Help during temptation

“For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and self-discipline.” 2 Timothy 1:7, LSB

I’ve usually used the first part of this verse in regard to courage, but the last part is really helpful as well when it comes to battling temptation. At least it has helped me in the midst of the fight, giving me a better chance to be victorious throughout it despite the very deep struggle with alluring darkness.

God gave us the Holy Spirit. It all starts here and hinges fully on what Christ had already accomplished. He fully paid our sin-debt and then gave us new life, new hearts. In Him we are a new creation; our old sinful selves have no power over us anymore, having died with Christ on the cross. Furthermore, He has filled us with His presence through the Holy Spirit. It is through the Spirit that He sanctifies us, guides us, teaches us, communes with us, and yes, gives us aid in when we fight with temptation.

Self Discipline. There is now an ability to say “no” to sin and “yes” to God. It may not feel that way (in fact, any good temptation will do its utmost to make you feel powerless to resist), but feelings, though real and potent, are not facts. Facts trump feelings. Because of Jesus, you DO have the ability to fight this battle. Not because of anything you have done, but because His Spirit has given us Power.

Power. Yes, that same type of power that spoke creation into existence and stilled the stormy seas. A power outside of ourselves that has no bounds. A power sufficient for us to have the discipline to stay the course.

Love. Like in the previous post, once again we see a core concept highlighted, out of which all else stems. In this case, it is love. At least with the temptation that I’ve faced, it has called action, thoughts, or imagination of things that are not loving at all towards other people, let alone God. The tempter wants me to fulfill some appealing desire at the expense and in sprite of all else and everyone else. But God is love and in Him there is no darkness. His love now fills and overflows our hearts. Would this tempting action (or lack thereof), this tempting thought, or whatever, be in the character of love? No! Love not only casts out fear, but I’d say (and this is me and not Scripture) that it also disarms the desire. Oh yes, the struggle may still be there for a bit, but if I remember love, how can I give into the temptation?

(Note: this last part may be more powerful later on, once one better understands what true love is vs. the many other things that we may deem or even justify as “loving” but may not actually be if carefully examined).

Fresh insight into a familiar verse

“Rejoice always,  pray continually,  give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

1 THESSALONIANS 5:16-18, NIV

If you are like me, then you’ve read or heard these verses many times. It was not until this past Sunday, however, that it hit me as to what this verse was NOT saying regarding how our daily lives should look like.

Give thanks. God is expecting His children to have and express a heart of contagious gratitude, regardless of circumstance. Experiences good or bad, big or small, important or nearly negligible- through them all we are called to be appreciatively aware of all of the good things God has done, is doing, and will do, for us and for others. This is a life seeing a “glass half full” because in Christ, there is no lack of any good thing.

After all, who wants to put up with an incessantly grumbling, griping, complaining, sour, pouting, pessimistic person? You and I sure don’t. God doesn’t either; He gets tired of it all! Those type of people bring everyone down. But a grateful life lifts people up, spreading sunshine and warming those around them.

Pray without ceasing. Do you enjoy the silent treatment? Well, neither does God. He wants to have a relationship with you more than you and I can imagine. As such, He delights when you commune with Him by listening to His Word and promptings through the Holy Spirit and communicating back to Him through prayer, song, and other meditation and worship.

He also wishes it to be a regular thing, not just a few times a week when you recalled some good thing and actually said “thank you” to Him. Or being a bank teller whom you never see except when you want something. You and I don’t like those kinds of people; why would God be more appreciative? Instead, He desires and delights when our souls seek Him day and night, when we hunger and thirst after Him “like a deer that panteth for water.”

Being in communion with Him is the core. It is a fount that enables gratitude and joy to bubble over. I think it no accident that Paul placed prayer at the center of his encouragement to the Thessalonians.

Express joy. On the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus made it clear that our light is to shine to others. No one turns on a lamp in their house and immediately covers it up- that’d be pointless! Likewise with joy. It is not something that we get the pleasure of experiencing ourselves, it is also something that naturally shares itself.

A few songs to encourage

It’s been a while since my last post so a few songs. In espanol-porque no?

You may know this one

A few things to inspire

This is a godly ministry that makes a huge impact on troubled kids: https://gracehaven.me/

Two new songs I recently heard:

John 1:1-18 Part 3

Verse 5 today. A translation/paraphrase of it goes something like this: “The Light shined in the darkness and darkness was not able to swallow up/overcome it nor understand it”

I’m not a Biblical Greek scholar so I can’t say which translation- understood or overcome-is more accurate. Maybe John meant both. Regardless, both truths are supported by the rest of John and other Scripture. The “understanding” part we’ll get to in later verses; in this post, I’ll focus on what my translation reads, which is more on the lines of “overcoming” or “swallowing up”.

First, that Light is shining (and shined) in the darkness is so remarkable! Because that means that “while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Meaning, while most of us first want to be liked/loved or shown that someone is “deserving” of help before we love, like or help back, Jesus did it in reverse. While we were still in darkness, lost, ungrateful, “foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures …liv[ing] in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another….the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared. He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy.” (parts of Titus 3:3-5, NIV). John is clearly saying”we need help-and help has arrived!”

Amen and Amen!

Praise God too that unlike many good things that get stifled out over time-a child’s innocence or creativity, some good intention, etc-this good news, this Life, this Light-did NOT get extinguished. From the first lines of John, the Cross is already in view. Though it was dark, it was not the end; there IS Victory in Jesus! Amen!

Many songs have this element in them; one is below. Sorry that it has some theatrics but the lyrics of the song are true and powerful and the guy does sing it well.

John 1:1-18 Part 2

Today, just verse 4. Paraphrasing/translating, it reads: “In Him there is Life/the key to Life, and that Life is Light to people”

There is SO much here that this simple post can’t do it justice! Yet up front, John wants his readers and us to know two essential truths:

1. Life is only found in Jesus
2. That life guides (illuminates) how we should live; without it we are walking in darkness despite our best intentions/thoughts, wisdom, powers or intellect

Light:

For you are the fountain of life, the light by which we see. (Psalm 36:9, NLT). Living is hard and we all struggle to make the right decisions. What we thought was “right” or a “good” choice can turn out to be very wrong-even if it FELT so right, made logical sense, etc. As we grow older, we see more and more of how to better live our lives but even so, we all lack wisdom and get it wrong in parts, leading to regrets now, at our deathbeds, and when we stand before Christ.

How to minimize this? Rely on wisdom and guidance that is sure. God is never wrong; His direction can be trusted. Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. (Psalm 119:105, NIV). Otherwise, our thinking maybe come futile and our hearts foolish and darkened (Romans 1:21).

Life:

Oh how we want to be TRULY alive and living, not just getting by. We also wish eternal life over eternal death, far from God. Can that be obtained? Yes! But only through Jesus. And it’s not easy. Will we choose life? Moses asked the same to ancient Israel and so does God. Maybe the following song may inspire you, if you can move past the currently unpopular language and focus on the translated words and theme instead:

John 1: 1-18-Part 1

John 1: 1-18 is a powerful, beautiful, poetic portion of Scripture. Not only is it a synopsis of what John’s Gospel will be about, but it also beautifully summarizes key parts of the Gospel message.

Today, let’s look at just the first 3 verses.

It’s interesting that John chooses to begin it this way. And not just so picturesque by using it “The Word” (which maybe we’ll get too later?) vs. a straightforward account of the facts like the other Gospels, but also by beginning with Creation. To John, it appears important to establish a few things right off the bat that would have been important for both the first-century Jews and multi-god pagan Gentiles to grasp:

1. God made the universe (still relevant to us today; it was not made by accident or chance)
2. Our God is one by triune. Yes, the Holy Spirit is not mentioned just yet but already, John is blowing the minds of people that God is one but nuanced. A bunch of gods didn’t just make everything
3. Jesus (The Word) was and is God. John wants everyone to know that Jesus wasn’t just a random guy who thought he was a god, He was God before time began and was still God when He chose to more personally interact with humanity through Jesus
4. Jesus and God the Father were both intimately involved in Creation. In fact, it looks like the Father, just as He did after the Resurrection, let the Son take most/all of the glory and credit, as John writes that is through JESUS that everything was made. This is important for anyone struggling with submission because the Father and Jesus demonstrate a huge example of this, even from the start. Who is in charge? The Father. Who submits to God? Jesus. What does the Father do? Give all to Jesus. Whoa. Jesus gives up ALL to get ALL; the “Authority” gives it all away even though still in charge. Everyone is (willingly and lovingly) passing the puck to the other, loving the other first and because both are doing it perfectly, both are getting loved. The get “everything” in return in a way far more satisfying and moving than if one kept it all for oneself. This is far from any tyrannical submission we see in history….

Stand firm

“Therefore, my beloved brethren, stand firm and immovable, devoting yourselves completely to the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain” 1 Cor. 15:58,  NCB

This is an inspiring, encouraging verse but the key to it is the stuff that comes before the “therefore”. Right beforehand, Paul corrects false conceptions about the resurrection (there will be a resurrection because Christ was raised) and reminds the believers that one day, they will have new bodies, that in the end, death has lost.

Because of this-the “therefore” in verse 58, Christians should be bold and fully given over to God’s word. Our dedicated service to God not in vain or a waste of time or of our lives (we’ll reap the results of our labors) and even the worst case result-death-is not binding; there is life after.  Not that we wish to die, endure hardship, etc. but the biggest hurdles have already been overcome. Praise God!

Romans: Part 7

The last half of Romans 15 and Romans 16 end on a very sweet, tender note.

Romans 15:  Paul briefly explains why he couldn’t visit Rome yet as his call was to be a trailblazer, going to where others didn’t have the gospel yet.  But he really wanted to visit them and planned to on his way to Spain. Yet he clearly was concerned about his upcoming trip to Jerusalem and urged them for their prayers against the strong opposition he was expecting to encounter and for safety. Just like to the Corinthians, he also highlighted the example of the generous giving of the Macedonians.

I find this very encouraging. It shows that even the most Spirit-filled people with whom God is clearly at work don’t always get their way. Scripture gives no indication that Paul ever made it to his desired Spain and his prayers for safety weren’t quite answered like he probably had hoped (he was protected but became a prisoner). Ultimately, our plans our good but the Lord is free to change them at any time.

Romans 16:  Huge, warm and tender list of many whom Paul knew or helped him or the Church. Notice how many women are mentioned. Yes, per Paul’s teachings, women were not to have leadership roles in the church but they could (and did) certainly serve and have other tremendous impact, as Paul so clearly acknowledges here. Again, just like with God changing Paul’s plans about Spain, God has the right to place people to serve or lead where He wills, even if we don’t like it or think in our “modern” society things should be different. At least to the first century church, the roles of men and women were to be different but the value  was to be the same. Which must have been shocking to most of the culture at that time and should be convincing to us that there is no demeaning of anyone else who is in Christ even if our callings may be different.

Lastly, Paul concludes with a P.P.S: A brief thanksgiving and summary of the gospel, concluding his letter much like he began. Romans is all about explaining the nuances of the gospel message.

Romans: Part 6

In Chapters 13, 14, and the first half of 15, Paul continues to dealing with some practical implications of the Romans’ new life in Christ-getting along with each other.  He kindly gives simple but hard to follow instructions, as they (and we) could offer up so many reasons as to why we shouldn’t act like Paul instructs-it is just not natural! This is because at stake here are some of our deepest values and rights, things that we just don’t want to give over control because we fully want to be our own independent agents.

What are some of these tough instructions? Things like:

– Pay your taxes and submit to your government (and other) authorities.

I think when this part was read, you could probably hear people cringe. As you may know, Rome was not always blessed with nice, just, kind rulers-from Emperor down to those who held local offices (think Pontius Pilate).  Even so, except where it clearly goes against God and our faith (e.g. denying Jesus), we are to submit and obey.

– Let go of your rights if your actions or views enable a fellow believer to sin-even if you are right.

Ouch! I can already hear the grumbling. “But I know 100% from God that I can eat this or do that, why do I have to give that up when XYZ is present? Can’t he/she just ‘grow up'”?

But in Christ, we gave up our rights other than perhaps rights such as to love others and to edify/build each other up. So if that means foregoing certain things for a time, then so be it. Remember, Jesus too gave up a lot of rights when He came to earth-so why shouldn’t we have to from time to time as well?

– Accept each other.

Why? Well, if for nothing else because Christ accepted you. Yes-you. Me. I know we may be “all that” to ourselves and maybe to others as well, but we all have our worst sides and no one knows that better than God-not even your spouse or close family, friends, or coworkers/classmates.  Paul also calls for unity.  This call for unity is so great that in concluding greetings in Chapter 16, Paul interrupts himself in verses 17-20 to make sure they were on the same page and didn’t fall to false or deceiving teachers. Those cause division, problems, and sins to choke out the fullness of the good life we could have in Christ Jesus.