Temptation

As I prepare for my Sunday School lesson (I teach an adult class in my church, the Linesville First Baptist Church), once again I am reminded how easily we can fall into a hole, ditch or even a crater of a situation. We are simply walking along, seemingly minding our own business and - BAM! - we fall into problem. Probably because we weren't watching where we were going in the first place. After all, we have a whole bucket full of distractions (some of us have an entire dump truck full of them!) and it isn't our fault that we couldn't see the hole in our pathway! Or is it our fault after all? Is, "But, I was distracted!", a legitimate excuse? Check out how that reasoning turned out for Judas Iscariot!

We need to be on guard at all times against temptation and avoid giving Satan any foothold in our lives. One thing is for sure, if we give him even the smallest of opportunity, he will weasel his way in. In order to avoid sin, we must recognize temptation and resist it well before it gains momentum and becomes an overwhelming force to big to handle!

But how? How can we recognize it and keep the problem small? Preparation is the key.

I was asked yesterday, "What do you think is wrong with kids today?"

In my humble opinion, as a society, we have been surgically removing Christ and Godly instruction from our households. There is no longer the truth being instilled in this generation that when no one else is watching, God is. Or that we are instructed in the bible, "In whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men." (Colossians 3:23) Or how about this? " 'Love the Lord your God with all of your heart and with all of your soul and with all of your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' " (Matthew 22:37-40)

Look at our society today and ask yourself, "Where has the respect gone?" Do people have any level of respect left for each other? Why not? Do married couples truly respect each other? Do children still respect their parents? Why should they? If there is no God and all this has happened by some freak chance of nature, who says that my lack of respect for human life is wrong?

Wow! That really leads down a terrible, destructive road. Unfortunately, we have been watching our nation derail for quite some time. The good news? Some people are trying to get the train back on the right track again. Are you? In order to turn the nation, it all begins in the individual heart, then grows deep into the home, overflowing to the community, region, state and finally fills the nation. It is called a revival.

Ready, set, GO!