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“Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation.”  --Mathew 26:41 Have you ever thought about how temptation comes suddenly and surprisingly without any warning? You can be reading the Scripture and suddenly have the most unbelievable thoughts, lies, and deceptions come to mind. You can even be in church worshipping Jesus Christ, singing hymns and songs and have ungodly thoughts pass through your mind. Have you had that happen? Do you wonder what that’s all about? I’ll tell you. It’s a surprising, sudden, and seductive attack of the devil. Now, I want you to know this. It’s not a sin to be tempted, but it is a sin to give into temptation. Billy Graham once said,  “You can’t keep the birds from flying around your head but you can keep them from building nests in your hair.” So when temptation knocks at your door, what are you going to do? You have a choice to make. You can pray for power and resist the temptation. Or you can entertain the idea and embrace it. It’s God’s desire for you that you not become a spiritual casualty of sin. That’s why Jesus said, “Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation.” Be aware of how the devil works. Let your attitude toward sin be one of constant watchfulness and careful dependence on him. IT’S NOT A SIN TO BE TEMPTED, BUT IT IS A SIN TO GIVE IN TO TEMPTATION.

Taking a Stand

by Dr. Paul Chappell

“Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.”
Daniel 3:16–18

When A. C. Dixon was the pastor of Moody Church in Chicago, he was invited to attend a gathering of businessmen under false pretenses. He had been told it was to talk about insurance and investments, but it turned out to be a social club planning an upcoming dance. He stayed a bit, wanting to be polite, but then they distributed tickets for the dance and explained that each person was expected to sell them to raise funds for the organization. At that point Dixon later wrote, he stood up and said, “I am not in the habit of attending public balls, and I don’t know how to sell tickets to public balls. I believe your public ball is an abomination unto Heaven, and I cannot advise any of the members of my church to go.”
The temptation to go along with the crowd can be very strong, but easy and right often do not go hand in hand. As we’ve seen more and more in recent years, taking a public stand for what God says is right is no longer acceptable to many people. It may even have serious career or financial consequences. It is in those moments that the sincerity of our faith and our commitment to Christ are revealed. While none of us are eager to suffer persecution and hardship, we must be willing to do right no matter what others may do and no matter the cost.
 

Today’s Growth Principle: 

Be firm and unyielding in standing for the truth, even if no one else is willing to stand with you.