The Tempter Came to Him

The title of this note is from when Christ is to be tempted by Satan in the gospel of Matthew in chapter 4. How often have you had this (assuming you have read the account of Christ's temptation) happen? To be tempted. Everyone feels it. Consider taking something while no one is looking, cheating off of the person next to you, or any of the other things we struggle with. Now stop for a moment and consider this. Some people may believe that Christ simply swatted away Satan as if he was some annoying peon but consider this: what if he didn't? What if, for a moment his inner self battled with the temptation? What if he yearned for it? I mean, he knew his Father's plan, and who would want to go through with it? He was going to die and yet here was a sort of way out of it, to rule mankind, their kingdoms by force. To have it all. But he didn't. Though he was faced with something for himself, he knew he had to do what he had to do to glorify His Father. He knew how to save mankind, he knew that His kingdom would last eternally as man's crumbled to ruin. He overcame this temptation. We, as humans, are not so lucky. How often are we tempted and commit the sin? Like Christ (in a minor case compared to Him) we have our flesh, and the Holy Spirit do battle in us. Now think about this, who wins? When we look at what is tempting us who do we give into. Sure we aren’t promised the riches of the world but that doesn’t mean we aren't promised what we consider to be RICHES in OUR own world. We are promised what pertains to us. A better grade if we cheat, a better tv if we steal it, so on and so forth. How scary is it that he comes to us and knows us so well? Like he has a plan. So crafty an enemy! Like he knows how to pick us off. I'll admit I more often than not give in. There are those rare moments when I snap out of the want for myself and remember what God would have me do. Christ doesn't give us anything we can't handle. I can overcome this. Though it isn't by MY strength but GOD'S strength. To be honest most times when I sin, I do it willingly. I just don't want to deal with it. The tempting is annoying. So why not just do it right? WRONG! We should rely on Christ's strength. I know I need to fix this and I am trying but it is hard, at least to me. I suppose its one of those things isn't it? Everyone has a struggle, a certain temptation. We need Christ's strength to overcome it. Who am I to try and conquer myself without the strength of the one who made me? Then like in the end we can understand those words.

And Satan departed from Him.

Not only God's strength has been given to us but something else too. Brother's and Sister's. A Pastor, a leader, places of counseling and help. God has placed for us way of leaving the temptation. Feeling tempted? Try God and his word and speaking to a friend. SOmeone to keep you accountable. Seek someone's advice because in those time I always felt alone but I wasn't. And you are not alone either.

Doomed for His friends- it had to be for the pardon
And delivery from misery of kids who speak wickedly
Sinfully, inwardly slick with the iniquity-Shai Linne "Were you there?"

Life: It happens

There are plenty of things that we want and plan in life. How does the usual plan go? We graduate high school, go to college and spend four years working on a degree deciding what we want to do, graduate again and go one to continuation school, then we meet the girl or boy f our dreams, get married, have an awesome job and live happily ever after. Right? Wrong. Four years in college turns into 5 when you fail some classes, you get rejected from that graduate school, and the boy or girl of your dreams breaks your heart. Not quite what you planned huh? So now you're sitting there, head in your hands wondering where you went wrong? Things do not go as planned. They never do. Why? It makes no sense right? It should be going all okay. Well that's true if we were on our own time. But we are on God's. We eventually get there the problem is its not the way WE want it. It was never my intention of failing an entire semester of classes except one and having to spend so much time retaking them but it happened and I didn't like it and its only now that I realize that God is control and he'll get us there to our dreams but in a different way than what we planned. We have to go through the bumpy parts in life, the refining fires that burn us, melt us and shape us as we go through them. Of course as we do we whine because its not going our way and the journey is longer than what we wanted but as we go along we learn things. Life doesn't stop once we finish everything we had planned. Life continues on it doesn't stop. Finished school? Now its time to look for work. What can;t find a job in your field. But hey you're married so that is a happily ever after right? Right up until the bills and crying pooping machines come ( referencing babies). Life isn't a cake walk. But after some tike when we get there through the journey God put us on, we'll look back when we are much more mature and understand everything that happened. It takes time and its hard and doesn't always make sense. Those are the times when we have to be careful or we'll want to give up. I've had my share of times where I have wanted to. Its not fun but in the end are we not always okay? To be honest its hard sometimes even when knowing it'll all be okay in the end. Because they way you feel during those times is never fun, but despite that we have to be strong and not give give up.

Cut off your tongue

"With a tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?" James 3:9-11

Okay. So. That tongue of yours. What has come from it lately? I noticed what came from mine as of late and i had to slap my forehead as i remembered what was just discussed in church. That was only moments ago before writing this note. Okay I was going for something profound but that isn't happening so I am just going to say it now. We should watch what we say. Honestly I don't know how many times I have caught myself now talking about people. Only hours ago praising God. Yeah I am guilty of this and I am not putting anyone in specific on blast cause to be honest we all do or have done it. Seriously though I know I need to make a conscious effort to stop and try at least to think about what I am going to say. Try and tame that tongue because i think there are positive and negative ways of talking about people. Negative is put downs, rumors and such and yes cursing those people though maybe not even in the sense you're thinking of. Positive is talking about a person in a god light or even discussing what may be wrong in their lives BUT praying for them. Let's not tear down with the same tongue that praises God, no matter how much our blood may boil.

Awake and Alive

Life. Its hard. It sucks. To be honest I feel so tired. Tired in a way that no one should feel. Its inside and feels heavy. I want to sleep this life away. Stay inside, so nothing can hurt me. Do what God want me to do from a safe corner. But its not like that. I am so tired. Tired of people, trials, emotions. Despite wanting to, I can't. My spirit will not let me. I am drawn in to God. I am changing. I want to dive in more and more. Because despite everything, God is the only one. No answer anywhere else. Not in a bottle, not in people, not in ANYTHING. BUT. HIM. Life should be easy, not like this. But it is not. Despite that we have his love. He holds us, cradles us, like a Father does. He whispers to us that everything will be alright. I sometimes think the only reason I do these things is for Heaven and not to suffer. But despite that, I feel pulled in by my Spirit. It leads me because it knows. I know he wants me to be the person i need to be. Trust Him, even when all seems lost. If He started it, he will finish it. We know and He will have us believe. I pray for encouragement, for strength, renewing of Spirit and for you to no longer be discouraged. We all may not understand but God is always doing His will in our lives.