The Fires of Temptation #2

Have you ever wondered where Solomon went wrong? Was he just bent on love for women?  Why would he have so many wives? Where did this man get off track in his relationship with God?

Solomon was the richest king on the earth at that time. God blessed him with thousands of horses, camels, sheep, silver, and gold just to mention a few of his blessings. He took seven years to build the most incredible temple and thirteen years in building his magnificent personal palace. Where did this man detour from his roots of faith? Where did he go wrong? How could one step in the wrong direction lead him so far from his Jehovah God? (1 Kings 11:1-13)

The Word of God says that Solomon loved many foreign women. So did this guy just have issues with women? God was clear that Israel was not to marry those from foreign nations. God knew that these women's gods would turn their hearts away from their Jehovah God. (1 Kings 11:2)

Why did this king seek after women from other nations? Could it be that if he married Pharaoh's daughter he wouldn't have to war with the King of Egypt? Would not that be a wise strategy in order to secure his nation Israel? What father is going to go after the destruction of his daughter's domain?

The problem with that reasoning is that God never violates His own principals in order to take care of His children. That was Solomon's strategy; it worked with one nation. He also married women from Moab, Ammon, Edom, Sidon, and from the Hitties.

How did this wise man lose confidence in his Protector? God had promised that as long as he kept His commandments, blessings and protection would be on him and his nation. God says, “Whatsoever is not of faith is sin. (Romans 14:23b)

Just as God had predicted, Solomon's wives turned his heart to worshipping other gods. These 700 wives caused him to worship Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molech, the detestable god of the Ammonites. What he did was evil in the Lord's sight; he refused to follow the Lord completely as his father David had done.

“Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life.” Satan works at tempting us with: 

• The Entrance of a thought 
• The Entertainment of a thought
• The Electricity of that thought. 

Solomon was empowered to marry a woman from a foreign nation with One Thought. When it seemingly worked out to marry Pharaoh's daughter, what could be so wrong with marrying more from other nations? He no longer needed to have FAITH IN GOD to be his Protector

Just ONE step in the wrong direction is what will lead you down the road of death. “There is a way that seems right unto man but the end thereof is the way of death.” Be cautious with your steps in life. When you choose your own strategy that opposes the Word of God, you’re about to step on a landmine that will forever change the trajectory that God has purposed for your future. How could one so blessed and so successful turn away from his God?

"Let the words of my mouth and the mediation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord my strength and my redeemer." (Psalm 19:14) "Order my steps in Your Word and let not any iniquity have dominion over me."(Psalm 119:133) Let God's Word and not your own knowledge and wisdom be your guide and compass today. "Without FAITH it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him."    NIV (Hebrews 11:6)

Your Focus leads to a Thought to Emotion to Decision to Action to Habit to Character to Destiny          
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How Do You Respond To Pain?

Once I asked my very wise Grandma, “How did you get so smart and wise?” She said, "Experience." I then asked, "How did you get so much experience?" She said, "From making so many bad choices and mistakes." Life has a way of teaching us many lessons. But is that the only KEY to growing and learning?

Eliphaz is about to respond to Job's suffering and pain with his own wisdom and reasoning for Job’s disasters in life. He says "My experiences in life show me that God doesn't allow the righteous to suffer.” He declares, "When have the upright been destroyed? My experience shows me that those who plant trouble and cultivate evil will harvest the same.” (Job 4:8)

Each one of us needs to be so careful in the way we respond to people in their pain and misery. Eliphaz was saying to Job, "The reason for your pain and dilemmas in life is, "You have done something evil and now you are reaping the harvest of it."

Friend, never allow your own experiences to be the final teacher of Truth. God doesn't base Truth on your experiences alone. Never make experiences the bar for truth. The accuracy of truth is based upon the Word of God alone.

The Word of God will not mislead you, nor will it derail you. There are a lot of things that will happen in your life that will make no sense at all. If everything made sense in your Christian life, you wouldn't need FAITH to walk this journey. God says, "We walk not by sight but by faith." (2 Corinthians 5:7)

Eliphaz’s first mistake was that he tried to explain away Job's problems based on his own experiences. Now had he stayed with the Word of God, he might have said something like this, “Job, "The just shall live by Faith."(Habakkuk 2:4) He might have said, "No weapon formed against thee shall prosper." (Isaiah 54:17) He might have said, "I will bless the Lord at all times and His praise shall continually be in my mouth." (Psalm 34:10) He might have said, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths." (Proverbs 3:5, 6)

The next time you try to explain away someone else's ordeal, or even your own pain, don't just look at some past experience but rather look to the Word of God that will never let you down nor derail you from God's plan and purpose for your life.
Dannysdevotional.com

 

The Fires of Temptation #1

One day while I was firing up the grill to cook for our family, the grill exploded with a flame about six feet high from a bad hose underneath. I reached for my water hose while my wife called 911. I was able to get the fire out just as the Fire Truck arrived at our home. The flame singed part of my eyebrows, just a bit too close for comfort!

Are you dealing with Temptations today that are seemingly out of control in your life? The Word is clear that each of us will deal with temptations. Jesus speaks a word that each of us should give heed to, “Remember Lot’s wife.” (Luke 17:22)

Even though we don’t know the name of Lot’s wife; we should know the story of her life.  Lot was Abraham’s nephew. As they traveled together and as Abraham is seeking out Gods promises, Lot’s men and Abraham’s men begin to fight among themselves.  Abraham said to Lot, “You choose out one direction and I’ll choose the other.” Lot made a choice to pitch his tents near the wicked city of Sodom.

The city of Sodom was very wicked; God sent two angels down to rescue them before He brought judgment on the city. The men of Lot’s day burned with lust for one another. These men tried to beat the door down to have sexual relationships with the angels. God blinded the men at the door just before he rained down fire from heaven. As the angels were getting the family out of the city, the word to Lot’s family was, “DON’T LOOK BACK.” But tragically, as they were fleeing the city, Lot’s wife looked back and turned into a pillar of salt.                                         

 What went WRONG with Lot and his family?

Lot lived by SIGHT! Lot chose the well watered land near Sodom. “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.” (1John 2: 16)Your flesh will scream out to please itself. Lot had no regard for Abraham, but rather chose to satisfy his own flesh.

Lot Lived for SELF!  Jesus said, “Whoever wants to be My disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. (Matthew 16:24) This life is not about MY agenda, MY whims, MY wants and MY wishes. Each of us should always pray, “Not my will by Thy will be done.” Where will you go to college? Who will you marry? What will you do for employment? Where will you pitch your tent in life?

Lot lived in SODOM!  In other words, SODOM became his world. I have known people that their WORK has become their world. Their boat, their golf clubs, and their gold and silver have become their world. Or their love for SPORTS is first. Getting all the “gusto” is their number one pursuit in life. Jesus said, “I pray not that you take them out of the world but that you keep them from the evil. (John 17:15) You and I can live in the world; just don’t allow the world to consume you.                                             

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"Fire of Temptation"

Accepting “The MAIN Thing of Life?”

Have you ever found yourself drifting into the next lane driving down the highway? It comes easy, as you’re distracted with things. Has life distracted you with its convenience, comfort, and seeking the calm of life? What is my Mission in life? What is my assignment? What on earth did God put me here for? I am convinced that our preferences get in the way of God’s purpose for our life.

Keeping God’s purpose for my life “The Main thing,” always becomes a challenge.  Why do you think Satan and the world are always pushing its wine, beer, women, clubbing, poker, and a Vegas lifestyle? He says; “If you just had better wheels, a nicer home, a Jacuzzi to ease your pain and a job that paid more, then you would really experience life and living.”

The bottom line is one day Eternity will begin for everyone that leaves this life. God says; “It is appointed unto man once to die and then the judgment.” (Hebrews 9:27) So the big question is “Where will my family and friends spend eternity? Heaven or a wicked place called hell?”

Jesus came to a sin-infested world to die for man’s wickedness. The thirty-three years He spent here on this planet, He said; “I must be about my Father’s business.” He was driven with the Main thing of saving, changing, delivering and transforming lives for eternity.

I constantly keep in front of myself and our church that “The Main Thing of life” is to, Bring People in, Build People up, Mature People in Christ and to Send people into the Harvest. Most of us struggle to keep the building of His Kingdom more important than the building of our own kingdom.

Our flesh screams out to satisfy our own whims, wants, comforts and desires in life. No wonder Paul said, “I die daily.”  Don’t be surprised when your flesh tugs and pulls to please itself.

Peter struggled to stand when all Hell was out to destroy The Work of Christ on the Cross. It was near the Cross that Peter denied that he even knew Christ three times. When Jesus arose on the third day, Sunday morning, Jesus’ first words after being risen were, “Go tell my disciples AND Peter that I’m alive.” (Mark 16:7) Peter finds himself doubting and going back to fishing. Jesus shows up on the shoreline and asks, “Have you caught anything?” After a response of No, Jesus says, “Cast your net on the right side of the boat?” When Peter obeyed, the nets filled up with 153 fish.

Even Peter had drifted from The Call to Win men, women, boys and girls as “The Main Thing of his life.” Many churchgoers have pulled away from casting the net toward winning the lost. Pastors have drifted toward appeasing their members with their wishes, whims and wants. Churches have become more about pleasing the flesh, and giving in to our likes and dislikes.

When was the last time your focus was about bringing in your lost friend or reaching out to your community? Does anyone really care about the prostitutes, the drug infested zones of the city and the young gangsters who are ruling our neighborhoods? Do we care about the rapists and murderers that prowl our streets being controlled by Hell itself? Am I drifting from my mission?

Does God see a body of believers drifting further and further away from The Mission that He called His Church to?  When was the last time you led one of your friends to an altar, crying out to God to save and transform their life? When you do, you realize life is about Changing Lives.  (John 15:16)    

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"Accepting the Main Thing" - video message

Accepting the Call of God?

The sweetest day of my life was the day God cleansed, changed and transformed my world. Have you accepted His voice, the call of God to surrender all of your life to His Path?

Many in the Word of God heard His Call and submitted to His will and His plan.

Samuel heard God’s voice and call in the night that forever changed His world.

Jonah heard God’s call to go to Nineveh, but he chose to run and NOT ACCEPT the call to bring a wicked city the news of God’s coming judgment unless they repented. It took a Wind and a Whale and nearly half a Week to change his mind, but Jonah finally said, “Lord help me, I’ll go.”

Saul, who persecuted the early church, heard God’s call and was knocked off his high horse on a road to Damascus that said, “Saul why are you persecuting Me and My Church?” Paul replied, “Lord, who art thou”? He said, “I am Jesus, the One you are persecuting.” From that day, God forever changed Saul’s life and called him to spread the powerful message of Jesus Christ’s resurrection.

Moses also heard God’s voice at a burning bush that said, “Go, tell Pharaoh to let My people go.” It was his saying “yes” that ultimately led 2 to 3 million Jews out of bondage. We can learn Several Things from Moses and Others who Accepted the Call from God.

Our Birth is in God’s Hands. God told Jeremiah, “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you and called you.” It’s not by chance that you and I are on planet earth to perform His will.

Our Beginnings are in Gods Hands.   Some have been upset with their upbringing, their environment and their coming from the other side of the tracks. God will not waste your background, nor your hurts and pain.

Our Blunders are in Gods Hands. Moses had killed an Egyptian for beating up an Israelite. Moses ran for his life to escape, and spent 40 years on the backside of a desert.

Our Battles are in Gods Hands.  Moses would be called to lead the greatest “Jail- Break” in history. He warned Pharaoh of coming judgments, unless he let the people of God go. It was with the Call and Courage of God in him, that Moses led the people of God out of bondage into God’s pathway to the Promise Land.

It’s worth it to ACCEPT “The Call of God”, to do His will and His Plan. Life is too short to live out our own will and whims. Will you accept His call, His plan, and His purpose for your life?

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"Accepting the Call of God" - video message