Temptation and Sin (pt. 1)

Hey everyone,

I will be transparent with you, I haven't written in along time due to school and other such priorities. But also, I have been traveling in (and still am) a spiritual valley of confusion and darkness and could therefore not produce words to express my condition. But through many avenues of grace including the Word (of course), persistent prayers, John Piper's sermons and articles, and continued discontentment with this world I have come to a truly immaculate conclusion. So, here it goes . . .

First of all, we all struggle greatly with our sinful nature, our Enemy, and the pervading aroma of worldly desires daily, actually momentarily. Therefore, we all as depraved, hopelessly lost sinners are familiar with this suffering. Well, one of my deepest thorns (2 Cor. 12:7) has re-emerged with much vigor these past few weeks and tormented my soul and mind most days. The other night as the temptations came I had read a Desiring God blog on "common temptations" earlier that day and this Scripture came to mind:

"Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it." 1 Corinthians 10:12-13

Providentially, I knew 3 things from this passage:

1) If I allow my pride in this moment to believe the "masquerading angel's" lies about sin's satisfaction or believe that I may take a stand against his lies with "philosophy or empty deceit, according to human tradition" (Col. 2:8) I will fall. Unless I take heed or in our modern english, pay attention or in Jesus-speak "watch and pray" (Matt. 26:41). But what do I take heed of? What should I pay attention to?

2) I should take heed that no temptation has overtaken me that is not common to man. Therefore, the enemy's lies and temptation have just been sapped of their supposed supernatural power! This is done through the acknowledgement of Jesus Christ's supremacy over our enemy and sin (Romans 8:2, 1 Cor. 15:56-57, 2 Cor. 5:21) and the blessed righteousness that he bestows upon our helpless souls! Since the temptation is common and my Savior is not common or man I am instilled with His divine and supernatural power through the Holy Spirit. (Acts 1:8, John 16:7-11) This is why the next part is God is faithful for he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability. But how can this be? For I am a sinner, and I don't desire righteousness and will surely fall into temptation upon my own ability. In this consideration there is no temptation that isn't beyond your ability, BUT as we just examined, your ability as a believer is now fused (Gal. 2:20b) with the abilities of the all-powerful Holy Spirit. And this "ability" has been within you since the day of regeneration and "will never leave you or forsake you" (Heb. 13:5), always giving you the ability to resist the enemy and flee sin. (James 4:7, 1 Tim. 6:11, 2 Tim. 2:22) This ability may allow you to resist Satan in your mind but practically how does this work out?

3) The next portion of God's faithfulness in temptation is that he provides the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. This is the practical way to escape the temptation of sin is to accept God's escape from the situation. The question that comes to mind for me is how do I know what that looks like? Well, if you are dwelling on the Holy Spirit's power and Christ's supremacy over the situation, then I believe Jesus' command to the disciples in Gethsemane applies here as well, "WATCH and PRAY". For then through the Holy Spirit's guidance you will see the escape route, not always marked with a big red EXIT but always accessible and within reach. This is our God's promise to His children who undergo the trials of this world. For this faithfulness is ultimate and pursuing us (Luke 15) like the precious child that our Father loves dearly.

To end this part I will leave you with this idea. For if we believe Romans 8:28 which states "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose." Then we should begin to think about how whether in our temptation and trials we fail and fall to sin or escape by God's faithfulness that these things both "work together for [our] good". This seems a paradox in the theology of our sin and our good. But we will discuss in the next part of this blog how though this is difficult it is beautiful and true, and should once again make us fall at His feet in worship of His magnificent ways! I pray that this blog would awaken in you, as in me, a passion to fight the good fight and guard the good deposit entrusted to us by God Almighty!

Admiring His Faithfulness,

A common man

Fighting Zombies

This post is out of the sincerity of my heart and mind. Not an exposition for anything, except my wretchedness and Christ's glorious love. There is not an agenda attached to this, I am not writing for anyone in particular. Just an overflow of my current heart's condition that some may empathize with.

Today. A day of breaking, bending and all together unrest within my soul. I know not a way to describe this in English words, nor do I believe that any other language upon this earth can express the wailing of a soul in its intensest battles. As, in my last post the waging war of the law of sin and law of God persisted throughout this awful day. With much force and relentless numbers the enemy, SIN, pounded on the door of my heart and mind. And numerous times my heart and mind gave ground, though some how the fronts were held. On many occasions the enemy slipped in unnoticed over an unfortified garden wall and attacked at me from within my very ranks, before some how being dispatched. Also, numerous other times the enemy would launch missiles at my defenses and crush them as if they were made with water, but some thing in these walls held. Many times decapitated heads of my past failures and defeats would be hurled in and strike fear into the very core of my defenses, but some where within courage prevailed. A few times the dragons of the enemies would burn all that I held as strong and sure, and I would watch as it fell into piles of ash, yet some thing was solid beneath my feet.

And when the battle had raged, the missiles slowed to a halt, the assassins dispatched, the fronts quieted, and the intermission taken, and the smoke, ash and dust settled the damage was incredible, yet, no defeat had come in my heart and mind. Despite that defeats and failures were innumerable the fortress of my soul held. And as I stared at the enemy I saw clearly that every soldier was dead, every siege engine spent and broken, every weapon made of flesh and the all the dragons were but wisps of smoke and fog. They were but illusions of might, power or victory, that all I fought were ghosts and living dead.

Then I looked among me and saw the living, Almighty, Omnipotent, Glorious and Victorious fighting alongside me the entire battle long, despite my illusion of solitary efforts. And that when the fronts held and the assassins were dispatched and the walls held firm and the courage prevailed and the foundation stable it was not me or my pitiful army but My LORD, the Savior-Warrior-King, and His unfailing faithfulness and love fighting on my behalf. That if I had but turned to look at Him and His limitless strength I would not been deceived that my enemies were strong or fearsome. For with my Savior's power and majesty I would have seen that they were defeated before they came and conquered long before the battle begun. O my God, forgive my foolishness and weakness when the battle in my soul comes and I accuse You of not being around to help me fight this enemy! "For you are with me" and I will fear no evil or enemy, because they are defeated and in the grave since Your day of victory!

I pray that this overflow of my heart is used by the Spirit to help you recognize what He so graciously showed me. Basically this:

If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died-more than that, who was raised-who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? . . . No, in all things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For i am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor demons, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, more height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us form the love of God in Christ Jesus our LORD! Romans 8:31-35,37-39

Victoriously,

A fellow soldier and alien of this world

but I see in my members another law waging war. . .

So, these last few days have been a draining war upon my soul. I forget so often the war that rages around and in me, over my righteousness, imputed by Christ, and my own sinfulness. For I was reading the book of Romans, which is actually a letter from Paul to the church of Rome, and in the chapter numbered seven he begins to be very open with his recipients about sin. The gist of the chapter is how the law, sent by God, allows us to recognize sin as it is. For along with the linked definition, comes the biblical definition of sin as any action or motive that glorifies the creature above the position of the Creator, and is opposed to the Creator's design for the creature. This is illustrated all throughout the Bible, and especially in this letter (Romans 1:18,21-25).

But what really was impressed upon me in Romans 7 is Paul's transparency with his own sin and nature of wickedness. For I have come face to face with this numerous times in my walk, as all believers can attest to, and to know that the Apostle Paul dealt with the same suffering is comforting. But most of all, the acknowledgement of seeing the sin, as a law, in the very flesh of our beings. This doesn't mean to mutilate the flesh to try and eradicate sin, for Paul speaks of this in his letter to the Galatians as being "of no advantage to you" and that its only by "faith working through love".

But as the title says, the statement made by Paul in Romans 7:22-23, there is a very war beneath your skin, in the depths of your mind and heart where no surgeon can cut away, except Christ as the atoning antidote for our sinful disease.

" For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members."

And as many believers before Paul and after him exclaim "Wretched man I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?" For we are encased in decaying body of sin and death, not just the constant daily physical breakdown but the spiritual decay as well, but "Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!" for He became the sacrifice of sin and death to take the wrath of God from my soul! Also, so that I would not believe in His sacrifice and have to fight it upon my own dying power, He installed in me His very nature, the Holy Spirit, to combat my nature so that I may live, truly live. For to end this chapter of sin and death Paul then writes in chapter 8 about how though we are dead in our sin, we are given life by the Spirit. Here is the verse I will end on because it is the promise that I put full faith in:

"If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you." Romans 8:11

Once again, the gospel reveals another layer of the amazing pronoun switch from third person to personal first to possessive. For not only is Jesus with you, He is IN YOU!

Through the power in freedom,

The Spirit in me

Resurrection is the Word!

He is Risen!

Well Happy Resurrection Sunday everyone! For I refuse to call this day Easter, since the word is derived from the Old English Eostre, meaning East and a Norman goddess of spring. How often does the modern culture and language creep in upon Holy ordinances? For now this great day in history is named after a Norman goddess of spring, we hunt colored eggs, eat tons of chocolate and worship some large rabbit as the gift-giver! Re-dunk-u-lous! Well, enough of my ranting, for we all know that the enemy will poison all that is good, especially the day when he was defeated forever! Hallelujah!

Well I don't have much to say on this day, for its too deep in my heart and inexpressible with words but I did read a sermon that made my heart rejoice even more greatly! And no, its not John Piper, John MacArthur or any other living pastor with a great standing for incredible sermons, it is Martin Luther, the bold champion of the faith that challenged the Catholic Church with his 95 theses. This sermon shows the power of the Resurrection well before I was born and how it was transforming people to be BOLD! If you have twenty minutes read this sermon!

http://homepage.mac.com/shanerosenthal/reformationink/mlmk16.htm

Well, fellas and ladies, enjoy the rest of your Resurrection Sunday! I hope the sermon blesses

your heart like it did mine. I leave you with this statement about the Sabbath from the above

sermon:

"It signifies that we should rest from all works, should not stir, nay, should not allow any sin to

stir within us, but we should firmly believe that death, hell, sin and the devil are destroyed by

the death of Christ, and we are righteous, pious, holy and therefore contented, experiencing

no longer any sin."

Enjoying the Victorious Life in Christ,

Michael the Conqueror

Sabbath Rest or Unrest?

Hey readers,

This day I awoke to enjoy fellowship with brothers and sisters at a Brunch, of sorts, at a friend's house. I began to realize as I watched us mill about getting things ready, chatting, discussing the latest or just our own lives, how we take for granted the plurality of our faith. That we, as God's holy, set apart children would be able to gather with such a deep sense of unity that its as if we all are deeply rooted in the same thing. And we are.

I have a story to explain what I mean. If your mother or father would tell you, "Go cut the grass." You would take out a lawn mower and began mowing in rows across your yard. Now your thinking, what does this have to do with anything. Well, you view the grass in your front or back yard as an entire entity not individual blades of grass, otherwise you would have grabbed a pair of scissors not the mower. This should be how we view the Church of our God, for we are more firmly rooted in the death, burial and resurrection of Christ than any suburban yard could ever show. Thank God for this unity and abuse it not!

Well, after that splendid Brunch, I played some soccer for awhile then came back to my humble Double-wide trailer, the DUB as it is known, and read the account of the crucifixion and resurrection in Matthew. I had not done this in awhile, which I believe I should at least once a month. Maybe you haven't read it awhile either, I would encourage you to consider it. Well, as I read the scandalous events of my Savior's death I realized that the days were quite full of events for the disciples, Jesus and Jerusalem in general, except one. After Jesus is killed and buried on what we call Good Friday, the day after has but four verses given to it. This day in Jewish history was the Sabbath, a day of rest from work and religious rituals. But after the extremely eventful day before (trials, riots, scourging, crucifixions, earthquakes, raising of dead saints, rocks splitting and the curtain of separation being torn in two forever, never to separate man from God again) this day has but one event in it. The chief priests and Pharisees are distraught that their plot to destroy their utmost enemy may be thwarted if they don't act further. So, they appear before the "innocent" governor, Pilate, and ask to guard the tomb in case Jesus' disciples decide to fake the resurrection that their Master foretold. They must prevent this fraud in anyway possible, despite that the disciples had been heart-broken, scattered and silenced when the Christ was buried. Thus, are the wicked never at rest for righteousness always prevails, no matter the schemes or plans laid out. For even upon the Sabbath, the day of rest, these men connived, schemed and plotted with restlessness to keep their fears placated. This is our God who "frustrates the devices of the crafty, so that their hands achieve no success." Job 5:12 So, the lesson of this extremely long blog is rest easy and assured that whatever schemes of this world or Satan has for you, they will be crushed. Crushed like the plans of these men, when Jesus, the Son of God, burst forth from the tomb and gathered his people together and gave them the power of the Holy Spirit and purpose to tell the world. Rejoice greatly alongside the sinners saved by grace in this truth. For we are truly blessed beyond all knowledge or understanding to have a God FOR US!

Resting in the Grand Weaver's power,

the little Weaver

Shepherd's Cost

Hey everyone that cares, thanks for reading.
Just letting ya know that I really dont have an agenda for this blog except my random thoughts, rants and ramblings! Oh and alliteration! So, this blog might be a little choppy but here we go:

So, the beginning of the blog was grace, and not a girl's name or like a ballerina. Last night, sitting high above the plains I was struggling deeply with my sin and shame of that sin! It truly was a Romans 7 experience, some of you know what im talking about and if you dont, go read it, it will rock ur boat! Anyway, as my soul was tearing my body and mind apart, something told me to pick the Word! At that moment, though my very nature tried to arm-bar me, I picked it up and turned to Psalm 23. I will have to write it out to emphasize, as best with words, what tore my soul asunder!

1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.

2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,

3 he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
for his name's sake.

4 Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death, [a]
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.

6 Surely goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
forever.

If you notice, which you should because I italicized the pronouns before verse 4 and then bolded them after verse 4. The major change in the pronouns, with the amazing, persistent grace of the Holy Spirit became very obvious to me! This is the part that is difficult to put in words. At that very moment, my soul broke and saw my own efforts as so wasted. Now, i know you have heard this story before, for many people come to this point, but at that moment three months of working my salvation out by my plans, strategies and pleasures. These words have become a milestone, for the grace and mercy I felt upon that place, was not of this world and was untainted by my nature or desires. The purest touch I have ever received from my Savior! And I will continue to realize from this day forward that "apart from me you can do nothing" but "I will fear no evil, for you are with me."

Well, I know this has been a crazy post and I would apologize but this is the story of why this blog even exists. For it was as clear as I could ever see, that this experience must be shared. For in our day and age the lie of Satan is to be individualistic, lone-wolf and self-sufficient in our faith. So, upon my conviction I will be as transparent as the Lord allows in these posts. But know that getting close to me and sharing your life with me, is beyond this blog.

Well to end this ongoing rant (told ya so) I will say in honor of Good Friday: All glory goes to Jesus, the Son of God and Man for drinking the cup of suffering and wrath that was due for all humanity. He took on the form of not only lowly man, but was "marred beyond human semblance" and hung upon a tree for the flies and birds, in His own nation, by His own people's hands and FOR His own people's reconciliation. THAT is the scandal of the Cross of Christ, remember it this day and always, for it will bring you to where you need to be . . . on your knees in front of the throne!

O the Love,

the arch-sinner Michael