Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust.
James 1:13-14
A warning is issued as James begins to define how to overcome temptation. The Apostle tells us that God never tempts us to sin. God cannot be tempted and He doesn’t tempt us to sin.
God will test us and try us in order to grow us in Christ. He will allow difficulties into our lives from time to time. But, He will never tempt us to sin. Our flesh tempts us and the Devil will tempt us. God never will.
When tempted, Child of God, know that the Lord will never tempt us to sin and disobey His Word. The Spirit of God will always lead us to be obedient to the Bible. Thanks be to Lord!
In Exodus 25, God commanded the people of Israel to build what would be known as the ark of covenant. It was an ornate chest that symbolized the greatness and might of God. This “ark of the covenant” is featured prominently in Israel’s history at different points in the Old Testament.
The ark still teaches us much today even though we are no longer under the law. It still has meaning and teaches us principles for our time. An examination of these principles will follow.
First, the ark symbolized the purity of God. The ark was to be overlaid with pure gold inside and out. (Exodus 25:11) The purity of God would be memorialized through the purity of the gold. God is pure and holy and the ark would serve as a reminder of that fact.
Second, the ark symbolized the presence of God. The ark would dwell in the most holy place of the tabernacle and later in the same place in the temple. (Exodus 40:20-21) It would remain as a perpetual illustration to remind the people that God was with them. They would be His people and He would be there God.
Also, the ark symbolized the purposes of God. The ark would serve as an illustration of the covenant of God with His people. The mercy seat or “atonement cover” was placed on the top of the ark and there the High Priest would place the blood of the sacrifice to atone for the sins of the people. (Leviticus 16:14) The mercy of God would be found through the sacrifices remunerated each year on the Day of Atonement.
What does this mean for Believers today? We need to be in awe of the purity of God. In a world that is filled with impurity, God’s purity shines forth like the sun.
We should realize that God dwells with us as well. He indwells us through the power of the Holy Spirit. (1 Corinthians 3:16) We no longer look to an object because He is with us at all times.
Finally, the ark instructs us about Jesus. It is through the blood of Jesus that our sins are ultimately removed and we are forgiven. (Hebrews 10) His sacrifice was accepted and fulfilled the entirety of the law for us.
As Paul says “but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 15:57) Be blessed today!
But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Matthew 6:33-34
The end of this teaching forms one of the more famous passages in all of Scripture. Seek first God’s kingdom. When we do that, all that we need will be added to us.
Let us cease our worrying about the future. We cannot change the past and we don’t know the future. We have enough to worry about for today.
What does it practically mean to seek the Kingdom of God? How can we follow Jesus’ commands? The following list may help. This list is not exhaustive but can be a guide to help us.
Seek God’s Kingdom through prayer
Seek to be obedient to God’s Word
Be a part of a local church
Seek God’s Kingdom through prayer
Learn to serve others through the church and in your daily life
Be aware of God’s work in your life through the day as He guides, provides, and protects
Worry saps our spiritual strength and keeps us from having power with God. May we choose the alternative and live by trusting that God will meet our needs by His power.
As the Easter Season draws near, don’t forget the cross. Let us not forget that Christ took upon Himself our sin and shame while he dwelt upon the cross. He didn’t deserve to be there, yet, He willingly gave His life for the redemption of our sin.
This Easter Season, look deeply at the cross. Jesus endured the shame and disgrace that was rightly ours. Let us never forget the remarkable love that Christ revealed to sinners as He died for the sins of all.
When I survey the wondrous cross, on which the Prince of glory died;
My richest gain I count but loss, and pour contempt on all my pride.
See from His head, His hands, His feet, Sorrow and love flow mingled down;
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet, or thorns compose so rich a crown?
Were the whole realm of nature mine, That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all.
In this manner, therefore, pray:Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
Matthew 6:9-13
In this Scripture, Jesus gives us a model for how we are pray. The prayer is called the “Lord’s Prayer” and it is also referred to as the “Model Prayer.” Let’s examine the four aspects of this prayer and how it should be a model for us in our prayer life. Our prayers should contain the following elements.
**Praise
Our prayers should be overflowing with praise and adoration to God. He is our Father and He rules and reigns. He is our King and we genuflect in praise of His greatness, power, and grace. We await the day His Kingdom is fully revealed in power and might upon this earth. Let us praise God in prayer at every opportunity.
**Petition
Praying for the needs of others and our own needs has a rightful place in our prayer life. Praying for needs is one of our greatest privileges as a Believer. Pray for needs knowing that God knows us better than we know ourselves.
**Pardon
This component is two-fold. We are to ask for forgiveness and confess our sins when we pray. (1 John 1:8-10) We continually need the cleansing from sin so that we can continue to grow in the faith.
We are also taught to forgive others in this example. As a matter of fact, God’s forgiveness of us and our forgiveness of others go hand in hand. You can’t have one without the other.
**Purification
Jesus ends His model prayer by praying for our holiness. We should be pursue holiness by seeking to become more like Jesus every day. We are not saved by our works, but, we are saved for good works. (Ephesians 2:8-10)
It is not wrong in any sense to recite the Lord’s Prayer as written in Matthew (Luke). However, the point of Jesus’ teaching seems to be more about form and element as opposed to strict recitation. Our prayer-life should contain elements of praise, petition, pardon, and purity.
Every prayer may not contain every element every single time. But as we incorporate these components into our regular prayer time we will grow in knowledge, grace, love, and hope!
“You alone are the Lord. You have made the heavens, The heaven of heavens with all their host, The earth and all that is on it, The seas and all that is in them. You give life to all of them And the heavenly host bows down before You.
Nehemiah 9:6
God is sovereign. The one, true God is transcendent and all-powerful. He rules and controls this universe.
The Almighty rules over all creation. He created and sustains all aspects of His world and God rules and governs the affairs of men. He turns the hearts of Kings to do His will though His power and might. (2 Chronicles 36:22-23) Humans have free will. Yet, human agency is always subserviently worked out through the sovereign power of God who controls the cosmos with the power of His word.
What is the practical application for Believers as we study and learn of the sovereignty of God? It is simply this—we can trust God. If he truly rules and reigns over this universe then we can trust God and follow Him by faith. The Lord also promises that He will use everything in our life for ultimate good. (Romans 8:28) Christians can live in assurance that God will bring us through and that we will arrive safely into His presence. The path may be rough but we can press on trusting God at every turn.
Let us give thanks to God for His rule over this universe. May we always remember that He sees and hears us and that His purposes for us will always prevail. God is great and greatly to be praised! (Psalm 48:1)
mrtonyfrench 