inspiration as you continue to BUILD A FOUNDATION!!
A great resource for Bible verses, Bible Topics, Commentaries, etc. – http://www.BibleGateway.com

Where Does My Desire to “Push the Envelope” Come From?? – TEMPTATION [3]

September 23, 2015September 29, 2015buildafoundation Leave a comment

WHERE DOES TEMPTATION COME FROM?

In Mark 7:21-22, we learn that temptation is inside of us, in our thoughts. For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness.

Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away.
These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death. – James 1:14-15

HOPE FOR GOD-FOLLOWERS…

God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. And afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. – James 1:12

AN IMPORTANT FACT TO REMEMBER:

As long we are on earth, and in our physical bodies, we can expect to experience temptation.

EQUALLY AS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER:

We don’t have to give into temptation.

Temptation in and of its self is NOT a sin. It becomes a sin once my sinful thoughts become actions.

** FOR MORE POSTS ON TEMPTATION SEE LINKS BELOW **

Are My Urges and Desires a Sin?? – TEMPTATION [2], http://wp.me/p5nZpi-vY

A Sneak Preview – How Can I Resist Temptation?? – TEMPTATION [4], http://wp.me/p5nZpi-xc

Would you like to have a personal/intimate relationship with the God?? Take a look at the tab, The Cornerstone…, in the menu for more info.
If you would like to receive notifications when new posts are published, click on the FOLLOW button in the sidebar. Or if you are viewing from your mobile device, scroll down the page and you’ll see the FOLLOW blog via email button 🙂
It you are viewing with the mobile version, scroll down to the bottom of this page for additional info and pics 🙂
Take a look at the other tabs in the menu for encouragement and inspiration as you continue to BUILD A FOUNDATION!!
A great resource for Bible verses, Bible Topics, Commentaries, etc. – http://www.BibleGateway.com