Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

HE that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered.

Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: but every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.--Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.

Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, . . . even as the garden of the LORD. Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; but the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly.--The Lord delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked. The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations.--Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.

MAT. 6. 13. Pr. 28. 26. Ja. 1. 13, 14.--2 Co. 6. 17. Ge. 13. 10, 11, 13.--2 Pe. 2. 7, 9.--Ro. 14. 4.

Psalm 106:19-23 idolatry in the life

Psalm 106:19-23
19 They made a calf in Horeb, and worshiped the molten image. 20 Thus they changed their glory into the similitude of an ox that eateth grass. 21 They forgat God their saviour, which had done great things in Egypt; 22 Wondrous works in the land of Ham, and terrible things by the Red sea. 23 Therefore he said that he would destroy them, had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach, to turn away his wrath, lest he should destroy them.

The children of Israel did horrible in the sight of the Lord.
They made a calf and worshipped it. It changed their glory, not His. Interesting!
They forgat God, God as their saviour. God Who did great things for them, bringing them out of bondage in Egypt, Ham and by the Red Sea.

God did not compromise either His holiness nor His justice...He declared He would destroy them.
But Moses.

O how we need an intercessor! for our NT idolatries which Paul said was the generic vice, covetousness.

Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: (Colossians 3:5)

what is covetousness?

• an envious eagerness to possess something

• avarice: extreme greed for material wealth

• avarice: reprehensible acquisitiveness; insatiable desire for wealth (personified as one of the deadly sins)

We who live in a capatilist society see every day the avarice and greed for more. The recent economic collapse on Wall Street and around the Euro markets is indicative of the same. But even those who lived in communist countries were and are subject to covetousness.

How do we contradict covetousness/idolatry that both Israel was then and the disobedient are today?

The answer is also found in Colossians 3, and a long answer will ensue over several days of this devotional blog.

But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. (Colossians 3:8)

This verse, in its context of the entire chapter, is telling us to put off and later to put on certain behaviors and attitudes.

anger: an attitude and a behavior; a strong emotion; a feeling that is oriented toward some real or supposed grievance/offense
wrath: attitude, belligerence aroused by a real or supposed wrong (personified as one of the deadly sins)
malice: a grudge, attitude; feeling a need to see others suffer
blasphemy: a behavior

• blasphemous language (expressing disrespect for God or for something sacred)

• profanation: blasphemous behavior; the act of depriving something of its sacred character; "desecration of the Holy Sabbath"

filthy communication: behavior, specifically coming from one's mouth

• disgustingly dirty; filled or smeared with offensive matter; "as filthy as a pigsty"; "a foul pond"; "a nasty pigsty of a room"

• dirty: vile; despicable; "a dirty (or lousy) trick"; "a filthy traitor"

• cruddy: characterized by obscenity; "had a filthy mouth"; "foul language"; "smutty jokes"

we contradict the effects of idolatry by recognizing Christ is all and in all [v. 11].
idolatry is making what I want more important than what God wants...it is selfishness and self-importance. whether material things or stubborn desire to have it my way

those who have this greedy desire to possess things violate the loving, sharing self-sacrificing way of the Spirit, displaying attitudes that help them achieve their covetous ends by any aggressive means.

Look to Christ and put off ways of the old, covetous, idolatrous man.

Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: Phil. 3:12

The path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. Prov. 4:18

Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Phil. 3:12

Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD. Hos. 6:3

Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Matt. 13:43

We all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. II Cor. 3:18

When that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. I Cor. 13:10

For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. I Cor. 13:12

Beloved, now are we the sons of God; and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. I John 3:2, 3

Walk in newness of life. Rom. 6:4

As ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. Rom. 6:19

iniquity unto iniquity...this is our track record, and an affront to the strict moralist in our society, who has little idea what an offense to God he has been!

I beseech you.... brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind. Rom. 12:1, 2

I beseech you...yes, sometimes we beseech, we BEG, Christians to do right! we also admonish them that doing right with their bodies is their reasonable service. The key: renewing their mind. That's a daily task for me!

If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. II Cor. 5:17

new creature...all things become new: this in contrast to Romans 12, where the appeal is made to renew the mind in dedicating one's self to physical consecration

In Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy. Gal. 6:15, 16

I need to walk and adopt the attitude that I am a new creature.

This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind. Eph. 4:17
vanity of their mind...vanity is a sinful mindset that affects a person's walk. O how we need humble people void of vanity! Humble servants who, against the offense of their unsaved contacts, in turn demonstrate Christian love and forgiveness, in order that they might be saved and Christ seen!

Ye have not so learned Christ; if so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus. Put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Eph. 4:20, 21, 24

Put on...this is a deliberate effort made by one to walk in newness of life...it doesn't just 'happen', it must be volitional and deliberate on my part.

...the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain...Romans 8:22

For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. (Romans 8:22)

I thought of this verse when I read this article this AM: http://www.space.com/php/video/player.php?video_id=080627-earth-sounds
it's scary but the real deal...oh how sin troubles! how it not only troubles the soul, but the whole creation!
Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. (Matthew 24:35)

Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away. (Mark 13:31)

Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away. (Luke 21:33)

But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. (2 Peter 3:10)

how I yearn for my Redeemer to come and reign this earth before its reformation...the end of the millennium will result in a new earth AND a new heaven.

And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. (Revelation 21:1)

Psalm 86:17...because thou, Lord, hast holpen me, comforted me.

Psalm 86:17
Shew me a token for good; that they which hate me may see it, and be ashamed: because thou, Lord, hast holpen me, comforted me.

token: mark, evidence
holpen me: to surround, that is, protect or aid: - help, succour
succour = succor: noun: 1. Assistance in time of distress; relief. 2. One that affords assistance or relief
comforted me: to pity, console or (reflexively) rue; or (unfavorably) to avenge (oneself): - comfort (self), ease

I sometimes plead for some tangible evidence of God's working, care and Providence in my life. That evidence often comes by his relief in times of distress and comfort/pity/ease.
John the Baptist: Art thou he that should come? or look we for another? (Luke 7:20)
Disciples: Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? (John 14:8-9)

Thank God for His comfort, pity, relief, help!
If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, (Philippians 2:1)

Back online...

(Job 1:21) And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.

After the laptop was stolen while in HI in May, I was delayed and somewhat delinquent in getting back to this routine online.
The picture to the right is moments after recognizing I was broke into through the driver's side window, through the use of lock-out tools.
You can see the dimple in the window molding just above the steering wheel, which dimple is where the tool went in just above the door lock, an easy open given the design of the door lock on this Chrysler Town and Country Van. The new laptop came in the first part of June and I have needed to get back to this blessed activity.

(Psa 113:2) Blessed be the name of the LORD from this time forth and for evermore.

I hope to be more consistent and thank you all for your patience.

May God grant me the grace, that energizing power and supernatural desire, to accomplish this task.

TAS