Tag: lured

18.g. “Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.”

John 13:2   During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him,

 Acts 5:3     But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit

 Ephesians 2:3   among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.

 James 1:13-17   Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.  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.  Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.

 Mark 4:19     but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.

 Romans 6:12    Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions.

Some people are like the ground on a hard-packed pathway. This is hard ground because people walked on it all the time and hardened it. When people are hard to the word of God, they allow no room for the seed of the word in their lives – it never enters.  “There are some that hear the word, but never meditate upon it, never lay it to their hearts, never cover it with second thoughts.” (Poole)  Some people are like the ground that is rocky but covered with a thin layer of dirt. They receive the seed of the word with a flash of enthusiasm that quickly burns out. Some people are like the seed that falls among the thorns. They receive the word but allow the interests and cares of this world to choke it out.

We ought to be able to rightly see and understand the world we live in, its lures, lies, fears, temptations, and false hopes.  But how is this to occur?  When we are in God’s Word.  When we hunger and thirst for His Word.  When we have surrendered our life in this world to victoriously living to bring honor and glory to Jesus Christ.  This does not happen by walking hand in hand with what this world has to offer or giving head nods toward Christian values, the bible, attending church, or listening to Christian music.  Head nods are not the same as a heart surrendered.  There is a big difference.  Head nods do not let the word of God into their heart.  These people play at being a Christian but there has never been a heart change that only comes through repenting, confessing, and surrender all hope of eternal life into the hands of Jesus Christ.  No thought of being good enough enters their thoughts.  They understand they were lost and without hope and then the Light of the Gospel flooded their heart and mind.  They realized there is only one way to eternal life and that is through hope and faith in Jesus Christ.  God’s Word allows them to see this world and what it has to offer.  This allows them to reject temptations that come at them in all kinds of forms.  Greed, lust, passion, hate, anger, fear, worry, pride, self-worth, and self-reliance are some of the many forms this world will tempt.  Hunger and thirst for His Word with a desire to live so that all you think, say, and do honor and glorify Jesus Christ.

Do no be deceived

“Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brother”

John 13:27  Then after he had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly.”

John 13:2    During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him,

Matthew 12:45    Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there, and the last state of that person is worse than the first. So also will it be with this evil generation.”

Luke 22:3     Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was of the number of the twelve.

Proverbs 1:16     for their feet run to evil,

Ecclesiastes 9:3     This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that the same event happens to all. Also, the hearts of the children of man are full of evil, and madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that they go to the dead.

James 1:13     Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.  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 1:12     Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.

If we are born with a sinful nature and this is the natural mindset and heart of man how are we to know what is sin in our life?  How do we know the difference between good and bad?  Our natural mind would conclude that if it benefits society and the culture identifies it as good, then it must be pleasing to God.  Viewing this from this standpoint gives a very strong illusion of being right with God and serving Him.  However nothing could be worse for our soul.  Trying to be and do good is not serving God.  It is nothing more than trying to earn and work way to be right with God.  Performing acts of goodness and kindness apart from humbly seeking, serving, honoring, following and obeying God are man’s unworthy attempts and used by Satan to blind us into thinking we are right with God.  this mindset leads us down paths of complacency and neglecting God’s word in favor of doing what we think is right.  They mindset tells us we are doing what God wants.  This is a lie.  It is false.  True servants of God desire and seek His purpose and plan.  They continue in reading scripture and are fully aware of their sinful nature.  They seek God to expose their sin and lead them in paths that honor Him.  They do not try to please God apart from seeking His purpose and plan.  They choose to be lead and their heart, mind, eyes and ears are open to His leading.  Be mindful of your sinful nature and it’s desires, and Satan’s deceits.

Placed into their heart

John 13:2  During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him,

Acts 5:3     But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land?

Ephesians 2:3     among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.

Luke 22:31     “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat

James 1:13    Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.  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.  Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.  Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

Ezra 7:27    Blessed be the LORD, the God of our fathers, who put such a thing as this into the heart of the king, to beautify the house of the LORD that is in Jerusalem,

Nehemiah 2:12     Then I arose in the night, I and a few men with me. And I told no one what my God had put into my heart to do for Jerusalem.

2 Corinthians 8:16     But thanks be to God, who put into the heart of Titus

Revelation 17:17    for God has put it into their hearts to carry out his purpose by being of one mind and handing over their royal power to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled.

Romans 1:19  For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.  Claiming to be wise, they became fools

Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.  Note the examples above. Satan temps and places intents in the heart of man.  Yet it also says that man lured away and enticed by his own desires.  Man acts on these temptations, desires, enticements and gives way to them in their life.  What is our hope against such things happening.  The word of God.  His word will bring light to the darkness associated with sin.  It will give knowledge and wisdom to understand things of this world that are contrary to God and as well things of God that are good for the heart, mind, and soul.  Our own sinful nature and it’s desires can not be left on their own for our nature is contrary to God and His ways.  Our help comes from God and through His word of hope, guidance, love, mercy, courage, promises, light, redemption, refuge, peace….  Staying in God’s word is the beginning of the battle for our soul.

Far From Me

“He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the LORD.”

“And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.“

“But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls”

Psalms 45:7  you have loved righteousness and hated wickedness. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions;

Psalms 101:3  I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless. I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not cling to me.  A perverse heart shall be far from me; I will know nothing of evil.

Psalms 101:8     Morning by morning I will destroy all the wicked in the land, cutting off all the evildoers from the city of the LORD.

Revelation 21:27    But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life

Proverbs 23:31  Do not look at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly.  In the end it bites like a serpent and stings like an adder.  Your eyes will see strange things, and your heart utter perverse things.

Jeremiah 22:17    But you have eyes and heart only for your dishonest gain, for shedding innocent blood, and for practicing oppression and violence.”

Hosea 7:6  For with hearts like an oven they approach their intrigue; all night their anger smolders; in the morning it blazes like a flaming fire.

Micah 2:2   They covet fields and seize them, and houses, and take them away; they oppress a man and his house, a man and his inheritance.

James 1:13  Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.  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.

Romans 12:9    Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.

Psalms 97:10   O you who love the LORD, hate evil! He preserves the lives of his saints; he delivers them from the hand of the wicked.

It is our choice what we focus our eyes and heart upon.  For sure there is plenty in this world that so easily takes our focus and attention away from humbly serving, obeying, honoring and glorifying God. Why are we so easily distracted?  What can we do to lessen or remove these distractions?  Knowing and understanding God’s word and His purpose for our lives will change our focus, wants, and desires.  Staying in his word will result in changing our heart.  Day after day we are refreshed by it.  Morning by morning it is made new and revives our soul.  The warnings are clear for those who hang on to this world and what it has to offer, and as well to those who want to stand on the fence of this world and the one to come.  These people will encounter death, destruction, and will have no part in heaven.  Their lives will forever be in hell.  Choose to keep your eyes, heart, mind, and soul focused on God, through His word each day.  Commit to humbly serving, obeying, honoring, and glorifying Him.