Praise Yah! Episode 5 of Lashes, Lattes & Leviticus - The Word of Our Testimony #2 is Now Available for Listening on the Esther 4:14 Ministries App!
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Feeling Happy
Joshua 24:1 describes five levels of government in ancient Israel:
1) THE Judge (Joshua)
2) Elders (70 or 12?)
3) Clan or Tribal Patriarchs
4) Judges (for each city & town)
5) Officers (militia commanders in each city & town)
The priesthood is curiously missing. Perhaps because it is a parallel government without direct authority except at the Temple and at the highest court of appeals.
TEMPTATION – PART 2
RESIST IMMEDIATELY; ANY DELAY MAKES IT MORE DIFFICULT.
Late one afternoon David got out of bed after taking a nap and went for a stroll on the roof of the palace. As he looked out over the city, he noticed a woman of unusual beauty taking a bath. -- 2 Samuel 11:2. As David looked from the roof of the palace, he saw a beautiful woman bathing and he was filled with lust. David should have left the roof and fled the temptation. Instead, he entertained the temptation by inquiring about Bathsheba. The results were devastating.
HAVE A PLAN FOR RESISTING TEMPTATION.
To flee temptation,
1 -- ask YHVH in earnest prayer to help you stay away from people, places and situations that may tempt you.
2 -- Memorize and meditate on portions of Scripture that combat your specific weaknesses. At the root of most temptation is a real need or desire that YHVH can fill, but we must trust in His timing.
3) Find another believer with whom you can openly share your struggles and call this person for help when temptation strikes.
REMEMBER THAT TEMPTATION TO SEEMINGLY HARMLESS SINS CAN LEAD TO HARMFUL CONSEQUENCES.
For forty days and forty nights He ate nothing and became very hungry. Then the devil came and said to Him: If You are the Son of Elohim, change these stones into loaves of bread. -- Matthew 4:2-3. The devil, also called the tempter, tempted Eve in the Garden of Eden and here he tempted Yeshua in the desert. Satan is a fallen angel. He is real, not symbolic and is constantly fighting against those who follow and obey YHVH. Satan’s temptations are real and he is always trying to get us to live his way or our way rather than YHVH’s way. Yeshua will one day reign over all creation, but satan tried to force His Hand and get Him to declare His Kingship prematurely. If Yeshua had given in, His mission on earth -- to die for our sins so that we might have eternal life -- would have failed. When temptations seem especially strong or when you think you can rationalize giving in, consider whether satan may be trying to block YHVH’s purposes for your life or for someone else’s life.
REALIZE THAT TEMPTATION, IN ITSELF, IS NOT A SIN.
Yeshua was tempted by the devil, but He never sinned! Although we may feel dirty after being tempted, we should remember that temptation itself is not sin. We sin when we give in and disobey YHVH. Remembering this will help us turn away from the temptation.
DO NOT BE SURPRISED BY TEMPTATION AT UNLIKELY TIMES AND IN UNLIKELY PLACES.
Yeshua wasn’t tempted inside the temple or at His baptism, but in the desert where He was tired, alone, and hungry and thus most vulnerable. The devil often tempts us when we are most vulnerable-when we are under physical or emotional stress -- for example, when we are lonely, tired, weighing big decisions or faced with uncertainty. But he also likes to tempt us through our strengths, where we are most susceptible to pride. We must always guard against his attacks.
DOES TEMPTATION EVER COME FROM GOD?
James 1:12-16; YHVH is never tempted to do wrong and He never tempts anyone else either. Mark 7:14-23; you are defiled by what you say and do! --- Temptation originates not in the mind of YHVH but within the heart of man.
James 1:2; Whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. --- Although YHVH does not send temptation, He does delight in helping us grow stronger through it.
WHAT MAKES TEMPTATION SO ALLURING?
Genesis 3:1-6; The fruit looked so fresh and delicious… so she ate some. --- Satan’s favourite strategy is to make that which is sinful appear to be desirable and good.
1 Kings 11:1-3: Solomon loved many foreign women… And sure enough, they led his heart away from Elohim. --- Often temptation begins in seemingly harmless pleasure, soon gets out of control, and progresses to full-blown idolatry.
IS BEING TEMPTED TO SIN THE SAME AS SINNING?
Hebrews 4:15: [Yeshua] faced all of the same temptations we do, yet He did not sin. Matthew 4:1; Then Yeshua was led out into the wilderness by Ruach HaKodesh to be tempted there by the devil. --- In his own battle with satan, Yeshua demonstrates how to prevent temptation from becoming sin.
HOW CAN I AVOID FALLING INTO TEMPTATION?
Genesis 39:6-12; He ran from the house. --- The best strategy is to flee the situation.
Proverbs 1:10-14: If sinners entice you, turn your back on them! --- Sometimes our greatest tempters are those we think are our friends.
Daniel 1:8; Daniel made up his mind not to defile himself by eating the food. --- A solid commitment made before temptation strikes is the best preventive to sin.
Matthew 6:13; Don’t let us yield to temptation. --- We should make our temptations a constant focus of prayer.
Titus 2:11-12; We are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. --- Faith growth brings an increased awareness and sensitivity to temptation in our lives.
TEMPTATION – PART 1
Although it can be used positively in Scripture, we most often associate temptation with giving in to sin and evil. The Bible teaches that temptation to sin is satan’s main activity in our lives -- although our own selfishness and appetites certainly make the tempter’s work easier.
EXPERIENCING TEMPTATION
WHY IS IT SO EASY TO GIVE IN TO TEMPTATION?
TEMPTATION IS PART OF A CRAFTY PLAN THAT APPEALS TO OUR NATURAL DESIRES IN ATTEMPT TO SEPARATE US FROM YHVH.
Now the serpent was the shrewdest of all the creatures YHVH Elohim had made. Really? he asked the woman. Did YHVH really say you must not eat any of the fruit in the garden? -- Genesis 3:1. Disguised as a crafty serpent, the evil one came to tempt Eve. He at one time was an angel who rebelled against YHVH and was thrown out of heaven. As a created being, the evil one has definite limitations. Although he is trying to tempt everyone away from YHVH, he will not be the final victor. In 3:14-15, YHVH promises that the evil one will be crushed by one of the woman’s offspring, HaMoshiach.
TEMPTATION IS AN INVITATION TO LIVE A SELF-SERVING LIFE THAT LEADS TO REBELLION AGAINST YHVH.
Temptation is satan’s invitation to give in to his kind of life and give up on YHVH’s kind of life. Satan tempted Eve and succeeded in getting her to sin. Ever since then, he’s been busy getting people to sin. He even tempted Yeshua - Matthew 4:1. But Yeshua did not sin!
TEMPTATION FEEDS OFF OUR OWN TENDENCY TOWARD SELF-RELIANCE.
The serpent, the evil one, tempted Eve by getting her to doubt YHVH’s goodness. He implied that YHVH was strict, stingy and selfish for not wanting Eve to share His knowledge of good and evil. Satan made Eve forget all that YHVH had given her and instead focus on the one thing she couldn’t have. We fall into trouble too, when we dwell on the few things we don’t have rather than on the countless things YHVH has given us. The next time you are feeling sorry for yourself and thinking about what you don’t have, consider all you do have and thank YHVH. Then your doubts won’t lead you into sin.
TEMPTATION IS SUBTLE; WHAT IT OFFERS MAY SEEM HARMLESS AT FIRST GLANCE.
Do not be trapped into following their example in worshiping their gods. Do not say: How do these nations worship their gods? I want to follow their example. -- Deuteronomy 12:30. YHVH did not want the Israelites even to ask about the pagan religions surrounding them. Idolatry completely permeated the land of Canaan. It was too easy to get drawn into the subtle temptations of seemingly harmless practices. Sometimes curiosity can cause us to stumble. Knowledge of evil is harmful if the evil becomes too tempting to resist. To resist curiosity about harmful practices shows discretion and obedience.
TEMPTATION OFTEN HITS HARDEST IN OUR AREAS OF WEAKNESS.
Now King Solomon loved many foreign women. Besides Pharaoh’s daughter, he married women from Moab, Ammon, Edom, Sidon and from among the Hittites. Elohim had clearly instructed His people not to intermarry with those nations, because the women they married would lead them to worship their gods. Yet Solomon insisted on loving them anyway. -- 1 Kings 11:1-2. For all his wisdom, Solomon had some weak spots. He could not say no to compromise or to lustful desires. Whether he married to strengthen political alliances or to gain personal pleasure, these foreign wives led him into idolatry. You may have strong faith, but you also have weak spots -- and that is where temptation usually strikes. Strengthen and protect your weaker areas, because a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. If Solomon, the wisest man could fall, so can you.
TEMPTATION CAN STRIKE ANY AREA OF LIFE.
Yeshua was led out into the wilderness by Ruach HaKodesh to be tempted there by the devil. -- Matthew 4:1. The devil focused on three crucial areas when he tempted Yeshua:
1 -- physical needs and desires
2 -- possessions and power and
3 -- pride -- see 1 John 2:15-16 for a similar list.
But Yeshua did not give in. Hebrews 4:15 says that Yeshua: faced all of the same temptations we do, yet He did not sin. He knows first-hand what we are experiencing, and He is willing and able to help us in our struggles. When you are tempted, turn to Him for strength.
RESISTING TEMPTATION
HOW CAN WE RESIST TEMPTATION?
RESISTANCE BEGINS WITH BEING AWARE OF TEMPTATION WHEN IT STRIKES.
The woman was convinced. The fruit looked so fresh and delicious, and it would make her so wise! So, she ate some of the fruit. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her. Then he ate it, too. -- Genesis 3:6. How could Eve have resisted temptation? By following the same guidelines, we can follow. First, we must realize that temptation in itself is not a sin. We do not sin until we give in to the temptation. To resist temptation, we must
1 -- pray for strength to resist,
2 -- run, sometimes literally and
3 -- say no when confronted with what we know is wrong. James 1:12 tells of the blessings and rewards for those who don’t give in when tempted.
So, our bus is in the shop for now. It needs some work to get it ready to pass inspection. So far, we have replaced the fuel pump, alternator, new belts and 2 new batteries. Rick fixed the hole in the floor in front of the drivers seat and was working of repairing some surface cracks in the fiberglass before it got cold.
While we wait for the bus, we have a LOT of other things to do in preparation to leave. One of the biggest challenges is letting go of stuff you can't take with you. We plan on living in our bus full time and what wont fit in the bus or jeep...it has to go. We are experiencing first hand what it must have felt like in Yeshua's parable for "a camel to fit through the eye of a needle." We are by no means rich, but over time...well, you accumulate a LOT OF STUFF.
Rick and I began our house purge last summer. We have already cleared out our storage unit, sold our second vehicle, given away most of our furniture and sold all our extra electronics and surplus music equipment. We both have whittled down our clothing and shoes to where everything fits in a single size closet and and 4 dresser drawers. Even with donating over have our wardrobe...we still have clothes we don't wear! Looks like another closet purge is due!
Just want to say, Morning to everyone. Hope you all will have a good day.
"And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve Him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek Him, He will be found of thee; but if thou forsake Him, He will cast thee off for ever." 1 Chronicles 28:9 "Yah is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." Hebrews 11:6
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