If you try to please everyone then you please no one...read a short devotional on overcoming temptation...

Our Creator does not tempt us at all…to do evil or sin…read a short devotional on overcoming temptation...

…Blessed is the man that endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord promised to them that love Him. Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God; for God cannot be tempted with evil, and He himself tempts no man: but each man is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed (given opportunity). Then the lust, when it hath conceived, bears sin: and the sin, when it is full-grown, bringeth forth death…(Jas 1:12-15 ASV) Wherefore let him that thinks he stands take heed unless he fall. There has no temptation taken you but such as man can bear (any man can endure): but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able; but will with the temptation make also the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. Wherefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry (anything drawing you away from Christ)…(1Co 10:12-14 ASV)…

…But I say, Walk by the Spirit, and you shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are contrary the one to the other; that you may not do the things that you would (without following Christ). But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law…(Gal 5:16-18)…But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deluding your own selves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a mirror: for he beholds (looks at) himself, and goes away (from the mirror), and straightway forgets what manner of man he was. But he that looks into the perfect law, the (law) of liberty, and so continues, being not a hearer that forgets but a doer that works (the will of Christ), this man shall be blessed in his doing…(Jas 1:22-25 ASV)

…Now the works of the flesh are manifest (made known like the goods on a ships manifest), which are these: fornication (sex between unmarried), uncleanness, lasciviousness (evil lusts), idolatry, sorcery, enmities (hostile), strife (variance to God’s will), jealousies (unholy stinginess), wraths, factions, divisions, parties, envying(s) (wanting others blessings), drunkenness, revellings (drunk parties)…and such like; of which I forewarn you, even as I did forewarn you, that they who practise such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God…But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering (patiently enduring), kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness (obedience), self-control; against such there is no law. And they that are of Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with the passions and the lusts thereof. If we live by the Spirit, by the Spirit let us also walk. Let us not become vainglorious (self-glory…promoting), provoking one another, envying one another…(Gal 5:19-26 ASV)

Pray with me?

Dear Holy Father…please help us to endure the temptations we each face and help us to supply the needs of other Christians…and meet our soul’s deepest needs…our spirit’s deepest needs…and heal our body and other wounds from our sinful past and please show us mercy and bless the faithful with grace, mercy, peace, joy, love, wisdom, understanding, and please reveal the knowledge of the truth to us so we can do what is right by You and Your only Son Jesus Christ…in Jesus of Nazareth’s name amen.

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Contact Ben Stewart for speaking engagements at anopenbiblestudy.com

To the church leadership

To the church leadership,

“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint, dill, and cumin and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy and faith these you ought to have done and not to leave the other undone, you blind guides, which strain at a gnat and swallow a camel” Matt 23:23-24

There are three things that Jesus told the religious leaders of His day that they should have done:

1. Judgment – denotes the process of investigation, the act of distinguishing and separating, as in passing judgment upon another person or thing, in this passage it means the standard of judgment as in Just Dealings.

2. Mercy – Is the outward manifestation of pity, it assumes need on the part of him who receives it and resources adequate to meet the part of who shows it.

3. Faith – In this verse means trustworthiness

Elders, deacons, ministers, and Christians this applies to us. The leadership of the church are often asked to help out the needy or to help others in sticky situations. With the rise of divorce in America the elders ought to be very busy working out the problems of their sheep. The same is true of family ministers and deacons that oversee similar works. People have problems and many times the leadership just does not get involved with the lives of its members or perhaps members never tell the leadership they have issues. Is that not the job of an elder? To be the father like figure to handle the squabbles of the children? When brethren have problems they call the elders. When my children have problems they call on me.

One of three things Jesus said was being neglected was just dealings or judgment. Do we try to profit from everything we do for other people? Are we trying to better ourselves at the expense of others? Are we investing and giving of our time and talents to help others?

Mercy was the second. When you run into someone in need, a brother or sister, do we take the care needed and be the hands and feet of God. Do we meet their needs or do we say a prayer and move on hoping someone else will take care of them. John said how can you love God who you have not seen when you show no love to the brother that you see.

Faith was the third- trustworthy. Are you trust worthy? Are you faithful in the little things? If someone shares their struggle with sin, do you share that with others? Or do you pray and encourage alongside of them?

I have heard ministers, elders, etc say that they are unqualified to help counsel people and their problems and refer others to professional counselors. Are we becoming so void of truth that we have to turn to the wisdom of this world and its principles instead of what would Jesus do? Is God's word not living and the words of psychology professors and founders not dead? Why would we turn someone away from God’s instruction to man’s instruction?

Father help free us from the world and its wisdom and principles and turn to your living word that is never sown void, In Jesus name may it be so