Another Interesting Food for Thought Article.
May 15, 2008
"Tempted Beyond"
But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.
James 1:14-15
Chocolate is good for you. I remember the overwhelmingly positive reaction of many when that bit of information made the evening news a few months ago. Now British researchers are calling for volunteers who are willing to eat a bar of chocolate, every day, for an entire year. Best of all, the volunteers can forget any guilt, because the chocolate will be consumed for the good of humanity and in the name of science.
Now, I should tell you, the test, which begins in June, is trying to see if it can reduce the risk of heart disease for menopausal women with Type 2 diabetes. So, if you don't fit the criteria, and you don't live in England, don't bother to apply. Disappointed? Many people might be. Chocolate is a weakness for a lot of folks. Indeed, volunteers in this study might find themselves hard pressed to confine their chocolate intake to a bar a day. After all, the thinking might go, if one chocolate bar is good for you, why not a dozen?
Now, before I go any further in this devotion, I want to say that, as far as I know, eating chocolate in moderation is not a sin. Having said that, I'd also like to add this: the devil likes to use things that interest us to woo us away from the Lord. When Eve looked at the forbidden fruit, she noticed it was good for food and pleasing to the eye. Hers was the first in a long line of sins finding its root in personal preferences.
James says it better than I ever could: "Each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death" (James 1:14-15).
James wants God's saved people to realize what tempts one person will leave another person cold. Even so, each of us has an Achilles' heel and Satan works tirelessly to find it. When he does, he tempts us to sin and that sin will bring forth our death. The deplorable condition of the world shows how successful the father of lies has been. There is, Scripture tells us, not a just man on the earth that does good and doesn't sin.
This is why we need a Savior. The Father in heaven, who is the giver of every good and perfect gift, has also graciously given us His Son to save us from our sinful desires and actions. Jesus' life was dedicated to the single purpose of redeeming us from, how do pastors say it, "our sinful desires." In short, Jesus saves us from ourselves.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, for saving me from sin, death, devil, and me, I give thanks. Now I pray that the Holy Spirit will keep me from sinful temptations that are my weakness. In Your Name I ask for help. Amen.
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This remind me of this session I once had in "Christianity Explored" It talks about sin. I learnt why sin is an issue we cannot save ourself or cure ourself. Many people tried to overcome this issue with good works, religon, achievements, great deed, beliefs, holy living or all of the above. But the thing is this. Sin is like something carved into your hand. All our good works, religon, achievements, great deed, beliefs and holy living covers our ugly mark call sin. It's like things you use to cover up a wound or an ugly mark. It makes you look better. That's for sure definitely. But at the end of the day, when everything is stripped away and you are judged as who you are, the ugly mark remains. In clear sight. The issue is not solved.
So what's so big deal about our sin?
Genesis 6:5-6 puts it in this way.
5 The LORD saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. 6 The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain.
It grieved God and it made God sad that He had created us. In layman's term, imagining doing something so bad that it made your mommy or daddy regret giving birth to you.. It was this bad.
James 1:14-15 place it
"Each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death"
Sin brings about death? What does that mean? Well... a good example will be a picture. Look around you. That is the death that was being spoken of. Cut from God. No one knows God. Everyone lives for himself or herself. In short, everyone suffers and that my friends, is nothing compared to Hell. where the separation from God is going to be eternal. Here we still have God working through people. There...I don't think so. This I believe would give you an idea why it gives God so much. Imagine watching the one you loved walk the path of self-destruction. It ain't pretty.
1 Corinthians 15:3 tells us this
For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance : that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
Sin was so bad that God has to come down and die for us.
and finally,Matthew 5:29-31
29If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body
than for your whole body to go into hell.
This is a really dark verse huh? But it is the least of our problems. Because, if this can really save us, then ...yeah...we can be saved by ourselves! We just need the courage. but ...
Matthew 15:18-19 states
18But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man 'unclean.' 19For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.
We have an heart issue. We can cut off our limbs...yes...but we cannot cut out our hearts. That is why God have to intevene. We are helpless.
Romans 5:6-8
6You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. 8But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Yeap. That is how much God love us. He died for us.
Talk about love stories? The bible is The Love Story. Authentic and Life Changing.
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Today, it was kind of funny. You know, when you make an exclaimation to God, do expect a reply. Today, Estella shared to me about her late coming. She could have made it in time if not for the many things that delayed her. (Her first time) She told me that however, she told God that late or not, she'll praise His name.
SO ME! Being inspired by our dear Estella here, thanked God for the many blessings and EXCLAIMED in prayer that no matter what, I'll praise Him.
And...God...Hmm...decided to test that. UT time! I decided to pray and ask for the ability to do well...first time praying for UT this Semester. UT = Test by the way. Well...Feeling confident, I entered the test..and God...blocked my mind. Wahahahhaha
Well...Of course I'm annoyed. YEap...Still have not give thanks yet...Ok..now is the time. I must fulfil my promise. Haha.
DONE!
YAY!!
Went for Trekking IG today....Ran around the school....did sprinting twice. 4 times in once. and then a sprint up the Ramp of RP. Shiok.
Hmmmm.....Now...MSN TIME!!!! Someone's waiting for me...in fact...is alot....Wahh........hahaha. [8 Mew!