Numbers
21:5
they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!”
they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!”
Numbers
14:36
So the men Moses had sent to explore the land, who returned and made the whole community grumble against him by spreading a bad report about it—
So the men Moses had sent to explore the land, who returned and made the whole community grumble against him by spreading a bad report about it—
“I’m just going to give them a
piece of my mind.” That about where it starts,. A little self-righteousness, a
little righteous indignation and suddenly… we’re outside of the will of God…
and don’t even know it. Figuratively speaking, we’ve just locked the keys in
the car with the motor running and we don’t even realize it. There are four
areas of sin that Paul points out in this week’s lesson: Idolatry, sexual
immorality, testing the Lord (complaining against God’s provision: manna from
Heaven) and murmuring: they gave a bad report concerning the Promised Land that
God had sent the twelve spies into. What we fail to realize is how significant
our words are in the sight of God. That Paul includes murmuring and / or
gossiping in his given examples to the Corinthian church serves as an indicator
of how serious this category of sin is. Couple that to the fact that
gossip and murmuring so easily beset us. It only takes an idle word to find
yourself fully engaged in this area of sin. It is no small matter.
Romans
1:29
They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips,
They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips,
Hebrews
12:1
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,
But Paul tells us that God gives us the power to just say no. If we will submit
our members, including the smallest of members; the tongue to the Holy Spirit,
we can overcome. Paul encourages the believers to use God’s strength to
overcome temptation. Then Paul encourages to one other thing; run… turn away
from sin and… run.
1
Corinthians 10:13
No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.
No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.
1
Timothy 6:11
[ Final Charge to Timothy ] But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.
[ Final Charge to Timothy ] But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.
There
are so many pitfalls we would avoid if we would do just that, avoid them. Avoid
keeping company with those who don’t edify. Avoid participating in ‘harmless’,
idle conversation and behavior. That is the power the Holy Ghost imbues us
with, the power, not only to stand, but to flee from unrighteousness. That was
a word for the Corinthian church and it’s a word for us today. At least for me,
it is.
Matthew
4:7
Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
2
Peter 2:9
The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:
The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:
When
we think so highly of ourselves that we think that we are impervious to sin, so
that we participate in it without conscience or conviction, the Bible tells us
that we literally arouse the Lord, our God’s jealousy. Beloved, God is jealous
for you. That speaks to the intimacy of the relationship that is available to
us, if we will pursue Him with our whole heart (Shout out to Brother Eric C…
Good word today). God desires nothing less than all of me… from me. In order to
give Him all of myself, I have to get out of my way. Selah. Get out of your own
way Beloved. Let go and let God. Let go of all of your wants and He’ll supply
all of your needs. Let go of yourself (it’s not about you anyway) and He will
come and abide with you and in you. If you will draw neat to Him, He will draw
near to you… and love you with love that is beyond our ability to comprehend.
Ephesians
3:19
and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
What shall we say then: Love God with your whole heart and
flee temptation. Do this and live. Selah.
Blessings,
.wb
See the video version at: http://youtu.be/yTJ7NvOQsMQ?list=UUUg4PiFZaHV3h4tK084kxgQ
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