IT IS WRITTEN
Nick Pace
In Matthew 4, Jesus is tempted by
Satan on 3 separate occasions. Jesus was tempted the first time, just after
fasting for 40 days and nights. Jesus must have been extremely hungry after
fasting for this period of time. Satan tempted Jesus to turn stones into loaves
of bread. I am pretty certain that Jesus would have had no problem changing
stones into bread, but Jesus was focused on something bigger. Something bigger
than the physical hunger he was facing that very moment.
In order to stay focused, Jesus
knew that He needed to focus on God’s Word. Thus we see in Matthew 4:4 Jesus
responds to Satan’s temptation with “It is written” and then quoted a passage
from Moses’ law. Jesus used God’s Word to overcome the temptation that was put
before Him by Satan. He used this same strategy in Matthew 4:7, 10 on the
second and third temptations by Satan.
But how do we often deal with
temptations in our lives? We often turn to popular opinion, the latest trendy
pick, friends, family, social media, Hollywood, and many other things. What we
ought to be doing is doing the same thing Jesus did to overcome Satan’s
temptations. That is going to scripture and using our knowledge in His Word to
deal with the issues presented before us.
We should remember that there is
a connection between loving God and loving His Word. In John 14:15 Jesus says
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” If we make the claim that we
are Christians and that we love God, we must study, know His Word, & obey
His Word.
When we fail to love and respect
God’s Word, we will soon forget God and disrespect His Word. In Deuteronomy 8
Moses warns the Israelites not to forget God’s Word. But we know as time
passed, they forgot, and began disobeying/ disrespecting God’s Word. When we
forget God’s Word, we tend to replace it with man’s teachings or traditions.
We must continue to cling to God
and His Word even through troubles and trials we face. Jesus passed these 3
temptations in Matthew 4 by relying on God’s Word. We need God in our lives,
especially through the tough trials and temptations we face. We have a much
deeper need than just physical needs. We need God in our lives.
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IN OUR PRAYERS- SHUT-IN: Jason Duke (Camden Health Care), Levi Towater
(skilled care in Mount Juliet), Jerry
Young (Lakeside in McKenzie), and
Kay Miles (at home). ONGOING: Hank Rook, David Spain, Ernest Thorne, Randy Hatch, Laverne Hatch, Dwight Bullington, Ross
& Darnell Cole, Margie Martin,
and Mercedes Gibbons. UPDATES:
Mary Lou Christian (received a good report from doctors in Atlanta- will
return in a month to discuss a possible new medication), Jill Shomaker (in Vanderbilt Hospital), Stephanie, Sydney, Seiley,
and Stormy Parish (sick at home), Charles
Sisson (having trouble with a swollen hand), Jerry & Gaye Massey (at home not feeling well), Randy Cochran (sick at home), John Martin (sick at home), Vickie Cox (at home not feeling well), and
Muriel Larkins (will have first cataract
surgery on February 4th).
CHILDREN’S HOMES: A check for $105 was sent to Happy Haven
Children’s Home this past week. Thank you
very much to all who contributed.
CLOTHING COLLECTION: Remember to bring good,
clean clothing you no longer use so we can get it into the hands of those who
need it. Thanks!
SCHOOL ITEM:
Spiral Notebooks (1 subject, 70 page). Need 23.
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DEALING
WITH GUILT
Johnny Mack Young
Guilt
is an unpleasant thing. It nags at us, sometimes spoiling even the good things
we could otherwise enjoy. How can we get rid of it? Here are three ways:
1. Lower your standards. The measure of
guilt is the difference in the standard of conduct we believe in our heart to
be right and our actual conduct. The greater the gap between what we think is
right and what we do, the more intensely we feel guilt. One solution is to
lower standards to fit conduct. This works very well in the short term. The
problem is that it will only work for the span of our lives: “He who rejects
Me, and does not receive My words has that which judges him— the word that I
have spoken will judge him in the last day.” (John 12:48)
2. Ignore the guilt until it goes away. And
it will go away,
though not without pain. Pangs of guilt will be experienced until the heart is
hardened and the conscience is seared (Hebrews 3:15, 1 Timothy 4:2). The
downside is that the final outcome will be the same as number 1.
3. Be freed from sin and guilt through Jesus
Christ! “Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the
name of the Lord.” (Acts 22:16) As an erring child of God, confess your sin and
repent of it and God will freely forgive! (See Acts 8:22, 1 John 1:8-9) There’s
no down-side to this one. “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who
are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to
the Spirit.” (Romans 8:1).
When you think about it, guilt is really
not such a negative thing. If we feel guilt, we have a functioning conscience.
If we have a functioning conscience we are still able to heed its warning,
repent, and be right with God. Maybe that’s part of what is meant in Hebrews
12:11— “Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful;
nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those
who have been trained by it.”
