Unlimited Resources

Deuteronomy 28:12 “The Lord will send rain at the proper time from his rich treasury in the heavens and will bless all the work you do. You will lend to many nations, but you will never need to borrow from them.”

Job 38:22 “Have you visited the storehouses of the snow or seen the storehouses of hail?”

Psalm 135:7 “He causes the clouds to rise over the whole earth. He sends the lightning with the rain and releases the wind from his storehouses.”

Jeremiah 10:13 “When he speaks in the thunder, the heavens roar with rain. He causes the clouds to rise over the earth. He sends the lightning with the rain and releases the wind from his storehouses.”

Psalm 33:7 (NIV) “He gathers the waters of the sea into jars; he puts the deep into storehouses.”

Each of the verses above has a common theme.  God has storehouses!  He has wind, rain, hail, and snow stored in his treasury.  While I love the reality that he stores up wind, rain, hail, and snow, I get really excited about Psalm 31:19 “How great is the goodness you have stored up for those who fear you. You lavish it on those who come to you for protection, blessing them before the watching world.”  Here we see that God has good things stored up for those who fear him. 

If fearing God is a prerequisite for receiving the unlimited resources (good things: blessings, provision, healing, needs met, every good thing) he has stored up for us, then what does it mean to fear the Lord? 

The Hebrew verb yare can mean “to fear, to respect, to reverence” and the Hebrew noun yirah “usually refers to the fear of God and is viewed as a positive quality. This fear acknowledges God’s good intentions (Ex. 20:20). … This fear is produced by God’s Word (Ps. 119:38; Prov. 2:5) and makes a person receptive to wisdom and knowledge (Prov. 1:7; 9:10)” (Warren Baker and Eugene Carpenter, The Complete Word Study Dictionary: Old Testament, 2003, pp. 470-471).

The Greek noun phobos can mean “reverential fear” of God, “not a mere ‘fear’ of His power and righteous retribution, but a wholesome dread of displeasing Him” (Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words, 1985, “Fear, Fearful, Fearfulness”). This is the type of positive, productive fear Luke describes in the early New Testament Church:

“Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied” (Acts 9:31, emphasis added).

One resource includes this helpful summary: “The fear of God is an attitude of respect, a response of reverence and wonder. It is the only appropriate response to our Creator and Redeemer” (Nelson’s NKJV Study Bible, 1997, note on Psalm 128:1).  Taken from http://lifehopeandtruth.com/god/who-is-god/fear-of-the-lord/

If we want the blessings of God, the unlimited resources he has stored up for us, we must maintain an attitude of fearful respect.  We must obey his laws because we love him but also because we realize, if he were not sustaining the universe or chose not to, he could end our lives in a moment.  We have life because he chose to give it to us.  Every good and prefect gift is from his hand.  James 1:17 “Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.”

The Psalmist also says these blessings are poured out on “those who come to you for protection, blessing them before the watching world.” (Psalm 31:19b) 

Psalm 46:1-3 “God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea. Let the oceans roar and foam. Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge!”

Psalm 91:2 “This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him.”

Psalm 27:5 “For he will conceal me there when troubles come; he will hide me in his sanctuary. He will place me out of reach on a high rock.”

Psalm 71:3 “Be my rock of safety where I can always hide. Give the order to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress.”

Proverbs 14:26 “Those who fear the Lord are secure; he will be a refuge for their children.”

As we can see the Word is also packed full of scriptures about God being our refuge.  When the storms of life rise in our lives we can run to the Lord for protection and refuge.  He is faithful and will protect us.  He will also pour out blessings on our lives as we seek his care and protection. 

God’s unlimited resources are available to those who both fear him and seek his protection and care.  In the verses above we have seen that God holds the rain, snow, hail, and wind in storehouses.  If he is able to orchestrate the weather all over the world at one time, why would we doubt for a minute that he is able to handle our burdens?

Psalm 111:10 “Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true wisdom. All who obey his commandments will grow in wisdom. Praise him forever!”  Let us build our lives on the foundation of wisdom and learn to fear the Lord and to run to him for protection.  As we do he promised to pour out good things on our lives.  

All Scriptures are NLT unless otherwise noted.  

Living Worthy of Our Calling (Part 2)

Ephesians 4:1-3 “Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace.”

Let’s briefly review Part 1.

To live worthy of our call:

1. We need to recognize that we were created intentionally. 

2. We need to understand that God has a calling for each of us. 

3. Paul gives us specific things to do to “live worthy”. 

                a.    Be humble

                b.    Be gentle

             _______________________________________________________________

    c.      Be patient with each other

James S. Spiegel writes:

Jesus was very patient with his disciples. They were sometimes           thickheaded, lazy, selfish, and slow to believe. Even from a merely human standpoint, we can see how frustrating they must have been. How much more irritating it would be for God Incarnate to interact daily with these men. In spite of Jesus' miracles and words of wisdom, they were focused upon themselves and wavered in their belief about who he really was. To say that was uncomfortable for Jesus would be an understatement. Yet do we find him railing at his disciples over their foolishness and stupidity? Or making fun of them when they make mistakes?

James’ description of the disciples sounds a lot like me.  If Jesus could be patient with his followers (ourselves included), how much more should we be patient with others? 

d.      Make allowances for each other’s faults

Colossians 3:13 “Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.” Here Paul expounds a bit more on “making allowances”.  We see that this involves forgiving those who offend us. 

I believe it also involves understanding that every believer is at a different spiritual level, meaning, when we come to Christ he doesn't deal with all our faults and struggles at one time.  He treats us each as unique individuals, who learn at different rates and by different means.

When we belong to a body of believers we need to realize that we are each living at different levels of revelation.  God only holds us accountable for the level of revelation he has made known to us.  It is not our job to judge others but to make allowances for their levels of revelation.  This does not mean condoning sin; however, it does mean loving others into new levels of revelation, repentance, and forgiveness.   We must extend grace and forgiveness as Christ has done for us. We do not, however, have to subject ourselves to constant hurt or abuse at the hands of an unrepentant person. In these situations, we must remove ourselves from fellowship with them and pray, leaving them in the hands of the Savior who knows best how to minister to them. We must not, however, act in anger toward them!

e.       Make every effort to keep united in the Spirit and bind ourselves together with peace.

John Piper writes

Ephesians 4:3 calls this the unity of the Spirit. It's the Holy Spirit who frees our hearts from irrational, self-defensive prejudices so that we are willing to own up to true convictions about Christ (1 Corinthians 2:14–16). It's the Holy Spirit who enables us to have faith in Christ and to cry out to God with confidence, "Abba, Father" (Romans 8:15–16). And it is the Holy Spirit who bears the fruit of love in our lives and gives us a common care for each other (Galatians 5:22). So our common convictions and confidence and care are all from the Holy Spirit. Therefore Paul calls it the "unity of the Spirit" (v. 3).

Paul has issued a huge challenge in Ephesians 4:1-3.  Let us rise to the challenge by seeking God’s help and strength as we live worthy of our call!

All Scripture is NLT unless otherwise stated. 

Living Worthy of Our Calling (Part 1)

Ephesians 4:1-3 “Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace.”

We will be using Ephesians 4:1-3 as a road map, so to speak, to show us how to live “worthy of our calling.”

First, we need to recognize that we were created intentionally.  Whether our parents were expecting to conceive or not, God had a plan for our conception and birth.  Psalm 139:13-16 “You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!  Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.  You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.”

Next, we need to understand that God has a calling for each of us.  If we did not all have a call, why would Paul admonish us to live worthy of it?  This calling is to be a witness for Christ in whatever vocation we choose.  God often calls individuals to specific occupations (yet even then there are choices), however, in most cases he places in us talents and abilities and then allows us to choose the way we use them. 

For example, my spiritual gifts are teaching and exhortation, they come naturally.  I fall into teacher/exhorter mode without even thinking.   I chose to attend college to hone these gifts and then chose be an elementary teacher for almost 20 years.  Now I use those same gifts to write this blog each day.  I did not hear God tell me I had to be a teacher.  Actually, I was also interested in social work (which would also use my teaching gift), however, I realized that I was not gifted in administration and social work would entail mountains of paperwork which I would have hated. 

If I had chosen to go into social work, I would not have been “out of God’s will” as some might teach.  God does not have one plan for each individual to follow.  If he did, then, when we rebel, chose another path, or simply don’t understand his plan we would be “out of his will” for our entire life.  God doesn't micro manage our lives.  He gives each of us gifts and talents coupled with intelligence.  While he never leaves us alone and desires to be involved in our decision making, he entrusts our decisions and choices into our hands. You might be thinking that within each occupation, vocation, etc. there are many different choices of places of employment.  I do believe that we need to pray about where we work.  While it is ultimately our choice, God knows the pros and cons of each place.  If we ask, he will direct us to the place where we will be the best fit; the place where we will be most useful for his Kingdom as a tool in his hand. 

To continue, Paul gives us specific things to do to “live worthy”. 

a.       Be humble

A story is told about a man who asked his rabbi why people couldn't see the face of God. What had happened that they could no longer reach high enough to see God?

The rabbi, a very old man, had experienced a lot in his life and was very wise. "My son," he said, "that is not the way it is at all. You cannot see the face of God because there are so few who can stoop that low. How sad this is, but it is the truth. Learn to bend, to bow, to kneel and stoop and you will be able to see God face-to-face."

Jonathan Edwards said, “We must view humility as one of the most essential things that characterizes true Christianity.” Our perspective on humility can be radically changed if we will ponder and meditate on the greatest example of humility in history: Jesus Christ. By the very act of leaving heaven, coming to earth, and taking the form of man, he demonstrated an unfathomable humbling of himself. Throughout his life on earth, Jesus demonstrated a spirit of profound humility, saying that he came “not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matt. 20:28). On his last night with the disciples, he took a towel and basin and washed their dirty feet (John 13:1–11), instructing them to follow his example of servanthood with one another (John 13:12–17). Andrew Murray captures it well, “Christ is the humility of God embodied in human nature; the Eternal Love humbling itself, clothing itself in the garb of meekness and gentleness, to win and serve and save us.”  Taken from: http://www.cslewisinstitute.org/Pride_and_Humility_Page5

b.      Be gentle

The Greek language in which the N.T. was originally written, was a precise & expressive language. When the Greeks developed a word, they not only gave it a careful definition, but they almost always illustrated it.

Their definition of gentleness was "power under control," & they illustrated it with the picture of a horse that had been tamed. Gentleness to them was a powerful animal with its power completely under control. (Melvin M. Newland)

In John 8 we find the story of the woman caught in adultery.  She was guilty, she knew it, and so did Jesus.  He could have condemned her but he didn't,  instead he addressed the sin in her accusers (John 8:7-9, They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust. When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman.) 

Once they were along, Jesus treated her with gentleness.  He did not condone her sin, yet he did not treat her harshly as her sin would have allowed.  (John 8:10-11, Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?” “No, Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.”)

All Scripture is NLT unless otherwise stated. 

Strengthening Weak Arms

Galatians 6:2 "Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ."

Exodus 17:8-13 "While the people of Israel were still at Rephidim, the warriors of Amalek attacked them. Moses commanded Joshua, 'Choose some men to go out and fight the army of Amalek for us. Tomorrow, I will stand at the top of the hill, holding the staff of God in my hand.' So Joshua did what Moses had commanded and fought the army of Amalek. Meanwhile, Moses, Aaron, and Hur climbed to the top of a nearby hill. As long as Moses held up the staff in his hand, the Israelites had the advantage. But whenever he dropped his hand, the Amalekites gained the advantage. Moses’ arms soon became so tired he could no longer hold them up. So Aaron and Hur found a stone for him to sit on. Then they stood on each side of Moses, holding up his hands. So his hands held steady until sunset. As a result, Joshua overwhelmed the army of Amalek in battle."

We are all part of one body. The Body of Christ. 1 Corinthians 12:12, 26 "The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad."

Just as Moses needed Aaron and Hur to hold up his arms during the battle to keep the enemy from winning, so we need others to "hold up" our arms and we need to " hold up" others arms when the battles grow wearying. 

1 Thessalonians 5:11 "So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing."

Jude 1:20 "But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit,"

Hebrews 3:13 "You must warn each other every day, while it is still “today,"so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God."

Hebrews 10:24-25 "Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near."

We see here that the scripture admonishes us to work together to encourage one another, build each other up in our faith, and motivate one another to acts of love and good works. 

How do we live this out in our daily lives?  How do we bear each other's burdens?

      1. By praying for each other. It is vital that we belong to a group of believers with whom we can share our needs. It is equally vital that we hold them up in prayer as well. When you are the one facing the giant you need others to hold you up before The Lord in prayer. It is often difficult to pray or even know how to pray when the struggles are great. Knowing that someone else is fighting with us will often be enough to push us through the fight into victory. Knowing we are not alone gives us both hope and courage to keep fighting. 

  

     2. Do something practice to help. Here are some examples:

          a. Offer to babysit for a single mom or a married couple you know who are struggling in their marriage. 

          b. Take a bag of groceries to a family who is struggling financially. 

          c. Weed an elderly neighbor's flower bed. 

          d. Text a friend to see how their day went. 

          e. Leave an encouraging note on a coworkers desk. 

          f. Take a weary friend out to lunch and listen as she shares her struggles. 

         g. Invite a struggling friend to join your Bible study or prayer group and offer to pick her up. 

Pray and ask the Holy Spirit to identify someone whose arms you can strengthen today. As he reveals that individual to you, begin praying for them and then look for a practical way to encourage, build up, or motivate them in their faith. If they are an unbeliever, pray for God to reveal himself to them and to open the door for you to share your faith with them. 

Let us seek ways to strengthen each other's arms today!

Plumb Line

Amos 7:8 And the Lord said to me, “Amos, what do you see?” I answered, “A plumb line.” And the Lord replied, “I will test my people with this plumb line. I will no longer ignore all their sins.”

Webster defines a plumb line as: a tool that consists of a small, heavy object attached to a string or rope and that is used especially to see if something (such as a wall) is perfectly vertical.  The Plumb line for our lives is the Word of God. In our lives we need to weigh our thoughts, words, actions, decisions, attitudes, etc. by God’s Word.  The plumb line of God’s Word measures our character to see if it lines up with the character of Christ. 

Construction workers know that bowed or leaning walls are easily toppled. Every builder knows that when a wall falls, it always falls in the direction in which it is leaning.  If we have attitudes, thoughts, actions, speech, make decisions, etc. that don’t line up with the Word, those areas are the ones that will cause our character to crumble and fall apart. 

A little boy came up to his mother one day and said to her, "Mother, guess what! I'm eight feet, four inches tall!" His mother, greatly surprised, inquired into the matter and found he was using a six-inch ruler to measure a "foot." The boy was actually only a few inches over four feet. This is exactly what we do. We measure our words, actions, decisions, etc., by our feelings or desires rather than by the standard of the Word of God.  We also often measure our character by comparing our lives to that of others.  We may see someone who is “less mature” then us and measure our life/Christian walk against theirs.  If we feel we are “better/more mature” than they are, we might think we are doing ok. 

The Word never tells us to compare our lives with anyone other than Christ, and when we do that, we will always come up short (very humbling but necessary). However, if we work on keeping our lives plumb with his, we will find it easier to say no to temptation, have right thoughts and attitudes, control our anger, speech, etc., and make decisions based on the Word rather than our desires or opinions. 

Psalm 141:3 “Take control of what I say, O Lord, and guard my lips.”  When we invite God to help us guard our words, he will help us say things that will build others up and will be a blessing to the hearer. 

Proverbs 4:23 “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.”  When we use the Word to measure our thoughts, we will find that the Holy Spirit will show us which thoughts are God honoring and which need to be “straightened” to align with the Plumb line.

 

The Word is full of Plumb line markers.  We need to be reading it daily and meditating on it in order to keep our lives plumb with Christ.   I, for one, never want my life to fall apart and crumble because I failed to keep it plumb with the Savior.  

Ordinary to Extraordinary

Psalm 23:6 “Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.”

God is present with us 24/7.  There is never a moment from a person’s birth to death when God is not there.  Even before we acknowledged him in our lives he was there.  God, however, desires more than to just be there with us.  He desires to participate in every area of our lives.  He desires to share in the decision making, goal setting, every ordinary event of life. 

When we allow God to participate in the ordinariness of our life, it becomes extraordinary.  Let’s look at some examples from scripture where God partnered with ordinary people to do extraordinary things. 

David:  1 Samuel 17 tells us the extraordinary story of David and Goliath.  This story begins with an ordinary event.  1 Samuel 17: 12-15, 17-23, Now David was the son of a man named Jesse, an Ephrathite from Bethlehem in the land of Judah. Jesse was an old man at that time, and he had eight sons. Jesse’s three oldest sons—Eliab, Abinadab, and Shimea—had already joined Saul’s army to fight the Philistines. David was the youngest son. David’s three oldest brothers stayed with Saul’s army, but David went back and forth so he could help his father with the sheep in Bethlehem.   One day Jesse said to David, “Take this basket of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread, and carry them quickly to your brothers. And give these ten cuts of cheese to their captain. See how your brothers are getting along, and bring back a report on how they are doing.” David’s brothers were with Saul and the Israelite army at the valley of Elah, fighting against the Philistines. So David left the sheep with another shepherd and set out early the next morning with the gifts, as Jesse had directed him. He arrived at the camp just as the Israelite army was leaving for the battlefield with shouts and battle cries. Soon the Israelite and Philistine forces stood facing each other, army against army. David left his things with the keeper of supplies and hurried out to the ranks to greet his brothers. As he was talking with them, Goliath, the Philistine champion from Gath, came out from the Philistine ranks. Then David heard him shout his usual taunt to the army of Israel.

We see here that Jesse sent David to take provisions to his brothers who were serving in the army.  In those days it was common for the families of the soldiers to support the soldiers while they served in the army.  David was doing what many other boys of his day were doing, taking provisions to older brothers in the army. 

The story continues… 1 Samuel 17: 24-25, 32-37, 40-50 As soon as the Israelite army saw him, they began to run away in fright. “Have you seen the giant?” the men asked. “He comes out each day to defy Israel. The king has offered a huge reward to anyone who kills him. He will give that man one of his daughters for a wife, and the man’s entire family will be exempted from paying taxes!” “Don’t worry about this Philistine,” David told Saul. “I’ll go fight him!”  “Don’t be ridiculous!” Saul replied. “There’s no way you can fight this Philistine and possibly win! You’re only a boy, and he’s been a man of war since his youth.” But David persisted. “I have been taking care of my father’s sheep and goats,” he said. “When a lion or a bear comes to steal a lamb from the flock, I go after it with a club and rescue the lamb from its mouth. If the animal turns on me, I catch it by the jaw and club it to death. I have done this to both lions and bears, and I’ll do it to this pagan Philistine, too, for he has defied the armies of the living God! The Lord who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this Philistine!” Saul finally consented. “All right, go ahead,” he said. “And may the Lord be with you!” So David took them off again. He picked up five smooth stones from a stream and put them into his shepherd’s bag. Then, armed only with his shepherd’s staff and sling, he started across the valley to fight the Philistine. Goliath walked out toward David with his shield bearer ahead of him, sneering in contempt at this ruddy-faced boy. “Am I a dog,” he roared at David, “that you come at me with a stick?” And he cursed David by the names of his gods. “Come over here, and I’ll give your flesh to the birds and wild animals!” Goliath yelled. David replied to the Philistine, “You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies—the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. Today the Lord will conquer you, and I will kill you and cut off your head. And then I will give the dead bodies of your men to the birds and wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel! And everyone assembled here will know that the Lord rescues his people, but not with sword and spear. This is the Lord’s battle, and he will give you to us!” As Goliath moved closer to attack, David quickly ran out to meet him. Reaching into his shepherd’s bag and taking out a stone, he hurled it with his sling and hit the Philistine in the forehead. The stone sank in, and Goliath stumbled and fell face down on the ground.  So David triumphed over the Philistine with only a sling and a stone, for he had no sword. Then David ran over and pulled Goliath’s sword from its sheath. David used it to kill him and cut off his head.  

David allowed God to work through him to turn an ordinary event (delivering food to his brothers) into an extraordinary event (a boy killing the champion of the Philistine army.)

Time will not permit me to expound but here are three more examples of men and women who allowed God to enter their ordinary lives and the result was extraordinary! 

Gideon: Judges 6-7 (threshing wheat [ordinary], called by God, lead an army of 300 men to conquer the entire Midianite army [extraordinary].)

Rahab: Joshua 2 (living in Jericho as a harlot [so wrong, but ordinary], hides Israelite spies, is saved from destruction when Jericho falls, is recorded in the lineage of Christ [extraordinary].)

Peter and John: Acts 4 (going to the temple [ordinary], see a lame man begging, tell him to get up and walk in Jesus name, and he does [extraordinary].)

If we invited Jesus into the ordinary things in our life, what extraordinary things could happen?  How can an ordinary trip to the store for last minute groceries become extraordinary?  Or playing basketball in the driveway with your kids? Working out at the gym?  God wants to transform our ordinary into his extraordinary!

Chosen

Romans 8:30 "And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory."

Have you every stopped to ponder what that really means?  God chose you!!  The Word is full of reminders that we are chosen by God. 

1 Peter 2:9 “But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.”

Ephesians 1:4-5 “Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.”

John 6:44 “For no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them to me, and at the last day I will raise them up.”

John 15:16 “You didn't choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name.”

Jeremiah 1:5 “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.”

Deuteronomy 14:2 “You have been set apart as holy to the Lord your God, and he has chosen you from all the nations of the earth to be his own special treasure.”

Isaiah 43:10 “But you are my witnesses, O Israel!” says the Lord. “You are my servant. You have been chosen to know me, believe in me, and understand that I alone am God. There is no other God— there never has been, and there never will be.”

When I was pregnant, I didn't get to choose my child’s gender, hair or eye color, or any other feature.  Jeremiah 1:5 tells us that God formed each of our features.  He chose our gender, parents, family, ethnicity, etc.  The Word also tells us (Ephesians 1:4-5) that he chose us to be his children.  He intended from the foundation of the world to make us his very own.  Called out, set apart, chosen to follow, serve, and love him, his special treasure! (Romans 8:30, 1 Peter 2:9, John 6:44, John 15:16, Deuteronomy 14:2, Isaiah 43:10.)

No matter how the people around us treat us, no matter how unloved we might have felt growing up, no matter how unimportant or insignificant we might feel at times, WE ARE DESIRED AND LOVED by the Creator of the universe! WE ARE CHOSEN!!!!!

Extreme Makeover – Spiritual DNA Edition (Total DNA Remodel – Part 2)

Let me quickly recap Part 1.

      1.  The process of total DNA remodel begins at salvation.  When we accept Christ as our Savior he begins the process of Sanctification in our lives.

      2. When we come to Christ we often have flawed beliefs about God. Our spiritual foundation must be rebuilt or shored up.

We will continue to see the process God takes to totally remodel our spiritual DNA as we follow the process a contractor takes when remodeling an old house.

3. The next step is to remove all the faulty wiring and plumbing.  God does this in us by transforming our minds and setting us free from the slavery of sin.  Romans 12:2 “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”  Romans 6:6 “We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin.”

      4.To continue, the contractor goes room by room checking every nook and cranny to determine if there is damage that needs to be repaired.  Many times they even tear holes in walls to check for mold or structural damage.  God does this by checking every area of our life (mind).  If we allow him to he will shine the light of the Holy Spirit into every nook and cranny to see what is there. 

I like to use the analogy of a hallway to describe how our minds work.  For men and women alike we have rooms along the hallway of our minds that contain each facet of our life.  My hallway for instance has rooms marked, Scott, Emma and Samuel, friends, church, ministry, extended family, etc.  In each room we keep our attitudes, opinions, feelings, desires, and needs about each area.  Ok, this is where the similarities between men and women end. 

In a man’s mind, each room has a door that can close tightly and stay closed until it needs to be opened.  For example, if a man has a fight with his wife on the way to church, he is usually able to participate in worship, listen to the sermon, and even go to the altar for prayer to respond to the sermon.  He probably won’t think about the fight again unless his spouse brings it up (which she probably will!) (I know there are exceptions to this J.)  Usually the hallway of a man’s mind is clutter free.  I think this is why they can be so logical and less emotional on the whole than women.

It is a totally different story in a woman’s mind.  We tend to leave all our doors open at once.  The stuff in our rooms usually spills out into our hallway, leaving clutter and emotions out for us to trip over as we go through our daily lives.  Using the example of the fight on the way to church, we can see the differences between men and women’s hallways more clearly.  If a woman has a fight with her husband on the way to church, typically, she will stew and think it over line by line, who said what and why.  She will then find it difficult to focus on worship and if she does enter in, she will feel like a hypocrite: 1) because she knows her attitude toward her spouse is not right, 2) because she realizes that she is not focusing her attention on worshiping God but on the fight.  She will probably be distracted during the sermon and when it is over, if she goes to the altar at all, she will be focusing her prayer on the issue from the fight not responding to the message at all.  I believe this is why most women tend to be more emotional and less logical than men.

We've all seen a house with damaged walls, chipping paint, mold and mildew on the shower, cracked or totally broken windows.  The same holds true in our spiritual life.  Whether you are a man or woman, in your rooms you will find damaged walls, chipped paint, broken windows, mold and mildew (scares) from hurts, abuses, neglect, poor choices, etc.   It is to these areas that the Holy Spirit, if allowed, will gravitate.  He will do one of the following with each wound he finds: 

a.       Reveal the truth to counteract the lie we've believed about the wound. For example, many who have been abused believe it was their fault.  This is not true!  It is a lie of the enemy (the father of lies).  John 8:44 “For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.”

Let’s look at the following example from scripture.  1 Samuel 19:1-5 Saul now urged his servants and his son Jonathan to assassinate David. But Jonathan, because of his strong affection for David, told him what his father was planning. “Tomorrow morning,” he warned him, “you must find a hiding place out in the fields. I’ll ask my father to go out there with me, and I’ll talk to him about you. Then I’ll tell you everything I can find out.” The next morning Jonathan spoke with his father about David, saying many good things about him. “The king must not sin against his servant David,” Jonathan said. “He’s never done anything to harm you. He has always helped you in any way he could. Have you forgotten about the time he risked his life to kill the Philistine giant and how the Lord brought a great victory to all Israel as a result? You were certainly happy about it then. Why should you murder an innocent man like David? There is no reason for it at all!”  We see here that Saul was abusive toward David; however, David had done nothing to Saul.  Remodel: abuse is never the victim’s fault!!!!

b.      He will change our perspective on the events surrounding the hurt.  We see in this happen clearly in the book of Job. Job 3:20-26 , “Oh, why give light to those in misery,

and life to those who are bitter?  They long for death, and it won’t come. They search for death more eagerly than for hidden treasure. They’re filled with joy when they finally die,

and rejoice when they find the grave. Why is life given to those with no future, those God has surrounded with difficulties? I cannot eat for sighing; my groans pour out like water.

What I always feared has happened to me. What I dreaded has come true. I have no peace, no quietness. I have no rest; only trouble comes.”  Here we see that Job was struggling to understand what was happening to him.  He spoke out of his hurt and confusion.  While he never blamed God for his condition, he struggled to know how to react. 

We then read the end of the story as God changes Job’s perspective.  Job 42:1-6, Then Job replied to the Lord:  “I know that you can do anything, and no one can stop you. You asked, ‘Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorance?’ It is I—and I was talking about things I knew nothing about, things far too wonderful for me. You said, ‘Listen and I will speak! I have some questions for you, and you must answer them.’ I had only heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes. I take back everything I said, and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance.“ Remodel: sometimes it is necessary to allow the Holy Spirit to change our perspective on past hurts in order to be free from the effects of that hurt.  

Extreme Makeover – Spiritual DNA Edition (Total DNA Remodel – Part 3)

Let me quickly recap Parts 1 and 2.

1. The process of total DNA remodel begins at salvation.  When we accept Christ as our Savior he begins the process of Sanctification in our lives. 

2. When we come to Christ we often have flawed beliefs about God. Our spiritual foundation must be rebuilt or shored up.

3. God transforms our minds and sets us free from the slavery of sin.  (Romans 6:6 and Romans 12:2)

4. God checks every area of our life (mind).  If we allow him to he will shine the light of the Holy Spirit into every nook and cranny to see what is there.   We all have (scares) from hurts, abuses, neglect, poor choices, etc.   It is to these areas that the Holy Spirit, if allowed, will gravitate.  He will do one of the following with each wound he finds:   

a. Reveal the truth to counteract the lie we’ve believed about the wound.  (John 8:44)

b. He will change our perspective on the events surrounding the hurt.  (Job 3:20-26 and Job 42:1-6)

We will look here at the last two steps in the average remodel. 

5. Most contractors will install a new security system once the home is totally remodeled.  When we come to Christ we receive our own personal security system, the Holy Spirit.  John 14:26 “But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.” John 16:13 “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future.”  Just as the home owner needs to hear and obey the alarms the system gives, we too need to listen to the Holy Spirit when he warns us.  The Word tells us that when we are tempted God will make a way of escape.  It is the Holy Spirit who shows us that escape.  Also, when there is danger in what we are doing or think, it is the Holy Spirit who reveals this danger to us.  Hebrews 3:7-8  “That is why the Holy Spirit says, ‘Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled, when they tested me in the wilderness.’”

Remodel: We must learn to respond quickly when the Holy Spirit sounds the alarm.  We must also learn to yield to his leading. Galatians 5:25 “Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.”

6. Finally, the last step in any home remodel is moving in.  Christ takes up residence in us when we accept his free gift of salvation. 

a. He lives in us to give life to our spirit. Romans 8:10-11 “And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God. The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.”

b. He lives in us to let us grow deep roots in God’s love.  Ephesians 3:17 “Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.”

c. We become the temple of God. 1 Corinthians 3:16 “Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you?”

d. We share the glory of Christ. Colossians 1:27 “For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory.”

Remodel: Christ has come to live in us.  Our life is not our own, it belongs to the one who gave himself as a ransom for our sins.  

Extreme Makeover – Spiritual DNA Edition (Total DNA Remodel – Part 1)

My family loves to watch home improvement shows.  We love D.I.Y. projects.  We get a charge out of taking something old and bringing new life to it. To illustrate, yesterday we went thrift store hunting.  We found a half couch for $10. It has good bones but needs new upholstery.  We are now in the process of learning how to make a slip cover for it.  (Thank God for youtube J.)

Through the years of watching homes be remodeled I have discovered a pattern.  Each time a designer/contractor enters an old home they all look for the same things.  They all use the same basic process.  As I was praying this morning I believe the Lord showed me that he too uses a similar process in our DNA Remodel.

    1. To begin, each contractor takes a “walk through” to see what is there and what needs attention.  For us, this process begins at salvation.  When we accept Christ as our Savior he begins the process of Sanctification in our lives.  Sanctification is a state of separation unto God; all believers enter into this state when they are born of God: 1 Corinthians 1:30 “God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin.”

    2. Next, they often have to rebuild or shore up the foundation.  When we come to Christ we often have flawed beliefs about God.

a.       In our world we see a prevalent belief that Jesus is one way to God.  Remodel: Jesus is the ONLY WAY to God.  John 14:6 “Jesus told him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.’”

b.      Many view God like a hard task master who never shows approval and who must be obeyed in order to keep him appeased.  Remodel: God is a loving Father who longs to shower his kids with good things.  1 John 3:1 “See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know him.” He does require obedience; however, he loves us no matter how often we fail.  He is just and holy and desires for his children to be holy, not because he is cruel, rather, because he knows that living a holy lifestyle will keep us out of many dangers and hurts we might otherwise have to face.  1 Peter 1:13-16 “So prepare your minds for action and exercise self-control. Put all your hope in the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world. So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn't know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, ‘You must be holy because I am holy.’”

c.       Due to the popularity of Halloween, people view Satan as a guy in a red suit with a pitchfork.  He seems none threatening or bothersome.  Remodel: The devil is alive and well.  He is working overtime to destroy the church.  He is at work in the lives of anyone who calls on the name of the Lord.  On Sunday my pastor said that if the devil is not attacking us and our family we need to make sure we are not traveling in the same direction he is. 1 Peter 5:8 “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.”  If we didn't need to be concerned about the devil God would not have warned us to watch out!

d.      In our culture and unfortunately even in the church we see a harmful trend.  Many come to Christ, but then continue in their old lifestyle. Often this is due to the tolerance mentality. We don't preach against sin because we want to be politically correct and not offend anyone.  Romans 5:20-21 tell us that God gives grace when we fail, however, let’s read Romans 6:1-8,12-18, “Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it? Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives. Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him. Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace. Well then, since God’s grace has set us free from the law, does that mean we can go on sinning? Of course not! Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living. Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you. Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living.” 

Jesus has already paid for our freedom.  The author of Romans tells us that once we come to Christ we are dead to sin.  Does this mean we won’t be tempted to sin ever again?  No!  It means that we are no longer slaves to sin; when we sin now it is because we choose to.  We choose to listen to and believe the lies of the enemy, who tells us it won’t hurt us to sin, or tells us we will never be free from our past/sin, or that we can control our lives and live above sin (i.e. a former alcoholic still hanging around with his drinking buddies).  Remodel: All sin is wrong.  We are dead to sin; no longer its slave; and we can overcome our flesh through Christ who lives in us!!!

Extreme Makeover – Spiritual DNA Edition (Faulty DNA: Sticks and Stones Do More Harm than Words)

I read in the article Gender Jabber: Do Women Talk More than Men?  that researches used a device called an EAR (for electronically activated recorder) to digitally collect data on the chatter patterns of 396 university students.  The daily average for all 396 was 15,942 words spoken.  (http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/women-talk-more-than-men/)  

If the average person lives to be 70 the total average words spoken over a life time is somewhere around 407 million.  That is staggering. If we speak that many words in our lifetime (I know some are less talkative), how important is it that our words be tempered by the Spirit? 

Aesop illustrated it well in this fable: Once upon a time, a donkey found a lion's skin. He tried it on, strutted around, and frightened many animals. Soon a fox came along, and the donkey tried to scare him, too. But the fox, hearing the donkey's voice, said, "If you want to terrify me, you'll have to disguise your bray." Aesop's moral: Clothes may disguise a fool, but his words will give him away.

I. Our Words Matter

The old saying, “Sticks and stones can break my bones, but names will never hurt me” is not true at all.  In fact, Proverbs 18:21 tells us, “The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences.”  Our words can potentially bring life or death to the hearer.  This is a powerful thought.  With our words we can build others up, or tear them down. 

Matthew 12:36 “And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak.” Jesus makes it clear here that we are going to be held accountable for ALL the words we speak. It is generally understood in church circles that we will be accountable for profane or perverse language, however, here Jesus tells us that we are accountable for every idle word. Webster defines idle as: lacking worth or basis.  How often do we talk just to talk?   

Greek Philosopher asked his servant to provide the best dish possible. The servant prepared a dish of tongue, saying, "It is the best of all dishes, because with it we may bless and communicate happiness, dispel sorrow, remove despair, cheer the faint hearted, inspire the discouraged, and say a hundred other things to uplift mankind." Later the philosopher asked his servant to provide the worst dish of which he could think. A dish of tongue appeared on the table. The servant said, "It is the worst, because with it we may curse and break human hearts; destroy reputations; promote discord and strife; set families, communities, and nations at war with each other." He was a wise servant. (Taken from http://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/life-and-death-are-in-the-power-of-the-tongue-neal-gracey-sermon-on-wisdom-57113.asp)

II. How can we use our Words best?

A.      Do not use words as weapons. Often we use our words to hurt others who have wronged us. Matthew 5:44 “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;”  Here we read Jesus (who if anyone had a “right” to use his words in retaliation he did) teach that we are to bless those who hurt us. 

B.      Do not participate in gossip. Proverbs 20:19 (NIV) “A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid anyone who talks too much.” Proverbs 16:28 (NIV) “A perverse person stirs up conflict, and a gossip separates close friends.”  Gossip is deadly but subtle.  A conversation can turn to a gossip session without much trouble.  We must be careful what stories and news we share with others. 

C.      Do not use unclean language. Ephesians 4:29 (NIV) “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”

D.      Do not lie.  Use only truthful words.  Matthew 5:37 (NLT) “Just say a simple, ‘Yes, I will,’ or ‘No, I won’t.’ Anything beyond this is from the evil one.”

In the early 1900s George Riddell acquired the sensational London newspaper The News of the World. Meeting British journalist Frederick Greenwood one day, Riddell mentioned that he owned a newspaper, told Greenwood its name, and offered to send him a copy. The next time they met, Riddell asked Greenwood what he thought of The News.   "I looked at it and then I put it in the wastepaper basket," said Greenwood, "and then I thought, 'If I leave it there the cook may read it,' so I burned it."   (Today in the Word, November 3, 1993.)

Coming from a big city, my friend David wasn't prepared for the approach rural Maine businessmen take toward their customers. Shortly after David moved there, he rented a rototiller. The store owner showed him how it worked and explained that the charge was not based on how many hours he had it out, but rather how long it was actually used. Looking over the tiller for some king of meter, David asked, "How will you know how long I've used it?" With a puzzled look, the owner simply said, "You tell me." (Loren Morse, Reader's Digest, March 1991.)

E.      Use words that build others up. Ephesians 4:29b (NIV) “…but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”  One popular Zig Ziglar saying is, "He climbs highest who helps another up."

III. We need to transform our tongue.

A.      We must be slow to speak. James 1:19-20 “Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires.”

B.     We must think before we speak.  We must guard against speaking without thinking first. Pastor Rick Smith gives us the T.H.I.N.K. test for our words. If what we are going to say does not pass the test we don’t say it!

T - is it true?

H - is it helpful?

I - is it inspiring?

N - is it necessary?

K - is it kind?

We need to seek God’s assistance in controlling our tongue and transforming our speech.   

2 Corinthians 5:17 “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”  Philippians 4:13 “For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.”

The Remodel: God holds me accountable for my words.  I must control my tongue with the Lord’s help!

Extreme Makeover – Spiritual DNA Edition (Faulty DNA: The Devil Made Me Do It)

1 John 4:4 “But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.”

In the 1970s comedian Flip Wilson made "The Devil made me do it" a national catchphrase. As host of his own TV variety show, Flip Wilson created a recurring character named Geraldine. And every time her husband accused her of doing something wrong, whether it was buying a dress that was too expensive, or crashing the car into the side of the church, her excuse was always the same: "It wasn't me. The Devil made me do it."

Many of us grew up hearing that catchphrase, and its affected the way we see the devil. We believe he has the power to "make" us do things. Or we imagine him as a little guy wearing a red suit, with a pitchfork, sitting on our left shoulder, whispering in our ear. And meanwhile, there's a little angel perched on our right shoulder, trying to counteract whatever temptation the devil is whispering to us. And in the cartoons, the devil usually won.  (Taken from http://www.lifeway.com/Article/sermon-devil-made-me-do-it-sin-temptation-matthew-4)

Is the Devil as powerful as God?  Let us read again 1 John 4:4 “But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.”  Emphatically NO! 

Matthew 3:16-17 (NIV) As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

Jesus has just had the spiritual high of his life.  He has heard the Father say he was loved by the Father and was well pleasing to him.  He also received the infilling and anointing of the Holy Spirit. Then in Matthew 4 we read of the temptation of Jesus, his lowest moment. 

We need to clarify something here.  God never tempts anyone.  James 1:13 And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, “God is tempting me.” God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else.  God does, however, test us.  James 1:2-4 “Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.”

We read in Hebrews that Jesus was tempted but he did not sin.  How did he overcome temptation?  Hebrews 4:15 “This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin.”

Matthew 4:1-11 gives us some keys to overcoming temptation.

    1. Jesus prepared through prayer and fasting.  Verses 1-2: “Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil. For forty days and forty nights he fasted and became very hungry.”  We see here that the Spirit led Jesus to the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 

We live in an instant culture; instant potatoes, t.v. on demand, instant messaging (it seems no one writes letters anymore), instant oatmeal, etc.  We have lost the art/understanding of tarrying (waiting).  When I was growing up, I remember prayer meetings that lasted 3-4 hours and church services that ran long into the night (we still had to get up for school on Monday!)  We prayed/tarried until we heard from God.  We also prayed for a need until our prayers were met (days, weeks, months, even years in some cases.  Today we get upset if prayer meeting (if we even attend) goes over an hour or if our church services run longer than an hour and a half.  We also have lost our waiting skills. We want God to speak/answer in or time (instantly).

Isaiah 40:31 teaches us why it is important to wait: “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.“ (KJV)

Jesus stayed in the wilderness for 40 days and 40 nights fasting and praying.  Talk about waiting! 

    2. Jesus used the Word against the enemy.  Verses 3-10, During that time the devil came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.” But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Then the devil took him to the holy city, Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, and said, “If you are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say, ‘He will order his angels to protect you. And they will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.’” Jesus responded, “The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the Lord your God.’” Next the devil took him to the peak of a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. “I will give it all to you,” he said, “if you will kneel down and worship me.” “Get out of here, Satan,” Jesus told him. “For the Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him.’”

Jesus was God, yet he was fully human while he walked on the earth.  As a man, he had to use the same tools we do to overcome temptation.  The primary tool he used was the Word.  In each of the three temptations, he quoted scripture to silence the enemy.  It is vital for us to be students of the Word.  We need to read, study, and memorize the Word so that when we are tempted or in need we have God’s truths to draw upon for ammunition or for strength.

    3. The final thing we see from Matthew 4 is: when we resist the devil he flees and the Spirit ministers to us.  This is found in verse 11, “Then the devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus.”  When we resist the devil he has to flee. James 4:7 “So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”  “Don't miss the word "flee." Flee is something someone does when he is on the run from a superior force. The devil's a coward. He picks on us when we are feeling weak, but he turns tail when we show the first sign of strength. And he knows that there are plenty of easier targets than a Christ follower who stands up to him with God's Word!” (Taken from http://www.lifeway.com/Article/sermon-devil-made-me-do-it-sin-temptation-matthew-4) 

We also see in verse 11 that after the devil flees the Spirit ministers to us bringing peace and strength.  He also begins equipping us for the next battle. 

In conclusion, we see from the Temptation of Jesus that the first way to overcome temptation is to use the Word. 

The second way to resist temptation is to understand how temptation works. We are tempted when desire and opportunity come together. Think of every time you gave in to a temptation. It always happens at the intersection of desire and opportunity. So when you feel the desire to sin, ask God to remove the opportunity. When you have the opportunity to sin, ask God to take away the desire. Remember, God will always provide a way of escape. Look for it. It may be that you can get yourself out of the situation in which you have the opportunity to sin. (Taken from http://www.lifeway.com/Article/sermon-devil-made-me-do-it-sin-temptation-matthew-4) 

1 Corinthians 10:13 “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.”

The Remodel: Understanding that the devil has no more power than we give him.  We can use the Word to silence his voice in our mind and resist the temptation he throws at us.  The Devil Can’t Make Us Do ANYTHING!!!

Extreme Makeover – Spiritual DNA Edition (Faulty DNA: My Thoughts are My Own)

Psalm 19:14: “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.”

Mark Twain wrote, “What a wee little part of a person’s life are his acts and his words! His real life is led in his head, and is known to none but himself. All day long, the mill of his brain is grinding, and his thoughts, not those other things, are his history.” (Reader’s Digest [1/93], p. 155).

Why is our thought life important?  I think Mark Twain had it partially correct; however, he missed this important truth: our thoughts influence our actions.  Jonathan Edwards put it this way: “The ideas and images in men’s minds are the invisible powers that constantly govern them” (Freedom of the Will by Jonathan Edwards.) 

When the Bible talks about our heart it is talking about our thoughts.  Every action or behavior begins in our mind, this includes sin.  Jesus said, “It is what comes from inside that defiles you. 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. All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you.” Mark 7:20-23

Romans 8:5-7 “Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will.”

We are challenged to think about the things of heaven not of earth.  Colossians 3:1-3 “Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.”  

If we are followers of Jesus Christ our thoughts are not our own.  God desires to help us control them. If we want to live lives of peace and joy even in difficult times we must think rightly. We do this by:

   1. Evaluating our thoughts.

a.       Where did this thought come from?

b.      Is it a godly thought?

c.       Will this thought build me up or tear me down?

d.      Where will it lead me?

e.      What will the results be if I follow this thought through?

f.        Can I share this thought with others?

   2. Rejecting ungodly thoughts. If you evaluate the thought and see it is ungodly, you need to reject it.  Philippians 4:4-9 “Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.”

   3. Cultivating godly thoughts. Turn your thoughts to things of God.  Meditating on the Word and praying will turn your thoughts back to the right path.

The old saying is true: You can’t stop the birds from flying over your head, but you can keep them from making a nest in your hair.  We cannot stop ungodly thoughts from entering our mind, but we can keep them from staying around long enough to cause trouble.  

Psalm 19:14: “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.”

The Remodel: Understanding that our thought life affects all areas of our life.  God desires to help us control our thoughts.