The Truth about Temptation (Luke 4:1)
Luke 4:1, And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan and was lead by the Spirit into the wilderness and being forty days tempted of the devil. One of the largest freshwater turtles is the alligator snapping turtle. Found primarily in the southeastern United States, these massive turtles have been known to weigh close to 250 pounds. They are carnivorous, and while their diet is primarily fish, they have been known to eat almost anything else they can find in the water—even in a few cases small alligators! The alligator snapping turtle relies on a uniquely deceitful method of foraging for fish. The turtle will lie completely still on the floor of a lake or river with its mouth wide open. At the end of the turtle’s tongue is a small, pink, worm-shaped appendage. The turtle wiggles the end of its tongue so that it looks like a worm moving through the water. When a fish comes to eat the worm, the turtle’s jaws rapidly close, trapping the fish so that it cannot escape. Similar, to the snapping turtle’s lure, temptation comes in the guise of something desirable, but it always carries destruction with it in the end. It's a lure that Satan throws out. He'll make it look real. He jiggles it to see if he can get you to hit. If we could see the end result rather than the tempting part, it would be far easier to resist. But Satan knows this, so he cleverly disguises what is deadly in the guise of something pleasurable. It is far easier to avoid temptation than it is to resist temptation If Satan would attempt to tempt Jesus, then he will tempt anybody. If he will approach the Son of God, the One with all power, the One who knows everything and is everywhere at the same time, then he will certainly work on you and me. Jesus had just began His ministry. He had been baptized in the River Jordan, proclaimed the Son of God by a voice from Heaven while the Holy Ghost in the form of a dove descended upon Him. Jesus was lead by the Holy Ghost into the wilderness. So He was in the right place because the Holy Ghost had led Him there. Then the devil showed up. Whenever the Lord rises to bless us, Satan rises to blast us. Jesus, the Christ, was in the will of the Father and He was still tempted. Just because you're in the will of God does not mean we will not face temptation. Satan’s mission is to stalk people that are doing God's will. The devil doesn't bother you that much when you're doing nothing. But when you make up in your mind that you're going to make a difference, win somebody for the Lord, and live a life that's pleasing in His sight, it upsets the devil. And so he sets up traps to try to destroy you-to distract you. He tries to destroy your testimony. No person is exempt from temptation; you never reach a point in your life when you are no longer vulnerable to its demand. There is no place you can go where you can escape temptation. Adam was in the garden; Jesus was in the wilderness. We find that Jesus was prepared for the attack. You can be tempted in any environment. Temptation itself is not wrong; however, yielding to that temptation is wrong. The devil will attack; he will approach every last one of us sooner or later. Prayer: Father in Heaven, I ask for your protection from the attacks of the devil. He has been trying to tear me down, distract me, frustrate me, and tempt me to sin against You. I pray that I would be able to resist the enemy and flee temptation with the strength that You give me. May You empower me to overcome struggles, with the hope of better days. In Jesus name, Amen. If this post in any way, has blessed you, please share this website and its articles with others: www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com
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God of all Comfort (II Corinthians 1:3-4)
II Corinthians 1:3-4, Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. Sin takes its toll on a person. It can break a person and shatter their heart. For many, the only time people will listen to us when we speak of the Lord is when they are at the end of their rope and broken by their sin. Where do we find comfort? What brings true comfort to a person? The Bible tells us several ways. Here is one. The Saints: I Thessalonians 4:18, Wherefore comfort one another with these words. Proverbs 15:23, A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth: and a word spoken in due season, how good is it! I Thessalonians 5:11, Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do. God uses people to comfort us. Our fellowship with one another is a source of comfort. This is one reason why the church, Sunday school, and group Bible studies are so important. God's people can be a great blessing to us and a huge source of comfort. You may soon forget those with you have laughed, but you will never forget those with whom you have wept. God has a way of using others to encourage us in order to meet our needs. The saints not only comfort us, but we find comfort by reaching out ourselves and comforting other people. We tend to forget about our problems when we are helping others with their needs. He comforts us so we may comfort others. God does not comfort us to make us comfortable, but to make us comforters. The example of faith that other Christians demonstrate to us is a source of comfort to us. Their confidence in God gives us confidence. Questions to Consider: Does your faith give comfort to others or do you find yourself struggling in doubt and fear? Can you think of someone who needs your help right now? What steps can you take to be encouraging to that person? Points to Ponder: Ask the Holy Spirit to teach you the ways or the words you can speak that will amplify that person’s confidence. The Lord wants to use you to bring your encouragement and support to someone who needs it. Prayer, Lord, You are my God. Thank You for speaking comfort over me, over the sensitive and wounded places in my soul. Thank You for comforting me during trials, when the end is not in sight. Thank You for comforting me when I’m suffering the consequences of my own foolish choices. Most of all, thank You for forgiving my sins, through the blood of Your only Son, Jesus Christ, Lord of all, in whose name I pray, amen. If this post in any way, has blessed you, please share this website and its articles with others: www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com Spiritual Drought (Isaiah 58:11)
Isaiah 58:11, And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not. During a drought, everything feels parched and desolate. Most of us didn’t live through the drought of the 1930s (the worst in U.S. history) but our parents or grandparents did, and they remember nine, long years without rain. In the heartland of our country, the richest farmlands became the Dust Bowl. More than 75 percent of the country was affected by the drought, crippling 27 states severely. On April 14, 1935, a day known as “Black Sunday,” the wind whipped across the parched farmlands and blew dust into “black blizzards” that stripped millions of acres of topsoil. Most of us have never witnessed a drought of that degree, not in the land, but sadly too often in our spirits. Here Scripture teaches that our hearts are like a garden. If you water and tend your heart as this passage instructs, you’ll experience a harvest of God’s grace. If you fail to care for your heart, it will be overrun with weeds. Continued neglect will leave it lifeless and barren of anything capable of bearing fruit. The best way to grow a lush and healthy garden is to keep it under the care of a master gardener (John 15). Like me, maybe you’ve experienced some parched days in your relationship with God. Maybe you’ve had seasons where time with God was scarce, and weekend worship felt like “Black Sunday.” Do you feel like you are in a drought spiritually? These are drought days in our nation it seems. Some are in a financial drought, emotional drought, or a spiritual drought. This doesn’t have to be the end of your story. Isaiah said we would be like a watered garden and spring of water. Watered gardens thrive with growth and fruitfulness and a spring of water refreshes the soul and strengthens the body. When you put the Lord first, He will satisfy you. You can have a fresh downpour of God’s grace and mercy upon your life (Matthew 5:6; John 4:14a). When revival comes to the human heart, it doesn’t come mist, or sprinkle, it comes as a downpour! Questions to Consider: How is your garden looking today? What dry places in your soul need to be refreshed? What is some of the cultivating the Lord has been working in you? Prayer, Father, thank You for showing me You are not only the master gardener but also the patient gardener. I’m weary of being dry and passionless. You care for my garden and take time to meet and walk with me in every area of my life. I see the true condition of my heart. I choose now to return to You. Would You come to my soul as a refreshing shower? Would You bring new life to my weary heart? Thank You that I don’t have to refresh myself; You refresh me. I need You, In Jesus’ name, amen. If this post in any way, has blessed you, please share this website and its articles with others: www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com God is Good…All the Time (Romans 8:28)
Romans 8:28, And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. The story is told that a national magazine assigned a photographer to take pictures of a forest fire. They told him a small plane would be waiting at the airport to fly him over the fire. The photographer arrived at the airstrip just an hour before sundown. Sure enough, a small Cessna airplane was waiting. He jumped in with his equipment and shouted, "Let's go!" The pilot, a tense-looking man, turned the plane into the wind, and soon they were in the air, though flying erratically. "Fly over the north side of the fire," said the photographer, "and make several low-level passes." "Why?" asked the nervous pilot. "Because I'm going to take pictures!" yelled the photographer. "I'm a photographer, and photographers take pictures." The pilot replied, "You mean you're not the flight instructor?" Sometimes we are like the student pilot and put our confidence in the wrong people. The middle verse of the Bible warns us about putting our confidence in men. Psalm 118:8, It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. However, we can rise above our circumstances by realizing that the Lord is always with us no matter what our situation may be. In Romans 8, we find a principle that enables us to put our problems into a positive perspective. Notice: Romans 8:28 doesn't say all things that happen to us are good. They aren't! It doesn't say all things that happen to us have a happy ending. They don't! God is able to turn the bad around for our good & for His sovereign purpose in our lives. One thing God wants us to understand is that blessings sometimes come from blunders. It's often possible to make something better out of something bad. That's the way God works with us. We don't often do right the first time, but He's always ready to salvage the situation no matter how bad we make it. It is a truth of certainty for everyone who loves God. Pastor R.A. Torrey said, "This verse is a soft pillow for a tired heart." All things.... good or bad; sweet or bitter; victory or defeat; happy or sad; health or sickness; prosperity or poverty; calm or storm; comfort or suffering; life or death...... all things work together for good. This doesn't mean that all that happens to us is good. Evil is prevalent in our world, but God is able to turn the bad around for our good and for His sovereign purpose in our lives. Some people do not know why bad things happen to good people. We know all things work together somehow, for good or our best. God wants us to be dependent upon Him, not independent of Him. Often God allows circumstances to come into our lives that we will become more dependent in Him. Don't be dependent on that which is unstable or insecure. Prayer: Father in Heaven, I know the thoughts and plans You have for me are for Your glory and for my good. Whatever I may face today, I can expect that You are working for good in all of it. So I’m going to step forward in faith, trusting You in all things and seeking to cooperate fully with Your plans for me. I know I can’t imagine all the good You have planned for my life, but I also know it’s all coming in Jesus’ name, so I can say, amen! If this post in any way, has blessed you, please share this website and its articles with others: www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com Strength in Unity (Ephesians 4:1-3)
Ephesians 4:1-3, “I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” Having told us what God expects of us, Paul now moves to tell us how to bring this to pass in our lives. He teaches us in these verses how to walk the worthy walk. He mentions “unity” in Ephesians 4:3, and again in Ephesians 4:13. The word means “agreement.” It simply means that we are to walk together as one in the Lord. Let me just pause here and say that unity is God’s goal for His church. If the Lord is that interested in unity is His church then we should be interested in it as well. The church has no greater testimony than when we are united in Jesus in spite of our differences. By the same rule, there is no greater slander against the cause of Christ than a church family in which the members are at odds with one another. God put in each of us a deep inner need for fellowship. The need for relationship is deeply rooted in all of us. According to Hebrews 10:24-25, Christian fellowship is designed to challenge us to unity and fellowship. God’s plan is that we will exhort one another and encourage one another. God, in His wisdom, didn’t give us everything we needed to follow Him successfully. Instead He chose to give us one another. God fills in the gaps (the areas of need) in the church. Have you ever noticed when God adds someone to the church body, He places them in a position that fills the gap that was needed? Let me illustrate: In some ways, men are like redwood trees. Redwoods grow for millennia—some are two thousand years old. They reach as high as 350 feet. Yet their roots generally run only 6-10 feet below the surface. How do these top-heavy monsters stand the tests of storms and high winds? The reason they are able to is they grow close together (NO GAPS), and they literally intermingle their roots. In essence, they stand strong because they stand together. In today’s world, men often have an independent “go-it-alone” mentality. Yet, like redwoods, we will find it’s easier to stand strong when we “stand together”. Rooted in the Word of God does 4 Things. 1. Roots are unseen: First, the important thing to do is to set aside time in privacy (underground). By doing this we immerse ourselves in God’s Word and grow in Him. 2. Roots are for taking in: Quiet time alone in God’s Word to feed upon it will ensure your spiritual growth. 3. Roots are for storage: As you daily study God’s Word, you’ll find a vast, deep reservoir of Divine hope and strength forming for the rough times ahead. 4. Roots are for support: A deep-rooted Bible study will help you to stand firm against the pressures of life. The routine care for your roots through exposure to God’s Word will cultivate you into a remarkable Christian of endurance.
Prayer, Father in Heaven, I am so thankful that You desired to have a personal relationship with me. I know that it was only possible through the shed blood of Your Son, Jesus Christ. I desire to have a deeper relationship with You. I understand that the closer I walk with You the stronger my relationship with You and with others will be, Amen. If this post in any way, has blessed you, please share this website and its articles with others: www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com Where Sin Abounds Grace Much More Abounds (Romans 5:12, 20)
Romans 5:12, Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: By one man (Adam-Genesis 3), sin entered into the world. Since Adam was the head of the human race, his sin nature has passed down through humanity. Paul did not say that sin originated with Adam. Only the sin in this world began with him. Sin originated with Satan (Isaiah 14:12). A flippant, cocky teenager asked a preacher, "You say that unsaved people carry a weight of sin. I don't feel anything! How heavy is sin? Is it ten pounds or eighty pounds?" The preacher replied by asking the teenager, "If you laid a 500 pound weight upon a corpse, would it feel the load?" The youth replied, "It would feel nothing because it is dead!" The preacher concluded, "That spirit, too, is indeed dead which feels no load of sin or is indifferent to its burden and flippant about its presence." The teenager was silenced. The penalty for sin is death. Death has passed upon all men. Romans 5:20, Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: The work of the law is not to save. It is only to condemn, to cause people to see their need of salvation (Galatians 3:24). It condemns because the more the law is manifested, the more one realizes his sinfulness. It is like a street light to one who has fallen into the dirt. The closer one gets to the street light, the more defiled he sees himself to be. When the Law of God arrived, sin which already existed was clearly defined. Sin therefore seemed even more abundant. “But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.” Though the law made sin seem to be even greater by clearly defining it, the grace of God was greater still. But sin, which the law points up, did not have the last word. We do not have to die in Adam. God’s grace to humanity is greater than humanity’s rebellion against God The law can only condemn, not save, so it only brings death, not life. Grace conquers sin and therefore reigns through the Gospel. God hates sin, but He has great love for the sinner and He has provided redemption for all men. The power of sin is broken by Christ. Since, God is holy, sin must be punished. God is also gracious and in Christ our sins are dealt with. Sin abounds, but grace much more abounds. Prayer, Lord, I thank You for Your grace. When sin abounds and darkness tries to reign, that is always when You reach out to seek and to save. Forgive me for giving way to fear. I choose to push away all my fears and to believe that You are going to do something miraculous to save the day! Let Your grace flow, Lord, pour it on! In Jesus name, Amen. If this post in any way, has blessed you, please share this website and its articles with others: www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com Taming Your Tongue (Proverbs 21:23)
Proverbs 21:23, Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles. Those who can control their tongue will protect themselves from many problems. Our mouth gets us into more trouble than any other part of our body. They who control their tongues will find life much easier. Generally, the more words you spit out, the more trouble you bring to yourself. Perhaps, that is why someone wrote about the wise, old owl. A wise old owl lived in an oak; The more he saw, the less he spoke; The less he spoke, the more he heard; Why can't we all be like that bird? Pride spews forth from the tongue. If you are tempted to mouth off, keep in mind that a drum makes a noise even though it is empty. A heavily booked commercial flight out of Denver, Colorado, was canceled and one single agent was rebooking a very long line of unhappy passengers. Suddenly, an angry passenger butted in line and pushed his way to the front, slapping his ticket on the counter. "I have to be on this flight and it has to be first class!" The ticket agent replied, "I'm sorry, sir, I'll be happy to help you, but I have to take care of these folks first. They have been waiting their turn in line." The cocky passenger was not thrilled with that answer and was not praising Jesus for sure. He very loudly said so all could hear, "DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHO I AM?" Without hesitation the ticket agent smiled and picked up the lobby microphone and said, "May I have your attention please? We have a passenger here at the counter who does not know who he is. If anyone can help him find his identity, please come to the counter." As the man retreated from the counter, the crowd in the lobby broke out into spontaneous cheering and applause for the ticket agent. The passenger met his match and his proud mouth brought him shame and embarrassment. May we learn from his mistakes. James said that one of the clearest measures of our growth and maturity as a believer is our ability to control our tongues. “For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body” (James 3:2). Yet even though it is difficult to tame the tongue, it is critically important that we do so. Our words have great power. They can strengthen and encourage others—or tear them down. Guard your tongue and you guard yourself from unnecessary troubles. When people gripe and complain all the time, they do not gain God's blessings in their lives. Many times, their problems continue to stay with them. Someone put it this way, "Those who beef too much end up in the stew." Our words have a great impact on our own lives as well. When we violate God’s law by gossiping or speaking falsely against others, we create pain and suffering and divisions in the body of Christ which is meant to be united. Do not allow your words to tear apart what God has brought together. Paul wrote, “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers” (Ephesians 4:29). Prayer: Almighty God, help me to speak words today that will bring joy to others and minister rightly to their heart. I want to bring encouragement to those that need it. Give me Your eyes to see what You see and your words to encourage as You would. In Jesus’ name, Amen. If this post in any way, has blessed you, please share this website and its articles with others: www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com Feed Them (Matthew 14:16)
Matthew 14:16, But Jesus said unto them, They need not depart; give ye them to eat. The scene is set in Matthew 14:13-21. The multitudes were gathered together to see and hear from Jesus. Jesus would perform a miracle that the people would never forget and never stop talking about. It was late in the afternoon when His disciples came to Him and said, "This is a desert place, and the time is now past; send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves victuals.” The disciples began to make excuses and told Jesus that it was too late in the day for them to go a buy food for the multitude and they didn’t have enough money. But Jesus said, " give ye them to eat." They came back to report that there were five loaves of bread and two fish. Then Jesus told the crowd to sit down. He took the five loaves and two fish and looking up to heaven, gave thanks for the food. Breaking the loaves into pieces, He gave the bread and fish to His disciples to place before the people. And the crowd ate until they could hold no more! There were about 5,000 men there for that meal, and afterwards there were leftover twelve baskets. If we not careful, we miss some key words from Jesus. Often, we are so caught up in the meat of this miracle and rightly so. Jesus used five loaves and two fish to feed five thousand men. Notice: Jesus could have served the people Himself, but He chose to use His disciples to serve and feed the people. There are at least two lessons that could be applied from this miracle. 1. Use what you've got. Anytime we are given an opportunity to be used of the Lord. We are to trust Him and the gifts He has given to us. 2. Give what you have. Jesus multiplied five loaves and two fish to feed more than five thousand people. It turned out to be more than enough to meet the need. What He was originally given seemed insufficient, but in His hands, it became more than enough. We often feel that our contribution to Jesus is small or insignificant, but He can use and multiply whatever we give Him, whether it is talent, time, or treasure. It is when we give them to Jesus that our resources are multiplied. God gives in abundance. He takes whatever we can offer Him in time, ability, or resources and multiplies its effectiveness beyond our wildest expectations. If you take the first step in making yourself available to God, He will show you how greatly you can be used to advance the work of His Kingdom. He is using these same words today. Whether you are in Carrabelle, California, or Cambodia. You have exactly the same assignment in the kingdom of God. To feed His sheep. Literally and spiritually. Everyday there are multitudes without food, provisions, recourses. We might be puzzled like the disciples were. We don’t have enough. What are we to do to minister to them? We, like the disciples, can take it to the Lord (Who is the same yesterday, today, and forever) and ask Him how He may use us to “feed them”. With the Lord there is never a church, ministry, or servant that ever lacks the recourses. He already knows what we need. He will bless the work and see it accomplished. Prayer: Lord, I’m truly thankful to be involved in Your work and to spread and share the same Gospel that saved me. As Jesus used the fish and bread to feed the five thousand, use the gifts You’ve given me to feed the souls of others You allow me to encounter. If this post in any way, has blessed you, please share this website and its articles with others: www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com |
AuthorDr. Blackman is passionate about helping others grow in the grace of the Lord. His devotions are centered on how to grow closer to the Lord through a personal relationship with Christ. Archives
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